How Final Fantasy 16 Elevates the Status of Ramuh
Warning: This article includes significant spoilers for Final Fantasy 16. Proceed at your own risk.
Final Fantasy 16 takes the series’ foundational elements and reimagines them with a much darker tone. The game’s narrative centers around concepts and figures that have been present since the beginning, including the Eikons, or summons. Final Fantasy 16 takes the opportunity to reinvent the nature of many of its Eikons, with the most significant change being applied to the thunder and lightning Eikon, Ramuh.
In Final Fantasy 16, Eikons manifest within gifted individuals called Dominants, who wield their power on behalf of a Kingdom or Realm. However, the game introduces its Eikons through massive battlefield brawls, obscuring the identity of their Eikons and making their reveals major plot points. Ramuh is one of the few exceptions, as players are introduced to his Dominant long before the Eikon’s debut on the battlefield.
Ramuh is one of the most important and powerful Eikons in the world of Final Fantasy 16. The figure is often relegated to a role of a mid-tier or even low-tier summon in past iterations, but Final Fantasy 16’s Ramuh and his Dominant demonstrate their overwhelming power on multiple occasions. Cidolfus Telamon, Ramuh’s dominant, destroys entire groups of soldiers with a snap of his fingers. Similarly, Ramuh’s first appearance in the game sees him defeat Ifrit, the Dark Eikon of Fire, in a single strike.
It’s not just Ramuh’s power that elevates him over past iterations, but the application of that power that redefines the character. Cidolfus is Final Fantasy 16’s greatest force for good, using the power of Ramuh to create a sanctuary for former slaves and outcast Dominants to live their lives in freedom. Over the course of the game’s early narrative, Cidolfus uses his Eikonic abilities exclusively in the service of others, aiding Clive on his journey while freeing Bearers from across the realm.
After Ramuh destroys the Mother Crystal at Drake’s Head, Cidolfus is mortally wounded by Typhon. However, he uses the last of his strength to save Clive, rather than himself. With his last breath, Cidolfus gifts Clive with his remaining Eikonic essence, so that he can carry on their mission of creating a better world.
Using Ramuh’s Eikonic abilities in Final Fantasy 16, Clive becomes a symbol of hope across all of Valisthea. After taking the name Cid the Outlaw, Clive devotes his life to fulfilling Cidolfus’ mission. Throughout the game’s narrative, friend and foe alike recognize Cid’s lightning abilities as a symbol for the forces of good. Both the Cid name and Ramuh’s Eikonic abilities provide the driving force behind Final Fantasy 16’s narrative and are integral to Clive’s navigation of its various locations.
Final Fantasy 16 elevates one of the series’ weakest summons into a powerful force to be reckoned with. Through Cidolfus, Ramuh’s power seemingly dwarfs that of every other Eikon. Had it not been for Cidolfus’ injuries and choice to put others before himself, Ramuh’s true might could have been demonstrated against the likes of Bahamut and Odin. However, the means of his survival would go against the very definition of Ramuh in Final Fantasy 16, whose name and abilities stand as a pillar of altruism and hope for the weakest and most vulnerable of Valisthea.
Final Fantasy 16 is available exclusively on PlayStation 5.
Warning: This article contains major spoilers for Final Fantasy 16. Proceed at your own risk.
Final Fantasy 16 takes many of the series’ foundational elements and reinvents them with a much darker tone. The title’s narrative is centered around concepts and figures that have been a part of the series since the very beginning, including many of Final Fantasy 16‘s Eikons, or summons. Final Fantasy 16 takes the opportunity to reinvent the nature of many of its Eikons, with its most significant change being applied to the series’ thunder and lighting Eikon, Ramuh. Specifically, Final Fantasy 16 elevates the status of Ramuh in a myriad of ways, with his role in the title’s narrative, and importance to its protagonist, making him one of the most important figures across its 60-hour journey.
In Final Fantasy 16, Eikons manifest themselves within gifted individuals, called Dominants, who wield their power on behalf of a Kingdom or Realm. However, fans enter into the title’s world at a time when its Kingdoms are at war, introducing its Eikons through massive battlefield brawls. The nature of these introductions often hides the identity of their Eikons, making their reveals into major plot points. Ramuh is one of a few exceptions, as players are introduced to his Dominant long before the Eikon’s debut on the battlefield. In a major shift for the series, Ramuh is one of the most important and powerful Eikons in the world of Final Fantasy 16.
Final Fantasy 16’s Ramuh Is the Series’ Most Powerful and Altruistic
The Eikon Ramuh has changed across the Final Fantasy series. However, the figure is often relegated to a role of a mid-tier, or even low-tier summon. That is not true of Final Fantasy 16‘s Ramuh and his Dominant, as both demonstrate their overwhelming power on multiple occasions. Cidolfus Telamon, Ramuh’s dominant, destroys entire groups of soldiers with a snap of his fingers. Similarly, Ramuh’s first appearance in the title sees him defeat Ifrit, the Dark Eikon of Fire, in a single strike. While Ramuh’s power no doubt elevates him over past iterations, it’s the application of that power that truly redefines the character.
Cidolfus is Final Fantasy 16‘s greatest force for good, using the power of Ramuh to create a sanctuary for former slaves, called Bearers, and outcast Dominants to live their lives in freedom. Over the course of Final Fantasy 16‘s early narrative, Cidolfus uses his Eikonic abilities exclusively in the service of others, aiding Clive on his journey while freeing Bearers from across the realm. After Ramuh destroys the Mother Crystal at Drake’s Head, Cidolfus is mortally wounded by Typhon. However, he uses the last of his strength to save Clive, rather than himself. With his last breath, Cidolfus gifts Clive with his remaining Eikonic essence, so that he can carry on their mission of creating a better world.
Final Fantasy 16’s Ramuh Is A Symbol of Hope
Using Ramuh’s Eikonic abilities in Final Fantasy 16Clive becomes a symbol of hope across all of Valisthea. After taking the name Cid the Outlaw, Clive devotes his life to fulfilling Cidolfus’ mission. Throughout the title’s narrative, friend and foe alike recognize Cid’s lightning abilities as a symbol for the forces of good. Both the Cid name and Ramuh’s Eikonic abilities provide the driving force behind Final Fantasy 16‘s narrative and are integral to Clive’s navigation of its various locations. Under Cid the Outlaw, an expansive network of individuals is able to create a means of both freeing Bearers and transporting them to Cid’s sanctuary, The Hideaway.
Final Fantasy 16 elevates one of the Final Fantasy series’ weakest summons into a powerful force to be reckoned with. Through Cidolfus, Ramuh’s power seemingly dwarfs that of every other Eikon. Had it not been for Cidolfus’ injuries, and choice to put others before himself, Ramuh’s true might could have been demonstrated against the likes of Bahamut and Odin. However, the means of his survival would go against the very definition of Ramuh in Final Fantasy 16whose name and abilities stand as a pillar of altruism and hope for the weakest and most vulnerable of Valisthea.
Final Fantasy 16 is available now for PS5.
