In every Final Fantasy title, the summons play some major role. These easily identifiable beings are one of the few common threads from game to game, outside overarching themes. They will return in Final Fantasy 16, with the Dominance trailer giving a look at several. It’s uncertain if all the Eikons, as they are called in Final Fantasy 16, have been revealed, but more information on them will likely come in the following months.
For example, fans recently learned that each Eikon Battle in Final Fantasy 16 will be unique—one being a 3D shooter, one being a wrestling match, and so on. Eikons are bound to a human, who is known as a Dominant as a result. These Dominants usually play a major role in their country, and with the recent trailer, a few more associations can be made.
Final Fantasy 16: Countries, Eikons, and Dominants
What’s ultimately unclear right now is how many Dominants appear in each country vs. how many have no country claim. Every Eikon showed thus far includes Phoenix, Ifrit, Garuda, Titan, Shiva, Bahamut, Ramuh, and Odin, but only a handful of countries have been confirmed. These appear to be all of them, but that’s still up in the air. They include the Grand Duchy of Rosaria, The Holy Empire of Sanbreque, the Kingdom of Waloed, The Dhalmekian Republic, The Iron Kingdom, and Crystalline Dominion.
The last two are of some note, as the latter is ruled by representatives of other nations, with no single Dominant calling it their home. In the Iron Kingdom, they see Dominants are abominations are killed. This means there are only four nations in Valisthea, revealed so far, that utilize their Dominants. As seen below, here is what is known.
- Grand Duchy of Rosaria – Eikon of Fire – Joshua Rosfield
- The Holy Empire of Sanbreque - UNKNOWN
- Kingdom of Waloed – Eikon of Wind – Benedikta Harman
- The Dhalmekian Republic – Eikon of Earth – Hugo Kupka
- The Iron Kingdom – Dominants are executed.
- Crystalline Dominion – No Dominant calls this their home.
The Grand Duchy of Rosaria – Joshua and Clive
- Element: Fire
- Eikon: Phoenix, Ifrit
- Dominants: Clive, Joshua
The Grand Duchy of Rosaria seems to be the focus of the first Final Fantasy 16 trailer, and when Dominants come of age, they become the Archduke of Rosaria. As the Eikon of Fire Dominant, holding Phoenix, this is supposed to be Joshua’s role in the game. It is said that the Eikon of Fire passed over the firstborn, Clive, and somehow ended up with Joshua.
But, as the Final Fantasy 16 Dominance trailer all but outright states, Clive appears to be the Dominant of Ifrit. He gains some ability to take the powers of other Eikons, but because of the Dark Eikon within him, Clive seems to be on a dark path beginning with Phoenix.
Kingdom of Waloed – Benedikta and More?
- Element: Wind
- Eikon: Garuda, Odin (Likely)
- Dominants: Benedikta, Unknown King
If Rosaria unknowing to itself features two Eikons, it seems Waloed has two Eikons it knows about. The first is the recently revealed Garuda, of which Benedikta Harman serves as the Dominant. She leads Waloed’s Intelligence network. The official description of Waloed also reveals that its king is a Dominant, having built a massive army as their leader. Its flag depicts the six-legged horse of Odin, and Odin is usually either non-elemental or associated with wind, so it’s a pretty safe bet that the King is a dominant of Odin. That's nowhere near confirmed, but the flag would be misleading if not.
The Dhalmekian Republic – Hugo
- Element: Earth
- Eikon: Titan
- Dominants: Hugo
Hugo was once a nameless soldier in the Republic Army, but at some point, he is awakened as the Dominant of Titan. This causes him to rise and become the Permanent Economic Adviser to the leaders of the republic. His influence is massive, on both its army and its politics. As it stands, Titan is the only earth Eikon revealed so far—none other seem to be associated with the Republic.
The Holy Empire of Sanbreque
- Element: Unknown
- Eikon: Unknown, Bahamut (Maybe)
- Dominants: Unknown
Of the nations revealed so far, Sanbreque is the most mysterious. It is set to be a huge theocracy, and the element of its Eikon has yet to be confirmed. It is said, though, the Dominant is the empire’s champion, who takes to the “field in times of war to rout its enemies.” By process of elimination, the element would seemingly be water, but Shiva doesn’t seem to come from this one. It could mean some holy element. Bahamut, as a result, seems to be the likeliest Eikon of Sanbreque—at least from what’s been confirmed so far. That's ultimately unknown too, as Bahamut could have a bigger role in Final Fantasy 16 than just a traditional Eikon given its typical role in these games.
The Unknown Eikons
All in all, the associations of Phoenix, Ifrit, Garuda, and Titan are the only for sure cases. Odin, Bahamut, Shiva, and Ramuh are all unknown. One could argue that either Ramuh or Odin fit Waloed, so it’s possible more dominants are there, but the flag definitely hints at Odin. Otherwise, it’s hard to pinpoint where Ramuh could be stationed.
Many believe that Jill is the dominant of Shiva, as she is from the unnamed Northern Territories. It stands to reason that the Eikon of Water comes from a nation that longer exists—and Jill would make the most sense then. If Bahamut is not from Sanbreque, then it truly is anyone’s guess. For now, fans will just have to wait on Square Enix to pull the curtain back more on Final Fantasy 16’s Eikons
Final Fantasy 16 is in development for PS5.