Summary
- Clive faces Leviathan in an epic showdown in Final Fantasy 16's Rising Tide DLC, unlocking new water-based skills.
- Waljas, Leviathan's Dominant, has a tragic backstory, frozen in time after villagers wanted to exploit his powers.
- The emotional depth of freeing Waljas from his prison adds to the fulfilling experience of Final Fantasy 16's DLC.
The following contains major spoilers for Final Fantasy 16's Rising Tide DLC.
Final Fantasy 16's latest DLC expansion, The Rising Tide, brings a host of new additions to the base game, including a new story, new skills for Clive, and two of Final Fantasy 16's most exciting boss fights. The main draw of the DLC is the fight with the legendary sea serpent Leviathan, who has been a recurring character in the Final Fantasy franchise for decades. However, at the heart of The Rising Tide's story is Waljas, an unassuming character who is more than meets the eye.
Final Fantasy 16's Rising Tide DLC begins after players learn that Leviathan's Dominant is in danger, and they travel to the Veil in Northreach to inquire about it further. Eventually, Clive, Jill, and Joshua are led to Mysidia, the last of the few regions in the Northern Territories to remain untouched by the Blight and the final haven of the Motes of Water, the tribe that the Dominant of Leviathan was once believed to have been born into. The reason for the group being sent to Mysidia revolves around The Surge, a giant wave that appears to be frozen in time.
Why Final Fantasy 16’s ‘Cascade’ Music is Such a Big Deal
As one of the main themes of Final Fantasy 16's second DLC, The Rising Tide, 'Cascade' is a piece that serves as a fitting bookend to the game.
Who Is Waljas in Final Fantasy 16's Rising Tide DLC?
According to The Rising Tide's Shula, "The wave was raised by Leviathan in an act of rage moments before the waters were stayed, and the Eikon and its Dominant bound within." Now, Clive has been tasked with freeing the Dominant. This is where the character of Waljas comes into play, simultaneously making him The Rising Tide's most important character.
Waljas Is Leviathan's Dominant
The battle with Leviathan is certainly the high point of Final Fantasy 16's Rising Tide DLC, and that's why it comes as no surprise that one of the expansion's most central characters, Waljas, is connected to the legendary sea serpent. Specifically, Waljas is Leviathan's Dominant. In the world of Final Fantasy 16, Dominants are human hosts of Eikons, magical beings of godlike strength, each of whom has a unique elemental affinity.
Leviathan, being that it is a sea serpent, grants its Dominant the power of water, which is how Clive is given new water-based skills upon absorbing the Eikon's power from Waljas.
In addition to being Leviathan's Dominant, Waljas is the son of Shula's great-grandfather. As a descendant of Waljas, Shula believes it is her duty to care for him and ensure that he is rescued. This is why she calls on Clive for help, and how she is connected to the story at hand.
Waljas Has a Tragic Backstory
Unlike the other Dominants that Clive and his team encounter throughout Final Fantasy 16's main story, Waljas is a baby. The most painful part of his story, however, is that he is somehow almost a century old and yet remains an infant. Almost immediately after Waljas was born, Leviathan awoke within him and was taken advantage of by those in his community. They sought to use his power for their own purposes, but Leviathan discerned their intentions and summoned the large wave Clive and the others have been sent to Mysidia to investigate.
The wave would have swallowed the village, but a spell was cast on Waljas to freeze him in time, preventing him from aging and permanently binding him to a state of priming.
Fortunately, Final Fantasy 16's Rising Tide DLC ends with Clive defeating Leviathan in battle, allowing Shula to unweave the spell that froze Waljas in time. Once Waljas is freed from his imprisonment, he slowly descends into Clive's arms. Shortly thereafter, Clive hands Waljas over to Shula, and she vows to look after the Dominant for the rest of her days. It's no surprise that Final Fantasy 16's Rising Tide DLC has this level of emotional depth, considering the base game's story, which makes freeing Waljas from his prison all the more fulfilling.
Final Fantasy 16
- Released
- June 22, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
An epic dark fantasy world where the fate of the land is decided by the mighty Eikons and the Dominants who wield them.
This is the tale of Clive Rosfield, a warrior granted the title “First Shield of Rosaria” and sworn to protect his younger brother Joshua, the dominant of the Phoenix. Before long, Clive will be caught up in a great tragedy and swear revenge on the Dark Eikon Ifrit, a mysterious entity that brings calamity in its wake.
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Franchise
- Final Fantasy
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- How Long To Beat
- 36 Hours
- Metascore
- 88
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
