Clive Rosfield, the protagonist of Final Fantasy 16, has made history for the series, as his sword is being displayed at the Tower of London, making it the first video game weapon to receive this honor. In Final Fantasy 16, Clive uses a sword called the Invictus alongside his magical abilities and Eikon powers, all of which must be utilized together in combat.
Final Fantasy 16 is the first single-player entry in the series to feature a solo playable character at once, depending on your interpretation. You play as Clive for most of the game, but the Final Fantasy 16 demo confirmed that you would also play as Joshua for a brief section of the story. This means that Clive’s weapons and fighting style are a major part of the game, as the player will use them throughout their journey.
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Clive Rosfield’s Sword Will Be Displayed Alongside The Arms Used By Real Kings
Clive’s Invictus sword is being used as part of a collaboration with Royal Armouries as part of a promotion for the launch of Final Fantasy 16 on PS5. A replica of the Invictus will be displayed in the Tower of London from June 20 to July 19, making it the first video game-inspired weapon to appear there. The official Final Fantasy YouTube channel has a trailer showing the Invictus display.
The White Tower in the Tower of London features a display by Royal Armouries containing weapons and armor used by different British monarchs. These include suits of plate mail worn by Henry VIII and the Cuirassier armor owned by Charles I. This means that Clive’s sword will be displayed alongside historical artifacts, some of which have been displayed for centuries.
It’s a shame that some of the more well-known Final Fantasy swords didn’t receive the honor of appearing as part of such an important display. Cloud’s Buster Sword or Squall’s Gunblade would have fit right in with all of the ancient weapons used by the British monarchy. You could even put Sephiroth’s Masamune on display and pretend that it killed Richard III, as none of his loyal bannermen had a Phoenix Down to hand.
Related: Clive Voice Actor Claims FF16 Saved His Life After Father’s Passing
The Final Fantasy 16 demo proved that the game has a much more adult tone than previous entries in the series, with characters, dialogue, and story more akin to Game of Thrones than its contemporaries in the JRPG genre. As such, the more grounded design of Clive’s sword makes it a better fit for the White Tower than the weapons used by the previous Final Fantasy protagonists.
