Trauma and Character Growth: Final Fantasy XVI Part 2
Phenomena Gaming Update: We have a podcast which recorded last week but I’ve just done the social media/embed to website push about men and women being friends and how rare that is to find in video game lore. @SpaceKitty00 and @Whatcouldbeingbe built their own philosophy of friendship and the podcast was a great discussion. We will have this entry from Final Fantasy XVI and hopefully start our Castlevania Podcast series next week.
Some Spoilers will be present for Final Fantasy XVI. We will be talking about events in the early part of Final Fantasy XVI and how it changes characters’ lives. We will also talk a bit more about expectations versus realistic character development when looking at the effects trauma has on human growth. This is not a psychiatrist/psychologist opinion and should not be taken as medical advice. If you are having questions about mental health or are experiencing thoughts of self-harm/suicide, please contact your medical professional, ER, or contact the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 1-800-273-8255 in the United States.
A challenging way to see an old friend
What is Trauma?
Trauma is any physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual suffering which has a lasting effect on the person who suffered the trauma. I personally use a broader definition of trauma, because people are not always aware of the effects trauma has until much later. Everyone has experienced some trauma and has had to adjust dreams, expectations, and hopes for their own lives because of traumatic events. Sometimes they are small like not getting a desired promotion and others are more severe such as having a close friend die. It is also very common for transitions, even good ones, to cause symptoms of suffering from trauma as new routines and habits take time to build and to feel safe in having a new routine.
This picture from just after the demo from Final Fantasy XVI is a screenshot from the main male protagonist Clive, sees his friend Jill for the first time since childhood. She is on the battlefield after fighting with Clive as the dominant of Shiva for the Iron Kingdom. Clive and Jill were friends who grew up in the same town and were separated after Rosaria was attacked. Jill was imprisoned by the Iron Kingdom and forced to act on their behalf as they only hold one dominant and slaughter the rest. Going against the orders of his officer, Clive seeks a refuge for Jill and finds it when Cid comes to the rescue.
Cid and Systemic Responses to Trauma
Cid successfully rescues Jill and Clive, while also reuniting Clive with bestest boy Torgal. Cid has built his own hideout for Bearers, people who are able to cast magick without the Mother Crystals. In many realms, Bearers are marked and made to work as slaves to hinder their ability to potentially steal power. Most people are unable to cast magic, so the people of the world often treat Bearers with prejudice and disdain. Cid sees this world and wants to make a change. His hideout is on the edge of the blight, so it takes consistent work from the hideout members to make sure the hideout doesn’t fall apart.
Two things are important in seeing the hideout. 1) Building a safe place for healing often means finding a place of seclusion so people can build new habits and experiences. In FFXVI, the borders of the blighted lands are often the most desolate places. 2) We often learn the most about suffering from the people who have suffered the most. Personal experience of trauma often leads a few select people to have motivation to change the conditions which allowed their suffering or made it easy to ignore. Cid is one of those people. He left his powerful position supporting the Waloed Empire because of disagreements with leadership and then built a place to protect his friend Otto’s son from a lifetime of slavery. This desire to help a friend made Cid’s hideout a safe place to go for many people. As Cid gains more people, he reveals his ultimate plan, to destroy the MotherCrystals to prevent the blight from taking over the whole world. Cid’s individual response to his and his friend’s trauma fostered a movement to restore balance to the world. Trauma caused a rebellion, and Cid’s famous phrase, “to build a place where Bearers and Dominants can die on their own terms” is a key theme to distinguish the world as it is with a desired world of the future.
Individual Traumatic Responses
Jill is a fascinating character. While the plan is being formulated she is relatively quiet and often has a quiet demeanor. When she awakes, she begins to open up to Clive about her life as the Dominant of Shiva. It was a traumatic life and she became much more quiet and less outgoing as she was in the early scenes of Final Fantasy XVI. Jill has received much critical backlash for being “in the background” and “not active in discussions”. However, in a world without therapy and a world broiled in death, which Jill feels much responsibility, is it a fair expectation to have Jill be an extroverted, peppy individual? I don’t think this expectation is fair and I actually do not think it matches Jill’s personality. Jill has a quiet resolve and walks her own journey to reclaim her past, give it new meaning, and serves as a strong party member. Is this different from her personality as a child, yes, and that is tragic to have one’s candle snuffed or darkened because of trauma? Does Jill rebuild herself as a strong person, capable of her own growth and supporting the growth of others? Also, absolutely. If I were building a support system to revitalize the world, someone like Jill would be someone I would seek very early in the effort.
Clive’s trauma is feeling responsible for the death of his brother. We see none of the in-between for Clive’s 13 years from Part 1 to Part 2 so only fragments appear in the midst of the story. Clive is also moody and easily frustrated. He easily loses control of his summon and is the only Dominant who can absorb the power of others. Clive is an interesting character because he builds his own confidence over time and does great internal work to find his own healing. His early journey as a loner hardens him a lot. He has trouble expressing affection for his friends and has a lot of awkward moments with Jill trying to understand his feelings for her. Trauma affects all relationships and it is important to understand our own traumas and the effect they have on others.
Conclusion
Trauma affects all people and Final Fantasy XVI does a great job of creating realistic characters for the world situation in which they find themselves and navigating their own personal histories of trauma. We all cause harm and it is important to seek accountability and restoration for those times when we do cause harm. The acceptance of all of us, both good and bad, is vital to truly move forward. Self-acceptance and a community are vital in order to maintain consistent growth as a person. Clive, Jill, and Cid are three great examples of how trauma affects individual and systemic change. Final Fantasy XVI is a world of trauma and hopefully we can be inspired to create less trauma for others in our own lives through seeing how difficult the effects of trauma are on these characters.
