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The story and world ofFinal Fantasy 16are heavily centered around Eikons and their Dominants; powerful individuals who can harness the power of the Eikon and transform into it. A fraction of an Eikon’s power is inherited by certain people, known as Bearers. These people are able to use magic according to the element of the Eikon, but are not nearly as strong as Dominants.
Throughout Final Fantasy 16, we are told that there are eight Eikons, with Ifrit being an anomalous ninth Eikon. Each of these Eikons represents one of the core elements that make up the world. However, one of these Eikons, Leviathan, is completely missing, said to be lost. Below, we’ll take a look at everything we know about Leviathan and the Dominant of Water, including some theories as to where they could be.
Updated July 06, 2025: Two new DLC updates were recently announced for Final Fantasy 16, including the Rising Tide. This DLC will have Clive and friends come face to face with Leviathan, finally revealing what we all want to know: where has the lost Eikon been? We’ve updated this article with everything we know so far from the Rising Tide trailer in anticipation of the DLC launching sometime in the spring.
This trailer has somewhat invalidated a few of the popular theories that have been floating around since the game’s original launch, but we’ve kept these theories in for posterity. Once the DLC comes out in full, we’ll be sure to update you on everything you need to know about the Dominant of Water and Leviathan.
Spoilers for the story of Final Fantasy 16 below!
The Rising Tide DLC - Everything We Know So Far
The Rising Tide DLC for Final Fantasy 16 promises to reveal many of the mysteries surrounding Leviathan and the Dominant of Water. While the trailer for Rising Tide left quite a bit to the imagination, we’ve learned some valuable information.
The first thing seen in the trailer is an unnamed character introducing Clive, Joshua, Jill, and Torgal to a land calledMisidia. Then, you can see Clive fighting some Tonberries, using Leviathan’s powers. Near the end of the trailer, Clive, as Ifrit, faces off against Leviathan as a wave of water crashes against him.
So, the trailer doesn’t tell us a whole lot. The most enticing piece of information is what the unnamed character says:“Welcome, my friends, to Misidia”. Long-term FF fans will recognize this location from past games, most notablyFinal Fantasy 2 and 4. In these games, Misidia is a townclosely associated with Leviathan, so this connection definitely makes sense for FF16.
Seeing as Clive, Joshua, and Jill are all relatively healthy,Rising Tide will take place before the brothers go to Origin. But if that’s the case, why is the sky so blue? According toa Famitsu article with the developers, there is a reason the skies of Misida haven’t been corrupted by Origin’s appearance, but we’ll have toplay the DLC to find out why.
When you play, you will understand why the sky is blue there.
This quote from Hiroshi Takai was translated from Japanese using Google Translate.
In the same article, it’s also hinted thatMisidia is located to the north of Northreachon a small peninsula of land. Misidia is stillpart of Valisthea, but seems to be strikingly different from it. Why Leviathan and its Dominant, as well as the land as a whole, have been hidden from the rest of society, will hopefully be answered when we can play the DLC.
Where Is Leviathan The Lost?
Leviathan is the Eikon of water, but hasno confirmed living Dominant. In fact, very little is known about this Eikon, having only small references dotted throughout the story of Final Fantasy 16. Near the end of the game, when Joshua is exploring the ruins of a castle in Ash, he finds amural that depicts Ultima’s creation of the Eikons, including Leviathan.
Leviathan is definitely an Eikon present in the world of Final Fantasy 16, but where is it? While we currently have no clear answer in the game, a few theories on the concept of a speculated DLC may shed some light on this mystery.
First, we know that Eikons don’t appear unless their respective Dominant summons them. This could either mean that there isno living Dominant of Water for Leviathanto be summoned by, or theDominant of Water is hidingor not on the twin continents of Valisthea, Storm and Ash.
Of these two possibilities, theformer is more likely. If there were a living Dominant of Water, thenUltima would need Clive to absorb its powerfor their plan. Instead, it’s more likely that theDominant of Water has not awoken to their power yet.
If Leviathan was anywhere on Valisthea, the most likely place would beDzemekys Fallsnear Boklad, where you can see agiant lake in a crater. Not much else is known about this area, which could mean more to explore in the future.
Who Is The Dominant Of Water?
So, who could be the next Dominant of Water? There are a few popular fan theories on the subject, with two characters being the most likely choices.
The mysteriousMedicine Girl, Kihel, appears numerous times throughout the story and hasmultiple conversations with Dominants, includingClive, Jill, Joshua, and Dion. For a seemingly ordinary girl, she certainly appears at the right place at the right time quite a bit.
Alternatively,Edda was the sole survivor of the Aetheric Floodin the town ofEistla in Waloed, surviving thanks to thechild she was pregnant with.Bearers are resistant to the Aetheric Flood, allowing them to remain in the Flood without turning into Akashic. This is revealed to Clive and Gav when they rescue Edda, learning thather baby is a Bearer, which is how she survived.
However, in the side questTrading Places II, in whichTheodore turns Akashic, we learn that a Bearer’s resistance to the Flood is just that, a resistance. Given enough time, and depending on the density of the Aetheric Flood,a Bearer can still turn Akashic.
The opposite is true for Dominants, whowon’t turn Akashic no matter how long they are exposed to the Flood, meaning they have true immunity.
It stands to reason then thatEdda’s child could very well be a Dominant, depending on how long the Aetheric Flood was present in Eistla before Clive and Gav rescued her. If she was trapped in the village for days, even a Bearer would turn Akashic.
DLC will most likely answer all of these questions, as Leviathan’s whereabouts was one of the more prominent open-ended mysteries left unresolved. For now, we’ll just have to wait and see what happens. Whether Kihel, Edda’s child, or someone else entirely becomes the Dominant of Water, or whether we see Leviathan at all; only time will tell.
