Like a great many Final Fantasy protagonists before him, Final Fantasy XVI‘s Clive Rosfield is a swordsman of great skill. Reflecting his strength and ability, Clive easily wields two-handed swords with just one hand. Though he never reaches the ridiculous levels of Final Fantasy VII‘s Cloud Strife, many of Clive’s swords are nearly as tall as he is.
Clive wields over 28 swords in the game, ranging from plain, to veritable works of art. Unfortunately, the progression of stats mean that some of the best-looking swords get quickly phased out of players’ inventory. Many of these swords have struck such a chord with fans that some have cried out for a transmog system so they can keep their looks even when using a more powerful blade.
10 Levinbolt
Being modeled after Cid’s Eikon Ramuh, Levinbolt would be loved by fans even if it didn’t look as cool as it did. With the intricate and jagged patterns on the hilt and crossguard, the Levinbolt looks like a bolt of lightning, while also invoking Ramuh’s gnarled staff. Its purple hue also calls Ramuh and Cid to mind.
Levinbolt’s blade is thin, but looks sharp enough to cut through almost anything. The curved blade and tapered tip call a scimitar to mind, and looks like it could do a lot of damage from either slashing or thrusting. Its lightning motif does clash with Clive’s usual fire-based abilities, but the connection to fan-favorite Cid makes Levinbolt a treasured item.
9 Masamune
The Masamune is a recurring weapon that has appeared in almost every entry of the Final Fantasy series, most famously as the signature weapon of Final Fantasy VII’s villain Sephiroth. Taking the form of either a katana or a nodachi, the blade’s Japanese aesthetic hasn’t prevented it from appearing in Final Fantasy’s Western medieval styled settings, and Final Fantasy XVI is no exception.
The beautiful sword has both a long blade and hilt, ensuring it makes an impression. The black cloth wrapped around the base of the blade helps to call Sephiroth to mind. While this Eastern-style blade may look out-of-place on Clive’s back, it will certainly not look boring.
8 Stormcry
Fitting for a sword themed after Garuda, Stormcry is both beautiful and deadly-looking. The silver and green look great together and call to mind both Garuda’s natural color, and the color of her wind magic. The black decoration slung over the crossguard resembles Benedikta Harman’s belt, adding a clever nod to Garuda’s dominant.
The shape of the crossguard evokes a fencing blade, though that’s certainly not how Clive uses it. The sword is covered with so many little intricate details that players might find themselves staring at the blade instead of paying attention to important cutscenes. With Stormcry being the first great-looking sword many players will possess, it’s sure to leave an impression in the early game.
7 Everdark
Everdark is modelled after both the Eikon of Darkness Odin and his Dominant, Barnabas Tharmr. As a sword befitting a Dark Knight, the blade itself is jet black but with blue accents to represent Barnabas’ signature colors. There are also veins of gold running down the blade to really make the design pop and to contrast the blue.
If one looks closely, the gold pattern resembles Odin’s iconic sword Zantetsuken. After taking that shape, the formerly straight and angular gold lines become jagged and erratic. This not only makes the sword look pretty, but it perfectly symbolizes Barnabas’ true personality beneath his composed mask.
6 Gotterdammerung & Ragnarok
While Gotterdammerung and Ragnarok are two different swords in Final Fantasy XVI, they both share the same model. While this has earned some anger from fans, even those fans will admit that the shared model looks gorgeous. The weapon has a similar shape to Clive’s Invictus, but has a style all its own.
The gleaming silver of the blade contrasts beautifully with the jet black handle, which also runs throughout the base of the blade. A brilliant gold shines through the black parts of the weapon, helping it to really pop and catch the viewer’s attention. The gold also extends down the fuller of the blade, making it look like a mystic sword of legend.
5 Excalibur
Final Fantasy is full of references to Arthurian folklore, such as the beloved Knights Of The Round Summon. The sword Excalibur, like Masamune, is a recurring weapon that can be found in nearly every Final Fantasy game. The sword is usually described as a holy weapon, and Final Fantasy XVI takes that description to heart with its design.
With its straight edge and cross-shaped crossguard, Excalibur looks like something one would see displayed in a church. The intricate engravings on the blade and crossguard help to sell the idea that this sword has a special purpose. Wielding this blade, Clive looks like a hero of legend leaping off the pages of an Arthurian story.
4 Braveheart
Being exclusive to pre-order DLC, Braveheart isn’t a weapon many Final Fantasy XVI players will have in their inventory. Those who do will be treated to one of Clive’s best looking swords. Braveheart is the sword wielded by the first game’s Warrior Of Light, making it the closest thing the game has to costume DLC.
While the bright and colorful blade looks out-of-place in Clive’s dark and gritty world, fans were delighted to see such an iconic weapon rendered in Final Fantasy XVI’s beautiful graphics. It’s a handsome-looking blade that pays loving homage to the game’s lineage. With Braveheart being stronger than most early-game swords, fans get to behold its beauty longer than most other weapons.
3 Coral Sword
While the Coral Sword is obtained from a chest rather than the story, it looks like a weapon that was custom-made for Clive. Though it doesn’t resemble the coral the item description says it’s made from, it does resemble Clive’s signature outfit. With its black body and red highlights, the coral sword looks equally at home in Clive’s hand, or resting in his sheath.
The beautiful sword is black throughout, making the entire weapon look like it was carved from the same material. The red decorations are placed strategically along the weapon to break up the black and keep the viewer’s interest. It’s a simple, yet effective design that beautifully matches Clive’s outfit.
2 Flametongue
Flametongue is modeled after the Eikon Ifrit, which makes it perfectly suited to Clive by virtue of their connection. With Clive being able to transform into Ifrit, Flametongue looks more like Clive than nearly every other weapon in the game. It’s black and red color scheme matches Clive’s, and it fits his nature more than even the Coral Sword.
The sword itself is char-black, almost looking like cast iron in some lighting. The red decorations only add to its fiery look, with the red in the fuller almost looking like lava. The demonic-yet-ornate design perfectly evokes Ifrit, while the sword’s straight edge suits Clive perfectly.
1 Invictus
Invictus is Latin for “unconquered,” which perfectly suits both Clive and the themes of Final Fantasy XVI’s story. It’s little surprise that the sword bearing this name is the best looking one in the game. Not only does Invictus feature heavily in promotional materials, but Clive equips it automatically during the story. This gives the impression that Invictus is Clive’s signature sword.
The blade is gleaming silver with a red and black pommel, and a beautiful red gen in the center of the crossguard. The sword looks noble and heroic, giving Clive a piece of his identity that he had thought was gone forever. It’s no coincidence that Clive gains the sword around the time that he begins to drop a lot of his “edgy anti-hero” qualities.