The ending of Final Fantasy XV

The ending of Final Fantasy XVI is intentionally ambiguous, leaving the ultimate fate of Clive Rosfield open to interpretation. The final moments involve Clive's confrontation with Ultima in Origin. After a climactic battle where Clive absorbs Ultima's power, he uses it to destroy Origin and purge magic from the world, sacrificing himself in the process. He washes up on a beach, his hand petrifying, and looks up at the moon before seemingly succumbing.

Following this, there's a post-credits scene set in the distant future. It depicts a lush, green Valisthea where two young boys, resembling Clive and Joshua, are playing. Their mother tells them that magic is just a fairy tale. The scene then focuses on a book titled "Final Fantasy," attributed to Joshua Rosfield, suggesting that the events of the game have become legend.

Many theories exist regarding Clive's survival, often citing Jill's reaction to the sunrise and the fading of Metia (the red star), or the idea that Clive penned the book under Joshua's name to honor him. Conversely, other theories argue that Clive did indeed die, and the post-credits scene is a testament to the new, magic-free world he created through his sacrifice. The game leaves it to the player to decide Clive's ultimate destiny.