Final Fantasy XVI
Release Year: 2023
Developers: PlatinumGames, Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S
Welsh References: Accent, Language, Mythical Figure, Mythology, Name
Welsh Actors: Kezia Burrows, Matthew Gravelle, Steffan Rhodri
Welsh Mythology Figure: King Arthur
Featured Welsh Content
The Iron Kingdom is heavily inspired by Celtic culture.
There is a location called Caer Norvent. The Welsh word caer can mean “castle”, “fortress”, or “stronghold”.
Welsh accents feature in the game, most notably from High Priest Imreann. Noted Welsh actors include Steffan Rhodri, Kezia Burrows, and Matthew Gravelle.
A popular trio known as the Magus Sisters, seen in previous Final Fantasy games, have male counterparts in Final Fantasy XVI with a Welsh twist to their names. These Mageth Brothers are known as Sandwydd, Cindwydd and Mindwydd, as opposed to the familiar Sandy, Cindy and Mindy. In Welsh, the suffix –wydd is often applied to tree names. Given the Mageth Brothers’ brutish size, it seems likely that the meaning was referencing trees to emphasise their strength.
These enemies will perform a move called “Crea y Cwm”, which is Welsh for “Create the Valley”.
The engineer Owain’s name is of Welsh origin.
Excalibur is a weapon that can be obtained in Final Fantasy XVI.
In Arthurian tales, Excalibur is the legendary sword of King Arthur, with its name ultimately deriving from the Welsh Caledfwlch, where caled means ‘hard’ and bwlch is ‘cleft’. It appears in many interpretations of the stories of King Arthur, but it is first mentioned in Welsh mythology, including the earliest surviving Welsh tale, Culhwch and Olwen (Culhwch ac Olwen).
In the game, the sword’s description references the uniting of the land under one king and his knights. The full text reads as follows:
Though modern-day plays such as The Adventures of Sir Crandall have taken to embellishing the tale considerably, historians do agree that long ago the nations of Valisthea were (for a short time) united under a single king and his band of loyal knights. Whether or not he was indeed crowned upon drawing a sword from a stone is a matter still up for debate.
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