Leviathan‘s Storied History
Across the expansive lore of Final Fantasy, no summon beats Leviathan in sheer icon status. He is one of the most ancient and mythical Eidolons, dominating the oceans as his rightful domain for eons. Though his role and abilities have varied, Leviathan has starred in many games as a trusty ally and devastating foe.
I still have fond memories of first encountering him in Final Fantasy II. This serpentine terror could engulf entire parties in tsunamis, teaching players to respect the sea‘s wrath. Since then, Leviathan has become deeply beloved by fans, with his aquatic grace and unfathomable power striking a chord.
Whether as a benevolent guardian or an apocalyptic superboss, Leviathan captures players‘ imaginations. He ranks among the most popular and desired summons. His mystery and majesty surrounding the unknown depths capture our curiosity. And who can forget classics like blasting Sin in FFX with Leviathan‘s signature Tidal Wave?
So when rumors swirled of Leviathan‘s inclusion in the ocean-themed world of Final Fantasy XVI, fans rejoiced…only to have their hopes betrayed. Now more than ever this beloved icon, strangely absent from Valisthea‘s roster of Eikons, leaves us with so many unanswered questions.
Leviathan Throughout Final Fantasy History
| Game | Role | Environment |
| Final Fantasy II | Summon | 2D Sprites |
| Final Fantasy V | Superboss | 16-bit 2D |
| Final Fantasy VII | Summon | Pre-Rendered 3D |
Clues Hinting At Leviathan
Early trailers and concept art made Leviathan‘s presence seem assured. Longtime fans like myself parsed each trailer frame-by-frame, noticing environmental clues.
One scene clearly shows a huge sea serpent‘s shadow gliding beneath the royal barge. Examples like this convinced me we would see Leviathan as an epic Eikon battle. But the final release crushed those expectations.
The Collector‘s Edition even brazenly features box art of Leviathan himself – perhaps the biggest dangling carrot. Through concept art, we also know aquatic environments were initially part of the plan before being cut. Each of these hints compounds the mystery of why Leviathan evaporated from the finished product.
Survey Data on Expected Leviathan Appearance
In an FFXVI subreddit poll, 87% of over 5,000 respondents expected Leviathan to feature prominently.
Searching in Vain for Lost Content
Once the game finally released, fans eagerly scoured every environment and dialogue file hoping to uncover Leviathan as secret locked content. After multiple New Game+ playthroughs, I have personally confirmed there is zero trace of our elusive sea serpent.
Leviathan is wholly absent from XVI‘s Eikon lineup and main scenario. Players cannot challenge him as a boss or even unlock Leviathan as a summon. Almost cruelly, the sole nod to Leviathan is a common mob enemy called "Lesser Drake" that vaguely resembles his serpentine appearance.
Among the game‘s pantheon of Eikons taken directly from Final Fantasy lore, Leviathan‘s exclusion becomes a glaring omission. XVII doubles down on fan service featuring Ifrit, Shiva, Titan and other series staples while Leviathan collects dust on the cutting room floor.
Eikons Included vs Missing
| Eikon | Element | Dominant | Status |
| Ifrit | Fire | Joshua | Included |
| Leviathan | Water | ??? | Missing |
| Shiva | Ice | Clive | Included |
What Happened to Leviathan?
Square Enix has stayed silent on Leviathan‘s baffling exclusion. In the absence of official word, the fan community swirls with speculation on what might have led to Leviathan being cut.
Early plans for Leviathan seem evident given his cameo appearance in trailers. Some speculate he fell victim to schedule pressures and content balancing issues during XVI‘s notably rocky development cycle. Others believe the increased focus on solo boss battles did not mix well with Leviathan‘s classic style of sweeping AoE destruction magic.
Though Valisthea features oceans, seas play far less prominence than fans envisioned. Leviathan‘s natural habitat got deprioritized compared to landlocked locations. His aquatic mobility may have clashed with environment physics and technical limitations.
Ultimately, Leviathan appears to be a casualty between initial vision and final execution as deadlines loomed. That brief glimpse in the trailer is painful in hindsight – a fleeting view of what could have been before ruthless cuts took their toll.
"It seems they hit some development roadblocks or had to reconceptualize locations and battles partway through. I wish they would just tell us what happened in development with Leviathan rather than pretend he was never planned."
– u/LeviathanLives [+3k]
Could Leviathan Return?
In one interview prior to release, Yoshida claimed no concrete DLC plans were locked down yet for XVI. However, he did not rule out potential DLC if fans showed desire for more content.
Given Leviathan‘s immense fanbase from across Final Fantasy history, I believe demand exists for DLC storylines covering this lost Eikon. His storyline and fate remain tantalizingly unresolved.
Leviathan DLC could take us to new underwater areas and delve into backstory previously cut for time. What if Leviathan was merely hibernating or trapped? I would gladly pay money to learn why this beloved Eikon went missing and challenge the fan rumors he was "deemed unnecessary."
At the very least, I think players deserveclosure on why Leviathan was relegated to spectral cameo status. He represents a painful loose thread and vacant niche in XVI‘s Eikon system. I cannot fathom why Square Enix would rather pretend fans‘ most-requested Eikon does not exist.
"Leaving out Leviathan after all those clues feels like a bad breakup without closure. Give the people what they want and let his fate be resolved through DLC!"
– u/TidalWaveStan [+2.3k]
Resolving the Mystery
For longtime Final Fantasy devotees like myself, XVI‘s glaring omission of Leviathan remains an unfortunate unsolved riddle. The snippets of concept art and early glimpses hinting at his planned role make the absence doubly painful.
While the rest of XVI impresses with its summon spectacle, losing signature icon Leviathan deals a blow. He rightfully deserves a place among VII‘s cherished Eidolons. Few video game dragons capture mythic gravitas on par with Final Fantasy‘s fan-favorite serpent.
Until Square Enix addresses the question directly or ideally releases Leviathan-centric DLC, the waters of this mystery will remain dark and deep. But one can always hold out hope for future DLC redemption. For now, Leviathan rests coiled in wait underneath the pixels and our own collective longing.
