There are plenty of tense moments in Final Fantasy XVI; even from the very beginning of the game, where you’re thrown into a massive chase scene involving a pair of hot Eikons, Square Enix still keeps the adrenaline pumping in the hottest RPG of 2023. But one of the standout moments involves one of the game’s big bad guys–Hugo Kupka–and the god who inhabits him, the Titan.
WARNING: Spoilers for Final Fantasy 16’s mid-to-late game
Clash of the Titans — which has been heralded and reported almost since the game’s inception — is a grand battle. No pun intended. The grudge match between Grizzly protagonist Clive Rosefield and human Hugo Kupka takes place in multiple locations and on multiple stages, and is one of the central conflicts studied in the game.
And with good reason; both feel their hatred for the other is vindicated, and both are willing to risk their lives to defend their own ideas of justice. Both are stubborn and self-destructive in their pursuit of their ideals. Essentially, this conflict embodies many of the major themes in Final Fantasy XVI. So it stands to reason that the (final) battle between the two is so climactic and a big part of the game’s focus.
Anyone who has at least once conquered a Titan knows the fate of poor Hugo’s hands; in the final moments of their first earth-shattering meeting, Clive does disarm him. Kupka quickly withdrew, though. Driven by unknown forces to a secret location, Clive later sets out to find the location like a hound.
But that moment—seeing Clive’s blade raised, slashing and burning with white-hot flames—was pretty impactful. Not long ago, Titan boasted that he would “end your life with bare hands.” Oh, the irony is. It’s a moment of wonder for the player; Clive, with his untrained, unreliable powers, can sever the hand of a god. His strength is just beginning to show.
So it was interesting to see Square Enix release a very high quality Play Arts Kai Kupka figure with interchangeable hands… I’ll point out that this might be a bit of a missed opportunity – in the side image you can see that there are a series of expressive hands that can be attached to the model, but no metal hands (you’ll see the ones Kupka installed later in the game, when everything was “a little Jamie Lannister”).
Kupka isn’t alone: there’s a character for every Juggernaut/Eikon in Final Fantasy XVI, and the best boy, Togal. Each doll will cost you a big bag of money, weighing in at $129.99. Square Enix notes that expected shipments will take place at various times next year.
Is this something you’d be interested in picking up? I’m also going to include an image of Togal in this post because – well, look at the quality!
Want more FF16? You can check out Alex’s Final Fantasy XVI review at the link, learn why its creators hate the term “JRPG,” or learn how to unlock FF16 Chocobos.
