Early on in Final Fantasy 16, Benedikta stands as an obstacle and antagonist. However, the Dominant of Garuda will become the first to die. Given her propensity toward deceit and espionage, you’ll likely wonder if she really succumbs to her injuries. We’ll explain whether Benedikta really dies or not below.
Does Benedikta die in Final Fantasy 16, or is Garuda alive?
Benedikta dies in Final Fantasy 16 in her fight against Ifrit. After clashing with Clive at Caer Norvent, he absorbs some of her Eikonic power, which leaves her connection with Garuda temporarily severed. Brigands accost her and her men during her retreat, and she eventually finds herself alone. With rape and death imminent, she instinctively reaches out to Garuda and calls forth its power.
However, due to her heightened emotional state, Benedikta absorbs too much aether, which drives her insane. She begins rampaging, generating a gigantic cyclone that threatens to swallow up innocent civilians if it’s allowed to grow. Additionally, Clive is spurred into action because he senses Margrace is hiding within Garuda’s cyclone.
While Garuda is powerful, it cannot hope to stand against Ifrit’s wild fury. Benedikta’s death in FF16 comes at the hands of the fire Eikon. Clive’s inability to control Ifrit leads him to immolate Garuda with Hellfire, which is too much for Benedikta to handle. Even after she falls, he continues to attack her, which inevitably kills her.
However, even in death, Benedikta plays one more significant part. Someone decapitates her body and sends the head to Hugo Kupka, the Dominant of Titan. He blames Cid and attacks the hideaway, killing many while Cid is meeting his own fate in Oriflamme.
Benedikta’s fatal encounter with Ifrit in Final Fantasy 16 is a chilling display of the Eikons’ untamed power. Beyond her physical demise, her beheaded remains serve as a macabre catalyst for conflict, inciting Hugo Kupka to wage war against Cid. This unnerving chain of events enhances the game’s narrative complexity and stakes, proving that even in death, Benedikta continues to influence the unfolding drama and tensions within the world of Valisthea.
