The Eikons are the summon monsters of Final Fantasy 16 and they all debuted in earlier Final Fantasy games. The world of FF16 has Eikons and Dominants: the Eikons are the summon monsters, yet they cannot manifest in the world by themselves, which is why they require a Dominant. The Dominants are humans who connected to the Eikons at birth, allowing them to tap into the power of their Eikons and even transform into them in times of need. The different nations in the world of FF16 have differing views of the Dominants, with some allowed to rise to prominent positions, while others are hunted and slain, due to the dangerous nature of their powers.
The latest FF16 trailer revealed Odin and Bahamut's Dominant and showed more of the Eikons fighting. As of the time of writing, eight Eikons have been revealed in FF16 trailers, while an unidentified creature that may be an Eikon was shown on a tapestry. It's likely that more will be revealed, as prominent Final Fantasy summons (like Leviathan) have yet to appear. All of the Eikons revealed so far are summons that debuted in earlier Final Fantasy games, where they acted as allies, enemies, and sources of incredible power for the player to use in battle.
Final Fantasy 16 - Bahamut Belongs To The Holy Empire Of Sanbreque
Bahamut is one of the most famous Final Fantasy summon monsters of all time, even though he predates the concept of the summons. In the original Final Fantasy, Bahamut was an NPC quest-giver, who tasked players with retrieving an item called the Rat Tail. Players who completed this quest would see the character classes of each party member upgraded. Also, Bahamut is a boss in Stranger of Paradise, the strange remake of the original Final Fantasy. In FF16, crown prince Dion Lesage is the Dominant of Bahamut and the leader of the Dragoons of the Holy Empire of Sanbreque, who is seen battling the Odin Dominant in the early trailers for the game.
Garuda Belongs To The Kindgom Of Waloed In Final Fantasy 16
Garuda technically debuted in FF3 as one of the most annoying bosses in the game, as the player has to use their newly-acquired Dragoon job to spam the Jump ability, in order to bypass Garuda's attacks. In terms of being a summon, Garuda debuted in FF11, whose avatar wields wind magic in battle, slashes foes with its sharp claws, and can buff allies with spells that increase their speed, such as Haste. In FF16, Garuda is the Eikon of Dominant Benedikta Harmon of the Kingdom of Waloed, who is hinted at being the lover of king Barnabas Tharmr in the trailers for the game. While Barnabas is shown to be a mighty warrior who leads battles from the vanguard, Benedikta is the leader of Waloed's elite intelligencers and a spy, whose mission involves getting close to the Ifrit Dominant.
Ifrit Is Connected To The Protagonist Of Final Fantasy 16
Ifrit is one of FF16's biggest mysteries, as it appears to be the Eikon of Clive Rosfield, the protagonist of FF16 and son of the ruling house of the Grand Duchy of Rosaria. Ifrit seems to have a prominent role in the story of FF16, especially as it's so closely connected to Clive, and may even be the villain of the game, considering how NPCs refer to it as the dark Eikon. Ifrit is one of the original eight Final Fantasy summon monsters and it debuted in FF3, where it can be purchased from a shop, and doesn't have a significant role in the story.
Odin Belongs To The Kingdom Of Waloed
Odin was shown battling Bahamut in one of FF16's most exciting trailers, with the two clashing in the sky. In FF16, Odin is the Eikon of Barnabas Tharmr, the king of Waloed, who built his kingdom up from nothing and now leads a mighty army into battle. The Odin summon debuted in FF3, but unlike most of the other summons that were introduced in that game, Odin first had to be defeated in battle, in order to obtain the spell that is used to summon him.
Phoenix Belongs To The Grand Duchy Of Rosaria
The Phoenix has an interesting history in the Final Fantasy franchise, as it was technically one of the original Final Fantasy's cut monsters. There is concept art for a Phoenix enemy that exists for the original Final Fantasy but it never appears in the game. A Phoenix boss is also programmed in FF3, but it was cut from the final version of the game. The poor Phoenix finally made its debut as a summon in FF5, which is obtained from completing the quest in the Phoenix Tower, demonstrating its fire magic and revival magic combo for the first time. Phoenix is the Eikon of Joshua Rosfield, the brother of character Clive Rosfield in Final Fantasy 16, and he is shown to lose control over his powers in the early trailers of the game and battling Ifrit.
Ramuh & Shiva Have Appeared In Final Fantasy 16 Trailers (But Their Allegiance Is Unknown)
Ramuh and Shiva have both appeared in FF16 trailers, but the identity and allegiance of their Dominants is unknown at this time. Shiva has had more appearances in the trailer and is shown eviscerating enemies with shards of ice, while Ramuh has only had a brief appearance, where he is shown summoning a bolt of thunder. They are two of Final Fantasy's eight original summon monsters, as they both debuted in FF3 and are both purchased as spells in a shop.
Titan Belongs To The Dhalmekian Republic In FF16
In Final Fantasy 16, Titan is the Eikon of Hugo Kupka of the Dhalmekian Republic. Much like his summon, Hugo is a huge, muscled man, who is shown physically dominating people in the trailers of the game. In his Eikon form, Hugo resembles a colossal stone giant, and it's shown going toe-to-toe with the other Eikons in battle. Titan is one of the eight original Final Fantasy summons, having debuted in FF3 as a spell that is purchased and used as a catalyst for a summon.