Stewart Clarke explores his character’s relationships, ideals, and representing both queer players and the legendary dragoon in Final Fantasy 16.
There’s a proud legacy of Final Fantasy dragoons. From Kain in Final Fantasy 4 and Cid in Final Fantasy 7 to Freya in Final Fantasy 9 and Estinien in Final Fantasy 14, it’s clear how big of an impact this character archetype has had on each individual entry and the franchise as a whole. That applies to the latest game too, where The key dragoon is Dion Lesage, Dominant of Bahamut in Final Fantasy 16.
SPOILERS AHEADDion is more than a dragoon, however. He’s a prince, he’s a tragic hero, he’s a beacon of righteousness for his people, and he’s the first openly gay Final Fantasy main character. His portrayal covers all these factors as equal in his being, each just a part of the greater sum that Dion represents in Final Fantasy 16’s story. The man who brought him to life, Stewart Clarke, spoke to Game Rant about the experience. The following transcript has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Q: As a player, what was it like seeing Dion’s story unfold?
A: I’ll be honest straight off the bat, I don’t currently have a PS5 so I haven’t been able to play it! I’ve been watching the story unfold via streamers (shout out to Esfand, Hollow, and RogersBase who I watched most of it through). It was almost more fun doing it that way as I was able to experience all the gut-wrenching story beats with the streamers and their chat which was great fun! My birthday is coming up though so maybe it’s time to bite the bullet and get the new console… it’s a great excuse!
Q: As the actor, what insight can you share into who Dion is?
A: I love to hook onto adjectives about a character that immediately jump out from a script and it was so obvious so quickly with Dion. He’s the epitome of dutiful, wedded to his people and what his Kingdom expects of him. He’s such a good man at heart, trying desperately to do the best possible thing in any given moment but functionally betrayed by a system and region that consistently acts in their own self-interests. It was so satisfying to see him eventually ally himself with Clive, despite everything, as the pair really do share so much in terms of their desire to do right by other people. Dion is so selfless, whether on a micro scale with his lover or on a macro Empire-spanning scale, taking constant risks priming into Bahamut despite the cost to his health. I’d say one of the most fun aspects to play from an acting perspective was his frighteningly passionate inner conflict in the scenes with his father, battling the hierarchy and honor he feels he has to uphold versus the very real instinct that his father has begun acting against the futures of the very people he is meant to serve.
Q: What was it like representing the first openly gay main character in a Final Fantasy game?
A: An enormous honor and a tremendous responsibility. I was so excited reading the script to portray this aspect of Dion and to treat it with the respect and truth I wanted to bring to the rest of the role.
