Byron Rosfield

Byron Rosfield is a character in Final Fantasy XVI. He is the brother of Archduke Elwin Rosfield and the uncle of Lord Marquesses Clive and Joshua, the latter being the heir to the ducal throne. Byron is the warden of Port Isolde and member of House Rosfield, one of the seven high houses of the Grand Duchy of Rosaria.

History[]

Byron was the younger brother of Elwin Rosfield and son of the previous archduke, the former Dominant of the Phoenix. Due to being the secondborn, he was not set to inherit anything and left the ducal household once he came of age. Afterward, he went on to become a successful businessman by using the sum of money given to him when he left home to make smart investments. He also nontheless remained close to his family, regularly playing with his nephews, Clive and Joshua, and attending the former's swearing in ceremony as "First Shield". A fan of works of fiction, Byron and Clive used to act out scenes from The Saint and the Secretary that they both enjoyed when the latter was younger, though Byron was always left playing the villain since his nephew insisted on being the hero.

After the Night of Flames and Rosaria's annexation into a province of Sanbreque, Byron feigned loyalty to Annabella Lesage, who ruled as the tyrannical sovereign, in order to preserve his status and control over his property in Port Isolde. However, his true loyalty remained with Rosaria and her people. In the year 878, Clive and Jill Warrick traveled to Byron's manor to ask for his aid. Believing that Clive had died at Phoenix Gate, Byron met them with his axe in hand, accusing Clive of being an imposter. To prove his identity, Clive recited lines from The Saint and the Secretary, leading Byron to realize his nephew really stood before him. Overcome with joy, Byron broke down and embraced Clive, before ordering a feast be prepared to celebrate his nephew's return.

During the final battle against the god Ultimalius, Byron gave spiritual support for Clive, telling his nephew "That's my boy!" as he overpowered Ultimalius's Bahamut Eikonic attack.

Characteristics[]

Appearance[]

Byron is a middle-aged man with gray hair and blue eyes, with a small scar over his right eye. He wears a gray-blue coat with black leather gloves and a hooded scarf.

Byron is voiced by both Stephen Critchlow and Ewan Bailey, due to the former passing away during recording.

Personality[]

Byron Rosfield is boisterous and jovial with a strong aptitude for business, having made his fortune on his own terms. He has a strong relationship with his nephews, Clive and Joshua, having played with the two when they were children. Much like his brother Elwin, Byron displays a strong sense of justice and loyalty to the duchy, and is a strong leader. Also like Elwin, he embodies egalitarian views towards Bearers, contrary to the commonplace prejudice towards them, perhaps due to being the son of a Dominant.

After the Night of Flames, the invasion of the Holy Empire of Sanbreque, and the subsequent absorption of his nation into the empire, Byron was left in a precarious situation, as his true loyalties remained with his countrymen, but to be able to provide funding towards Rosaria's rebellion movement (and not be stripped of his position and what influence he retained), he pretended to be blindly loyal to Sanbreque and the treacherous Anabella Lesage. To this end he isolated himself to protect his territory and kept up the appearance of being a loyal flunky. He, much like most Rosarians, believed his nephews had perished at the Night of Flames, and breaks down in joy and relief upon learning of their survival. He is quick to lend them both his support and proves to be an invaluable ally to Clive and the Cursebreakers, by lending them funding, men, and allies. He proves generous with his coin as he pays an innkeeper for the damage done following a fight between Clive and Waloed soldiers. Though he displays some annoyance that his fortune would plummet as a result of supporting Clive and his mission, he does not hold it against his nephews.

Byron views himself as a coward for not standing up to Anabella and her Sanbrequois collaborators following the Night of Flames, believing that if he had things in Rosaria would not have gotten as bad as they did. He admits such flaws to Clive and deeply apologizes for failing to be brave like his brother, but Clive does not blame him, knowing the position Byron was in and what choices he had to make to protect their people.

Byron senses that Anabella's cruelty worsened over the years, beyond her previously displayed prejudice against the people of Rosaria and Bearers, and had developed into a sadistic malice that went beyond reason, and (correctly) believes that it may be due to an influence of another. He cares deeply for the people of his nation, and in hard times, shows that his compassion can extend beyond his countrymen, as he seeks to collaborate with other nations to establish stability across the realm.

Abilities[]

Byron is competent in combat, able to keep up with magick-users, such as Clive, and stand up against hoards of Akashic despite having no magic of his own. Byron fights with an axe, which he dubs various boastful names to keep his group's spirits up during tense combat. Byron's biggest talents are his people skills, which he uses to his advantage in business dealings, in his participation to politics, and to foster strong relationships with family and beyond.

Behind the scenes[]

Byron is voiced by both Stephen Critchlow and Ewan Bailey, the former of whom voiced Count Edmont de Fortemps in Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward. The reason for the dual casting is most likely because Critchlow had passed away during production of this game, with Bailey recording the remainder of his voice lines.

In the credits for Final Fantasy XIV, Stephen Critchlow also receives credits as in memoriam.

Citations[]