Obolus

Obolus is a resident of the Hideaway in Final Fantasy XVI. He is the boatman in charge of bringing new residents to the new hideout, built on Fallen ruins in the middle of the Bennumere lake in the deadlands. His skiff is called Argo and needs frequent maintenance to be able to withstand the corrosive effect of the Blighted waters.^[2]

History[]

Characteristics[]

Appearance[]

Obolus wears a dark-colored hooded cloak. He has a gray beard and hair.

Personality[]

Etymology and allusion[]

Obolus was a form of ancient Greek currency and weight. Charon's obol is an allusive term for the coin placed in/on the mouth of a dead person before burial as a payment or bribe for Charon, the ferryman believed to convey souls across the river that divided the world of the living from the afterlife.

Final Fantasy XVI has some allusions to ancient Greece, with the chanting during "Victory Fanfare", for example. Therefore Obolus's name and appearance may be intentional allusions to the obol coin and the ferryman to the afterlife, however, Final Fantasy XVI also has another character called Charon who also lives at the hideaway. Obelus dressing in a hooded robe resembles some depictions of personifications of death.

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