Final Fantasy 16’s Clive Already Has One Advantage Over Other FF Protagonists

We know that Final Fantasy 16 is set to be darker and more mature than previous games in the series, but what gives Clive an advantage as protagonist?
A zoomed portion of Final Fantasy 16's cover art, showing a close-up on protagonist Clive's face next to Ifrit.

Final Fantasy 16 is making itself unique when compared to other games in the franchise through several means, and one of them is the age of Clive, the protagonist. Although Clive wasn't the inheritor of the Eikon that is tied to his family, he does become entangled with a different Eikon that seems to be darker than others and is possibly after revenge for an event that hasn't been revealed in trailers or teasers yet. However, what sets Clive apart from previous Final Fantasy protagonists is his older age.

Final Fantasy 16 is set in a world where Eikons, powerful beings that can be summoned and used for their abilities, are tied to one specific summoner who's called a Dominant. With a real-time combat system and a story that isn't connected to other games in the franchise, Final Fantasy 16 could attract newcomers who have seen the praise that FF14 and FF7 Remake have been receiving in recent years, but they aren't sure about starting with a title that might require more background information compared to starting fresh with FF16. Aside from being a new story, FF16 is the first in the series to receive an M rating.
Clive's Age In Final Fantasy 16
Clive Rosfield from Final Fantasy 16 stands, illustrated, above the backdrop of a castle next to a massive crystal structure.

Clive's age means that Final Fantasy 16 can add in darker and more mature themes, and it seems that the developers will be doing so given the higher rating that the game received. According to PlayStation's recent State of Play presentation on Final Fantasy 16 (via YouTube), players will control Clive at three different points in his life, during "his teens, twenties, and thirties." Instead of being notably young, Clive appears to be roughly 28 or older for much of FF16. This means that he's likely more seasoned and confident in himself and his abilities considering he's been working to be strong enough to protect Joshua, who's the Dominant of Phoenix. Apart from the teenage flashback, Clive will be at least in his late twenties, blessed by Phoenix to protect Joshua, the First Shield of Rosaria, and the Dominant of Ifrit, a dark Eikon.
How Age Affects Other Final Fantasy Games
Final Fantasy X Yuna

The younger age of characters in previous Final Fantasy titles can make the stories have elements of coming of age and self-discovery as part of the primary plot or as side plots. In Final Fantasy 10, Yuna is a new Summoner when she embarks on her pilgrimage and builds her strength to prepare for her final Summoning. Final Fantasy 7 in both the remake and original features multiple characters in this self-discovery story element, such as Cloud trying to find his identity outside Shinra and Tifa trying to find her place in the world after the destruction of her hometown.

Clive's different ages throughout Final Fantasy 16 means players will likely pass over the years he spends coming to terms with not being the Dominant of Phoenix, as was expected since he's the firstborn child of the Archduke of Rosaria, and honing his skills instead as the First Shield of Rosaria. With more combat and life experience, Clive in the later portions provides the opportunity to play through a grittier variation of Final Fantasy that hasn't yet been seen.