Final Fantasy 16 features one of the final performances of a beloved FF14 actor

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Stephen Critchlow was one of two actors portraying Byron Rosfield

Final Fantasy 16
(Image credit: Square Enix)

Final Fantasy 16 quietly features one of beloved actor Stephen Critchlow's last performances.

Upon finishing Final Fantasy 16 earlier, I'm greeted with a metric tonne of credits. One credit, in particular, caught my eye, though: under credits for the lovable Byron Rosfield, uncle of protagonist Clive Rosfield, there are two actors attributed to the English voice of Byron.

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If Byron was recast to Bailey after Critchlow passed away, which it certainly looks like, it seems as though Final Fantasy 16 might be one of Stephen Critchlow's last performances. As the Reddit post points out below, there's even an 'In Memoriam' section in Final Fantasy 16's credits, where Critchlow appears. 

The saddest part of the game :( from r/FFXVI

Critchlow was already widely beloved in Final Fantasy circles for his brilliant performance of Count Edmont de Fortempts in Final Fantasy 14. When Critchlow passed away in 2021, players all over the world gathered at Fortemps manner to pay their respects to the charismatic actor.

We even spoke to one friend of Critchlow who spent 194 hours playing through Final Fantasy 14 to hear his voice again. The friend, fellow actor Robert Harper, performed with Critchlow in the 1990s and rallied players for a vigil in memory of Critchlow on of the one-year anniversary of his passing in September 2022.

Final Fantasy 16 could well be one of Critchlow's final performances, and it's fitting that he plays another widely-loved character in the new Square Enix game.

Read our Final Fantasy 16 review to see what we made of the latest game in Square Enix's historic franchise.

Hirun Cryer
Hirun Cryer
Freelance Writer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.