During development of Final Fantasy XVI, there were rumors that the game would include gay characters, eventually turning out to be true with the inclusion of Dion Lesage, as well as his lover Terence.

Clive and Joshua engage Dion in their Eikon forms, during which Bahamut absorbed the kingdom's Mothercrystal to gain more power, but was eventually defeated after a final skirmish in outer space.

Now determined to atone for his actions, he bids farewell to Terence and volunteers to join Clive and Joshua's assault on Ultima's fortress, Origin.

[1] Game Rant writer Jared Carvalho appreciated that he was explicitly gay, contrasting him to queer-coded characters like Fang and Vanille.

[7] Pride.com writer Justin Wood praised the inclusion of both Dion and Terence in the game, appreciating that they were powerful main characters in the story.

[3] However, Kotaku writer Kenneth Shepard was less enthusiastic about the portrayal; he noted how Terence seemed characterized by his locality to Dion, which he felt was a missed opportunity.

He also appreciated how Dion, despite being a member of a "family dynamic [defined by] destructive fantasy politics made corporeal," broke the cycle and avoided falling into "toxic, abusive tropes."

[9] TechRadar writer Cat Bussell, despite worrying he would be "profoundly boring – a posturing, macho warrior who lives and dies by only the blandest sort of violence," she enjoyed his character, describing him as "sensitive" and "soulful."

She praised his English vocal performance, discussing a particular scene where Dion expressed a "compelling cocktail of love for his aide, resentment of his father and fear for his future."