Character design of Final Fantasy
Encyclopedia
Although each installment of the Final Fantasy
series is generally set in a different fictional world with separate storylines, there are some commonalities when it comes to character design. Certain design themes repeat themselves, as well as specific character names and classes. Within the main series, Yoshitaka Amano
was the character designer for the first six games, Tetsuya Nomura
was the character designer for Final Fantasy VII, VIII, X, XI and XIII, Toshiyuki Itahana was the character designer for Final Fantasy IX, and Akihiko Yoshida
was the character designer for Final Fantasy XII.
characteristics, as well as female characters with slightly tomboy
ish, but still feminine, characteristics. This trend has generally increased as the series evolved. These characters are usually teenagers
. According to some critics, these characters are designed so in order to make the players identify with them. At the same time, female characters have been increasingly designed to wear very revealing outfits. Square Enix has stated that a more rugged looking hero had been considered for Final Fantasy XII
but had ultimately been scrapped in favor of Vaan
, another effeminate protagonist. The developers cited scenaristic reasons and target demographic considerations to explain their choice. For Final Fantasy XIII
, Square Enix settled on a female main character, described as a "female version of Cloud
from FFVII." This aspect of Final Fantasy has also been carried into Kingdom Hearts, a crossover series featuring Final Fantasy and Disney
characters, with the protagonist Sora
.
characters Biggs Darklighter and Wedge Antilles
by an online editor. Their first appearance is in Final Fantasy VI
—with "Biggs" mistranslated
to "Vicks"—as a pair of Vector soldiers accompanying Terra Branford in an attack on Narshe to claim an Esper. They are playable for a short period, but are soon killed by the Esper.
Following their first appearance, Biggs and Wedge have appeared in several games. In Final Fantasy VII
, Biggs and Wedge are members of AVALANCHE
, an eco-warrior
organization. They are killed after a failed attempt to stop one of Midgar city's support pillars from being destroyed by Shinra Company. Final Fantasy Tactics
features a form of the names—as "Viggs" and "Wezaleff"—as members of a raiding party, who have no speaking roles and die while descending Orbonne Monastery
. In Final Fantasy VIII
, Biggs and Wedge are Galbadian soldiers who engage in battle with the protagonists twice, (once in Dollet — Disc I, and again in D-District Prison — Disc II) providing comic relief
. They eventually retire from the Galbadian forces in Disc III.
In Final Fantasy IX
, you can find Vicks hiding in Madain Sari. It's offscreen to the right. You can find Wedge in the forest of the NE island at top. In Final Fantasy X
and Final Fantasy X-2
, Biggs and Wedge are guards at the Luca Blitzball stadium, and can be scouted by the player to participate in Blitzball. In the English translation of Final Fantasy XII
, two Archadian guards named Gibbs and Deweg (variation of Biggs, anagram of Wedge) stand at Nalbina Town, and appear as comic relief in several optional scenes in a sidequest. In the English translation of Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
, Biggs is a former business subordinate of Cid; Biggs and Wedge also appear as random names for character units and hero classes in Final Fantasy I. In Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
, Biggs and Wedge are enemies in a sniping mini-game.
Biggs and Wedge are common names in other video games by Square Co.
and Square Enix
. In Chrono Trigger
, Vicks and Wedge, along with a third character named Piett (who likewise shares a name with a Star Wars character), are sideshow attractions at Norstein Bekkler's Lab at the Millennial Fair. Biggs retains his original name in the Nintendo DS
re-release of Chrono Trigger. In Kingdom Hearts II
, Biggs and Wedge are storekeepers to armor shops. Lastly, Chocobo's Dungeon 2 features them as two Black Mages who may assist the player.
Biggs and Wedge also appears in Final Fantasy IV: The After Years as Red Wings soldiers who die protecting Cecil's son (In The After Years, which is 17 years later from Final Fantasy IV, Cecil is now the King of Baron alongside Rosa who is now the Queen of Baron) Prince Ceodore from an attack led by the Mysterious Woman. The game reveals that Biggs and Wedge were actually the two soldiers who questioned Cecil about stealing the Water Crystal of Mysidia at the beginning of Final Fantasy IV
.
Biggs and Wedge are Featured in Final Fantasy XIII as the name of a shop, B&W Outfitters.
named appears in several installments of the series. Boko appears in Final Fantasy V
as Bartz Klauser's mount. Boco also appears in Final Fantasy Tactics
as a chocobo owned by Wiegraf Folles, which is later encountered lost in a forest and can be saved and recruited by the protagonist Ramza Beoulve. A chicobo (young chocobo) named Boko appears in Final Fantasy VIII
and can be obtained by Squall Leonhart
; this chicobo possesses its own minigame with Chocobo World. Boko also appears in Final Fantasy VII
as a chocobo in races. A chocobo named Bobby Corwen appears in Final Fantasy IX
in the Black Mage Village; his initials in Japanese katakana
characters form "Boko". In Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII
, a pilot in the Shera airship mentions that she is raising a chocobo named Boco. In the exclusively-online Final Fantasy XI
, Boko appears as a black chocobo in various races.
in the first Final Fantasy
game. He is a relatively large, winged demonic figure. Originally, he was Garland, an evil knight who kidnaps the princess of Cornelia. His plot is foiled by the Warriors of Light. However, seemingly killed, Garland was actually sent back through time into the distant past by the four Orbs, siphoned by the Four Elemental Fiends, becoming Chaos and sending the Fiends into the present to cause mass destruction in World A. This in turn creates a time-loop and allows Garland to live forever. The Warriors of Light return to the Chaos Shrine ruins to travel two thousand years into the past, where they meet Garland as he assumes his demon form. After the Warriors of Light defeat Chaos, they return to their own time with the Garland of a new reality waiting for them.
Chaos appears as the god of discord and main antagonist in the Dissidia: Final Fantasy
game series, voiced by Norio Wakamoto
in Japanese and Keith David
in English. In the storyline, Chaos was created as a perfect Manikin, malformed from the memories of multiple people used in his creation, and raised by his creator Cid as a son. Later used as a weapon of war, Chaos destroyed all the summons of World A before he, Cid, and Cosmos ended up in World B. There, Chaos became the God of Discord and was supported by Garland at Cid's request, who accepted his predestined fate to become the Chaos of Final Fantasy. In the game prequel, Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
, a new form of Chaos called Feral Chaos is introduced.
The name "Chaos" appears in other Final Fantasy titles. In Final Fantasy VII, Vincent
's fourth and final Limit Break causes him to take the form of a black, winged demon called Chaos; this concept is explored further in Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII
. In Final Fantasy XII, Chaos appears as an Esper within the game, obtained by defeating him first, and bearing the title "Walker of the Wheel". While fighting him, he wields four elemental blades which aid him, but can be destroyed. Also, the flagship of the anti-Imperial Resistance fleet bears the name Garland. In the anime
series Final Fantasy: Unlimited
, Chaos is an otherworldly being that consumes other worlds, feeding on the negative energy of others.
Cid does not appear in the original Nintendo Entertainment System version of Final Fantasy, but he is retroactively inserted in subsequent versions (from Final Fantasy Origins onwards), where he is mentioned as the creator of the party's airship. This Cid (known as Cid of the Lufaine) becomes more involved in Dissidia: Final Fantasy
, serving as the game's non-physical narrator and the one who began the conflict itself after ending up in the mirror dimension of World B where it takes place. Furthermore, Cid also created the Manikins, with only three being perfect: Cosmos (modeled after his wife), Chaos (an eariler creation he took in as a son), and the Warrior of Light (a clone of himself).
In Final Fantasy II, Cid is a non-playable character and a freelance airship pilot. Cid reappears in the "Soul of Rebirth" section of the Dawn of Souls and 20th Anniversary versions, which takes place during the final parts of the main game. Cid also appears in Final Fantasy III as Cid Haze, a non-playable character.
The Super NES installments feature Cid in a greater role. In Final Fantasy IV, Cid Pollendina is a playable character, the first playable Cid in the Final Fantasy games. In Final Fantasy V, Cid Previa is a non-playable character and elderly inventor. In the original video animation
sequel to Final Fantasy V, Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals
, the late Cid's brain has been stolen by Ra Devil to be used in the villain's plans. Lastly, in Final Fantasy VI, Cid del Norte Marguez is a non-player character who is a researcher for the Empire and the adoptive grandfather of playable character Celes Chere.
In Final Fantasy VII, Cid Highwind is a spear-wielding main character and an airship pilot. He also appears in the game's prequel Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII
and the sequels Final Fantasy VII Advent Children and Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII
. This version also appears in Kingdom Hearts
and Kingdom Hearts II
with an alternate version of Highwind. A memory version appears in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
and its PS2 remake.
In Final Fantasy VIII, Cid Kramer is a non-playable character and the headmaster of Balamb Garden, which, at one point in the game, turns into an airship. He is the husband of Edea Kramer, who appears initially as the antagonist of the game.
In Final Fantasy IX, Cid Fabool is the ruler of Lindblum and is playable in a small sequence on Disc 3. He is also married to Hilda. Appropriately, his full name was "Cid Fabool the 9th". He designed two airships that the party uses throughout the game (both of which are named after his wife), and plays an important political and personal role in relation to various other characters in the game. In the epilogue, he and Hilda adopt Eiko, much to Eiko's delight.
In Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2, Cid is the leader of the Al Bhed tribe, the father of Rikku
and Brother, and Yuna
's uncle. He is the captain of the first game's only airship, but he was not the creator of the machine; rather, he led the Al Bhed in restoring a broken airship that had sunk to the bottom of the sea.
In Final Fantasy XI, Cid is featured prominently in the world of Vana'diel as a non-playable character. He is the chief engineer of Bastok who created the airships and plays a major role in many of the game's missions and quests.
Final Fantasy XII
is notable for being both the first FF with more than one Cid, and the first in which Cid is a villain. Doctor Cidolfus Demen Bunansa is a non-playable character as an enemy boss
(also a first for the series). He is the father of the sky pirate, Balthier, a playable character. In keeping with the airship theme, he is the one who designs many of the enemies airships including the sky fortress bahamut. There is also a character by the name of Al-Cid Margrace, who is the heir of Rozarria and friend of Larsa. It should be noted, though, that the former is the more prominent "Cid" of the game, while the latter shares less significance to the story.
Final Fantasy XIII
continues the portrayal of a villainous Cid in the form of Cid Raines, who is the youngest Cid to appear in the main game series. He appears as a miniboss in chapter 10.
The name Cid also appears in Final Fantasy games outside the main series. In Final Fantasy Tactics
, Cidolfas Orlandu, known within the game as "Thunder God Cid", is a playable character, a powerful general described as the only man that Ramza Beoulve's father, Balbanes, could truly trust. His stat growth, in comparison to other characters in the game, is immense and often disproportionate. Meanwhile, an optional side task that can be taken by members of Ramza's party involves raising a sunken ship named the Highwind.
In Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, Cid Randell is the leader of the Judges who uphold law in the game's world Ivalice, and can be acquired as a player character. In the spin-off, Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift
, there is a different playable character named Cid, who belongs to the race of Revgaji (the first clearly non-human Cid in the series) and is the leader of the Clan Gully. Al-Cid from Final Fantasy XII also returned in Final Fantasy Tactics A2.
Cid also appears in Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
(as Dr. Sid), Final Fantasy: Unlimited
(as the first youthful Cid in the entire series), Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King
(as Mogcid), Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Crystal Bearers (as Professor Cid), Chocobo Racing
,Chocobo's Dungeon 2, Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales. Outside of the Final Fantasy series, he appears in Treasure of the Rudras
and Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime
(as Ducktor Cid).
Cid will take the main role in a Final Fantasy game for the first time with Final Fantasy Fables: Cid and Chocobo's Dungeon DS+
for the Nintendo DS, a remake of the Wii title announced in July 2008.
. He is characterized by having a grey complexion, flamboyantly colorful battle armor, and multiple (usually eight) arms wielding multiple weapons at once. He has a fierce façade, but this masks his own childlike personality. The name "Gilgamesh" comes from the Sumerian king Gilgamesh
, the main character in the Epic of Gilgamesh
. Gilgamesh's first appearance is in Final Fantasy V as a major villain, who the party encounters several times before he is banished to the Rift by Exdeath for his repeated failures. However, as revealed in Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
, Gilgamesh ends up traveling to other worlds via the Rift as he still seeks to settle things with his rival Bartz. Thus, unlike other recurring character names, the Gilgamesh who reappears in most other installments of the Final Fantasy series would usually be the same character with a new and similar look.
In both the Dawn of Souls remake of Final Fantasy I
and Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, Gilgamesh is fought as a boss. In both the Game Boy Advance
version of Final Fantasy VI
and Final Fantasy VIII
, Gilgamesh appears as a summon who randomly uses one out of four attacks. In Final Fantasy IX
, Gilgamesh is a four-armed self-proclaimed great treasure hunter known as Alleyway Jack; the player encounters this four-armed man multiple times during the journey, until Zidane receives a letter from him, revealing his true identity.
In Final Fantasy XI
, the leader of the Tenshodo pirating organization in Norg is a legendary sword-smith named Gilgamesh. Players will run into him while attempting missions from the first expansion pack, Rise of the Zilart, as well as the quest to unlock Samurai as a playable job, for which the character also receives a two-handed katana
. Gilgamesh is also the name of one of Final Fantasy XIs world servers.
In Final Fantasy XII
, Gilgamesh appears as an optional boss under the Mark "Ancient Man of Mystery", accompanied by his animal companion Enkidu
. He is fought two times, wielding a collection of parodies of signature swords from the Final Fantasy series, two Tournesol swords, and the Loto Sword from the Dragon Quest series (called the Wyrmhero Blade). He later returns in the sequel to Final Fantasy XII, Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings
as an optional boss, summoning numerous Enkidu to his aid. Upon defeating him, Gilgamesh becomes an allied Esper who can be summoned in battle.
He appears as a secret, unlockable character in Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
, which marks his first appearance as a playable character. Based on his appearance in Final Fantasy V
, he escapes from the Rift in search of Bartz, additionally encountering a group of protaginists from the games he made appearances in (Squall
from Final Fantasy VIII
, Zidane
from Final Fantasy IX
, and Vaan
from Final Fantasy XII
). After finding, fighting and losing to Bartz (who had lost his memories of him), Gilgamesh disappears back into the Rift, swearing to return. In Final Fantasy Type-0, Gilgamesh appears as a l'Cie from the country of Lorica. His appearance in this game can be unlocked as a downloadable costume for Gilgamesh in Dissidia 012.
Gilgamesh has been shown in both villain and hero positions. He is shown to be good-natured through the actions of Final Fantasy V, such as when he is seen to act sad when hearing of Galuf's death, as well as sacrificing himself for the party when fighting Necrophobe. However, his arrogance, occasional stupidity, and thirst for battle have generally pitted him against the party, usually leading to a difficult boss battle. Gilgamesh is commonly known to carry the powerful Genji equipment set, consistently composed of the Genji Gauntlet, Genji Shield, Genji Helm, and Genji Armor.
In the English version of Final Fantasy XII, Gilgamesh is voiced by veteran voice actor John DiMaggio
, and in Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy by Keith Szarabajka
. In Japan, Gilgamesh was originally voiced by Daisuke Gori
for Final Fantasy XII, with Kazuya Nakai
taking over after his predecessor's passing since Dissidia 012.
remake of Final Fantasy IV, Gilgamesh's name appears on a turtle similar to Adamantoise. This is a mistranslation of the monster's actual name, Gilgame, a portmanteau of "Gil", the currency of Final Fantasy, and , the Japanese word for "turtle". However, the error was corrected in the European version, and the monster's name is properly translated as "Gil Turtle".
. His special technique was to cause various effects by dancing. He was temporarily playable in one of the opening battles of the game, along with many other moogles, and can be recruited again later by saving him from a thief, and later, regardless of the player's actions during the thief event. The dancing ability associated with Mog can be seen on display in Final Fantasy XII
in Old Archades, where the player can see a band of dancing moogles. Other appearances include Final Fantasy IX
; where a female moogle named Mog serves as Eiko Carol's guardian, though she proves not to be a moogle after all, and Final Fantasy VII
, where he appeared along with a Chocobo as a summon and not just as a summon, but as a name for all moogles, being that in FF7 all moogles are referred to as mogs. Two moogles also appeared in Final Fantasy VII
as a game in the Gold Saucer, and Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles
as a chalice holder in single-player mode. Mog also appears as a Chocobo's rival moogle in Chocobo Racing
. None of these appearances are the same individual, though often they have characteristics in common. A Moogle called Montblanc first appeared in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
as the leader of a clan Marche joined. Montblanc returns in Final Fantasy XII
and Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift
as the leader of Clan Centurio. In Final Fantasy XII
, the "Stuffed Animal" Look is replaced for a much more friendly rabbit look. A moogle named Mog also appears in Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon
. He can also be unlocked in the Mario Hoops 3 on 3 game.
the most powerful tome in the game is called the Ultima Tome, and in the Soul of Rebirth bonus storyline in Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls, a boss called the Ultima Weapon guards the Ultima Tome. Omega Weapon appeared (as "Omega") as an optional boss near the end of the game in Final Fantasy V
. Ultima Weapon appeared in Final Fantasy VI
and again in Final Fantasy VII
(under the name Ultimate Weapon) as a main storyline boss. In Final Fantasy VIII
, they appear as extra bosses and in Final Fantasy X
, they both reside in the Omega Ruins, the most difficult dungeon in the game, where Ultima exists as Omega's shadow. In Final Fantasy IX
, Ultima is the main protagonist's (Zidane Tribal
) ultimate weapon. In Final Fantasy XI
, both Omega and Ultima appear as bosses in the Chains of Promathia story line in and again as Proto-Omega and Proto-Ultima as bosses of the Limbus areas. In Final Fantasy XII
, Ultima appears as an Esper in addition to lending its name to a sword called the Ultima Blade, whereas Omega appears as an optional boss in the form of a giant Mimic named "Omega Mark XII". In Final Fantasy XIII
, the main character can equip powerful lightning-elemented weapons Ultima Weapon and Omega Weapon—the most powerful weapon in the game. Omega also appears in the game Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII
as the main antagonist while being used by Weiss to destroy the earth and combine with Omega, in the end being defeated by the chaos inside of Vincent Valentine
. Ultima appears as the final boss of Final Fantasy Tactics
and is also a spell cast by various monsters, including Ultima herself, and if used on certain characters, they can learn it too.
/ratite
bird
capable of being ridden and is a staple of the Final Fantasy series. The onomatopoeia for a chocobo's call is . "Kweh" is sometimes replaced with "Wark" in English translations. Most chocobos dwell in forests. While timid in the wild, and vicious if threatened, they tame rather easily and make good transports. Chocobos have occasionally been sighted as lightly armored war mounts in which case they can assist their riders with beak and claw. In Final Fantasy Tactics chocobo can be used as playable characters (though only in battle). Most often chocobo can be caught in the wild and ridden without fear of random encounter
s, escaping after the player dismounts. Overall, the species is a very versatile and useful bird, which comes in handy as horse
s are untamed or non-existent in Final Fantasy
games. While ordinary Chocobos are yellow, certain rare breeds are of different colors and have special abilities, such as crossing mountains or flight. An even rarer, more extreme variant is the Fat Chocobo (or Chubby Chocobo), which resembles a morbidly obese yellow chocobo.
The Chocobo signature theme is an immediately recognizable upbeat ditty that is present in one form or another in all Final Fantasy gamessince Final Fantasy II
. Chocobos have a spin-off
series dedicated to them. Chocobos are also a common sight in other Square
and Square Enix
games, notably in the Mana series.
game series, including the Final Fantasy
series, the Seiken Densetsu series, the Chocobo series, and the Kingdom Hearts
series. The Japanese name is a portmanteau of the Japanese words mogura (mole) and kōmori (bat).
Moogles have small, black eyes (often closed) and red, pink, black, or purple bat-like wings. A single black antenna
sticks up from their heads, with a small colorful ball (usually red, yellow or pink) at the end called a "pompom". Their ears are usually shaped like a cat's and their fur is white or light pink. However, in Crystal Chronicles they have a different body shape, lacking a distinct head and torso, while in Tactics Advance and Final Fantasy XII they have longer, rabbit-like ears and beige to gray fur. When they first appeared, in Final Fantasy III, Moogles generally ended their sentences with the word "nya", the Japanese equivalent of a cat's "meow". In the later games, they use the word "kupo" instead; some games briefly mention a Moogle language formed out of various permutations of "kupo". In the Final Fantasy III Nintendo DS remake, the word "nya" was replaced with "kupo".
Moogles run an in-game message delivery service in Final Fantasy IX and Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles. In the Final Fantasy III remake, the Moogles' message delivery service allows to send real e-mails to other players' games using the Nintendo DS Wi-Fi function
. In Final Fantasy XI, a Moogle is assigned to each player to take care of their house and change their jobs (hence it is called a Mog House), and "Festive" Moogles run the holiday events in the game. In Final Fantasy XII, the Moogles are known to be skillful in mechanics and engineering; they were the first pioneers of airship
construction.
Several Moogle characters of the Final Fantasy series are named Mog, including a playable character in Final Fantasy VI, a character from an arcade game in Final Fantasy VII, a form of the Eidolon Madeen in Final Fantasy IX, and the single player's companion in Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles. Additionally, Final Fantasy VII, also features a character named Cait Sith (acquired at the Gold Saucer) , which essentially is a cat sitting atop a giant stuffed Moogle. In the spin-offs Chocobo no Fushigina Dungeon, Chocobo's Dungeon 2, and Chocobo Racing
, a Moogle named Mog is friends with the main character Chocobo. Moogles appear as summoned creatures in Final Fantasy VII where a Moogle appears riding a Chocobo
, in Final Fantasy VIII with a young Moogle called MiniMog, and in Final Fantasy Tactics. Eiko in Final Fantasy IX had a Moogle guardian named Mog; she later became the Summon Madeen or Guardian Mog in the English version. Other notable Moogles include Stiltzkin from Final Fantasy IX and Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, and Montblanc from Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift and Final Fantasy XII.
In Final Fantasy Tactics Advance and Final Fantasy Tactics A2, the Moogles have a variety of different jobs to master in the clan. Some of the "Base Jobs" include Thief, Animist and Black Mage. After you master a certain amount of abilities, new jobs are available for the Moogles. Other Moogle Jobs include Juggler, Tinker, Time Mage, Fusilier, Flintlock, Chocobo Knight, and Moogle Knight. There is one special Moogle Job in Final Fantasy Tactics Advanced 2 called Bard. The Bard is named Hurdy. Hurdy is able to use a series of different instruments to give buffs and debuffs to allies or foes, heal health, or make himself invisible.
Moogles first appear in the Final Fantasy series in Final Fantasy III and are present in all subsequent numbered installments except Final Fantasy IV, in addition to Final Fantasy Tactics, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, and Final Fantasy: Unlimited. They were used as Save Points in Final Fantasy IX. Moogles appear only as stuffed dolls in Final Fantasy VII Advent Children,Dirge of Cerberus, Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2, in addition to Yuna's version of the Mascot dressphere being a moogle in Final Fantasy X-2. Moogles make an appearance in the Seiken Densetsu series as a race and/or as a status condition (commonly referred to as being "moogled") in Final Fantasy Adventure
, Secret of Mana
and Seiken Densetsu 3
, and are mentioned in Sword of Mana
. They make an appearance in the Chocobo series inChocobo no Fushigina Dungeon, Chocobo's Dungeon 2, Chocobo Racing, and Chocobo Land: A Game of Dice. They also appear in all four games of the Kingdom Hearts series, which includes Moogles named after many famous characters from the series. Moogles also appear as shop clerks in Dissidia Final Fantasy and the sequel, Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
which they created their own network called the Mognet to communicate with the players with gifts of different items to use in the games. Finally, a Moogle appears in Egg Monster Heroes, while one is an unlockable character in Mario Hoops 3-on-3
.
Later,other Moogle can be unlocked in Mario Sports Mix
for the Wii
.
). Summoned monsters—such as Bahamut—as well as the elemental monsters—Shiva (ice) and Ifrit (fire)—have appeared in almost every title in the series. The lightning elemental has been represented by a variety of creatures, principally Ramuh but also Quetzalcoatl and Ixion. Odin is a re-occurring character in Final Fantasy. Odin appears in FF VII and VIII as a summon, the later is replaced by Gilgamesh in the fourth disk. Odin is also the Thunder Edolin in FFXIII, able to transform into Sleipnir his mythical horse. In Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, the elemental monsters represent spells cast by Summoners (either the player's own, or those of rivals). In Final Fantasy XII the traditional summon monsters were changed but still made a cameo of sorts as the names of Archadian airships. 'The series borrows four creature types directly from the original version of Dungeons and Dragons: Beholder
s, Mindflayers
, Otyugh
s and Sahuagin
. Other monsters are based on creatures in the real world, such as wolves, wasps, piranhas, and others have amplified, deadlier versions appearing throughout the series. Other creatures are not necessarily harmful and may provide benefits to the player, such as the Magic Pot.
Several entries in the series provide backstories on the origins and motives behind monsters. The backstory of the fiends and monsters given in-game (depending on the series) was first established in Final Fantasy VII
, where monsters are animals and some humans who have been exposed to a high degree of Mako, or descendents of the Ancients, via exposure to Jenova's 'Virus'. In Final Fantasy VIII
, monsters are sent to the game world from one of its moons via a burst of energy from the moon called the "Lunar Cry". In Final Fantasy IX
, monsters are spawned from the Mist, which is made up of the souls of the dead unable to pass on. In Final Fantasy X
and Final Fantasy X-2
these hostile monsters are better known as fiends, which are monsters manifested from the restless spirits of the dead and driven by malice to devour those alive. In FFX-2, these Fiends are classified by type. In Final Fantasy XII
, the monsters have differing origins; however, most of the more powerful variants (namely the particularly powerful 'Rare Game') are the result of a mutation caused by an overdose of any exposure to the Mist.
Final Fantasy
is a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and is developed and owned by Square Enix . The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science-fantasy role-playing video games , but includes motion pictures, anime, printed media, and other merchandise...
series is generally set in a different fictional world with separate storylines, there are some commonalities when it comes to character design. Certain design themes repeat themselves, as well as specific character names and classes. Within the main series, Yoshitaka Amano
Yoshitaka Amano
is a Japanese artist. He began his career as an animator and has become known for his illustrations for the anime Vampire Hunter D and for his character designs, image illustrations and title logo designs for the Final Fantasy video game series developed by Square Enix . His influences include...
was the character designer for the first six games, Tetsuya Nomura
Tetsuya Nomura
is a Japanese video game director and character designer working for Square Enix , best known for his work on both the Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts series.-Time before Square:Nomura was born in Kōchi, Japan...
was the character designer for Final Fantasy VII, VIII, X, XI and XIII, Toshiyuki Itahana was the character designer for Final Fantasy IX, and Akihiko Yoshida
Akihiko Yoshida
is a Japanese video game designer working for Square Enix. Yoshida was born in 1967 and joined Square Co. in 1995, before the company merged with Enix. He is well known for his work on the Final Fantasy series...
was the character designer for Final Fantasy XII.
Visual character design
The series has often featured male characters with slightly effeminateEffeminacy
Effeminacy describes traits in a human male, that are more often associated with traditional feminine nature, behaviour, mannerisms, style or gender roles rather than masculine nature, behaviour, mannerisms, style or roles....
characteristics, as well as female characters with slightly tomboy
Tomboy
A tomboy is a girl who exhibits characteristics or behaviors considered typical of the gender role of a boy, including the wearing of typically masculine-oriented clothes and engaging in games and activities that are often physical in nature, and which are considered in many cultures to be the...
ish, but still feminine, characteristics. This trend has generally increased as the series evolved. These characters are usually teenagers
Adolescence
Adolescence is a transitional stage of physical and mental human development generally occurring between puberty and legal adulthood , but largely characterized as beginning and ending with the teenage stage...
. According to some critics, these characters are designed so in order to make the players identify with them. At the same time, female characters have been increasingly designed to wear very revealing outfits. Square Enix has stated that a more rugged looking hero had been considered for Final Fantasy XII
Final Fantasy XII
is a console role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 2. Released in 2006, it is the twelfth title in the Final Fantasy series and the last in the series to be released exclusively on the PlayStation platform...
but had ultimately been scrapped in favor of Vaan
Vaan
is a fictional character in the Final Fantasy series, and the main protagonist of Final Fantasy XII.-Concept and creation:Fellow Final Fantasy XII characters Balthier and then Basch were initially meant to be the main character of the story, but the focus was eventually shifted to Vaan when the...
, another effeminate protagonist. The developers cited scenaristic reasons and target demographic considerations to explain their choice. For Final Fantasy XIII
Final Fantasy XIII
is a console role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360. Released in 2009 in Japan and 2010 in North America and PAL regions, it is the thirteenth major installment in the Final Fantasy series...
, Square Enix settled on a female main character, described as a "female version of Cloud
Cloud Strife
is a fictional character and the main protagonist in Square's role-playing game Final Fantasy VII and several of its sequels and spin-offs. His original design was created by Final Fantasy VII character designer Tetsuya Nomura...
from FFVII." This aspect of Final Fantasy has also been carried into Kingdom Hearts, a crossover series featuring Final Fantasy and Disney
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
characters, with the protagonist Sora
Sora (Kingdom Hearts)
is a fictional character and the main protagonist of Square Enix's best-selling Kingdom Hearts series. Introduced in the series' first game in 2002, Sora is a cheerful teenager who originates from Destiny Islands and has been best friends with Riku and Kairi since early childhood. When they plan to...
.
Biggs and Wedge
The names are given to two related characters in several Final Fantasy games. They are speculated to be an homage to the Star WarsStar Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
characters Biggs Darklighter and Wedge Antilles
Wedge Antilles
Wedge Antilles is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe. He is a supporting character portrayed by Denis Lawson in the original Star Wars trilogy. Antilles, also called the "greatest ace" pilot in the Rebel Alliance, also appears in the Star Wars Expanded Universe and is the lead...
by an online editor. Their first appearance is in Final Fantasy VI
Final Fantasy VI
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square , released in 1994 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as a part of the Final Fantasy series. Set in a fantasy world with a technology level equivalent to that of the Second Industrial Revolution, the game's story focuses on a...
—with "Biggs" mistranslated
Romanization of Japanese
The romanization of Japanese is the application of the Latin alphabet to write the Japanese language. This method of writing is known as , less strictly romaji, literally "Roman letters", sometimes incorrectly transliterated as romanji or rōmanji. There are several different romanization systems...
to "Vicks"—as a pair of Vector soldiers accompanying Terra Branford in an attack on Narshe to claim an Esper. They are playable for a short period, but are soon killed by the Esper.
Following their first appearance, Biggs and Wedge have appeared in several games. In Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VII
is a role-playing video game developed by Square and published by Sony Computer Entertainment as the seventh installment in the Final Fantasy series. It was originally released in 1997 for the Sony PlayStation and was re-released in 1998 for Microsoft Windows-based personal computers and in 2009...
, Biggs and Wedge are members of AVALANCHE
Avalanche
An avalanche is a sudden rapid flow of snow down a slope, occurring when either natural triggers or human activity causes a critical escalating transition from the slow equilibrium evolution of the snow pack. Typically occurring in mountainous terrain, an avalanche can mix air and water with the...
, an eco-warrior
Eco-warrior
The term eco-warrior is a self-description for an environmental activist that adopts a 'hands-on' effort to save or salvage a plot of land, or to advance some ecological ideology...
organization. They are killed after a failed attempt to stop one of Midgar city's support pillars from being destroyed by Shinra Company. Final Fantasy Tactics
Final Fantasy Tactics
is a tactical role-playing game developed and published by Square for the Sony PlayStation video game console. It is the first game of the Final Fantasy Tactics series and was released in Japan in June 1997 and in the United States in January 1998...
features a form of the names—as "Viggs" and "Wezaleff"—as members of a raiding party, who have no speaking roles and die while descending Orbonne Monastery
Ivalice
is a fictional location in the Final Fantasy XII, Final Fantasy Tactics, and Vagrant Story universe. The world was conceived by Yasumi Matsuno when he joined Square Co. in 1995, and has since been expanded upon by several games, with more yet due with the Ivalice Alliance series...
. In Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy VIII
is a role-playing video game released for the PlayStation in 1999 and for Windows-based personal computers in 2000. It was developed and published by Square as the Final Fantasy series' eighth title, removing magic point-based spell-casting and the first title to consistently use realistically...
, Biggs and Wedge are Galbadian soldiers who engage in battle with the protagonists twice, (once in Dollet — Disc I, and again in D-District Prison — Disc II) providing comic relief
Comic relief
Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension.-Definition:...
. They eventually retire from the Galbadian forces in Disc III.
In Final Fantasy IX
Final Fantasy IX
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the PlayStation video game console. It is the ninth title in the Final Fantasy series. The game introduced new features to the series like the 'Active Time Event', 'Mognet' and a unique equipment and skill system.Final Fantasy IXs...
, you can find Vicks hiding in Madain Sari. It's offscreen to the right. You can find Wedge in the forest of the NE island at top. In Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy X
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square as the tenth title in the Final Fantasy series. It was released in 2001 for Sony's PlayStation 2, and will be re-released for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in 2012...
and Final Fantasy X-2
Final Fantasy X-2
is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square for Sony's PlayStation 2. It was released in 2003 and is the sequel to the best-selling 2001 game Final Fantasy X...
, Biggs and Wedge are guards at the Luca Blitzball stadium, and can be scouted by the player to participate in Blitzball. In the English translation of Final Fantasy XII
Final Fantasy XII
is a console role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 2. Released in 2006, it is the twelfth title in the Final Fantasy series and the last in the series to be released exclusively on the PlayStation platform...
, two Archadian guards named Gibbs and Deweg (variation of Biggs, anagram of Wedge) stand at Nalbina Town, and appear as comic relief in several optional scenes in a sidequest. In the English translation of Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
is a tactical role-playing game developed and published by Square for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance. A spin-off of the popular Final Fantasy series, the game shares several traits with 1997's Final Fantasy Tactics, although it is not a direct sequel. The player assembles a clan of characters, and...
, Biggs is a former business subordinate of Cid; Biggs and Wedge also appear as random names for character units and hero classes in Final Fantasy I. In Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
is an action role-playing game developed by Square Enix for the PlayStation Portable. First released in 2007, the game is a prequel to the video game Final Fantasy VII and is also the sixth installment in metaseries Compilation of Final Fantasy VII which includes products related to the game...
, Biggs and Wedge are enemies in a sniping mini-game.
Biggs and Wedge are common names in other video games by Square Co.
Square Co.
was a Japanese video game company founded in September 1983 by Masafumi Miyamoto. It merged with Enix in 2003 and became part of Square Enix...
and Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
. In Chrono Trigger
Chrono Trigger
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1995. Chrono Triggers development team included three designers that Square dubbed the "Dream Team": Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of Square's Final Fantasy series; Yuji Horii, a...
, Vicks and Wedge, along with a third character named Piett (who likewise shares a name with a Star Wars character), are sideshow attractions at Norstein Bekkler's Lab at the Millennial Fair. Biggs retains his original name in the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
re-release of Chrono Trigger. In Kingdom Hearts II
Kingdom Hearts II
is an action role-playing game developed by Square Enix and published by Buena Vista Games and Square Enix in 2005 for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console...
, Biggs and Wedge are storekeepers to armor shops. Lastly, Chocobo's Dungeon 2 features them as two Black Mages who may assist the player.
Biggs and Wedge also appears in Final Fantasy IV: The After Years as Red Wings soldiers who die protecting Cecil's son (In The After Years, which is 17 years later from Final Fantasy IV, Cecil is now the King of Baron alongside Rosa who is now the Queen of Baron) Prince Ceodore from an attack led by the Mysterious Woman. The game reveals that Biggs and Wedge were actually the two soldiers who questioned Cecil about stealing the Water Crystal of Mysidia at the beginning of Final Fantasy IV
Final Fantasy IV
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1991 as a part of the Final Fantasy series. The game was originally released for the Super Famicom in Japan and has since then been rereleased for many other platforms with varying modifications. An enhanced remake with 3D graphics...
.
Biggs and Wedge are Featured in Final Fantasy XIII as the name of a shop, B&W Outfitters.
Boko
A chocoboChocobo
A is a fictional creature from the Final Fantasy video game series. The creature is a large and normally flightless galliforme/ratite bird capable of being ridden and otherwise used by player characters during gameplay...
named appears in several installments of the series. Boko appears in Final Fantasy V
Final Fantasy V
is a medieval-fantasy role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1992 as a part of the Final Fantasy series. The game first appeared only in Japan on Nintendo's Super Famicom . It has been ported with minor differences to Sony's PlayStation and Nintendo's Game Boy Advance...
as Bartz Klauser's mount. Boco also appears in Final Fantasy Tactics
Final Fantasy Tactics
is a tactical role-playing game developed and published by Square for the Sony PlayStation video game console. It is the first game of the Final Fantasy Tactics series and was released in Japan in June 1997 and in the United States in January 1998...
as a chocobo owned by Wiegraf Folles, which is later encountered lost in a forest and can be saved and recruited by the protagonist Ramza Beoulve. A chicobo (young chocobo) named Boko appears in Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy VIII
is a role-playing video game released for the PlayStation in 1999 and for Windows-based personal computers in 2000. It was developed and published by Square as the Final Fantasy series' eighth title, removing magic point-based spell-casting and the first title to consistently use realistically...
and can be obtained by Squall Leonhart
Squall Leonhart
is the main protagonist of Final Fantasy VIII, a role-playing game by Square . He was designed by Tetsuya Nomura, with heavy influences coming from game director Yoshinori Kitase. Squall has appeared in several other games, such as the Kingdom Hearts series, where he appears under the name ;...
; this chicobo possesses its own minigame with Chocobo World. Boko also appears in Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VII
is a role-playing video game developed by Square and published by Sony Computer Entertainment as the seventh installment in the Final Fantasy series. It was originally released in 1997 for the Sony PlayStation and was re-released in 1998 for Microsoft Windows-based personal computers and in 2009...
as a chocobo in races. A chocobo named Bobby Corwen appears in Final Fantasy IX
Final Fantasy IX
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the PlayStation video game console. It is the ninth title in the Final Fantasy series. The game introduced new features to the series like the 'Active Time Event', 'Mognet' and a unique equipment and skill system.Final Fantasy IXs...
in the Black Mage Village; his initials in Japanese katakana
Katakana
is a Japanese syllabary, one component of the Japanese writing system along with hiragana, kanji, and in some cases the Latin alphabet . The word katakana means "fragmentary kana", as the katakana scripts are derived from components of more complex kanji. Each kana represents one mora...
characters form "Boko". In Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII
Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII
is an action role-playing third-person shooter video game developed and published by Square Enix in 2006 for the PlayStation 2. It is part of the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII metaseries, a multimedia collection set within the universe of the popular 1997 video game Final Fantasy VII...
, a pilot in the Shera airship mentions that she is raising a chocobo named Boco. In the exclusively-online Final Fantasy XI
Final Fantasy XI
, also known as Final Fantasy XI Online, is a MMORPG developed and published by Square as part of the Final Fantasy series. It was released in Japan on Sony's PlayStation 2 on May 16, 2002, and was released for Microsoft's Windows-based personal computers in November 2002...
, Boko appears as a black chocobo in various races.
Chaos
is the final bossBoss (video games)
A boss is an enemy-based challenge which is found in video games. A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle or boss fight...
in the first Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy (video game)
is a fantasy role-playing video game created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, developed and first published in Japan by Square in 1987. It is the first game in Square's Final Fantasy series...
game. He is a relatively large, winged demonic figure. Originally, he was Garland, an evil knight who kidnaps the princess of Cornelia. His plot is foiled by the Warriors of Light. However, seemingly killed, Garland was actually sent back through time into the distant past by the four Orbs, siphoned by the Four Elemental Fiends, becoming Chaos and sending the Fiends into the present to cause mass destruction in World A. This in turn creates a time-loop and allows Garland to live forever. The Warriors of Light return to the Chaos Shrine ruins to travel two thousand years into the past, where they meet Garland as he assumes his demon form. After the Warriors of Light defeat Chaos, they return to their own time with the Garland of a new reality waiting for them.
Chaos appears as the god of discord and main antagonist in the Dissidia: Final Fantasy
Dissidia: Final Fantasy
is an action RPG/fighting game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation Portable as part of the campaign of the Final Fantasy series 20th anniversary. Information on the game was first released during the "Square Enix Party" event of May 2008...
game series, voiced by Norio Wakamoto
Norio Wakamoto
is a veteran male seiyū and budō expert affiliated with Sigma Seven. He was born in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, and was raised in Sakai, Osaka Prefecture. He graduated from Waseda University...
in Japanese and Keith David
Keith David
Keith David Williams , better known as Keith David, is an American film, television, voice actor, and singer. He is perhaps most known for his live-action roles in such films as Crash, There's Something About Mary, Barbershop and Men at Work...
in English. In the storyline, Chaos was created as a perfect Manikin, malformed from the memories of multiple people used in his creation, and raised by his creator Cid as a son. Later used as a weapon of war, Chaos destroyed all the summons of World A before he, Cid, and Cosmos ended up in World B. There, Chaos became the God of Discord and was supported by Garland at Cid's request, who accepted his predestined fate to become the Chaos of Final Fantasy. In the game prequel, Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
is a 2011 fighting game published by Square Enix for the PlayStation Portable as part of the Final Fantasy series. It was developed by the company's 1st Production Department...
, a new form of Chaos called Feral Chaos is introduced.
The name "Chaos" appears in other Final Fantasy titles. In Final Fantasy VII, Vincent
Vincent Valentine
is an optional player character in Square Enix's console role-playing game Final Fantasy VII. Designed by Tetsuya Nomura, he also appears in various titles from the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, a series of prequels of and sequels of Final Fantasy VII, and is the protagonist in the third-person...
's fourth and final Limit Break causes him to take the form of a black, winged demon called Chaos; this concept is explored further in Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII
Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII
is an action role-playing third-person shooter video game developed and published by Square Enix in 2006 for the PlayStation 2. It is part of the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII metaseries, a multimedia collection set within the universe of the popular 1997 video game Final Fantasy VII...
. In Final Fantasy XII, Chaos appears as an Esper within the game, obtained by defeating him first, and bearing the title "Walker of the Wheel". While fighting him, he wields four elemental blades which aid him, but can be destroyed. Also, the flagship of the anti-Imperial Resistance fleet bears the name Garland. In the anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series Final Fantasy: Unlimited
Final Fantasy: Unlimited
was an anime television series based on Square Enix's popular Final Fantasy role-playing game franchise.Final Fantasy: Unlimited incorporates both 2D animation and 3D graphics, and takes elements from the Final Fantasy games with quite a few easter eggs, some obvious, others obscure...
, Chaos is an otherworldly being that consumes other worlds, feeding on the negative energy of others.
Cid
is a character who appears, or is at least mentioned, in all Final Fantasy installments since Final Fantasy II. Although he is rarely the same age, and never the same individual in each of the main series, he is usually presented as an owner, creator, and/or pilot of airships and provides transportation to the main characters and their party members at various points of the game. In the second game, he has a friendly relationship with a woman named Hilda; he also has a close relationship with a woman of the same name in the ninth and eleventh installments.Cid does not appear in the original Nintendo Entertainment System version of Final Fantasy, but he is retroactively inserted in subsequent versions (from Final Fantasy Origins onwards), where he is mentioned as the creator of the party's airship. This Cid (known as Cid of the Lufaine) becomes more involved in Dissidia: Final Fantasy
Dissidia: Final Fantasy
is an action RPG/fighting game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation Portable as part of the campaign of the Final Fantasy series 20th anniversary. Information on the game was first released during the "Square Enix Party" event of May 2008...
, serving as the game's non-physical narrator and the one who began the conflict itself after ending up in the mirror dimension of World B where it takes place. Furthermore, Cid also created the Manikins, with only three being perfect: Cosmos (modeled after his wife), Chaos (an eariler creation he took in as a son), and the Warrior of Light (a clone of himself).
In Final Fantasy II, Cid is a non-playable character and a freelance airship pilot. Cid reappears in the "Soul of Rebirth" section of the Dawn of Souls and 20th Anniversary versions, which takes place during the final parts of the main game. Cid also appears in Final Fantasy III as Cid Haze, a non-playable character.
The Super NES installments feature Cid in a greater role. In Final Fantasy IV, Cid Pollendina is a playable character, the first playable Cid in the Final Fantasy games. In Final Fantasy V, Cid Previa is a non-playable character and elderly inventor. In the original video animation
Original video animation
, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...
sequel to Final Fantasy V, Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals
Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals
is an anime OVA based on the Final Fantasy series of console role-playing games. It was released in Japan in 1994 and distributed by Urban Vision in 1998 in North America. Urban Vision does not have the license to this series now, and it has not been relicensed in North America.Legend of the...
, the late Cid's brain has been stolen by Ra Devil to be used in the villain's plans. Lastly, in Final Fantasy VI, Cid del Norte Marguez is a non-player character who is a researcher for the Empire and the adoptive grandfather of playable character Celes Chere.
In Final Fantasy VII, Cid Highwind is a spear-wielding main character and an airship pilot. He also appears in the game's prequel Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII
Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII
is a Japanese action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix in 2004. It was the first original game to be produced by Square Enix exclusively for mobile phones, and was released on NTT DoCoMo's FOMA iMode line of phones on a monthly subscription basis...
and the sequels Final Fantasy VII Advent Children and Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII
Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII
is an action role-playing third-person shooter video game developed and published by Square Enix in 2006 for the PlayStation 2. It is part of the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII metaseries, a multimedia collection set within the universe of the popular 1997 video game Final Fantasy VII...
. This version also appears in Kingdom Hearts
Kingdom Hearts
is an action role-playing game developed and published by Square in 2002 for the PlayStation 2 video game console. The first game in the Kingdom Hearts series, it is the result of a collaboration between Square Enix and The Walt Disney Company. The game combines characters and settings from Disney...
and Kingdom Hearts II
Kingdom Hearts II
is an action role-playing game developed by Square Enix and published by Buena Vista Games and Square Enix in 2005 for the Sony PlayStation 2 video game console...
with an alternate version of Highwind. A memory version appears in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
is an action role-playing game developed by Square Enix and Japanese studio Jupiter and published by Square Enix in 2004 for the Game Boy Advance. The game serves as an intermediary between the two larger-scale PlayStation 2 games in the Kingdom Hearts series. It was one of the first GBA games to...
and its PS2 remake.
In Final Fantasy VIII, Cid Kramer is a non-playable character and the headmaster of Balamb Garden, which, at one point in the game, turns into an airship. He is the husband of Edea Kramer, who appears initially as the antagonist of the game.
In Final Fantasy IX, Cid Fabool is the ruler of Lindblum and is playable in a small sequence on Disc 3. He is also married to Hilda. Appropriately, his full name was "Cid Fabool the 9th". He designed two airships that the party uses throughout the game (both of which are named after his wife), and plays an important political and personal role in relation to various other characters in the game. In the epilogue, he and Hilda adopt Eiko, much to Eiko's delight.
In Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2, Cid is the leader of the Al Bhed tribe, the father of Rikku
Rikku
is a player character in the Final Fantasy series, and a protagonist in both Final Fantasy X and X-2.-Concept and creation:Rikku was designed by Tetsuya Nomura, who also designed other characters from Final Fantasy X and X-2. She is voiced by Tara Strong and Marika Matsumoto in the English and...
and Brother, and Yuna
Yuna (Final Fantasy)
is a player character in the Final Fantasy series. She is the female protagonist of Final Fantasy X and the main protagonist of the sequel Final Fantasy X-2. She was designed by Tetsuya Nomura and voiced by Hedy Burress and Mayuko Aoki in the English and Japanese versions, respectively...
's uncle. He is the captain of the first game's only airship, but he was not the creator of the machine; rather, he led the Al Bhed in restoring a broken airship that had sunk to the bottom of the sea.
In Final Fantasy XI, Cid is featured prominently in the world of Vana'diel as a non-playable character. He is the chief engineer of Bastok who created the airships and plays a major role in many of the game's missions and quests.
Final Fantasy XII
Final Fantasy XII
is a console role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 2. Released in 2006, it is the twelfth title in the Final Fantasy series and the last in the series to be released exclusively on the PlayStation platform...
is notable for being both the first FF with more than one Cid, and the first in which Cid is a villain. Doctor Cidolfus Demen Bunansa is a non-playable character as an enemy boss
Boss (video games)
A boss is an enemy-based challenge which is found in video games. A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle or boss fight...
(also a first for the series). He is the father of the sky pirate, Balthier, a playable character. In keeping with the airship theme, he is the one who designs many of the enemies airships including the sky fortress bahamut. There is also a character by the name of Al-Cid Margrace, who is the heir of Rozarria and friend of Larsa. It should be noted, though, that the former is the more prominent "Cid" of the game, while the latter shares less significance to the story.
Final Fantasy XIII
Final Fantasy XIII
is a console role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360. Released in 2009 in Japan and 2010 in North America and PAL regions, it is the thirteenth major installment in the Final Fantasy series...
continues the portrayal of a villainous Cid in the form of Cid Raines, who is the youngest Cid to appear in the main game series. He appears as a miniboss in chapter 10.
The name Cid also appears in Final Fantasy games outside the main series. In Final Fantasy Tactics
Final Fantasy Tactics
is a tactical role-playing game developed and published by Square for the Sony PlayStation video game console. It is the first game of the Final Fantasy Tactics series and was released in Japan in June 1997 and in the United States in January 1998...
, Cidolfas Orlandu, known within the game as "Thunder God Cid", is a playable character, a powerful general described as the only man that Ramza Beoulve's father, Balbanes, could truly trust. His stat growth, in comparison to other characters in the game, is immense and often disproportionate. Meanwhile, an optional side task that can be taken by members of Ramza's party involves raising a sunken ship named the Highwind.
In Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, Cid Randell is the leader of the Judges who uphold law in the game's world Ivalice, and can be acquired as a player character. In the spin-off, Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift
Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift
is a tactical role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix for the Nintendo DS handheld game console.Grimoire of the Rift is the sequel to Final Fantasy Tactics Advance as well as an iteration in the Ivalice Alliance.- Gameplay :...
, there is a different playable character named Cid, who belongs to the race of Revgaji (the first clearly non-human Cid in the series) and is the leader of the Clan Gully. Al-Cid from Final Fantasy XII also returned in Final Fantasy Tactics A2.
Cid also appears in Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within is a 2001 Japanese-American computer animated science fiction film directed by Hironobu Sakaguchi, creator of the Final Fantasy series of role-playing video games. It was the first photorealistic computer animated feature film and also holds the record for the most...
(as Dr. Sid), Final Fantasy: Unlimited
Final Fantasy: Unlimited
was an anime television series based on Square Enix's popular Final Fantasy role-playing game franchise.Final Fantasy: Unlimited incorporates both 2D animation and 3D graphics, and takes elements from the Final Fantasy games with quite a few easter eggs, some obvious, others obscure...
(as the first youthful Cid in the entire series), Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King is a video game developed for the WiiWare service of the Nintendo Wii console by Square Enix...
(as Mogcid), Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Crystal Bearers (as Professor Cid), Chocobo Racing
Chocobo Racing
Chocobo Racing, known in Japan as is a racing game for the PlayStation game console. The game was developed by Square Co., creators of the Final Fantasy series of video games. The game was first released in Japan in March 1999...
,Chocobo's Dungeon 2, Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales. Outside of the Final Fantasy series, he appears in Treasure of the Rudras
Treasure of the Rudras
is a role-playing video game released by Square in 1996, and among the last they developed for the Nintendo Super Famicom.The plot incorporates flavours from Indian religions, centrally the concept of the wheel of time - every 4000 years the world is destroyed and recreated by a Rudra - the name...
and Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime
Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime
is an action-adventure video game developed by TOSE and published by Square Enix for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console. It is the sequel to Slime MoriMori Dragon Quest: Shōgeki no Shippo Dan for the Game Boy Advance. It was first released in Japan, and later in North America...
(as Ducktor Cid).
Cid will take the main role in a Final Fantasy game for the first time with Final Fantasy Fables: Cid and Chocobo's Dungeon DS+
Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon
, is a role-playing video game published by Square Enix for the Wii. It is an installment in the Chocobo series that focuses on Chocobo and a Cid character.-Gameplay:...
for the Nintendo DS, a remake of the Wii title announced in July 2008.
Gilgamesh
is a character first introduced in Final Fantasy VFinal Fantasy V
is a medieval-fantasy role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1992 as a part of the Final Fantasy series. The game first appeared only in Japan on Nintendo's Super Famicom . It has been ported with minor differences to Sony's PlayStation and Nintendo's Game Boy Advance...
. He is characterized by having a grey complexion, flamboyantly colorful battle armor, and multiple (usually eight) arms wielding multiple weapons at once. He has a fierce façade, but this masks his own childlike personality. The name "Gilgamesh" comes from the Sumerian king Gilgamesh
Gilgamesh
Gilgamesh was the fifth king of Uruk, modern day Iraq , placing his reign ca. 2500 BC. According to the Sumerian king list he reigned for 126 years. In the Tummal Inscription, Gilgamesh, and his son Urlugal, rebuilt the sanctuary of the goddess Ninlil, in Tummal, a sacred quarter in her city of...
, the main character in the Epic of Gilgamesh
Epic of Gilgamesh
Epic of Gilgamesh is an epic poem from Mesopotamia and is among the earliest known works of literature. Scholars believe that it originated as a series of Sumerian legends and poems about the protagonist of the story, Gilgamesh king of Uruk, which were fashioned into a longer Akkadian epic much...
. Gilgamesh's first appearance is in Final Fantasy V as a major villain, who the party encounters several times before he is banished to the Rift by Exdeath for his repeated failures. However, as revealed in Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
is a 2011 fighting game published by Square Enix for the PlayStation Portable as part of the Final Fantasy series. It was developed by the company's 1st Production Department...
, Gilgamesh ends up traveling to other worlds via the Rift as he still seeks to settle things with his rival Bartz. Thus, unlike other recurring character names, the Gilgamesh who reappears in most other installments of the Final Fantasy series would usually be the same character with a new and similar look.
In both the Dawn of Souls remake of Final Fantasy I
Final Fantasy (video game)
is a fantasy role-playing video game created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, developed and first published in Japan by Square in 1987. It is the first game in Square's Final Fantasy series...
and Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, Gilgamesh is fought as a boss. In both the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
version of Final Fantasy VI
Final Fantasy VI
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square , released in 1994 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as a part of the Final Fantasy series. Set in a fantasy world with a technology level equivalent to that of the Second Industrial Revolution, the game's story focuses on a...
and Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy VIII
is a role-playing video game released for the PlayStation in 1999 and for Windows-based personal computers in 2000. It was developed and published by Square as the Final Fantasy series' eighth title, removing magic point-based spell-casting and the first title to consistently use realistically...
, Gilgamesh appears as a summon who randomly uses one out of four attacks. In Final Fantasy IX
Final Fantasy IX
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the PlayStation video game console. It is the ninth title in the Final Fantasy series. The game introduced new features to the series like the 'Active Time Event', 'Mognet' and a unique equipment and skill system.Final Fantasy IXs...
, Gilgamesh is a four-armed self-proclaimed great treasure hunter known as Alleyway Jack; the player encounters this four-armed man multiple times during the journey, until Zidane receives a letter from him, revealing his true identity.
In Final Fantasy XI
Final Fantasy XI
, also known as Final Fantasy XI Online, is a MMORPG developed and published by Square as part of the Final Fantasy series. It was released in Japan on Sony's PlayStation 2 on May 16, 2002, and was released for Microsoft's Windows-based personal computers in November 2002...
, the leader of the Tenshodo pirating organization in Norg is a legendary sword-smith named Gilgamesh. Players will run into him while attempting missions from the first expansion pack, Rise of the Zilart, as well as the quest to unlock Samurai as a playable job, for which the character also receives a two-handed katana
Katana
A Japanese sword, or , is one of the traditional bladed weapons of Japan. There are several types of Japanese swords, according to size, field of application and method of manufacture.-Description:...
. Gilgamesh is also the name of one of Final Fantasy XIs world servers.
In Final Fantasy XII
Final Fantasy XII
is a console role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 2. Released in 2006, it is the twelfth title in the Final Fantasy series and the last in the series to be released exclusively on the PlayStation platform...
, Gilgamesh appears as an optional boss under the Mark "Ancient Man of Mystery", accompanied by his animal companion Enkidu
Enkidu
Enkidu is a central figure in the Ancient Mesopotamian Epic of Gilgamesh. Enkidu was first created by Anu, the sky god, to rid Gilgamesh of his arrogance. In the story he is a wild-man raised by animals and ignorant of human society until he is bedded by Shamhat...
. He is fought two times, wielding a collection of parodies of signature swords from the Final Fantasy series, two Tournesol swords, and the Loto Sword from the Dragon Quest series (called the Wyrmhero Blade). He later returns in the sequel to Final Fantasy XII, Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings
Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings
is a real-time strategy RPG developed by Think & Feel and published by Square Enix for the Nintendo DS. It is a sequel to the best-selling 2006 PlayStation 2 role-playing game Final Fantasy XII....
as an optional boss, summoning numerous Enkidu to his aid. Upon defeating him, Gilgamesh becomes an allied Esper who can be summoned in battle.
He appears as a secret, unlockable character in Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
is a 2011 fighting game published by Square Enix for the PlayStation Portable as part of the Final Fantasy series. It was developed by the company's 1st Production Department...
, which marks his first appearance as a playable character. Based on his appearance in Final Fantasy V
Final Fantasy V
is a medieval-fantasy role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1992 as a part of the Final Fantasy series. The game first appeared only in Japan on Nintendo's Super Famicom . It has been ported with minor differences to Sony's PlayStation and Nintendo's Game Boy Advance...
, he escapes from the Rift in search of Bartz, additionally encountering a group of protaginists from the games he made appearances in (Squall
Squall Leonhart
is the main protagonist of Final Fantasy VIII, a role-playing game by Square . He was designed by Tetsuya Nomura, with heavy influences coming from game director Yoshinori Kitase. Squall has appeared in several other games, such as the Kingdom Hearts series, where he appears under the name ;...
from Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy VIII
is a role-playing video game released for the PlayStation in 1999 and for Windows-based personal computers in 2000. It was developed and published by Square as the Final Fantasy series' eighth title, removing magic point-based spell-casting and the first title to consistently use realistically...
, Zidane
Zidane Tribal
is a fictional thief in the Final Fantasy series, and the protagonist of Final Fantasy IX.-Concept and creation:Zidane, along with other characters, was designed after the creation of Final Fantasy IXs plot, unlike its predecessors, Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VIII, which had its...
from Final Fantasy IX
Final Fantasy IX
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the PlayStation video game console. It is the ninth title in the Final Fantasy series. The game introduced new features to the series like the 'Active Time Event', 'Mognet' and a unique equipment and skill system.Final Fantasy IXs...
, and Vaan
Vaan
is a fictional character in the Final Fantasy series, and the main protagonist of Final Fantasy XII.-Concept and creation:Fellow Final Fantasy XII characters Balthier and then Basch were initially meant to be the main character of the story, but the focus was eventually shifted to Vaan when the...
from Final Fantasy XII
Final Fantasy XII
is a console role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 2. Released in 2006, it is the twelfth title in the Final Fantasy series and the last in the series to be released exclusively on the PlayStation platform...
). After finding, fighting and losing to Bartz (who had lost his memories of him), Gilgamesh disappears back into the Rift, swearing to return. In Final Fantasy Type-0, Gilgamesh appears as a l'Cie from the country of Lorica. His appearance in this game can be unlocked as a downloadable costume for Gilgamesh in Dissidia 012.
Gilgamesh has been shown in both villain and hero positions. He is shown to be good-natured through the actions of Final Fantasy V, such as when he is seen to act sad when hearing of Galuf's death, as well as sacrificing himself for the party when fighting Necrophobe. However, his arrogance, occasional stupidity, and thirst for battle have generally pitted him against the party, usually leading to a difficult boss battle. Gilgamesh is commonly known to carry the powerful Genji equipment set, consistently composed of the Genji Gauntlet, Genji Shield, Genji Helm, and Genji Armor.
In the English version of Final Fantasy XII, Gilgamesh is voiced by veteran voice actor John DiMaggio
John DiMaggio
John William DiMaggio is an American voice actor. A native of North Plainfield, New Jersey, he is known for his gruff, deep voice and New Jersey accent, which he uses to voice mainly villains and anti-heroes.-Filmography:...
, and in Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy by Keith Szarabajka
Keith Szarabajka
Keith Szarabajka is an American actor and voice artist.-Early life:Szarabajka was born in Oak Park, Illinois, the son of Anne, a school teacher, and Edward Szarabajka, a savings and loan officer....
. In Japan, Gilgamesh was originally voiced by Daisuke Gori
Daisuke Gori
was a Japanese voice actor, narrator and actor from Kōtō, Tokyo. Throughout his life, he was attached to TV Talent Center Tokyo, Yoshizawa Theatre School and then Mausu Promotion; he was attached to Aoni Production at the time of his death. His real name, as well as his former stage name, was...
for Final Fantasy XII, with Kazuya Nakai
Kazuya Nakai
is a Japanese voice actor who was born in Hyōgo-ku, Kobe. He is currently attached to Aoni Production.-Overview:Kazuya Nakai debuted in After War Gundam X as Witz Sou....
taking over after his predecessor's passing since Dissidia 012.
Incorrect Appearances
In the Game Boy AdvanceGame Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
remake of Final Fantasy IV, Gilgamesh's name appears on a turtle similar to Adamantoise. This is a mistranslation of the monster's actual name, Gilgame, a portmanteau of "Gil", the currency of Final Fantasy, and , the Japanese word for "turtle". However, the error was corrected in the European version, and the monster's name is properly translated as "Gil Turtle".
Mog
Moogles with the simple name Mog have appeared various times. Mog was a playable moogle character in Final Fantasy VIFinal Fantasy VI
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square , released in 1994 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as a part of the Final Fantasy series. Set in a fantasy world with a technology level equivalent to that of the Second Industrial Revolution, the game's story focuses on a...
. His special technique was to cause various effects by dancing. He was temporarily playable in one of the opening battles of the game, along with many other moogles, and can be recruited again later by saving him from a thief, and later, regardless of the player's actions during the thief event. The dancing ability associated with Mog can be seen on display in Final Fantasy XII
Final Fantasy XII
is a console role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 2. Released in 2006, it is the twelfth title in the Final Fantasy series and the last in the series to be released exclusively on the PlayStation platform...
in Old Archades, where the player can see a band of dancing moogles. Other appearances include Final Fantasy IX
Final Fantasy IX
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the PlayStation video game console. It is the ninth title in the Final Fantasy series. The game introduced new features to the series like the 'Active Time Event', 'Mognet' and a unique equipment and skill system.Final Fantasy IXs...
; where a female moogle named Mog serves as Eiko Carol's guardian, though she proves not to be a moogle after all, and Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VII
is a role-playing video game developed by Square and published by Sony Computer Entertainment as the seventh installment in the Final Fantasy series. It was originally released in 1997 for the Sony PlayStation and was re-released in 1998 for Microsoft Windows-based personal computers and in 2009...
, where he appeared along with a Chocobo as a summon and not just as a summon, but as a name for all moogles, being that in FF7 all moogles are referred to as mogs. Two moogles also appeared in Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VII
is a role-playing video game developed by Square and published by Sony Computer Entertainment as the seventh installment in the Final Fantasy series. It was originally released in 1997 for the Sony PlayStation and was re-released in 1998 for Microsoft Windows-based personal computers and in 2009...
as a game in the Gold Saucer, and Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles
is a action role-playing game for the Nintendo GameCube. It was published by Nintendo and developed by The Game Designers Studio, a shell corporation for Square Enix's Product Development Division-2. A spin-off of the Final Fantasy series, the game spawned a metaseries of the same name...
as a chalice holder in single-player mode. Mog also appears as a Chocobo's rival moogle in Chocobo Racing
Chocobo Racing
Chocobo Racing, known in Japan as is a racing game for the PlayStation game console. The game was developed by Square Co., creators of the Final Fantasy series of video games. The game was first released in Japan in March 1999...
. None of these appearances are the same individual, though often they have characteristics in common. A Moogle called Montblanc first appeared in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
is a tactical role-playing game developed and published by Square for the Nintendo Game Boy Advance. A spin-off of the popular Final Fantasy series, the game shares several traits with 1997's Final Fantasy Tactics, although it is not a direct sequel. The player assembles a clan of characters, and...
as the leader of a clan Marche joined. Montblanc returns in Final Fantasy XII
Final Fantasy XII
is a console role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 2. Released in 2006, it is the twelfth title in the Final Fantasy series and the last in the series to be released exclusively on the PlayStation platform...
and Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift
Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift
is a tactical role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix for the Nintendo DS handheld game console.Grimoire of the Rift is the sequel to Final Fantasy Tactics Advance as well as an iteration in the Ivalice Alliance.- Gameplay :...
as the leader of Clan Centurio. In Final Fantasy XII
Final Fantasy XII
is a console role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 2. Released in 2006, it is the twelfth title in the Final Fantasy series and the last in the series to be released exclusively on the PlayStation platform...
, the "Stuffed Animal" Look is replaced for a much more friendly rabbit look. A moogle named Mog also appears in Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon
Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon
, is a role-playing video game published by Square Enix for the Wii. It is an installment in the Chocobo series that focuses on Chocobo and a Cid character.-Gameplay:...
. He can also be unlocked in the Mario Hoops 3 on 3 game.
Ultima and Omega
Ultima and Omega are recurring names that have appeared in the Final Fantasy series. They often appear as optional bosses towards the end of the game, as they are far more formidable than an average monster. In Final Fantasy IIFinal Fantasy II
is a fantasy role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1988 for the Family Computer as the second installment of the Final Fantasy series. The game has received numerous enhanced remakes for the WonderSwan Color, the Sony PlayStation, Japanese mobile phones, the Game Boy...
the most powerful tome in the game is called the Ultima Tome, and in the Soul of Rebirth bonus storyline in Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls, a boss called the Ultima Weapon guards the Ultima Tome. Omega Weapon appeared (as "Omega") as an optional boss near the end of the game in Final Fantasy V
Final Fantasy V
is a medieval-fantasy role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1992 as a part of the Final Fantasy series. The game first appeared only in Japan on Nintendo's Super Famicom . It has been ported with minor differences to Sony's PlayStation and Nintendo's Game Boy Advance...
. Ultima Weapon appeared in Final Fantasy VI
Final Fantasy VI
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square , released in 1994 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System as a part of the Final Fantasy series. Set in a fantasy world with a technology level equivalent to that of the Second Industrial Revolution, the game's story focuses on a...
and again in Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VII
is a role-playing video game developed by Square and published by Sony Computer Entertainment as the seventh installment in the Final Fantasy series. It was originally released in 1997 for the Sony PlayStation and was re-released in 1998 for Microsoft Windows-based personal computers and in 2009...
(under the name Ultimate Weapon) as a main storyline boss. In Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy VIII
is a role-playing video game released for the PlayStation in 1999 and for Windows-based personal computers in 2000. It was developed and published by Square as the Final Fantasy series' eighth title, removing magic point-based spell-casting and the first title to consistently use realistically...
, they appear as extra bosses and in Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy X
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square as the tenth title in the Final Fantasy series. It was released in 2001 for Sony's PlayStation 2, and will be re-released for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in 2012...
, they both reside in the Omega Ruins, the most difficult dungeon in the game, where Ultima exists as Omega's shadow. In Final Fantasy IX
Final Fantasy IX
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the PlayStation video game console. It is the ninth title in the Final Fantasy series. The game introduced new features to the series like the 'Active Time Event', 'Mognet' and a unique equipment and skill system.Final Fantasy IXs...
, Ultima is the main protagonist's (Zidane Tribal
Zidane Tribal
is a fictional thief in the Final Fantasy series, and the protagonist of Final Fantasy IX.-Concept and creation:Zidane, along with other characters, was designed after the creation of Final Fantasy IXs plot, unlike its predecessors, Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VIII, which had its...
) ultimate weapon. In Final Fantasy XI
Final Fantasy XI
, also known as Final Fantasy XI Online, is a MMORPG developed and published by Square as part of the Final Fantasy series. It was released in Japan on Sony's PlayStation 2 on May 16, 2002, and was released for Microsoft's Windows-based personal computers in November 2002...
, both Omega and Ultima appear as bosses in the Chains of Promathia story line in and again as Proto-Omega and Proto-Ultima as bosses of the Limbus areas. In Final Fantasy XII
Final Fantasy XII
is a console role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 2. Released in 2006, it is the twelfth title in the Final Fantasy series and the last in the series to be released exclusively on the PlayStation platform...
, Ultima appears as an Esper in addition to lending its name to a sword called the Ultima Blade, whereas Omega appears as an optional boss in the form of a giant Mimic named "Omega Mark XII". In Final Fantasy XIII
Final Fantasy XIII
is a console role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360. Released in 2009 in Japan and 2010 in North America and PAL regions, it is the thirteenth major installment in the Final Fantasy series...
, the main character can equip powerful lightning-elemented weapons Ultima Weapon and Omega Weapon—the most powerful weapon in the game. Omega also appears in the game Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII
Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII
is an action role-playing third-person shooter video game developed and published by Square Enix in 2006 for the PlayStation 2. It is part of the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII metaseries, a multimedia collection set within the universe of the popular 1997 video game Final Fantasy VII...
as the main antagonist while being used by Weiss to destroy the earth and combine with Omega, in the end being defeated by the chaos inside of Vincent Valentine
Vincent Valentine
is an optional player character in Square Enix's console role-playing game Final Fantasy VII. Designed by Tetsuya Nomura, he also appears in various titles from the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, a series of prequels of and sequels of Final Fantasy VII, and is the protagonist in the third-person...
. Ultima appears as the final boss of Final Fantasy Tactics
Final Fantasy Tactics
is a tactical role-playing game developed and published by Square for the Sony PlayStation video game console. It is the first game of the Final Fantasy Tactics series and was released in Japan in June 1997 and in the United States in January 1998...
and is also a spell cast by various monsters, including Ultima herself, and if used on certain characters, they can learn it too.
Chocobo
A is a large, normally flightless galliformeGalliformes
Galliformes are an order of heavy-bodied ground-feeding domestic or game bird, containing turkey, grouse, chicken, New and Old World Quail, ptarmigan, partridge, pheasant, and the Cracidae. Common names are gamefowl or gamebirds, landfowl, gallinaceous birds or galliforms...
/ratite
Ratite
A ratite is any of a diverse group of large, flightless birds of Gondwanan origin, most of them now extinct. Unlike other flightless birds, the ratites have no keel on their sternum—hence the name from the Latin ratis...
bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
capable of being ridden and is a staple of the Final Fantasy series. The onomatopoeia for a chocobo's call is . "Kweh" is sometimes replaced with "Wark" in English translations. Most chocobos dwell in forests. While timid in the wild, and vicious if threatened, they tame rather easily and make good transports. Chocobos have occasionally been sighted as lightly armored war mounts in which case they can assist their riders with beak and claw. In Final Fantasy Tactics chocobo can be used as playable characters (though only in battle). Most often chocobo can be caught in the wild and ridden without fear of random encounter
Random encounter
A random encounter is a feature commonly used in various role-playing games whereby encounters with non-player character enemies or other dangers occur sporadically and at random...
s, escaping after the player dismounts. Overall, the species is a very versatile and useful bird, which comes in handy as horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
s are untamed or non-existent in Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy
is a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and is developed and owned by Square Enix . The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science-fantasy role-playing video games , but includes motion pictures, anime, printed media, and other merchandise...
games. While ordinary Chocobos are yellow, certain rare breeds are of different colors and have special abilities, such as crossing mountains or flight. An even rarer, more extreme variant is the Fat Chocobo (or Chubby Chocobo), which resembles a morbidly obese yellow chocobo.
The Chocobo signature theme is an immediately recognizable upbeat ditty that is present in one form or another in all Final Fantasy gamessince Final Fantasy II
Final Fantasy II
is a fantasy role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1988 for the Family Computer as the second installment of the Final Fantasy series. The game has received numerous enhanced remakes for the WonderSwan Color, the Sony PlayStation, Japanese mobile phones, the Game Boy...
. Chocobos have a spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
series dedicated to them. Chocobos are also a common sight in other Square
Square (company)
was a Japanese video game company founded in September 1983 by Masafumi Miyamoto. It merged with Enix in 2003 and became part of Square Enix...
and Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
games, notably in the Mana series.
Moogle
are small creatures that appear throughout several Square EnixSquare Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
game series, including the Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy
is a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and is developed and owned by Square Enix . The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science-fantasy role-playing video games , but includes motion pictures, anime, printed media, and other merchandise...
series, the Seiken Densetsu series, the Chocobo series, and the Kingdom Hearts
Kingdom Hearts
is an action role-playing game developed and published by Square in 2002 for the PlayStation 2 video game console. The first game in the Kingdom Hearts series, it is the result of a collaboration between Square Enix and The Walt Disney Company. The game combines characters and settings from Disney...
series. The Japanese name is a portmanteau of the Japanese words mogura (mole) and kōmori (bat).
Moogles have small, black eyes (often closed) and red, pink, black, or purple bat-like wings. A single black antenna
Antenna (biology)
Antennae in biology have historically been paired appendages used for sensing in arthropods. More recently, the term has also been applied to cilium structures present in most cell types of eukaryotes....
sticks up from their heads, with a small colorful ball (usually red, yellow or pink) at the end called a "pompom". Their ears are usually shaped like a cat's and their fur is white or light pink. However, in Crystal Chronicles they have a different body shape, lacking a distinct head and torso, while in Tactics Advance and Final Fantasy XII they have longer, rabbit-like ears and beige to gray fur. When they first appeared, in Final Fantasy III, Moogles generally ended their sentences with the word "nya", the Japanese equivalent of a cat's "meow". In the later games, they use the word "kupo" instead; some games briefly mention a Moogle language formed out of various permutations of "kupo". In the Final Fantasy III Nintendo DS remake, the word "nya" was replaced with "kupo".
Moogles run an in-game message delivery service in Final Fantasy IX and Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles. In the Final Fantasy III remake, the Moogles' message delivery service allows to send real e-mails to other players' games using the Nintendo DS Wi-Fi function
Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection
The is an online multiplayer gaming service run by Nintendo to provide free online play in compatible Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS and Wii games. The service includes the company's Wii Shop Channel, DSi Shop, and Nintendo eShop game download services...
. In Final Fantasy XI, a Moogle is assigned to each player to take care of their house and change their jobs (hence it is called a Mog House), and "Festive" Moogles run the holiday events in the game. In Final Fantasy XII, the Moogles are known to be skillful in mechanics and engineering; they were the first pioneers of airship
Airship
An airship or dirigible is a type of aerostat or "lighter-than-air aircraft" that can be steered and propelled through the air using rudders and propellers or other thrust mechanisms...
construction.
Several Moogle characters of the Final Fantasy series are named Mog, including a playable character in Final Fantasy VI, a character from an arcade game in Final Fantasy VII, a form of the Eidolon Madeen in Final Fantasy IX, and the single player's companion in Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles. Additionally, Final Fantasy VII, also features a character named Cait Sith (acquired at the Gold Saucer) , which essentially is a cat sitting atop a giant stuffed Moogle. In the spin-offs Chocobo no Fushigina Dungeon, Chocobo's Dungeon 2, and Chocobo Racing
Chocobo Racing
Chocobo Racing, known in Japan as is a racing game for the PlayStation game console. The game was developed by Square Co., creators of the Final Fantasy series of video games. The game was first released in Japan in March 1999...
, a Moogle named Mog is friends with the main character Chocobo. Moogles appear as summoned creatures in Final Fantasy VII where a Moogle appears riding a Chocobo
Chocobo
A is a fictional creature from the Final Fantasy video game series. The creature is a large and normally flightless galliforme/ratite bird capable of being ridden and otherwise used by player characters during gameplay...
, in Final Fantasy VIII with a young Moogle called MiniMog, and in Final Fantasy Tactics. Eiko in Final Fantasy IX had a Moogle guardian named Mog; she later became the Summon Madeen or Guardian Mog in the English version. Other notable Moogles include Stiltzkin from Final Fantasy IX and Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, and Montblanc from Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift and Final Fantasy XII.
In Final Fantasy Tactics Advance and Final Fantasy Tactics A2, the Moogles have a variety of different jobs to master in the clan. Some of the "Base Jobs" include Thief, Animist and Black Mage. After you master a certain amount of abilities, new jobs are available for the Moogles. Other Moogle Jobs include Juggler, Tinker, Time Mage, Fusilier, Flintlock, Chocobo Knight, and Moogle Knight. There is one special Moogle Job in Final Fantasy Tactics Advanced 2 called Bard. The Bard is named Hurdy. Hurdy is able to use a series of different instruments to give buffs and debuffs to allies or foes, heal health, or make himself invisible.
Moogles first appear in the Final Fantasy series in Final Fantasy III and are present in all subsequent numbered installments except Final Fantasy IV, in addition to Final Fantasy Tactics, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, and Final Fantasy: Unlimited. They were used as Save Points in Final Fantasy IX. Moogles appear only as stuffed dolls in Final Fantasy VII Advent Children,Dirge of Cerberus, Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2, in addition to Yuna's version of the Mascot dressphere being a moogle in Final Fantasy X-2. Moogles make an appearance in the Seiken Densetsu series as a race and/or as a status condition (commonly referred to as being "moogled") in Final Fantasy Adventure
Final Fantasy Adventure
Final Fantasy Adventure, known as Mystic Quest in Europe and as in Japan, is a Final Fantasy spinoff and the first game in the Mana series. Published by Square in 1991 on the original Game Boy, it later saw a North American re-release by Sunsoft in April 1998...
, Secret of Mana
Secret of Mana
Secret of Mana is an action role-playing game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System developed and published by Square in 1993. The game was re-released for the Wii's Virtual Console in 2008, and was ported to Japanese mobile phones in 2009...
and Seiken Densetsu 3
Seiken Densetsu 3
is an action role-playing game developed and published by Square for Nintendo's Super Famicom as a part of the Mana series.The game features three lengthy main plotlines, six different characters, each with their own storylines, and a wide range of classes to choose from, which provides each...
, and are mentioned in Sword of Mana
Sword of Mana
is an enhanced remake of the original Game Boy game Seiken Densetsu, which was released as Final Fantasy Adventure in North America and Mystic Quest in Europe. This remake was released on the Game Boy Advance in 2003.-Gameplay:...
. They make an appearance in the Chocobo series inChocobo no Fushigina Dungeon, Chocobo's Dungeon 2, Chocobo Racing, and Chocobo Land: A Game of Dice. They also appear in all four games of the Kingdom Hearts series, which includes Moogles named after many famous characters from the series. Moogles also appear as shop clerks in Dissidia Final Fantasy and the sequel, Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
is a 2011 fighting game published by Square Enix for the PlayStation Portable as part of the Final Fantasy series. It was developed by the company's 1st Production Department...
which they created their own network called the Mognet to communicate with the players with gifts of different items to use in the games. Finally, a Moogle appears in Egg Monster Heroes, while one is an unlockable character in Mario Hoops 3-on-3
Mario Hoops 3-on-3
Mario Hoops 3-on-3, known in Europe and Australia as Mario Slam Basketball and in Japan as , is a sports game developed by Square Enix and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS in 2006....
.
Later,other Moogle can be unlocked in Mario Sports Mix
Mario Sports Mix
is a sports video game developed by Square Enix for Wii. It was released on November 25, 2010 in Japan, and was released in early 2011 in other regions. It features volleyball, both field hockey and ice hockey, dodgeball, and street basketball...
for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
.
Monsters
Certain fictional monsters reappear frequently throughout the series, including Goblins, Oni/Ogres/Gigas/Giants, Bombs, Behemoths, Tonberries, Malboros, Flans and Cactuars ("Sabotenders" in the Japanese version, after "saboten", the Japanese word for cactusCactus
A cactus is a member of the plant family Cactaceae. Their distinctive appearance is a result of adaptations to conserve water in dry and/or hot environments. In most species, the stem has evolved to become photosynthetic and succulent, while the leaves have evolved into spines...
). Summoned monsters—such as Bahamut—as well as the elemental monsters—Shiva (ice) and Ifrit (fire)—have appeared in almost every title in the series. The lightning elemental has been represented by a variety of creatures, principally Ramuh but also Quetzalcoatl and Ixion. Odin is a re-occurring character in Final Fantasy. Odin appears in FF VII and VIII as a summon, the later is replaced by Gilgamesh in the fourth disk. Odin is also the Thunder Edolin in FFXIII, able to transform into Sleipnir his mythical horse. In Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, the elemental monsters represent spells cast by Summoners (either the player's own, or those of rivals). In Final Fantasy XII the traditional summon monsters were changed but still made a cameo of sorts as the names of Archadian airships. 'The series borrows four creature types directly from the original version of Dungeons and Dragons: Beholder
Beholder
The beholder is a fictional monster in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It resembles a floating orb of flesh with a large mouth, single central eye, and lots of smaller eyestalks on top with deadly magical powers....
s, Mindflayers
Illithid
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, illithids are monstrous humanoid aberrations with psionic powers. In a typical Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting, they live in the moist caverns and cities of the enormous Underdark...
, Otyugh
Otyugh
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, the otyugh , or gulguthra, is a type of fictional monster for player characters to encounter...
s and Sahuagin
Sahuagin
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, the sahuagin are a fish-like monstrous humanoid species that live in oceans, seas, underground lakes, and underwater caves. Sahuagin speak their native tongue . With higher intelligence scores, they can also speak two bonus languages, usually...
. Other monsters are based on creatures in the real world, such as wolves, wasps, piranhas, and others have amplified, deadlier versions appearing throughout the series. Other creatures are not necessarily harmful and may provide benefits to the player, such as the Magic Pot.
Several entries in the series provide backstories on the origins and motives behind monsters. The backstory of the fiends and monsters given in-game (depending on the series) was first established in Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VII
is a role-playing video game developed by Square and published by Sony Computer Entertainment as the seventh installment in the Final Fantasy series. It was originally released in 1997 for the Sony PlayStation and was re-released in 1998 for Microsoft Windows-based personal computers and in 2009...
, where monsters are animals and some humans who have been exposed to a high degree of Mako, or descendents of the Ancients, via exposure to Jenova's 'Virus'. In Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy VIII
is a role-playing video game released for the PlayStation in 1999 and for Windows-based personal computers in 2000. It was developed and published by Square as the Final Fantasy series' eighth title, removing magic point-based spell-casting and the first title to consistently use realistically...
, monsters are sent to the game world from one of its moons via a burst of energy from the moon called the "Lunar Cry". In Final Fantasy IX
Final Fantasy IX
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the PlayStation video game console. It is the ninth title in the Final Fantasy series. The game introduced new features to the series like the 'Active Time Event', 'Mognet' and a unique equipment and skill system.Final Fantasy IXs...
, monsters are spawned from the Mist, which is made up of the souls of the dead unable to pass on. In Final Fantasy X
Final Fantasy X
is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square as the tenth title in the Final Fantasy series. It was released in 2001 for Sony's PlayStation 2, and will be re-released for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita in 2012...
and Final Fantasy X-2
Final Fantasy X-2
is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square for Sony's PlayStation 2. It was released in 2003 and is the sequel to the best-selling 2001 game Final Fantasy X...
these hostile monsters are better known as fiends, which are monsters manifested from the restless spirits of the dead and driven by malice to devour those alive. In FFX-2, these Fiends are classified by type. In Final Fantasy XII
Final Fantasy XII
is a console role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 2. Released in 2006, it is the twelfth title in the Final Fantasy series and the last in the series to be released exclusively on the PlayStation platform...
, the monsters have differing origins; however, most of the more powerful variants (namely the particularly powerful 'Rare Game') are the result of a mutation caused by an overdose of any exposure to the Mist.
External links
- Gilgamesh article at the Final Fantasy wiki