Character design of Final Fantasy

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.

Character design

The protagonists of the Nomura-designed Final Fantasy games usually have a name alluding to or directly related to meteorological phenomena or celestial bodies—in basic terms, names linked to the sky and weather. Examples include Cloud Strife, Squall Leonhart (meaning a sudden, sharp increase in wind), Rinoa (meaning "(sun)light"), Tidus (meaning "Sun"), Yuna (meaning "Moon" ), Lightning, and Snow.

File:Ff8-rinoa-angelwing.png

Rinoa's limit, Angel Wing.

The series has often featured androgynous or effeminate male main characters. This trend has generally increased as the series evolved. These androgynous characters—usually teenagers destined to save the world— often possess similar physical characteristics, such as skinny builds and spiky hair and the ability to fight with large or gigantic swords. According to some critics, these characters are designed so in order to make the players identify with them. Terra Branford, a female character, was used as one of the primary protagonists for Final Fantasy VI. 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.

In some Final Fantasy titles, some characters appear with real or symbolic wings. Kefka Palazzo from Final Fantasy VI gained real wings after he ascended to godhood in his final form. Final Fantasy VII's villain Sephiroth ascended to the form of Safer Sephiroth, in which he had one wing on his right shoulder, as well as 3 pairs of wings where his abdomen should be. The one-sided wing is the source of his nickname as the "One-Winged Angel". Sephiroth has appeared in Final Fantasy VII Advent Children and Kingdom Hearts with one wing on his right side. Cloud Strife, his antithesis, also appears in Kingdom Hearts with one wing, although it is non-feathered, resembling a bat's, and comes from his left side. Final Fantasy VIII used the depiction of two white wings on the back of Rinoa Heartilly's vest. Rinoa also grows literal wings temporarily during her "Angel Wing" Limit Break during battle. She also transforms a petal that she catches in the wind into a single white feather in the opening sequence of the game. Selphie's limit break "Rapture" removes all opponents from the field by forcing them to grow wings and fly away, causing an instant victory in most non-boss battles. In contrast, the game's antagonist, Ultimecia, sports a pair of feathered black wings, and Seifer Almasy, her "knight", is shown blasting into black feathers at the stroke of Squall Leonhart's final gunblade strike in the opening FMV. Final Fantasy IX brought back physical wings in the form of ornaments that Eiko Carol wears on her back. Her wings were a gift, and they enlarge in her trance form. Yuna from Final Fantasy X wears a wedding dress that has white wings incorporated into its design. In Final Fantasy XI, Selh'teus gains multicolored wings upon merging with the soul of Phoenix near the conclusion of the Chains of Promathia storyline. In Final Fantasy XII, Penelo has leather wing-like projections incorporated into her armor.

Recurring characters

Biggs and Wedge

File:FF7-Biggs.jpg Biggs in Final Fantasy VII

File:FF7-Wedge.jpg Wedge in Final Fantasy VII

The names Biggs and Wedge (ビッグス ＆ ウェッジ, Biggusu & Wejji) are given to two related characters in several Final Fantasy games. They are a homage to the Star Wars characters Biggs Darklighter and Wedge Antilles. Their first appearance is in Final Fantasy VI—with "Biggs" mistranslated to "Vicks (ビックス, Bikkusu)"—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.

File:Ff8-bigwedge.jpg

Biggs and Wedge in Final Fantasy VIII

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 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 (also a Star Wars character), are sideshow attractions at Norstein Bekkler's Lab at the Millennial Fair. In Kingdom Hearts II, Biggs and Wedge are storekeepers to armor shops. Lastly, Chocobo's Dungeon 2 features them as two Black Mage who may assist the player.

Biggs and Wedge also appears in Final Fantasy IV the After: Tsuki no Kikan as Red Wings soldiers who die protecting 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.

Boko

A chocobo named Boko or Boco (ボコ) 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.

Chaos

File:Chaos (Final Fantasy Origins - Final Fantasy).png

Chaos as he appears in Final Fantasy Origins

Chaos (カオス, Kaosu) is the final boss in the first Final Fantasy game. He is a relatively large, winged demonic figure. His other form, Garland, is also a common recurring character. Chaos first exists as Garland, an evil knight who kidnaps the princess of Cornelia. His plot is foiled by the Warriors of Light, who supposedly kill him while rescuing the princess. Garland is resurrected by the power of the four Orbs, siphoned by the Four Elemental Fiends and is sent 2,000 years back in time, turning him into Chaos. From the past, they are sent into the present by Garland to cause mass destruction and will eventually be responsible for his resurrection. This pact 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 a Garland who remembers them, and seeks revenge, having defeated them in previous/alternate time-lines. After the Warriors of Light defeat Chaos, they return to their own time with the Garland of a new reality waiting for them.

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Chaos, as featured in Final Fantasy XII

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 IX, Garland is the lord of planet Terra, the last of his dying world's people. 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". He is the summon of Wind. 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 (similar to Lavos, Galactus, or Unicron), feeding on the negative energy of others. Lastly, Chaos appears as the god of discord in Dissidia: Final Fantasy for the PSP, voiced by Norio Wakamoto while Garland (Kenji Utsumi) is made as a separate character.

Cid

File:Cid (Final Fantasy II).png

Cid from Final Fantasy II

Cid (シド, Shido) 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. 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 Nintendo 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 pilot 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.

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. 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 considered the "Cid" of the game, while the latter may just be a reference or a slight mistranslation.

The name Cid also appears in Final Fantasy games outside the main series. In Final Fantasy Tactics, Cidolfas Orlandu 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 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, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King (as Mogcid) Chocobo Racing, Chocobo's Dungeon 2, Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales, 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: Chocobo's Dungeon DS+ for the Nintendo DS, a remake of the Wii title announced in July 2008.

Gilgamesh

File:Gilgamesh12.jpg

Gilgamesh in Final Fantasy XII, wielding Cloud Strife's Buster Sword. The kanji 偽 nise on the sword means "imitation" or "fake."

Gilgamesh (ギルガメッシュ, Girugamesshu) is a character first introduced in Final Fantasy V. He is characterized by having grey complexion, flamboyantly colorful battle armor, and many arms wielding many 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. Unlike other recurring character names, the Gilgamesh who reappears in other installments seems to be the same person, hinted at through appearance and occasionally bits of dialogue. Gilgamesh's first appearance is in Final Fantasy V as a major villain, who the party encounters several times. He is one of the first engaging villains in the series.

Gilgamesh reappears in Final Fantasy VI as one of four new Espers that have been added to the Game Boy Advance version of Final Fantasy VI. He appears if the player bets the rare sword Excalipoor in the Dragon Neck Colosseum. He will randomly use one out of four attacks if summoned, each with different levels of power: Excalipoor (weakest), Masamune, Excalibur, Enkidu (strongest). In Final Fantasy VIII, Gilgamesh is a randomly visiting Guardian Force who replaces Odin late in the game, if the player has already acquired Odin. He is depicted as an inter-dimensional traveler on a journey to collect swords (he refers to Odin's Zantetsuken as "the fourth one" upon retrieving it). 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. In Final Fantasy XI, the leader of the Tenshodo pirating organization in Norg is a man named Gilgamesh. Players will run into him while attempting missions from the first expansion pack, Rise of the Zilart. Gilgamesh is also the name of one of Final Fantasy XI's world servers. Gilgamesh shows up in the Dawn of Souls remake of Final Fantasy I, as a warrior boss exploring the undersea ruins of Lifespring Grotto, a secret dungeon available after defeating Kraken and getting the Water Crystal. In Final Fantasy XII, Gilgamesh returns 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 signature swords from the Final Fantasy series; Cloud's Buster Sword from Final Fantasy VII, Squall's Gunblade from Final Fantasy VIII, Zidane's "off-hand" dagger from Final Fantasy IX (though it is lengthened to be a sword), Tidus's Brotherhood from Final Fantasy X, Odin's Zantetsuken sword, two Tournesol swords from the game itself, and Loto's Sword from the Dragon Quest series (called the Wyrmhero Blade). However, these swords are generally fake since all have distinct differences to the original ones. For instance, the original Buster Sword contains no kanji character as shown in the picture above, and the one Gilgamesh wields has two extra materia holes further along the blade. Also, the original Revolver Gunblade displayed an image of a lionlike creature, whereas Gilgamesh's version features a picture of a chocobo. In contrast, a few Gilgamesh has legitimately acquired, such as the Zantetsuken from Odin in Final Fantasy VIII. It is also likely that one of the Tournesols is genuine due to it being an exact match to the one crafted in the game. 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. The Final Fantasy XII incarnation of Gilgamesh is voiced by veteran voice actor John DiMaggio in English language versions of the games.

Gilgamesh has been shown in both villain and hero positions. Through the actions of Final Fantasy V, he is shown to be good-natured, such as when he is seen to act sad when hearing of Galuf's death. 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.

During Square Enix's Private Party, DKΣ3713, it was rumored that Gilgamesh would be an optional boss in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. This rumor has yet to be confirmed or denied.

Incorrect Appearances

In the Game Boy Advance 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 "kame", the Japanese word for turtle (亀, kame). However, the error was corrected in the European version, and the monster's name is properly translated as "Gil Turtle". This turtle also makes an appearance in Final Fantasy XII and Final Fantasy Tactics A2 as the mark "Gil Snapper".

Mog

Moogles with the simple name Mog have appeared various times. Mog was a playable moogle character in Final Fantasy VI. 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.

Ultima and Omega

Again, these names occur 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 FFVIII they appear as extra bosses and in FFX the hardest dungeon in the game is called the Omega Dungeon, where both reside. Ultima exists as Omega's shadow (even though Ultima suggests final). Ultima Weapon appeared in VII as a main storyline boss.

Recurring species and races

Chocobo

Main article: Chocobo

A Chocobo (チョコボ, Chokobo) is a large, normally flightless galliforme/ratite bird capable of being ridden and is a staple of the Final Fantasy series. The onomatopoeia for a chocobo's call is "Kweh" (クエ, Kue). "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 encounters, escaping after the player dismounts. Overall, the species is a very versatile and useful bird, which comes in handy as horses 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 games since Final Fantasy II. Chocobos have a spin-off series dedicated to them. Chocobos are also a common sight in other Squaresoft and Square Enix games, notably in the Mana series.

Moogle

File:Moogles in FF III.jpg

Moogles in their first Final Fantasy appearance on the Famicom's Final Fantasy III

Moogles (モーグリ, Mōguri) are small creatures that appear throughout several Square Enix game series, including the Final Fantasy series, the Seiken Densetsu series, the Chocobo game series, and the Kingdom Hearts series. The Japanese name is a portmanteau of the Japanese words mogura (mole) and kōmori (bat).

Moogles have small eyes and red, pink, or purple bat-like wings. A single black antenna sticks up from their heads, with a small colorful ball (usually red or yellow or blue) 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. In the spin-offs Chocobo no Fushigina Dungeon, Chocobo's Dungeon 2, and Chocobo Racing, a Moogle named Mog is friend 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 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 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 in Chocobo no Fushigina Dungeon, Chocobo's Dungeon 2, Chocobo Racing, and Chocobo Land: A Game of Dice. They also appear in all three games of the Kingdom Hearts series, which includes Moogles named after many famous characters from the series. Finally, a Moogle appears in Egg Monster Heroes, while one is an unlockable character in Mario Hoops 3-on-3. Moogles have appeared as characters in numerous webcomics, such as Ren from Mac Hall. In Exploitation Now there is a character named Ralph who is known as "a walking copyright infringement waiting to happen" and appears very similar to a moogle.

Monsters

Certain fictional monsters reappear frequently throughout the series, including Goblins, Oni/Ogres/Gigas/Giants, Bombs, Behemoths, Tonberries, Malboros, and Cactuars ("Sabotenders" in the Japanese version, after "saboten", the Japanese word for cactus). 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. 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, Mindflayer, Ochu, and Sahagin. 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. 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.

References

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