Creatures of Final Fantasy

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In the best-selling Final Fantasy series of role playing games by Square Enix (formally Square), monsters are common antagonists to the playable characters, with usually no relevance to the storyline. Most monsters come from cultural mythologies and folklore, such as Greek mythology.

The following are common names for each monster. Varying names have appeared throughout the series, but most are related to each other bearing a similar name. This list only covers the most prominent monsters seen throughout the series; for further details, please visit the external links provided.

Contents 1 History 2 Common monsters 2.1 Adamantoise 2.2 Ahriman 2.3 Behemoth 2.4 Bomb 2.5 Cactuar 2.6 Chimera 2.7 Chocobo 2.8 Cockatrice 2.9 Flan 2.10 Four Fiends 2.11 Garuda 2.12 Iron Giant 2.13 Malboro 2.14 Tonberry 2.15 Weapons 3 Other monsters 4 Reception and criticism 5 References 6 Notes 7 External links

[edit] History

The original Final Fantasy borrowed several monster types from the Dungeons & Dragons RPG; these monsters appear throughout the series (see section).^{[citation needed]} Although the original Final Fantasy had a handful of humanoid bosses and pirates, Final Fantasy II expanded the humaoid bestiary with soldiers and other servants to the Empire; this expanse into humanoid enemies can be seen in the remainder of the games in the series.^{[citation needed]} Beginning in Final Fantasy III, some enemies and bosses talked during battles.^{[citation needed]}

Several entries in the series provide backstories on the origins and motives behind monsters. 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".^[1] 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.^[2] In FFX-2, these Fiends are classified by type.^[3] In Final Fantasy XII, the monsters have differing origins; however, most are the result of a mutation caused by an overdose of any exposure to the Mist.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Common monsters

[edit] Adamantoise

The Adamantoise, sometimes simply named Land Turtle, is a large tortoise. Its shell provides it with a strong defense to its body. Its name is a portmanteau of the words tortoise and adamant, referring to the resistant material composing its shell. The Adamantoise is often explicitly related to Adamantite, one of the strongest metal in several games of the series, which is used to make strong weapons such as Final Fantasy I's Excalibur. Traditionally the Adamantoise is a mid to high level solitary monster appearing on beaches or in the final dungeon.

The Adamantoise and sometimes other variously-named turtle monsters have appeared in all numbered installments of the series except the first, in addition to Mystic Quest, Tactics Advance, Chocobo's Dungeon 2 and Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales. They also appear in Itadaki Street Portable, and are featured as a Gummi Ship model in Kingdom Hearts. Other names include Adamantaimai, Adamantortoise, Grass Turtle, Land Turtle, Tortoise, Carapace, Turtle, etc.^[4][5]

[edit] Ahriman

The Ahriman traditionally appears as a floating creature with a predominant single eye. The appearance of the monster leads to alternative names such as Evil Eye or Float Eye. The word Ahriman is an alternative name of Angra Mainyu, a spiritual foundation in Zoroastrianism,^[6] which appeared in Final Fantasy X-2 as a superboss.^[7]

Ahriman first appeared in the series as one of the final bosses in Final Fantasy III for the Nintendo.^[8] In Final Fantasy IV, an alternate form of Ahriman appears in the final dungeon as a boss. In Final Fantasy X, a monster named One Eye can be created through the Monster Arena.^[9]In the Final Fantasy remake Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls, the Ahriman from Final Fantasy III was selected with the other three Black Crystal Guards as optional bosses in one of the new special dungeons added to the game. Lastly, Ahriman appears as a ghost-like boss in Final Fantasy XII. Ahriman has appeared in all numbered games in the series except II, V, and VIII.^[4] They have also appeared in Chocobo's Dungeon 2 and Itadaki Street Portable. They are featured as a Gummi Ship model in Kingdom Hearts. Alternative names include Buer, Float Eye, Evil Eye, Veteran, etc.

[edit] Behemoth

See also: Behemoth

The Behemoth is named after a Biblical creature from the Book of Job as a large herbivore and the land version of Leviathan.^{[citation needed]} In many of the Final Fantasy games, the Behemoth is a large, purple beast that uses its horns and magic to kill its opponents. It first appeared as a boss in Final Fantasy II's Coliseum, and has been a series staple ever since. Behemoths are estimated to be ten to twelve feet tall when standing. When attacking, it normally dashes on all fours, but when returning to an idle state it will usually stand upright. In battle, it will counterattack with a powerful horn rush and Thunder magic attacks. A more powerful version of the Behemoth, King Behemoth (Sr. Behemoth in the original US translation), is a major enemy in the latter stages of many Final Fantasy games; they are often characterized by their large size (25ft when standing) and grey color. Behemoths are noted in later games as having a final powerful strike, usually Meteor, that is performed as they die.

In Final Fantasy Mystic Quest, Behemoth is uncharacteristically the opponent in the game's introductory battle. In Final Fantasy VI, the Intangir is an invisible variation of Behemoth that cannot be attacked physically; moreover, the creature uses sleep magic, because its name denotes a creature of sleep. In the same game, Behemoth King is a boss in the World of Ruin that will continue to fight in zombie form after its defeat. In Final Fantasy VIII, the boss Catoplebas is a variation of Behemoth^[5], and in Final Fantasy X a special monster called Catoblepas could be created through the Monster Arena.^[9] In Final Fantasy II: Soul of Rebirth, a secondary story for Final Fantasy II Dawn of Souls on the Game Boy Advance, A palette swap of Behemoth is used for the Ultima Weapon, which guards the Ultima Tome. In Final Fantasy XII, Behemoths are a class of monsters, generally similar to previous incarnations except that they are bipedal and more humanoid looking. Only the Behemoth King bears similarity to the previous games' depictions. In Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII, we encounter Azul the Cerulean as the Arch Azul in the underground world of Midgar, who transforms into a form similar to a Behemoth. Behemoth has been seen in all numbered installments except I^[4][5], in addition to Chocobo's Dungeon 2, Chocobo Racing, Chocobo Land: A Game of Dice, Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales, Kingdom Hearts and Itadaki Street Portable. Alternative names include King Behemoth, Alteci, etc. The Behemoth makes an appearance in the opening movie of Final Fantasy XI and it also appears in the game as a Notorious Monster.

[edit] Bomb

The Bomb and its counterparts' names are related to similar real-world explosive or explosive-esque items. Their trademark skill is a self-destruct attack; after the Final Fantasy series moved to a 3D engine, the Bomb picked up a new habit of growing and becoming more powerful each time it is attacked until finally exploding.

In Final Fantasy IV, Bomb was a secret summon for Rydia. There also exists a dummied sprite nicknamed K. Higuchi after one of the game's battle programmers, Katsuhisa Higuchi, identical in appearance to the regular Bomb seen in the hidden Developers Room as an Easter Egg. In Final Fantasy IV, the Mom Bomb (in the English version) is a boss that consists of several bombs fused together. In Final Fantasy V, the boss Byurobolos is a Bomb variation with teamwork traits. In Final Fantasy X, a special monster called Bomb King could be created through the Monster Arena.^[9] In Final Fantasy XII, the Bomb King also returns as a boss, and a bomb is used as an icon for the berserk status. The first time the origin of the Bomb is given is also in FFXII, where it is described as a creature created specifically to fight wizards. Bomb has appeared in all Final Fantasy installments except for the first one.^[4][5] as well as in Chocobo's Dungeon 2, Chocobo Land: A Game of Dice, Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales, and Itadaki Street Portable. It was also an obstacle in Mario Hoops 3-on-3, and was featured as a Gummi Ship model in Kingdom Hearts. Alternative names include Balloon, Purobolos, Grenade, Mine, Pineapple, etc.

[edit] Cactuar

The name Cactuar is the western localization of the original Japanese Sabotender, a portmanteau of "Saboten Pretender", "saboten" meaning "cactus" in Japanese. The Cactuar are a race of creatures that physically resemble cacti and are typically depicted in a distinct running pose with stiff arms and legs, three black dots on their faces (representing two eyes and an oblong mouth) and three yellow quills at the top of their heads. According to an article in the 15 February 1997 issue of V-Jump, Cactuar was designed by Tetsuya Nomura based on a doodle he drew on a notebook when he was a highschool student. They bear a resemblance to Japanese clay figures called "Haniwa", a type of clay figures made for ritual and funerary uses.

The Cactuar is known for its characteristic "1,000 Needles" attack, able to bypass an opponent's defense stat and which always deals exactly 1,000 points of damage. Cactuars are usually worth a substantial amount of currency or experience points, but their high evasion stat and tendency to flee make them difficult prey. There is sometimes a giant variety of Cactuar that displays a characteristic mustache. "Jumbo Cactuars" as they are called also have a "10,000 Needles" attack which has the effect of causing instant death being one point higher than a character's maximum possible Hit Points.

Cactuars appear in Final Fantasy VI (actually called "Cactrot"), Final Fantasy VII^[4], Final Fantasy VIII^[5], Final Fantasy IX, Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy X-2, Final Fantasy XI, Final Fantasy XII", Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy: Unlimited, and Chocobo's Dungeon 2. Cactuars appear as a summon in Final Fantasy VI remade for the Game Boy Advance, and Final Fantasy VIII^[10]. Cactuars appear as a stuffed doll in Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2".

Cactuars also appear in Chocobo Racing, Chocobo World, Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales, Itadaki Street Special, Itadaki Street Portable and Mario Hoops 3-on-3. In The Bouncer, Volt Krueger has a Cactuar on the back of his jacket with a red line through it. "Cactuar" is a featured Gummi Ship model in Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II. When the cactus opponent in Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime gets run over by a cart, it resembles a Cactuar. It features the eyes, mouth and the position the Cactuar usually has. A cactuar starred alongside a Tonberry in series of Flashplayer animations made by a man known as Crazy Boris, such as Final Fantasy Gil Quest and its sequels, Final Fantasy Fugitive and Resident Cactuar. A Cactuar named Cornwall is the main character of the comic strip "The Lesson Of The Day". A Cactuar appears in the webcomic called Origami Lad's Superhero Society as a main character alongside his best friend Foldman and a group of other superheroes. The Ironclaw April Fools' Day supplement "Time of Monsters" includes a monster named 'Millaghi Moltogrande, the Mysterious Merchant.' The character is physically identical to a Cactuar, although he dresses in a period-appropriate outfit with a hat impaled on his head-quills and a mustache. He has his "1,000 Needles" attack, and his motivations are listed as "1. Survive; 2. Make money." The listing for the character appears reprinted in the supplement "Onandon," along with the rest of the "Time of Monsters" material. Alaskan rock band M-Tentacles has a song named Cactuar with only lyrics consisting of the words "Cactuar", "1,000 Needles", and "Rilfsak".

[edit] Chimera

See also: Harpy

The Chimera is usually based on the monster from Greek mythology or the science-notion of an artificial being created from combining organisms.^[11] In the series, it is usually depicted as a beast with the head of a lion, the body of a she-goat, and the tail of a dragon or serpent, sometimes with multiple heads. Each head had access to a different element of spell.

In Final Fantasy V, the Chimera sprite called Kimaira was dummied out in the final version, leaving three other monsters (Chimera Brain, Quadrharpy, and Maximus) as the only Chimeras actually featured in the game. In Final Fantasy X a powerful monster called Chimerageist can be created through at Monster Arena.^[9] In "Final Fantasy XI" and "Final Fantasy XII", Chimeras were created by combining humes with monsters, especially Cockatrices. In Final Fantasy Mystic Quest, Gidrah was renamed Chimera during its Japanese localization. The monster appears in all core Final Fantasy games^[5], as well as Mystic Quest and Crystal Chronicles. They also appear in Itadaki Street Portable. Its variations include Chimera Brain, Gorgimera, Chimera Mage, etc.

[edit] Chocobo

Main article: Chocobo

The Chocobo (チョコボ, Chokobo^?) is a large, flightless bird that's an original creation and iconic of the Final Fantasy series. Chocobos are herbivorous and normally forest-dwelling, and while they are timid in the wild they tame easily and can be used as transports or to pull loads. They are the Final Fantasy equivalent of the horse, which is conspicious in the games by its absence. Several low-technology games have chocobo stables that rent the animals. In higher-technology settings their role is diminished, though Final Fantasy VII features chocobo races with associated breeding and raising. Final Fantasy X and Tactics even have chocobo cavalry.

Chocobos with special abilities are marked by colors other than the base yellow. They may rejuvenate the party, have magic attaks or be capable of traversing new types of terrain. The specifics vary from game to game, but a golden chocobo is the optimum version whenever present. Also of note is the humorous, massive(ly obese) Fat Chocobo, which can store the party's items in its stomach in early games where inventory capacity is limited, and makes cameo appearances later on.

The onomatopoeia for a chocobo's call is "Kue" (クエ) in Japanese, which is is sometimes transliterated as "Kweh" in English versions or replaced altogether by "Wark." They have their own theme music, an upbeat little ditty, which carries on from game to game but is usually remixed to reflect the circumstances it's played in.

[edit] Cockatrice

See also: Cockatrice

The Cockatrice is a legendary creature about the size and shape of a dragon or wyvern, but in appearance resembling a giant rooster, with some lizard-like characteristics. It was supposed to be a combination of a Cock and a toad or serpent.^[12] A baby Cockatrice is, by analogy, sometimes termed a Chickatrice. Its reputed magical abilities include turning people to stone by either looking at them, touching them, or sometimes breathing on them, like a dragon breathing fire. The Cockatrice is similar to another legendary creature, the Basilisk. Its name may come from a folk etymology for crocodile.

In early Final Fantasy games, the Cockatrice looks far more like an eagle than it does a cockerel and attacks from above using petrifying touches; however, in later games it resembles the Cockatrice of myth. A fan-translation of Final Fantasy III gives a similar Basilisk sprite the name Cocktrice. In Final Fantasy X, a special monster could be created called Pteryx through the Monster Arena, which is a variation of the bird-specie monsters that can petrify sometimes.^[9] In Final Fantasy XII, Cockatrice are a species of birds with the habit of moving around by rolling their bodies into a ball. There is also an optional mini-boss in Final Fantasy XII called Cluckatrice. Cockatrice and its variations appear in all numbered Final Fantasy games^[5], in addition to Tactics, Mystic Quest, Crystal Chronicles, as well as in Chocobo's Dungeon 2, Dice de Chocobo and Chocobo Land: A Game of Dice. They also appear in Itadaki Street Portable.

In addition to the Cockatrice, other creatures have the power to petrify. For instance, the Basilisk, which appears in every Final Fantasy except XI, and Crystal Chronicles is based on a creature of ancient Greek and European mythology that was said to be able to kill with a simple glance. In Final Fantasy, the petrify-inflicting Basilisk traditionally appears as a horned lizard with large chameleon-like eyes; however, it sometimes appears more serpentlike, particularly in later titles.

[edit] Flan

The Flan, also called Pudding, is a small, magical creature, which moves with motion comparable to the Spanish dessert of the same name. They usually possess an affinity to a certain element, making them vulnerable to opposing elemental magic. Physical attacks seem almost worthless in breaking the Flan's squishy defense. In Final Fantasy X, a special flan called the Jumbo Flan could be created via the Monster Arena.^[9] In Final Fantasy X-2, the Flan's names are accompanied with a Spanish name relating to its color and element. They are Amarillo (yellow), Azabache (jet [black]), Azul (blue), Blanco (white), Palido (pale; "pearl" in the Japanese version), and Rojo (red).^[13] They bear the same appearance as their respective counterparts in Final Fantasy X based on color. In the remake Final Fantasy IV Advance for Game Boy Advance, an optional boss has been added named Master Flan who will summon other Flans to her aid in battle. On the whole, Flans have appeared in all numbered Final Fantasy installments^[5], as well as in Tactics Advance, 'Mystic Quest, Crystal Chronicles, Chocobo World, and Chocobo's Dungeon 2. Variations include Jelly, Cream, Mousse, Slime, Ochre Jelly, etc.

[edit] Four Fiends

The Four Fiends are a set of four stock demons used in several Final Fantasy installments. They represent the negative aspects of the classical elements and are usually summoned by the main villain as part of an attempt to destroy the world. They are associated with the Four Crystals that appear in some Final Fantasy games and the Fiends either guard them or attempt to destroy them.

In Final Fantasy, the Four Fiends were Lich, Marilith (originally called Kary in the U. S. version, Maliris in international versions), Kraken and Tiamat of Earth, Fire, Water and Wind, respectively. The Heroes of Light had to seek out each of the Fiends and destroy them so order could be restored. Lich dwelled in the Cavern of Earth. Marilith resided in Mount Gulg, an active volcano. Kraken made his home in a Sunken Shrine. The final Fiend, Tiamat, seized the Flying Fortress, the castle of the Lufenians. These Fiends later reappeared in Final Fantasy IX as the Chaos Guardians who protected the gate to Terra,^[14] as well as in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, as part of the "Falgabirds". (Tiamat also appeared in Final Fantasy VIII as a corrupt Guardian Force serving the final villain, but the other fiends were absent.^[5])

Final Fantasy IV introduced a new set of Four Fiends, this time serving Golbez. They were Rubicante of Fire, Barbaricca of Wind, Cagnazzo of Water, and Scarmiglione of Earth. However, unlike the original Four Fiends, they were given more characterization and were not depicted as demonic creatures craving for disaster. They were named after demons in Dante's Inferno. Final Fantasy Mystic Quest introduced another set of Four Fiends called the Vile Evils, who served the Dark King. They were the Flamerous Rex of Earth, Ice Golem of Water, Duelhead Hydra of Fire, and Pazuzu of Wind. Like the original Four Fiends, they laid waste to the planet by draining the energy of the crystals. In Doom Castle, their doubles — Skullerus Rex, Stone Golem, Twinhead Wyvern, and Zuh — make an appearance.

In 8-Bit Theater, a webcomic parodying the early Final Fantasy games, the Four Fiends from the first game are featured as major antagonists to the "heroes," the Light Warriors. The fiends that have appeared so far are Lich, Marilith (named Kary due to being based on the original Final Fantasy for the NES) and Kraken (known also as Ur, short for Jnn'efur).

[edit] Garuda

Garuda is an enemy depicted as an avian humanoid in the Final Fantasy Series. It first appeared in Final Fantasy III as a boss monster.^[15] As with other bird enemies like Zuu and Cockatrice, Garuda isn't always featured as a boss, but is more commonly a regular enemy, such as in Final Fantasy VII^[4], IX, X and X-2. In most of the encounters against Garuda it is usually an easily defeated enemy. There is an exception in IX with a "friendly" version in addition to the standard hostile monster.^[16] The former is one of a number of "friendly" monsters that appear in Final Fantasy IX and which do not attack on encounter but instead ask to be "fed" various gemstone items for considerable AP (Ability points - see Final Fantasy IX gameplay for more details). The two look the same except for the colour: the regular Garuda is predominantly red and green, while the friendly version in rainbow-coloured. In X/X-2 it has a new attack called Sonic Boom, which it uses often, and is highly similar in appearance to a number of other bird monsters.^[17] In XI Garuda is a summonable avatar (summon) if the player completes certain quests and defeats her in battle. Garuda is the avatar of the element "wind", and as such all of her abilities are wind-based. In Final Fantasy XII it appears first as a boss and then later as a regular enemy, by the name of Garuda-Egi.

[edit] Iron Giant

The Iron Giant appears as a towering, oversized armor who often possesses an equally oversized sword. In Final Fantasy Tactics, Iron Giant makes its appearance under the name Steel Giant, sharing the same appearance with the characters Worker 8 and Worker 7 - New whose character class is Iron Giant. There is also Wolfmeister who is a red-plated version of Iron Giant. A boss variation of this form was used in Final Fantasy VIII, under the name Red Giant. The Iron Giant has appeared in Final Fantasy II, III (DS), IV, V, VII^[4], VIII^[5],IX, X, X-2, Crystal Chronicles, Tactics and Itadaki Street Portable.

[edit] Malboro

The Malboro is a mutanous form of plantlife that lacks the ability of photosynthesis and must feed on other creatures to survive. The Malboro is a fearsome foe most despised due to its horrible "Bad Breath" attack which inflicts a vast amount of status effects, capable of obliterating an entire party in a matter of seconds. The Malboro as seen in the various Final Fantasy titles developed by Square Enix is a powerful enemy often encountered in middle to late parts of the game. (The name 'Malboro' may be a joke within the Final Fantasy series, naming it after the cigarette brand Marlboro as it uses the ability 'Bad Breath'. It is also possible it was comprised from Latin Mal, meaning bad, and Greek Boros, meaning breath.)

Malboros have appeared in Final Fantasy I, II, IV, VI through XII^[4][5], Tactics, Tactics Advance, and Crystal Chronicles. They also appear in Chocobo's Dungeon 2, in Chocobo Racing, in Dice de Chocobo, in Itadaki Street Portable, in Mario Hoops 3-on-3 during the Malboro Garden stage, and as a "Marboro Stew" in episode six of Final Fantasy Unlimited.

[edit] Tonberry

A Tonberry (トンベリ, Tonberi^?), also localized as Dingleberry or Pug, is quite small, usually no larger than two or three feet (sixty to ninety centimeters) tall. It has green skin and a round head with a small snout and round yellow eyes; it walks on two legs and resembles, to some small degree, a bipedal lizard. However, it always wears a hooded cloak, usually plain brown or grey in color, and its dolphin-like tail can be seen peeking out from beneath the hem. A Tonberry always carries two things: a lantern in one hand to light its way through the caves, and a long, sharp chef's knife in the other.

While a Tonberry's foes are attacking it, it will walk slowly towards them. Once the Tonberry has come close enough to its enemy, it will then attack with its knife. Most of their incarnations possess the ability to deal extreme damage or instant death (usually by a short stab, accompanied with the "Doink" sound effect) to one or all members of the player's party, earning them their notorious reputation. They sometimes also use abilities like "Karma" and "Everyone's Grudge" that cause various status ailments. Tonberries are often found in caves or ruins, and frequently guard coveted treasure or valuable items^{[original research?]}. Powerful versions of the Tonberry include Tonberry King, Master Tonberry and Don Tonberry.

Tonberries have appeared in Final Fantasy V, Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy VII^[4], Final Fantasy VIII^[5], Final Fantasy IX, Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy X-2, Final Fantasy XI, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, Chocobo's Dungeon 2, Chocobo Land: A Game of Dice and Itadaki Street Portable. Tonberries have appeared as a summon in Final Fantasy VIII^[10] and Final Fantasy: Unlimited. In Final Fantasy X-2 Paine's Mascot Dresssphere is a Tonberry costume holding a Cactuar doll. In Final Fantasy XII, there are no Tonberries, however one of the Imperial Remora gunships seen during the tutorial has the callsign "Tonberry." "Tonberry" is also a Gummi Ship model in Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II. In the Satellaview-exclusive game DynamiTracer, a Tonberry featured as one of the playable characters.

[edit] Weapons

Main article: Weapon (Final Fantasy)

The Weapon (ウェポン, Wepon^?) creatures are entities (some biomechanical and others entirely organic) in the Final Fantasy series. They have been a main feature in the series since the fifth installment. They are generally very powerful and have large amounts of HP, relative to other monsters in the game, and are usually presented as powerful optional superbosses.

Weapons have appeared in the first Final Fantasy of Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls, the Gameboy Advance remake of Final Fantasy II, Final Fantasy V, Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy X-2, Final Fantasy XI, Final Fantasy XII and Final Fantasy: Unlimited.

[edit] Other monsters

Dragons, mythical creatures traditionally depicted as large and powerful reptiles or serpents with magical or spiritual qualities, are featured in all of the Final Fantasy games in the main series^[4][5] as well as most spin-offs and related material. Final Fantasy VI includes the dragon as a subplot; eight Dragons exist in the World of Ruin, without counting some ordinary Dragons encountered on the field. There was a Dragon called CzarDragon intended to be in Final Fantasy VI, but it was eventually cut out of the game; however, they left the sprite in the game. The CzarDragon was renamed the Kaiser Dragon and made a superboss for the Gameboy Advance version. In Final Fantasy V, two dragons serve as means of transportation: Hyruu, which transports the party through the air, and Slydra (Hydra) who is a sea dragon that rescues the party when the water tower sinks into the sea.

Other creatures rooted in ancient mythology include the Lamia (serpetine figures from Greek mythology featured in Final Fantasy I through V, IX, XI, Crystal Chronicles, Mystic Quest, Tactics Advance, Chocobo's Dungeon 2, Chocobo Land: A Game of Dice, and as a Gummi Ship model in Kingdom Hearts), Cerberus (a three-headed beast appearing Final Fantasy Dawn of Souls, III, VIII^[5], IX, XI, Mystic Quest, and Crystal Chronicles), Catoblepas (an Ethiopian hybrid of buffalo and boar featured in most games in the series^[5]), and the Minotaur (a bull-headed humanoid appearing in Dawn of Souls, III, V, VIII^[5], XI, Tactics, and Mystic Quest, sometimes named Sekhmet, from the name of the lion-headed Egyptian goddess). Additionally, Zu, a bird god from Akkadian mythology, has appeared as a flying or Griffin-like enemy in Final Fantasy I, IV through VII^[4], IX through XII, Mystic Quest and Crystal Chronicles, as well as in Itadaki Street Portable. Giant demihumans, such as Gigas and Ogres, are also common in the series^[5]; in Final Fantasy XI, they appear as a race of beastmen. Mandragorgas (plantlike enemies appearing in all installments except I^[4]), are small, manlike plants based off Mandrakes (See also Mandragora). Tiamat, a primeval goddess in Babylonian and Sumerian mythology and a central figure in the Enûma Elish creation epic,^[18][19] appears as a dragonlike being in Final Fantasy I, IV, VIII^[5], IX, XI, XII, and Tactics. Lastly, the Biblical demon Abaddon appears under several distinct designs in Final Fantasy VIII^[5], IX, X, XII, and Chrystal Chronicles.

Final Fantasy creatures are also influenced by folklore and science fiction. The Dullahan, featured in Irish folklore, is an undead, headless monster featured in Final Fantasies III, VI, IX, XII, and Mystic Quest. Imps (and their incarnations) are sprinkled throughout the series as flying, magic-wielding monsters^[5]. Goblins, Golems, and Gargoyles — three classic monsters from folklore — make several appearances in the series^[4]; their appearances do not change significantly from their real-life counterparts. The Goblin from Final Fantasy V also appears under its typical design in the Square title Romancing SaGa 3. The Bandersnatch, taken from Lewis Carroll's poems Jabberwocky and The Hunting of the Snark, appears as a canine monster in Final Fantasy V, VII^[4], VIII, IX, X, and XI. The Coeurl (a panther-like alien predator appearing in all Final Fantasies except the first^[4][5], in addition to Itadaki Street Portable) is a near carbon copy of a race of predators featured in works by science fiction author A. E. van Vogt.

Several desert-dwelling creatures have made appearances throughout the series. The Sand Worms in Final Fantasy (appearing in all games in the series except XII^[4][5]) are similar to the Sandworm in Frank Herbert's Dune series in that they swallow and regurgitate characters (in this case, party members). The Antlion, an oversized arthropod based on the smaller legendary creature called Myrmecoleo, have appeared in all numbered games in the series except I, VII, VIII, X, and X-2. Antlions attack from underground sand traps, much like the Mandragorgas of Final Fantasy X.

Other monsters are based on creatures in the real world, such as wolves (seen in most installations in the series^[4]), wasps (the Bite Bug in Final Fantasy VIII^[5] and the wasp and bird classifications in Final Fantasy X), and deadly fish (Piranha in Final Fantasy I and X). In a dissertation study by Glen Spoors about Final Fantasy X, he states that these monsters rooted in nonfiction are "physically excessive"; that is, they appear larger than their real-world counterparts.

Final Fantasy borrows four creature types directly from the original Dungeons and Dragons RPG: Beholder, Mindflayer, Ochu, and Sahagins. Although Beholders (green, tentacle-laden creatures similar to Malboros) appeared as such only in the first Final Fantasy's Japanese version and in Mystic Quest, it is similar to the Ahriman monster seen in the other installments. The other three creatures borrowed from Dungeon and Dragons have appeared in numerous titles. Mindflayers (also known as Illithids) are squidlike mages who have appeared in Final Fantasies I, IV, V, IX, XI, XII, and Tactics. Ochu (also called Otyugh) are subterranean plant-like creatures with large, whiplike tentacles who have appeared in Final Fantasy I, VII, VIII^[5], IX, X, X-2, and Tactics. Lastly, Sahuagins (water-dwelling hag creatures based off Greek Sirens) have appeared in Final Fantasy I, III, IV, V, VII^[4], IX, X, X-2, XI, Crystal Chronicles, Mystic Quest, Chocobo's Dungeon 2, Chocobo Land: A Game of Dice, Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales, as well as in Itadaki Street Portable.

Other creatures are not necessarily harmful, such as the Magic Pot and the Mover. The Magic Pot is the name of the creature which inhabits a pot and chooses to fight inside the pot using it to its defense. Because of it's general immobility, it favours magical attacks. Final Fantasy V and Final Fantasy VI use the same sprite for this monster. Most incarnations of the Magic Pot reward the player with bonuses in exchange for items or luck. Magic Pots have appeared in Final Fantasy V, VI, VII^[4], X, XI, XII, Chocobo's Dungeon 2, Dice de Chocobo and Itadaki Street Portable. The Movers, on the other hand, are extremely powerful but rare and tend to avoid battles; they appear in Final Fantasy V, VI, VII, IX and XI in groups of three units and provide significant monetary or experience bonuses for the player.

[edit] Reception and criticism

[edit] References

• Ong, Alicia. The Religions Behind Final Fantasy. March 22, 2001.
• Spoors, Glen. Meaning and Emotion in Squaresoft’s Final Fantasy X: Re-Theorising “Realism” and “Identification” in Video Games. Page 96. January, 2005.
• Boyce, Mary (1975). History of Zoroastrianism, Vol. I. Leiden: Brill. 
• Schmidt, Ken (2006). Final Fantasy III Official Strategy Guide (in English). BradyGAMES Publishing. ISBN 0744008484. 
• Cassady, David (1997). Official FINAL FANTASY VII Strategy Guide (in English). Brady Publishing. ISBN 1-56686-714-2. 
• Cassady, David (1999). Official FINAL FANTASY VIII Strategy Guide (in English). Brady Publishing. ISBN 1-56686-903-X. 
• Birlew, Dan (2000). FINAL FANTASY IX Official Strategy Guide (in English). Brady Publishing. ISBN 0744000416. 
• Birlew, Dan (2001). Final Fantasy X Official Strategy Guide (in English). BradyGAMES Publishing. ISBN 0744001404. 
• Birlew, Dan (2003). Final Fantasy X-2 Official Strategy Guide (in English). BradyGAMES Publishing. ISBN 0744002850. 

[edit] Notes

[edit] External links

• Final Fantasy X Bestiary
• Final Fantasy XI Vault Bestiary
• Final Fantasy XII Bestiary

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