Character design of Final Fantasy
Though each Final Fantasy story is independent, many themes and elements of gameplay recur throughout the series. Some spin-off titles have cameo appearances of characters from preceding stories, but in most cases merely the names are reused, so that each game has its own unique collection of characters in totally unrelated worlds.
Gameplay Elements
Character Classes and the Job system
The most common playable character classes have been the Fighter or Warrior; White and Black Mages; Monk; and Thief. Less common are the Red and Blue Mages. In some titles, the player can choose what job class each character can assume, but even in games where the player is not given a choice, these classes often play an important background role in the story.
Magic
Magic in the Final Fantasy series is generally divided into different classes, which are usually named after a specific color. The actual magic classes vary from game to game, but all games include White magic, which includes healing and support spells, and Black magic, which includes offensive spells. One who is proficient in White or Black magic is often known as a White Mage or Black Mage. Additional classes and mages appear throughout the series, such as a Red Mage, who can cast both white and black magic, and/or a Blue Mage, who can learn spells from foes.
Status Effects
Characters in Final Fantasy games are usually subject to a number of standard "status ailments" which cause deleterious (but sometimes favorable) effects, including silence, stop, berserk, poison, petrification and confusion. While these are present in many console RPGs, Final Fantasy has a standard list of items which may be used to cure specific ailments,[1] as well as magical spells.[2] In most cases, a status ailment can be cured by either an item or a spell.
Design Elements
Complex Character Development and Significan Back-story
Throughout most of the Final Fantasy titles, the major characters grow and develop throughout the game. Frequently the relationship between various characters will change over time as well. Considerable time is often spent explaining the history behind many of the characters, who take on a personality of their own, rather than being totally at the control of the player. The result is that many fans become attached to particular characters, being happy when things go well, and being sad when bad things happen to them. Often, this growth of characters is the basis for some of the humor and drama that is built into the game.
Music
Several musical tracks have been in just about every Final Fantasy game to date. In most games in the series, the same simple melody is used at the opening screen, and a very noticeable musical cue is the victory music which is played after the player wins a battle. This cue is so well known it has become a ring-tone for cellular phones; in fact it makes a 'cameo' of sorts in the full-length movie Final Fantasy VII Advent Children as Loz's ring-tone. These songs were written in majority by composer Nobuo Uematsu.
Plot Elements
Many entries in the Final Fantasy series involve broadly similar plot points, such as rebellion against a major economic, political, or religious power; a struggle against an evil which threatens to overtake or destroy the world; and nature versus technology. The love between major characters,[3] and in some cases rivalry between characters,[4] as well as the desertion or death of major (and sometimes playable) characters, often drives the plot as well.
Villains
Every one of the Final Fantasy titles has a diabolical nemesis for the heroes to face. While the villains have almost no character development in the early Final Fantasy games, the villains became more developed as the storylines became more complex in the later games.[citation needed] The plots of Final Fantasy games also usually involve a larger group of wrongdoers who may directly or indirectly aid the primary villain. Though the exact mission of the villain varies from game to game, it generally involves bringing about a global calamity or dominating the world.[citation needed] Some games also have additional villains who play a significant role in the story but are not revealed until the very end of the game.[5]
Recurring Elements
Airships
Powerful airborne vessels which usually serve as a primary mode of transportation for the player, enabling fast movement to nearly anywhere in the overworld, often without the risk of random encounters. In many games[6] the presence of airships is a key component to the story itself. In the games in which the player has full control over the airship and can fly throughout the world, the game map wraps on both its X and Y axes.
Character Names
A character named "Cid" has been present in every Final Fantasy game.[7] Although he is rarely the same individual, he is usually presented as an owner, creator, and/or pilot of airships and sometimes plays a political role in the story. In a similar vein, characters named Biggs and Wedge (homages to the Star Wars characters Biggs Darklighter and Wedge Antilles) have appeared in most games since Final Fantasy VI. Other names appear in several games. The protagonists of the Nomura-designed Final Fantasy games usually have a name alluding to or directly related to meteorological phenomena or celestial bodies.[8]
Creatures
Fictional creatures such as Chocobos and Moogles have appeared in most games in the series. The Chocobo even gains a starring role in its own series of spin-offs. Certain monsters also reappear frequently, including Goblins, Oni/Ogres/Gigas/Giants, Bombs, Behemoths, Tonberries, Malboros and Cactuars. Lastly, summoned monsters - such as Bahamut - as well as the elemental monsters - Shiva (ice), Ifrit/Efreeti (fire), and Leviathan (water) - have appeared in almost every title in the series. The lightning elemental has been represented by a variety of creatures, principally Ramuh but also Quezacotl, and Ixion.
Crystals
Elemental crystals have appeared in over half of the titles of the series. Almost all Final Fantasy installments have a theme of an increase in monster activity, often caused by an imbalance of nature forces, caused by Mist or Crystals. Also, most of the games' plots seem to involve large-scale destruction at some point in the game, often near the end.
The four elemental crystals appear in Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy III, Final Fantasy V and Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest. Four elemental crystals also appear in Final Fantasy IV along with four more "dark" crystals that are not stated to be any particular element,[9] though only two of them are seen in the game.[10] In addition to the eight crystals of the Earth, there are eight on the moon that balance with them. However, the moon crystals are not explored in detail. Furthermore there is a "Crystal of Flight", and Golbez wields an 18th crystal against Zeromus, but the nature of this crystal is never explained. It is most likely, however, a "Crystal of Light", as only Cecil can use it properly by channelling his own energy into it,[11] and Golbez, by contrast, cannot.[12] In Final Fantasy IX, a single, giant crystal lies in Memoria.
In Final Fantasy: Unlimited there are two types of crystals that are prevalent. The first type is only a crystal in appearance, and greatly resembles the classical shape of the crystals. This is a large crystal that, when deposited produces a large monster. Its function in the series is completely unlike the crystals in any other continuity. The second type of crystals is the Omega Crystals. Omega is an enormous, destructive creature that was long ago split into many pieces and scattered across Wonderland. The pieces of Omega are seemingly sentient, and when defeated revert to an Omega Crystal which is a small, star-shaped reddish crystal. When Omega recovers an Omega Crystal, it absorbs the crystal, and the part of Omega's body corresponding to the crystal is regenerated. Like Omega itself, the Omega Crystals have the ability to break down the dimensional barrier and travel between worlds. The subway "Elizabeth" was built by Cid with an Omega Crystal to give it the ability to travel between different worlds.
Mascots
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 chocobo was created by Koichi Ishii, a video game director who worked on various Final Fantasy titles. Most dwell in forests. While timid in the wild, and vicious if threatened, they tame rather easily and make good transports. In this role they tend to be capable of crossing shallow water and are noted for their high speeds. Chocobos have occasionally been sighted as lightly armored war mounts in which case they can assist their riders with beak and claw. Most often they 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 an overweight yellow chocobo and can humorously stock the party's items in its stomach or appear randomly when summoning a chocobo in battle. A frequently occuring food for Chocobos, Gysahl Greens, are named after a town in Final Fantasy III and go on to feature in subsequent titles, although occasionally incorrectly translated as "Gishal". Final Fantasy V was the first installment to have Chocobos play a role in the plot. Boco (sometimes translated as Boko) went on to become a recurring Chocobo name in later installments.
A basis for Chocobos was Kyoro-chan, a character in TV advertisements for Morinaga & Company's chocolate candy, Chocoball (チョコボール, chokobōru), having in common with the Chocobo that it is a bird with the call of "Kweh" (クエ, Kue). "Kue" is sometimes replaced with "Wark" in the English translation. Morinaga has also released a tie-in product Chocobo no Chocoball (Chocobo's Chocoball). The Chocobo design is said to be based off of Hayao Miyazaki's Horseclaws, which appear in Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.[13]
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, frequently as variants or remixes: for instance, the Final Fantasy VII Chocobo races have a frantic version, while the futuristic and relatively realistic Final Fantasy VIII has a more modern one. It is titled with the suffix "de Chocobo," and is prefixed by the name of the style it is played in. For example "Techno de Chocobo" from Final Fantasy VI features a dance remix, while "Cinco de Chocobo" from Final Fantasy VII features a cool jazz remix (in 5/4 time, 'Cinco' being Spanish for the number 5). A new version of the theme titled "Swing de Chocobo" was created by Nobuo Uematsu for the concerts titled VOICES and Play! and was performed by a number of different orchestras between 2005 and 2007.
Chocobos have appeared in all numbered installments except the first, in addition to Final Fantasy Tactics and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. Chocobos appear as a summon in Final Fantasy III, Final Fantasy IV, Final Fantasy V, Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VIII. Fat Chocobo appears in Final Fantasy III, Final Fantasy IV, Final Fantasy V, Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy IX. A chocobo by the name of "Boco" appears in Final Fantasy V, Final Fantasy VIII, and Final Fantasy: Tactics. Final Fantasy Mystic Quest features several chocobo-shaped weather vanes in the town of Windia. In Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles one can obtain the Chocobo Shield and the Chocobo Pocket items. In the animated sequel to Final Fantasy V, Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals, one of the main characters can summon pink, feather-less Chocobos. Chocobos are common in the anime series Final Fantasy: Unlimited, and one named Chobi joins the cast in their adventure. Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within and Final Fantasy VII Advent Children both have a couple of visual references to Chocobos.[1] Chocobos have several games dedicated to them including Hataraku Chocobo, Chocobo Land: A Game of Dice and Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales. Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon and it's sequel Chocobo's Dungeon 2 feature a Chocobo named Boco as the main character. Chocobo Stallion, Dice de Chocobo and Chocobo Racing were released in a collection entitled Chocobo Collection.
Chocobos are also a common sight in other Squaresoft and Square Enix games. A Chocobo serves as a mount in Seiken Densetsu, and is later changed into a 'Chocobot'. It was removed from the 2003 remake Sword of Mana in favor of the 'Cannon Ball Travel' which originated in Secret of Mana; however, a Chocobo can be seen in Sword of Mana by waiting for a certain period of time after the completion of the game. Wild black Chocobos appear as monsters in Legend of Mana, while tame yellow Chocobos can be hatched by the player from eggs to assist them in battle. In Secret of Evermore a Chocobo Egg is a rare item. In Kingdom Hearts there is a keyblade and a Gummi Ship that are both named and modeled after a Chocobo; there is also a drawing of a Chocobo in the cave on Destiny Island. In Parasite Eve, a banner picturing a Chocobo hangs over the entrance to the American Museum of Natural History, while a Chocobo skeleton can be found nearby. In Tobal 2, a Chocobo is obtainable as a combatant. References to the Chocobo have also been made in non Square Enix video games. In Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete, a blue Chocobo-like creature drives the wagons of the traveling circus Carivan. The red dragon Ruby mentions it was a Chocobo, but quickly changes it into "Chuckoboo". Battle for Wesnoth features a skeletal "Chocobone" unit. In World of Warcraft, two racial mounts, the Blood Elf Hawkstrider and the Gnome Mechanostrider, both bear close resemblance to chocobos. The browser-based game Kingdom of Loathing features the Cocoabo familiar, a Chocobo-shaped creature apparently made of cocoa. Chocobos have been parodied in several webcomics including VG Cats,[2][3][4] RPG World as Dragobos, 8-bit Theatre and Weebl and Bob.[5] Rules for using Yellow and Black Chocobos in Dungeons & Dragons were published in the September 2004 issue of Dragon magazine.
Moogle
Moogles (モーグリ, Mōguri) are little 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. Moogles are called "Moguri" in the Japanese version games, a portmanteau of the Japanese words mogura (mole) and komori (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) at the end called a "pompom". Their ears are usually shaped like a cat's and their fur are white or light pink; however, they have longer, rabbit-like ears and tend to have more beige or gray fur in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance and Final Fantasy XII. 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 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. 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 Chokobo no Fushigina Danjon, 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.
Moogles make an appearance in the Final Fantasy series in Final Fantasy III and 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. Moogles appear only as stuffed dolls in Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy X-2, Final Fantasy VII Advent Children and Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII. 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's Mysterious Dungeon, Chocobo's Dungeon 2, Chocobo Racing, and Chocobo Land: A Game of Dice. They also appear in the three games of the Kingdom Hearts series. Finally, a Moogle appears in Egg Monster Heroes, while one is an unlockable character in Mario Hoops 3-on-3. Moogles have also appeared as characters in some webcomics, such as Ren from Mac Hall. In the webcomic 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. Also in the Flash-animated series, International Moron Patrol, a moogle named Kulock appears.
References
- ^ For example, the "Echo Screen" cures silence, and "Golden Needle" (often just "Soft" in English translations) cures petrification
- ^ Such as Esuna or Panacea.
- ^ from Final Fantasy IV's Cecil Harvey and Rosa Farrell to Final Fantasy X's Tidus and Yuna
- ^ Sometimes two male characters will try to outdo the other, while male-female rivalry often involves a love triangle
- ^ Such as the final bosses in Final Fantasy VIII.
- ^ most notably Final Fantasy IV , Final Fantasy VI and Final Fantasy IX'
- ^ Coik, Kevin. The History of Final Fantasy : The Past. Gaming World X. Retrieved 01-07-2007. Although not mentioned in the original Final Fantasy game, he is mentioned in the remake of that game.
- ^ Examples include Cloud Strife, Aeris/Aerith (from a Japanese anagram of "Earth"), Squall Leonhart (meaning a sudden, sharp increase in wind), Tidus (meaning "Sun"), Yuna (meaning "Moon"), and Lightning,
- ^ Cecil: The Crystal of Earth from Toroia was taken away. This means... Golbez has gathered all the crystals. / Kain: No. There are other crystals. / Rosa: I thought there were only four. / Cid: Then the rumor is true! / Kain: Right, the dark crystals! Square Co (2007-01-05). Final Fantasy IV (Super Nintendo Entertainment System). Square Soft.
- ^ King Giott: I'm afraid two of the four have already been taken. Square Co (2007-01-05). Final Fantasy IV (Super Nintendo Entertainment System). Square Soft.
- ^ Golbez: My dear brother...let your sacred light be with the Crystal! Zeromus, its the end! Square Co (2007-01-05). Final Fantasy IV (Super Nintendo Entertainment System). Square Soft.
- ^ Zeromus: You, the man of darkness using it does not mean anything to me, you fools! Square Co (2007-01-05). Final Fantasy IV (Super Nintendo Entertainment System). Square Soft.
- ^ Rogers, Tim (March 27, 2006). "In Defense of Final Fantasy XII". Next Generation. "Okay, so the Chocobos -- big, yellow riding birds -- were actually stolen from Hayao Miyazaki's movie 'Nausicaa and the Valley of the Wind', and Hironobu Sakaguchi freely admitted that way back when."