Monsters of Final Fantasy

In the Final Fantasy series of console role playing games by Square Enix (formerly Square), monsters are common antagonists to the playable characters, with usually no relevance to the storyline. Most monsters come from folklore and literature from around the world.

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.

History

The original Final Fantasy borrowed several monster types from the Dungeons & Dragons RPG; these monsters appear throughout the series (see section). Although the original Final Fantasy had a handful of humanoid bosses and pirates, Final Fantasy II expanded the humanoid 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. Beginning in Final Fantasy III, some enemies and bosses talked during battles.

Several entries in the series provide backstories on the origins and motives behind monsters.In Final Fantasy VII, 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 comprised 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.

Common monsters

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 metals in several games of the series, which is used to make strong weapons such as Final Fantasy I's Excalibur or Final Fantasy VIII's Lion Heart. Such a metal is often found in many other games, console and computer alike. 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 and the sixth, 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.

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, which appeared in Final Fantasy X-2 as a superboss and Final Fantasy XI in several areas of the game. This creature also appeares in Final Fantasy X, it is an eye with wings attached on either side.

Ahriman first appeared in the series as one of the last bosses in Final Fantasy III. In Final Fantasy IV, an alternate form of Ahriman called "Plague" appears in the final dungeon as a boss. In Final Fantasy X, a monster named One Eye can be created through the Monster Arena.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. They have also appeared in Chocobo's Dungeon 2, Final Fantasy Tactics , Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift, Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales 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.

Behemoth

See also: Behemoth

The Behemoth is named after a Biblical creature from the Book of Job. 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, as its name is derived from intangible; moreover, the creature uses sleep magic. In the same game, Behemoth King (known as SrBehemoth in the previous American SNES version) 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, and in Final Fantasy X a special monster called Catoblepas could be created through the Monster Arena. 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 and Fafnir bear similarity to the previous games' depictions. Catoblepas returns in Final Fantasy XII, bearing the crown as Behemoth once more. In Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII, the player encounters 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 the first one, 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. The Behemoth is one of the largest Heartless in Kingdom Hearts. It also makes an appearance in Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII as the opening boss, and later on its empowered versions serve as non-obligatory bosses. In Final Fantasy Tactics A2, they are a part of the game's penultimate storyline battle.

In Final Fantasy IV, Behemoths guard Bahamut and Zemus, appear to more closely resemble Eastern Dragons. They rarely attack the party, but counter-attack with devastating power to any melee or magical attack.

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 Purobolos is a Bomb variation with teamwork traits. In Final Fantasy X, a special monster called Bomb King could be created through the Monster Arena. In Final Fantasy XII, the Bomb King also returns as a boss, and a bomb is used as an icon for the berserk status. In this installment of the Final Fantasy series, Bombs introduce a new devastating self-destruct called "Chain-Reaction", where one bomb can make all the surrounding bombs self-destruct with it; this was previously seen in FFIV, when using a Thunder spell on certain Bomb-type enemies caused them all to self-destruct. In some games, such as Final Fantasy XII, Final Fantasy Tactics, and Final Fantasy Tactics A2, Bombs have the ability to use Oil, which causes affected characters to take increased damage from fire based attacks and spells. 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. 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.

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, which is able to bypass an opponent's defense stat and always deals exactly 1,000 points of damage. Cactuars are usually worth a substantial amount of currency, experience points or a special item and generally have low HP, but their high evasion and defense stats and tendency to flee make them difficult prey. There is also a larger type of Cactuar, for example, the 'Jumbo Cactuar' of Final Fantsy VIII, that has a "10,000 Needles" attack. One variant of this attack effectively kills a character instantly, as the maxiumum number of Hit Points a character has is 9,999. Another variant of the attack is using "1000 Needles" ten times consecutively, to several targets.

Cactuars appear in Final Fantasy VI (previously called "Cactrot"), Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy IX, Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy X-2, Final Fantasy XI, Final Fantasy XII (with the alias 'Cactoid'), Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, 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. Cactuars appear as a stuffed doll in Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2 as Lulu's weapons, and appear as enemies with two variations: both regular Cactaurs and the weaker Qactars.

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 along with the text "No Escaping!". "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. 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. Cactuar's signature "1,000 Needles" attack is also the name for the World of Warcraft player zone, known in the game as "Thousand Needles".

Chimera

See also: Harpy

The Chimera is usually based on the monster from Greek mythology or the science term denoting of an artificial being created from combining organisms. 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. In Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XII, chimeras were created by combining various monsters. In Final Fantasy Mystic Quest, Gidrah was renamed Chimera during its Japanese localization. The monster appears in all core Final Fantasy games, as well as Mystic Quest and Crystal Chronicles. They also appear in Itadaki Street Portable. Its variations include Chimera Brain, Gorgimera, Chimera Mage, etc.

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, although they were chameleon-like in Final Fantasy III. It was supposed to be a combination of a Cock and a toad or serpent. 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.

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 legendary cockatrice. 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. 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 and a Rare Monster called Nekhbet. In Final Fantasy Tactics A2, a larger version of the Cockatrice, the Crushatrice, is introduced. Cockatrice and its variations appear in all numbered Final Fantasy games, 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 Crystal Chronicles (spelled Basilic in XI), is based on a creature in European folklore 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 serpentine, particularly in later titles.

Flan

The Flan, also called Pudding, is a small, magical creature, with a shape and motion reminiscent of the Spanish dessert of the same name (unlockable text in Final Fantasy XII reveals that in their fictional world, the dessert is named after the monster). 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. 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). They bear the same appearance as their respective counterparts in Final Fantasy X based on color. In Final Fantasy XI flan are named after various puddings and custards. 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, as well as in Tactics Advance, Tactics A2, Mystic Quest, Crystal Chronicles, Chocobo World, and Chocobo's Dungeon 2. Variations include Jelly, Cream, Mousse, Slime, Ochre Jelly, Bavarois, Pudding, Tofu, Flan, etc.

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 are the Lich, Kary (Marilith in all remakes), Kraken, and Tiamat of Earth, Fire, Water, and Wind, respectively. The Warriors of Light must seek out each of the Fiends and destroy them so balance can be restored. Variants of these Fiends reappear in Final Fantasy IX as the Chaos Guardians who protect the gate to Terra, and the actual Fiends appear in Memoria. They also appear in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, as the "Falgabirds". Tiamat also appears in Final Fantasy II as a boss in Castle Pandemonium, and in Final Fantasy VIII as a corrupt Guardian Force serving the final villain, but the other fiends are absent. Tiamat makes another appearance in Final Fantasy XII as an early boss. Kraken is also a boss in Final Fantasy III. In Final Fantasy XI Tiamat is one of Bahamut's minions, while the kraken and lich are regular monsters. Marilith appeared as a Mark in the bounty-hunting sidequests in Final Fantasy XII, looking like a large red snake.

Final Fantasy IV includes a new set of Four Fiends (now known as the Elemental Lords), this time serving Golbez. They are Rubicante of Fire, Barbariccia of Wind, Cagnazzo of Water, and Scarmiglione of Earth. However, unlike the original Four Fiends, they are given more characterization and are not depicted as demonic creatures craving for chaos. They are named after demons in The Divine Comedy. Final Fantasy Mystic Quest introduces another set of Four Fiends called the Vile Evils, who serve the Dark King. They are the Flamerous Rex of Earth, Ice Golem of Water, Duelhead Hydra of Fire, and Pazuzu of Wind. Like the original Four Fiends, they lay 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 the FF parody webcomic 8-Bit Theater, all of the Fiends have appeared as primary antagonists. Marilith appears in her original North American name, Kary, Kraken is mostly known as Ur (short for Jnn'efur), and Tiamat is mostly known as Muffin.

Garuda

The 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. 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, 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. 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 and 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. 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.

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 was a secret last boss in FFIII DS, accessible through the wifi email. Another variation of the Iron Giant, called Gemini, appeared in Final Fantasy X . The Iron Giant has appeared in Final Fantasy II, III (DS), IV, V, VII, VIII,IX, X, X-2, Crystal Chronicles, Tactics, Chocobo Tales and Itadaki Street Portable.

Malboro

The Malboro (Japanese モルボル Moruboru; rarely also localized Molbol) is a mutanous form of plant that feeds 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 II, III(DS), IV, VI through XII, Tactics, Tactics Advance, Tactics A2, and Crystal Chronicles. They also appear in Chocobo's Dungeon 2, in Chocobo Racing, in Dice de Chocobo, in Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales, in Legend of Mana, Itadaki Street Portable, in Mario Hoops 3-on-3 during the Malboro Garden stage, and as a "Marboro Stew" in episode Eight of Final Fantasy Unlimited. Malboro also appears in the GBA remake of Final Fantasy VI, as an optional boss in a hidden dungeon.

Tonberry

A Tonberry (トンベリ, Tonberi), also localized as 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. Furthermore, they are apparently quite intelligent, having a hierarchical society and a language of their own. 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. This, combined with their weak appearance, has earned them their notorious reputation. They sometimes also use abilities like "Karma" (also referred to as "Everyone's Grudge") that deal damage based on the number of enemies slain throughout the game, either by the party or the individual party member targeted. Tonberries are often found in caves or ruin structures. Generally Tonberries drop very small amounts of EXP or Gil, but in some games have been known to have large amounts of EXP or Gil and sometimes drop the most rare or powerful items in the game. Powerful versions of the Tonberry include Tonberry King, Mega Tonberry, Master Tonberry and Don Tonberry. Also, if an aeon is summoned against a Tonberry in Final Fantasy X, the Tonberry will use it's "Voodoo" counter-attack to instantly kill the aeon.

Tonberries have appeared in Final Fantasy V, Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy IX, Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy X-2, Final Fantasy XI, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, Final Fantasy Tactics A2, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, Chocobo's Dungeon 2, Chocobo Land: A Game of Dice, Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales and Itadaki Street Portable. Tonberries can be morphed into the very useful 'ribbon' in Final Fantasy VII, which protects from all status ailments. Tonberries have appeared as a summon (GF) in Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings, Final Fantasy: Unlimited and Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII. In Final Fantasy X-2 Paine's Mascot Dressphere is a Tonberry costume holding a Cactuar doll. "Tonberry" is also a Gummi Ship model in Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II. In the Satellaview-exclusive game DynamiTracer, a Tonberry is featured as one of the playable characters. The first boss in Final Fantasy XII was a flying machine named Tonberry piloted by an Archadian soldier. The lack of a true Tonberry in the game contradicts Final Fantasy XII's strong tendency to utilize monsters from prior games -- at least in name -- but the free-moving format of battle in this game prevents the faithful reproduction of the Tonberry's classic "slow approach leading to deadly attack" tactic.

Ultima Weapon and Omega Weapon

See also: Gaia (Final Fantasy VII) § WEAPON

The Weapon (ウェポン, Wepon), usually named Ultima and Omega, may be either biomechanical or entirely organic. They have been a main feature in the series since Final Fantasy IV. They are generally very powerful and have massive amounts of hit points, sometimes numbering in the millions, and are usually presented as powerful optional super bosses. In many cases, they are even more powerful and harder to beat than the main antagonists.

Weapons have appeared in the first Final Fantasy of Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls, Final Fantasy V, Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy IX, Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy X-2, Final Fantasy XI, Final Fantasy XII, Final Fantasy: Unlimited, and Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales. WarMech, a powerful and rare enemy from the NES Final Fantasy I, shares characteristics with Weapon (and is paid homage to as a non-optional boss, "Guardian," in Final Fantasy VI).

'Omega' and 'Ultima' weapons are more often than not side quests that can be followed late into the games. Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VI are two of the few titles in the series that breaks this rule as the player has to fight the Ultima Weapon in order to progress the story. Ultima Weapon will generally drop (or lead to) one of the most powerful weapons available in the game. Final Fantasy XII varies slightly, with Omega MK XII dropping a medallion that, when sold with two others, allows the player to buy one of the most powerful swords in the game through the bazaar, while Ultima is the name of one of the most powerful summons in the game.

In the US version of Final Fantasy VI on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (released as Final Fantasy III), the name of the 'Ultima Weapon' was translated to 'Atma' in English. Final Fantasy X-2's character viewer reflects this factoid when viewing the monster 'Ultima Weapon'. In Final Fantasy X, the strongest boss in the monster arena, Nemesis, is a color-swapped version of Ultima Weapon. Other distinctive Weapons besides Ultima and Omega can be found in Final Fantasy VII. Another Weapon-type enemy named Paragon appears on the 100th floor of the Via Infinito optional dungeon in Final Fantasy X-2. Final Fantasy Tactics A2 introduces a mechanical monster called the 'Upsilon', which bears a resemblance to the Omega Weapon in both stature and name.

Other monsters

Dragons, legendary 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 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 Czar Dragon also appeared in Super Mario RPG:Legend of the Seven Stars as a boss. The CzarDragon was renamed the Kaiser Dragon (and given wings) and made a superboss for the Game Boy Advance version. In Final Fantasy V, two dragons serve as means of transportation: Hiryuu, which transports the party through the air, and Syldra (Hydra) who is a sea dragon who initially serves as transportation, but is heavily injured later on. He later rescues the party when the Walse Tower sinks into the sea, where he soon dies due to his injuries. Both dragons will turn into optional summons late in the game.

Other creatures rooted in folklore include the Lamia (a being from Greek legend, 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, Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales, and as a Gummi Ship model in Kingdom Hearts), Cerberus (a three-headed beast appearing Final Fantasy Dawn of Souls, III, VIII, IX, XI, Mystic Quest, and Crystal Chronicles), Catoblepas (an Ethiopian hybrid of buffalo and boar featured in most games in the series), and the Minotaur (a bull-headed humanoid appearing in Dawn of Souls, III, V, VIII, XI, Tactics, and Mystic Quest, sometimes named Sekhmet, from the name of the lion-headed Egyptian goddess). Additionally, Zu, a Akkadian bird god, has appeared as a flying or Griffin-like enemy in Final Fantasy I, IV through VII, 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; in Final Fantasy XI, they appear as a race of beastmen. Mandragorgas (plantlike enemies appearing in all installments except I and VIII), are small, manlike plants based on Mandrakes (See also Mandragora). Tiamat, a primeval goddess in Babylonian mythology and a central figure in the Enûma Elish creation epic, appears as a dragonic being (a la her D&D incarnation) in Final Fantasy I, II, IV, VIII, IX, XI, XII, and Tactics. Lastly, the Biblical Abaddon appears under several distinct designs in Final Fantasy VIII, IX, X, XII, and Crystal 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. Goblins, Golems, and Gargoyles — three legendary monsters — make several appearances in the series; 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, VIII, IX, X, and XI. The Coeurl (a panther-like alien predator appearing in all Final Fantasies except the first, 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) 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), wasps (the Bite Bug in Final Fantasy VIII and the wasp and bird classifications in Final Fantasy X), and deadly fish (Piranha in Final Fantasy I, VI, X and XII). 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, IX, X, X-2, and Tactics. Lastly, Sahuagins (water-dwelling creatures, originally from Dungeons & Dragons, based on sea hags from European folklore) have appeared in Final Fantasy I, III, IV, V, VII, VIII, 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 its 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, X, XI, XII, Chocobo's Dungeon 2, Dice de Chocobo, Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales 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, XI and Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII in groups of three units and provide significant monetary or experience bonuses for the player who bests them.

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. BradyGAMES Publishing. ISBN 0744008484.
• Cassady, David (1997). Official FINAL FANTASY VII Strategy Guide. Brady Publishing. ISBN 1-56686-714-2.
• Cassady, David (1999). Official FINAL FANTASY VIII Strategy Guide. Brady Publishing. ISBN 1-56686-903-X.
• Birlew, Dan (2000). FINAL FANTASY IX Official Strategy Guide. Brady Publishing. ISBN 0744000416.
• Birlew, Dan (2001). Final Fantasy X Official Strategy Guide. BradyGAMES Publishing. ISBN 0744001404.
• Birlew, Dan (2003). Final Fantasy X-2 Official Strategy Guide. BradyGAMES Publishing. ISBN 0744002850.

External links

• Final Fantasy I Bestiary
• Final Fantasy X Bestiary
• Final Fantasy XI Vault Bestiary
• Final Fantasy enemies category at Final Fantasy Wiki