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Within the series, there are recurring themes, enemies, summonable creatures, and more– some of which have gone on to become classic mascots of the Final Fantasy franchise. Generally, these elements are always presented the same way and have received staple designs that fans can instantly recognize. However, there have been times that Final Fantasy has surprised players by changing things up and giving a new look to some of its creatures. Check out some of these changes that have happened over the years.
10 Adamantoise
Adamantoise is a recurring enemy throughout the Final Fantasy franchise, with its first appearance being early on in Final Fantasy II. This turtle-like enemy always has an incredibly high defense and usually is the best source of acquiring the rare item adamantite.
Though this enemy has always looked similar to a turtle, or even a tortoise in some of the games, Final Fantasy XIII mixed it up by not only making the monster far bigger than usual but also changing its appearance. Though it still has a shell, the Adamantoise looks more like a dinosaur. Final Fantasy XV continued to make Adamantoise even more giant, making the monster mountain-sized, but it also returned to a more normal turtle appearance.
9 Carbuncle
Carbuncle is a summon that first appeared in Final Fantasy V, and though early concept artwork had it looking reptilian, it became a small furry creature, blue or green, with long ears and a red ruby on its forehead, not unlike a rabbit or long-eared fox. This appearance continued throughout the series, and though there have been some small variations, its staple features remained the same & it consistently had long ears.
Final Fantasy XV gave Carbuncle a more realistic appearance, making it similar to a Fennec fox, but maintained the forehead ruby and long ears. However, Final Fantasy 7 Remake took things a step too far for fans liking when it redesigned Carbuncle, removing the large ears and making it into some little terrier pooch-type creature that you’d imagine some woman might keep in her handbag.
8 Bahamut
Bahamut debuted in the very first Final Fantasy title but was not a summonable creature until Final Fantasy III and has appeared in many of the titles since. Bahamut takes his name from the giant sea monster of Arabian mythology, where he is believed to be some kind of giant fish. However, the Final Fantasy franchise decided to make him a dragon, going so far as to name him The Dragon King.
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This dragon appearance has remained consistent throughout the series other than in one title - Final Fantasy XIII-3: Lightning Returns. There, both Bahamut and his variation Chaos Bahamut took on the form of an armored knight, rather than the dragon form fans knew him to have.
7 Cactuar
Cactuars first appeared in Final Fantasy VI and quickly became a fan-favorite with their quirky appearance, which many believe is based on Japanese haniwa figurines. These monsters grew in popularity and became a Final Fantasy staple, appearing in most games and even featuring as a summon in some of them.
However, despite remaining unchanged through the series, with the exact same expression and stance, Final Fantasy XI decided to change them and make them more realistic with no mouth. Final Fantasy XII changed things up again by making cactuars into chunky little cacti creatures with different expressions. Thankfully, cactuars have since gone back to their original form.
6 Titan
Titan first appeared as a summon in Final Fantasy II and has reappeared throughout the series many times since. He generally takes on the form of an earthy-colored giant. Though he’s often more beastly than human-looking, he always has a humanoid form while his size can vary depending on the game.
Final Fantasy IX decided to change things up, not only in looks but by not mentioning him by name at all. Titan appears during Fenrir’s summoning sequence and you’d be forgiven for not recognizing him as he is some strange mound of mud that appears from the ground and lands a punch. There’s nothing more to him, just the head and a single arm that forms out of the ground. Fans only later discovered this was meant to be Titan because of the official Japanese art book.
5 Leviathan
Leviathan first appeared in Final Fantasy II, but it didn’t become a summon until Final Fantasy III. It has since gone on to become one of the most used Final Fantasy summons within the series. Much like its name dictates, Leviathan takes on the form of a large sea-serpent monster in the games and largely doesn’t change much in appearance at all.
In Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light, a Nintendo DS spin-off game, Leviathan’s usual look was overhauled and it was presented as a jellyfish monster, rather than a sea serpent.
4 Shiva
Shiva first appeared in Final Fantasy III and has since featured in multiple titles, becoming one of the staple summons for the series. Though her look varies in terms of outfit and hairstyle, she is always a woman with either blue hair, blue skin, or both.
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Final Fantasy XIII decided to overhaul all of its summons by giving them two forms, essentially turning them into transformer-like creatures that could become vehicles for their characters to ride upon. Most of the summons still retained their generic style when in their normal non-vehicle form, but Shiva was an exception. For some reason, Shiva was split into two beings– the Twin Sisters of Shiva, named Stiria and Nyx.
3 Moogle
Moogles were originally planned to debut in Final Fantasy II but it never happened as the idea to include them evolved into the inclusion of the beaver race. However, moogles as we properly know them appeared as of Final Fantasy III and they soon became fan-favorites, featuring in many titles afterward and going on to become mascots for the franchise.
Moogles are small creatures with wings and a pom-pom on their head, generally white or cream in color, with their wings normally red or purple. However, in Final Fantasy XII, the moogle race changed into something quite different, appearing almost rabbit-like and wearing full outfits, whereas normally they would wear nothing. Moogles have since returned to their more classic design.
2 Chocobo
Chocobos are another familiar Final Fantasy mascot and have appeared in every main numbered title in some fashion since II, as well as numerous spin-offs. These typically yellow birds (there are rare color variants) are the mounts of the Final Fantasy world. They marginally changed in appearance in Final Fantasy XIII where there were two variants, the Cocoon and Gran Pulse versions, with one being larger and featuring feathered wattles.
Other than that, the only drastic change that came to this poor creature was in the form of a crossover event with Assassin’s Creed Odyssey where it became a chocobo-camel hybrid with four hooved feet and ultimately haunted fans with their new look.
1 Ifrit
Ifrit is a summon that first appeared in Final Fantasy III and has become one of the main summons of the series ever since. Also known as “Jinn” at times and taking inspiration from the djinns of folklore, Ifrit is generally a horned creature with a demonic form that lends itself to a hellish aesthetic, with all the fire and brimstone looks it can go for. However, Final Fantasy XV gave Ifrit a new look, making him more human in appearance– though he did keep his horns.
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