Final Fantasy

This is a /v/ related article, which we tolerate because it's relevant and/or popular on /tg/... or we just can't be bothered to delete it.

Final Fantasy is a long, LONG running series of fantasy-themed video-games created by Square Enix. First released for the Nintendo Entertainment System, the original Final Fantasy was the company's last hurrah, as they were teetering on the brink of bankruptcy; the name was an ironic dig at this. Then, to everybody's surprise, it caught on, and the videogaming world would never be the same. The games didn't have a decent plot until FFV, as before that game the stories were paper thin (FFI,FFIII), a D&D style adventure(FFII), or cheesy melodrama(FFIV).

/tg/ Relevance

Perhaps the most iconic fantasy gaming series on /v/, Final Fantasy inspires more than its share of gamers to try and convert the games to the tabletop gaming experience. As such, threads about converting races, classes, jobs, spells and other such things from the games sporadically appear on /tg/.

The original game, Final Fantasy 1, is particularly beloved for its efforts at replicating the Old School Roleplaying feel, and is practically a Dungeons & Dragons game in everything but name - it even steals many classic D&D monsters and throws them at the party, which almost got the company in trouble (the Japanese original has a Beholder enemy; this was replaced with a haunted cyclops skull in overseas localized versions and all remakes). Beware though, as unlike later games(FFIII,V,FFT) that use a class system, the remakes railroad you into having a Fighter/Knight and at least one healer.

An article in Dragon Magazine #323 saw the adaptation of the Chocobo running bird to Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition. The most blatant thing to /tg/ however is the card game.

Homebrews

Of course there are homebrews. Some notable homebrews are:

• Final Fantasy RPG: A surprisingly detailed and almost wholly original system created by a group called the Returners. Built to be essentially a translation of the Final Fantasy games directly onto tabletop, it can appear esoteric and bizarre on first glance, but it's actually much simpler in practice as it just involves a lot of math. It lacks a monster manual, which was going to be rectified by the Returners, until they lost the ability to host their forums.

• Seed RPG: A spiritual successor to Final Fantasy RPG created by a new team known as the Seed Team, with its major plus side being how modular it actually is. From skills systems to growth systems to even inventory, almost everything can be customized about this system for a GM and campaign's individual needs. It's primarily meant for IRC chatrooms.

• Final Fantasy d6: More closely related to Exalted than to Dungeons and Dragons, this system, started by Scott Tengelin, only requires 2d6 for most play usage. Very obviously a labor of love from the introduction post to the amount of detail and care put into the system. Classes start with an "innate" ability and can choose from multiple abilities as they level up, meaning two Red Mages (or insert other class here) aren't inherently going to be the same, due to them choosing different abilities.

• Final Fantasy d20: A homebrew system compiled and created by Viladin in 2006, this is a rather comprehensive homebrew adding new classes, spells, feats and items into the Pathfinder system to replicate the Final Fantasy experience. Though the system has a heavy emphasis toward representing Final Fantasy XIV and Final Fantasy XI, Final Fantasy d20 (or ffd20 for short) does make an attempt at replicating classes in their basic, popular states, while using Pathfinder classes as a chassis. Spellcasters even use MP rather than Vancian Casting... kind of. MP is balanced very similar to Vancian Casting, except there is much less MP to the point that a Black Mage has less MP than a wizard's equivalence in spell slots. Though the common argument is that a Black Mage becomes more capable of using more spells than said wizard (albeit, a Wizard at that point will have pearls of power), they will lose access to all spells by spending all their MP on level 9 spells rather than just the level nine spells, to say nothing about the relative weakness of level 9 spells in FFd20 versus Pathfinder casters (most level 9 spells being raw damage rather than narratively powerful spells like Wish). There is another argument that the MP is more flexible; in that you may sacrifice three 3rd level spells to cast a 9th, which ignores the relative weakness of the spells. Granted, some casters are better than others (namely Time Mage, Geomancer (with very specific builds), Necromancer and Illusionist (unless you get a metagaming GM)) but the most iconic casters such as Black Mage, Red Mage, Blue Mage and Summoner are either hindered, outshined by everything else or outright bad. That being said, due to this system being fan made and with an overly active creator, it is very prone to intensive changes and modifications over time; with classes sometimes getting overhauled mechanics overnight. On the flip-side, with the active creator and members it is simple to get an answer to a question or a fix to an issue with the content on their site; though occasionally the fix can be seen as a monkey's paw. In addition, there's a number of archetypes that are expressly not Final Fantasy related, but this is less of an issue. If there's any particular flaw, it is that although the system primarily averts the usual issue of Linear Warriors, Quadratic Wizards, it does so by making casters quite a means inferior and unable to truly match up in combat versus their martial brethren who gain immense numbers of dice, rather than making martial fighters more interesting in combat and able to compete with mages in these encounters or limiting casters in a way that also could thematically fit Final Fantasy but keep them viable. They're also then stripped of their "toolkit" spells (save for Time Mage, Necromancer, Illusionist and Geomancer), and are often forced into a blasting role or otherwise mostly rely on their class features over their spells. When the original mechanics are actually found, however, they are quite literally amazing features to behold with an immense (albeit untapped) potential seen in the combo-system used by the Monk class; granting the usually maligned concept a unique identity besides "flurry of blows until the enemy dies", but otherwise, there's a surprisingly high amount of content taken from other sources; such as Path of War's Field Medic, Ruby Magister taking the Arcane Potential mechanic from Legendary Magus, Engineer being the third-party class, Machinesmith, and Sword Saint being almost 1:1 to a Path of War Warder; albeit with a butchered version of Maneuvers. It's entertaining and quite detailed, but it is definitely worth a warning before going into it. It's also one of the most popular Pathfinder homebrews out there, with a thriving community and a few living worlds dedicated to its gameplay.

• Final Fantasy x DnD 5e: Created by Silent Soren/Sorenson Asgard, this is a much more "minor" incarnation of FFd20; focusing on Final Fantasy XIV and mainly making races, new classes, and archetypes designed to work alongside 5e's own. Unlike FFd20, it chooses not to rework the wheel and instead uses the standard spell casting system of 5e; though there are a handful of new spells such as Flare and Holy. For those who want a more "grounded" experience, this isn't a bad option, though players will have to scour for actual FF-themed monsters to use with the system. There are other attempts at making FF classes and mechanics in DnD 5e, but this might be the closest one to a "full" set.

• PathFinal Fantasy A Final Fantasy system designed for Pathfinder; created by previous members of the FFd20 community. The system at core utilizes a modified form of Psionics as the core of its casting and makes an attempt to make casters and martials feel "equivalent" without compromising on setting or Final Fantasy feel. In addition, its creators are less of a singular individual but rather a council of differently minded individuals with a common goal of "making as close a Final Fantasy tabletop as possible". By comparison to the more popular and older FFd20, the system lacks content on account of it being very fresh and new, and its balance is potentially very wonky on account of its newer release. The nature of the creators being a "council" rather than a singular, autocratic visionary can also lead to some very jarring differences in classes; as each creator has their own unique visions (the Warrior and Red Mage feels different to Thief, which feels different to Black Mage, White Mage, Bard and Ranger, which feels different to Knight, Paladin and Dark Knight which feels different to Monk) which can lead to some classes being overtuned (an argument levied toward Red Mage and previously Warrior) or undertuned (levied toward the White and Black Mages and Bard). This system needs some additional time and effort to stew and truly come into its own, so an accurate assessment is difficult; as with nearly all newborn systems. Despite the initial burst of activity and steam, it appears the creators have somewhat lapsed into a more "quiet" period; though it doesn't mean they are completely inactive due to releasing new classes and new races. However, yet again, the nature of the "council's" conflicting beliefs and design philosophies means that the new classes and races are either overtuned or undertuned, and the nature of the game being a split off from the FFd20 community means the new community has split expectations on what the game's "power level" should be. Additionally, the differences in the team have reached a point where they are more wiling to yell and attack each rather than get to work on the project; an environment seemingly built on a difference of who's more experienced than the others. These differences create an environment of uncertainty and tension in the pathFF community, and will likely need resolution so that the team may move forward. Compared to the other popular Final Fantasy homebrew in Pathfinder, it isn't as prone to massive overarching changes, and it isn't very similar outside of superficially similar concepts (Limit Breaks having a different build up mechanic, Red Mages, Warrior and Black Belt being based on Magus, Fighter and Brawler respectively, ability names). It's also relatively lower powered versus FFd20, but still a degree above Pathfinder.

Final Fantasy Trading Card Game

Released in early 2011 in Japan it released in late 2016 in the US. Since it had an iconic franchise behind it and this was around when Magic: The Gathering and Yu-Gi-Oh went full retarded in their own ways, it actually has a decent marketshare in the west. All decks are exactly 50 cards and duplicate cards are limited to three however all character cards you control must be uniquely named. Multiple cards with different effects can have the same name but can't co-exist on the field though, having separate ID codes, count separately for deck limits.

Settings

The Final Fantasy series is both simple and complicated to get into for one major reason: it's not a continuous series, but rather a shared title. Different games take place in their own worlds, and whilst some games share a common universe (the world of Ivalice is particularly fleshed out), the connections between are... rocky at best. Instead, games tend to share common themes or elements, like different realms in D&D. Monsters, items, spells, and other things(such as having a guy named Cid, or a duo called Biggs and Wedge) are pretty much the same across the series, even though their storylines are completely separate. This does mean that for the most part, you can get into the series from just about any game you like, at least as far as the main-line games are concerned.

At the very least there are hints of a shared Multiverse with the mention of the Interdimensional Rift/The Void, something that was created for Final Fantasy V and more or less the Final Fantasy equivalent of the Warp. However, the canonicity of this explanation is debatable, as much of this was added in via remakes and retcons. Some notable settings include:

Compilation of Final Fantasy VII

This setting consisting of a world simply known as Gaia or The Planet, is one of the more fan-favorite worlds in the FF series; despite being far more restricted in terms of development and story. It's very Midgar and "main story" centric; as we rarely see much of the world that has nothing to do with the massive Shinra corporation or the main character Cloud and antagonist Sephiroth's shared journey. Despite this, due to Final Fantasy VII being one of the most popular and arguably the most influential game in the series, it's setting is one of the most developed in the series, with spin-off games, animated series and even a full remake (only about 1/3 complete as of this writing) that greatly expands on the original (the first part of the remake is about 30 hours in length, while the story arc it covers was only around 5 hours in the original game) made to further flesh out the setting.

Gaia's stated to be somewhat of a "living" planet, with a form of blood in the form of the Lifestream and its product of Mako. All things are created from the planet, and return to the Lifestream upon death. To a massive mega corporation like Shinra, Mako is a very powerful and useful resource, due to its ability to create Materia, Ioun Stone like orbs that can be inserted into weapons and armor to provide magical abilities. Raw Mako itself is also useful as a power source; something Shinra has built its technological empire around.

Some important locations include:

• Midgar: A company nation created by Shinra to help create more workers. It consists of multiple sectors and both an upper plate and the lower slums. There is a near constant war between the ecoterrorists of AVALANCHE and Shinra; until the former is mostly annihilated and later ousted during the first disc of FF7.

• Wutai: It's optional in the original FF7, but it's very important to the Final Fantasy 7 lore. Although it's a tourist spot by the time players get to it in the game, it was once a proud nation that clearly serves as a Far-East analogue. However, Shinra obliterated Wutai's status as a nation, and let it become a mere tourist trap.

• Nibelheim: This seemingly insignificant town is the impetus for everything wrong in Final Fantasy 7. Hometown of Cloud, the protagonist, this town becomes infamous for its later razing by the main antagonist Sephiroth. Before the razing, its reactor housed multiple tanks dedicated to horrible monsters, Makonoids, and the former home of the alien parasite, Jenova. After the razing, the town is housed by strange hooded individuals and fake civilians planted by Shinra.

Ivalice

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The other major fan favorite of the settings, Ivalice is a broad world with many locations, and peoples. Races are described in the section dedicated to them below.

Unlike most other Final Fantasies, the games that take place in the Ivalice world (collectively known as the Ivalice Alliance) not only take place in multiple locations, but also at different times and realities:

• Final Fantasy XII: The earliest playable point in the Ivalice timeline, and even this period has prior history that strongly influences the events of the game. Set at the conjunction of three major continents of the world, follows a princess leading a Resistance to retake her throne. Notable across all the major Final Fantasy games to heavily emphasise nations and politics in its themes, a sharp contrast from the other run-of-the-mill heroes-save-the-world concepts prevalent across the franchise.
• Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings: The game was exclusive to the Nintendo DS and was among the few true real-time strategy titles on the platform. Taking place one or two years after the events of XII, it follows the protagonists of the original game as they explore an unknown floating continent.
• Final Fantasy Tactics Advance: The one divergent reality in the timeline, since the world itself was created by the wishes of its main characters. It is unclear where exactly FFTA lies on the timeline but it is generally agreed to take place before A2 and after XII, but does not inhabit the main timeline itself. Despite the cutesy and colorful characters, it had just as serious a story as XII, involving the protagonist trying to return to the real world while all his friends attempt to stop him.
• Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Returning to the main timeline by synthesising many of the characters and ideas from both XII and FFTA together into a true sequel, A2 takes place on the western fringes of the original world, in a region called Jylland. Had a considerably lighter story but was tempered by darker subplots.
• Final Fantasy Tactics (including War of the Lions): Jump forward several centuries and the original world is no longer recognizable - after an age of calamity that wiped out most of the non-human races, the world has regressed into a feudal society with little hope for change. Follows a convoluted plot of dynastic marriage, demonic conspiracy and shadowy heroes in possibly the bitterest plot of the franchise. The game itself isn't actually part of the Alliance due to being released in 1997, but is considered the main ancestor for the whole Alliance.
• Vagrant Story: Technically not even a Final Fantasy title but it gets a special mention because it is by the same director as Final Fantasy Tactics and dropped several hints that it takes place far into the future after Final Fantasy Tactics. It's about an agent investigating a Duke's involvement with a cult.

Continents

Ivalice is never explicitly defined as being the official name of the entire world, but the manner in which it's referenced by in-game characters make it de facto the title for the world that encapsulates all the locations across all the games in the setting, with the possible exception of FFTA.

Major land regions featured across the Alliance include:

• Valendia:
• Ordalia:
• Kerwon:
• Jylland:

Vana'diel (Final Fantasy XI)

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Though a somewhat undercooked as a setting, the setting of the first Final Fantasy MMO still holds some love from its diehard fans. Its races are showcased in a section below. Important nations include:

• Republic of Bastok:

• Kingdom of San d'Oria:

• Federation of Windurst:

• Grand Duchy of Jeuno:

• Empire of Aht Urhgan:

• Sacred City of Adoulin:

Hydaelyn (or, the massive FFXIV clusterfuck)

This article contains something which makes absolutely no logical sense, such as Nazi Zombie Mercenaries, Fucking Space Orangutans, anything written by a certain Irish leper or Robin Crud-ace, or Wizards of the Coast hiring the fucking Pinkertons over a children’s card game. If you proceed, consider yourself warned.

Final Fantasy XIV, due to its status as one of the strongest selling Final Fantasies and also being a strong MMO, has grown to be quite popular as a setting, but also a massive clusterfuck of a setting. Only Final Fantasy VII can match Final Fantasy XIV's setting in terms of detail and attention, and that game has had decades of spinoffs. Its races are below.

Due to Final Fantasy XIV's nature as a "celebration" of all things Final Fantasy, nearly anything and everything can turn out to be canon in this game or show up. Final Fantasy VI's Warring Triad and Magitek? In it. Ivalice? A region in a far more massive world. Final Fantasy VII's weapons? Bio-organic weapons created by the ancient Allagan Empire and the Garlean Empire.

However, it's foolish to believe that this world is just one world, because it's actually one Source world that split into thirteen Shards because of a catastrophe that happened eons ago. Much of the backstory involves ancient beings trying to merge these Shards back together; It gets weirder from there, and it's STILL going. But it still manages to be less disjointed than World of Warcraft has become.

Like Gaia, Hydaelyn actually called Eitherys (the Source and all her Shards) has a Lifestream, where all creatures are born from aether and their aether returns to Hydaelyn. However, certain beastman cultures can summon Primals; beings that consume vast quantities of aether and are a drain on the Lifestream, as if their rampaging ways and tendency to enslave followers weren't already enough motivation to get rid of them. However, the nature of the planet and Primals get stranger as the Warrior of Light, the player character, ventures deeper into their adventure.

Some important locations include:

The Source

The primary world of Final Fantasy XIV. It's where you start and spend the majority of the game.

• Eorzea: Also known as Aldenard, the home of the Eorzean Alliance; a faction consisting of three nations, Ul'dah, Gridania, and Limsa Lominsa, though the nations of Ishgard and Ala Mhigo are also here and later join Ul'dah, Gridania and Limsa Lominsa's Eorzean Alliance..

• Ul'dah: The desert jewel of Thanalan, and one of the three starting cities. Run by moneygrubbing Monetarists, and is supposedly a Sultanate. Their military is the Immortal Flames; formerly run by Raubahn Aldynn. You can obtain the Pugilist, Thaumaturge and Gladiator base classes, the Miner gathering class, the Alchemist, Goldsmithing and Weaver crafting classes, and the Monk, Black Mage, Paladin, Red Mage and Samurai jobs here. Their main leader is Nanamo ul Namo; the Sultana and figurehead of the state (though recently managed to reclaim some of her power and transfer it to help Ul'dah become a republic). Also the source of the first major "oh shit" moment when the Warrior of Light is framed for attempting to assasinate the Sultana, and is forced to flee Ul'dah.

• Gridania: A nation in the midst of the heavily forested Black Shroud, and one of the three starting cities. Infamously racist against Ala Mhigan Highlanders, Keepers of the Moon and Duskwights on the grounds of them disrupting the balance of the forest, Gridania is led by Padjals, a race of unaging, horned children who are apparently directly blessed by the Elementals. The Padjals' leader, Kan-E-Senna, runs the Order of the Black Adders, their military. You can obtain the Conjurer, Lancer and Archer base classes, the Botanist gathering class, the Carpenter and Leatherworker crafting classes, and the White Mage, Dragoon, Bard and Gunbreaker jobs. It also houses most of the Summoner quests when that's obtained.

• Limsa Lominsa: A nation of former pirates in the island of Vylbrand, and one of the three starting cities. Run by Admiral Merwylb Bloefhiswyn, she was the one who personally disbanded the practice of piracy, but still let some of the more stubborn crews serve as privateers against the invading Garlean Empire. Obviously, this is a very contentious point. They're also somewhat expansionist much to the dismay of the native Kobolds (who look less like cute squat dragons and more like moles. Their military is the Maelstrom; and very obviously naval in nature versus the more land bound militaries of the Flames and Adders. You can obtain the Arcanist and Marauder base classes here, the Rogue base class after obtaining level 10, the Fisher gathering class, the Armorer, Culinarian and Blacksmith crafting classes, and the Scholar, Summoner (though the Summoner quests are in Gridania), Warrior, Ninja, Dancer and Blue Mage jobs. Player-wise, Limsa is always the most crowded of the three main cities due to it being the only one to drop its aetherite plaza next to its market.

• Mor Dhona: A neutral land used as a hub for traveling adventurers, contested by the Eorzean Alliance and Garleans. Due to Bahamut nuking Eorzea (and mostly this region), Mor Dhona has a large collection of aetherically charged crystals. Bahamut's wave of destruction also helped to unearth the Crystal Tower. In the midst of Lake Silvertear is the "carcass" of the king of dragons, Midgardsormr. Infamous for being the headquarters of the opportunistic Rowena and her House of Splendors.

• Ishgard: A two tierd, primarily Elezen city in the ice-blasted region of Coerthas and the primary focus of the first expansion, Heavensward. When the players first encounter it, it's a Holy See run by Archbishop Thordan VII. Later, it gains a parliment similar to the UK consisting of the House of Lords and House of Commons and becomes a republic. Its military, the Temple Knights, was and still is led by Aymeric de Borel. Before and during Heavensward, Ishgard found itself embroiled with a war versus dragons. At first, it was believed the Ishgardians were in the right, when it later turned out it was the Ishgardians who murdered a mighty dragon known as Ratatoskr and incensed Nidhogg into creating a near permanent grudge. Unlike other expansions, you can find three jobs here; Dark Knight, Astrologian and Machinist.

• Dravania: Less a nation and more a region, Dravania is the home of dragons, Chocobos and Moogles, and also the former location of a colony of Sharlayan; a nation of scholars that nope'd out of the region when the war with Garlemald began. Also contains Alexander; a machine created by the Sharlayans that was later stuffed with a time-based Primal by goblins. And apparently cultivated the events surrounding its raid. Of course, Rowena has her House of Splendors here.

• Ala Mhigo: Found in the arid region of Gyr Abania, this nation is half of the focus of Stormblood. It was invaded very early in Final Fantasy XIV's lifespan (in fact, it was invaded before 1.0, the failed release of the game), and only liberated during Stormblood. Garleans led by Gauis van Baelsar (later, Zenos yae Galvus) were the previous owners of the place, and the nation was used as a guinnea pig for horrible weapons; including the calamitous Black Rose.

• Radz-at-Han: The focus of Endwalker and the nation on Thavnair, home of alchemical research.

• Othard: The other focus of Stormblood; consisting of several notable regions.

• Kugane: Capital of the island nation of Hingashi, and a neutral zone as far as the war between other nations and Garlemald.

• Azim Steppe: Home of the Xaela Au Ra; and is basically fantasy Mongolia with Mongolian tribes. Also apparently Rathaloses from Monster Hunter exist here, and are fully canon.

• Doma: A nation obliterated by Garlemald and ruled over by Zenos and his viceroy Yotsuyu, but reclaimed and rebuilt during Stormblood.

• Dalmasca: Conquered by the Garleans, and had an alternate version of Ivalice history.

• Bozja: Home of the Hrothgar, this nation was all that basically stood against the Allagans during the Third Astral Era. Eventually, the Garleans attacked Bozja, and obliterated the city and its inhabitants. Now, a group of resistance attempt to reclaim the former nation; even as they unearth the sins of the nation.

• Garlemald: The big bad nation, armed to the teeth with Magitek and the willingness to use it. Once a backwater nation bullied by other nations due to their lack of magic use, they invented technology that puts them on equal footing and decided that they've been pushed around long enough. They have a fetish for the ancient Allagan Empire; and are an Empire themselves. However, due to events in Shadowbringers and soon to be seen in Endwalker, the nation has all but collapsed.

The First

A world drowned in light. No, this isn't a good thing; as the vast majority of the world is surrounded in raw stasis. The Warrior of Light fixes it after calling themselves the Warrior of Darkness for a bit during Shadowbringers. Light aspected demonic entities known as Sin Eaters also infest the world, and turn other creatures into Sin Eaters by slaying them due to the overdosage of Light aether. All locations here take place on the only known continent, Norvrandt.

• Crystarium: A nation built around the Crystal Tower, led by a mysterious individual known as the Crystal Exarch. Yes, that Crystal Tower from Mor Dhona. Yes, there is in fact an explanation. The Crystarium is also known as one of the few places resistant if not immune to Sin Eaters. It is situated in the region of Lakeland.

• Eulmore: Situated on an island off the shore of Kholusia, this nation was formerly led by a horrifically obese man known as Vauthry; claimed to be able to control the Sin Eaters. Now, it's a republic, thanks to the efforts of the Warrior of Light.

• Kholusia: This region wouldn't be too noteworthy (other than Eulmore) if it weren't for the fact that a pocket of YorHa machine lifeforms and androids were found here; including 2B and 9S of Nier Automata fame. This is canon as well.

• Amh Araeng: The edge of the Flood of Light, where the First's Warriors of Light gave their lives to stop the Flood of Light that they caused. Also the entryway to the Empty, where the massive Sin Eater, Eden resides.

• Rak'tika Greatwood: Formerly the location of the Mesoamerican-themed Ronkan Empire, now the home of the Night's Blessed, a group of people who (somewhat rightfully) shun the Light and wish for a return of the night, and a tribe of Viis; who descended from vassals of the Ronkan Empire.

• Il Mheg: The nation of the Fae; including Pixies, Nu Mou, Fuath and various other fantastical creatures. Not even the Fae are immune to the effects of the Light, as seen by their infected King, Titania.

• The Tempest: The floor of the ocean isn't interesting enough, make it a reference to Rapture (Yes, THAT Rapture; after all, is an Ascian not entitled to the sweat of his brow?), and confirm the theory and claim that Hydaelyn and its thirteen shards were all once one world. One world that was populated by Ancients, beings who were incredibly powerful, unaging and basically created all life as we know it in the worlds.

Races

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There are a wide variety of races in Final Fantasy, and many of them only appear in one game, while others may appear in multiple games in slightly altered forms. Many of them are just different tribes of humans, such as the Al Bhed (green-eyed humans with a racial proclivity for machina). The more unusual species tend to capture the imagination more.

Moogles are cutesy little humanoids who commonly feature in the games as companions to the player characters or NPCs. They've also been called Mogs and Moglis. Their depictions defer depending on the game but most follow the same design of pudgy white fluffballs with catlike ears, a red nose, comically small wings and a red "pom-pom", that hangs on top of their heads from an antenna. They also like saying "Kupo" a lot, especially at the end of a sentence. Can be considered the series mascot along with Chocobos.

• 

  Moogles from Final Fantasy XIV. Based on classic moogles as well.

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  A not entirely traditional Moogle, hailing from the Ivalice games (FF12, FFTA and FFTA2). A surprisingly common Furry bait.

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  A Crystal Chronicles Moogle. Armless but not exactly harmless.

Burmecians, who only appeared in FF9, are a race of ratfolk (arguably kangaroo rat-influenced). Their society is based on togetherness, family, and close community, and they are known to be quite religious, with practices focused on worshipping through dance.

Elvaans (FF11) look like your classic elf, but are proud, disciplined, hardy warriors who have no talent for magic and instead devote themselves to proving their skill with the art of the sword.

Galka are hulking, seemingly all-male ogre-like creatures in FF11. Apparently asexual, they constantly live in a cycle of reincarnation. Your guess as to how this makes sense is as good as ours.

Genomes (FF9) are a race of artificial life-forms that resemble humans with monkey-like tails, which were created to exist as back-up bodies for an invading alien race.

Mithra (FF11) are infamous for being the catgirl race. There apparently are males, but due to their scarcity, they are kept strictly segregated in the Mithra lands, looking after the children. Like cats, they are playful, curious, and prone to mischief. They are best at being thieves, rangers, ninja, and mages with their high dexterity and agility.

Qu (FF9) are a bizarre race of androgynous, long-tongued humanoids which dwell in swamps. Known for their obsession with gourmet cooking and their love of frog-meat in particular.

TaruTaru (FF11) are basically the gnomes of Final Fantasy, although they look more like the titular Chipmunks and Chippettes from the 80s cartoon "Alvin and the Chipmunks". Dedicated and hard-working, they use their skill in magic to make up for their lack of physical prowess.

Ivalice Races

Ivalice has made the most appearances of any one Final Fantasy setting, with two being tactical RPGs full of generic soldiers, and thus has the largest array of potentially playable races to show up so far. It's even shown up in Final Fantasy XIV through the "Return to Ivalice" series.

Aegyls are a primitive race of winged humanoids, in a state of cultural and spiritual decline. Only appeared in Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings and only on their own flying continent. Because of lore reasons their souls were enslaved to their god and said god was draining them to keep his godhood resulting in the Aegyl becoming mostly emotionless sentinels.

Bangaas are a powerful race of hulking lizardfolk, distinguished by their two pairs of long, droopy, bunny-like ears. They are note for their strength and agility (Officially. Gameplay wise they are fairly slow.), favoring classes that require high physical power. In earlier incarnations (FFTA/FFXII) they were the 'orc' archetype with penchants towards unsavory and criminal activities but later on (FFTA2) that archetype was taken over by the Seeq and now they fill the 'honorable warrior race' archetype.

Garifs are a primitive race of ogre-like humanoids, characterized by their thick fur coats and their cultural doctrine of wearing masks throughout their life. They have a distinctly desert nomad feel and maintain an surprisingly intelligent culture but they do fuck all in any of the games aside from exposition.

Gria are an all-female race of humanoid dragons, with the classic "dragongirl" appearance of a dainty tail, horns and dragon wings on an otherwise human body. Despite their girlish looks, Gria are formidably strong due to their homeland being a volcanic island hellhole. They also make use of geomancers to survive in unfavorable terrain both at home and afar. Due to their natural wings they have the ability to fly everywhere but are gimped in terms of job selection.

Humes are Humans. Well balanced and have access to a variety of jobs. What did you expect? Tends to render Bangaas and Nu Mou pointless in their respective areas simply by virtue of having wider options for support abilities and able to cheese the fuck out of their Speed stat through clever class management, resulting in extremely high initiative second only to the Viera. They pay for it by being statistically worse in many areas compared to the more specialized races.

Moogles are as mentioned above. A distinct contrast from their depiction in most other Final Fantasy titles, the Moogles in Ivalice have a clearly defined, independent civilization and homeland while also being the most capable Moogles in any FF title. Think Dwarfs but with a lot more charm and a hell of a lot more scientific progress (they built the first airships of the setting, after all). While speedy they tend to focus on gimmicks mechanically, which barring a couple of absurd builds hampers their general use. Oddly enough they are the only other race barring Humes and select Bangaa to wield firearms widely and efficiently.

Nu Mou are the wise race of Ivalice, resembling a strangely cute mix of lizardfolk and long-eared, hunch-backed dog- or rabbitfolk. They are known for their proficiency with magic and scholarly attitude, leaning more towards the science side of magic. They populate most of the learning centers of Ivalice and almost comically resemble university professors, aside from the fact they can very casually cast extremely advanced magic in battle. They are the premier spellcasting race in Ivalice but suffer terribly in every other role.

In Final Fantasy XIV, they're not actually in that game's version of Ivalice, but are instead treated as Fey, using their more adorable Final Fantasy Tactics appearance as a reference for their model..

Seeqs are the new orcs of Ivalice, appearing as large, bulky pig-men (with a hint of shark). Barbarous and cowardly, they often tend to be bandits though later interpretations make them out to be more inclined towards the outdoors and nature than merely being the criminal race. Their idiosyncratic culture often puts them at odds with the legalistic civilizations in Ivalice. They are playable in one game and very physically focused outside of one surprisingly broken setup that can boost and reverse the effects of items for massive damage.

Viera are perhaps the most famous of Ivalice's races, being a species of practically all-female amazon rabbitfolk-elves of legendary beauty and with a preference for skimpy clothes. Quick, agile, great with bows, long-lived and equally proficient with both magic and martial combat, only female Viera ever appear, as their menfolk are both rare and extremely territorial, hiding even from their women until it's breeding season. Their depiction is the most erratic of Ivalice's races but tend to follow a synthesis of Wood Elf and Amazon elements. Despite their attractive image they are surprisingly stoic and deadpan. Due to FFXIV having an extremely similar setting to Ivalice, it is perfectly possible to make the same assumption about male Viera as in FFXIV.

Eorzea Races

Eorzea is the setting of the MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV. Some are variations of the same races from FFXI or other games, and typically come in two ethnicities, which basically amounts to variations in skin and hair colors. Unlike FFXI, races are largely cosmetic, so you can cast spells as a hulking Roegadyn or trade blows with a giant as a tiny Lalafell wielding an axe for little to no mechanical disadvantage.

Au Ra(Pronounced "OW-Rah") are human-like beings with dragon-like horns, tail, and scales over their body. Males are significantly taller than females. They generally come from the Far East, with most in Eorzea being refugees from Imperial conquest. They come in Raen(white scales) and Xaela(black scales). Both are pretty enough to count as Monstergirls. According to the devs, they're supposed to be based more off Demons than Dragons, making them Tieflings

Elezen are The game's version of the Elvaan, a.k.a. the Elves of the game. Elezen are tall, slender, and long-limbed, with the requisite ears, have really good hearing and really bad at getting over things. They are one of the few native races to Ezorea, with the Wildwood Elezen(Wood Elves) who live in the forests of the Black Shroud and respect the power of the Elementals living there, and the Duskwight Elezen(i.e. Drow), who lived underground and have a not-too-unwarranted criminal reputation. They age slightly less according to official lore.

Hrothgar are huge Cat-furries, one of the largest races in the game. So far, only male Hrothgar have been seen, but females are known to exist. Based on Final Fantasy X's Ronso race, which makes the lack of female playable Hrothgar stranger. There's also a conspicuous lack of hats. Similar to Male Viera, they'll be getting female Hrothgar, but they won't be available on release.

Hyur are Humans(again). 'Nuff said. Comes in buff Highlander or twink Midlander form. Hyur also have an exceptionally rare strain of mutants known as Padjals; Padjals are "blessed" with the ability to commune with elementals, and are distinguished by the demon-like horns that erupt from their heads in youth. Because of the dangers of their powers, Padjal children are expected to be surrendered to the Conjurer's Guild of Gridania to be raised and trained.

Lalafell are the next version of the Tarutaru: Tiny and extremely cute(even the ones with facial hair are adorable). More like Halflings than Gnomes, Lalafell don't have any particular bend towards the mystic arts. The game actually makes a decent point to not play kid gloves with the Lalafell in spite(if not because) of their cuteness. Quite a few of the storyline NPC Lalas are either greedy, conceited, shady as fuck, or just irritable assholes; overall they come off as half Dorf, half Ferengi. They are split between Dunesfolk and Plainsfolk, but good luck telling the difference (Dunesfolk have doll-like eyes with no apparent pupil). Alone of the starting factions they OWN Ul'dah outright, both in name with Sultana Nanamo and in actuality with the Syndicate.

Miqo'te are the resident Cat-person race, like the Mithra(who are said to be their ancestors, but not quite confirmed). Like the Mithra, they were originally a female-only race in the game, but apparently their males aren't as rare, and the A Realm Reborn relaunch allowed players to choose Male Miqo'te. They are split between the patriarchal and diurnal Seekers of the Sun and the nocturnal matriarchy of the Keepers of the Moon.

Roegadyn Started off effectively being their versions of the Galka, but female Roegadyn NPCs were seen around the game. Like the Miqo'te, they got the option of playing females in the relaunch. Roegadyn are extremely tall, with even short females often being taller than the males of other races. Males are wide-bodied and muscular, rivalling Hrothgar in overall size. The race is split between the land-based and earthy Hellsguard and the piratey and ocean themed Sea Wolves. Hellsguard usually have simple “Adjective Noun” names. Sea Wolves have the same naming scheme, but are near impossible to spell due to a Welsh-inspired translation(Y’s everywhere!).

Viera are pretty much the same as before. Bunny-girl fanservice that kicks ass. Despite fan demand, there are no male Viera... nor are there hats and (most) headgear for Viera. At least, there aren't male Viera until Endwalker. No luck on the hats though, far as we know.

Loporrits are a non playable race of anthropomorphic rabbits (not Viera; Loporrits are 100% furries the size of Lalafell) that feature heavily in the Endwalker storyline. They're essentially a fusion of two of the franchise's previous rabbit races, the Hummingway of FFIV (from which they get their naming pattern) and the Moogles of Ivalice (in technical aptitude).

Classes

Final Fantasy(I) started you with four faceless adventurers that could each be one of six classes. Most subsequent games would use defined characters, but often with abilities similar to the classes defined in the first and third games. Many spinoffs and the MMO games used classes as well. These classes have become rather iconic to the series, and even have signature looks and abilities that are shared between games.

One thing some games (especially III, V, the Tactics games, and the MMOs) had was what is called the Job System: a single character may have many classes, and can switch from one or the other between battles, or sometimes even use the abilities of an alternate class on top of the one they’re currently using. Some of the most common examples include:

Fighter is usually one of the first classes a character can use at the start of the game. Nothing much to it but high physical stats, so it hits hard and takes hard hits. Usually used as a stepping stone to more specialized martial classes like Knight, Warrior, or the like. Sometimes takes features from Berserker in MMOs when it's called "Warrior".

Black Mage is the basic Sorcerer (with the aesthetic of the Wizard) who casts the spells that make the peoples fall down. They are specced almost entirely to inflict damage, with a few rebuffs for flavor. One of the more iconic looks for the series, the classic Black Mage wears a dark blue robe with a yellow cone-shaped hat with a wide brim. Typically, only a pair of yellow eyes can be seen of their faces beneath the hat.

The White Mage conversely is the Cleric. Thus they heal damage, add protection, and smite with holy energy when needed. They are typically seen as wearing white hooded robes trimmed with red triangles. There is a very good chance that a "generic" White Mage(and many characters for that matter) will be female. This is notable in that because of this, most JRPGs will put a female character in the role of healer.

Red Mages can cast both Black and White magic (though not as much as the dedicated mages), and can fight decently once their MP runs out. Taking that in mind, as well as the general flamboyance of the stereotypical Red Mage outfit, and it’s clear that this was initially Final Fantasy’s version of the Bard. Many games have given them the ability to Doublecast or Dualcast, which allows them to cast a spell twice in one turn. As the series progressed, this is often the class that gets messed around with for the purposes of granting it an identity. FFV introduced Dualcast, FFXI attempted to play up a Gish with spell-infused weapon attacks but failed and created something more enfeebling instead, FF Dimensions gave it a very Magus-like Magic Blade ability, FFXIV decided to somewhat abandon the "jack of all trades" aspect in favor of creating a strange hybrid melee-caster that can cast from afar to build up mana and then unleash it with weapon strikes, while the Final Fantasy-adjacent series Bravely Default plays up the Red Mage's potential for "action economy fuckery" by granting bonus Brave (Action) Points.

By that token, Bards lose access to magic (most of the time) due to Red Mage's existence and instead focus on songs and performance, becoming a support-based powerhouse who can kill enemies with songs, empower their allies and whatever the developers decide to stick onto them. Infamous for being spoony.

Whether called Mystic Knights, Spellblades, Spellfencers, or Rune Fencers, this is a class built on having consistent spell damage every time they attack with a weapon. Often a key ingredient in breaking games.

Thieves(some prefer to be called "Treasure Hunters") are literally just Rogues. At first they only allowed the ability to run away without fail, but later gained their iconic Steal and Mug abilities that they became known for. Far more focused on sneaking rather than actually sneak attacking, though MMO entries attempt to rectify this. Often(but not always), the Thief is used as a stepping stone to...

Ninjas are Ninjas. They're sometimes known for having Black Magic(or similar attack arts of their own), but other times, they're where most of the sneak attack goes. They often gain the ability to throw things for massive damage, usually shuriken or all those old swords cluttering up your inventory. They're also the class usually keeping the Dual Wield ability hostage.

Monks still do their unarmed(well, punching) attacks but are more often than not extremely powerful for what they can do. Sometimes they have unique combo mechanics and anime-style ki-abilities. To make up for a lack of armor, Monks often get a crapton of health. The Monk shown here, Sabin from Final Fantasy VI, is legendary for suplexing a whole-ass train.

Paladins are as you expect them. White Magic-empowered knights that can heal allies and smite foes. However, they have an extremely defensive focus, being able to take hits for allies.

Dark Knights are the closest thing to Blackguard that FF gets, but they're not quite close. Rather than being divine gishes, they tend to be HP-shaving masochists that use their own health as fuel for their combat prowess. Very glass cannony as a result, but a good White Mage in the party can keep their HP topped up and the attacks flowing.

Chemists are potion makers. Capable of creating either standard items or stranger concoctions, they pretty much are an alternative means of healing versus White Mages.

Beastmasters are Druids without the ability to cast spells, but they still get to have their "one with nature" shtick by commanding monsters in battle.

Berserkers are unstoppably angry humanoid bulldozers who can't be calmed down by anything. Unlike the Barbarian, Berserkers usually can't turn their rage off, but thankfully won't usually attack their allies.

Geomancers are weird semi-casters that have the ability to use different spell-like abilities based on their surroundings. Sometimes they get spells that they can use all the time, but it's not that common.

Time Mages are the Wizard to the Black Mage's Sorcerer, as they break the world around them. Gaining access to strange enfeebling and enhancing spells often related to time and space(such as Haste or Slow), Time Mages are either entirely useless for relying almost entirely on status effects or overpowered for having some of the best buffs.

Blue Mages can cast some of the spell-like abilities used by monsters and other enemies. This can range from unique spells and physical attacks, to launching missiles and spitting fish at your opponent. The problem is that to learn an ability, they usually have to experience it first-hand(i.e. have the enemy use it on them) first, although there was that one weird woman who could consume the enemy and learn it that way(never seemed to gain an ounce, though). The only thing consistent about the Blue Mage is that they get enemy abilities, really.

Dragoons, also known as Dragon Knights or Lancers are a specialized fighting class typically equipped with a spear/lance and armor that makes them look like a dragon. Their signature ability is to jump really high and come down right on top of your head, spear-point first. Other abilities are less consistent across games, but include breath attacks, stealing Health from the enemy, or having a small wyvern fight by their side.

Summoners call on the power of God-like beings to fight in battle. In practice, they're usually Black Mages who drop much bigger numbers of damage after a short(or not) cutscene. The beings they summon have become recurring icons in and of themselves(and have helped reinforce the idea of Bahamut being a Dragon). This is also very likely to be a class that will be fucked around with, as summons and their mechanics often change from game to game.

Dancers are a combination of Bard and a lightly armored offensive class (sometimes Thief, sometimes Monk, sometimes a wholly original discipline) that still support, but while looking fly as hell with their dances. When Bard and Dancer are together in a game, Bard often buffs allies while Dancer debuffs enemies.

Of course there's Rangers, but they work a little differently than their DnD/Pathfinder counterparts. They're almost entirely focused on using their ranged weapon with occasional nature-based help. Sometimes, there isn't a de-facto "ranger" and instead, the game features an archer or gunner.

Samurai are the other iconic weeb job who, while other classes fight in their battles, they train with the sword. Their actual class identity varies as they sometimes throw money at their foes, sometimes do weird iaijutsu attacks or having a counter mechanic (as the Swordmaster in Bravely Default).

Mimics aren't Monsters disguised like a treasure chest, but something of a joke job/character. They have only one ability: Do whatever the person who just moved did. Fighter swings his sword? Mimic swings a sword. White Mage casts Cure? Mimic casts Cure. Summoner calls Bahamut? Mimic calls Bahamut. This allows you to move twice for each character while effectively sacrificing a party slot. Depending on the game and system, this can be powerful, or difficult to properly use. Usually both.

Gunbreakers wield FF's most iconic piece of gadgetry, gunblades. The typical gunblade in Final Fantasy is a sword which uses gun-like cartridges to add force to their swings or charge the blade with power, although more traditional "guns with swords on them" gunblades also exist. This class is essentially turning a single character(FF VIII's Squall Leonheart) into an entire class.

Monsters and other Enemies

As noted before, the first Final Fantasy's bestiary drew heavily from the classic D&D Monster Manual. Some creatures only shared a name for various reasons(which we'll get into in a minute), while others were so similar they actually had to be re-drawn for the NES version to avoid getting sued by TSR. Later games have borrowed from literature, mythology, folklore, and the artists' own imaginations. Also, hardware limitations. Video games have hard limits on time and memory space. So to preserve both, programmers often resorted to Palette Swapping -- Making a new monster by changing the color of a previous monster sprite and altering the stats. This can be done to, for example, paint a Cockatrice red and giving it fire attacks to make it a Pyrolisk, but it can also mean enlarging a chameleon, painting it green and calling it a Basilisk, then coloring it blue and saying it's now a Catoblepas. Then another game turns around and makes a giant bull-monster and says that this is a Catoblepas.

That all said, however, a number of monsters have become recurring elements, and they or their designs have become iconic to the series in their own right.

Adamantoise: A giant turtle with a shell as hard as, if not explicitly made of, Adamantine. First appeared in Final Fantasy II.

Ahriman: While the first game straight-up had Beholders, Final Fantasy III decided to create a (slightly)more original eye monster. Guarding the Dark Earth Crystal was a round monster with wings, stubby legs, a single large eye and a mouth full of sharp teeth. Yeah, basically they turned a Beholder into a bat. Square promptly took the piss out of themselves in the very next game by having the hero blow three of them up with a bomb in what was basically a cutscene. They have since appeared as more normal enemies in later games, often with Palette Swaps named Evil Eye, Floating Eye, Bat Eye or Plague(Horror). Like the Beholder, they still love their deadly gaze attacks, but usually only have one or two per type.

Alexander: A robotic castle powered by holy rage. Is usually a Summon, but sometime you have to fight inside or even against it.

Behemoth: A monster of biblical proportions. Details vary, but they generally look like a cross between a Bull and a Dinosaur. They are generally Huge, Purple, and very bad news, often appearing as bosses, or just so tough they might as well have. They've even appeared in other games, such as Kingdom Hearts and Monster Hunter: World.

Bomb: A floating creature that looks a lot like a living fireball, made up primarily of a face with large eyes and mouth and very stubby arms. Typically attack with charges or bites(and the occasional fire magic), but when they get mad enough, they inevitably explode, dealing heavy damage and usually killing themselves in the process. Variants include the Gray Bomb, Grenade, Ice Bomb, and of all things, Balloon. Then there's their Boss forms, the giant King Bomb and the Mom Bomb.

Cactuar: A weird walking cactus with stiff joints. It is known for firing needles at threats. These needles are so weak that they only inflict a single point of damage. The problem is, the Cactuar tends to fire them a thousand at a time. So while the damage might be diddley, it's a whole lotta diddley. One particularly nasty Cactuar has an attack that deals 10,000 points of damage... when the most your party members and enemies can have is 9,999.

Chocobo: One of Final Fantasy's mascot creatures, other than Moogles. It's generally a cross between a chicken and an ostrich with yellow feathers that typically serves the inhabitants as mounts and beats of burden, summoned to attack like a Pokemon, can be party members and occasionally enemies. There have been a few notable variants, usually denoted by the color of their plumage. list

• Green Chocobos are weaker physically, but can often traverse mountains easily or have supportive healing abilities.
• Blue Chocobos can easily traverse shallower waters like rivers and lakes.
• Black Chocobos typically have the ability to fly and in addition to those of Green and Blue
• Gold Chocobos Has all abilities of the Chocobos above and can cross oceans.
• White Chocobos are stronger healers, and may even be able to replenish the MP of your party.
• Red Chocobos are powerful fighters and enemies, often capable of dropping large meteors on you from out of nowhere.
• Fat Chocobos are obese Yellow chocobos that are often called to store excess items, even in the remakes. Despite larger inventories that are no longer restricted by the small memory capacity of the Nintendo Entertainment System (storing "list of things you are carrying" is not a trivial problem when you only have 2kb of RAM to run the entire game in). Don't ask where, how you get them back or how their stored. Also appears as a summon monster in a few games.

Coeurl: The Coeurl first appeared as a black panther-like alien that devours Id and Phosphorus in the Sci-Fi novel Black Destroyer by A.E. van Vogt. Final Fantasy's version resembles a large Leopard or Panther with long tentacles alongside or instead of whiskers. They're best known for a paralyzing attack called "Blaster"

Death Claw: Typically a semi-humanoid insect-like monster with six claw-tipped arms that kind of make it look like a hand. See also the Iron Claw.

Flamehound: A Hellhound with a little more Hell to it, this doggo is made entirely of flames. Final Fantasy being what it is, there's also the Ice-based Frostbeast.

Flan: A blob monster that comes in a rainbow of colors(and one assumes, flavors). With names like Red Marshmallow, Mousse, Flan Princess, and Purple Bavarois.

Malboro: A giant plantlike mass of tentacles, eyes, and a humongous mouth. Their signature attack is called "Bad Breath", which usually inflicts several status effects on the victim all at once. If there was a less subtle way to say "Don't smoke, kids!", we haven't seen it.

Ochu: Originally an Otyugh, the Ochu has since differentiated into a plant-based creature.

Sabin the day...

Phantom Train: Also known as the Doomtrain, this ghostly locomotive ferries the souls of the dead to the Afterlife. For something with such an important duty, you certainly seem to be fighting it a lot. Due to an oversight, if you overlevel Sabin until he learns Suplex, he can suplex the entire damn Phantom Train, usually killing it in one hit by that point.

Tonberry: A cute Goblin-size monster with green skin, yellow eyes, a small snout, and a fish-like tail. They typically wear brown robes and carry a lantern and a little kitchen knife. They move slowly, but if you let them get close, they will murder the abso-fucking-SHIT out of you with that little knife. Their special power is having the one sharp pointy thing in the whole franchise that does realistic "so you've been stabbed in the chest" damage. The lantern is also used for an attack usually called "Karma" or "Everyone's Grudge", that gets stronger the more enemies you've killed. Also has stronger variants such as the Master Tonberry who move faster with more HP, better stats and extra abilities.

Warmech: The first Final Fantasy had a nasty surprise for those who went to challenge Tiamat (not quite that one but very similar); a long bridge leading to the boss chamber had a small chance that any random encounters that came up on it would turn out to be the Warmech (also known as Death Machine), a robot walker that was not only the single toughest non-Boss enemy in the game, but dished out more damage than the bosses!

Zu: A large black bird with a long neck and heavy beak. Also called a Rukh or Tot Aevis.