There have been many noteworthy summonses, but some haven’t been seen in a while.
Final Fantasy summons have become one of the series’ most recognizable elements, whether they are known as Aeons, Esper’s, Eikons, Guardian Forces, Astrals, or Eidolons. These magnificent entities or creatures are summoned by players to aid in battle and are capable of devastating strikes.
Final Fantasy summons have become one of the series’ most recognizable elements, whether they are known as Aeons, Esper’s, Eikons, Guardian Forces, Astrals, or Eidolons. These magnificent entities or creatures are summoned by players to aid in battle and are capable of devastating strikes.
(Image Credit: FinalfantasyXiv.com )
While summons did not exist in the first two Final Fantasy games, they were introduced in the third and rapidly became one of the series’ most recognizable elements. When the series entered 3D, it was perhaps Final Fantasy 8 that went all out, with each summon — known as Guardian Force (or GFs) in that title — getting dramatic and visually spectacular animations.
While fans wait patiently for Final Fantasy 16, which promises some truly epic summons encounters, they’ve been debating which summons they’d want to see return in future games. There have been quite a few of them over the years, with a core of them frequently recurring, while others make infrequent appearances yet leave a lasting impact with their charismatic designs.
While fundamental summons such as Shiva, Ifrit, Odin, Leviathan, Chocobo, and Bahamut appear frequently, there are some who haven’t appeared in a while. Quetzalcoatl was one among the most popular recommendations for a comeback in the above discussion, which was posted on the Final Fantasy subreddit. The Final Fantasy 8 Guardian Force is famed for Thunderstorm, its Native American inspiration, and many on the thread agreed they’d like to see it return.
Another popular idea was Diabolos from the same game, whom players could summon after defeating it as an optional boss. It delivered opponents fractional damage according on their level. It eventually appeared in following games, the most recent of which was Final Fantasy 14, one of the mainline entries. This summon was remembered fondly by many players.
Final Fantasy 8 summons appeared to be rather dominant on the list, maybe a testament to the quality and quantity of summons available in that title, and Doomtrain was a notable inclusion, with many on the thread requesting its return. Doomtrain, who was first revealed as a Guardian Force, also alluded to the Phantom Train boss from Final Fantasy 6. Doomtrain, inspired by ghost train folklore, was another memorable summon that players would like to see choo-choosing through a current game.
Could you name all seven-summons depicted in the OP? They are, in order of appearance, Valefor, Yojimbo, Magus Sisters, Anima (all FF10), Famfrit, Shemhazai (all FF12), and Cait Sith (FF7). Personally, I’d want to see Cactuar return. And maybe, just maybe, Square Enix will listen to these fan requests.
