Summons - Final Fantasy
Summoned creatures have been a staple of the [ Final Fantasy ] franchise, a series of role-playing video games developed and produced by Square Enix. Summons were first introduced with the release of Final Fantasy III in 1990. Summons are magical creatures that can be summoned in battle and perform a number of functions, including offensive, healing, and supportive actions. The method of summoning creatures and their abilities have varied considerably throughout the series' various entries.
Summons in Final Fantasy III
In Final Fantasy III , a character is able to summon based on level. A level 1 character is able to summon a Chocobo , and so on. However, only the Evoker, Summoner, and Sage classes are able to summon. Summonable creatures found in Final Fantasy III often reappear as summons in later Final Fantasy games as well. Some of the most common summons in the series include Shiva, Ramuh, Leviathan, Titan, Ifrit, and Bahamut, all of which appear in the earliest and most recent entries in the series that feature summons ( Final Fantasy III and Final Fantasy XV ).
Summons in Final Fantasy IV
In Final Fantasy IV , it is possible to summon various magical beings called Eidolons using Rydhia, a playable character in the game. Initially, she can only summon a Chocobo, but as she gains experience and levels up, she is able to summon more powerful creatures.
Summons in Final Fantasy V
In Final Fantasy V, summons are called using the Summoner Job, which has five summoning levels with a number of different summons with varying abilities.
Summons in Final Fantasy VI
In Final Fantasy VI, magical beings called espers are introduced. When killed, espers drop magicite. Equipping this magicite allows you to summon espers in battle.
Summons in Final Fantasy VII
In Final Fantasy VII , summons are available if a character equips Summoning Materia, though it can only be used a limited number of times per battle, indicated by the Materia's level. However, if an item called Master Summoning Materia is obtained, it can be used to cast every summon in the game without limit. Cait Sith has a Limit Break summoning ability that allows her to call a summon without using MP.
Summons in Final Fantasy VIII
In Final Fantasy VIII, Guardian Forces can be used by "linking" them to a certain character, allowing them to enhance a specific character stat or grant them an elemental or status effect.
Summons in Final Fantasy IX
In Final Fantasy IX , like Final Fantasy IV , summons are called "Eidolons," and only Dagger and Eirko are able to summon them, as they are members of a summoner tribe. These characters learn summons by equipping jewels and mastering a summoning skill unique to an Eidolon. Eidolons have quick and long summoning sequences. Eiko can use add-ons to affect her summons, while Dagger has a "Trance" command that changes her summon command to an Eidolon command that can randomly respawn the last Eidolon she summoned.
Summons in Final Fantasy X
In Final Fantasy X, Aeons can be used to aid summoners in their pilgrimage. They can be controlled as if they were a character during battle, replacing a party member until they are defeated or dismissed. Yuna is the only character who can summon Aeons.
Summons in Final Fantasy XI
In Final Fantasy XI , only summoners and characters with a summoner support job can summon avatars. There are three types of summonable avatars: Earth Spirits, Sky Spirits, and Elemental Spirits. After being summoned, avatars fight until they are released, but consume a lot of MP to remain active.
Summons in Final Fantasy XII
In Final Fantasy XII, Espers or "Scions" refer to enemies and summons from previous Final Fantasy games, and each represents both a light and dark side of the zodiac signs. When Espers are summoned in Final Fantasy 12 , two party members are replaced.
Summons in Final Fantasy XIII
In Final Fantasy XIII, Eidolons are supernatural beings associated with l'Cie that can be summoned in battle. They are capable of entering Gestalt mode, which essentially transforms them into a mount that Lightning can ride during battle.
Summons in Final Fantasy XIV
In Final Fantasy XIV , Summoning found in previous Final Fantasy games reappears here as "primals" and plays an important role in the plot. Most primals are associated with a certain race of Beastman. Summoning in Final Fantasy XIV is limited to the Archanist class, though they cannot summon primals themselves. That said, the Summoner job in this class can summon an Aegis, which acts as a small fraction of a specific primal.
Summons in Final Fantasy XV
In Final Fantasy XV None, Noctis sets out to gain the power of the Astrals, which take the form of well-known summons from Final Fantasy. Astrals are creatures from the series, such as Leviathan, Titan, and Shiva. Prompts to summon these Astrals often appear when the player is in difficulty in battle. While the player does not have the option to choose which Astral to summon, certain prerequisites and factors can determine which Astral is summoned. These factors include the area in which the battle is taking place and the current state of the party.
