10 Greatest Ever Final Fantasy Summons
All hail Bahamut, or Ifrit, or Shiva...
Final Fantasy is a series which - for all its efforts to adapt and stay relevant amongst modern action, story-driven RPGs - has carved its own identity with all manner of unique characteristics and eccentric quirks. Utter any of the words "Chocobo", "Moogle" or even "Cid", and gamers instantly known what you are referring to.
One of the staple recurring features of Final Fantasy are the summons... or aeons... or guardian forces... the list goes on, with everyone having their favourite term for these mythical beasts and gods, most straight out of legend, that come to our heroes aid in the time of greatest need.
Some have left their mark despite only appearing once or twice, such as the terrifying Diabolos, while others remain unused in battle no matter how many games they show up in (I'm looking at you, Chocobo). But it takes something special to be listed in the top 10.
The list, though subjective, tries to balance series longevity, with impact, power and distinctiveness. In reverse order, here are our top 10 summons from throughout the Final Fantasy series.
10. Gilgamesh
Without a doubt the most unpredictable of summons, Gilgamesh can never quite make up his mind.
Starting out as a boss (an incompetent one at that) and the right-hand man to Final Fantasy V main villain, Exdeath, he reappears in a side quest battle in VI, and was later added to a dungeon in the original Final Fantasy remake, as well as FFIV: The After Years.
He switches allegiances in VIII after the surprise murder of a guardian force, when Seifer slices poor Odin in half. Gilgamesh shows up soon after, taking on the roll of random encounter summon, from insta-kill attacks to one-point hits. The Japanese version of VIII, where Gilgamesh arrives in battle muttering “...Bartz...” implies he is pulled through a inter-dimensional rift straight from FFV.
Gilgamesh had a quiet era, appearing as either an NPC (IX, XI) or not at all, until returning as an enemy in XII, XIII (as DLC) and XIV: A Realm Reborn.
He has been pictured appearing in the upcoming FFXV DLC, most likely as a villain, perhaps answering where Gladio got his scars from after leaving the group. Here's hoping the episode does justice to a character that has consistently entertained, challenged and surprised.