Final Fantasy: 25 Greatest Summons

Final Fantasy X was the only game in the series to truly make summons feel like characters in their own right rather than accessories, with each being the manifestation of a human that willingly gave up their soul.

Valefor is the first aeon that Yuna acquires on her pilgrimage, becoming her signature companion for both that and the fact that it is the instrument of her rescue when she plummets from height in her escape from betrothal to the villainous Seymour.

Though each of the games first four summons are greatly usurped by Bahamut and the optional additions that come later, they always have a use in combat, either as a heavy damage dealer or as a sponge for attacks that would otherwise wipe out the entire party, with Valefor notable for their airborne status, rapid fire attacks and two Overdrives rather than every other aeon’s one.

Few things are as heart-wrenching as X’s conclusion, which sees Yuna have to individually put down each of her aeons, who give dark messages of encouragement beckoning her to end their suffering and allow them to rest. Valefor simply asks her to ‘strike me down’, becoming as emotionally impactful as the likes of V’s Syldra and IV’s Mist Dragon in the process.