Final Fantasy: 25 Greatest Summons

Odin is one of the most popular mythological figures thanks to both his status as the King of the Norse Gods and his appearances in prominent roles in contemporary mainstream media such as Neil Gaiman’s American Gods and the Thor films within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The Final Fantasy series has fluttered between depicting him as a high-end force and as a relatively ordinary summon. In some games, Odin must be defeated quickly in combat to earn his loyalty and his iconic Zanetsuken attack kills all enemies on screen without question. In others, it is either luck-based or interchangeable with other actions such as a non-elemental attack.

Odin’s usefulness can be called into question given that instant kill moves never work on bosses and no player would think to call upon him in urgent times of need as a result. This plays into a masterful appearance in VIII where he randomly appears during an endgame fight with Seifer, seemingly to end the fight instantly. Seifer’s subsequent bisection of him is therefore shocking, as is the replacement of Odin by Gilgamesh shortly afterwards.

Never far from his trusty steed Sleipner (who is often depicted with four legs instead of his eight from legend, frustratingly), Odin’s status as a harbinger of death elevates him significantly even if he can be unreliable.