Final Fantasy: 25 Greatest Summons

Shiva holds the record for the most appearances in the series as a summon, appearing as such in every main series title post-Final Fantasy III bar XII, pipping Ifrit to the title by virtue of his absence from XIII and recasting as a villain in XV.

Her depiction has been consistent with the exception of XIII, where she was reimagined as a pair of twin sisters that could transform into a motorcycle through that game’s somewhat forgotten Gestalt mode mechanic. This has been the source of a number of controversies throughout the history of the series, as her scantily-clad appearance has drawn complaints from puritanical cultures around the world and prompted hasty additions to her wardrobe, such as blankets, in certain releases.

It is unclear as to why Square-Enix went with this design, or why Shiva is usually one of the weaker summons given that the Shiva of Hindu mythology is a supreme god (part of the Trimurty of supreme divinity alongside Vishnu and Brahma), male and has nothing whatsoever to do with ice.

She has become so iconic, however, that it’d be difficult to imagine any game without her popping up to unleash Diamond Dust when called upon. Already confirmed for XVI, expect the 'first lady' of summons to recur until if and when the series finally calls it a day.