Summons are massive, magical creatures that assist warriors on the battlefield in Final Fantasy games, and they’re an important staple of the series. You may know them by different names, depending on the games you’ve played–Espers (Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy XII), Eidolons (Final Fantasy IX, Final Fantasy XIII), Guardian Forces (Final Fantasy VIII), Aeons (Final Fantasy X)–but they’re all serve the same purpose: to deal heavy damage to enemies amidst a spectacle of power. First introduced in Final Fantasy III, summons have become something fans of the series look forward to unearthing in new games.
It’s no different for those looking forward to Final Fantasy XV, which is currently slated to launch sometime next year. So far only two summons have been revealed: the lightning god Ramuh, which players could use in the Final Fantasy XV Episode Duscae demo; and Titan, revealed in a trailer released last year. Most Final Fantasy games include a dozen or more different creatures to summon, and we’re hoping Final Fantasy XV won’t be any different. Based on what we’ve seen of the game so far, here are the classic monsters we’d love to see come to our aid.
Knights of the Round as they appear in Final Fantasy VII.
Knights of the Round
Knights of the Round is one of the series’ most unusual summons. While most summons are a single entity, this one includes 13 powerful knights who deal 13 blows to an enemy party. It goes without saying that this kind of collaborative show of masculine display–the most powerful summon available in Final Fantasy VII–seems appropriate for a group of friends. But where this summon would really make sense is if the game ties its presence into Noctis’ lineage. This summon could work as a band of knights that previously served the kingdom of Lucius, protecting the royal family and coming when called to assist them in combat. This kind of heritage-exclusive summon would be even more powerful if, say, King Regis handed it down to his son personally, adding emotional weight to it.
Not only does the Knights of the Round summon deal multiple blows, making it a high-damage dealer similar to what we’ve seen of Final Fantasy XV’s Ramuh, but the final blow is dealt with the legendary sword Excalibur. A summon fit for a king, if you will.
Odin with Lightning in Final Fantasy XIII-2.
Odin
A knight riding the demonic horse Sleipnir and wielding the ability to cleave enemies in two, Odin’s appearance has been tied to the most powerful and regal of Final Fantasy’s heroes. In Final Fantasy IV, a defeated king takes on Odin’s power. In Final Fantasy VI, he was the guardian of an ancient castle. In Final Fantasy IX, Odin is obtained from Queen Brahne and can only be summoned after by Princess Garnet. And in Final Fantasy XIII, Odin chooses to be the Eidolon of Lightning, the ringleader of the group of heroes who eventually becomes a goddess.
With the presence of a prince in Final Fantasy XV, perhaps Odin will make an appearance as well. Also, because XV is technically still under the umbrella of the Fabula Nova Crystallis universe–which also includes the Final Fantasy XIII games and Final Fantasy Type-0–giving the main protagonist access to Odin furthers this thematic link. Odin could be a summon that Noctis finds in some ancient building belonging to his family. Or, conversely, could be a summon given to him by the kingdom of Tenebrae as dowry for his marriage to Lady Lunafreya. Either way, Odin feels like the kind of summon that, like Knights of the Round, would come to him by royal means.
Shiva
Shiva in FFX executing her ultimate attack, “Diamond Dust.”
I feel like you can’t have a Final Fantasy game without an appearance from the ice queen. Ramuh’s presence as an elemental-based summon leads me to believe that there could be other summons with attacks dedicated to one element. Given Noctis and his companions have a long road ahead of them, an icy environment could be in the future, making it the perfect spot to dig down into another gremlin-infested cave to fish out Shiva.
Given how flirtatious and somewhat sexualized Shiva’s appearances have been in the past–she whips off her veil when summoned in Final Fantasy X and is basically two women joined together to make a motorcycle in Final Fantasy XIII–I’d like to see her portrayed differently. Shiva is a Hindu god–Shiva the Destroyer, with both a benevolent and a darker side, tied to both creation and the destruction of all things. With Final Fantasy XV’s emphasis on warring kingdoms, it would be awesome to see her in a different form. Instead of a scantily-clad maiden, perhaps someone more closely linked to her namesake, clad in armor and wielding some sort of weapon, passing judgment on both her enemies and those who would use her power.
Gilgamesh
Yoshitaka Amano’s artwork of Gilgamesh from Final Fantasy V.
Gilgamesh, named for the ancient Sumerian king who wielded immense power and allegedly made miracles, has been both a summon and an enemy boss in many Final Fantasy games. He was first introduced in Final Fantasy V, where he fights against and then eventually aids the player party. He sacrifices himself by jumping into the interdimensional Void that connects all worlds. Since then, with each appearance in subsequent Final Fantasy games, he is alluded to as being the same person from V. Gilgamesh wanders the worlds collecting powerful swords–in Final Fantasy XII he even uses swords belonging to other franchise heroes include Cloud Strife and Tidus–and his appearances are always overdramatic and humorous.
With 10 years between Final Fantasy XV’s announcement and potential release, and so much lore for other Final Fantasy games being released since then, Gilgamesh’s appearance could be very tongue-in-cheek. Perhaps he drifted away into Noctis’ world looking for a little normalcy–XV is, after all, “a fantasy based on reality.” Or maybe he was drawn there by the tremendous power surrounded Noctis’ destiny or the game’s big bad guy, who director Hajime Tabata has said will be the baddest one yet. His backstory coupled with his power–he is notorious hard to beat as a boss fight–would make him an excellent addition to the party’s retinue of summons.
Alexander
Alexander is literally a walking fortress. Going back to the idea of summons tied to kingship and royal blood, a locomoting castle seems like a pretty good addition to a prince’s string of summons. Noctis’ connection to the gods also put in context Alexander’s biggest attack, most often called “Divine Judgment” or “Holy” in other Final Fantasy games. In the recent trailer released at Gamescom, the middle of three mist-shrouded figures looks like it could possibly be Alexander, though Tabata explicitly stated those figures were not summons.
Final Fantasy IX concept art of Alexander.
In Final Fantasy IX, Alexander is connected to the royal bloodline of the kingdom of Alexandria. With the kingdom under attack, summoners Dagger and Eiko call him to their assistance, and he appears as a massive winged fortress and wipes out the enemy. In Final Fantasy XIII, Alexander draws in enemy attacks, serving as a protector for his summoner, Hope Estheim. For Noctis and friends, Alexander could be a literal guardian, taking up the role of a summon that prioritizes defense of the party.
Anima
Mondays, am I right?
Anima is inarguably the creepiest, most badass Aeon from Final Fantasy X, the only game in which she appears. Born from the dream of an abandoned mother desperate to protect her son, Anima’s existence is built on despair and pain. Anima belongs to Seymour, the game’s main villain, but she can be obtained if you complete an optional and difficult temple dungeon.
Anima is weird and fierce. The emphasis on destiny and death in her inception and attacks could be a good fit for Final Fantasy XV, which also seems to build its narrative on the idea of fate. Anima’s massive form and ability to deal incredibly high damage–its sixteen-hit Overdrive attack can deal over 1.5 million points of damage–put her on par with Ramuh, another large entity who can fell a Behemoth in a single hit.
Bahamut
Bahamut from the remastered editions of Final Fantasy IV.
A summon so popular he got his own games (Bahamut Lagoon), Bahamut has appeared in nearly every Final Fantasy game and boasts the epithet The Dragon King. Bahamut is often referred to as the most powerful summon, and his ultimate attack, MegaFlare, deals an extreme amount of damage. Usually, Bahamut will only aide those capable of defeating him in battle.
Bahamut was first introduced in the original Final Fantasy, not as a summon but as a being that allowed players access to more powerful upgrades. In Final Fantasy IV, he is the God of Eidolons. In Final Fantasy IX, Bahamut is taken from Dagger by the villain Kuja and used to attack Alexander. In Final Fantasy X, Bahamut is the most powerful Aeon and takes the form of a child to guide Tidus’ journey. The villain of Final Fantasy XIII-2 has the ability to turn into Bahamut. And in the Final Fantasy VII universe, there are several different species of Bahamut. Bahamut is everywhere. It would be remiss to leave him out of Final Fantasy XV.
Give his stature as the Summon to end all Summons, King of Dragons and Eidolons, it would be neat if he was the final summon Noctis obtained. Perhaps as he ascends the throne and takes charge of his destiny, so will he be able to control Bahamut.
Choo-choo mother******s!
Doomtrain
Unique to Final Fantasy VIII. It’s a train with a face. Why the hell not?
What other summons would you like to see in Final Fantasy XV? Let us know in the comments below!
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