Every Version Of Phoenix In Final Fantasy
No one can put out the fire of new life. We also can’t be stopped from making a list of how each Phoenix in Final Fantasy stacks up.
There are a lot of cool monsters that can be called in Final Fantasy. It’s become a part of the series’ DNA, even though the makers have made it clear that they want each mainline game to be very much its own thing. You can change the setting, the story, the people, the way they fight, and even the overall feel, but chocobos and summons have to be there.
Phoenix has been around longer than almost anyone else. Even though it came out a little later than some other well-known characters. It has made a big impression on fans almost every time it has been seen. Let’s fly through the sky on the Flames of Rebirth and fall in love with it all over again.
Final Fantasy 12
Final Fantasy 12 is a great game, but it’s hard to give the Phoenix a good name when it’s shown in such a limited way. In FF12, Phoenix is a late-game mark hunt that you don’t have to do. And it’s not even one of the best. Montblanc asks players to find and beat it in Pharos’ Subterra. Pharos is the game’s final dungeon, and Subterra is an optional part that you can only access after climbing the big lighthouse in the main story.
We just spent more time talking about where Phoenix is in Final Fantasy 12 than we did talking about the firebird itself, which shows how small of a role it plays. At least we can be thankful for the great entries in FF12’s bestiary. There are a few lines about Phoenix’s history in there.
Final Fantasy 13
At least by the 12th game, Phoenix had a clear face. Phoenix from Final Fantasy 13 is one of many mysterious beings called fal’Cie. Its job is to provide warmth and light to the artificial floating world of Cocoon, which it does very well. At least, it will until it doesn’t, which is because of how FF13 ends.
Sazh Katzroy thanks the fal’Cie Phoenix for helping him hide his spaceship from PSICOM agents who were after it, so that’s something. Using the famous summon in this way is an interesting choice, and the story gets credit for it. But we don’t see Phoenix for more than a few seconds, and it doesn’t leave the biggest impression.
Final Fantasy 8
And now that we’re done with those two games, we can move on to the many cool ways Phoenix is used in Final Fantasy. In FF8, the calls (called “Guardian Forces” in the game) are all great, and Phoenix is no different. The only thing that makes it not quite as good is that the first time a Phoenix Pinion item is used. Phoenix will come and bring back all allies who have died in fight.
From then on, there is a small chance that Phoenix will come back and do the same thing. There aren’t many Phoenix Pinions in the game, at least until you figure out how and where to turn Mega Phoenix things into them. So when the beautiful bird suddenly appears, it stands out for its power and beauty.
Final Fantasy 9
In Final Fantasy 9, Phoenix is linked to Phoenix Pinions in the same way. This Eidolon of Eiko’s is learned with that item, but Phoenix Pinions are easier to get in 9 than in 8, and there’s a secret rule that says the more you have in your inventory when you die, the more likely you are to come back to life with your party.
Based on estimates from the Final Fantasy Wiki, the best chance is 38.7%. Use what you’ve learned as you see fit! It has a cool feature like FF8, and it looks great. It’s not that different from FF7 and FF8, but why fix something that isn’t broken?
Final Fantasy 11
Final Fantasy 11, the first Final Fantasy game to be an MMO, handles some of its famous summons in a pretty standard way, but Phoenix is different. The spirit of this immortal bird lives in the blade of a samura. But it can’t come back to life until the samurai who uses the blade saves a lot of lives in battle.
Phoenix’s story doesn’t stop when Samurai Tenzen is the main character in FF11. It continues through two more major characters and even plays a role in Rhapsodies of Vana’diel. Which is the end of the game’s original 14-year story. Even though we like how Phoenix fits into the larger story of Final Fantasy 11, we can’t give it a better score. Because we can’t summon it and it doesn’t have much to do with the plot.
Final Fantasy 14
And here we have Final Fantasy 14’s other MMO, which is also very famous. Some of FF14’s Primals, like Shiva and Bahamut, are our favorites. Phoenix… is kind of cool. Coil of Bahamut, one of the patch-era raid quests for A Realm Reborn, shows what part it plays. Here, we learn more about Louisoix Leveilleur’s sacrifice. Including the fact that he has turned into Phoenix and can only be put to rest through fight.
Don’t get us wrong, it’s all good, but we kind of wish that Final Fantasy 14 had given Phoenix a little bit more to do and for a longer time. At least Endwalker’s raids have a little more for the bird.
Final Fantasy 7
This is where things get really interesting. In Final Fantasy 7, the Phoenix is a famous condor that lives on top of the appropriately named Fort Condor. It guards a magical power that Shinra Corporation will always be interested in. Shinra’s attempts to take over are frequently stopped by a rebellion. And the fights take the form of a simple real-time strategy game. Players can take part in more than 20 of these fights at any time during the game.
Shinra’s interest will eventually become important to the main plot. And the party will have to make a last stand against the company’s troops. When you win, either by playing the RTS the way it was meant to be played or by saving time and letting the enemy boss reach the peak, then killing him with surprising ease. There is a cutscene where the condor dies and its newly hatched chick takes over as guardian. This cycle of death and birth at the same time is the Phoenix’s power, which is given to the winner as a prize.
Final Fantasy 5
Wind drakes are a rare species in Final Fantasy 5, and Lenna’s friendship with a wind drake named Hiryu is one of the most important relationships between characters. In the second of the game’s three worlds (the language is a bit more complicated, but we’re getting off track), Lenna bonds with another wind drake.
In the third world, we see Hiryu again, and things aren’t going so well for her. This all comes to a head at the top of Phoenix Tower. Where Hiryu dies but comes back to life as Phoenix. All of this is very sad, and it’s these sad parts that make Final Fantasy 5 the first of our top three favorite Phoenix games. Oh, and don’t be afraid to call Phoenix as much as you want, because it rocks in Snake Game.
Final Fantasy 16
It’s hard to overstate how important Phoenix is to Final Fantasy 16’s story. In FF16’s Valisthea, Eikons, as they are called there, are a big part of the story in a way that has never been seen before, not even in Final Fantasy 10. Most of the main characters are Dominants, which are men and women who can change into Eikons. This strange bond is a key part of the game’s secrets. But it’s also the reason why all Dominants have to live sad lives.
Joshua, the younger brother of the main character Clive Rosfield, is the Dominant of Phoenix. In the opening chapter of FF16, things don’t go so well for the poor boy. But, without giving anything away about a game that hasn’t even been out for a week yet as we type this, that’s not the last time we’ll see the firebird. Phoenix is one of the best summons in Final Fantasy 16 because Clive has been given some of Phoenix’s skills. For our fierce friend, this big show has been a long time coming.
Final Fantasy 6
Even though the famous beast is at the heart of the story in runner-up FF16. The Phoenix from Final Fantasy 6 is still our favorite. This may be the best way to show how emotional Final Fantasy 6 is. Anyone who made sure to get Locke back in FF6’s World of Ruin knows how important its power is to the thief. It’s his ultimate prize because finding it may be the key to bringing back his long-lost love.
To be honest, Locke’s quest is one of the saddest parts of a game that is full of sad parts. If Rachel finds Phoenix, does that bring her back to Locke? In the end, it seems like the more important question is whether or not Phoenix can free Locke from his pain. This is a well-written piece that uses the legends about our flying wonder in all the right ways and leaves us in awe.
Oh, and if you haven’t put Locke back in the World of Ruin yet, I don’t know why not. Try it! Sheesh!
