Top 10 Most Iconic Final Fantasy Summons

10. Alexander

Alexander has appeared in many of the Final Fantasy games, usually taking the form of a giant mechanized fortress or castle and generally causing massive amounts of holy damage. It’s always an imposing sight, with plenty of damage to back it up. In Final Fantasy XIV, Alexander is an end-game raid where players have to enter the creature’s body to defeat it.

Although it isn’t a usable summon, Alexander appears in the main story of Final Fantasy IX, where players must guard Alexandria Castle from the ferocious attacks of Bahamut.

9. Knights of the Round

Knights of the Round first appeared in Final Fantasy VII as one of the biggest secrets of the game, and one of the most powerful attacks. During the lengthy minute-long summon, the thirteen Knights of the Round Table take turns attacking the enemy, one by one. The attack costs 250 MP and can do over 100,000 damage, meaning there’s almost nothing in the game that can survive one Knights of the Round.

The summon would later appear in Final Fantasy XIV as the final boss of the Heavensward expansion.

8. Anima

Anima has mainly only appeared in Final Fantasy X, first under control of the game’s main antagonist Seymour. Like all summons in FFX Anime is the manifestation of a certain fayth or soul, in this case that of Seymour’s mother.  Even Anima’s opening is gruesome, as a portal to the underworld opens up and chains pull her upward, joined by her shrieks.

Anima’s special attack can cause instant death to weaker enemies, or massive damage to enemies immune to death spells. It’s a dangerous summon that’s great to have on your side, but tough to go up against in Final Fantasy X and X-2.

7. Leviathan

Before becoming a summon spirit, Leviathan first appeared as a monster that swallowed the party back in Final Fantasy II. In Final Fantasy IV, he’s actually called the King of Eidolons and plays a big role in the game, using a giant tidal wave to decimate foes when summoned.

Since then, Leviathan has appeared as a summon in almost every Final Fantasy game. He may not be the most powerful summon around, but obtaining him and his tidal wave attack is always a big boost to your summoners repertoire.

6. Ramuh

Ramuh, the lord of lightning, is one of the more well known summons of the series and the first one of Final Fantasy XV we were given a look at. He typically appears as an elderly wizard in a robe, and can harness the power of lightning to attack foes.

Ramuh is also one of the only summons that has played a direct role in the story of more than one Final Fantasy. In FF6, he helps Terra recover when she loses control of her powers, and he appears to Garnet in FFIX, giving her a trial in order to obtain his eidolon.

5. Phoenix

Phoenix is by far one of the most useful summons in the series. It causes fire damage similar to Ifrit, while simultaneously reviving any downed party members with its Flames of Rebirth attack.

Phoenix first appeared in Final Fantasy V atop the Phoenix Tower, and would continue to be a summon from then on. It also has some minor story involvement in a few games, like Final Fantasy VI when Locke uses the creature to revive his lover Rachel for a short time.

4. Ifrit

The great fire spirit Ifrit may be one of the most recognizable summons from the series. It has a demonic beastly look wrapped in flame, although like the others, it differs between games.

Ifrit’s main attack is Hellfire, which it uses to scorch the entire field of enemies, and the summon is usually one of the first that you obtain. Ifrit is always a trusty summon companion to have, and it still appears in every Final Fantasy game.

3. Shiva

Shiva is the exact opposite of Ifrit, and balances out his fiery anger well. She’s an ice-based summon taking the form of an elegant, blue-skinned woman. Her Diamond Dust attack freezes enemies in place and causes ice-elemental damage.

Like Ifrit, she is one of the few summons to appear in every mainline Final Fantasy game, along with any spinoff featuring summons with the exception of Crisis Core- Final Fantasy VII. Together, she and Ifrit form the perfect duo of Ice and Fire.

2. Odin

Odin is known particularly for his special move, Zantetsuken. This ability allows him to cleave enemies completely in two with his sword, causing instant death. Some games have him only using Zantetsukan when summoned, while other games, like Final Fantasy XII or Type-0, allow him to attack freely.

Odin is an icon of the series depicted as a mighty demonic knight atop his horse, Sleipnir. Like Ifrit and Shiva, he’s one of the summons that’s been in nearly every Final Fantasy game in some way. Odin even plays a big part as a wandering primal in Final Fantasy XIV.

1. Bahamut

Bahamut is arguably the most prominent summon in the series, taking the form of a fearsome, great dragon. He’s appeared in almost every mainline Final Fantasy game, several sequels, as an enemy in Super Mario RPG, and even had two games released in Japan named after him, Bahamut’s Lagoon and Blood of Bahamut.

His signature attack, Megaflare, is a concentrated beam of energy blasted at his targets. The animation for the attack only increases in absurdity throughout the series, to the point where Bahamut is blowing up planets. The dragon plays a part in the stories of some games, like attacking Alexandria in Final Fantasy IX, and he’s easily the strongest overall summon in the main series. Oftentimes players must prove their worth to the creature before obtaining him.

Which summon from the Final Fantasy series is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!