Summons have been a staple of theFinal Fantasyfranchise since their first appearance back inFinal Fantasy III. Since then, they’ve appeared in every numberedFinal Fantasytitle in some shape or form. They grant the player access toenormous powerand can help them to overcome some ofthe toughest bosses in the series. Some deal massive damage while others provide the player with buffs and boons that can help keep the party alive long enough to land the final blow.
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In total, there have been more than 40 different summons across the numbered entries in theFinal Fantasyfranchise with the roster usually rotating from game to game. Although no twoFinal Fantasygames feature the exact same line-up, there are certain summons that appear far more frequently than others.
10Alexander (7 Appearances)
Alexander is a giant robot that typically deals Holy damage with its signature move Divine Judgment. It first debuted inFinal Fantasy VIand has appeared fairly regularly since. Although there are some strong connections between Alexander andFinal Fantasy IV’s Giant of Babil enemy, it’s generally accepted that they are not the same.
Although Alexander can’t be summoned inFinal Fantasy IX, he does play a part in the game’s storyline. After that, his appearances became a little sporadic, although he’s appeared in two of the last three mainline titles which suggests that he might be making an appearance inFinal Fantasy XVIas well.
9Phoenix (8 Appearances)
Phoenix is an incredibly useful summon that deals massive fire damage while also reviving any fallen party members. Its signature move is Flames of Rebirth and its tail features are used throughout the series to revive players. It first appeared inFinal Fantasy Vand has played a significant role in several of the games' stories.
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Phoenix has appeared 8 times throughout the series ifits appearance in the trailer forFinal Fantasy XVIis included. Interestingly, this was the first time that players had seen Phoenix in an offline title since its appearance inFinal Fantasy IX. In the previous game, it had appeared as a pseudo summon that required the use of a consumable item rather than being summoned in the traditional manner.
8Carbuncle (9 Appearances)
Carbuncle is a fox-like creature that has been appearing sinceFinal Fantasy V. The name Carbuncle comes from the red gemstone on her head and this likely influenced the name of her signature move, Ruby Light. Carbuncle isn’t considered a damage dealing summon and typically provides the party with reflect or recovers HP.
Although Carbuncle didn’t make an appearance in the original version ofFinal Fantasy VII, her appearance in the remake brings her total appearances up to nine. Like many of the other summons that appeared inFinal Fantasy XIII, it wasn’t possible for the party to acquire her directly.
7Titan (10 Appearances)
Titan’s first appearance came inFinal Fantasy IIIand his signature attacks are Gaia’s Wrath, Anger of the Land, and Earth Fury. They deal significant earth damage to all non-flying enemies on screen. This effectively renders him useless in certain situations.
Although he appeared in the first three games that contained summons, his appearances since have been fairly sporadic. He did play a huge part inFinal Fantasy XV’s story, however, and looks set to appear inFinal Fantasy XVIas well.
6Odin (10 Appearances)
Odin typically deals death to the party’s foes, although on one or two occasions he has also dealt lightning damage. His signature move is Zantetsuken which has a chance of instantly killing an enemy. Although some bosses are immune to the attack, it can be used againstseveral of the series' super bosses– making it incredibly useful.
Strictly speaking, Odin has only appeared in nine and a halfFinal Fantasytitles on account of his death at the hands of Seifer inFinal Fantasy VIII. Although Odin was one of the more common summons in the franchise’s early days, sinceFinal Fantasy IXhe’s only made three appearances. There was no sign of him in the trailer forFinal Fantasy XVIeither.
5Ramuh (10 Appearances)
Ramuh is usually depicted as an old man, buthe’s every bit as dangerousas some of the more intimidating looking summons. He typically attacks using lightning and has played a direct role in the storylines of several of theFinal Fantasytitles.
Ramuh is one of the more consistent summons in the series but seems to have a habit of missing even numbered entries in the series as of late. Whether or not this means he’ll be missing again inFinal Fantasy XVIremains to be seen, but there was no sign of him in the game’s first trailer.
4Leviathan (11 Appearances)
Leviathan is a water type summon and is sometimes referred to as “The Sea King” or “The Lord of All Waters.” Although he’s not the most common summon, his first appearance actually predates almost all of the other summons in the series. While he can’t be obtained, he plays an important role inFinal Fantasy II’s story.
Leviathan’s appearance inFinal Fantasy XVwas his eleventh in the series' numbered entries. If the GBA port ofFinal Fantasy VIis counted then his appearances actually rise to twelve, although he didn’t appear as an Esper in the original release.
3Bahamut (13 Appearances)
Bahamut is one of the series' most iconic & intimidating summons and his appearance in the very firstFinal Fantasygame also makes him the oldest. He’s sometimes referred to as “The Conqueror of the Skies” and typically deals non-elemental damage. He’s featured on 12 further occasions since his first appearance inFinal Fantasy I, although the player can’t actually acquire him as a summon in that title nor can they inFinal Fantasy XI.
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Bahamut didn’t make an appearance inFinal Fantasy XIIand while it’s likely players will be seeing him again inFinal Fantasy XVI, this hasn’t been confirmed just yet. If different variants are counted, he’d actually be the most common summon as there are three distinct versions of Bahamut inFinal Fantasy VII.
2Ifrit (13 Appearances)
Ifrit is a fire type summon who’s been a series regular sinceFinal Fantasy III. His signature move is Hellfire although this is sometimes called Inferno or Flames of Hell. There are some slightdifferences in his designbetween games, but he’s generally one of the strongest summons available.
Ifrit has appeared in every game sinceFinal Fantasy IIIwith the exception ofFinal Fantasy XII– where he was replaced with Belias. He also appeared in the recently released trailer forFinal Fantasy XVI, bringing his total number of appearances in numbered Final Fantasy titles to 13. It’s worth noting that although he appears inFinal Fantasy XIIIandFinal Fantasy XV, he’s not actually acquirable in either.
1Shiva (13 Appearances)
Shiva is sometimes referred to as “The Ice Queen” and this is reflected by her chilling move-set. Her most common move is Diamond Dust and she first appeared inFinal Fantasy III. Since then, she has appeared in every numbered game in the series with the exception ofFinal Fantasy XII– where she was replaced with Famfrit. As with several of the other more popular summons, however, there is an airship named after her in the game.
She typically appears as a solo summon but inFinal Fantasy XIIIappeared with her sister as part of Snow’s “Shiva Sisters” Eidolon. If the trailer is anything to go by, she’ll also be appearing inFinal Fantasy XVIwhen it arrives on PlayStation 5.
