The Final Fantasy franchise is one of the most popular and well-regarded in the RPG genre. The main characters of the games are pop culture icons in their own right (the interplay between Final Fantasy VII’s Cloud Strife and Barret Wallace, for instance, has delighted players for decades), but the series’ enemies have become household names too.
From the humble Cactuars and Tonberries to Bahamut, the formidable Dragon King himself, Final Fantasy has an immediately recognizable cast of recurring mobs and bosses alike. The imposing figure of the Iron Giant is also unmistakable, but how much do you know about this steely powerhouse? Here are some interesting facts about the Iron Giant enemy.
10 It Nearly Didn’t Make Its Debut In Final Fantasy II
For a stalwart of the series, it might be a little surprising to learn that the Iron Giant didn’t feature in the original game. Instead, it first appeared in Final Fantasy II.
Being as huge and terrifying as the average Dark Souls boss (it would be a great fit for FromSoftware’s legendary series), it’s no surprise that this monstrosity only tends to crop up late in the game, and that’s certainly true of its debut. Here, it’s encountered only very late in Pandaemonium, so uncommonly that you may not have realized it was in the game at all.
9 In That Game, It Was A Source Of Some Of The Series’ Best Equipment
If there’s one golden rule of any good RPG, it’s this: the bigger the enemy players slay, the greater the reward they should get for doing so. The Iron Giant, being one tough customer, should offer some goodies to make defeating it worth players’ while, then.
Considering how difficult it was to even find one in the first place, this goes double for Final Fantasy II. Luckily, as the Final Fantasy Wiki reports, this great beast won’t disappoint in this title. Its loot can include the Aegis Shield, Excalibur, and Genji Armor, each of which have gone on to recur as some of the best gear in the series. The encounter can do wonders for party members’ stat growth, too.
8 It Has Made An Exclusive Appearance As A Final Fantasy III Remake Superboss
This hulking armored fighter didn’t feature in the original Final Fantasy III, but returned in the game’s 2006 remake. One of the tweaks and additions this version received was the punishing ???? Dungeon, and one of the most menacing takes on the Iron Giant in series history awaits at the end.
The boss of this optional underwater area has monstrous HP and attacks four times per round. Its hefty sword swings can quickly decimate a party, and a common strategy for this battle is to have all team members hold double shields and attack with magic from the back row.
7 Final Fantasy IV Advance Features A Very Special (Or Very Lazy) Take On The Iron Giant
Since the introduction of Mortal Kombat’s Scorpion, Sub-Zero and similar characters, palette swaps have been a familiar way of refreshing content and making existing enemies, NPCs and protagonists feel somewhat new.
The following title in the series, Final Fantasy IV, didn’t feature the Iron Giant as we know it either. They were added in the Game Boy Advance remake, but until then, players had to contend with the Armor Construct instead. These were identical to the familiar enemies that would be added later, in all but color scheme and one other change: they attacked with fire instead of a heavy blade.
6 Final Fantasy VII And VIII Had Their Own Very Rare And Unique Takes On The Creature Too
However franchise fans may feel about Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VIII, there’s really no arguing that they’re two of the most iconic entries. Both feature Cactuars, Odin, Bahamut and a wide range of series mainstays besides, including unique encounters with rare ‘variants’ of Iron Giant that you may not have even registered.
While the standard creature is a random encounter in the Northern Cave, Final Fantasy VII also features a one-off battle with an enemy named Wolfmeister. This red Iron Giant appears just once, during Cid’s attempt to halt the train that’s barrelling towards North Corel. Outside of the Battle Square, this enemy is never seen again. Meanwhile, in Final Fantasy VIII’s Ultimecia’s Castle, a red version of this foe appears as the boss Red Giant. Variants appear throughout the series, from the Dullahan to the Chandravarma.
5 It Can Actually Use Powerful Magic… Sometimes
As you might expect of a creature that wields a sword roughly the size of the Chrysler Building, the Iron Giant tends to be a very melee-focused foe. Magic? Not so much.
If you’re ever struggling in a battle against one, this is a good rule of thumb to remember: it isn’t great with, or against, magic. It does try, though: Final Fantasy III’s Iron Giant boss has access to a Meteor and Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles’ Iron Giant uses a formidable magic spell as a backup. Both of which can catch even series veterans off guard. Still, its magical defense isn’t usually up to much either, so plan accordingly: casting Protect on your party while hitting it with powerful spells should pay dividends.
4 It’s Not Actually A Living Creature
In this series, there are a lot of mechanical enemies, a lot of undead enemies, and a lot of plain ol’ living enemies. With some foes, such as the Iron Giant, it can be tough to tell which category they fit into. With the undead knight trope being as big as it is, who really knows?
Final Fantasy VIII refers to its Red Giant boss as, “a giant machine powered by magic.” If every other Iron Giant and the many different takes on it share this origin, who created them all? Ultimecia can’t be blamed for everything.
3 Its Triple Triad Card Can Help Make You Very Strong Very Early
Speaking of Final Fantasy VIII, part of the reason for its controversial reputation is its junctioning system, which sees the player ‘equipping’ magic spells to characters’ stats instead of conventional gear. The trouble was just how exploitable this could be, combined with the ability to create great items very early on through the Card Mod ability.
Modding some Triple Triad cards can even earn the player ultimate weapons for their party super early, if they’re prepared for the grind. Iron Giant Cards mod into Star Fragments (at a 3:1 ratio), a key component of Quistis’ ultimate weapon, Save the Queen, as well as Irvine’s Ulysses (though its Moon Stone requirement means it can’t be nabbed until later), and Squall’s second-best gunblade, Punishment. Few players use Iron Giant cards early on, but it’s worth spending the time collecting them!
2 It’s An Adorable Mega Mirage In World Of Final Fantasy
If you’re a huge Final Fantasy VII fan, you’re probably familiar with the super strong enemy skill Big Guard. This move casts Barrier, Magic Barrier, and Haste on the whole party, which can pay dividends in a lot of encounters.
This skill has been seen throughout the series, generally applying Protect and Shell to the user and their allies. The Iron Giant of World of Final Fantasy, an optional Mega Mirage that can be taken on during the Big Bridge segment, has the Mighty Guard skill. Oddly, it’s stronger than the Mythril Giants here (the game makes a joking reference to this fact) and can be a pain to Imprism.
1 Final Fantasy XV Features A Fishing Lure Named After It
The Iron Giant, when all’s said and done, is a fan-favorite opponent that has made countless appearances over the course of the series. It’s an important part of the franchise’s history, and Final Fantasy XV paid homage to it in the most unusual way.
If you didn’t put much time into Noctis’ beloved pastime of fishing, you may never have acquired the Invincible Iron Giant Lure. It isn’t nearly as special or rare as it may have seemed at first, as you can see, but it is perfect for nabbing King Catfish and makes for a neat reference.
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