Summons have been a staple of the Final Fantasy franchise since their first appearance back in Final Fantasy III. Since then, they’ve appeared in every numbered Final Fantasy title in some shape or form. They grant the player access to enormous power and can help them to overcome some of the 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.
In total, there have been more than 40 different summons across the numbered entries in the Final Fantasy franchise with the roster usually rotating from game to game. Although no two Final Fantasy games feature the exact same line-up, there are certain summons that appear far more frequently than others.
10 Alexander (7 Appearances)
Alexander is a giant robot that typically deals Holy damage with its signature move Divine Judgment. It first debuted in Final Fantasy VI and has appeared fairly regularly since. Although there are some strong connections between Alexander and Final Fantasy IV‘s Giant of Babil enemy, it’s generally accepted that they are not the same.
Although Alexander can’t be summoned in Final 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 in Final Fantasy XVI as well.
9 Phoenix (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 in Final Fantasy V and has played a significant role in several of the games’ stories.
Phoenix has appeared 8 times throughout the series if its appearance in the trailer for Final Fantasy XVI is included. Interestingly, this was the first time that players had seen Phoenix in an offline title since its appearance in Final 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.
8 Carbuncle (9 Appearances)
Carbuncle is a fox-like creature that has been appearing since Final 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 of Final Fantasy VII, her appearance in the remake brings her total appearances up to nine. Like many of the other summons that appeared in Final Fantasy XIII, it wasn’t possible for the party to acquire her directly.
7 Titan (10 Appearances)
Titan’s first appearance came in Final Fantasy III and 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 in Final Fantasy XV‘s story, however, and looks set to appear in Final Fantasy XVI as well.
6 Odin (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 against several of the series’ super bosses – making it incredibly useful.
Strictly speaking, Odin has only appeared in nine and a half Final Fantasy titles on account of his death at the hands of Seifer in Final Fantasy VIII. Although Odin was one of the more common summons in the franchise’s early days, since Final Fantasy IX he’s only made three appearances. There was no sign of him in the trailer for Final Fantasy XVI either.
5 Ramuh (10 Appearances)
Ramuh is usually depicted as an old man, but he’s every bit as dangerous as some of the more intimidating looking summons. He typically attacks using lightning and has played a direct role in the storylines of several of the Final Fantasy titles.
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 in Final Fantasy XVI remains to be seen, but there was no sign of him in the game’s first trailer.
4 Leviathan (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 in Final Fantasy II‘s story.
Leviathan’s appearance in Final Fantasy XV was his eleventh in the series’ numbered entries. If the GBA port of Final Fantasy VI is counted then his appearances actually rise to twelve, although he didn’t appear as an Esper in the original release.
3 Bahamut (13 Appearances)
Bahamut is one of the series’ most iconic & intimidating summons and his appearance in the very first Final Fantasy game 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 in Final Fantasy I, although the player can’t actually acquire him as a summon in that title nor can they in Final Fantasy XI.
Bahamut didn’t make an appearance in Final Fantasy XII and while it’s likely players will be seeing him again in Final 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 in Final Fantasy VII.
2 Ifrit (13 Appearances)
Ifrit is a fire type summon who’s been a series regular since Final Fantasy III. His signature move is Hellfire although this is sometimes called Inferno or Flames of Hell. There are some slight differences in his design between games, but he’s generally one of the strongest summons available.
Ifrit has appeared in every game since Final Fantasy III with the exception of Final Fantasy XII – where he was replaced with Belias. He also appeared in the recently released trailer for Final Fantasy XVI, bringing his total number of appearances in numbered Final Fantasy titles to 13. It’s worth noting that although he appears in Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy XV, he’s not actually acquirable in either.
1 Shiva (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 in Final Fantasy III. Since then, she has appeared in every numbered game in the series with the exception of Final 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 in Final Fantasy XIII appeared with her sister as part of Snow’s “Shiva Sisters” Eidolon. If the trailer is anything to go by, she’ll also be appearing in Final Fantasy XVI when it arrives on PlayStation 5.
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