There are tons of Final Fantasy games out there, but the franchise only has one universal ambassador: the chocobo. We could say in general, of course, but we are also referring to one in particular, whose appearance almost seems taken from an animated series. With enormous blue eyes, sometimes with a recognizable bag and other times with a handkerchief, but always the same talent both when skating at absurd speeds and when it comes to getting into trouble.
Character simply known as Chocoboalthough on occasion it has been called Chicken -a little more below the reasons- is a charismatic feathered creature that embodies the most universal facet of Final Fantasy. His design and his personality make him the perfect hero to appear in video games for everyonewhich is an incentive both for fans and for those who do not know or are interested in the role-playing saga.
In his own way, he even dares to measure himself in appearances and cameos with Cloud or Sefirot himself, although in his favor it must be said that he radiates a charisma almost comparable to good Vivi and the black magicians of the classic saga. Enough to star own game saga that not only bear his name, but sometimes directly dispenses with including the words Final Fantasy. And that is an achievement in itself.
A double merit, taking into account that the chocobos were not even in the original Final Fantasy, much less were they imagined as that adorable species from which countless stuffed animals have been made. Of course, despite the fact that the design of the chocobos varies from one game to another, Chocobo’s, with a capital letter, always prevails.
Which, if we want to fully address the issue, brings us to the question of rigor: what exactly is a chocobo?
The origin of the chocobos and their appearance and presence in Final Fantasy
The description of Chocoboas a species, is offered to us by Square Enix itself in the Dissidia Final Fantasy series itself:
A breed of flightless birds, characterized by their yellow feathers, characteristic scent, and unforgettable song “kweh!” Domesticated for their gentle nature and quick feet, they are often used as a means of land transportation.
Those who know the entire saga will already have a smile on their faces: they know well that there are lots of nuances to take into account in that description, starting with the fact that the color of their plumage can vary. Although, for general purposes we can assume that it is a species reminiscent of chicks, with a long neck and legs of more or less the same size, perfect for being tamed and ridden. when discovering the world.
Described like this, it is very easy to understand how and why tons of stuffed animals have been made based on them. However, when Yoshitaka Amano drew them for Final Fantasy III, they looked more like a creature straight out of the Dark Crystal movie.
The Chocobos by Yoshitaka Amano for FF III
As we mentioned, the chocobos were integrated into the saga Final Fantasy after the launch of the first installment (despite the fact that in later versions they were added in one way or another retroactively) but they did not take long to achieve their own depth. Its origin, as our colleague Rubén recounted, stems from the memory of Koichi Ishiidesigner and director of Square Enix, of the chicks of his childhood.
And well, the name comes from a Japanese chocolate delight called ChocoBall, Produced by Morinaga and whose pronunciation (チョコボール) is practically the same as that of our feathered friends. What’s more, Kyorochan, the mascot of the chocolates, shares the same rallying cry: “you“. Will it smell the same?
The popularity of Final Fantasy It grew at the same speed as the chocobos. The fact that, deservedly, they became one of the great recurring elements of the saga added to the charismatic appearance (at least in video games) of this species played in their favor. And we are not going to deny it, when the saga finally took root in the West -especially in Europe- these cute little birds were some first class ambassadors both for new games and when it comes to rescuing lost classics.
And we are not going to deny it, that they are seen in games as disparate as Assasin’s Creed Origins like in the very saga Dragon Quest (the great rival of Final Fantasy) it is more than clear that not even Cloud himself -who is everywhere- can compete with the chocobos themselves.
The Chocobo Saga: Square Enix’s Joker
At the beginning we commented that the chocobos are the definitive ambassadors of Final Fantasybut we are also referring to a specific one whose name, worth the redundancy, is Chocobo. And it doesn’t make much sense to give him another: as a character and at the design level he is a brand in himself, recognizable and extrapolated to all kinds of games. Including those starring himself.
1997 was decisive for Final Fantasy. Squaresoft created its own subsaga, launched the most expensive game in history (Final Fantasy VII) whose depth reaches our days and, among countless projects, in December of that same year it reached the original playstation Chocobo no Fushigi na Dungeon. If that particular game had been released beyond Japan it would have been called Chocobo’s Mysterious Dungeon.
That was a milestone in itself: it was the beginning of the Chocobo saga.
The very name of Chocobo’s Mysterious Dungeon leaves no room for misunderstanding: it is an extension of the popularized formula of Mystery Dungeon starring Chocobo, although in that specific installment exclusive to the Japanese market its canonical name was Chickenwhich is a play on words between “chick” y “player“derived from the Japanese sound (プーレ). Despite this, and like so many adventure games, you could name it whatever you wanted.
Until then, and more than reasonably, Squaresoft was relatively restrained when it came to launching Final Fantasy spin-offs beyond Asian territory, but the saga’s emerging popularity in the West meant that the sequel (Chocobo’s Dungeon 2) arrived in Japan in 1998 and a year later in the United States. At this point, it is worth remembering that simultaneous releases worldwide were extremely rare.
The cycle of this subsaga will be completed at a completely international level in 2007 with Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo’s Dungeon for Wii and Nintendo DS, and not long after with its re-release on PS4 and Nintendo Switch. That said, by then the Chocobo saga had already been fully established in parallel to Final Fantasy.
The other games of the brave Chocobo
It is 1999. We are about to turn the millennium and despite the fact that PlayStation triumphs in video games, Nintendo is the one that sets the stage. Thus, as a response to Mario Kart 64, the Sony console not only received Crash Team Racingbut a light-hearted joy for Final Fantasy fans around the world: Chocobo Racing.
A title included in the Chocobo Collection -a set commemorating the 10 years of chocobos in the Final Fantasy series- along with Says of Chocobo and Chocobo Stallion and which, by the way, was released separately in the West and had a new chance to shine very, very recently.
Because we’re not only talking about great games, but also really special small productions, like Hataraku Chocobo, for systems like Bandai’s WonderSwan. And even the PocketStation, the PlayStation mini-console, received Chocobo World that same year.
With its own racing game available worldwide, the season was officially open to bring Chocobo, as a mascot of the Final Fantasy saga, to any kind of experience imaginable.
As a final fantasy brand ambassador, Chocobo (and the Chocobo sub-series) appeared in countless games that rarely left Japan, such as Doko de mo Chocobo, Chocobo de Mobileor the assistant Choco-Mate for mobiles prior to smartphones.
Do you remember flash games for Facebook? There was also the already reformulated and merged Square Enix with Chocobo’s Crystal Tower. And the trend did not decline afterwards with a Chocobo Panic that debuted on iPhone and will come later Chocobo No Chocotto Nouen.
In Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales adventure was combined with card battles on Nintendo DS between 2006 (Japan) and 2007. Something that had worked wonderfully in various games of the time, it must be said, and that in a way was present quite regularly in the saga – especially Final Fantasy VIII – so it made a lot of sense both for Square to take the step and for the fact that Chocobo was the hook of the game.
Of course, its sequel titled with the kilometric name of Chocobo to Mahou no Ehon: Majo to Shoujo to Go-nin no Yuusha will stay only in Japan. And what’s worse: unfortunately, Nintendo’s portable consoles were regionally blocked until Switch. In a way, that same circle was closed in 2022 with the release of Chocobo GP.
The very promising future of chocobos in video games
Keeping track of Chocobo and his legacy is very difficult, since it is not enough to keep track of the enormous number of games of Final Fantasy and its spin-offs: you have to go further.
From themed costumes in Super Smash Bros. to game collaborations that range from a subtle mask in Final Fantasy X-2 a New Minna no Golf. Making a more than obligatory stop, by the way, at Theatrhythm Final Fantasy.
Perhaps the themes of Final fantasy have changed over the years. And the same applies to combat systems, influences or how the narrative is approached. Even the way in which the epic is approached.
But of all the ingredients in common that current and future Final Fantasy have, there is one element that we can always count on: the pleasure of walking on the back of a chocobo.
Will we continue to see Chocobo in new original adventures? We count on it.
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