Ask a hundred Final Fantasy fans whether or not they love the franchise's epic summoned monsters, and don't tell us if anyone says no. They're one of the most enduring and endearing elements of the series, from their NES roots in Final Fantasy 3 to their modern glory in Final Fantasy 7 Remake.
Final Fantasy 5 sports one of FF's coolest summon collections. You've got the usual suspects, like Shiva and Ifrit, as well as rarer fare like Remora and Catoblepas. Many must be met in battle before they'll permit Bartz and his globetrotting buddies to call upon their aid. Others are simply purchased. All have their uses, though naturally, some are mightier than others.
Updated April 24, 2023: With so many people replaying the first Final Fantasy games thanks to the Pixel Remaster collection coming to consoles, we thought we'd take another look at this guide to make sure it's as helpful and readable as it can be.
Every Summon, Listed by Location and Acquisition
Only a handful of summoned monsters are automatically obtained. The rest require some legwork. Let our guide do the heavy lifting as you set yourself to scouring three worlds for these 15 stunning species.
|
Summon |
Location |
Acquisition |
Effects |
|---|---|---|---|
|
First World |
|||
|
Chocobo |
Walse |
Purchase for 300 gil |
Chocobo Kick: Moderate non-elemental damage to one foe. (Rarely) Fat Chocobo: Moderate non-elemental damage to all foes. |
|
Sylph |
Walse |
Purchase for 350 gil |
Whisperwind: Attacks a single foe. All party members are healed to the amount of 25 percent of the inflicted damage. |
|
Remora |
Walse |
Purchase for 250 gil |
Constrict: Paralyzes a single foe. |
|
Ifrit |
Library of the Ancients |
Defeat him in combat as part of the storyline. |
Hellfire: Fire damage to all foes. |
|
Shiva |
Castle Walse |
Defeat her in combat. |
Diamond Dust: Ice damage to all foes |
|
Ramuh |
Random encounter in the forests outside Istory |
Defeat him in combat. |
Judgment Bolt: Lightning damage to all foes. |
|
Titan |
Karnak Meteorite |
Defeat him in combat as part of the storyline. |
Gaia's Wrath: Earth damage to all foes. |
|
Galuf's World |
|||
|
Golem |
Random encounter in Drakenvale |
Defeat the two monsters assaulting him. |
Earthen Wall: The party negates (20 + caster's level) * 50 HP of incoming, physical damage. |
|
Catoblepas |
Northwest island of Galuf's World |
Encounter and dispatch a Catoblepas enemy. |
Demon Eye: Petrifies one foe. |
|
Carbuncle |
Castle Exdeath |
Defeat him in combat. |
Ruby Light: Casts Reflect to all party members. |
|
Merged World |
|||
|
Syldra |
Pirates' Hangout |
Visit the Pirates' Hideout after Syldra saves the party. A scene will play, and you will obtain the summon. |
Thunderstorm: Wind damage to all foes. |
|
Odin |
Basement of Castle Bal, reachable via Jachol Cave |
Defeat him in combat. |
Gungnir: Non-elemental damage to one foe. Zantetsuken: Instantly kills all foes. |
|
Leviathan |
Istory Falls |
Defeat him in combat as part of the storyline. |
Tsunami: Water damage to all foes. |
|
Bahamut |
North Mountain |
Defeat him in combat. |
Mega Flare: Non-elemental damage to all foes. |
|
Phoenix |
Phoenix Tower |
Reach the top of the tower. |
Flames of Rebirth: Fire damage to all foes and revives one fallen ally with full HP and MP. |
What Are The Best Summons?
Only the first trio of summoned monsters are sold in shops, probably because anything stronger would make a mess of everything. Several magical elements are offensively represented by a summon. Golem and Carbuncle are excellent sources of defense; Phoenix is great for offense and defense.
Bahamut hits the hardest overall, but Shiva, Ramuh, Titan, Syldra, and Leviathan all have their time and place. Poor Ifrit's simply outclassed by Phoenix.
Odin ranges from decent but unspectacular to what is essentially an "I win" button, depending on the enemy lineup. If even one of them is considered "heavy" rather than "light," Odin's Gungnir attack is a fine enough way to spend a turn.
If every enemy falls under the light category, however, Zantetsuken will instantly kill them all. Unfortunately, these weight-based parameters are invisible stat modifiers, so it's typically a matter of using your best judgment and hoping things pan out in your favor.