Chocobos have become an iconic part of the Final Fantasy franchise. For over thirty years, these yellow feathery friends have served as loyal companions (and convenient means of travel) in countless mainline Final Fantasy games and spin-offs. However, there's one Final Fantasy game that doesn't have chocobos at all.
It might seem strange that chocobos are missing from a mainline Final Fantasy game. The series is known for its innovation and the way it changes its own format between entries, but chocobos have been a reliable, unifying aspect found in almost every game. They're a beloved part of the franchise, which is why a seemingly endless amount of chocobo merchandise exists - and why Final Fantasy fans have even cosplayed as chocobos over the years.
Created by game designer Koichi Ishii in the late '80s, chocobos have remained a popular mainstay of the Final Fantasy series, and have even had their own spin-offs like Chocobo's Mystery Dungeon. Although they're usually found in-game as large, yellow birds, chocobos have changed over the years. The Fat Chocobo debuted in FF3, and color variants have been featured in games like Final Fantasy VII and the Final Fantasy XVI. However, there's one mainline game that didn't have chocobos at all - and it was the first game in the series.
Why The First Final Fantasy Was Missing Chocobos
It may seem odd that the first Final Fantasy game didn't have chocobos, especially for people who didn't grow up playing it. While later versions of the game did feature chocobo-shaped statues as easter eggs, the original game was completely without these feathery friends. This is because Koichi Ishii didn't create chocobos until after the first Final Fantasy game. He designed them for Final Fantasy 2, where they made their debut, and they've been featured in every mainline Final Fantasy ever since.
Since creating the chocobo, Ishii has also found fame as the creator of Square Enix's Mana series, which has received a lot of remasters - and a remake - in recent years. Meanwhile, the chocobo has become synonymous with the Final Fantasy series to the point that it would be odd to play one of the games now and not see any chocobos.
The Final Fantasy franchise is always evolving, and while the overall design and colors of chocobos have been altered a bit over the years, these large yellow birds have been a consistent staple of the series. Still, they weren't invented until FF2, which is why they're missing from the original version of the first Final Fantasy.
