Summoned monsters are an iconic part of the Final Fantasy series now, even though they didn't debut until the third mainline entry. Final Fantasy 3 originally featured eight summons, and since then, they've all become recurring parts of the series.
The ability to call on summoned monsters was introduced as the main feature of the Evoker and Summoner jobs in FF3, which was originally released for the Famicom in 1990. FF3 took the longest of any retro FF game to be released outside of Japan, with the Nintendo DS port finally bringing an official English localization in 2006. As such, players outside of Japan didn't get the chance to use summons until FF4 (localized as FF2) was released for the SNES. Since then, though, these summons have become an iconic part of the long-running JRPG franchise.
Summons hit the big time in FF7, as they contained small cutscenes that were used to showcase the new 3D hardware. Eight summons appeared in FF3 and they all received FF7. These eight summons have kept appearing in different forms throughout the series, sometimes even taking on antagonistic roles, with the player needing to defeat them in combat. The original eight just keep coming back for more, as they reappear in new, yet familiar forms, in more Final Fantasy games.
Final Fantasy Summon - Chocobo
Chocobos are another iconic part of the FF series. They act as mounts for players and have even starred in their own games. The first rideable FF2, but they appeared as summons in FF3, where they could damage the enemy or allow the party to flee. Like Bahamut, the Chocobo summons can appear in different forms, like Choco/Mog and the Fat Chocobo from FF7.
Final Fantasy Summon - Ifrit
Ifrit is a summon that uses fire magic and is often depicted as a powerful beast with horns. It's based on a type of genie from Arabian mythology, which is closely associated with fire. Ifrit is often paired up with Shiva and it's rare for them to not appear in the same game. Ifrit's signature attack is "Hellfire," which deals heavy fire damage to enemies. Since appearing in FF3, this summon has become a staple of the series.
Final Fantasy Summon - Shiva
Shiva is a summon that uses ice magic and is often depicted as a beautiful, scantily-clad woman with blue skin. She's also sometimes depicted as a fairy-like creature, with a more child-like design. Her recurring role in the series means that she is the character whose design is most often used for Final Fantasy fanservice. Shiva is based on the Hindu god of the same name, who is actually male, but takes on female avatars. Shiva's signature attack is "Diamond Dust," which deals heavy ice damage to enemies.
Final Fantasy Summon - Ramuh
Ramuh is a summon that uses lightning magic and is often depicted as an old man with a long white beard, who wears robes. Ramuh has sometimes appeared as an ally who engages with the party, as was the case in FF9. Ramuh was meant to appear in FF7 Remake, but Ramuh will now appear in the INTERmission DLC as one of Yuffie's summons. Ramuh's signature attack is "Judgment Bolt"that deals heavy lightning damage to enemies.
Final Fantasy Summon - Titan
Titan is a summon that uses earth magic and he's often depicted as a scantily-clad, muscled man. He skipped FF8-FF10 but has been appearing more often in recent years. Titan is based on the primordial deities from Greek mythology that predate the gods of Mount Olympus. Now that Ramuh is in FF7 Remake through the DLC, Titan may be next in line to be added as a summon. His signature attack is "Anger of the Land", which deals heavy earth elemental damage to enemies.
Final Fantasy Summon - Odin
Odin is a summon that isn't associated with a single element. Instead, Odin specializes in instant death attacks, or dealing non-elemental damage to foes that resist it. He's often depicted as a man in an elaborate suit of armor, riding on a six-legged horse. Odin is inspired by the god of the same name from Norse mythology, which is also where his horse comes from. It's common for Odin to challenge the player and only give his powers to those strong enough to defeat him. He has two signature moves: "Gungnir", which is a lance attack that damages enemies, and "Zantetsuken", which is a sword attack that can instantly kill foes.
Final Fantasy Summon - Leviathan
Leviathan is a summon that uses water magic and commonly resembles a massive sea serpent. It debuted in FF2 as a monster that devours the player's ship, forcing the party to explore the inside of Leviathan's body as a living dungeon. Leviathan became a summon in FF3 and is usually one of the most powerful in each game that it appears. It's based on the Leviathan from several different religious texts, which describe a colossal sea monster with a foul temper. Leviathan's signature attack is "Tsunami", which deals heavy water damage to enemies.
Final Fantasy Summon - Bahamut
Bahamut is often portrayed as one of the most powerful summons in each game that it appears. It's depicted as a massive dragon with indigo or grey scales. Bahamut is very loosely based on a beast from mythology, which is a giant fish that carries an ox, which carries an angel, which holds the world. There are a number of different types of Bahamut in the series, with five of them existing in the world of FF7 alone (Bahamut, Neo Bahamut, Bahamut ZERO, Bahamut Fury in Crisis Core, and Bahamut SIN in Advent Children). Bahamut's signature attack is "Megaflare", which deals heavy non-elemental damage to enemies.
Like Leviathan, Bahamut also debuted before FF3, as it was an NPC in the original Final Fantasy that allowed the player to upgrade the jobs of their party . Although these creatures have since become iconic within the series, they debuted as the original summons in FF3.
