Chocobo - Final Fantasy
Chocobos are a recurring animal character in the Final Fantasy role playing game series produced by Square Enix. They first appeared in Final Fantasy II and were conceived by Koichi Ishii. They could be compared to the Final Fantasy equivalent of a horse, helping players get around, pull carts, and perform other related activities that domesticated animals are known for. The Chocobo can be considered as the Final Fantasy mascot since they have appeared in virtually every single Final Fantasy game. Chocobos have even inspired game titles where they themselves are the central figures, like Chocobo Racing and Chocobo Mystery Dungeon. In addition, Chocobo’s have inspired quite a number of pieces of merchandise, including Chocobo coffee mugs, a Chocobo rubber duck, Chocobo costumes and Chocobo Plush. Chocobos are one of the oldest and most iconic video game creations ever, and have made their way into an extensive number of spin off games that are difficult to fully list.
Appearance
Originally, Chocobos were flightles yellow, orange colored birds that had three toes, long necks, and very large wings, comparable in appearance to the ostrich. It turns out that they may have been derived from an ancient species called the Gastornis, which, according to Wikipedia, are an “extinct genus of large flightless birds that lived during the late Paleocene and Eocene epochs of the Cenozoic era”. Later on, the original Chocobo became one of many breeds, some of which were capable of flight and swimming. There are blue, red, black, and even gold chocobos, usually regarded as the most powerful. In other games white, silver, brown, and purple Chocobos are encountered.
Description
Chocobo’s have a diverse number of appearances and have evolved over the years. In their first appearance in Final Fantasy II they lived in grasslands and snowfields. If they are threatened they can be dangerous and pose a risk, but they warm up easily and will help players with high speed travel and negotiating physical boundaries like rivers. When they are caught in the wild they also can be ridden to avoid random enemy encounters. Chocobos enjoy eating Gysahl Greens. A special chocobo named Boko went on to reappear in later installments and the name was recycled numerous times. In Final Fantasy IV, a black colored Chocobo species is encountered that is capable of fighting, and in [Final Fantasy XIII]/otapedia/games/final_fantasy/final_fantasy_13), Sazh Katzroy keeps a baby chocobo as a pet. In Final Fantasy XI, players are able to raise and even breed Chocobos, an activity that appears as a sidequest in several games. In many games they are able to be summoned as well, and in others, have the ability to fly. Chocobos are known to be intelligent and to understand human language. Otherwise they are known for their signature kweh cry. The ruler of the Chocobo is called the Fat Chocobo, a uniquely large chocobo that is able to speak and wields magical powers and is able to influence subordinate chocobos.
Game Appearance List
Here is a brief list of Chocobo appearances up until Final Fantasy VII.
Final Fantasy II - Makes a brief appearance in the forest south of Kashuan Keep. This Chocobo is used as an escape to Bafsk from Kashuan and disappears after being dismounted.
Final Fantasy III - Found in several forests around the world map. A Chocobo can also be summoned when learned from the Level 1 Summon Magic spell "Escape" that lets the party flee a battle.
Final Fantasy IV - Found in Chocobo forest around the world map and can be found in several varieties. Used to travel, they flee when dismounted.
Final Fantasy V - The main character, Bartz Klauser owns Boko, the most famous Chocobo in the series which stays with the party for the majority of the story.
Final Fantasy VI - As a means of transportation, Chocobos can be rented from Chocobo stables in various towns. Some are also hidden in Chocobo forests.
Final Fantasy VII - When equipped with Chocobo Lure Materia, the player can encounter Chocobos on Chocobo tracks. By defeating enemies that appear with a Chocobo the player can catch and keep it. Later in the game, the player encounters a Chocobo stable, and also the ability to breed Chocobo.
Creation and Development
The chocobo was created and formulated by Koichi Ishii, a game director that contributed to multiple Final Fantasy titles. It is possible that the Chocobo was influenced by a prehistoric bird called the Gastornis. It has also been speculated that the Chocobo may be derived from Kyorochan, a TV character that shows up advertisements for the Morinaga & Co.’s chocolate candy. Another possible influence for the creation of the character is from legendary animator Hayao Miyazaki’s horseclaws, a character that game creator Hironobu Sakaguchi cited as an influence.
Appearances in Other Games
Chocobos appear in the Mana game series. In DOTA 2, there is a chocobo courier. In the ROG game Secrets of Evermore, one can receive a chocobo egg as a rare item, and, in the Final Fantasy and Disney fusion game Kingdom Hearts, there is a Keyblade/keychain ("Metal Chocobo") and a Gummi Ship arrangement that are both named and modeled after a Chocobo. Chocobos also appear in Parasite Eve and in Tobal 2, where a Chocobo can be obtained as a combatant. There is a minecraft mod called “ChocoCraft”. The list goes on, and it is sure that Chocobos will continue to not only make appearances in Final Fantasy, but influence and find their way into other video games.