If you have played aFinal Fantasygame, then chances are that you have come in contact with a carbuncle. Depending on the game, you may have different associations with them. What ties them all together though is that they are magical creatures with red gems in their foreheads.
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Despite being in so manyFinal Fantasygames, a lot of fans do not know much about carbuncles. If you search the word “carbuncle,” you may come to regret it since carbuncle is also a word for a cluster of boils. Gross! However, you are in luck because this list will cover all thetriviayou need to know onFinal Fantasy’scarbuncles.
10They Are Based On A Real Mythical Creature
Outside ofFinal Fantasy, carbuncles actually exist in myth. Devoted fans have done theresearchand found that the first reference to a carbuncle was actually from a Spanish historian, Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés. It was mentioned in writing in the mid-16th Century.
Put plainly, there were mysterious sightings of animals with reflective stones in their foreheads. They were elusive though, and descriptions varied quite a bit. There is a runningtheorynow that what the Spaniards saw actually was pink fairy armadillos.
The first time carbuncles became a staple of Final Fantasy games was inFinal Fantasy V. That goes back to 1992!
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The carbuncle was actually an optionalbossfight that the player could encounter in Castle Exdeath. The design for the boss is quite more fierce than later versions, who act more as allies and summons the player can use.
Gamers who don’t playFinal Fantasymay already be familiar with carbuncles. Games likePuyo Pop,Itadaki Street Portable, Knights of the Crystals, Puzzle and Dragons,andAntique Carnivale.
It is quite likely that these carbuncles were inspired by theFinal Fantasyones, as a lot of them share similar traits with those designs and, likeFinal Fantasy, are games out ofJapan.
7A Carbuncle Is Also The Name For The Stone In Their Forehead
Carbuncle is not just a cluster of boils or a mythological creature, it is also the name of any red gemstone. The word is used for gemstone in all kinds of literature such asThe Bible, Hamlet, Paradise Lost, Sherlock Holmes,and many others.
All refer to carbuncle as a gem rather than a creature.
6Unlike Chocobos, They Look Quite Different In Each Game
Carbuncles go alone withmoogles, cactaur, and chocobos in terms of being part of theFinal Fantasybrand. However, unlike the others, carbuncles look very different in each game. It actually is pretty clever, as there are so many descriptions of what the mythological carbuncle looked like when Spaniards put out records of mysterious glowing animals with gems in their heads in the mid 16th century.
Final Fantasycarbuncles range from cat-like, dog-like, fox-like, to even lizard-like.
5You Can Glamour Your Summons to Always Look Like Carbuncle In Final Fantasy XIV
Final Fantasy XIVhas the arcanist class that uses carbuncle to fight. However, the arcanist class turns into either summoner or scholar once it hits a higher level. Scholars then summon fairies andsummonerssummon egis.
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However, carbuncles are so loved by the community that the game designers gave players a way to glamor their egis back into carbuncles.
4The Mythical Carbuncle Appear In Some Anime
If they appear in Japanese games likeFinal Fantasy,you can pretty much guarantee that you’ll them in anime as well. Espeon, a beloved psychic-type fromPokémonis one example. That ruby gem in its forehead should be quite familiar to carbuncle fans.
Crystal Beast Ruby Carbuncle is also a card that shows up inYu-Gi-Oh. Those are the most well known, and it is likely to see more carbuncles appear in anime in the future.
3Final Fantasy XIV And Final Fantasy XI Gives Carbuncles The Most Attention
If you want theFinal Fantasygames that have the most carbuncle, then you need to pick upFinal Fantasy XIVandXI. Not only do they give the creatures more attention than the other games, but the designs are arguably the most adorable.
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InFinal Fantasy XIV, you can basically have a carbuncle always follow you around if you play as an arcanist and summoner. InFinal Fantasy XI,it is sort of the same in that you can have the summoner job with your own carbuncle.
2Final Fantasy Carbuncles Weren’t Always Cute And Cuddly
This picture of carbuncle concept art was revealed in theFinal Fantasy V Anthologybook and it made many fans' jaws drop. It looks likeYoshifromMarioand Cell fromDragon Ball Zhad an ugly child together! The full image even has the creature wearing sneakers, which is quite an odd choice.
Thank goodness the artists took carbuncles down a more fluffy mammal route. There is a lizard version inFinal Fantasy Tactics, but its design actually is pretty cute.
There is a reason why Final Fantasy III isn’t known for being the first game with carbuncles. That is because while it had carbuncles, it was only in name and not what became the commonFinal Fantasy-brand carbuncle.
They were just eyeballs in flesh clumps. No gem, no animal traits, nothing similar to the carbunclesFinal Fantasysports today. However, they did deserve a mention since they were called carbuncles.
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