Summary
A typicalFinal Fantasyadventure involves traveling across great spans of open space, and while it is liberating to cross plains of grass and rolling petal-rinsed hills on foot ina beautiful fantasy worldwished into being by the dreams and hopes of magic sentient crystals, all that trekking can get a little tiresome after the first fifteen minutes. That’s where all the outrageously awesome vehicles come in; whether it’s cruising through the skies on a ship that looks like it could transform into a robotic dragon or skimming the seas on a floating school for child soldiers, they get people from A to B in style.
Like the ever-fashion-conscious inhabitants, fabulous architecture, and dreamlike landscapes of theFinal Fantasyuniverse, even the most mundane examples of vehicles appear stylish, artful, and soul-feeding in ways the real world couldn’t emulate, even when it tries its best to be inspirational. Monorail? More like monotonous. Cybertruck? More like cyber-yuck. Hyperloop? More like hyper-droop. When using any of these fantasticFinal Fantasyvehicles, the journey really would seem more important than the destination.
8Wheelies - Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth
Great For Saving Aching Feet And (Apparently) Easily Disposable
While wheelies (or segways, as they are commonly called in this world) may not be able to traverse terrain bumpier than a melted Materia Pop on a sheet of glass, these motorized electric scooters come in an assortment of primary colors and can be used to zip around town at near-breakneck speed without breaking a sweat. Wheelies can be found in Costa del Sol and are mainly associated with one ofFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth’sminigames, “Wheelie Rendezvous.”
To some onlookers, wheelies make their riders look a little goofy as they zip around the sun-drenched paradise, standing upright and occasionally tilting forward to accelerate. However, to any back-pain-suffering eco-warrior carrying giant slabs of iron on their backs, wheelies are a godsend.
Cars have shown up more and more frequently sinceFinal Fantasy 7, where a wide variety of them appeared to reflect the near-futuristic setting (for example, the eight-wheel buggy obtained after the Golden Saucer and Corel portion of the story). Cars are available to rent inFinal Fantasy 8and even require fuel to run. While they help to bypass random encounters, generally look way cooler than the ones in real life, and are convenient for traveling parties, cars are restricted to land traversal and sometimes just the road.
The most iconic car in the series is likely the Regalia fromFinal Fantasy 15, which has the benefit of appearing in a game that contains all the trappings of car culture (a world crossed by highways and dotted with gas stops). The Quartz Regalia is tailor-made for a road trip with an open-roof convertible design, luxury interior (fit for a king), and an ability to transform into a rough, off-road variant (Type-D) and even a flying variant (Type-F).
For a series primarily known for being steeped in the “fantasy” genre (the clue is in the name), there are a surprisingly large number of submarines inFinal Fantasy, and they aren’t just confined to the fantasy cyberpunk game (Final Fantasy 7), either. Being able to explore thevast mystery of the deep seais a joy, and traversing the trenches of the ocean floor typically opens the way to secret bosses, dungeons, and treasure.
Most home planets inFinal Fantasyare mostly made of water, like Earth, and submarines enable the player to cross oceans. Their inability to cross the land puts them at a disadvantage, with the exception of both the Nautilus fromFinal Fantasy 3and the final airship fromFinal Fantasy 5, both of which can transform between a submarine and airship form at the flip of a switch (however, they cannot function as ships and cross the surface).
Besides driving Doomtrain, a super-demonic, track-riding summon, directly into the ugly faces of their enemies, the various parties ofFinal Fantasyhave never had access to their own personal train or rail. However, the Midgar line aside (which appeared appropriatelydystopian in designconsidering the surrounding urban hellscape of Midgar), all the trains featured in the series are shown to be the most luxurious forms of transportation imaginable.
For example, the Balamb-to-Timber train is not only immaculately decorated inside and out to a standard that would rival the opulence of the Palace of Versailles during the Sun King’s reign, but also fully furnished with comfortable amenities, including comfy sofas, beds, and literature. In the overworld ofFinal Fantasy 8, rail lines can be seen across the map and travel from continent to continent thanks to undersea tunnels.
It’s almost a guarantee that the motorbike chase scene from the originalFinal Fantasy 7,the culmination of high-stakes action, drama, and cyberpunk flair, cemented the whole game asone of the greatest turn-based RPGsof all time in many fans' minds. Having made its return in the movie sequelAdvent ChildrenandFinal Fantasy Remake, the Hardy-Daytona model cycle seen dodging Shinra heat on the highways of Midgar has proven itself to be a classicFinal Fantasyvehicle.
Motorbikes have appeared elsewhere in the series, typically in the games that overtly mix science and magic. InFinal Fantasy 13, Snow uses a transformed version of Shiva to get around. The leading man, Balthier, uses a hovering variant in his exploits inFinal Fantasy 12. Enemy Galbadian soldiers drive landbound motors during the SeeD assault inFinal Fantasy 8.
Powerful, looming, and the product of cutting-edge technology and forbidden mysticism, magitek armor first appeared inFinal Fantasy 6’sopening cutscene: three gigantic bipedal figures hissing steam and aether shuffling on a long walk through the cold and the snow. The armor grants its rider not only great stature but also access to magical abilities.
Although the magitek armor fromFinal Fantasy 6never appeared as an in-game vehicle with its own dedicated mechanics and functions, it has appeared in the series' second MMO as a purchasable mount, albeit one that has pretty much functions the same as any othermount inFinal Fantasy 14. Despite this, the ridable armor’s menacing design and the lore behind it still make riding one a distinctly cool experience and one that connects players to one of the most iconic moments inFinal Fantasyhistory.
2Gardens - Final Fantasy 8
A Flying Fortress, Training Center, And Hotdog Outlet
Many a hair may be split over the vehicular designation of a garden, which has so far only been seen inFinal Fantasy 8. On the one hand, they technically fly, so some consider them airships. On the other hand, they are only able to fly a little way off the ground, and so they might be better considered as hovercrafts. However, both of these perspectives miss the main appeal of a garden: they are massive mobile schools, bases home to highly-trained mercenary soldiers. Not only that, but they have gorgeous designs.
A garden’s ability to move across the landscape is kept a secret from most in the world. At a certain point inFinal Fantasy 8, the player is made captain of Balamb and can take it anywhere they wish. Using a magical energy halo as a propulsion system, Balamb Garden (and at least one other garden in the world) has been known to drift across land and sea. Gardens can conquer land and sea, but they do have trouble mounting steep inclines and rising above cliffs. While it may be outpaced by a more nimble aircraft, only a garden can boast of facilities such as a training zone, parking lot, library, hotdog dispensing cafeteria, a ballroom, and more.
1Airships - Various
Flying Heroes To And Fro From The Start
With airships having been with the series since the very beginning, it would be nearly impossible to concoct aranked list of airships inFinal Fantasy, but some fan favorites includeFinal Fantasy 7’schoppy, dieselpunk Highwind,Final Fantasy 9’senigmatic Invincible, andFinal Fantasy 8’sincredibly badass, sport-car-red, cyber-dragon-from-space themed aircraft, the Ragnarok. Typically unlocked near the end of the story, airships allow the player to reach anywhere on the map besides the ocean depths or outer space.
Elegant, dreamy, and incredibly useful, airships are more than just a way to get around. Barring underwater exploration, they are the ultimate in transportation and emblematically setFinal Fantasyapart from other sword-and-sorcery settings by folding a world of magic and machinery together as a cohesive whole. Obtaining one is often one of the most memorable moments of aFinal Fantasygame, as it thn becomes an end-game hub for the party; a home as much as a cool-as-heck mobile base.
