Summoner (job)

The Summoner , also known as the Caller and sometimes abbreviated as SUM or SMN , is a job that appears in various games in the Final Fantasy series. It often serves the role of a stronger mage class, using powerful familiars to perform group-wide damage attacks and support.
Notable Summoners are Rydia of Final Fantasy IV, Garnet of Final Fantasy IX, and Yuna of Final Fantasy X.
Several entries in the series have also featured a lesser version of the Summoner known as the Evoker.
==Profile==
Summoners are known for their ability to summon magical beasts to fight for the party. Summons usually cost more MP than the average spell, but are much more powerful. They generally have some of the lowest physical stats but also the highest magical stats. Their weapon arsenal varies by game, but most show them equipping rods, staves, daggers, and sometimes whips. 
While the details of their appearance vary between games, summoners often wear green robes, and in some games also bear large horns on their foreheads, said to allow communication with their otherworldly allies. Whether these horns are natural growths or part of the summoner's outfit varies between games.
The job's concept would be first introduced to series in Final Fantasy III, where the Summoner served as the upgraded form of the Evoker job. Unlike its lesser counterpart, the Summoner had access to the full potential of a summon monster's power, unleashing a mighty attack onto the battlefield.
The Summoner that would become the recurring series standard would be properly introduced in Final Fantasy IV, serving as Rydia's job and a race of individuals. This version would automatically have access to a summon monster's full power by default, while also having access to Black or White Magic as secondary commands. The versatility in magicks would become a trait that would be carried into future titles for Summoner characters.
200px|right|thumb|Yuna from Final Fantasy X summoning Valefor to fight alongside her.
Several titles post-Final Fantasy V would have the occupation remain absent, allowing any character to have access to summon magicks. The job would return with a stronger narrative presence in Final Fantasy IX, where the concept of a summoner is focused and expanded further from a mere job class. The strong narrative prescence would be further heightened in Final Fantasy X, with summoners significantly affecting the world they live in, while also being the occupation of the game's deuteragonist, Yuna.
Final Fantasy X would also introduce the concept of summons fighting alongside their summoner in combat, having their own commands to perform. The concept would be the Summoner's primary method of acting in combat in Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XIV, issuing commands for their "pets" to use to attack their foes or aid the party. In addition, Final Fantasy XI would introduce the Astral Flow ability, which would become a recurring command for the job in several other titles.
==Appearances==
===Final Fantasy III===
The Summoner is a job gained from the Earth Crystal, being the upgraded version of the Evoker job. They are magic users who have harnessed the power of high summoning — the ability to call forth a combined Black and White Magic effect.
===Final Fantasy IV===
The summoners are a race of people who possess the power of summoning as a birthright. Most of the summoners are wiped out at the beginning of the story, with Rydia being the only female survivor, while a few unnamed male summoners remain in Mist. As a summoner, Rydia is capable of learning Black Magic and Summon Magic. Enemy Summoners are fought in the Feymarch.
====Final Fantasy IV -Interlude-====
Rydia? and Rydia are the only summoners that appear.
====Final Fantasy IV: The After Years====
Rydia is a summoner, but is unable to summon during the early portions. Maenad is also able to summon. Enemy Summoners appear in Kain's Challenge Dungeon.
===Final Fantasy V===
200px|right|The cast of Final Fantasy V as Summoners.
The Summoner is a job class obtained from the Water Crystal. It is a spellcasting job that calls forth summon monsters to perform various effects. The summons they use must either be bought from shops or defeated in battle.
===Final Fantasy IX===
The summoners were a race of people who lived in Madain Sari and possessed a horn on their heads. Almost all the summoners were killed after Garland destroyed their hometown. Garnet, her mother, and Eiko's parents and grandfather survived the attack. By the beginning of the game, only Garnet and Eiko are left alive. Garnet/Dagger and Eiko can summon Eidolons and cast White Magic. However, Dagger's abilities focus on her summons while Eiko's focus on her White Magic, and the two learn different spells and summons.
===Final Fantasy X===
The summoners are people who embark on pilgrimages across Spira to pray to the fayth of each temple to obtain the power of the aeons they create. All summoners' goal is to obtain the Final Aeon and to use its power to defeat the monster known as Sin. A Summoner who manages this feat posthumously gains the title of High Summoner. Yuna is a summoner in the player party, and can use Summon Magic and her Sphere Grid path teaches her White Magic, although she can also learn other abilities from the other characters' paths. Seymour Guado is also able to summon, as are many non-player characters, like Dona and Isaaru.
The Ronso are willing to construct a statue of Yuna with a horn on her forehead. This is further alluded in Final Fantasy X-2 where depending on the player's choices related to the Ronso throughout the story they may construct such statue.
===Final Fantasy XI===
The Summoner (SMN) is an advance job obtained from the "I Can Hear a Rainbow" quest. By default, Summoners wield the ability to summon Elementals and Carbuncle, one of the five Terrestrial Avatars. Those who wield the job can further their potential in the summoning arts by battling the many Celestial Avatars and forming a pact to summon them into combat.
===Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII===
The Spira's Summoner garb is a DLC outfit for Lightning. It has natural access to the Elementa Lv. ★ locked magic ability.
===Final Fantasy XIV===
The Summoner (SMN) is one of the upgraded forms of the Arcanist class, with its Soul Crystal available to equip after completing the "Austerities of Flame" quest. Summoners can call the Egi and Demi summons, familiars that are smaller versions of Primals, to fight alongside them in the battle and enhance their spells with elemental aspects. 
Prior to the release of the Endwalker expansion, the job had a heavy focus on damage over time effects, though with the release of Endwalker, its damage over time abilities were removed.
===Final Fantasy Tactics===
Summoner is a strong, magickal-based job that can summon espers to deal massive damage to all enemies, or aid allies. Their magick stats are high, but their other stats are lacking.
===Final Fantasy Tactics Advance===
Summoner is a job for the viera race. Summoners wield staves and are the paragon of MP with outstanding Magic growth compared to even most nu mou jobs.
The Summoner (SUM) has a versatile action ability that allows them to aid comrades and foil adversaries, rendering them a valuable asset despite the greater-than-usual MP costs of the summons call for. The Summoner's damage area is unique in that it consists of two tiles outward and one tile diagonally from the selected point on the battlefield, for a total of thirteen affected tiles.
====Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift====
Summoner job is available to viera. The Summoner's Magick growth is astounding, even better than nu mou jobs. They call on Espers to aid them in battle, either by damaging foes or healing and casting spell effects on the party. To compensate for this unique casting ability, their Move stat is low and their summons cannot be cast far or tell enemies from allies.
===Final Fantasy Tactics S===
===Final Fantasy Dimensions===
Summoner is a starting job class available to both groups.
===Final Fantasy Dimensions II===
The Summoner is a fire-elemental Eidolon. It can be obtained as a signet for Jornee to equip and teaches her the Burst abilities.
In addition, Aemo, Jornee, and Maina are able to obtain Summoner themed costumes from Babil Tower.
In the original free-to-play versions, the characters Refia, Lenna, and Faris were depicted as the summoner jobs from their respective games for their signets. Series veteran summoners also appeared as signets, comprising of Rydia, Garnet, Eiko, and Yuna. In addition, a signet based on the Summoner job from Final Fantasy III appeared in the form of the Summoner OR summon.
===Dissidia Final Fantasy===
In the Duel Colosseum, when chosen, the Summoner job card will cause the next hand to consist only of treasure and job cards.
====Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy====
Yuna represents the Summoner job and can summon the aeons she acquires during the storyline of Final Fantasy X: Valefor, Ifrit, Ixion, Shiva, and Bahamut. The Summoner job card appears in the Labyrinth mode, and ensures the next cards drawn to contain only treasure and job cards.
The Summoner is also a job that can be selected for a character in the player's party for Quick Battle, Friend Cards, or wireless matches. When a Summoner calls their summonstone, it regenerates afterwards, allowing another usage. The Summoner in turn unlocks the Sage job with the Black Mage and White Mage.
===Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin===
The Summoner is an Expert Job available within the Season Pass after completing the "Trials of the Dragon King" and unlocking the "The Power of Summoning" conversation with Bahamut. The Summoner is an aggressive hybrid melee/magic job capable destroying crowds and dealing heavy damage to bosses through the might of the Bahamut summon. This summon replaces Jack Garland and his entire moveset with those of Bahamut from the boss fight within the "Trials of the Dragon King" mission, giving the player a large amount of attack range, durability, and destructive magic power through the Megaflare ability. To encourage an aggressive playstyle, the Summoner grants passives that increase the damage of abilities, decrease the damage taken while attacking, and increase the MP recovered through Soul Bursts to use even more abilities.
===Pictlogica Final Fantasy===
===Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade===
===Final Fantasy Artniks===
The Summoner appears as a character card.
===Final Fantasy All the Bravest===
The Summoner is a character available to the party, he summons Bahamut during battle. It unlocks at level 75.
===Final Fantasy Record Keeper===
Summoner appears as a recruitable character. He is unlocked in Magitek Factory on Classic in Final Fantasy VI storyline as the First Time Reward.
===World of Final Fantasy===
Summoners are unique Mirage Keepers in the world of Grymoire, capable of calling single Mirages known as Espers. There are four known Summoners currently in the world - Rydia, Terra, Eiko, and Yuna. They are a central focus during the events of the game's story, being desired by the Order of the Circle to summon the Cogna through the Ultima Gate.
Being Mirage Keepers themselves, Lann and Reynn are able to summon multiple Mirages into combat and fight alongside them. Their mother, Lusse Farna, was once a powerful Mirage Keeper and also considered the strongest of summoners by the Lilikin of Grymoire.
===Mobius Final Fantasy===
The witch Meia can summon espers, eidolons and aeons in multiplayer mode.
===Final Fantasy Trading Card Game===
The Summoner and Evoker jobs appear in Final Fantasy Trading Card Game as Backup cards of multiple different elements. The Summoner cards depict Arc, Luneth, Ingus, and Refia from Final Fantasy III, Krile, and Galuf from Final Fantasy V, a Tarutaru, a Mithra, and a Hume from Final Fantasy XI, a Hyur from Final Fantasy XIV, a Viera from Final Fantasy Tactics A2, and the job from Final Fantasy Tactics.
===Final Fantasy Portal App===
Evoker and Summoner from the Final Fantasy III 3D version appear as Triple Triad cards.
026a Evoker.png|Evoker
041a Summoner.png|Summoner
==Non-Final Fantasy guest appearances==
===Other Square Enix titles===
Yoyo and Sendak are Summoners in the Super Famicom RPG, Bahamut Lagoon. Both characters have the ability to summon the Holy Dragons, allowing them to deal devastating area of effect damage to enemy parties. Several Summoner Holy Dragons are recurring Final Fantasy summons.
The Summoner is also a recurring job in the Bravely series, being prominent in titles associated with the first Bravely Default . In all titles, the asterisk is associated with the character Mephilia Venus. It also has an upgraded variant of known as the Conjurer, which is obtained by defeating Sage Yulyana in Chapter 6. Both jobs reference the Evoker and Summoner jobs from Final Fantasy III. Like the Evoker, the Summoner focuses on the use of summons with their default functions. The Conjurer allows for the use of summons with a more powerful effect, similar to the Summoner. In addition, both the Summoner of Final Fantasy III and Conjurer of Bravely Default share the same Japanese name: "Spirit World Illusionist" .
The Conjurer appeared as a bronze job card for combat in the defunct browser game, Knights of the Crystals. The job card allowed the player characters to use the Energy Ball and Energy Rain abilities. The High Conjurer gold card was also available, allowing players to use the Energy Bomb, Force Wave, and Hyper Spirit abilities. Lastly, the Summoner job available to players was a gold card, having the same abilities as the High Conjurer card. Like the Bravely Default Conjurer, the Summoner's name in Japanese is "Spirit World Illusionist" .
Summoners also appeared as NPCs in the defunct cellphone title, It's New Frontier
BDFF Evoker.png|Tiz and Agnès as Conjurers in Bravely Default.
BS Summoner.png|Magnolia Arch as a Summoner in Bravely Second: End Layer.
BDPB F Summoner.png|Female Summoner in Bravely Default: Praying Brage.
BDPB F Summoner2.png|right|Female Summoner sprite in Praying Brage.
Knightsofthecrystals-ConjurerMale.png|Conjurer (male) from Knights of the Crystals.
Knightsofthecrystals-ConjurerFemale.png|Conjurer (female) from Knights of the Crystals.
Male High Conjurer from KoTC.png|High Conjurer (male) from Knights of the Crystals.
Female High Conjurer from KoTC.png|High Conjurer (female) from Knights of the Crystals.
Male Summoner from KotC.png|Summoner (male) from Knights of the Crystals.
Female Summoner from KotC.png|Summoner (female) from Knights of the Crystals.
It's New Frontier.png|The Summoner NPC from It's New Frontier.
===Non-Square Enix titles===
The defunct mobile title, Minna to BIOHAZARD Clan Master, featured Claire Redfield as a Final Fantasy Summoner as part of a collaboration event.
===Influences in other titles===
Cygames, Inc's browser title, Granblue Fantasy, features the Manadiver class for players to choose for their main character. Like other classes in the title, the Manadiver takes influence from the recurring Final Fantasy jobs, specifically the Summoner from Final Fantasy XIV. The class is able to conjure several familiars known as manaturas, smaller versions of the game's Primal Beasts, similar to Final Fantasy XIV version of Summoner having access to the Egi forms of the Primals. Leviathan Mino and Bahamut Mino are among the summonable manaturas, both being heavily inspired by their Final Fantasy counterparts in design. The class's strongest ability, Over Trance, likely references the Summoner's Dreadwyrm Trance ability. 
In the Sega MMORPG, Phantasy Star Online 2, the Summoner is featured as a class for players. The class instructor, Pietro, is a Dueman character with a single horn protruding from his forehead, mimicking the trademark horn ornament from the Final Fantasy Summoner job.
==Gallery==
FF3-NES-Summoner.PNG|Summoner sprite from Final Fantasy III.
FF3-Summoner.png|The cast of the 3D remake of Final Fantasy III as Summoners.
RydiaDS.png|Rydia of Mist from Final Fantasy IV.
Summoner Job from FFV SD art.png|Main cast of Final Fantasy V as Summoners.
FFX HD Yuna Render.png|Yuna from Final Fantasy X.
FFXI-Tarutaru-Summoner.jpg|A Tarutaru Summoner in Final Fantasy XI.
FFXIV Summoner Artwork.png|Artwork of Final Fantasy XIV Summoner.
FFT Summoner.jpg|Summoners from Final Fantasy Tactics.
Ffta-viera-summoner.jpg|A viera Summoner in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance.
TA2-VieraSummoner.jpg|A viera Summoner in Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift.
FFTS Moogle Summoner Sprite.png|Final Fantasy Tactics S.
FFTS Moogle Summoner Portrait.png|Portrait in Final Fantasy Tactics S.
FFTS Moogle Summoner Icon.png|Icon in Final Fantasy Tactics S.
FFTS Yuna Sprite.png|Yuna's Summoner sprite in Final Fantasy Tactics S.
FFTS Yuna Portrait2.png|Yuna's Summoner portrait in Final Fantasy Tactics S.
FFTS Yuna X Portrait2.png|Yuna's Summoner icon in Final Fantasy Tactics S.
FFD - Summoner.png|Final Fantasy Dimensions.
FFLII Summoner V2 Costume.png|Final Fantasy Dimensions II.
FF3 Summoner R I Artniks.png|Final Fantasy Artniks.
FF3 Summoner (Ingus) R I Artniks.png|Final Fantasy Artniks.
FF5A Summoner R I Artniks.png|Final Fantasy Artniks.
FF5A Summoner R F Artniks.png|Final Fantasy Artniks.
FFT Summoner L Artniks.png|A Rank N Male Summoner card in Final Fantasy Artniks.
Summoner ATB.png|Final Fantasy All the Bravest.
PFF Summoner M.png|Male Summoner in Pictlogica Final Fantasy .
PFF Summoner F.png|Female Summoner in Pictlogica Final Fantasy .
FFRK Summoner Sprite.png|Final Fantasy Record Keeper.
==Etymology==
de:Beschwörer (Beruf)
it:Invocatore (classe)
 
Category:Recurring jobs