Final Fantasy Tactics allusions

List of references Final Fantasy Tactics makes to previous Final Fantasy titles and other media.
==Final Fantasy series==
*The Chocobo Forest Wonder is a reference to chocobo forests, a recurring type of location in the series.
*Rat Tail appears as an Artefact. Rat Tail is a recurring item in the series, that despite appearing worthless, is usually exchanged for a great reward.
*A ship called Falcon is mentioned in the errand "The Foundered Falcon". Falcon is a name of an airship in Final Fantasy IV and Final Fantasy VI.
*Bacchus's Wine, a recurring item in the series, is referenced in the "Lilith's Libation" errand: Bacchus Winery's most popular product is Bacchus Liqueur, an incredibly sweet drink made from bacchus seeds, and it was the reason for the attacks on the company's wains. What was thought to be the work of bandits was actually that of monsters drawn to the sweet smell. We defeated them and their leader Lilith, ensuring that Ivalicians could again partake in Bacchus's blessing.
*Whisperweed, a recurring term and item in the series, is referenced in the "Whisperweed Blossom" errand.
===Final Fantasy===
*The Shrine of Chaos Wonder is a reference to Chaos Shrine.
*The Mirage Tower Wonder is a reference to the Mirage Tower location in the original Final Fantasy.
*The Floating Castle Wonder is a reference to the Flying Fortress.
*The Matoya's Cave Wonder is a reference to the location of the same name in the original Final Fantasy.
*The Fortress of Trials Wonder is a reference to the Citadel of Trials.
*Mount Gulg is mentioned in the errand "Molten Maiden".
===Final Fantasy II===
*The Pandaemonium Wonder is a reference to the final dungeon of the same name from Final Fantasy II.
*The Semitt Falls Wonder is a reference to the location of the same name in Final Fantasy II.
*The Orb of Minwu Artefact refers to Minwu.
*The quote of Ultima in the PS version, "Open 7 doors to reach the tower of power! Ultima!" is a reference to the seven doors leading to the Ultima tome in the Mysidian Tower.
===Final Fantasy III===
*The Forbidden Land Eureka Wonder is a reference to the Eureka dungeon.
*The Crystal Tower Wonder is a reference to the location of the same name in Final Fantasy III.
*The Falgabard Wonder is a reference to the location of the same name in Final Fantasy III.
*The Tozus Village Wonder is a reference to Tozus.
*Saronia is mentioned in the description of the Artefacts, Black Materia, White Materia, Red Materia and Blue Materia, being an ancient magical city and that its residents, the Saronians, depend on the power of these materia for magic.
*A ship called Enterprise is mentioned in the errand "The Enterprise". The Enterprise is an airship in Final Fantasy III. A ship named Doga also appears in the errand "Doga Salvage".
===Final Fantasy IV===
*The description the Crystal Tower Wonder (itself a reference to Final Fantasy III), mentions this: This spire, once the heart of the ancient kingdom of Baron, was protected by the labyrinthine city at its base. Baron is a kingdom in Final Fantasy IV.
*The description to the Fortress of Trials Wonder (itself a reference to the original Final Fantasy) mentions this: Once a place of training for the royal guard in the ancient kingdom of Baron, this castle was lost in the Cataclysm. Graduates of the institution once filled the ranks of the Red Wings, a prestigious airship corps. Red Wings are an airship fleet in Final Fantasy IV, hailing from the Kingdom of Baron. Red Wings is also briefly mentioned in the errand called "Easy Come, Easy Go", where Count Minimas has been giving donations to them.
*The Tower of Babel Wonder is a reference to Tower of Babil. The link is made more clear by the description: A legendary tower that extends to the heavens from deep below the earth. Also called the Tower of the Colossi, this mighty spire withstood the Cataclysm, and is a priceless remnant of ancient civilization. The Colossi refers to the Giant of Babil, a monstrously large machine that can be revived by the Tower of Babil in Final Fantasy IV.
*The Calcobrena Artefact is a reference to Calca and Brina from Final Fantasy IV.
*The Lugae Artefact is a reference to Dr. Lugae, especially his monster form.
*The errand called "The Spoony Bard" has the player characters deliver letters between the bard Edward and Anna. This references Edward Chris von Muir and Anna from Final Fantasy IV. The errand's name is a reference to the phrase Tellah said to Edward during their battle. In a later errand, "Ode to Joy", Edward and Anna get married.
**Wiegraf Folles utters "No spoony bard could spin a sweeter tale!" during the battle at Fovoham Windflats, further alluding to the phrase.
===Final Fantasy V===
*The description to the Mirage Tower Wonder (itself a reference to the original Final Fantasy) says: This ancient tower links the Castle of Ronka to the earth below. Ronka Ruins were an underground dungeon in Final Fantasy V. Another Wonder, Ronkan Ruins, is also a reference to the same location: The Ronkan Dynasty dominated the world from its skyborne castle until an enigmatic plague brought about its sudden and tragic demise. Today its empty ruins float in a cold and desolate silence. Ronka Ruins are the remains of a lost civilization in Final Fantasy V and the entire ruins are capable of being lifted onto the sky, as an ancient floating city.
*Excalipoor appears as an Artefact. Excalipoor is known as a sword Gilgamesh confuses for the Excalibur. This first appeared in Final Fantasy V.
*Wiegraf Folles's chocobo is called Boco, which can later be recruited by the party on Chapter 2. Boco was Bartz Klauser's chocobo in Final Fantasy V.
*The playable monster Byblos alludes to the boss of the same name and appearance from Final Fantasy V. They even share similar abilities, being capable of causing status effects and also draining HP and MP.
===Final Fantasy VI===
*The Floating Continent Wonder is a reference to location of the same name in Final Fantasy VI.
*The Phantom Train Wonder is a reference to the train that takes departed souls to the other side in Final Fantasy VI.
*The airship Blackjack is mentioned in the "Storm of 777" errand: The Blackjack, the casino ship is at the port. The slot machine at the left end of the ship is said to be loose. You should try it out! Blackjack is a casino airship in Final Fantasy VI, owned by Setzer Gabbiani, who is mentioned in the errand outcome: The Casino ship Blackjack is at the port Limberry castle. The slot machine on the left hand side gave us 777, the jackpot. Nothing happened so we asked Setzer about this. He said he deliberately lowered the pay-off rate. "Gambling's not fun unless there's some risk."
===Final Fantasy VII===
*Cloud Strife, the main protagonist of Final Fantasy VII, appears as a secret character in Final Fantasy Tactics.
*Aerith Gainsborough is met in the game if the player completes Cloud's sidequest. She is seen selling flowers in the city streets, a profession she also has in Final Fantasy VII.
*During dismissal and abandonment dialogues with Cloud, he makes references to Final Fantasy VII.
**When talking with Cloud after selecting "Dismiss" from the party menu, he will say "There's no getting off this train until we reach the station," a reference to the many quotes by Barret.
**When abandoning the team due to low Bravery, he will say "I couldn't even save one girl. What do you expect from me?" This is a reference to Aerith's death.
**When the player meets Cloud for the first time, he will go, "Uhn...What is this...this feeling in my fingertips? The heat! Inside my skull...No, stop...Sephiroth - no!" This is a reference to Sephiroth, the main antagonist of Final Fantasy VII. This also refers to how Sephiroth at the time was able to control Cloud during Final Fantasy VII.
*Cloud's job class is Soldier. This is reference to SOLDIER, an elite military force which Cloud once believed to have been a member of in Final Fantasy VII.
*Cloud's Limit commands are his Limit Break skills from Final Fantasy VII, apart from Cherry Blossom, his ultimate ability in Final Fantasy Tactics.
*Red, Blue, Black, and White Materia appear as Artefacts in Final Fantasy Tactics. Black and White Materia also play important roles in Final Fantasy VII, being able to summon the Meteor and Holy, respectively.
*An airship called Highwind is mentioned in the "The Salvage of the Highwind" errand. Highwind is the party's airship in Final Fantasy VII.
*The Materia Blade, a weapon for Cloud that lets him use his Limit commands, references the Materia system used in Final Fantasy VII. The sword's appearance may have been inspired by Cloud's ultimate weapon in Final Fantasy VII, Ultima Weapon.
===Final Fantasy XII===
*Balthier, a player character in Final Fantasy XII, appears as a secret character in Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions. He mentions he is looking for the Cache of Glabados when recruited, a place he left to look for at the end of Final Fantasy XII and finds during Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings.
**Balthier mentions that the leading man never walks out of a little danger, even if he does feel more like a cameo role this time. This is a reference to Balthier repeatedly calling himself the leading man in Final Fantasy XII.
**Balthier mentioning he is tired of constantly following children, refers to him being in Vaan's party in Final Fantasy XII.
===Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift===
*Luso, the main protagonist of Grimoire of the Rift, appears as a playable character in Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions.
==Other Square Enix titles==
===Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together===
Being a spiritual successor to the 1995 tactical RPG, Final Fantasy Tactics is filled with many allusions to it:
*The battle system is based on the Tactics Ogre battle system.
*The relationship between Ramza and Alma Beoulve is similar to Denam and Catiua Pavel.
*Ramza has his surname changed from Beoulve to Lugria at one point in the storyline, Denam also has his surname changed from Pavel to Morne in his game.
*Delita Heiral's personality and storyline are heavily inspired by Vyce Bozeck.
*Dame Ravness in the PSP remake of Tactics Ogre may have been inspired by Agrias Oaks.
*Cidolfus Orlandeau can be compared to Hobyrim von Rahms from Tactics Ogre. Their job classes are similar; Sword Saint for Orlandeau and Swordmaster for Hobyrim. They don brown outfits and their glory and nobility are stripped for someone's ambition.
*A "Count Orlandeau" is mentioned in the Warren Reports of the PSP remake of Tactics Ogre, naming this figure as the ancestor to Leundar Balbatos's puppet lord and figurehead leader of the Galgastani.
===Vagrant Story===
*Fragments of Orlandeau's skeleton were said to be contained in the Orlandu gem held in the city of Leá Monde.
==Popular culture==
*The person named "Zerro" in the "Left Behind" and "Zerro's Mark" errands is most likely a reference to Zorro.
*The names for each Deep Dungeon level from the original Japanese version and the PlayStation translation pertain to the movie Apocalypse Now, with order to the plot:
**"NOGIAS" is "Saigon" spelled backwards, which happens to be the opening location for the movie.
**"TERMINATE" refers to the orders given to Captain Williard to "terminate" the rogue Colonel Kurtz.
**"DELTA" is the "Mekong Delta", the first step on Williard's journey.
**"VALKYRIES" is a reference to the song played during a helicopter attack on a VC village, Richard Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries".
**"MLAPAN" is a "napalm" spelled backwards, a reference to the classic line "I love the smell of napalm in the morning" spoken by Lt. Colonel Bill Kilgore after the helicopter attack.
**"TIGER" refers to an event during Williard's journey up the river, in which one of his men leaves the PBR for mangoes, only to be attacked by a wild tiger.
**"BRIDGE" refers to the chaotic passage past the Do Long Bridge, which is under siege by North Vietnamese forces.
**"VOYAGE" refers to the last leg of the journey to Colonel Kurtz's jungle hideout.
**"HORROR" is a reference to Colonel Kurtz's famous last line: "The horror... the horror..."
**"END" is the end of the movie, as well as a reference to The Doors' song "The End", which is used prominently during the movie.
*In the PlayStation version of Final Fantasy Tactics, the quote for Pummel is "Fight for justice...fists of fury! Repeated Fist!" refers to Bruce Lee's Fist of Fury where Chen Zhen fights to defend the honor of the Chinese in the face of foreign aggression, and to bring to justice those responsible for his master's death.
* The retranslated dialogue in The War of the Lions is inspired by George R.R. Martin's "A Song of Ice and Fire".
** Agrias refers to Dycedarg's conspiracy as a "game of thrones".
** The use of Ser instead of the most commonly used 'Sir'.
** Lionsguard is inspired by the series "Kingsguard".
*Goffard Gaffgarion's last words in the War of the Lions translation, "I feel... cold" is identical to Hector Barbossa's last words in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.
==Mythology and religion==
*The concept of Northswain's Strike's additional instant death effect is a reference to the Chinese deity of Northern Dipper. He is said to associate with death whose role is close to that of the Grim Reaper.
*The story of Saint Ajora bears some similarities to that of Jesus Christ, both of which include notable prophecies, betrayal at the hands of a close disciple, antagonism from the prevailing religious sect, and execution by the reigning authorities. The requirements needed for his resurrection and his goals, however, makes him resemble the biblical Antichrist character, as the one that although attempts to mimic Christ's life and look like him, deceives the people, with an ultimate intention of bringing chaos into the world.
*Germonique's character is similar to the Disciple Judas, who betrayed Jesus for thirty pieces of silver.
*Germonique's name is similar to St. Jermone, who is known for translating the Scriptures into Latin. In Final Fantasy Tactics Germonique is the author of the Scriptures of Germonique.
*Gokuu Pole appears as a weapon. It's a reference to the character , or Son Gokuu in Japanese. The pole can inflict Atheist status on the target, likely alludes to how Sun Wukong frequently invades heaven in novel, and how he despises the deities.
==Culture==
*Iaido's ability to literally draw out the spirit of the katana, refers to several legends and lore within samurai culture and the Japanese swordmaking community. A quality blade is said to be made with the full spirit and focus of its maker, transferred through each process of its creation, and in turn, its ideal wielder is one that matches the spirit of that individual blade made. Within the context of Final Fantasy Tactics, what every soul of the katana can do has a historic and/or legendary basis.
==Real world==
*The Fifty Years' War and the War of the Lions may be allusions to two historical wars that, like the Fifty Years' War and the Lion War, came one after the other. The Fifty Years' War may allude to the historical Hundred Years' War between England and France, with Ivalice representing England and Ordallia representing France, though there doesn't seem to be a Joan of Arc-type figure that rallied the Ordallians in their time of need, as Joan did for the French, as well as many other discrepancies in the outcome
*The "War of the Lions" may also be an allusion to the English "War of the Roses", given the War of the Lions is a battle between two Houses for the Crown, much as the War of the Roses was a fight for the English throne between the houses of Lancaster and York.
Category:Final Fantasy Tactics
Category:Allusions