Short post today! Work schedule and internet problems interfered with my ability to post this on time, but I hope you all still find it enjoyable.
It’s been a long time since I posted exclusively about Final Fantasy. I got a lot of it out of my system during the very short-lived segment known as Final Friday. But I do still have things to say about the series, and today I am going to say one of those things. Err, five actually.
The world of Final Fantasy has a lot of cool weapons. The blend of medieval and futuristic, magical and scientific, creates a lot of opportunities for neat equipment with lots of interesting effects. In fact, I’d have to say that the Final Fantasy series has my favorite weapons in general. So out of the series with my favorite weapons, which weapons are my extra favorite? It’s time to find out!
Weapon #5: Cerberus – Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus
Vincent Valentine is one of my favorite characters from the series, and so his weapon definitely gets grandfathered onto the list. The Cerberus has a pretty cool design; three barrels, plus the cool little chains called “dirges” that allow the weapon to have different abilities and spells. Throw in a customizable barrel capable of increasing short or long-range capabilities and this gun has a number of different options.
Of course, while the Cerberus is Vincent’s signature weapon, it’s not his ultimate weapon. But I find the Cerberus way cooler than the Death Penalty, so the “weaker” gun finds its place on the top 5 list. I mainly like the gun for its cool three-barrel design and the fact that Vincent Valentine uses it.
Weapon #4: Hawkeye – Final Fantasy VI
As a kid who grew up playing The Legend of Zelda, my top coolest weapons have pretty much always been swords, bows, and boomerangs. So any time a weapon finds a way to put any combination of those together, it’s a pretty awesome weapon. Which makes the hawkeye, one of many throwing weapons wielded exclusively by Locke Cole, a pretty awesome weapon in my book.
You see, the hawkeye is a bladed weapon like a short sword. However, it can be thrown like a boomerang to strike the enemy and then return to Locke’s grasp. In close combat or in ranged, the hawkeye is a reliable weapon that is particularly destructive to flying enemies. It has a cool design and is quite practical – what more could you ask for in a piece of equipment?
Weapon #3: Excalipur – Multiple titles
You know the legendary weapon Excalibur? Wielded by King Arthur, magical powers, all that good stuff? Well, that weapon exists in the world of Final Fantasy, and so does another one. A highly decorated, powerful-looking sword that is a facsimile of Excalibur while also being the weakest weapon in the game.
Obviously, I don’t particularly care to take Excalipur into battle. However, it’s fun to find it in the games and it is particularly fun to watch Gilgamesh – one of my favorite recurring characters in the series – try desperately to get Excalibur and always end up with this goofy thing instead. Sometimes the best weapons are the goofy ones that are just there for fun, and for me the Excalipur is the best example of that.
Weapon #2: Gunblade – Final Fantasy VIII
Okay, this is probably the part of the post where I get really predictable. But come on, Squall’s gunblade is awesome! The sword doesn’t actually shoot bullets (I’m looking at you, Lightning), but instead pulling the trigger causes a shockwave to run through the blade. This can be rather dangerous to the wielder if used incorrectly. As such, skillfully-timed trigger pulls are key to the fighting style. It’s so difficult to wield that only two characters in Final Fantasy VIII can even use one, and only Squall is considered a master.
I like this weapon because I like the idea of a weapon that requires true mastery to wield properly. Plus, think of how cool it would look played out and animated rather than just shown in PS1 game graphics. Squall and Seifer are locked in a deadly duel, blades rumbling every time they strike, sending shockwaves down each wielder’s body as they desperately try to outmanuever and overpower each other. If one guy pulls the trigger with better timing, the other one left jarred and open to a follow-up attack. I can see this battle playing out incredibly, and it’s all thanks to the cool design of the Gunblade.
Weapon #1: Fusion Sword – Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children
Did you think I was gonna say Buster Sword? Well, you’re half right, I guess. Cloud’s signature weapon from the Advent Children movie is an incredible blade that’s actually made up of six different swords. One acts as a base, three create the distinctive shape and weight of the blade, and two lock it in place and complete the design. These swords can be wielded as one massive blade or kept separate, and this is where the Fusion Sword really shines.
If you’ve never seen Advent Children, you really ought to check it out. The story is classic Square Enix – so grand and far-reaching that is makes little sense – but the action scenes are fantastic. Cloud is highly featured in the movie and his ability to seamlessly switch from one to two swords by fusing and breaking his blades looks awesome. Having multiple swords allows him to use them for climbing as well, making his fighting style dynamic and mobile. Combine that with the ability to sheathe the separate swords in a nifty compartment on Cloud’s motorcycle, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a cooler weapon around.
From the design to the fighting style, this sword is cool. But also cool is the legend behind it. When designing Cloud’s weapon for Advent Children, it is said that the development team jokingly suggested that since he went for size in the game, he should go for numbers in the movie. While the idea of Cloud carrying a half-dozen swords began as a gag, it was developed into the concept of the Fusion Sword.
Remember what I said earlier about gag weapons being awesome? This is a gag that was then made really cool. Now THAT’s a weapon!
So while I have finished my list, I did not talk about a lot of different weapons from the Final Fantasy series. What weapon would you consider your favorite? Whether it’s goofy, gory, or glorious, feel free to post your preferred armaments in the comments.
Adventure Rules 
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