Highlights

  • Final Fantasy 14's Wind-Up Zidane and Wind-Up Garnet minions from Final Fantasy 9 have a cute interaction in the game.
  • Minions are cosmetic, but their interactions add to the game's charm and fan engagement.

The launch of the latest Final Fantasy 14 expansion, Dawntrail, brought with it a treat for fans of Final Fantasy 9, who've uncovered a cute detail in two of the game's minions. Among other references to Final Fantasy 9, the easily missed interaction between the Final Fantasy 14 minions highlights the attention to detail exercised by the game's developers at Square Enix.

Dawntrail is by far the largest addition to Final Fantasy 14 since the last expansion, 2021's Endwalker. It adds the new playable continent of Tural, which has its own culture and geography, as well as a storyline that takes the Warrior of Light's adventures past the "Hydaelyn and Zodiark Saga" that powered FF14's narrative for the past decade. It also brings a host of new goodies for players to hunt in the form of mounts and collectible Final Fantasy 14 minions.

Wuk Lamat from Dawntrail's MSQ, Viper job as a poster, and Pictomancer job in Final Fantasy 14
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Minions play no role in combat in Final Fantasy 14. Outside the Lord of Verminion minigame played in the Gold Saucer, they're entirely cosmetic. However, they often have cute interactions with players and each other. The latest amusing reference found by players in Final Fantasy 14 involves two minions that were introduced alongside Dawntrail and are based on Final Fantasy 9 characters: Wind-Up Zidane and Wind-Up Garnet. When placed close together, the Wind-Up Zidane minion will bend its knee before Wind-Up Garnet, who then takes a step back, seemingly nonplussed by the sudden gesture. Players like Twitter user Scarletify were quick to showcase the interaction once it was found in-game.

Final Fantasy 14 Garnet and Zidane Minions Show Off Touching Interaction

The interaction between Wind-Up Garnet and Wind-Up Zidane evoked fond memories Final Fantasy 9 in its fans. Despite being decades old at this point, the classic RPG has been making headlines, thanks to recent rumors about a Final Fantasy 9 remake being in the works at Square Enix. Dawntrail's game world contains a few FF9 references of its own, such as "Solution Nine," a playable zone named after one of Zidane's abilities.

The Garnet and Zidane minions aren't the only minions in FF14 with fun interactions. Some of the best Final Fantasy 14 minions will sit on a player's shoulder, like the Gaelikitten. Some will play special animations when prompted by specific emotes or when summoned near certain other minions, like the Brina and Calca minions dancing with each other to replicate their behavior in the Antitower dungeon. Wind-Up Zidane and Wind-Up Garnet are notable not just for the Final Fantasy 9 reference, but for the fact that they're both of limited availability. Wind-Up Zidane is a pre-order bonus for Dawntrail, while Wind-Up Garnet is exclusive to Dawntrail's Collector's Edition. Square Enix has not yet detailed if players who didn't pre-order or don't want to upgrade their copies of Dawntrail will be able to acquire the minions for themselves.