Summons in Final Fantasy 9 (known in the game as Eidolons) can be used by Dagger and Eiko. In Final Fantasy tradition, there are several Eidolons, some of which are hidden. Players need to keep an eye out for them during the game, as sometimes there are limited opportunities to get them.
Eidolons are a vital part of Final Fantasy 9's plotline, particularly for Dagger, as events near the end of the game reveal. They're also incredibly useful during battle, particularly when used strategically by equipping certain items. Here's our rundown of every Eidolon in the game!
There are two non-playable Eidolons in FF9 , Ozma and Alexander. While these are cool to watch, they're not able to be summoned by the player and thus don't earn a spot on this list.
12 Ramuh
Floating above the party in a green cloak and sporting an excellent mustache, Ramuh can be learned by Dagger using a Peridot. He deals elemental damage with his attack, Lightning Bolt, and is fairly reasonable to summon at a cost of 22 MP.
Ramuh's attack is decent, multiplied by the number of Peridot the player has in stock, but there are stronger summons on this list to choose from instead. Still, if the player wants to deal some lightning damage, he's a good option to go for.
11 Leviathan
Leviathan is another Final Fantasy classic, first appearing in Final Fantasy 2. One of the oldest summons in the series, Leviathan appears as both male and female depending on the game. In Final Fantasy 9, it can be learned by Dagger using Aquamarine. It deals water-based damage using the move Tsunami, with a pretty epic tidal wave animation.
Leviathan's attack becomes stronger depending on the number of Aquamarine the player has in stock. For water-based elemental damage, the player can't go wrong with Leviathan.
10 Odin
Odin first makes an appearance in Final Fantasy 3 alongside Shiva and Ifrit. Dagger can learn Odin from Dark Matter. Riding in on a horse with the full moon behind him, Odin is a menacing sight, and his attack, Zantetsuken, can cause Instant Death to an enemy. This isn't a given; the more Ore the party has, the more chance it has for success.
If Dagger equips the ability Odin's Sword, Odin will deal damage to all enemies, too. He can be found in Ancient Aroma from Ipsen's Castle in the latter half of the game. While Odin's ability is interesting (and incredibly useful), it does require a lot of Ore to increase the likelihood of success.
9 Carbuncle
Carbuncle easily takes the crown for the cutest Eidolon in the game; a little green creature with a jewel on its head, which changes color depending on the add-on used. Eiko can learn Carbuncle from a Ruby, which she'll gain at the Iifa Tree. The player will find a Ruby in Stiltzkin's shop at the end of the game if they accidentally consumed the first one.
Carbuncle is an interesting Eidolon. It can be used to cast status effects on the whole party, but the status effects depend on the jewels Eiko equips. The normal attack casts Reflect; a diamond causes Vanish; an emerald casts Haste, and a moonstone casts Shell. The ability to cast status effects on the entire party makes Carbuncle a brilliant defensive Eidolon.
8 Ifrit
Ifrit is another Final Fantasy staple. Like Shiva, Ifrit first appears in Final Fantasy 3 and plays a bigger role in later games, including Final Fantasy 8, in which he appears in the final part of Squall's CEED exams. Ifrit is a menacing, horned creature in FF9, damaging all enemies with the elemental attack Flames of Hell, with the attack increasing in strength depending on the number of Topaz the player has in their inventory.
He's a powerful summon, and comes at a pretty big MP cost prior to Dagger's Eidolon extraction (he costs a whopping 104 MP earlier in the game). Later, he becomes much more "useable" at 26 MP per summon. Dagger obtains Ifrit from Doctor Tot. Ifrit also makes an appearance in the Tetra Master card game, but the player will have to win it from the Eidolon Master at the card stadium in Treno.
7 Fenrir
Fenrir can be summoned by Eiko. Learned from a Sapphire, its attacks depend on which add-on the player chooses to equip. The base attack, Terrestrial Rage, is a decent earth attack that can be boosted by the number of Sapphires in stock. However, using the Maiden Prayer, Fenrir will attack using Millennial Decay, which causes wind damage.
Eiko's Eidolons are, on the whole, a little cuter than Dagger's, and Fenrir is no exception. Still, it can deal some pretty hefty damage if the player can collect a good number of sapphires.
6 Shiva
Shiva is a Final Fantasy legend, making her first appearance in Final Fantasy 3. Shiva deals elemental damage, and her attack, Diamond Dust, attacks all opponents for 36 + the number of opals in stock for the full-length animation. Like all of Dagger's summons, Shiva costs more MP to begin with, starting with 96 MP, but reducing to 24MP. She can be learned from an Opal for 20 AP.
Shiva is high on the list thanks to her dramatic (and sparkly) animation. She's also given a little more backstory in FF9. When Dagger first encounters her as a child, Shiva is a child too. However, when Dagger discovers her again as an adult, Shiva has evolved to her full adult form. It's always nice to see a familiar summon from the series, especially when that summon is given a history within the game.
5 Phoenix
Phoenix can be learned from a Phoenix Pinion and deals moderate fire damage using its attack, Rebirth Flame. It's not the strongest, but it does revive KO'd party members. There's also a small chance that the entire party will be revived automatically if everyone is knocked out, but again, this isn't a sure thing.
Phoenix is one of the more interesting Eidolons for Eiko when it comes to abilities - the fact that it can revive the whole party is a game-changer. It also gets bonus points for being one of the prettiest summons in the game.
4 Bahamut
Bahamut first appears in the original Final Fantasy. Known as the Dragon King, he's a pretty fearsome summon, dealing a devastating non-elemental burst of damage to all enemies. Its attack, Mega Flare, can be increased in strength by the number of Garnet the player has in stock.
Bahamut is an important character in the story; he plays an integral role in the Battle of Alexandria, being summoned by Kuja to attack the town.
The cutscenes involving Bahamut are incredible to watch, and he's generally considered to be one of the strongest summons in the entire series. The player can nab a Tetra Master card of Bahamut from Treno's card stadium, too.
3 Madeen
Madeen can be learned by Eiko using a Ribbon. Its attack, Terra Homing, casts elemental damage. Eiko's level influences how strong the attack will be, so Madeen is an excellent end-game summon if players need to cast Holy damage.
Madeen is Eiko's strongest Eidolon, and it's also the most significant. It transforms from Mog, her precious Moogle, in an emotional scene near the end of the game that sees the end of Zorn and Thorne, Queen Brahne's troublesome court jesters.
2 Ark
Ark can be learned from a Pumice. It's a vital character in Dagger's journey: appearing as her final eidolon, Ark is an airship, and can deal up to 9,999 damage. It's the strongest Eidolon in the game, with the longest full-length animation. However, it's worth sitting through it to deal masses of damage.
Ark gains a spot high in this list for the drama alone. It's essential for the success of the party and represents Dagger at her most powerful when it comes to wielding summons. Ark is a late-game summon, but its dramatic entrance is well worth the wait.
1 Atomos
Atomos can be learned by Dagger from an Amethyst. With its roots in the original Final Fantasy game (where it appears as an optional boss), Atomos is a staple for the series, and it has a suitably dramatic story in Final Fantasy 9. Originally summoned by Queen Brahne to attack Lindblum, Atomos is a threatening figure.
Later, Dagger can learn to summon Atomos using an Amethyst. Its attack, G-Force 199, deals damage based on percentages to all enemies, and used right, its attack power can go up to 9,999 HP. It's a powerful summon to wield, but can't be used during boss fights. Atomos gains a spot high up on the list for the dramatic events in the game. Being able to wield it after seeing it cause so much devastation, is an interesting story moment for Dagger.
Final Fantasy 9 is currently available on PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, and Mobile.