Of all the summon monsters that appear regularly across the Final Fantasy series, perhaps none is more prolific or iconic than the fire-elemental Ifrit. Since his first appearance in Final Fantasy III, Ifrit continues to make an appearance in some form in every mainline series game, culminating in his important focus in the narrative of Final Fantasy XVI as the Eikon under the control of the game’s protagonist, Clive Rosfield. Like the other recurring summon monsters, Ifrit’s many appearances across the Final Fantasy series share some commonalities from entry to entry.
Although he occasionally goes by different names depending on region (Jinn, Iflyte, etc.), every appearance of the recurring fire-elemental summon monster in the West has historically gone by the name of Ifrit. Typically, this monster appears as a horned beast with humanoid features, sometimes having cloven hooves for feet and other appearances having more human appendages. Regardless of appearance, though, Ifrit always brings a devastating fire attack to proceedings that typically goes by the name of Hellfire, signifying its massive destructive potential.
Final Fantasy III
The very first appearance of Ifrit comes to players courtesy of Final Fantasy III where he is obtainable as the lvl 4 summon spell Heatra. Players can purchase Heatra from the magic shops in both Replito and Doga’s Village and the spell is castable by the Evoker, Summoner, and Sage job types. Depending on the job that players have when casting Heatra, Ifrit will appear with different color hues and execute different attacks that range from providing healing to party members to dealing fire damage to all enemies.
Final Fantasy IV
Despite her earlier understandable avoidance of all-things fire, Ifrit is one of the many new summon spells that Rydia brings with her when she rejoins the party in the Underworld. Final Fantasy IV‘s version of the iconic summon casts his signature Hellfire attack that deals fire-elemental damage to all enemies on the battlefield and has a relatively short casting time. Along with Ramuh and Shiva, Ifrit is one of the game’s core elemental summons and great against enemies that are water or ice-elemental creatures.
Final Fantasy V
Players encounter Final Fantasy V‘s version of Ifrit within the Library of the Ancients, where he exorcises monsters possessing the library’s books by burning them to cinders. Further, if players already have Ramuh in their party there will be a short dialogue between the two before recruiting Ifrit, but regardless players will need to defeat the monster in order to be able to summon him. As in previous games, Ifrit has the Hellfire attack that deals fire damage to all enemies on screen.
Final Fantasy VI
Ifrit is one of the Espers players will acquire in the Magitek Research Facility who, along with fellow recurring summon monster Shiva, will turn himself into Magicite to aid the party. Like with his previous appearances, Final Fantasy VI‘s version of Ifrit casts the Hellfire spell when summoned, dealing fire damage to all enemies. Players can learn the spells Fire, Fira, and Drain from the Ifrit Magicite at rates of 10x AP, 5x AP, and 1x AP, respectively, and keeping Ifrit equipped grants a +1 bonus to the strength stat with each level.
Final Fantasy VII
Ifrit is one of the first summon Materia that players will acquire after successfully escaping from Midgar, obtainable on the Cargo Ship carrying the party between Junon and Costa del Sol as a reward for defeating Jenova*BIRTH. As a fire-elemental summon, the Ifrit Materia can grant fire elemental bonuses to attack or reduction in fire damage taken depending on where it’s slotted and what other Materia link to it. Summoning Ifrit himself once again calls forth the Hellfire attack, dealing fire damage to all enemies and costing only 34 MP to cast.
Final Fantasy VIII
Battling against Final Fantasy VIII‘s version of Ifrit is an important and necessary part of the game’s opening hours, as the fight against Ifrit and recruitment of the Guardian Force is part of main character Squall’s SeeD exam. Players will need to head to the Fire Cavern just outside Balamb Garden, and then select a time limit in which to make it to the end of the cave and successfully defeat Ifrit. The amount of time left after defeating Ifrit factor’s into the player’s final SeeD exam score. Ifrit is hugely important in the early game of Final Fantasy VIII as one of the only Guardian Forces with Strength and HP-junctioning abilities and an excellent card to use in the Triple Triad card battling game.
Final Fantasy IX
Players acquire Topaz from Doctor Tot in Treno after returning from the Outer Continent, which can teach Dagger the Ifrit summon for 20 AP. As in previous series games, Final Fantasy IX‘s Ifrit casts a fire-elemental attack that deals fire damage to all enemies, but the amount of damage it deals can be manipulated. The base damage of the Flames of Hell attack is increased with every Topaz the party has in their inventory, making playing the Chocograph minigame to obtain large amounts of the jewels worthwhile. As with the other game’s summons, the MP cost of summoning Ifrit decreases dramatically after Dagger reunites with her extracted Eidolons.
Final Fantasy X
Ifrit is one of Final Fantasy X‘s many Aeons, the game’s version of the series’ iconic summon monsters. Contrary to most other Final Fantasy games, Yuna (as the party’s sole summoner) can take control of the Aeons after summoning them, which gives the player the opportunity to assume the role of these powerful creatures. Ifrit has two attacks in his Aeon form, with each of them being incredibly useful. Meteor Strike hits an enemy with blunt force and shatters any protect spells that might be absorbing damage, while Hellfire deals its typical fire damage to all enemies. Ifrit will also grant nullification of fire damage to the entire party.
Final Fantasy XI
Ifrit is one of Final Fantasy XI‘s avatars available to summoners and, as in previous games, is the sole fire-elemental summon monster. Players can acquire his avatar after completing the “Trial-by-Fire” quest, and summoning Ifrit is handy for dealing large amounts of damage to enemies. Ifrit’s appearance in Final Fantasy XI is decidedly more beast-like than human, and he also features large, crystalline formations adorning his body for the first time in the series’ history.
Final Fantasy XII
Final Fantasy XII famously incorporates the series’ iconic summons as ships in the Archadian Empire’s signature airship fleet, with the power and status of each ship partially determined by its namesake’s history throughout the franchise. Ifrit appears as one of three important ships in the Archadian Empire’s fleet that the player encounters during the course of the adventure (with Shiva and Alexander both appearing as well) and the airship Ifrit bears a striking resemblance to the fire-elemental beast appearing throughout the older Final Fantasy games as a nod to its lineage.
Final Fantasy XIII
Players don’t actually get to recruit or battle Ifrit in Final Fantasy XIII, with the monster instead appearing in a cutscene and doing battle with Ramuh. That said, Ifrit’s appearance is in-line with how he shows up in other games in the series, donning large horns and dealing massive amounts of destructive fire damage.
Final Fantasy XIV
Ifrit is one of Final Fantasy XIV‘s Primals, the game’s version of the series’ summons, and is the Primal of the Amalj’aa tribe. Players utilizing the summon job can call upon Ifrit, but otherwise he appears as a powerful boss fought during one of the game’s dungeons and later as a much more powerful raid boss. Additionally, players can challenge Ifrit again in the Shadowbringers expansion, where the monster evolves into a new form calling itself Raktapaksa. Defeating this ultimate version of the monster will reward players with currency that can be used to purchase powerful equipment.
Final Fantasy XV
Ifrit in Final Fantasy XV is not a beast at all but instead appears as a human king with horns adorning his head. Going by the title Ifrit the Infernian, he is one of the Astral gods of the realm of Eos and the deity in control of the fire element. Unfortunately, Ifrit is not one of the summons available to players throughout the duration of Final Fantasy XV‘s adventure. His appearance in the game is limited to cutscenes, dialogue, and lore.
Final Fantasy XVI
Final Fantasy XVI‘s version of the iconic Ifrit summon is perhaps the most important in the entire series thanks to its connections to the game’s main character. In the world of Final Fantasy XVI, powerful humans known as Dominants act as vessels for the world’s Eikons (Final Fantasy XVI‘s version of the series’ summon monsters). Main character Clive Rosfield is unaware that he is the Dominant of the forbidden Eikon Ifrit until it awakens within him during moments of duress, at which point he initially finds himself unable to control the beast. Clive’s struggle to come to terms with part of him being Ifrit, as well as learning to both control and master this power, is a central part of the conflict of Final Fantasy XVI. Truthfully, Ifrit is also one of the main characters of the game and even appears in the title’s version of the iconic series logos in battle with the Phoenix.
