Dissidia Final Fantasy (2008) allusions

The following is a list of allusions in Dissidia Final Fantasy.

Final Fantasy series[]

The finishing segment of Chaos's attack, Utter Chaos, is called Brink of Delusion, a synonym for Edge of Madness. Both can be considered synonyms for Final Fantasy.
In the Japanese version, when defeated, Exdeath refers to the Final Fantasy series by saying, "Is this my final fantasy?" In the English versions this line is translated as, "Will I end like a mirage?"
On victory, Kefka breaks the fourth wall by humming the "Victory Fanfare".

Final Fantasy[]

The Braveheart is a weapon dropped by Yamatano Orochi in the Whisperwind Cove, and Barbariccia in the Hellfire Chasm in the Dawn of Souls and 20th Anniversary editions of Final Fantasy. The Barbarian's Sword is the strongest weapon in the 20th Anniversary edition, surpassing even the Ultima Weapon, and can only be obtained by defeating the strongest version of Chronodia in the Labyrinth of Time. Both are unique weapons for the Warrior of Light.
The Warrior of Light's Red Fang, Blue Fang, and White Fang attacks are named after recurring items of the same name that cast elemental magic when used in battle. When any of the three attacks are used, the Warrior reaches to his pouch and mimes throwing an item into the air as an appropriately colored fang rises from his body and vanishes.
Before fighting Garland in Destiny Odyssey I-5 and when dealing the final blow in his EX Burst, the Warrior of Light makes the same pose as the one found on the original game cover artwork (), illustrated by Yoshitaka Amano.
The scene in the ending of Dissidia Final Fantasy where the Warrior of Light is walking towards Castle Cornelia resembles the opening scene of the original Final Fantasy.
The Warrior's EX Mode allows him to slash away magic projectiles while attacking. This may be a reference to the CGI cutscene from Final Fantasy Origins, in which he cuts through a Red Dragon's fireball. This scene may also be the basis for his ability to release blasts of light from his weapons.
At the end of Destiny Odyssey 1-5, the Warrior of Light states he will find a way to save everyone, even Garland. This references the epilogue from Final Fantasy, which states that once the world is washed with light, everyone, including Garland, will be there.
When using Shining Wave, the Warrior says "bathe in the Light", referencing the epilogue of Final Fantasy, which says that the four warriors used the elements that had destroyed the world "to bathe [it] in light".
In Destiny Odyssey I, Warrior of Light faces Garland as his first boss, and again at the end of his story as his final boss. This is similar to the original Final Fantasy, where Garland, in various forms, is both the first boss and the final boss.
At the start of Destiny Odyssey I-5, Garland's quote "You will meet your end here, and I will live forever!" is based on what he says in Final Fantasy before the final battle after transforming into Chaos.
Garland's EX Burst is named after the Soul of Chaos dungeons in the Dawn of Souls and 20th Anniversary editions of Final Fantasy. His three exclusive weapons are all weapons found in the Whisperwind Cove, another bonus dungeon in the aforementioned releases, and are named after a subset of axes that do additional damage to giant-type enemies.
Garland is the only villain fought twice in the same storyline. He is fought as a boss both at the beginning of Destiny Odyssey I and at the end - reflecting his role as the first and, in essence, final boss of Final Fantasy. Furthermore, Garland is the last villain fought in Shade Impulse before Chaos , in Chapter 3-5, again reflecting his role in Final Fantasy.
In Garland's conversation with Chaos in Shade Impulse, he states he was sent 2,000 years into the past to become Chaos himself, directly paralleling his actions in Final Fantasy. In Final Fantasy, Garland says he will lose all memory of the past in 2,000 years, reflected in Chaos's amnesia in Dissidia.
The forms Garland's sword transforms into reference the Four Fiends from Final Fantasy. The axe represents Lich, the twin swords represent Marilith, the lance represents Tiamat, and the whip represents Kraken.
Garland's HP attacks are all attacks used by Chaos in the original Final Fantasy, and each uses the form of his sword corresponding to the Fiend of the attack's element—Earthquake uses the axe, Blaze uses the twin swords, Tsunami uses the whip, and Cyclone uses the lance.
Garland's fighting pose is the same pose he takes right before fighting the Warriors of Cosmos in the opening FMV. This is also the same pose as his enemy sprite in the original game.
The white circles of energy that appear at the end of Chaos's attack, Brink of Delusion, resemble the portal of energy that consumes Chaos upon his defeat in Final Fantasy.
When the Warriors of Cosmos confront Chaos on his throne he is sitting in the same pose as Yoshitaka Amano's original artwork () of Chaos in Final Fantasy.
In several instances during the story, Chaos's eyes flash in the same way his eyes flash while using Blaze, Tsunami, Tornado, or Earthquake in the later remakes of Final Fantasy. The attack he used to kill Cosmos, as well as the lava-like background from the Edge of Madness stage, resembles his Blaze attack from the Dawn of Souls release.
Chaos's amnesia of the past cycles of the war refers to Garland's words from Final Fantasy before he transforms into Chaos, where he states he will forget his memories after 2,000 years.
Chaos's quote while fighting Garland is "Let us close the infinite cycle," which refers to the time loop within Final Fantasy.

Final Fantasy II[]

Abel's Lance, the Longinus, and the Wild Rose are Ricard, Leon, and Scott's ultimate weapons in Final Fantasy II, respectively. All are weapons for Firion.
When acquiring the auto version of Shiva in Destiny Odyssey II-3, their conversation parodies the event where the Lamia Queen impersonates Princess Hilda to seduce Firion. Shiva says "Come Firion, I don't enjoy being teased," as the Lamia Queen did. When fighting Ultimecia, Firion says "Your looks will not deceive me," another reference to his seduction by the Lamia Queen.
In the cutscene before his battle with the Emperor in Destiny Odyssey II, and when entering battle normally, Firion holds his sword in front of his face the same way he holds it in his original Amano concept art.
When Firion fires his bow when using Straightarrow and beginning his EX Burst, the bow flips forward as he fires. This is the same as the animation used in Final Fantasy II for bow weapons.
Each of Firion's weapons represents the weapons he and his comrades were most proficient with in Final Fantasy II: Firion used swords, Maria used bows, Guy used axes, Minwu used staves, Ricard and Gordon used lances, Leila used knives, and Josef used his bare hands. The shield is an exception, however, the artwork of Minwu shows him holding it.
When using Rope Knife, the knives Firion throws are electrified. Leila, who used knives in Final Fantasy II, joined knowing the Thunder spell. Also when using Rope Knife, Firion pulls a knife out of each of his boots, launching them at his enemy, referring to the attack he used to save Leon from attacking imperial knights in the Origins opening FMV.
At one point during Destiny Odyssey, Firion talks about the different reasons people die during wartime, and the examples he uses—to protect one's friends, and to give strength to others—refer to Josef and Minwu respectively.
The Emperor's regular EX Burst attack Cyclone is a reference to the Cyclone he used to destroy the Kingdom of Fynn in Final Fantasy II.
In Shade Impulse C2-5, the Emperor’s exclaims, "How could I lose... not once but twice? Who ARE you?" This is the same as his final words in Final Fantasy II. His dialogue in Shade Impulse C2-1, "I've come back from the afterworld," is derived from when he returned from Hell.
When the Emperor battles a mirror match, his fight introduction is, "This world can have but one emperor!" He originally said these words to Leon, who had declared himself the new emperor in Final Fantasy II after the Emperor's death.
The Emperor's death cry "Ungaahhhh!" is his trademark death wail from Final Fantasy II. He makes the same cry when defeated in battle and in a cutscene in Shade Impulse. As a reference to this, Tidus's fight introduction against the Emperor is, "What's this 'Ungaahh!' business?"
The Emperor's HP attacks Flare and Starfall are references to the Emperor's final form in Final Fantasy II, where Flare XVI and Starfall X were his sole offensive attacks besides physical blows. His Bravery attacks appear to be lightning-based, reflecting the boss battle with his human form, where Thunder X was his only offensive spell.
The Emperor's ground Flare fires a blue fireball, while his midair Flare fires an orange fireball. In most Final Fantasy titles the animation for Flare is orange, but in Final Fantasy II its animation is blue.
In Shade Impulse, the Emperor says, "Death, life, even the divine shall come under my rule!" This may be an allusion to the Soul of Rebirth quest in the Game Boy Advance, PSP, and mobile releases of Final Fantasy II, where the Emperor's dark side conquers hell, while his light side ascends to Heaven and becomes the lord of Arubboth. There is possibly a similar allusion in the fact that the Emperor's final death in Dissidia involves both darkness and a small amount of light emanating from his disappearing body. It also references the death animation of the Dark Emperor in the PS1 and GBA remakes.
When the Emperor faces Cecil and asks, "Ought you not be on our side?", it is also a possible reference to when the Empire converted Leon into a Dark Knight.

Final Fantasy III[]

While Onion Knight returns to his home world in the ending for Dissidia, he looks up at the sky and watches a flock of birds flying above him. This is a reference to the ending of the original release of Final Fantasy III and to the opening sequence of the game's remake.
The Onion Sword is a reference to the Onion equipment from Final Fantasy III. The Tyrfing and the King's Sword are also equipment that first appeared on the game's Famicon release.
While executing Back Attack in his EX Burst, Onion Knight assumes the pose of the unnamed warrior in artwork for Final Fantasy III. This is also a reference to Final Fantasy III being the first game to include back attacks when facing enemies.
Onion Knight's EX Burst is a homage to the traditional battles of the first Final Fantasies. The enemy will appear on the left side of the screen, while the Onion Knight appears on the right side. He takes a step forward as a command menu appears, at which point the player must input a command. While he is engaged on the right and posed like the NES sprite, his opponent, on the left, will be placed to bear resemblance to an encountered enemy and their stances from their originating game, i.e. Cloud of Darkness positioned to look like her NES sprite and Onion Knight in his battle stance.
Although it is not executable or relevant to the EX Burst, the player can open up the Item menu during Onion Knight's EX Burst. Doing so will display various items that appeared on Final Fantasy III. The Magic and Throw command likewise display spells and items besides Holy and Shuriken that also appeared in the game.
- In the French version of Dissidia, the magic menu that appears displays many spells that were not in Final Fantasy III.
The Onion Knight's abilities as shown in Dissidia are those that correspond to the remake of Final Fantasy III, where the Onion Knight job was one of the most powerful and versatile jobs in the game. In contrast, the job was the default class for the entire party in the game's original release and, consequently, not as powerful.
When the Onion Knight uses a Bravery attack using his sword, he rapidly swings it multiple times, a reference to the animation for attacking in Final Fantasy III.
The Onion Knight's first alternate outfit is called "Luneth", based on the main protagonist in the 3D remake of Final Fantasy III.
When the Cloud of Darkness uses Aura Ball, she laughs her characteristic laugh from Final Fantasy III.
In Shade Impulse II-3, when fighting the Cloud of Darkness with a character other than Onion Knight, one of her pre-battle quotes is "We have had an eternity in the Void to prepare. We will flood this world with darkness---and return all to the Void". This is roughly the same as the dialogue in Final Fantasy III.
All of Cloud of Darkness's HP Attacks and her EX Burst are variations of her signature attack in Final Fantasy III, "Particle Beam" ("Wave Cannon" in the Japanese version).
When the Cloud of Darkness charges her EX Burst, she assumes the pose from her original NES battle sprite from Final Fantasy III. She assumes the same pose if Onion Knight uses his EX Burst against her.
While Cloud of Darkness's attacks "Tentacle of Pain", "Tentacle of Suffering" and "Aura Ball" do not appear in any game version of Final Fantasy III, they appear in the game's 1992 manga adaptation. The manga, like the game, was written by scenario writer Kenji Terada.
Cloud of Darkness's opening line towards the Warrior of Light in Dissidia might allude to her only being defeated after the Warriors of Darkness sacrificed themselves and the Warriors of Light weren't enough to defeat her alone in Final Fantasy III.
Cloud of Darkness's opening line towards Cecil in Dissidia alludes to how she needed both light and dark energies to invoke the Void's power.

Final Fantasy IV[]

While starting a fight, Cecil starts out as a Dark Knight. This is probably an allusion to the fact that Cecil starts as a Dark Knight in Final Fantasy IV.
In Destiny Odyssey IV-5, as Cecil is hovering in the air, he takes the iconic pose of his best friend and rival, Kain Highwind. Afterwards, Cecil leaps at Golbez while a Paladin, and the two assume the same poses they take in the opening FMV from the DS remake of Final Fantasy IV. Later during the same scene and in his EX Burst, Cecil enacts the same pose he does while performing Darkness in the original Final Fantasy IV.
Cecil's EX mode, "Job Augment" is a reference to the 3D remake's Augment System.
Cecil's line when fighting against himself is from his encounter with the Dark Knight at Mount Ordeals: "This is a fight for me and me alone".
Cecil's exclusive weapons are all from Final Fantasy IV. The Dark Sword is Cecil's initial weapon as a Dark Knight, while Cecil receives the Mythgraven Blade after becoming a Paladin. The Lustrous Sword is obtained from the Sealed Cave, and the Lightbringer is Cecil's strongest weapon in Final Fantasy IV Advance.
Golbez's battle stance mirrors his original artwork and battle sprite from Final Fantasy IV.
Golbez's ultimate weapons are present in Final Fantasy IV: the Lilith Rod is dropped by Lilith and by Lamia Queen; Asura's Rod can be obtained in Final Fantasy IV Advance and The Complete Collection. The Zeromus Shard refers to the crystal Golbez gives Cecil before their fight against Zeromus.
Golbez is the only Warrior of Chaos who does not disappear after his defeat in Shade Impulse by his Cosmos counterpart. This mirrors his fate in Final Fantasy IV, wherein he goes with Fusoya to join the sleeping Lunarians.
In Shade Impulse II-4, when Golbez is defeated by any character but Cecil, his final words are "The flesh may rot, but the soul never perishes..." This is attributed to Zemus upon his transformation into Zeromus.
Upon activating EX Mode, Golbez yells "My creature of shadow!", his dialogue before calling upon the Dragon in Final Fantasy IV. His EX Mode's special attack, Black Fang, was an attack the Shadow Dragon used to instantly dispatch Cecil's allies. During Golbez's EX Burst, the Dragon will use Binding Cold, which Golbez used in Final Fantasy IV to paralyze Cecil's party before summoning his Dragon.
Golbez's EX Burst, Twin Meteor, is named after the attack he and Fusoya used to destroy Zemus in Final Fantasy IV. If the player times Golbez's EX Burst correctly, a text box will appear of the Shadow Dragon saying "give your power to Meteor!", and Golbez replies "Very well" mirroring Golbez's exchange with Fusoya before they cast Twin Meteor. The player must input the button commands as Golbez says "shadow", "light", and "dark" to see this.
When attacking with Gravity Force, Golbez sometimes says "Allow me to give you something", followed by "A gift!" when initiating the second part of Float System and Gravity System. The lines allude to his dialogue when meeting Cecil for the first time in Final Fantasy IV: "So, you are Cecil. Allow me to give you something—a gift to remember our meeting by."
One of Golbez's lines on defeat is "Death... will not claim me". This refers to what he said in the Dwarven Castle in Final Fantasy IV.
Golbez's victory pose is similar to the the logo of the 3D remake of Final Fantasy IV, only viewed at a frontal angle.
Golbez's "Cosmic Ray" attack first appeared in Final Fantasy IV as Golbez attacked Fabul, where he halted all attempts to attack him with a blast of electricity from his palm, as he advanced on a wounded Cecil.
The name of Golbez's first alternate costume, "Cloak of Flame", alludes to Rubicante's cloak from Final Fantasy IV.
Cecil's moveset has references to Kain; Saint's Fall, otherwise known as Saint Dive, is one of Kain's Band Abilities in The After Years, while "Nightfall" heavily resembles the Jump attack.
During Cecil's EX Burst, he says "Light and darkness cast aloft!", quoting the Mysidian Legend.
Kain is alluded to in one of Benjamin's quests for Mognet, if the player tells him to travel to Mount Ordeals to find a dragoon dressed in blue.

Final Fantasy IV: The After Years[]

Cecil's exclusive weapon, the Cimmerian Edge is Golbez's initial weapon in the flashbacks from The After Years, which was translated as the "Ebony Blade".
When defeated in Shade Impulse, Golbez says he might join Cecil once light shines on him, a reference to Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, where he joins forces with Cecil.

Final Fantasy V[]

Bartz's weapon is the Brave Blade, a weapon from Final Fantasy V that is initially powerful but decreases in strength as the player flees from battle. Ironically, Bartz spends much of his storyline hiding from and fleeing from the various villains, perhaps a reference to the Brave Blade's counterpart, the Chicken Knife, which grows stronger as the player flees from battle.
Similar to Gilgamesh's use of parody weapons owned by various warriors, Bartz uses a variety of weapons the other heroes use: The Warrior of Light's sword and shield, Firion's axe and lance, Onion Knight's sword, both of Cecil's swords from his two forms, Cloud's Buster Sword, Squall's Revolver gunblade, Zidane's Mage Mashers and Tidus's Brotherhood.
Several references are made to Bartz's friend Boco, his pet chocobo: Bartz carries around one of Boko's feathers as a good luck charm, and when he begins his EX Burst chocobo footprints run across the screen, and the cry of a chocobo is heard as Bartz kicks his opponent with a flurry of yellow feathers around him.
Bartz's association with the wind alludes to it being his element in Final Fantasy V.
Bartz's EX Burst, where he attacks eight times with magic-enhanced weapons, refers to one of the most powerful ability combinations in Final Fantasy V. Dual Wield lets a character equip two weapons, Spellblade lets them enchant them with magic, and Rapid Fire lets them attack four times with each weapon, for a total of eight strikes. These abilities can only be used all at once by the Freelancer or Mime classes, hence Bartz's status in Dissidia as a Mime.
As Bartz begins his EX Burst, he raises his arms, and the eight swords he uses for the burst fly out in four directions, turn into orbs of magic, and fly back into him. This alludes to the Spellblade animation () in Final Fantasy V. The colors of the magic are red, blue, yellow and green, referring to the colors and associated elemental Crystals' elements in Final Fantasy V. As well, before inputting the commands for his EX Burst, he will shout out, "The four essences!", which is seen at the PlayStation version's intro FMV of Final Fantasy V, describing the power of the Crystals.
Two of Bartz's strongest exclusive weapons are nods towards the Warriors of Dawn, and his father Dorgann Klauser, who was a member. Bartz's artwork for the game is in the same pose as Dorgann's artwork ().
The Goblin Punch attack available in Bartz's EX Mode uses the same visual effects of white stars used to display a hit in Final Fantasy V. The Goblin Punch attack is furthermore a reference to Final Fantasy V being the first game in the series to use Blue Magic, as the Blue octahedrons () from the attack animation of Blue Magic in Final Fantasy V are included in the move as well.
Bartz's attacks granting him minor support abilities may refer to the Mime class's ability to take on the support abilities and stat boosts of mastered classes in Final Fantasy V.
When battling Jecht, Bartz says "Let's fight like men!" as a reference to one of Gilgamesh's famous lines. Another line said by Gilgamesh is when fighting Chaos, "Let's finish this, one on one!" which is said by Gilgamesh to Bartz before he defeats Necrophobe in Final Fantasy V, "When we meet again, let's fight one on one!"
When Bartz finds the Leviathan summonstone in his Story Mode, he exclaims "Sweet Cosmos, it's a talking rock!", a reference to his amazement when he met Ghido: "Sweet Christmas, it's a talking turtle!"
Bartz's victory pose is identical to the Amano artwork of him ().
Bartz's combo of Holy and Flare alludes to the Fork Tower, where the player must acquire both Holy and Flare simultaneously to progress.
At the end of the battle scene between him and Exdeath in his Destiny Odyssey, Bartz assumes a pose similar to that of his sprite in the original game.
Before he returns to his homeland, Bartz throws a branch into a forest and walks in, similar to how the party uses the Guardian Branch to enter the Great Forest of Moore in Final Fantasy V. It could also be referring to the fact that Bartz begins Final Fantasy V camping in a forest.
Bartz can use any equipment besides exclusive and female-only equipment. This refers to his job class as a Mime, as Mimes can use any equipment except Ribbons in Final Fantasy V.
Exdeath's intro lines "Anger and hatred could not defeat me!" and "Prepare for the afterlife" are what he says during his battle against Galuf in Final Fantasy V.
Exdeath's exclusive weapons refer to Ghido, the Great Forest of Moore where Exdeath was born, and the necromancer Enuo from Final Fantasy V.
All of Exdeath's HP attacks, and the Bravery attacks Reverse Polarity and Vacuum Wave, are attacks that either he or Neo Exdeath use in Final Fantasy V. Sword Dance is named for the party ability of the same name. The name of his EX Burst is taken from a quote that Neo Exdeath frequently utters during the final battle.
Exdeath's Reverse Polarity attack takes its name from an enemy ability in the main series that changes the party members' row position. Exdeath's use of the attack to teleport further from, and closer to, his opponent, roughly reflects this same basic concept.
When confronting the Warriors of Cosmos at the beginning of Shade Impulse, Exdeath's line "All shall be returned to nothing, as will I... For eternity!" is based on Neo Exdeath's quote at the beginning of the final battle in Final Fantasy V: "All that is shall be returned to nothing. Then I, too, can disappear... ...forever!!!"
Exdeath's victory pose is the same as his battle pose from Final Fantasy V.
When Exdeath begins his EX Burst, he takes a pose similar to his tree form's sprite pose, and the background appears in a circular bubble before expanding to fill the screen, similar to how the way portals to the Void appeared over towns in Final Fantasy V. His starting line, "To the silent beyond!", refers to the title of the music track in Final Fantasy V played during the cutscene after defeating Neo Exdeath.
In Destiny Odyssey IV when he is defeated by Cecil he screams "Uwaaah!!!", which is his death cry when he is defeated in his tree form and absorbed by the Void.
Neo Almagest is not an attack that Exdeath uses in battle in his original game, but is instead identical to the way he attempts to dispatch the heroes just before the final battle; he sucks them into the Void through a black portal, and then collapses the entrance.
Upon reaching Level 100, an extra voice sample for Exdeath can be purchased in the PP Catalog, which features him yelling "Turtle!", a line he uttered during his battle with the turtle sage Ghido. This line sometimes replaces "To the silent beyond!" when initiating Exdeath's EX Burst. In the Japanese version, he shouts "Kame!" which means turtle. The line also functions as an unintentional pun on Exdeath's fighting style—in video gaming communities, "turtling" means playing very defensively.
In his first alternate costume, "Santalum Robe", Exdeath's armor is colored a lighter blue-green shade, based on the sprite of Exdeath's Soul, a palette swap of him faced in Final Fantasy V.

Final Fantasy VI[]

During the battle against her in Destiny Odyssey III, the enemy data for Terra lists her as wearing a "Puppeteer's Wheel", called "Slave Crown" in the Japanese release, which Kefka used to control her in Final Fantasy VI. If she fights the Emperor, he will say "[chuckle] Why don't you let me control you?" further referring to how the Gestahlian Empire enslaved her.
Terra's strongest exclusive weapon is named for her father, Maduin. Her other unique weapons are maces from Final Fantasy VI, one of the weapon types Terra can use in that game.
The description of the Chainspell ability describes it as "[embracing] the spirit of a magus". This refers to the Soul of Thamasa relic in Final Fantasy VI, which grants the Dualcast ability to the user.
In Shade Impulse C4-1, Terra says, "This will most likely be our final battle. Together, we'll protect the future... and return to our homes", based on her line when rejoining the party after the cataclysm in Final Fantasy VI.
In the ending, Terra catches a snowflake and looks up at the sky as she vanishes, snow swirling behind her. This mirrors a scene in the FMV with the Final Fantasy Anthology release of Final Fantasy VI, where Terra looks up at the sky when entering Narshe.
One of Terra's victory quotes, "Everyone lusts for power, it seems", is the line she spoke in front of General Leo's grave. Her defeated quote, "I'll vanish, won't I?" refers to the conversation the party had upon entering Kefka's Tower, where they worry Terra would vanish along with magic if Kefka is killed.
Terra's love for moogles is expressed in the English version of Dissidia Final Fantasy upon gaining the moogle summon. When obtaining the summon players are treated to a cinematic of the moogle offering its help to the player. Depending on whether the player is currently using a Cosmos or Chaos character, the scene changes, but if Terra is the player character, she runs over, picks the moogle up and cuddles it, with the moogle asking her to "lay off on the fur ruffling".
When the player wins the Arcade Mode with Terra, an image of her alternate costume with green hair is shown. In this image, Terra is posed in the same manner as one of the concept arts of her from Final Fantasy VI.
At the start of her Destiny Odyssey story, Terra has lost part of her memory when the Cloud of Darkness was trying to control her, and the Onion Knight tells her he would protect her. This alludes to the beginning of Final Fantasy VI when Terra awakes in Narshe with amnesia and Locke Cole promises to protect her until she regains her memories.
When Terra casts Blizzara, she yells "Get away!" In data texts for Final Fantasy VI, there is an omitted line for a flashback to Kefka placing the slave crown on her, where Terra shouts "No! Stay away!"
Terra's first alternate outfit, "Emerald Locks", is derived from her super-deformed art, while also resembling her Final Fantasy VI sprite.
Kefka's weapon, Dancing Mad, is named after his final battle theme.
A lot of Kefka's dialogue is based on the script for Final Fantasy VI.
- Against the Emperor, Kefka says "You are less than worthless!", his rebuke to Emperor Gestahl. When using Extra Crispy Firaga, Kefka yells "You'll be well done!", derived from "Run! Run! Or you'll be well done!", his line when Gestahl was escaping the Warring Triad's judgment.
- When facing Cecil, he says "Goody two-shoes!", his riposte to General Leo.
- "I hate, hate, hate, hate, HATE YOU!", a line he speaks on defeat, is derived from his dialogue to Celes after she stabs Kefka instead of her friends in the SNES/PS versions; he also quotes this in Destiny Odyssey VI shortly after he teleports himself and Onion Knight away from the Chaos Shrine.
- "Don't think you've won this!" and "Graaah! I'll remember this!" are from his defeat at Narshe.
- "You're lower than lower than dirt", is based on "You may as well be the dirt on the bottom of my boots! Or the dirt stuck to the bottom of that dirt!" in the GBA version of Final Fantasy VI.
- Kefka's line when facing Jecht "Meatheads, meatheads everywhere", is similar to Ultros's exchange with Sabin.
  - It also mirrors his line in the GBA/iOS/PC versions when encountering Sabin and Shadow at the Imperial Camp near Doma, "Gah! Pests at every turn! Guess I'll have to take care of you, too!"
- When Kefka denies Terra's request to know how the Warriors of Cosmos were responsible for Cosmos's death, Terra says "Stop fooling around!". In the GBA/iOS/PC translation for Final Fantasy VI, Emperor Gestahl, when Kefka demands that the Warring Triad use Gestahl as a demonstration of their true power, tells Kefka, "Stop playing around!"
- When against Exdeath, Kefka says, "Destruction without death? BORING," which is comparable to his final battle dialogue; "What fun is destruction if no precious lives are lost?" On a related note, his line after Terra tells him none of his actions make sense, "Destruction isn't supposed to make sense! It's only fun when it's senseless!" is similar to the aforementioned final battle dialogue. Shortly before Terra fights him in Destiny Odyssey VI, Kefka says "I'm going to destroy... EVERYTHING!!", referring to his line to the Returners in the SNES and PS versions: "I will exterminate everyone and everything!"
- During Shade Impulse, Kefka delivers several lines that mirror his dialogue before the final battle in Final Fantasy VI. If it is someone other than Terra, he greets them with "Welcome, dear, dear friends. I've been thinking of just the right thing to say when we met again", similar to his GBA/iOS/PC line "Welcome, friends! I knew you'd come, so I've been practicing my greeting!" If playing as Terra, Kefka says "Destruction is the fate of all things!", alluding to his line to the Returners in the GBA/iOS/PC version, "Embrace your destruction! It is the fate of all things!" After being defeated by Terra, he paraphrases various excerpts of his speech before the final battle in Final Fantasy VI; "Beyond the chaos, the end draws near", which is based on the SNES/PS ("The end comes... beyond chaos.") and GBA/iOS/PC ("The end draws near...") localizations of his line when preparing Forsaken. In addition, part of his final words, "Destroy! Destroy! Destroy!" are derived from the line from the SNES/PS version "No! I will hunt them down! I will destroy it all! Destroy! Destroy! Destroy!!" If the player defeats Kefka as a character other than Terra, the post-battle narration will quote Kefka's nihilistic speech on creation and life.
When using Forsaken Null and while chasing Terra during Destiny Odyssey VI, Kefka briefly enacts the pose from Amano's artwork. On victory, he assumes a variation on the pose from Amano's chibi design.
Shortly after being forced to teleport himself and Onion Knight to the World of Darkness in Destiny Odyssey, Kefka refers to Onion Knight as an "imitation hero" when rebuking him, referring to Onion Knight having an equivalent role to Locke Cole.
During EX Burst, he will descend from above, similar to his introduction in the Final Fantasy VI final battle. Golden lights shine upon him, alluding to the battle's scenery. If he uses Forsaken, the camera's perspective changes to that of a 2D Final Fantasy battle, with Kefka taking on the pose of his final battle sprite. The screen zooms on Kefka's face, a reference to when Kefka's facial expression is displayed before he prepares it.
Kefka's EX Burst, Warring Triad, refers to the three gods he absorbed power from to become a god himself. The color of the three circles that surround him corresponds with the trio's appearance; the top blue circle reflects Goddess, the right red circle reflects Demon, while the left yellow circle represents Fiend. Their positions relative to Kefka refer to him taking their power on the Floating Continent, with Kefka standing in-between them.
Kefka's attacks are based on his final battle script in Final Fantasy VI; his Firaga, Blizzaga, and Thundaga are variations of the normal versions he uses.
Excluding chase sequences, Kefka's Havoc Wing is his only physical attack, as in Final Fantasy VI.
One of his opening lines before fighting a weaker character is "Do you think you can beat me?" This refers to a line Kefka stated when an esper's attack failed to hurt Kefka during his raid at Thamasa, "Imagine! Thinking you could defeat ME!!"
Kuja's exclusive weapon, the Punisher, curiously is taken from Final Fantasy VI, and is a rod used by Banon.

Final Fantasy VII[]

Several references are made to Zack Fair who wielded the Buster Sword before Cloud.
- Cloud states Firion reminds him of a friend, and when Tidus questions the difficulty in using the Buster Sword due to its size, Cloud replies, "It's not heavy. It's...a memento."
- Cloud casts his Fire spells, stands, and runs reminiscent to how Zack does in Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-.
- Cloud's victory quote, "I won't sleep well tonight", refers to a Crisis Core cutscene, where Zack states his reason for sparing a Wutai soldier.
- The victory line "I'll live your life for you" refers to Zack's last wish before dying in the presence of a traumatized Cloud.
In the cutscene of Cloud's battle with Sephiroth in Destiny Odyssey VII, several scenes allude to other titles in the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII.
- The scene where Cloud crosses the Buster Sword over the Masamune is identical to part of Sephiroth's battle with Cloud in the Nibelheim reactor in Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-.
- After being knocked back, Cloud descends after Sephiroth, who rights himself and knocks Cloud through the air, a reference to Sephiroth's first scene in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.
- When Cloud lands, the camera pans along the Masamune up to Sephiroth's face, similar to the climax of their Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children battle.
- Finally, as the two face off at the end of the scene, the camera angles and poses are identical to their scripted battle at the end of Final Fantasy VII.
Cloud's relationship with Terra in Dissidia hearkens to his relationship with Aerith in Final Fantasy VII. Like Aerith, Terra wears red or pink and is a prodigious magic user who traces her heritage to a legendary race. Cloud telling her that her thanks are not needed as it is enough for him to know that he can help others indicates he is thankful for the chance to help Terra in a way that he was unable to help Aerith.
Cloud asking Tidus, Cecil and Firion to think for a reason of their own to fight other than to end the war mirrors the speech he gave his teammates at the end of Disc II of Final Fantasy VII, where he asks everyone to leave and to go and think why they must fight, instead of fighting for the Planet. Should they find their answer, they could come back.
Before returning to Gaia, Cloud stands in a field of yellow flowers, similar to the ones located in Aerith's church in Sector 5.
Cloud's exclusive weapons, the Force Eater (also known as the Force Stealer) and the Butterfly Edge, are weapons he uses in Final Fantasy VII, and are exclusive to the game itself.
Many of Cloud's HP attacks and his EX Burst (Braver, Cross Slash, Blade Beam, Climhazzard, Meteorain, Finishing Touch and Omnislash) are all Limit Breaks he used in Final Fantasy VII.
If the player completes Chapter IV of Shade Impulse with Cloud, they will unlock a set of "Pretty Princess" equipment set for Cloud, Kefka, and female characters. The equipment consists of the Sexy Cologne (weapon), Member's Card (glove), Blonde Wig (helmet), and Silk Dress (armor). This is a reference to Cloud's crossdressing scene in Final Fantasy VII, where he dresses like a girl to save Tifa from Don Corneo. The equipment set is made up of the best items the player can obtain for Cloud to wear during the quest. The combinations that results in equipping all four items, Allure of Honey, is a reference to the Honey Bee Inn.
Cloud's museum character file states that his hobbies include motorcycling, chocobo racing, and snowboarding, all of which were minigames in Final Fantasy VII.
Cloud's reply to Squall's line in the ending before disappearing is his usual "not interested" line, commonly said during the earlier stages of Final Fantasy VII while he was still in his cold mercenary persona, and also said towards Rufus Shinra in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. During a scene in Destiny Odyssey VII-V, Sephiroth also uses this line. A victory quote, "My reality is mine alone", is a quote Cloud said after Sephiroth revealed the true Nibelheim Incident story in Final Fantasy VII.
While performing his EX Burst, Cloud declares he's "breaking [his] limits", a reference to the term "Limit Break".
After the battle with Sephiroth on Shade Impulse, Cloud states "the one I really want to meet is...", referring to the ending of Final Fantasy VII where he says "I think I can meet her... there", presumably referring to Aerith.
Sephiroth's move, Hell's Gate, is an aerial downward stab based on the attack he used to kill Aerith. Similarly, Heartless Angel, and Super Nova are two of Safer∙Sephiroth's attacks in Final Fantasy VII. Black Materia, when fully charged, represents Meteor, which Sephiroth cast using the Black Materia in order to severely damage the planet to draw out the Lifestream. The uncharged versions resemble the Comet spell.
In a conversation with Garland, Sephiroth reveals that he killed himself in the previous war against Cosmos in order to ascertain the true nature of life and free his spirit from flesh to become more powerful. This is a reference to the Nibelheim Incident, where Sephiroth was "killed" and traveled the Lifestream, emerging years later as a more powerful being.
Sephiroth's EX Mode, Reunion, is a reference to the Reunion; the process in which Jenova reassembles itself, after being destroyed or its cells scattered.
Several of Sephiroth's victory and defeat quotes reference lines that he uses in Final Fantasy VII. "Stop pretending you're sad", references his line to Cloud after murdering Aerith. "Open a new door" and "You will live again as part of me" reference his lines to Tseng and Elena in the Temple of the Ancients. "So how does it feel?" and "What should I be sad about?" are both lines to Cloud during the initial Nibelheim flashback sequence. His intro to Cloud, "You ignorant traitor", is taken from Cloud's flashback of the Nibelheim Incident.
One of Sephiroth's weapons, Masamune Blade, is the item that can acquired from the Gold Saucer on Final Fantasy VII but has no use whatsoever. The Masamune is, of course, Sephiroth's signature weapon. The One-Winged Angel is named after Sephiroth's iconic theme, a naming convention shared with Kefka's strongest weapon, Dancing Mad.
During his defeat in Shade Impulse, Sephiroth vanishes in a flash of golden light rather than dark light as most of the Warriors of Chaos, similar to how he vanishes at the end of the Final Fantasy VII.
The Trade Accessory needed for Sephiroth's One-Winged Angel, "Life of the Planet", is given the following description: "You chose to believe, even if it wasn't true... That's all". This refers to Sephiroth's mistaken impression of being an Ancient and subsequent refusal to abandon his delusions of superiority after learning that he is not one.
Sephiroth's response to Cloud's statement of "What I want most, I'll find myself!" being "You are nothing... but a puppet" refers to what Sephiroth tells Cloud immediately before transforming into Jenova∙LIFE, and what Jenova herself tells Cloud in the aftermath of the battle.
The manner he strikes Squall in the opening FMV of Dissidia resembles the ending cutscene of Sephiroth's battle with Zack at the Nibelheim Reactor in which Sephiroth performs a slashing cut at the opponent while in mid-air, hitting the opponent's sword, this attack bears a resemblance to the scene.
When fighting the Emperor, Sephiroth states "I am the chosen one." This is what Sephiroth stated to Zack Fair during their fight in the Nibelheim reactor.
Sephiroth's first alternate outfit "Executioner" is based on his appearance in the final scripted battle in Final Fantasy VII.

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children[]

Cloud's strongest weapon, Fenrir, is named after his motorcycle and the symbol on his pauldron.
Cloud's HP attack, Omnislash Version 5, is the move he used against Sephiroth in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.
Cloud's Aerial Fang could be a reference to the way he sliced Loz's bike in half during the motorcycle battle in the tunnel of Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.
Cloud's intro quote, "Do I feel sorry for you", is what he said to Rude upon meeting Rufus in Advent Children.
When using an HP attack in his normal outfit, the Buster Sword glows orange, but in his alternate outfit, the Fusion Swords glow blue. This is a reference to Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children where the swords glow blue when Cloud uses his Limit Breaks, but he and other characters glow orange in Final Fantasy VII.
The name for Cloud's first alternate costume, "Cloudy Wolf", refers the wolf that was implied to be a personification of Cloud's immense guilt tailing Cloud in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children until he came to terms with his past.
Sephiroth's aerial block stance in Dissidia is based on the manner he blocked Cloud's charge at his first scene in Advent Children, after Kadaj initiated the Reunion, but the only difference is that Sephiroth is on the ground in the said movie, while he is airborne in the game.
The "disease" Sephiroth mentions in Shade Impulse references Geostigma, which Cloud was infected with in Advent Children.
Some of Sephiroth's victory quotes came from Advent Children:
- "I will never be a memory", is what he says in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children when Cloud defeats him.
- His line in Shade Impulse "On your knees! I want you to beg for forgiveness", and his defeat quote "Where did you find this strength?" are lines he says to Cloud during their battle.
When defeated by a character other than Cloud in Shade Impulse, Sephiroth says he will go on a journey as "his Mother did", and create a shining future in the Promised Land, paralleling his conversation with Cloud in Advent Children.

Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-[]

Octaslash is Sephiroth's special attack and Zack Fair's DMW in Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-.

Final Fantasy VIII[]

In the opening sequence, Squall drags his gunblade on the ground, emitting sparks as he runs to fight Sephiroth. This refers to the opening of Final Fantasy VIII when Squall retaliates at Seifer with his gunblade after he scarred him.
- The battleground in the opening sequence bares resemblance to the one seen in the opening of Final Fantasy VIII.
Just before he vanishes in the ending, Squall is framed against a field of yellow and white flowers reminiscent of the field in Final Fantasy VIII. The white feather Squall catches in the ending FMV refers to the Final Fantasy VIII opening and ending cinematics. This is also a reference to his love interest, Rinoa Heartilly.
More references are made to Rinoa in Dissidia. In Shade Impulse, Squall mentions to Ultimecia and Onion Knight he made a promise to return to someone in his world, referring to the promise he made to Rinoa before the final battle in Final Fantasy VIII. Also, when fighting against Jecht, Squall's intro quote is, "I have something to protect, too", most likely referring to Rinoa.
The chocobo feather Bartz gives him playing an important part in Squall's story may be a reference to the recurring theme of feathers in Final Fantasy VIII and/or the fact that both characters come from games that feature a chocobo named Boco.
Squall's lines, "Sorry, but I'm not interested", "We only live to fight", "I refuse to become the past" and "Gone talkin' to a wall," are paraphrases of quotes made by him in Final Fantasy VIII.
All of Squall's exclusive weapons are gunblades from Final Fantasy VIII.
Squall's magic attacks focus primarily on ice and thunder spells, which may allude to the two Guardian Forces he has at the start of Final Fantasy VIII, Shiva and Quezacotl.
Just before his fight with Ultimecia in Destiny Odyssey VIII, Squall briefly poses with the gunblade in front of his face, a reference to one of his official CG artworks.
Squall's HP attacks, Fated Circle, Blasting Zone, and Rough Divide, are three of his Renzokuken finisher moves in Final Fantasy VIII beside Lion Heart.
The first three slashes of Solid Barrel are identical to the poses assumed by Irvine in his Limit Break, Shot.
The way Squall runs is the same way he runs in Final Fantasy VIII when attacking.
His pose when landing after using Rough Divide is used several times in Final Fantasy VIII, such as when he saves Zell in the D-District Prison, and when he saves two children during the Battle of the Gardens.
Against himself, Squall's opening quote is, "There can only be one Squall", a reference to Edea Kramer stating to his younger self: "You're the only Squall allowed here", in Final Fantasy VIII.
Before Squall fights Ultimecia, Zidane says, "You're being too cool, Squall!" a reference to Rinoa's line, "Maybe you're being a little too cool, Squall". The line is changed to "Trying to take the spotlight, eh Squall?" in its Western release. Tidus's battle intro, "What's on your mind? Spill it!" is the same quote Zell said to Squall early in Final Fantasy VIII.
Ultimecia's exclusive weapons are named after some of Rinoa Heartilly's weapons from Final Fantasy VIII. Ultimecia's line to Squall before their battle, "Shall we dance?", is similar to what Rinoa said to Squall prior to the ballroom scene in Final Fantasy VIII.
In Shade Impulse, Ultimecia's lines when defeated by any character other than Squall are taken directly from her lines during the final battle of Final Fantasy VIII.
One of Ultimecia's quotes when losing a battle is "I...can't...disappear just yet", her final line when she dies in Final Fantasy VIII.
The effect behind Ultimecia assuming Cosmos's form is similar to the scene in Final Fantasy VIII when Ultimecia appears transparent while possessing Rinoa. It refers to Ultimecia posing as Edea, who was good but became evil under Ultimecia's control.
During the scene in Destiny Odyssey when Ultimecia freezes time while attacking Squall, a faint version of "Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec" can be heard, which is cut from the full version of "The Extreme", the final battle theme of Final Fantasy VIII.
Ultimecia's HP attacks are named attacks used by her or Griever during the four final battles.
When using Great Attractor, the planet Ultimecia generates is the planet of Final Fantasy VIII.
When using Sorceress Heart, Ultimecia assumes the same pose as her ultimate form () in Final Fantasy VIII. Her victory pose is also based on this form.
Ultimecia's movement when charging Knight's Sword and Knight's Blade resembles those of the sorceresses' fought during time compression upon entering and being defeated.
Ultimecia's intro quote to Squall, "You do not have a place here", is similar to a line Edea says to Squall at the end of Final Fantasy VIII, "You do not belong here".
Ultimecia's victory pose where she crosses her arms and lifts up in the air, opening her arms gently, is a combination of her pre-summoning Griever in the final battle and Rinoa's Angel Wing Limit Break. During her Limit Break Rinoa bows down with arms crossed for her wings to appear to be lifted up in the air opening her arms gently. In the final battle, Ultimecia crosses her arms and lifts up in the air, but summons Griever instead of opening her arms.
When fighting Kefka, he states to her "How about you give me that power?" alluding to the sorceresses' obligation to transfer their powers unto the nearest capable successor upon their death.

Final Fantasy IX[]

While performing Zidane's EX Burst, two planets, one red and one blue, are seen merging with each other, a nod to the merging of Terra and Gaia in Final Fantasy IX. In further reference of his allegiance with Gaia, the blue planet emerges as the dominant one in the fusion. As with Zidane, two planets can be seen fusing during Kuja's EX Burst, alluding to Terra assimilating Gaia. However, opposite to Zidane, it is the red planet Terra that emerges as the dominant planet in the fusion.
Ozma's Splinter, Zidane's strongest weapon, is named after the optional superboss in Final Fantasy IX. The Sargatanas and The Tower are also weapons Zidane uses in his original game.
In the ending, Zidane leaps towards the sun to return to Gaia, similar to how the party returns to Gaia in the Invincible when Terra is destroyed.
When Squall asks Zidane why he attacked Garland, Zidane replies with, "What? Do I need a reason to help someone?" a reference to his motto of Virtue from Final Fantasy IX. He also speaks this line upon defeating Kuja in Shade Impulse, offering his hand in assistance much like during Kuja's final scene in Final Fantasy IX.
When battling Garland, Zidane declares, "This is gonna be your grave!" the same line he tells Garland's Final Fantasy IX namesake. The line was translated in the English release of Final Fantasy IX as, "I am the new angel of death! Yours!"
- In Garland's battle dialogue with Kuja, the two make reference to Kuja's antagonistic relationship with the Garland of Final Fantasy IX. Garland says, "I sense you are haunted by your fate", referring to the mortality Garland placed upon Kuja. His dialogue to Zidane, "I will erase you and your soul", refers to when the Garland of Final Fantasy IX attempted to destroy Zidane and take back the soul he had given him.
If Zidane is defeated, he protests, "There's a place I have to go back to..." referring to the recurring theme song of Final Fantasy IX, "The Place I'll Return to Someday".
Zidane's line towards Shantotto when battling her, "If I win, you owe me a date!" is what he says to Garnet before the Festival of the Hunt.
In the English release, Destiny Odyssey IX is subtitled "Melodies of Life", the name of the Final Fantasy IX Main theme.
After being kidnapped by Kuja, Cosmos appears to Zidane in Pandaemonium and convinces him to keep fighting. This mirrors the events of Final Fantasy IX, when Zidane wakes up alone in Pandemonium after his confrontation with Garland and fights his way past Garland's servants to reunite with his friends.
When Zidane is defeated, his pose is similar to when he and the others were defeated in Burmecia.
Garland's specific quote when he battles Zidane is, "I will erase you and your soul", a reference to what the Garland of Final Fantasy IX said. Sephiroth's quote to Zidane is, "Your planet is an illusion", a possible reference to Gaia being an assimilation for Terra.
When facing Zidane with a female character, Zidane will usually flirt in his opening quotes towards them. In his original game, he was a heavy womanizer, as he flirts and stares at most pretty females he meets.
The poem Kuja recites at the beginning of his Shade Impulse scene with Zidane is the exact same poem he states just before Bahamut attacks Alexandria in Final Fantasy IX. Zidane's offer to assist Kuja mirrors Kuja's final moments in Final Fantasy IX.
If a character other than Zidane faces Kuja in Shade Impulse, Kuja says, "I have nothing left to fear! But I refuse to die alone... You will all join me!" This paraphrases Kuja's dialogue when defeated as Trance Kuja in Final Fantasy IX, "I won't have to be afraid anymore... but I'm not gonna die alone. You're all coming with me!"
Kuja's Bravery attacks are themed after the spells Holy and Flare, spells he is able to cast as Trance Kuja. His HP attacks are attacks he uses in Final Fantasy IX—Seraphic Star's appearance of a burst of white energy is based on the appearance of the Holy spell in Final Fantasy IX (in fact, Seraphic Star is even named "Holy Star" in the Japanese version), Flare Star is one of Kuja's signature attacks, and Ultima is the spell Trance Kuja uses when defeated.
Kuja's ultimate weapon, Terra's Legacy, refers to his home planet in Final Fantasy IX. His second strongest weapon, Whale Whisker, is the name of the strongest rod that can be used by Princess Garnet.
Kuja's pose when ending his EX Burst is similar to the pose he takes in Final Fantasy IX when he destroys Terra.
In his victory pose, Kuja floats to the ground in a pose identical to his original artwork () by Yoshitaka Amano, then assumes a pose identical to his Dissidia artwork.
At the beginning of Destiny Odyssey IX, Ultimecia goads Kuja by saying he is "no more than a vessel, a flawed one at that", and Kuja's response is to accuse her of lying. This roughly parallels Kuja's conversation with Garland in Final Fantasy IX, where Garland tells Kuja he is a mortal and Kuja refuses to believe him at first.

Final Fantasy X[]

Tidus returns to Spira by jumping into a lake with his arms wide open, disappearing before he hits the water, similar to the ending of Final Fantasy X where he jumps off the deck of the Fahrenheit.
Tidus's Destiny Odyssey X is narrated by Tidus as a flashback, in the same fashion as how the story in Final Fantasy X is told to the player.
The scene in Destiny Odyssey X when Tidus yells out of frustration is based on the event at Kilika Temple when he yells out loud.
When fighting the Emperor in Destiny Odyssey X, the song "Fight With Seymour" plays alluding to Tidus's antagonism to Seymour, who bore similarities to the Emperor in appearance and personality.
Tidus's exclusive weapons refer to Wakka. His strongest weapon, the "World Champion", is the name of Wakka's Celestial Weapon in Final Fantasy X, and is the blitzball used by Tidus's villainous lookalike Shuyin in Final Fantasy X-2. Tidus's beginning weapon, the Official Ball, is Wakka's starting weapon from Final Fantasy X, and his other two exclusive weapons, Striker and Grand Slam, are also blitzballs used by Wakka.
Before leaving Firion to fight Jecht in Destiny Odyssey X, Tidus says, "I don't mean to sounds selfish, but this is my story", referring to the line he says at the end of Final Fantasy X before the battle with Yu Yevon: "I know it sounds selfish, but this is my story".
While moving in EX Mode, Tidus's movements and animations are faster even when standing still, a reference to the character models in Final Fantasy X which move faster while under the effects of Haste
Quick Hit is a fitting name for Tidus's Bravery to HP combo, as it is the final skill available in Tidus's section of the Sphere Grid in Final Fantasy X.
Tidus's Bravery attacks, which can chain to Quick Hit, all involve a dodge followed by an attack, much like the weapon ability Evade and Counter in Final Fantasy X. This ability is one of four attached to his Celestial Weapon, Caladbolg.
Whenever Tidus does his Blitz Ace, the background breaks away like shattering glass, in the same manner as the beginning of a random encounter in Final Fantasy X. The same is true whenever Jecht uses his EX Burst.
In Shade Impulse C3-5, Tidus asks the Warrior of Light to remember they have fought together every now and again, even when they return to their own worlds. This is based on a line from Yuna's speech in the ending of Final Fantasy X: "The people and the friends that we have lost, or the dreams that have faded... Never forget them".
Tidus's victory pose, a backflip and then throwing his sword into the air and catching it, combines his two victory poses from Final Fantasy X: he backflips when fighting underwater and throws and catches his sword when fighting on land.
Tidus exclaims "I'm the one and only ace here!" if fighting against himself, a line he said if a party member jumps onto Sin's back before he does during their attempt to break into Sin.
Tidus's Crystal looks like a movie sphere from Final Fantasy X.
When battling Ultimecia, she says "Your mouth will get you in trouble", a line said to Tidus by Lulu. Garland's introduction to Tidus is, "Better you fall down fate's spiral", referring to Sin's cycle of destruction and rebirth. Exdeath's intro is, "Your existence is nothing!", a possible reference to Tidus being a dream of the fayth. Tidus's line to Jecht after their battle in Destiny Odyssey X, "I'm your son, after all", mirrors what Jecht said to him in Final Fantasy X after the battle with him as Braska's Final Aeon.
Tidus's Brotherhood has bubbles rising from it. This alludes to Final Fantasy X where the Brotherhood has the Waterstrike ability.
Tidus's first alternate outfit, named "Zanarkand Abes Uni", is based on his original Final Fantasy X appearance.
During a cutscene, Jecht punches Tidus but misses, and a round wave of energy is left behind, similar to Sin's energy attack in a cutscene just before fighting it. The Zanarkand Abes insignia is also briefly seen as the blast starts.
The HP attacks Ultimate Jecht Shot and Triumphant Grasp reference the two Overdrives used by Braska's Final Aeon. The Final Aeon's other attacks include "Jecht" in their names, a naming convention shared by Jecht's other attacks in Dissidia.
In Destiny Odyssey X-5, Jecht tells Tidus he should take a chance and "think of something", a line originally said by Auron.
One of Jecht's pre-battle quotes, "Gonna cry? Are you gonna cry?" is something he typically taunted Tidus with. As another reference, one of his battle taunts when attacking is, "Don't cry now!" Another of Jecht's intro quotes is, "I won't be able to hold back," which is one of his lines before his final battle in Final Fantasy X.
When fighting his son, he says, "Let's end this," as he did before transforming into Braska's Final Aeon.
When fighting against him as Onion Knight, Jecht makes the comment, "You remind me of another little kid," a reference to his days in Zanarkand when Tidus was younger.
Two of his exclusive weapons, Sin's Talon and Sin's Fang, are references to the fact Jecht is Sin in Final Fantasy X. His other exclusive weapon is a reference to the set of weapons for Rikku, which have Break Damage Limit as their dominant ability, the Kaiser Knuckles.
Jecht's opening quote to Firion, "The Great Jecht has dreams too," alludes to a flashback shown at Zanarkand where Jecht tells Auron and Braska his dream is to train Tidus to be a champion blitzball player.
When fighting the Warrior of Light, his quote may be a reference to a line he said to Tidus, when the latter tried to learn the Jecht Shot on the S.S. Winno, where he says, "I am special! I'm the best!" When fighting Cloud, his line may reference the same.
In his first alternate outfit, Jecht's sash and spikes turn red, and his sword gains red colorings with gold details, a reference to Auron's color scheme and his version of the Masamune.
Garland's introduction to Tidus is, "Better you fall down fate's spiral", referring to Sin's cycle of destruction and rebirth in Final Fantasy X. His quote to Jecht, "Another prisoner of fate", refers to how Jecht became trapped within the cycle of Spira, similar to Garland.
The material gathered when fighting Tidus are Guts-themed; this may be drawn from Final Fantasy IX and an obscure easter egg accessed by debugging/accessing source files regarding the Ragtime Mouse, where the face of his card reads the question "Pop Quiz! FF10's theme is GUTS! True or false?"

Final Fantasy X-2[]

The Al Bhed Primer, an item used to decipher the Al Bhed language in Final Fantasy X, is obtainable through Battlegen against the Auron Friend Card. When translated, the Al Bhed sentence in the item description, "Keja so pacd du O, N, yht B", reads, "Give my best to Y, R, and P", a reference to the protagonists of Final Fantasy X-2.

Final Fantasy XI[]

If faced against Zidane, Shantotto will say "A male Mithra? Or perhaps not..." referencing the similarly-tailed race from Final Fantasy XI.
The order in which the player can chain Shantotto's HP attacks, and enters her attacks during her EX Burst, are a reference to Ancient Magic, a unique set of spells available in Final Fantasy XI. In addition to the massive amount of damage each spell can deliver, Ancient Magic gives the target an elemental weakness to the spell's "weak" element, allowing other spells to do more damage. The order Shantotto's attacks are chained in is as follows: "Fire - Water - Thunder - Earth - Wind - Ice".
When Shantotto begins her EX Burst, she strikes her opponent with her staff and lets loose a burst of wind from her hand. These two attacks are references to Full Swing and Howling Fist, Weapon Skills from Final Fantasy XI. However, in Final Fantasy XI only Monks and Puppetmasters can use Howling Fist.
The sound made when the player casts a spell during Shantotto's EX Burst is the same sound heard in Final Fantasy XI when the player casts a spell or uses a special skill.
Shantotto's EX Burst, "Skillchain: Fusion", links together Full Swing and Howling Fist as Weapon Skills, then executes a Magic Burst. This is identical to how Skillchains work in Final Fantasy XI: two Weapon Skills are used in quick succession, increasing the damage done and allowing allies to execute a certain type of elemental magic as a Magic Burst. The name of the Skillchain, Fusion, results in Fire or Light-aligned Magic Bursts in Final Fantasy XI, which is why Shantotto must first cast Flare in the chain of spells following the Skillchain.
When Shantotto is defeated, she turns into a doll. This is a reference to a special event battle in Final Fantasy XI where the player can battle Shantotto. When they win Shantotto turns into a doll, and another Shantotto emerges and reveals the "Shantotto" the player just defeated was a puppet the real Shantotto had brought to life.
Shantotto's emblem, seen as the symbol of Distant Glory - Heroes, is the flag of the Federation of Windurst. The music used on the board in her Distant Glory is "The Federation of Windurst", the city's main theme used in most of its areas.
Shantotto's exclusive weapons are named after staves available in Final Fantasy XI. Specifically, the last two are the two most difficult Black Mage staves to acquire in the game; their Mythic Weapon and Relic Weapon, respectively.
Shantotto's usage of the "loser" insult in her dialogue is a reference to her statement in the Vana'diel Tribune about enjoying the antics of "Total Loser" adventurers, whom she often berates in her manor. "Total Loser" is also a title players can earn if certain choices are made in the "Curses, Foiled A-Golem?!" quest, which is given to them by Shantotto.
The amount of AP required to master Shantotto's HP attacks is the same as the order in which Black Mages learn the same spells in Final Fantasy XI: Stone, Water, Aero, Fire, Blizzard, and then Thunder.
The jewel on Shantotto's staff changes color according to the spell she casts. This in reference to a popular practice used by Black Mages in Final Fantasy XI where different elemental staves are equipped to provide a boost to spells of the corresponding element. The colors are as follows: green for Aero, cyan for Blizzard and Bind, red for Fire, yellow for Stone, blue for Water, purple for Thunder and Stun, and black for Bio as well as her EX Burst. The staff also changes color whenever Shantotto blocks (yellow), dodges (green), or attacks regularly (purple), referring to the weapons' additional enhancements to defense, evasion and critical hit rate respectively.
Shantotto's quote to the Warrior of Light, "You would make a good shield," echoes a comment she makes about the player during the Treasures of Aht Urhgan: "He/She will serve as my shield, should things go wrong". She may be referring to the Warrior of Light's similarities to the Paladin class in Final Fantasy XI, also known as Knight in the Japanese version. Common strategy in many MMOs consist of sending defensive melee characters into battle first to act as a "meatshield" and draw damage and attention away from other characters with lighter defenses, such as a Black Mage like Shantotto; Paladins are exceptionally good at this at high levels. The quote may also be a pun on how the Warrior of Light uses his own shield offensively.
Shantotto's quote when fighting herself, "What a well-made automaton", is a reference to the Automatons of Final Fantasy XI.

Final Fantasy XII[]

Upon ending his EX Burst, entering battle, using the ability "Hatred" and in his victory pose, Gabranth assumes the same pose as his appearance on the logo () of Final Fantasy XII. Gabranth's battle pose while standing still in EX Mode, and his board icon when used in storylines, are in the same pose depicted on his bestiary entry (). His artwork pose is the same pose he makes in the Amano art of the Archadian Judges ().
Gabranth's Level 100 exclusive equipment, the Chaos Blade and the Highway Star, are the names of the two swords that make up his weapon. The Chaos Blade is the longer sword; the Highway Star is the shorter sword.
The background music for Distant Glory [The Redeemed Warrior] is "Theme of the Empire" from Final Fantasy XII. The symbol of the storyline in the Storyline menu is the symbol of the Archadian Empire.
Gabranth glows red when in EX Mode and using EX Charge, similar to how characters in Final Fantasy XII would glow when powered by manufacted nethicite.
Compared to Basch, Gabranth's Quickenings feature a few key differences in name and appearance:
- Basch's "Fulminating Darkness" is green-blue. Gabranth's "Fulminating Oblivion" is red-orange.
- Basch's "Ruin Impendent" consists of four punches cracking the screen to reveal a vortex that draws in the foe. Gabranth's "Ruin Unflinching" has only three punches that crack the screen, and does not include the vortex.
- Basch's "Flame Purge" has a longer sequence in which the swords twirl behind him before flying forward to stab the foe, and the final sword stabs the target in the middle vertically. Gabranth's "Frost Purge" does not include the twirling and the final sword does not stab the target in the middle vertically.
- In addition to the above, Gabranth stands on the left side of the screen facing his opponent on the right. When performing his Quickenings, Basch is positioned on the right of the screen facing his opponent on the left.
When performing Gabranth's EX Burst, the "Mist Charge" option may appear while shuffling commands. In Final Fantasy XII, using Quickenings consumed the user's Mist Charges, and using the Mist Charge command during a Quickening Chain would restore their charges. In Dissidia, Gabranth has no Mist Charges and so cannot use the command when it appears.
Sentence, Enrage, Lunge, Circle of Judgment, Guilt and Innocence are all attacks Gabranth uses when fought in Final Fantasy XII. Guilt and Innocence are both cinematic attacks in Final Fantasy XII, reflected in Dissidia by being Gabranth's HP attacks. His Aero attack is taken from Judge Ghis.
Gabranth's dialogue to Shantotto in their flashback, "There is no future for the bystander. As there is naught he can defend", is based on what he says to Basch at the Pharos: "Without power, what future can you claim? What good a kingdom you cannot defend?" His introduction when facing Tidus, "One without strength has no future", is also based on this quote. His introduction when facing himself, "There is no escaping the past," is taken from the Pharos scene, when he faces Reddas. One of Gabranth's victory quotes is, "Even a stray has pride", which he said when he attacked Vayne.
Gabranth's cry when using the aerial version of Innocence, "Your life ends here", and his line when beginning his EX Burst, "By my sword", are derived from what he says when using Innocence in Final Fantasy XII, "Your life ends at my blade!"
Gabranth's fighting style, EXecutioner, is a reference to what Balthier says to Vaan when they spy on Gabranth at Nalbina Dungeons: "If you ask me, they're more executioners than judges". The unusual capitalization is a pun, placing emphasis on "EX", as Gabranth's fighting style revolves around his EX Mode.
Chaos's eventual madness in Shade Impulse and his transformation into Feral Chaos allude to the Ivalice summon Chaos. His ultimate attack Brink of Delusion, involves four swords that stab the arena in a manner similar to the Chaos of Ivalice.

Final Fantasy Tactics[]

Although the English translation is different, Gabranth's "Gaia Breach" is a direct reference to the Monk ability, "Shockwave" or "Earth Render" (地烈斬 or 地裂斬), from the Final Fantasy Tactics series with similar graphic effect.

Other Squaresoft/Square Enix Games[]

Kingdom Hearts[]

Sephiroth's attack, Shadow Flare, is based on the same ability that his Kingdom Hearts counterpart uses. Also, Oblivion is based on one of Sephiroth's attacks in the Kingdom Hearts series, where he dashes past Sora and strikes him multiple times.
One of Sephiroth's defeated quotes, "The Planet has forsaken me," is similar to his defeated quote when Sora defeats him in the Platinum Match in Kingdom Hearts.
Cloud, Squall, and Sephiroth's ultimate weapons in Dissidia share their names with Keyblades that can be obtained in Kingdom Hearts.
The offer Squall makes to Cloud of fighting again in the future is a possible allusion to the part in Kingdom Hearts II in which they fight back to back against a horde of Heartless.
Sephiroth's statement to the Warrior of Light, regarding how only Cloud can defeat him, mirrors a statement he made to Sora in Kingdom Hearts II. His statement to Cloud regarding how Sephiroth will always be a part of him is also from Kingdom Hearts II.
In Firion's storyline, when Firion tells him his true opponent is Tidus, Jecht says to Firion, "Thanks for meddling," in a similar manner Auron tells Sora in Kingdom Hearts II.

Non-Square Enix related[]

Cecil's EX Mode ability "Proteus" is named for the Greek sea god Proteus. According to mythology, Proteus was constantly sought out by people for his ability to foretell the future, and to avoid them he changed his form. The adjective "protean" is based on the god's name, meaning "variable, able to change/assume different forms".
Golbez's Genesis Rock attack may allude to the name given to a sample of the original lunar crust recovered by Apollo 15.
Golbez's fighting style, "Thaumaturge", is Greek, and refers to a saint or magician that creates miracles.
Kefka's exclusive weapon "Nephilim Flute" takes its name from the Nephilim, a group in the Hebrew Bible said to be the offspring of "the sons of god" (commonly interpreted to mean angels) and "the daughters of men". This could either be taken as a reference to espers, being humans granted magical powers by the Warring Triad, or to Terra, the offspring of the esper Maduin and the human Madeline.
Kefka's voice work in the localization bore several similarities to the DC Comics supervillain, the Joker, as portrayed in the 1990s Batman: The Animated Series by actor Mark Hamill.
Owing to the influences the Star Wars character Darth Vader played in Golbez's creation for Final Fantasy IV, his voice work in the localization was patterned after Darth Vader.
Emperor Mateus' voice work in the localization sounded similar to Goblin King Jareth from the 1980s Jim Henson movie Labyrinth, as portrayed by musician and actor David Bowie.
Tidus's localized EX Burst transition quote "Are you ready for this?" is pronounced similarly to the introduction line "Y'all ready for this?" as sung by rapper The D.O.C. in the song It's Funky Enough, which is in turn sampled by rap group 2 Unlimited for their song Get Ready For This; Get Ready For This soon became a popular song to play in live sports events in the United States during its release in the 1990's, especially in basketball, due to its significance as an invigorating and energizing introductory pre-game anthem.
When encountering Terra Branford for the second time, Kefka greets her with "Hello, my pretty!", similar to the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz to Dorothy Gale.

Dissidia Final Fantasy (2008) allusions

Contents

Final Fantasy series[]

Final Fantasy[]

Final Fantasy II[]

Final Fantasy III[]

Final Fantasy IV[]

Final Fantasy IV: The After Years[]

Final Fantasy V[]

Final Fantasy VI[]

Final Fantasy VII[]

Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children[]

Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-[]

Final Fantasy VIII[]

Final Fantasy IX[]

Final Fantasy X[]

Final Fantasy X-2[]

Final Fantasy XI[]

Final Fantasy XII[]

Final Fantasy Tactics[]

Other Squaresoft/Square Enix Games[]

Kingdom Hearts[]

Non-Square Enix related[]

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