Final Fantasy: Best Vehicles In The Series, Ranked

A typical Final Fantasy adventure involves traveling across great spans of open space, and while it is liberating to cross plains of grass and rolling petal-rinsed hills on foot in a beautiful fantasy world wished into being by the dreams and hopes of magic sentient crystals, all that trekking can get a little tiresome after the first fifteen minutes. That's where all the outrageously awesome vehicles come in; whether it's cruising through the skies on a ship that looks like it could transform into a robotic dragon or skimming the seas on a floating school for child soldiers, they get people from A to B in style.

Like the ever-fashion-conscious inhabitants, fabulous architecture, and dreamlike landscapes of the Final Fantasy universe, even the most mundane examples of vehicles appear stylish, artful, and soul-feeding in ways the real world couldn't emulate, even when it tries its best to be inspirational. Monorail? More like monotonous. Cybertruck? More like cyber-yuck. Hyperloop? More like hyper-droop. When using any of these fantastic Final Fantasy vehicles, the journey really would seem more important than the destination.

8 Wheelies - Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

Great For Saving Aching Feet And (Apparently) Easily Disposable

• Prominent example(s): The red, blue, and banana-yellow models in Costa del Sol (Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth)

While wheelies (or segways, as they are commonly called in this world) may not be able to traverse terrain bumpier than a melted Materia Pop on a sheet of glass, these motorized electric scooters come in an assortment of primary colors and can be used to zip around town at near-breakneck speed without breaking a sweat. Wheelies can be found in Costa del Sol and are mainly associated with one of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's minigames, "Wheelie Rendezvous."

To some onlookers, wheelies make their riders look a little goofy as they zip around the sun-drenched paradise, standing upright and occasionally tilting forward to accelerate. However, to any back-pain-suffering eco-warrior carrying giant slabs of iron on their backs, wheelies are a godsend.

7 Cars - Final Fantasy 8, Final Fantasy 15

For Life-Affirming Roadtrips Down Long, Dusty Highways

• Prominent example(s): The Buggy (FF7) The Tempest (FF8), the Quartz Regalia (FF15)

Cars have shown up more and more frequently since Final Fantasy 7, where a wide variety of them appeared to reflect the near-futuristic setting (for example, the eight-wheel buggy obtained after the Golden Saucer and Corel portion of the story). Cars are available to rent in Final Fantasy 8 and even require fuel to run. While they help to bypass random encounters, generally look way cooler than the ones in real life, and are convenient for traveling parties, cars are restricted to land traversal and sometimes just the road.

The most iconic car in the series is likely the Regalia from Final Fantasy 15, which has the benefit of appearing in a game that contains all the trappings of car culture (a world crossed by highways and dotted with gas stops). The Quartz Regalia is tailor-made for a road trip with an open-roof convertible design, luxury interior (fit for a king), and an ability to transform into a rough, off-road variant (Type-D) and even a flying variant (Type-F).

6 Submarines - Final Fantasy 3, Final Fantasy 5, Final Fantasy 7

Like Ships, But Significantly More Waterproof

• Prominent example(s): Shinra uV Submarine (FF7), the unnamed yellow submarine (FF5), the Nautilus (FF3)

For a series primarily known for being steeped in the "fantasy" genre (the clue is in the name), there are a surprisingly large number of submarines in Final Fantasy, and they aren't just confined to the fantasy cyberpunk game (Final Fantasy 7), either. Being able to explore the vast mystery of the deep sea is a joy, and traversing the trenches of the ocean floor typically opens the way to secret bosses, dungeons, and treasure.

Most home planets in Final Fantasy are mostly made of water, like Earth, and submarines enable the player to cross oceans. Their inability to cross the land puts them at a disadvantage, with the exception of both the Nautilus from Final Fantasy 3 and the final airship from Final Fantasy 5, both of which can transform between a submarine and airship form at the flip of a switch (however, they cannot function as ships and cross the surface).

5 Trains - Final Fantasy 8, Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy 13

Typically The Most Opulent, Comfortable, And Convenient Ways To Travel

• Prominent example(s): The International Network (FF8)

Besides driving Doomtrain, a super-demonic, track-riding summon, directly into the ugly faces of their enemies, the various parties of Final Fantasy have never had access to their own personal train or rail. However, the Midgar line aside (which appeared appropriately dystopian in design considering the surrounding urban hellscape of Midgar), all the trains featured in the series are shown to be the most luxurious forms of transportation imaginable.

For example, the Balamb-to-Timber train is not only immaculately decorated inside and out to a standard that would rival the opulence of the Palace of Versailles during the Sun King's reign, but also fully furnished with comfortable amenities, including comfy sofas, beds, and literature. In the overworld of Final Fantasy 8, rail lines can be seen across the map and travel from continent to continent thanks to undersea tunnels.

4 Motorbikes - Final Fantasy 7 Remake

The Perfect Ride For Buster-Sword-Wielding Bad Boys

• Prominent example(s): The Hardy-Daytona model (FF7), the hoverbike (FF12), Shiva (FF13)

It's almost a guarantee that the motorbike chase scene from the original Final Fantasy 7, the culmination of high-stakes action, drama, and cyberpunk flair, cemented the whole game as one of the greatest turn-based RPGs of all time in many fans' minds. Having made its return in the movie sequel Advent Children and Final Fantasy Remake, the Hardy-Daytona model cycle seen dodging Shinra heat on the highways of Midgar has proven itself to be a classic Final Fantasy vehicle.

Motorbikes have appeared elsewhere in the series, typically in the games that overtly mix science and magic. In Final Fantasy 13, Snow uses a transformed version of Shiva to get around. The leading man, Balthier, uses a hovering variant in his exploits in Final Fantasy 12. Enemy Galbadian soldiers drive landbound motors during the SeeD assault in Final Fantasy 8.

3 Magitek Armor - Final Fantasy 6, Final Fantasy 14

An Ominous Fusion Of Steampunk Might And Magical Mastery

• Prominent example(s): The Pluto Armor (FF6), The Reaper (FF14)

Powerful, looming, and the product of cutting-edge technology and forbidden mysticism, magitek armor first appeared in Final Fantasy 6's opening cutscene: three gigantic bipedal figures hissing steam and aether shuffling on a long walk through the cold and the snow. The armor grants its rider not only great stature but also access to magical abilities.

Although the magitek armor from Final Fantasy 6 never appeared as an in-game vehicle with its own dedicated mechanics and functions, it has appeared in the series' second MMO as a purchasable mount, albeit one that has pretty much functions the same as any other mount in Final Fantasy 14. Despite this, the ridable armor's menacing design and the lore behind it still make riding one a distinctly cool experience and one that connects players to one of the most iconic moments in Final Fantasy history.

2 Gardens - Final Fantasy 8

A Flying Fortress, Training Center, And Hotdog Outlet

• Prominent example(s): Balamb Garden, Galbadia Garden (FF8)

Many a hair may be split over the vehicular designation of a garden, which has so far only been seen in Final Fantasy 8. On the one hand, they technically fly, so some consider them airships. On the other hand, they are only able to fly a little way off the ground, and so they might be better considered as hovercrafts. However, both of these perspectives miss the main appeal of a garden: they are massive mobile schools, bases home to highly-trained mercenary soldiers. Not only that, but they have gorgeous designs.

A garden's ability to move across the landscape is kept a secret from most in the world. At a certain point in Final Fantasy 8, the player is made captain of Balamb and can take it anywhere they wish. Using a magical energy halo as a propulsion system, Balamb Garden (and at least one other garden in the world) has been known to drift across land and sea. Gardens can conquer land and sea, but they do have trouble mounting steep inclines and rising above cliffs. While it may be outpaced by a more nimble aircraft, only a garden can boast of facilities such as a training zone, parking lot, library, hotdog dispensing cafeteria, a ballroom, and more.

1 Airships - Various

Flying Heroes To And Fro From The Start

• Prominent example(s): The Highwind (FF7), the Invincible (FF9), the Strahl (FF12), the Fahrenheit (FF10)

With airships having been with the series since the very beginning, it would be nearly impossible to concoct a ranked list of airships in Final Fantasy, but some fan favorites include Final Fantasy 7's choppy, dieselpunk Highwind, Final Fantasy 9's enigmatic Invincible, and Final Fantasy 8's incredibly badass, sport-car-red, cyber-dragon-from-space themed aircraft, the Ragnarok. Typically unlocked near the end of the story, airships allow the player to reach anywhere on the map besides the ocean depths or outer space.

Elegant, dreamy, and incredibly useful, airships are more than just a way to get around. Barring underwater exploration, they are the ultimate in transportation and emblematically set Final Fantasy apart from other sword-and-sorcery settings by folding a world of magic and machinery together as a cohesive whole. Obtaining one is often one of the most memorable moments of a Final Fantasy game, as it thn becomes an end-game hub for the party; a home as much as a cool-as-heck mobile base.