A Pokemon fan has shared artwork of Galarian Zapdos that fans have said makes it look like an "angry Chocobo," referencing the iconic Final Fantasy steed. While Pokemon and Final Fantasy have largely never crossed over outside of Super Smash Bros. Featuring fighters and locales from both franchises, the fanart has some fans imagining what it could be like if they had a proper crossover.
Final Fantasy and Pokemon are two of the most readily recognized video game IPs to come out of Japan prior to the year 2000, though there's a decade separating their origins, as Pokemon launched in the late '90s, and Final Fantasy in the late '80s. Aside from the fact that they're both excellent RPG series, many fans of classic retro games enjoy both Final Fantasy and Pokemon, perhaps due in part to both franchises originally being available on Nintendo consoles.
Fan Art Gives My Hero Academia Teachers Their Own Pokemon
An impressive fan creation is pairing up each of the teachers from My Hero Academia's U.A. High School with their own signature Pokemon.
Pokemon Fan Designs Galarian Zapdos Steed
Now, a fan artist called KosukeSukeP has shared their idea of what a Galarian Zapdos might look like if it were a ridable steed. While its design is largely unchanged, the Legendary bird Pokemon appears a bit more fearsome, and wears a saddle for the rider to sit on, and a stylish bridle is resting on its head. The stylized illustration makes the Pokemon look like it could easily fit into a dramatic fantasy series.
KosukeSukeP has shared other artworks that convert Pokemon into steeds, among other concepts, so it seems that any crossover between Pokemon and Final Fantasy wasn't intended by the artist. However, fans have been calling out the similarities, referring to the Pokemon as an "angry Chocobo," "Galarian Chocobo," or a "Zapcobo," crossing over Galarian Zapdos with Chocobos, Final Fantasy's iconic bird steed. Fans have been imagining what it would be like to have a Pokemon racing game, and have imagined taking this particular Pokemon to a Gold Saucer Chocobo race.
It's clear from the comments that some fans wish there were official crossovers between Final Fantasy and Pokemon. Since they're owned by separate publishers, however, it's unlikely that will actually happen. Still, that never stops fans from dreaming up what-if scenarios. Fans have thought up Pokemon partners for Final Fantasy protagonists, as well as giving Pokemon Final Fantasy characteristics themselves. While unlikely, given that more games than ever are having crossovers and mash-ups, it may not be completely out of the question at some point in the future for the two franchises to collide.
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 79 /100 Critics Rec: 66%
- Released
- October 16, 2025
- ESRB
- Everyone 10+ / Fantasy Violence, In-Game Purchases
- Developer(s)
- Game Freak, Creatures Inc.
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo, The Pokemon Company
