Moogles are a fictional species of diminutive, sentient creatures that appear throughout the Final Fantasy, Mana and Kingdom Heartsvideo game series, and are considered one of the mascots of Final Fantasy. They first appeared in Final Fantasy III. Moogles serve a variety of purposes in the various games in which they appear. They sometimes provide opportunities to record game progress or access shops; occasionally they assist in battle or may even become a playable character.
Characteristics
Mōguri, the Japanese transliteration of "moogle", is a portmanteau of the wordsmogura and kōmori. Moogles typically have white fur, and an antenna protruding from the head with a small red or yellow ball at the end. They have small red or purple wings, and their ears are shaped like those of a cat or rabbit. They tend to end their sentences with "kupo". A Moogle's favorite food is the Kupo Nut. Moogles are frequently featured as creatures that may be summoned by the Summoner or Caller class of playable characters. Typically, moogles are lower-level summon spells acquired earlier in a given game.
Appearances
The first appearance of a Moogle was in Final Fantasy III, as the bodyguards of master wizard Doga. They first appeared outside of the Final Fantasy series in Secret of Mana, where they have a different, tan color palette and look catlike in appearance. "Moogle" also became a status effect in the Mana series where your playable characters are turned into moogles for a period of time or until the effect is healed. Final Fantasy VI was the first time a Moogle talked, was a playable character, and had a pom-pom on their head. Moogles appeared in almost every subsequent Final Fantasy game, with different roles and slightly differing appearances over time. They also appeared in spin-off games such as Final Fantasy Tactics and Crystal Chronicles. In the Kingdom Hearts series, Moogles run the Synthesis workshops, where you can use materials dropped by enemies to make items, equipment, and weapons. Moogle-themed attire has appeared in several of the games, with Final Fantasy X-2 including a wearable Moogle mascot costume for the character Yuna, and Final Fantasy XIII-2 having a dress made of Moogle dolls. A Moogle mascot costume also appears in Final Fantasy XV's Moogle Chocobo Carnival.
Merchandise
Square Enix partnered with a Japanese bridal company to introduce a real-life Final Fantasy wedding service that includes a giant virtual Moogle. A giant Moogle bed was created as a contest reward for the Japanese convenience storeLawson.
Reception
Mike Fahey of Kotaku called the Moogle "my favorite video game characters ever" and "awesome and adorable", though criticizing their design in Final Fantasy XIII-2 as "gross".
