Final Fantasy XIV allusions

The following is a list of allusions present in Final Fantasy XIV.

Final Fantasy series

 * (1.0) Near the end of the cutscene in which Gaius fights Thancred, Y'shtola, Yda, and Papalymo, the four Circle of Knowing members stand a distance from him in a small row. This could be a visual reference to how parties used to stand in rows in the first ten Final Fantasy games.
 * Four crystals can be seen during the animation of Thaumaturge ability, Swiftcast, alluding to the four crystals in early Final Fantasy titles.
 * In the various promotional screenshots, names of various playable characters from previously released games are used to name the characters included in the screenshots.
 * A miniature classic airship can be obtained as a pet, as well as a "pointing finger" similar to those used as a cursor in previous entries of the series.
 * The CG renders and concept art for the Summoner of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn show the summoner with a horn-like adornment on his head, echoing how summoners with forehead horns appear in various Final Fantasy titles. The horn is also present in the class's Artifact Armor.
 * The 2013 All Saints Wake (Halloween) event features a Magic Pot NPC. It resembles the imps of Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XIV hiding in the conventional urn. When players interact with it, it boasts that the Impressario gave it an Elixir and rocks backward gleefully.
 * Before most storyline battles, the common "whoosh" effect of previous games' random encounters is seen.
 * When completing to quest to obtain a Zodiac Weapon Zeta, the "Got an Important Item" jingle plays.

Final Fantasy

 * (1.0) The server Cornelia refers to city and kingdom of the same name.
 * (1.0) The server Melmond refers to a village of the same name.
 * The Warrior of Light's helmet is obtainable for those who purchased the Collector's Edition with the rest being available from the Crystal Tower dungeon.
 * "The Minion of Light", a set of minions based on the Warrior, the White Mage, and Black Mage can be obtained as a Veteran Reward.
 * "Wind-up Warrior of Light", another minion is based on Yoshitaka Amano's artwork of the Warrior of Light.
 * Piscodemon appears as a regular enemy in The Tam-Tara Deepcroft (Hard Mode) dungeon.
 * Kraken appears as the last boss of the Hullbreaker Isle.
 * Matoya along with her cave and theme song are alluded to Matoya from the original title. One of the main scenario quests in Heavensward is also titled "Matoya's Cave".

Final Fantasy II

 * (1.0) The servers Kashuan and Palamecia allude to, respectively, the kingdom and empire of the same name in Final Fantasy II.
 * Minfilia, the leader of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, uses the password "wild rose" to allow the player to identify other members of this order. This phrase was used by Princess Hilda of Fynn to identify other members of the rebels against the Empire.
 * A soundtrack used in multiple places, such as during the main storyline in Ul'dah, is a remix of the battle theme of Final Fantasy II.
 * "Dreadnought" is one of the Empire's airships.
 * Firion's outfit is available for player characters as a Veteran Reward for players who subscribed for 840 days in total.

Final Fantasy III

 * (1.0) The server Gysahl refers to a village of the same name.
 * (1.0) The server Saronia refers to a kingdom of the same name.
 * Cid Garlond's airship is named Enterprise.
 * The Artifact Equipment for the Summoner job class is called the "Evoker's equipment" and the upgraded version is the "Summoner's equipment", alluded to the job Evoker and its upgraded version, the Summoner from Final Fantasy III.
 * The Crystal Tower dungeon quests are directly inspired by the Crystal Tower from Final Fantasy III from the Labyrinth of the Ancients, referring to the Ancients' Maze, to Syrcus Tower. The dungeon is also home to various bosses that are homages to Final Fantasy III enemies. The Labyrinth of the Ancients holds Thanatos, King Behemoth, and Phlegethon (designed after the Titan of Final Fantasy III), whereas Syrcus Tower has Scylla, Glasya Labolas, Amon, and Xande. The Cloud of Darkness appears along with the World of Darkness as the final boss of the Crystal Tower arc. The themes "Altar Cave", "Battle 2", and "The Crystal Tower" have been rearranged for the raids.
 * Xande's obsession with his own mortality and fear of the inevitable are what lead him to make a pact with a being from the void, the Cloud of Darkness, mirroring his ambitions in Final Fantasy III.
 * Doga and Unei are named after the two sages.
 * The Onion Helm is a helmet available to players who purchased the Collectors Edition of the original game, the rest of the Onion equipment is available as prizes in the Crystal Tower.
 * The minion "Wind-up Onion Knight" can be found in a treasure chest after the party defeat Xande. It's a minion based on the original NES sprite of the Onion Knight.
 * All of the weapons that can be purchased with Rowena Tokens gained from the quest Primal Focus are directly named from weapons in Final Fantasy III. Also, all of the weapons in Final Fantasy III are used by the job that equips them in Final Fantasy XIV with the exception of two, the Elder Staff and Omnirod are swapped, the Elder Staff is used by white mages and the Omnirod is used by black mages (in Final Fantasy III).

Final Fantasy IV

 * (1.0) The server Mysidia refers to a village of the same name.
 * (1.0) The server Fabul refers to a kingdom of the same name.
 * The Artifact Armor for Dragoon is a reference to Kain Highwind's armor. The artwork of the Dragoon job also shared the same pose as Kain in the.
 * A weather vane seen in the Heavensward cinematic is shaped like Yoshitaka Amano's original Final Fantasy IV logo featuring Kain Highwind.
 * The non-playable character for the Bard quests says the phrase "Call me a spoony bard, but...", in reference to the famous one-liner from Tellah.
 * The Artemis' Bow, the Relic Weapon for Bards, was long ago crafted specifically for a man named Gilbert, which is the Japanese name for the character Edward Chris von Muir.
 * The boss ADS and its nodes found in the first and second turns of the Binding Coil of Bahamut are based on the CPU.
 * The interior decorating in the Allagan buildings such as the Binding Coil of Bahamut is similar to the Tower of Babil.
 * Cecil's Paladin headband and earrings can be obtained by pre-ordering Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward.
 * The final line on the card that provides the item code is "May they take you back to a time when two was four and four was two.", a reference to how Square titled the SNES version of Final Fantasy IV as Final Fantasy II for the western market.
 * The players will encounter a "darkness" version of themselves during one of the Dark Knight job quests, similar to the event in Final Fantasy IV.

Final Fantasy V

 * (1.0) The server Istory refers to a town of the same name.
 * (1.0) The server Karnak refers to a town of the same name.
 * (1.0) During Caravan Security, both "Boco" and "Koko" may appear as the chocobo names.
 * Gilgamesh's name is used in example sentences for the chat log filtering configuration. He later makes an appearance in the game and fights the Adventurer during Hildibrand storyline. Enkidu also appears alongside him as a green chicken before he transform into his Final Fantasy V form later in the story.
 * In the cutscene just before the second phase of the "Battle in the Big Keep" trial, GIlgamesh recites almost verbatim his pre-battle lines from Final Fantasy V.
 * Sastasha is a homage to the Pirates' Hideout, both locations are the first dungeon in the game.
 * The Guardian Tree can be found in the Central Shroud. It's an allusion to the Guardian Tree on Planet R.
 * The Forgotten Springs in Thanalan is a small village of predominately female Miqo'tes dressing in ancient outfits, similar to those villagers of Mirage Village. Their males (including the breeding male) are inside one of the huts.
 * In a later story quest, the player fights Siren on a beach surrounded by the hulls and flotsam of beached ships. The place is called "Ship Graveyard". A similar event happens in Final Fantasy V.
 * Gil Turtle appears in one of the Guildhests. It is the pet of Teledji Adeledji. The Gil Turtle is originally an optional boss from the bonus dungeon Gil Cave in Final Fantasy V.
 * Although not written in the dialogue, Minfilia speaks to a person, named Krile, via linkpearl in an underlain audio, after the Scions reunite and escape Castrum Centri together. After her audio is finished, there is a brief line where she says, "... My regards to grandfather." Most likely referring to Galuf.
 * In patch 2.1, Krile is directly referenced in main-quest written dialogue, and in patch 2.2, it is discovered that the Isle of Val has "disappeared". Furthermore, the "Krile" character mentioned here is said to be part of the "Students of Baldesion". Precisely how deep this connection may be has yet to be explored.
 * Twintania, the boss of Turn 5 of the Binding Coil, is named after the boss of the same name.
 * Halicarnassus, the final boss of Haukke Manor (Hard Mode), is named after the boss of the same name.
 * Catoblepas, the second boss of Halatali (Hard Mode) is based on the optional boss and summon from Final Fantasy V.
 * Melusine, the boss of Turn 2 of the Second Coil of Bahamut, is named after the boss of the same name.
 * Atomos, a boss in the Labyrinth of the Ancients, is based on the boss of the same name.
 * Karlabos, the first boss of Sastasha (Hard), is based on the boss of the same name; additionally, his signature attack is Tail Screw, and like in Final Fantasy V, it reduces the target's HP to critical levels.
 * Bandersnatches in Dravania territories have the same design as their Final Fantasy V counterparts.
 * There is a sidequest in Dravanian Forelands that the player has to obtain a bunch of Wyvern Tails, a grass-like plant found growing on the northern hills, and used it to heal a wyvern's wounds.
 * The Great Gubal Library instance dungeon is loosely based on the Library of the Ancients dungeon from Final Fantasy V. In addition, the enemy Page 64 and the boss Byblos, are based off the enemies of the same name that were encountered in the Library of the Ancients.

Final Fantasy VI

 * (1.0) The server Figaro refers to a kingdom of the same name.
 * (1.0) During the 2011 All Saints Wake (Halloween) event, the trickster imps would randomly say "Life... Dreams... Imps... Where do they come from? And where do they go?" upon spawning, quoting Kefka's speech during the final battle of Final Fantasy VI.
 * The Garlean Empire technology is called magitek, and has advanced considerably due to the works of a Cid and is primarily used for military purposes. Additionally, a Magitek Armor mount is available to players (although its actual design is based more on Yoshitaka Amano's "armless" design seen in concept art, rather than the "armored suit with arms" design seen in the game as printed).
 * The first video showing the Magitek Armor in-game was a short recreation of the opening to Final Fantasy VI, with a green haired female hyur and two other characters riding the Magitek Armor in a snowy region, and a remix of "Terra's Theme" playing in the background. As of Patch 2.55, the remix of "Terra's Theme" is now the mount music for the Magitek Armor.
 * The 2013 All Saints Wake (Halloween) event features a circus troupe led by a man simply named "The Impressario", alluding to an NPC of the same name in the Opera House.
 * There is a Phantom Train linking several Garlean Castra. During the main story quest "Escape from Castrum Centri", Yda and Y'shtola managed to sneak into the Imperial stronghold using this train, and a depot is briefly visited during runs through Castrum Meridianum.
 * Doma is the name of a nation-state far across the sea from Eorzea, and when it resists the control of the Empire, it is wiped out as an example to other nations. Like its counterpart in Final Fantasy VI, Doma appears to be based on feudal Japan.
 * An airship named Blackjack appears during the Ixal quests.
 * Ultros and Typhon make a cameo appearance as optional bosses in Hildibrand storyline. The original version of "The Decisive Battle" theme plays during the battle against them.
 * Ultros also uses direct quotes from Final Fantasy VI several times during his cutscenes.
 * Setzer Gabbiani's costume can be bought in Manderville Gold Saucer.
 * Moglin, Moghan, and Mogwin were named after the moogles from Final Fantasy VI.


 * The Gestahl dog minion is a reference to a joke where the Emperor Gestahl sprite looked like a dog.
 * The floating continent of Azys Lla in inspired by the Floating Continent from Final Fantasy VI. The connection is further estabilished by several nods:
 * The Garlean Legion you encounter in Azys Lla is the VIth Legion
 * "Proto Ultima", a creature based on Atma Weapon, can be seen flying around the continent
 * The Aetherochemical Research Facility dungeon in Azys Lla is inspired by the Magitek Research Facility, and houses three primals known as the Warring Triad. Furthermore, the Allag flagship on which the Aetherochemical Research Facility is stationed bears golden statues of the Warring Triad around a tower-like object.

Final Fantasy VII

 * (1.0) The server Wutai refers to a village of the same name.
 * (1.0) When the player undergoes his first "Horn & Hand" faction leve, a NPC will say the following: "Why, if it isn't Sephiroth! Or was it Sephiross? Setirophx? xXxSephirothxXx?", referring to Sephiroth and common variations used to name characters on MMOs (and by proxy, Final Fantasy XIV itself—although of comical note is due to the game's naming conventions, some of the variations are not possible in XIV itself).
 * (1.0) An NPC in the Miner quests will mistakenly call players by the wrong name. He will call a Midlander Hyur "Cloud", and a Miqo'te "Aerith".
 * (1.0) There are two references to main antagonist Sephiroth, both of which are made by main antagonist Nael Van Darnus (and might explain why he is designated the Legatus of the VIIth Legion):
 * In "United We Stand", after wounding the player, Nael takes his leave similarly to that of Sephiroth in the Nibelheim burning scene.
 * Nael seeks to destroy Eorzea and subsequently purify it by using forbidden magicks to summon the Meteor-like moon Dalamud. Sephiroth similarly attempts to destroy Gaia by using the Black Materia to summon Meteor in Final Fantasy VII. Both do so because they feel it is their birthright and duty.
 * One of the Cactuar enemies is called Sabotender Del Sol after the location Costa del Sol.
 * A small resort town named Costa del Sol is located in La Noscea.
 * The Materia crafting system is named after and inspired by Final Fantasy VII Materia.
 * Final Heaven and Braver are Limit Breaks for melee classes.
 * Cloud's Buster Sword is used when the player performs Braver and Sword Dance.
 * "Healing Wind", "Breath of the Earth", and "Pulse of Life" all appear as healer Limit Breaks.
 * A light form of Aerith's Guard Stick is used when the player performs healer Limit Breaks.
 * During the quest The Company you Keep (Maelstrom), both magitek engineers, Biggs and Wedge, are found at the crash site of an airship called the Tiny Bronco.
 * Cloud Strife, Tifa Lockhart, and Aerith Gainsborough's names are used in example sentences for the chat log filtering configuration (with Cloud often being the butt of many jokes in the examples).
 * The design for Ultima Weapon is similar to that of Ultimate Weapon, one of the Weapons awakened by Sephiroth.
 * After construction upgrades were done to Revenant's Toll, it now features a tavern called "Seventh Heaven"—named after the bar and restaurant owned and run by Tifa Lockhart. The owner jokes that she was going to call the bar "Cloud Nine", but thought it would be too effeminate for the clientele.
 * Patch 2.3 introduced an NPC named Jessie as a member of Garlond Ironworks, a reference to the Avalanche member of the same name. They also have a similar hairstyle.
 * The quote of the minion Cait Sith Doll is "What may be a few to you was everything to those who died...", a line Cait Sith said to Barret in Final Fantasy VII in regard to collateral damage caused by AVALANCHE.
 * While between missions during the Dreams of Ice story missions, Yda competes at squats with Hoary Boulder, referencing the activity from Final Fantasy VII.
 * Manderville Gold Saucer is directly inspired by the Golden Saucer from Final Fantasy VII.
 * Primal Knights of the Round are alluded to the summon from Final Fantasy VII.
 * During the final battle, their attacks go off in the same order as the summon animation in Final Fantasy VII.
 * After the last attack of "Ultimate End", the screen shattering effect can be seen.

Final Fantasy VIII

 * (1.0) The server Trabia refers to continent and garden of the same name.
 * (1.0) The battle theme of the Black Shroud area, "The Forest's Pulse" may be inspired by "The Man with the Machine Gun".
 * Zell Dincht's tattoo is available in Character Creation mode.
 * One of the Garlean Empire's main infantry weapons is a variant of a gunblade.
 * Eyes on Me is an enemy ability used by All-Seeing Eye, the boss in Dzemael Darkhold. It also the name of a quest from the main storyline, given to the player by Marques. These refer to the theme song of the same name from Final Fantasy VIII.
 * Tonberry King is the final boss of the Wanderer's Palace, referring to the boss in Final Fantasy VIII.
 * Diabolos is the final boss of the Lost City of Amdapor, and its appearance and entrance (emerging from a dark orb, surrounded by bats) strongly resemble that of its Final Fantasy VIII incarnation.
 * The Double and Triple abilities used by the Ascian Nabriales during the Chrysalis trial, like the same spells that first appeared in Final Fantasy VIII, allow the user to cast magic multiple times. The animations for the abilities strongly resemble the Double and Triple spell animations originally used in Final Fantasy VIII.

Final Fantasy IX

 * (1.0) The server Lindblum refers to the regency of the same name.
 * (1.0) One guildleve objective is to retrieve the cargo of an airship named Red Rose.
 * (1.0) An NPC in the Miner quests will mistakenly call players by the wrong name. He will call a Miqo'te "Quina", which references the playable character of the same name from Final Fantasy IX.
 * The Moogle Mail system is very similar to the Mognet in Final Fantasy IX.
 * In Aleport, Western La Noscea, there is a winged mermaid statue close to identical to the one serving as the figurehead of the Prima Vista of the Tantalus Theater Troupe.
 * The Majestic Mogtome item, when unsheathed, is opened to reveal a pop-up moogle with a quill at the top, resembling the Save Moogles of Final Fantasy IX when viewed from the outside of the book.
 * (2.5) There's a Triple Triad card named "Zidane Tribal"

Final Fantasy X

 * (1.0) The server Besaid refers to a town of the same name.
 * (1.0) The theme song of Gridania, "Born of the Boughs" may have been heavily inspired by "To Zanarkand". Both themes were composed by Nobuo Uematsu.
 * (1.0) An NPC in the Miner quests will mistakenly call players by the wrong name. He will call a Midlander Hyur "Tidus", an allusion to the protagonist of Final Fantasy X.
 * Tidus is also referenced by an NPC who misheard Titan's name as "Tidus".
 * The circle of birth, life, and death in Hydaelyn works in the same way as Spira's. When a living being dies, it returns to the aetherial realm and reincarnate into a new life. The spirit energies in the realm are called "Lifestream", the term from Final Fantasy VII. Primals can be called from these energies similar to how the summoners in Spira call their Aeons.
 * Garlean machines are referred to as "machina".
 * The boss room of the Tam-Tara Deepcroft is called "Eternal Calm".
 * During the 2014 Heavensturn (New Year) event, during the year of the horse, an argument between the Chief "Chocowhacker" and the far eastern Uma Bugyo contains the following line: "As for your precious horses, they're just unicorns with a big empty forehead! Hornless! Hornless!". This alludes to Biran and Yenke Ronsos' mocking of Kimahri Ronso for his broken horn.

Final Fantasy X-2

 * Soul crystals have inscriptions related to past warriors' deeds and, when equipped, allow the player to use a job related to those warriors. This concept is similar to that of dresspheres.
 * An Arcanist quest is titled "A Thousand Words" which is a reference to the song Yuna sings in Final Fantasy X-2.

Final Fantasy XI

 * (1.0) The server Selbina refers to a town of the same name.
 * (1.0) Two of the Achievement NPCs bear the last name of "Ironheart", a reference to the famous cartographer Gwynham Ironheart. They are Milith Ironheart (in charge of Dungeons) and Nedrick Ironheart (in charge of Exploration). The two have switched roles after 2.0, as Milith is now the character who gives the adventurer access to the Sightseeing Log, and Nedrick is present as the quest giver for various dungeons apart from the main story, such as the Sunken Temple of Qarn and Amdapor Keep.
 * (1.0) The NPC responsible for unlocking the battle category of achievements is named Atelloune, sharing her name with a minor NPC present in Final Fantasy XI. Both of them are researching monsters, wear the exact same outfit and are of similar races (Elvaan/Elezen).
 * All of the playable races are derived from the Final Fantasy XI races, although there are enough differences that they are likely not connected (namely the female Roegadyn).
 * Several beast tribes, namely the Qiqirn, Mamool Ja, Gigas, and Goblins, are upscaled versions of their Final Fantasy XI models. Many other monsters are taken from Final Fantasy XI, XII, and XIII.
 * The design of chocobos are based on the chocobos from Final Fantasy XI.
 * The original beastmen from 1.0 were likely derived from beastmen in XI as well. The Ixal are flightless birds like the Yagudo, the Amalj'aa strongly resemble Mamool Ja, and the Kobolds are reminiscent of Goblins (or more specifically their subterranean brethren, the Moblins). Goblins and Mamool Ja were not introduced until long after 1.0's release.
 * The Primal, Garuda strongly resembles the design for the Final Fantasy XI Garuda in that she is a pale green winged woman.
 * Several weapons from the Grand Companies of Eorzea lore are direct references to important characters and weapons from Final Fantasy XI.
 * Both the names of the artifact and vintage armor sets for all jobs (e.g. Healer's/Cleric's gear) are identical to the names of the two artifact armor sets in Final Fantasy XI.
 * The Pugilists's Guild's introductory statements make reference to a woman named Cornelia, who founded the guild. This is a reference to a Monk of the same name in Final Fantasy XI.
 * The first name of Raubahn Aldynn, the leader of the Grand Company Immortal Flames, is identical to Raubahn, the captain of the Immortals in Final Fantasy XI.
 * Among Eorzean NPCs, Thaumaturges are predominately Lalafell, much like the Tarutaru of Windurst are strongly tied to Black Magic, particularly Shantotto.
 * More specifically, Shantotto is frequently alluded to in all things relevant to the Black Mage job:
 * A legendary female Black Mage named "Shatotto" was the bearer of the Soul of the Black Mage (BLM's Job Crystal, a.k.a. Shatotto's Stone), which was used to seal the voidgate.
 * Shatotto was the creator and wielder of the original Stardust Rod. In the quest line to obtain the recreated rod, the relic smith Gerolt mistakenly calls her "Shantotto".
 * She is also referenced by the achievement "Ohohohohoho!" granted by obtaining the Stardust Rod Relic Weapon.
 * Shantotto appeared in a cross-game collaboration event between Final Fantasy XI, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, and Dragon Quest X, Square-Enix's three MMORPGs.
 * The Shadow Lord's name is used in example sentences for the chat log filtering configuration.
 * The Mammet in the Goldsmith quest line, Gigi, is considered the first Mammet. His original name is Mnejing.
 * A Mammet by the name of Ovjang appears as a hunt in Central Thanalan, a reference to the other of Aphmau's automatons.
 * An NPC in the Weaver's guild sings the line "Distant worlds together. Miracles from realms beyond" from the song Distant Worlds in a speech bubble while she spins thread.
 * Fenrir appears as the final boss of Snowcloak, and both his appearance and his abilities (such as Lunar Cry) are similar to that of his Final Fantasy XI incarnation.
 * The gatekeeper for the Ninja headquarters in Final Fantasy XIV speaks the word "Ayame", to which the password that must be replied is "Kaede". Ayame and her sister Kaede are both figures in the Ninja questline of Final Fantasy XI.
 * The bosses of Wanderer's Palace (Hard) seems to be based on the following Mamool Ja Notorious Monsters from Final Fantasy XI in terms of looks and design:
 * Frumious Koheel Ja is based on Lancelord Gaheel Ja.
 * Slithy Zolool Ja is based on Sagelord Molaa Ja.
 * Manxome Molaa Ja Ja is based on Gulool Ja Ja.

Final Fantasy XII

 * (1.0) The server Rabanastre refers to a city of the same name.
 * The Imperial Legatus armor designs are based on the Archadian Judge's armor.
 * A scene with Nael Van Darnus marching, followed by a few Garlean soldiers, resembles the Archadian judges marching towards the screen during the opening of Final Fantasy XII. The same can be said of Gaius Van Baelsar and his Tribunes during the events of A Realm Reborn.
 * Members of the Ascians who worship Zodiark, are named after the Scions of Light that were mentioned in profiles on the Espers.
 * When fighting the Ascian Nabriales during the Chrysalis trial, he will use certain abilities that first appeared in Final Fantasy XII. His damage over time attack, Blight, is named after the special attack of the same name used by the Esper Cúchulainn, who was the Scion of Darkness that opposed Nabriales, the Majestic. He also uses Dark IV as his special attack during the battle, with Dark IV's spell animation strongly resembling Zodiark's Darkja spell used during the boss fight against it inside the Henne Mines.
 * The Primal Essences that can be called forth by the Summoner are called Egi, an allusion to Garuda-Egi.
 * Likewise, the last battle from the Summoner quest line is against Belias-Egi, the essence of Belias.
 * In general, A Realm Reborn reuses an enormous number of creature models, and in certain cases even textures, from various Final Fantasy XII enemies.
 * The Feral Croc and Mirrorknight enemies are reused directly; the Mirrorknights also receive a new version called "Dreadknight" in the Binding Coil of Bahamut, with an updated texture.
 * The model of the Basilisk enemy is heavily reused as the design for various serpent enemies, ranging from low-level monsters to major bosses like Caduceus in the Binding Coil of Bahamut (in the latter's case, the texture has been updated substantially).
 * The Scythe Mantis and some of its cousins also feature directly in the game, again with fairly un-updated textures. As with the serpents, mantises also appear in the Binding Coil, where they also receive a major texture revision.
 * The Qarn Facer enemies and the Adjudicator boss inside the Sunken Temple of Qarn use the same models as those of the Miriam Facer and Miriam Guardian enemies from the Stilshrine of Miriam, but again with substantially updated textures.
 * The Clockwork Bug enemies found inside Turn 4 of the Binding Coil of Bahamut are the same model as that of the Mimic enemies.
 * The Spinner-Rook is also reused directly in the same Turn; even retaining the "Pox" ability.
 * The dragons of the Dravanian Horde use a large number of "dragon" models from Final Fantasy XII—the Aevis dragon-soldiers use the model, animations and even the wholly unmodified texture of the Cataract Aevis (with the "Jura Aevises" found later in Stone Vigil Hard Mode using the texture of the Archaeoaevis instead); "smaller" four-legged dragons, including Stone Vigil boss Chudo-Yudo or hunt mark Maracco, reuse the model and texture of the Ring Wyrm (sans its iconic rings); the general model and design of Tyrant is used for a number of enemies, including Tyrant himself in Pharos Sirius, and the Stone Vigil Hard Mode boss Gorynich, reuses a model and design similar to that of the Fafnir mark.
 * The first boss of Halatali is named Firemane; curiously, the model for the creature is that of a "normal" fire elemental.
 * The "ADS" and similar enemies in the Binding Coil take some design cues from the Sphere-Rook; unlike many of the above examples, however, this is only very general visual cues, as the actual models, textures and animations are unique.
 * Giruveganaus, the last boss of the Stone Vigil (Hard Mode) is based on Giruveganus.
 * Since version 2.3, the players can accept hunt requests from the billboard in all three Grand Companies. It is an allusion to the hunt sidequests in Final Fantasy XII.
 * Clan Centurio makes an appearance in Heavensward. Returning as a clan of hunters they give players mark bills and reward them with Centurio Seals upon defeating Marks.
 * The Mandragora royals appear in a sidequest involving Hildibrand.
 * The King Tomato minion alludes to the Rogue Tomato mob with a quote: "It is apparently a rogue, outcast from its kin, a stranger in a strange land" attributed to Tomaj. In Final Fantasy XII, Tomaj tasks Vaan to fell the Rogue Tomato as the first hunt.
 * Tomato King is also an enemy in the game.
 * Targeted enemies for Hunt sidequests will have a Tomato King icon on their name plate.
 * An upcoming Beastmen tribe, Gnath, bears physical resemblance to Urutan-Yensa.

Final Fantasy XIII

 * (1.0) The server Bodhum refers to a city of the same name.
 * The Eshtaime Lapidaries (Goldsmith guild) of the Ul'dah city-state are based on the surname of Hope Estheim.
 * Players who participated in the Full Active Time Event, "Lightning Strikes", could acquire a Lightning costume for females or a Snow costume for males, and weapons from Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XIII-2, and Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII.
 * Some of the Pulse/Ancient Automata-type enemies are reused as enemies in A Realm Reborn. The Beta Behemoth enemy is also brought into the game during the Lightning Strikes storyline.
 * During the Lightning Strikes event, there is a Harbor Herald article entitled "The Trinkets of Eshtaime's Lapidaries Fail to Strike Lightning's Fancy", linking Lightning's emergence to Eorzea's native allusion to Hope Estheim.
 * Lightning and Snow's hairstyles are available for player characters after finishing Lightning Strikes event and "Beauty Is Only Scalp Deep" sidequest.
 * Jandelaine, the aesthetician non-player character, begins his service by turning a female Lalafell's hair into Lightning's hairstyle.
 * Ruin appears as an Arcanist ability. It shares the same animation and effect with its Final Fantasy XIII counterpart.
 * In the quest "Rolling With The Snowies" in Coerthas Central Highlands, the snowman says "Revolutionaries always get called crazy". The same line was used by Fang in Final Fantasy XIII.
 * An NPC in the All Saints Wake 2014 event quest "Yes We Cant" uses the phrase "sugar and rainbows." This phrase was also said by Sazh Katzroy.

Final Fantasy XIII-2

 * Serah Farron's starting weapon, the Starseeker and Mog's Staff can be obtained from one of the "Lightning Strikes" event.
 * The Guildmaster of the Eshtaime Lapidaries is a pigtailed pink-haired young woman named Serendipity who insists to be called "Sera".
 * The Aspect of Chaos, the last boss of the "Lightning Strikes" event, shared the same model with Chaos Bahamut.
 * Ultros appears as a smaller version of how he appeared in Final Fantasy XIII-2. When he loses to the party he got cooked up similar to the event of Final Fantasy XIII-2.
 * The Manderville Gold Saucer side quest name "So You Think You Can Ride This Chocobo" is a reference to the lyrics from the "Crazy Chocobo" theme from Final Fantasy XIII-2.

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII

 * Snow Villiers's weapon, the l'Cie Bardiche, could be obtained from one of the FATEs during the temporary Lightning Strikes event.

Final Fantasy Type-0

 * The imperial salute of the Garlean Empire is the same as the Militesi Empire salute.

Final Fantasy Tactics

 * There are several references to a Corpse Brigade led by Milleuda the Slitter, in Full Active Time Events and guildleves.
 * In one quest, there's line uttered by the cowardly merchant, Ungust, that quotes, "Spare me your contempt! If you want to blame someone for the mess the world's in, blame yourselves or the gods!" A line Delita Heiral says in the beginning of the PS version of Final Fantasy Tactics to Princess Ovelia Atkascha (it was changed to "'Tis your birth and faith that wrong you... not I" in the War of the Lions version).
 * The Veil of Wiyu and the Omnilex are the Summoner and Scholar relic weapons.
 * The dark deity Zodiark is represented by a character called Elidibus, who was clearly named after an optional superboss fought at the bottom of the Midlight's Deep; Zodiark appeared in this game as a summon used in battle by Elidibus, who was implied to have pledged his soul to the dark being.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers

 * One of the titles that can be earned is "Crystal Bearer".

Bravely Default

 * Rowena mentions the phrase "Flying Fairies", a reference to the Japanese title of Bravely Default, known as Bravely Default: Flying Fairy.

Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within

 * One Paladin skill is named Spirits Within.

Allusions to the Number Fourteen
Being the fourteenth installment of the series, Final Fantasy XIV makes some references to the number itself. Although they are not necessarily deliberate allusions to the number 14 (whether they are or not is speculative), they are nonetheless present.
 * There are fourteen warriors grouped together on the game's logo.
 * The Garlean Army is divided into fourteen separate legions.
 * Of these legions, Gaius Van Baelsar is the Legatus of the XIVth Legion.
 * At one point in the story, a guard in the Waking Sands will say, "My shift number? I don't know, fourteen?"


 * Brickman, the famous Golem monster from  series appeared in a cross-game collaboration event. The players obtain a Thug's Mug headgear and a Wind-up Brickman minion for clearing the event.


 * The first boss of the Keeper of the Lake dungeon is called Einhänder, in reference to a PS1-era Squaresoft side-scrolling shooter by the same name. The boss, as well as the game's titular spacecraft, arm themselves by carrying around large projectile weapons snatched from the battlefield. It has identical companions named Astraea, which is one of the ship types the player can use in the game.


 * A Full Active Time Event titled "Full Metal Alchemist" can be found in U'Ghamaro Mines.
 * There are two young NPCs sitting at the fountain near the Alchemist guild in Ul'dah. One says, "No manner of alchemy can bring our father back." The other replies, "But there must be a way! There has to be!".


 * , a in the Kingdom Hearts series, is mentioned as a sword in the Paladin job quests.
 * "Heartless" is the name of a thaumaturge staff that can be purchased in the Manderville Gold Saucer. The shape of the staff resembles the iconic heart from the Kingdom Hearts series.


 * Haristyles of Rush Sykes and his sister, Irina Sykes are available for player characters.
 * One of the Scholar job quests is named "The Last Remnants".
 * In the southeastern corner of Azys Lla, there's a lone structure called the Last Remnant.

PlayOnline

 * There's a FATE in Azys Lla titled "Prey Online".


 * There is a main storyline quest named "Let Us Cling Together".
 * New sets of equipment based on Akihiko Yoshida's artworks for Tactics Ogre jobs will be available in Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward.


 * Gaius's helmet is somewhat similar to Grahf's mask, particularly when it comes to shape of the helmet and the earrings used.

Christianity

 * "Cleric Stance" is a Conjurer ability that swap current INT and MND attributes of the user, increasing magick potency of attacking spells and decreasing healing potency of healing spells. This ability is called "Crusader Stance", referring to the warriors of Crusade War.
 * "Benediction" is a White Mage ability that restore all of HP of the target.
 * The titles of the two FATE's for the Behemoth battle, "Behold Now Behemoth" and "He Taketh It with His Eyes", are both quotes describing the behemoth from the Book of Job in the Bible: Job 40:15 and Job 40:24 respectively.
 * A quest in Western La Noscea is titled "My Brother's Not a Keeper", in reference to the line Cain says of Abel.
 * The Holy See uses elements of Christianity.

Hinduism

 * The Primal Garuda is inspired by the in Hindu and Buddhist mythology.


 * The Primal Ravana is inspired by the

Greek

 * The Artemis Bow is the relic weapon for Bards.
 * The boss of the 1st Turn of the Binding Coil of Bahamut is named after Hermes's staff (Caduceus). Incidentally, Hermes's Caduceus has two snakes wrapped around it.
 * The snake mini bosses as the 5th turn of the Binding Coil of Bahamut are named after Asclepius, god of cure and son of Apollo, and Hygiea, one of Asclepius' daughters, goddess of hygiene. One version of the greek myth states that, after being killed by Zeus for bringing the dead back to life, Asclepius's body was made a star of the Ophiucus (the snake holder) constellation. Asclepius if often represented holding a staff with one snake wrapped around it, which is a common symbol for medicine.

Norse

 * While the Roegadyn's Sea Wolves and Hellsguard seem to correspond to the frost giants and fire giants, the Elezens' Wildwood and Duskwight branches are respectively based on the Light Elves (Ljosalfr) and the Dark Elves (Dókkalfr).
 * Mjolnir is a giant hammer weapon wielded by Nero Tol Scaeva.

''

 * Illuminati Commander, the first boss of Brayflox's Longstop (Hard) will throw bombs that do horizontal and vertical AoE all over the room, similar to bombs in the Bomberman series.


 * "Breath of Fire" is one of the abilities of the Five-headed Dragon, the second boss of the The World of Darkness.


 * (1.0) One of the sidequests is called "Call of Booty".


 * The achievement for completing the Dragoon quest line is named Dragoon Age.


 * One of the Dragoon quests is named Double Dragoon.


 * One of the sidequests is called "Hail to the King, Kupo", a reference to Duke's phrase "Hail to the king, baby", which itself is a reference to 1992 movie Army of Darkness.


 * Jehantel of the Bard quests speaks the line "You would know why I truly abandoned the battlefield and became a bard? That I took an arrow to the knee is what most folk believe...", a reference to the infamous Skyrim NPC line "I used to be an adventurer like you, then I took an arrow to the knee".


 * The title of the level 25 Arcanist quest is "Grimoire Fandango".


 * One of the Botanist levequest is named Maple Stories.


 * During one of the cutscenes in the main storyline, in response to the death of a soldier codenamed "Mad Snake", Raubahn Aldynn cried out "Mad Snake! Mad Snaaaaake!" This is a reference to the famous Game Over screen in the Metal Gear Solid series where, following the death of the protagonist—normally codenamed Solid Snake or Naked Snake—one of the characters similarly cries out "Snake? Snake?! Snaaake!" in reaction.
 * A chain of FATEs in the Dravanian Hinterlands involving gobling machinery references the series. The FATE names are "Metal Gears Rising", "Metal Gears Revengeance" and "Metal Gears Revengeance 2"


 * One of the battlecraft Levequests is named "Red Stead Redemption".


 * (1.0) Guildleves theme song in La Noscea area is called "In the Shadow of the Colossus".


 * There's a FATE called "Tarantula Hawk, Pro Stinger".


 * One of the battlecraft Levequests is named Drakes' Misfortune.


 * The final boss of Brayflox's Longstop (Hard) says "All your cheese recipes are belong to us", which is a play on "All your base are belong to us" from the poorly translated Zero Wing.


 * A quest in Eastern Thanalan is titled "All Dogs Go to Hell".

series

 * Level 30 Achievement "This One Time, at Level Thirty...", is a reference to the famous quote "This one time, at band camp..."


 * A Carpentry Levequest is titled "Citizens' Canes".


 * The achievement that is earned by defeating Shiva in Akh Afam Amphitheatre (Extreme) is called "Let it Go", after the famous song from Disney's Frozen. In addition, her theme contains the lyrics, "These voices telling me let it go (let it all go)."


 * A quest in Lower La Noscea is titled "Failure to Lunch".


 * The Gnat type enemies will use an ability called Brundleflight, which is a teleportation maneuver. The main character in The Fly inadvertently merged species with a housefly through a teleportation pod and began calling himself "Brundlefly".


 * The title of a main story quest is "An Offer You Can Refuse", a play on the line famously spoken in the movie. Additionally, a Goldsmithing Levequest is titled "An Offer We Can't Refuse".


 * There is a sidequest in Dravania titled "How to Feed Your Dragon".


 * One of the Botanist levequest is called "Shaken, Not Stirred". It's a catchphrase of Ian Fleming's fictional British Secret Service agent James Bond, and his preference for how he wished his martini prepared. It was first uttered in the films by Sean Connery in Goldfinger in 1964.


 * A FATE in the Black Shroud featuring a pack of invading Anoles, which are velociraptor-type monsters, is titled "Clever Girls". This is a reference to a famous line spoken by the park's game warden Robert Muldoon just before being out-maneuvered by velociraptors in the first Jurassic Park movie.


 * A Beast Tribe quest titled "Feed Me" involves saving multiple sylphs from the maws of carnivorous plants. Both the title and the actions of the quest reference the carnivorous plant of the movie.
 * There's a FATE called "Feed Me, See More", another reference to the line "Feed me, Seymour!" from the film.


 * There's a quest called "No Country for Young Moogles"


 * The character Hildibrand Manderville is based on Inspector Closeau from the Pink Panther series and his entire quest line is based on the films.

series

 * The boss room of Captain Madison, the second boss of Sastasha (Hard) is called "Dead Man's Drink", a reference to "Dead Man's Chest", the second installment of the series. In the same dungeon, the last boss Kraken casts a move called "Stranger Tides" and when the player gets hit by it, it says "World's End". These are similar to the titles of the third and fourth movies of the series, "At World's End" and "On Stranger Tides".
 * Another "Dead Man's Chest" reference is a FATE called "Dead Man's Rest" in Western La Noscea.


 * One of the earliest available Miner Levequests is named "Get to the Copper!" Arnold Schwarzenegger's character, Major Alan "Dutch" Schaefer, in the 1987 sci-fi action movie Predator, was directing a helicopter evacuation from a scene on the ground after the rest of Dutch's team had been killed off by the alien Predator. Before confronting the monster, Major Schaefer yells the line "Get to the Chopper!" to get Anna safely onboard the chopper.
 * Quest for entering The Bowl of Embers (Hard) is called "Ifrit bleeds, we can kill it". Major Schaefer says "if it bleeds, we can kill it" after noticing predator's blood.


 * Two Battle achievements ("A Tankless Job" and "But Somebody's Gotta Do It") are based off the lyrics in the song "Thankless Job" from this cult-classic movie musical.


 * Cid shouts "Engage!" while lifting off the Enterprise excelsior, a reference to Jean Luc Picard's quote.


 * A quest in Mor Dhona is titled "The Wrath of Qarn".


 * (1.0) During a quest in Gridania, a NPC will say that he "feels a great disturbance in the forest".
 * (1.0) In the end of the Seventh Umbral Era storyline, a victory scene similar to the end of A New Hope is played out.
 * A quest in the Gridanian main story involves the return of the egg of a chocobo named Leia. The egg's item description reads, "You're our only hope."
 * Biggs and Wedge are named after two pilots in the original trilogy, and continue a trend of references in the series.


 * There's a FATE called "Wild Wilde Death".


 * A Full Active Time Event titled "The Big Bagoly Theory" appears in the Burning Wall area of Eastern Thanalan.


 * A Full Active Time Event titled "Breaking Bud" appears in the Blessed Bud area of the North Shroud.
 * The achievement for training another player's stabled chocobo 30 times is "Breaking Bo".


 * The quest to unlock Akh Afam Amphitheatre (Extreme) is called "Drop Dead Shiva".


 * A Full Active Time Event titled "It's Not Lupus", where the player fights a giant crab called Cancer, is a reference to the lupus running gag used in the medical drama House.


 * The third Thaumaturge Class Quest is called "Law and the Order".


 * A carrier mission called "Sudul Eht Nioj" is the phrase, Join the Ludus backwards, this is likely in reference to the famous 'Join the Navy' episode of the Simpsons.
 * The post-release storyline includes a quest by the name of "You Have Selected Regicide"; a reference to the Season 6 episode Bart of Darkness.
 * An NPC named Heavy-eye Invalid from the Scholar storyline says the line "Can't sleep, mummer will eat me. Can't sleep, mummer will eat me."; a reference to the tenth episode in the fourth season (Lisa's First word) when Bart says "Can't sleep, clown will eat me. Can't sleep, clown will eat me."


 * (1.0) A sidequest available during the 2011 Starlight Celebration was named "Winter Is Not Coming".
 * A quest title for marauder is "The Mountain that Strides" in reference to Gregor Clegane, "The mountain who rides".
 * The achievement for leveling gladiator is called "Stick Them with the Pointy End" which is taken from "A Game of Thrones".
 * One of Edda Pureheart's attacks in the Tam-Tara Deepcroft (Hard) is called "Red Wedding".
 * The first Black Mage job quest is called "Taking the Black" which refers to Brothers of the Night's Watch.
 * During the All Saint's Wake 2013 event one NPC states that "The night is dark and full of delightful terrors", which is almost the same as Lady Melisandre's motto.
 * The description for the Direwolf mount reads "...one of five pups found huddling together in the snow near the corpse of their slain mother."


 * There is a set equipment that is invisible, called "The Emperor's New Robe", "Breeches", "Hat", "Gloves", "Boots", "Necklace", "Earrings", "Bracelet", and "Ring".


 * A quest in Western La Noscea is titled "Flowers for Aerghaemr".


 * The Lv.44 White Mage job quest is called "The Girl with the Dragon Tissue".


 * A quest in the main storyline is named "Life, Materia and Everything".
 * One of the mammets in Ul'dah says, "The answer is...................42".
 * The fishing log description of the Mushroom Crab mentions that after eating the mushrooms on the crab's back, a theologian had a vision showing him that the meaning of life was the number 41.
 * The title of the Level 50 Fisher class quest is "So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish", which is the title of the fourth book in the Hitchhiker series. A Beast Tribe quest is similarly titled "And Thanks for All the Fish."


 * One of the Achievement NPCs, a writer named Derwin, mentions that he is working on a story called "The Antlion, the Itch on My Earlobe".


 * A quest in Western La Noscea is titled "Mummy Dearest", involving a letter from a mother to a none-too-grateful daughter.


 * There is a FATE in Western La Noscea called "Tender Buttons" in which the boss is named 'Gruesome Gertrude'. Tender Buttons is a 1914 book by modernist author Gertrude Stein.


 * There is a FATE in Mor Dhona that is called "V for Vinedetta".


 * A Weaver quest is titled "Once More unto the Breeches".


 * The achievements "A Flower by Any Other Name" obtained by defeating Rafflesia in The Second Coil of Bahamut - Turn 1 (Savage) and the quest title "A Wild Rose by Any Other Name" are based on the frequently referenced line "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet" from Romeo and Juliet.


 * The Dark Knight's Artifact Set is based on Guts' Berserker armor. The job in general takes inspiration from Guts.


 * The Pugilist quest giver Hamon remarks once, "Make no mistake, these toads are huge, which means they have huge guts", referring to a similar statement made by Doomguy in the ill-fated comic book adaptation of Doom.


 * The levequest "Shut Up and Take My Gil", is a reference to the "Shut up and take my money!!" line from the episode Attack of the Killer App. Additionally, during the quest "Scent of Cinnamon," an NPC exclaims "Be silent and take my gil!"


 * The FATE "Go, Go, Gorgimera" references the "Go, go Gadget" catchphrase from the "Inspector Gadget" series that is uttered whenever the Inspector activates one of his devices.


 * The Pugilist quest giver is named Hamon, a reference to the Hamon in JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, the signature martial arts technique in the first two parts.
 * The Au Ra in the Heavensward expansion have emotes similar to Jotaro's iconic point pose and Dio Brando's iconic WRRRYYY pose. The name Au Ra also sounds similar to the phrase Ora, a recurring battle cry in the manga.
 * The NPC Jandelaine dresses in the extravagant style the manga is known for and does many of the signature poses from the manga, including those of Dio Brando, Josuke Higashikata, Noriaki Kakyoin, Joseph Joestar, and Killer Queen.


 * There are several instances alluding to My Little Pony in referring to the chocobo mount system, such as newspaper articles posted on the lodestone, using the phrase "My little Chocobo". It is also an achievement gained when the player gets their chocobo.
 * The follow up quest in which the players learn the ability to summon his/her chocobo into battle is called "My Feisty Little Chocobo".


 * The Enforcement Droid 210 enemies in The Aetherochemical Research Facility are alluded to the Enforcement Droid Series 209.


 * The Guildhest called "Hero on the Halfshell" references the slogan "Heroes in a half shell".


 * The Achievement for completing Binding Coil of Bahamut is named The Binds That Tie, a reference to Bruce Springsteen's song "The Ties That Bind".


 * One of the quests from the main storyline is called "Bury Me Not on the Lone Prairie" which is a reference to a famous cowboy folksong/ballad of the same name.


 * One of the leves available is titled "Call Me Mating", a reference to the hit single "Call Me Maybe".


 * A FATE in Western La Noscea is called "(I Just) Died in Six Arms Tonight".


 * There is a FATE called "Rogue on the Water", a reference to Deep Purple's song "Smoke on the Water".


 * In the 2013 All Saints Wake (Halloween) event, the Magic Pot (see in Final Fantasy series allusions) sings "Earth, Wind, and Fire; That's what I desire" upon receiving three candies representing those elements.


 * There is a FATE called "What's on your Mind", consisting of enemies named "Pure Energy"—a reference to Information Society's 1987 song "What's on your Mind(Pure Energy)".


 * Primal Shiva says "Embrace the serenity... Renounce the hatred that consume you... And scatter them like dust in the wind..." before using her ultimate attack, Diamond Dust. "Dust in the Wind" is a song written by Kansas.


 * A quest in Gridania is titled "Not a Material Girl", in reference to the song "Material Girl".


 * The level 5 Blacksmith quest is called "Hammer Time", in reference to a line in the song "U Can't Touch This".


 * There's a NPC called "Immodest Mouse", who may say "The ocean breathes saulty, and it be her briny whispers what give our salt ale its temper," referring to the Song "Ocean Breathes Salty".


 * There is a FATE called "Nine-Ilm Snails". An "ilm" is the Eorzean equivalent to an inch.


 * There's a FATE called "Smells like tree spirit" what is reference to Nirvanas song "Smells like teen spirit".


 * The FATE "Big Time" in central Thanalan and the enemies associated with it (sledgehammer beaks), are references to two Peter Gabriel songs, "Big Time" and "Sledgehammer."


 * There is a quest in the main story called "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magitek" which is a reference to the song "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic".


 * There is FATE in the Sagili Desert east of the Forgotten Springs called "Blood, Augur, Hex, Magicks", an allusion to their album "Blood,Sugar,Sex,Magic".


 * The main story quest "Killing Him Softly" references "Killing Me Softly With His Song".


 * The initial quest to unlock the Warrior Job is named "Pride and Duty (Will Take You From The Mountain)", a reference to the Skrillex song "Rock n' Roll (Will Take You to the Mountain)".


 * There's a guildleve for Golsmith called "High Above Me, She Sews Lovely", a reference to the lyrics "She's so high... high above me, she's so lovely" of the song titled "She's So High".


 * There's a guildleve called "You Cannot Kill the Metal" which is a reference to the Tenacious D song "The Metal" which features the same phrase.


 * The level 20 leatherworker class quest is titled "Aldgoat Everything" which is a reference to the Trinidad James song "All Gold Everything".

Roman Empire

 * The ranking within the Garlean army is modeled after that of the Roman Empire.
 * The XIVth Imperial Legion is inspired by the, the legion of the Roman Empire levied by in 57 B.C.
 * The Goblin Fraternity who created materia is called the Illuminati.

The Emerald Tablet

 * A text known as The Emerald Tablet which was translated by Isaac Newton, purported to contain the secrets of alchemy and transmutation, begins with the line "'Tis true without lying". The alchemy achievements reference this.

Nursery Rhymes

 * There is a FATE in Coerthas called "Baa Baa Black Sheep".
 * A Zodiac Relic Weapon quest is titled "Star Light, Star Bright".
 * A quest in Lower La Noscea is titled "Moegrimm Had a Little Lamb".

Shaolin

 * The Artifact Equipment of Monks is a set of yellow Chinese-style clothes, refer to the martial artists of.

Professional wrestling

 * There's a FATE called "Royal Rumble" in the East Shroud where the players have to fight a mini-boss on a huge stump, referred to the, 's famous event in which a number of wrestlers aim at eliminating their competitors by tossing them out off the ring.

Popular Culture

 * One of the Ninja job quests is named "", refers to the comedic internet and gaming meme regarding a theoretical conflict between archetypal Western pirates and Japanese ninjas, generally including arbitrary "debate" over which side would win in a fight.
 * The title of a Beast Tribe quest, "In the Sylphlands, Treasure Hunts You," references the popular "In Soviet Russia" jokes reversing the normal order of things for humorous effect.
 * A White Mage Job quest is titled "Only You Can Prevent Forest Ire", referencing the Smokey the Bear "Only You Can Prevent Forest Fires" ad campaign.

Internet Memes

 * During the main quest, the players meet a character named Tataru. While alone, before the player arrives, she sings various tunes, one of which is "Trololo-lo". This is a reference to the popular Internet meme, the troll song, often associated with.
 * In reference to the popular acronym "WTF", a series of three achievements named "WTFungah I", "WTFungah II", and "WTFungah III" where added in patch 2.51.

Computer Softwares

 * There's a sidequest called "It's Not a Bug, It's a Creature", a reference to "It's not a bug, It's a feature", the excuse made by to try to convince the users that a bug in  is actually what it's supposed to be doing.

Others

 * The quest name, "A Modest Proposal," informs the player that they must recover an adamantoise egg that it might be eaten. The real is a satire suggesting the starving Irish public consume babies.
 * There's a FATE in Lower La Noscea titled "You Call That a Toad", the player has to kill a group of enemies called "Cane Toad" after local wheat farmers brought these toads from Cieldalaes to devour the locusts but the cane toads have no natural predators on Vylbrand and have taken over the region, leaving the farmers with no choice but to slay them all. This is an allusion to the where the government had to ask their citizens to eliminate s in order to protect the environment and the food chain in Australia.
 * The surname of Yugiri Mistwalker might be a reference to, the video game development studio found by Hironobu Sakaguchi.