Forest

Forest is a recurring terrain and a type of location in the Final Fantasy series. Chocobos commonly reside in Chocobo Forests. As a location, they often appear as dungeons, but forests are much more prominent as a type of overworld terrain characterized by the greater rate of Random Encounters than plain terrain types making them ideal Level Grinding spots. Airships often can't land in forests, meaning forests is commonly used as a way to block the player's entry to certain locations they are not meant to visit until later on in the game.

In the overworld, forests usually cover characters up to the waist when they cross them, with the exception of Final Fantasy VIII, where characters leave a trail when crossing a forest, and the camera moves to an aerial view of the world map.

Final Fantasy
Forests appear as a terrain type and are prominent. The towns of Elfheim, Onrac and Lufenia are completely surrounded by forests, which, in the case of the latter two, prevents the landing of airships nearby.

Final Fantasy II
Forests appear less often in Final Fantasy II than in the first game and exist in the areas of Kashuan and Mysidia. A Chocobo Forest appears for the first time in the series.

Final Fantasy III
Final Fantasy III features fewer forests than its predecessors, but both the Living Woods and the Chocobo Forest can be found here.

In the NES version Geomancers cast Air Blade when using Terrain in a forest, while in the DS version, they have a 50% chance of using Wind Slash, a 48% chance of using Ice Storm, and a 2% chance of using Shadowflare.

Final Fantasy IV
Final Fantasy IV features several Chocobo Forests throughout the planet, where MP-replenishing white chocobos and Fat Chocobos can be found.

The region of Troia features lush forests, which halt the player airship from landing near the town. A greater Chocobo Forest can be found north of the castle, where black chocobos can be found, which can land in forests. One must be used to access the Lodestone Cavern, located on an island filled with forest.

Final Fantasy IV -Interlude-
The Chocobo Forest were disable for this game, and the player can fight inside forests that can be found across the overworld map between Mt. Hobs and Fabul. There is also a small forest north of Eblan.

Final Fantasy V
Starting from Final Fantasy V, forests began to appear more as locations rather than overworld terrain.

The Great Forest of Moore is a giant forest in the second world where the people of past used to seal evil spirits within the great tree in the middle of the forest. When the spirits within the tree become sentient, Exdeath is formed. The forest is also the location of the second world's crystals. A forest resembling the Great Forest of Moore also appears within the Interdimensional Rift.

The game has a number of Chocobo Forests where the player may find a chocobo. The moogles of the world live in a Moogle Village situated within a forest. The Phantom Village is a hidden location in the game, existing inside a forest on the world map. The woods at Crescent Island have a hole that leads to the Catapult.

The summons Catoblepas and Ramuh are encountered as random encounters within certain forests on the world map. The flying black chocobo can also only land in forests. Geomancers may cast either Branch Arrow, Leaf Dance or Branch Spear when using Gaia in a forest.

Final Fantasy VI
The Phantom Forest is a spooky forest where undead enemies live. The Phantom Train travels through the forest, taking the deceased to the afterlife.

Chocobo stables are sometimes found within forests, alluding to the concept of Chocobo Forests. Mog can learn the Forest Nocturne Dance when fighting in a forest.

The Dinosaur Forest is a forest found in the World of Ruin where the player encounters strong dinosaurs as random encounters, making it an optimal leveling up location.

Final Fantasy VII
The Sleeping Forest is an enchanted forest that blocks entry to the Forgotten Capital of the Cetra. Only those who have the Lunar Harp can pass through the forest without getting lost. This location also appears in a dream vision when Aeris tells Cloud her plan to stop Sephiroth. If the player enters the forest on the world map, they get no random encounters.

The Ancient Forest is an optional location and a sidequest found atop a plateau in the Cosmo Area and can only be accessed via a colored chocobo or by defeating Ultimate Weapon first, forming a crater nearby. If the player solves its puzzles they find useful new weapons and Materia not obtained anywhere else in the game.

Gongaga Village, another optional location, is located in the middle of a forest, and the player may battle the Turks Reno and Rude there, as well as find the Deathblow Materia.

The forest areas seen in Final Fantasy VII are the surroundings of Junon, Gongaga, Temple of the Ancients, Mideel and the Round Island, and the Mystery Ninja can be found as a random encounter in any of them.

Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-
The beginning portion of the game takes place in forests around Wutai during the Wutai War. This is where Zack has a conversation on the dumbapples with Angeal, where the first Genesis copies are sighted and where Zack has to fight Ifrit.

The village of Gongaga is not actually visited in Crisis Core, but the forests around it are.

Contrary to what might be expected, none of the missions take place in a forest terrain.

Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy VIII lacks forest dungeons, but forests can be seen in several regions, the most prominent in the surroundings of Timber and Trabia.

The Balamb Garden Training Center takes the appearance of a jungle forest where Grats and T-Rexaurs are random encounters.

The first Laguna Loire flashback takes place in a forest in Timber area. In the present time, the exact same area can actually be seen during the party's trek through a forest to Galbadia Garden, where the party stops for a conversation in the middle of a forest, although the background has changed slightly since Laguna's time.

Chocobos live in Chocobo Forests, which are recognizable from the other forests by their dome-like appearance. The gigantic forest east of Esthar holds the Chocobo Sanctuary, and can only be accessed by a chocobo. Mr. Monkey is a mysterious figure found in the forest near Dollet as part of the Obel Lake sidequest.

Final Fantasy IX
The Evil Forest is a forest located on the bottom level of the Mist Continent. Because it is continually covered in Mist, the forest's animals have mutated into ferocious beasts. The forest appears sentient to a point, as it can spontaneously petrify itself.

The Black Mage Village is located deep within a forest, and the entry to the village is tightly concealed. The Iifa Tree is a massive tree whose roots cover the entire planet of Gaia within the planet's crust.

The Chocobo's Forest is found on the bottom level of the Mist Continent, and is an optional location, but the one the player must visit to begin the Chocobo Hot and Cold sidequest.

The Ragtime Mouse is encountered in forests. Friendly Enemies are also commonly encountered in forests, although this is not a prerequisite to finding them. Choco, after earning the ability to fly, can only land in forests.

Final Fantasy X
The temple in Kilika is situated within a forest, and the path through the north bank of Moonflow travels through a forest. The land of Guadosalam lies within a forest. The Macalania Woods is a mystical forest full of pyreflies.

The locations return in Final Fantasy X-2, but the Macalania Woods is said to be dying because the fayth have departed Spira to the Farplane.

Final Fantasy XI
In Vana'diel, there are several forested areas, particularly those around the Kingdom of San d'Oria. The Ronfaure region is lightly wooded, and the Jugner Forest is heavily wooded. Both the forest and East Ronfaure can be explored in the Shadowreign Era.

In addition, both the Yuhtunga and Yhoator jungles, both on Elshimo island, are heavily forested. The Sanctuary of Zi'Tah is full of immensely tall trees. The Wajaom Woodlands are also forested.

Final Fantasy XII
Golmore Jungle is a large forest that is implied of being sentient. It is filled with dangerous beasts and is the homeland of the viera. The viera conceal the path to their village with vision dust that confuses the senses of anyone but the viera themselves. The forest initially erects magickal barriers barring the party's entry, but after obtaining the Lente's Tear the party can pass through the barriers.

The Feywood is a dead forest covered in Mist south of Golmore Jungle. It leads to the Ancient City of Giruvegan.

Salikawood is a forest north of Mosphoran Highwaste that leads to the Phon Coast or Nabreus Deadlands, as well as the Necrohol of Nabudis. The Craftsmoogles' League can be found taking a break in the forest on the first visit.

Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings
The Purvama of Lemurés features two islands with lush forests: the uninhabited Tswarra. The Neverwood is a place formed of the aegyls' anima where the Yarhi live. It appears as an enchanted forest where the party is trapped after the destruction of the second Auralith. Vaan obtains the magical sword Anastasia here.

Final Fantasy XIII
The Gapra Whitewood is an artificial forest in the world of Cocoon used by the army as a location of breeding biomechanical animals as tools of war. Sunleth Waterscape is a forest-like area within Cocoon where the weather can be adjusted to either rainy or sunny. The Faultwarrens in Gran Pulse are home to Titan's fauna experiments to create greater predators.

Final Fantasy XIII-2
Sunleth Waterscape returns in Final Fantasy XIII-2. It is still a lush forest area in Cocoon, but since the fal'Cie that used to maintain Cocoon have become dormant, there have been many changes in the area. It has taken an autumnal appearance with blue glowing wines hanging from the enormous trees and flan have taken over the area due to a time paradox.

Final Fantasy Tactics
The post-Cataclysm Ivalice forests are filled with monsters, specifically undead. Final Fantasy Tactics features three forest regions, the undead-ridden Siedge Weald at southern Gallionne, the deep Araguay Woods in the Lesalia region and the Yuguewood in the Fovoham region.

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
Some forests can be found in this imaginary Ivalice. Several ecological-oriented clans devote themselves to protecting them. Viera also favor forests, as shown by their hometown of Muscadet, located in a forest.

Forests found in the game are Nubswood, a famous den of thieves Koringwood's trees, famous for its quality wood, a keep located deep inside the Salikawood that later serves as the headquarters of the Redwings, and the Materiwood that holds deposits of rare Materite.

Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift

 * The Zedlei Forest

Vagrant Story
The Snowfly Forest is a mystical forest where the beings called snowflies live. The forest acts as a maze where travelers get lost.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles

 * The Mushroom Forest

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates

 * The Abyssus Forest

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time

 * The Forest

Final Fantasy Mystic Quest
Level Forest and Alive Forest are the only forest that appears in the game.

Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light
The village of the elves is Arbor, a great tree within a forest. The ground is considered sacred and any trespassing humans are turned into plants. Only animals and elves and fairies may enter the forest, however, after the party help the elves to restore Arboroc to his senses, the party is allowed to visit Arbor even as humans.

There are forests on the worldmap, and the party's Dragon, and their means of airtravel, can land in forests just as well as on other terrains.

Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
Forests appear in the new overworld map based on the original Final Fantasy's, but their presence is not equal to the original. They have no special attributes and are just an aesthetic addition to the overworld. The Phantom Forest makes an appearance as seen from the windows of the passing Phantom Train level.

Chocobo Racing

 * The Moogle Forest