Chocobo (Final Fantasy XII)

Chocobo is a large flightless bird in the world of Ivalice in Final Fantasy XII and Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings. They are commonly used as steeds, but also live in the wild, often in flocks. The yellow variation is the most common, but many different species exist. The player can ride them and fight them as enemies.

Clan Primer
Chocobos share an entry in the Clan Primer.

Nature
Chocobos are commonly used as steeds in Ivalice. When attempting to return to Rabanastre from vanquishing his first hunt, Vaan runs into a prized white chocobo that is to appear in a parade for the new Consul's honor. The Order of the Knights of Dalmasca also used chocobos as steeds during the Battle of Nalbina Fortress. Chocobos are said to have a distinct smell about them, and their favorite food is gysahl greens.

Chocobos come in various sizes, although they tend to be taller than average humes. White chocobos seem to the tallest, as Vaan runs into a large one at the Rabanastre gates, and a giant white chocobo roams the Paramina Rift. Chocobos in the wild can appear in flocks.

Riding
Yellow chocobos can be rented for transportation from Gurdy at most towns at ground level.


 * Gurdy's chocobo stable locations
 * Rabanastre Gates
 * Nalbina Fortress
 * Jahara
 * Mt Bur-Omisace
 * Phon Coast Hunters' Camp
 * Balfonheim Sea Breeze Lane

Lone yellow chocobos on the field allow players to ride them, provided they feed them from their stock of Gysahl Greens. There is a chocobo outside the Henne Mines, and in Mosphoran Highwaste. Loose chocobos are called "Wayward Chocobo" on the field.

Chocobos can access paths player characters cannot cross on their own that have chocobo tracks on the ground. These appear in a few areas like the Phon Coast, the Ozmone Plain, and the Mosphoran Highwaste. A chocobo is required to go the the Henne Mines, as the only way to get there is on a chocobo pathway. A chocobo is also required to get the Esper, Exodus, in the Mosphoran Highwaste after solving a puzzle. A "chocobo path" links Tchita Uplands to the Cerobi Steppe, allowing the player to go there early if they take a chocobo from the Phon Coast.

Some story elements require characters to use a chocobo, and in those situations they are free of charge. Riding a chocobo allows the character to cross maps faster without being harassed by enemies. The yellow chocobo, if ridden into Ozmone Plain, will appear in the bestiary once the party disembarks.

Characters can ride a chocobo for a maximum of 180 seconds before it drops the rider. The chocobo can temporarily sprint, but only thrice. When the player is riding a chocobo and the time is running out, they can get more time in the timer by quickly entering the menu at when the timer has 0.0 seconds left, enter the Equip menu and change equipment (it's easy to just use the remove all equipment command and then immediately choose the optimize option), come back to the field, and the chocobo timer has gained 1.8 more seconds. The player can do the trick again and again to ride a chocobo for as long as they like if they are patient enough.

Enemy chocobos
Some chocobo variants are fought in the wilds. They tend to yield Gysahl Greens when felled.

Black Chocobo
The Black Chocobo is an avion/chocobo-type enemy found on the Ozmone Plain. It appears in flocks.

Red Chocobo
The Red Chocobo is found on the Ozmone Plain among the Black Chocobos, albeit rarely. A more dangerous variety of this breed also exists (see below).

Brown Chocobo
The Brown Chocobo can be found in The Yoma in the Dalmasca Estersand, and the Corridor of Ages in the Salikawood. Brown Chocobo is docile and will not attack unless provoked.

Green Chocobo
The Green Chocobo can be found in the Corridor of Ages in the Salikawood.

White Chocobo
The White Chocobo can be found on the Hakawea Shore of the Phon Coast, but does not appear easily. To spawn this breed, the player must go to Hakawea Shore, and ride the Wayward Chocobo towards the Pora-Pora Sands. From there, a bangaa Game Hunter will reveal a hidden path that leads to the Caima Hills. The player must go through the path to Caima Hills, then return to Pora-Pora Sands all the way to Hakawea Shore. The White Chocobo will await the player right where the Wayward Chocobo was.

Lv.99 Red Chocobo


The Lv.99 Red Chocobo is an elusively rare chocobo and one of the few level 99 enemies in the game. It uses Choco-Comet in combat for roughly 4,000 to 5,000 damage, and always drops the Ribbon accessory. It has 239,686 HP, but this displays as 99,999 with Libra. In Trial Mode in International Zodiac Job System, three are fought together on Stage 93. Reddas joining the party as a guest makes it possible to spawn the chocobo.

The player must kill at least six chocobos in the Haulo Green area of the Ozmone Plain, then move two areas away and return. Odds are 1/256 that the Lv.99 Red Chocobo will spawn among one of the six chocobos. Two of the six chocobos are placeholders for the Lv.99 Red Chocobo and two Lv.99 Red Chocobos can be spawned simultaneously, but the graphics engine will not allow them to be displayed on the same screen.

The Lv.99 Red Chocobo is larger than the other chocobos and it will never be encountered asleep, unlike its normal-sized counterparts. The Lv.99 Red Chocobo is difficult to defeat if the party is not prepared.

Bull Chocobo
The Bull Chocobo is a trophy Rare Game enemy found in the Ogir-Yensa Sandsea. To find the Bull Chocobo the player must have spoken to the "Huntmaster" in Phon Coast and defeated Thalassinon, which will trigger the start of the Rare Game quest. The Bull Chocobo then has a 40% chance of appearing in the South Tank Approach. With the exit and enter approach, it will spawn eventually.

Trickster


The Trickster is an Elite Mark that becomes available upon reaching Mt Bur-Omisace. Intrigued by the white chocobo that helped stave off vandals who harassed a chocobo flock and vanished as quickly as it came, Gurdy went to petition for the hunt of this elusive mark. After speaking with Gurdy about the Trickster, the player should rent a chocobo (though this is not needed to find the mark) from her for 600 gil, then continue down to the Frozen Brook area where the mark will appear. Monid will be there waiting. The player can exit and re-enter the area until Monid says the Trickster has appeared (it might take many tries; the spawn chance is only 30% per entry and Monid will not always say when the Trickster has appeared).

Sky Pirate's Den
A chocobo's sprite is added to the Sky Pirate's Den after the party has walked over 50,000 steps, granting the player the title of Wayfarer. A white variation is obtained after defeating Trickster, awarding the title of Sharpshooter.

Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings


Chocobos are a Rank I melee summon, and the fastest summon in the game. They have no special attacks, and their normal Beak attack only deals minor damage. Chocobos can also be encountered as enemies. Different colored chocobos have different skills, although the player can only summon the yellow type. Trickster is the most powerful chocobo in the game.

Etymology
Chocobo is a recurring animal in the Final Fantasy series and often seen as the series's mascot.

Trivia

 * Some chocobos appear in the background of various areas, including on top of Skyferries.
 * Gurdy runs the chocobo ranches across Ivalice. If the player doesn't ever talk to Gurdy and refuses the offer of a free chocobo in Jahara, the player gets an extra scene in Mt Bur-Omisace where Gurdy will ask why the party is avoiding chocobos.