Chocobo (Final Fantasy XIII)



In Final Fantasy XIII, chocobos come in two varieties: those bred on Cocoon and those who run wild on Gran Pulse. Final Fantasy XIII-2 introduces numerous new colorations of chocobo, and even a mutated version created by a paradox.

Datalog
These large, yellow birds are always crowd favorites.

Wild chocobos are almost unheard of on Cocoon, but thanks to the antics of a certain TV program's feathery main character, owning chocobo chicks has become the latest fad among children.

Although the tiny chicks are easy to handle when young, their rapid growth as they approach adulthood has forced an increasing number of families to donate their oversized avian pets to zoos and farms.

Final Fantasy XIII
''These majestic yellow birds allow you to cover greater distances than you could on foot, in only a fraction of the time. There are also locations that only chocobos can reach, indicated by swirling yellow indicators on the ground.''

To mount a chocobo, approach it and press /.

''Chocobos are courageous creatures, but even they have their limits. Come into contact with an enemy, and the chocobo will lose one unit of morale. Should the chocobo lose all of its morale, it will throw its rider and flee. Otherwise, lost morale will gradually return, so long as no more close encounters occur.''

''Chocobos also possess an uncanny knack for detecting buried treasure. When you pass near hidden treasure while riding a chocobo, an icon will appear above the bird's head. The closer you come to this treasure, the faster this icon will bounce. Once you have discerned the treasure's location, press / to dig it up.''

Final Fantasy XIII
There are two types of chocobos in Final Fantasy XIII, the Cocoon chocobos, and the Pulse chocobos. Cocoon chocobos are a little taller than the average human, and they retain the general appearance of chocobos found in other games in the series. In-game, buying young chocobo chicks to be kept as pets is a fad among the younger Cocoon populace, thanks to an entertainment program. One such chocobo chick was bought by Sazh Katzroy for his son Dajh at Euride Gorge. However, chocobos grow to their adult size rather quickly. Families who can not afford to keep the grown chocobos send them to Nautilus Park, which provides a spot for these chocobos to live in.

The Gran Pulse variety is much larger than the Cocoon variety, with two long ear-like appendages dangling on either side of their heads. They are found in abundance in the Font of Namva area within the Archylte Steppe. However, these grounds are constantly invaded by a pack of Sahagins, and it is part of a Cie'th Mission to drive the Sahagins away, which, when successful, allows the player to ride chocobos across the Steppe.

When riding across the Steppe, players have to avoid colliding with any enemies, or they risk decreasing the chocobo's morale, which is represented by a feather on the morale meter. One morale drops with every collision, but it is gradually restored over time. An exception is when the player collides with the gargantuan Oretoises, which causes the morale to drop completely. When this happens, the chocobo drops the rider off its back.

There are certain locations in the Steppe that can only be accessed with a chocobo. These are marked by a yellow circle on the field map. Chocobos can leap over extraordinarily wide gaps or high cliffs, which usually hide pathways to hidden ruins scattered across Gran Pulse. Chocobos are easily found in these locations as well, marked by a feather on the world map. When the player dismounts, the chocobo usually waits for the player's return.

Each character does specific things when the chocobo is standing still, and so does the chocobo on some occasions. When Lightning overlooks the horizon, the chocobo will look at every corner ahead of it. Snow will pose with his head up high. Fang sits sideways, and when stopping, she will stretch out her arms and yawn. The chocobo Vanille rides will doze off, and she will drop herself softly on the chocobo to wake it up. Both Hope and Sazh will caress the chocobo with care, and the chocobo will return the gesture.

When the player first encounters Gran Pulse chocobos, they are treated to a brief sequence in which Sazh holds his nose and then says that he "knows that smell". The chocobo chick becomes excited and a group of chocobos is revealed, including a couple of Gran Pulse chocobo chicks. Sazh suggests that maybe the chick should stay with them, but she flies back to him and Sazh says that he knows the bird is sticking with him until Dajh wakes up.

Treasure Hunt
Occasionally, an exclamation mark pops up as the player rides a chocobo indicating a treasure is nearby. Players only need to follow the direction the chocobo is facing to find the treasure, which is easier to see if the chocobo is standing still. The twentieth treasure the player digs up is a Ribbon, which can only be obtained once.

The treasures are in fixed locations in the Steppe, in the dirt, not in the grass:
 * Treasures


 * Special Treasures

Final Fantasy XIII-2
Chocobos may be ridden in various locations after completing certain events if given a Gysahl Green item, which can be found as treasure or purchased at Chocolina's shop in various eras. The chocobo may be ridden freely until the player dismounts and some areas may be accessible only by using a chocobo. All chocobos seen in the game have the form of Gran Pulse Chocobos, regardless of whether they are found on Gran Pulse or Cocoon. This may be an effect of the paradox, or it may be that Gran Pulse Chocobos had been introduced on Cocoon at some point.

When riding a chocobo on the Archylte Steppe, the chocobo will boot the rider if they approach the Long Gui enemy, or any of the Fragment Quest monsters, i.e. Ochu, Immortal, or Yomi. Otherwise, enemies do not appear when riding a chocobo, and the morale gauge system of Final Fantasy XIII has been eliminated.

Like in Final Fantasy XIII where each character does specific things when the chocobo is standing still, Serah will lean back on her hands while the chocobo looks around, whereas Noel will cross his arms over his chest.

A mutant breed of Gran Pulse chocobo, known as the rambunctious chocobo, appears in certain areas in Final Fantasy XIII-2 that have been under the influence of the paradox for an extended period of time. The only difference to a regular chocobo is their plumage and demeanor. They have bright red feathers with dark purple tail, and unlike normal chocobos will continually eat from the player's supply of Gysahl Greens.

If the player runs out of Gysahl Greens, the chocobo will boot its rider and run away. It is stated by the game that a certain Fragment Skill increases the time that the player has to ride this type of chocobo before it consumes another Gysahl Green. None of the skills, however, are specifically described to have this effect, so it may be a side effect of another skill. When riding one, the normal chocobo riding theme is replaced by a heavy metal song named "Crazy Chocobo".

Chocobos of various types and colors may be fought in battle as monsters and tamed as monster crystals. Their abilities may then be developed via the Crystarium and they may be entered in the chocobo races at Serendipity. Traveling over 10,000 steps on a chocobo earns the player the "Saddle Sore" achievement/trophy.

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII
Chocobos have been confirmed to appear in Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII. In the 2013 Gamescom trailer, she is seen beside a white chocobo in need of medical attention. In the official screenshot released, it seems that the white chocobo has an important part in the game's lore as it is referred to as the "angel of Valhalla".

Final Fantasy XIII
There are two music tracks associated with the chocobos in Final Fantasy XIII: "Chocobos of Cocoon - Chasing Dreams" and "Chocobos of Pulse".

"Chocobos of Pulse" is a jazzy and upbeat theme. It was originally titled "Pulse de Chocobo", which serves as a pun. It means "Chocobos of Pulse" but also follows the naming tradition of "Style" de Chocobo, as it is a very rhythmic version, hence the "pulse". It is played as the player mounts a chocobo and rides it across the Archylte Steppe. The song is written by Ryo Yamazaki.

"Chocobos of Cocoon - Chasing Dreams" is another upbeat theme, which includes female vocals. It is played during the sequence in Nautilus, as well as the fight sequence in Mission 14: Defender of the Flock. The song is written by Masashi Hamauzu and sung by Frances Maya. It is also heard in the lobby for the chocobo races in Serendipity in Final Fantasy XIII-2.

Final Fantasy XIII-2
The chocobo theme for Final Fantasy XIII-2 is named "Groovy Chocobo" and consists of a fast, drum-orientated theme which contains one lyric: "Chocobo". There is also another theme, called "Chocobo Rodeo", which is an upbeat and pacy song, strongly resembling Wild West music, and is played when racing chocobos in Serendipity.

A heavy metal arrangement of the chocobo's theme with Shootie HG's vocals under the name "Crazy Chocobo" appears in the game, as well. The player may freely select any of these themes, as well as "Chocobos of Cocoon - Chasing Dreams" and "Chocobos of Pulse" from Final Fantasy XIII, to be the theme played when riding a chocobo by obtaining the Fragment Skill "Chocobo Music".

On the Final Fantasy XIII-2: Original Soundtrack PLUS, two Chocobo themes exist. The first of the themes, called "Hopping Chocobo", is a piano version of the Chocobo Rodeo. The second track, "Crazy Chocobo_UstreamEdit", is the track "Crazy Chocobo" with a fade in and coda as well as vocal distortions throughout the song.

Final Fantasy Trading Card Game
Pulsian chocobos appear in Final Fantasy Trading Card Game with wind-elemental cards.

Trivia

 * In Final Fantasy XIII, most menu options are grayed out while riding a chocobo. In Final Fantasy XIII-2, however, full access to the menu remains available while riding a chocobo and the player can even return to the Historia Crux while riding a chocobo and continue riding the chocobo upon the next return to the area. Additionally, in Final Fantasy XIII, if the player uses a Cie'th Stone to travel from one part of the Archylte Steppe to another, then they will be dismounted from their chocobo automatically. In Final Fantasy XIII-2, the chocobo is teleported along with the player character when using one of the Cactuar Stones on the Archylte Steppe.
 * If Fang is in the party in Final Fantasy XIII when the player first approaches a chocobo, she may ask it if it wants some Gysahl Greens.
 * In Final Fantasy XIII Episode Zero -Promise-, it is said that chocobos have strong homing instincts and are capable of understanding human speech.