A chocobo handler in Wall Market. A man of influence within the quarter, he has the authority to approve women for Corneo's auditions. He runs a delivery service called Sam's Delivery. Also happens to be a profligate gambler hooked more on the rush than on any amount of money he might win.
Loading screen description
Sam, also called Chocobo Sam, is a minor recurring character in the Final Fantasy VII series. He is a supporting character in Final Fantasy VII Remake and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.
Sam is a gambler who values risk over reward and adores chocobos. He runs the chocobo transportation business, Sam's Delivery Service, and manages chocobo races at the Gold Saucer. Sam also serves Don Corneo as a member of the Trio in Wall Market, recommending and endorsing candidates for his bridal auditions.
In Final Fantasy VII Remake, Sam plays a role in various quests and odd jobs in Wall Market. In Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, he is involved in odd jobs related to the chocobo racing minigames at the Gold Saucer.
History[]
Early history[]
Sam and Will grew up together. As teenagers, they met the Chocobo Sage and were hired to assist him with errands, repairs, and housekeeping. As the sage's disciples, they learned all about chocobos by reading books in his library. Sam later went on to establish his own successful chocobo transportation business, Sam's Delivery.[1][2]
Sam eventually got Will and his wife, Clara, into gambling as a way to fund their business of wild chocobo conservation, but they fell into debt. At some point, he started working for Don Corneo in Wall Market, where he recommended candidates for his nightly bridal auditions. Sometime after, Sam directed Will and Clara to Corneo for loans, but their debt only grew, resulting in them being sent to the Shinra Electric Power Company and used for experiments.[3]
Sam claimed to have cheated death multiple times in his life and seemingly had a romantic past with Madam M following a "fall from grace" that landed him in her massage parlor.[4]
Wall Market[]
Sam met Tifa Lockhart and recommended her to Don Corneo for his upcoming audition, believing she fit his preferences. He arranged for a chocobo carriage to bring her to Corneo's mansion in Wall Market.[5]
During "The Town That Never Sleeps" in Final Fantasy VII Remake, Sam overheard Cloud Strife confronting a stablehand, stepped outside, and asked what was going on. He did not recognize Cloud and inquired about his story. Aerith Gainsborough explained they were looking for someone. Sam deduced it was Tifa from Cloud's description, teased him for having a crush, and warned they would not seeing her for a while as she was chosen for Corneo's audition. Sam was confident she would not be leaving the mansion, refused to reveal Corneo's location to Cloud, and rudely dismissed them.[5]
Sam offers a coin toss to determine if Aerith will be auditioned.
Cloud and Aerith returned to an annoyed Sam after learning he was part of Corneo's Trio. He agreed to recommend Aerith for the next audition, but when she insisted on joining Tifa, he reluctantly agreed to grant her wish if she won a coin toss. Aerith guessed wrong and Sam dismissed her as "pretty enough" but not Corneo's type, encouraging them to seek out the other Trio members. As he walked away, Cloud asked to see the coin and Sam threw it to him, revealing it was double-sided.[6]
Sam and the other Trio members attend the Corneo Cup.
Sam had his robot champions, Cutty and Sweepy, faced Cloud in the Corneo Cup which Sam watched with Andrea Rhodea and Madam M. He praised Cloud's skills to Madam M, who credited the hand massage she gave him, suggesting Cloud had cheated death before. Sam replied that half the town had done the same, including themselves, and proposed a coin toss. Madam M scorned his luck, but Sam teased that if he fell, he might end up in her parlor again, much to her disgust and regret. After Cloud and Aerith won, Sam was unfazed by Madam M's condolences, remarking that betting on a coin toss meant sometimes getting "burned by lady luck" and that every coin has two sides. Madam M agreed, mentioned his double-sided coin, and they left.[4]
Madam M had Cloud help Sam with odd jobs while she prepared Aerith for the audition. When Cloud arrived, Sam teased him about ditching his "lady friend" for a "boys' night out", acknowledging his skills with a sword but doubting his life experience, encouraging him to broaden his horizons to better protect Aerith.[7] After Cloud finished the tasks, Sam asked if Wall Market had been eye-opening but got an unenthusiastic reply. He sent Cloud to the coliseum for a special match, testing his resolve to rescue Tifa. After Cloud's victory, Sam paid him, praised Tifa's looks and strength, and recognized Cloud's determination to save her. Though he refused to help, not wanting to get involved in other people's business, he was confident Cloud could rescue Tifa on his own, noting how much he had changed for the better since arriving in town. Sam urged Cloud to return to Aerith, calling her a "firecracker" who should not be kept waiting.[8]
Sam, joined by some honeygirls, watched Andrea and Cloud's show at the Honeybee Inn. He later saw a dressed-up Cloud in the streets while talking to Madam M. Sam remarked that he never understood the appeal of going through so much trouble to "gussy up", prompting her to sharply respond that he would never understand and leaving him shocked by her attitude.[9]
Post-Platefall[]
Sam greeted Cloud's party in Wall Market in "A Broken World", calling Sector 7's collapse "pretty crazy" and a "mess". He affirmed to Cloud that he was okay, though his birds were "scared half to death". Sam thought about ways to calm his chocobos, believing the people would need their help through the crisis.[10]
Chocobo Sam and his rescued chocobos.
A worried Sam was grateful to Cloud for agreeing to search for his missing chocobos during "In Search of Hope" and pointed out where they were last seen, commencing "Chocobo Search". After his birds were safely returned, Sam was happy to resume business, thanked Cloud, and rewarded him with a lifetime pass for Sam's Delivery, allowing free travel around the slums. He spoke highly of chocobos, praising them as companions and the reason he had a roof over his head. Sam understood Cloud might be skeptical but assured his words were genuine. Sam mentioned having to make up for lost time with his birds, noted how they have been through "thick and thin" together and would persevere, though he was unsure where to start.[11]
Gold Saucer[]
Sam managed the chocobo races at the Gold Saucer during "All That Glitters" in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. He had Hyperion compete in the races, jockeyed by Joe.[12]
Sam entered Hyperion and Joe into the Gold Cup in "A Golden Key". He was discussing cheating accusations with Joe and another jockey until he saw Cloud and Tifa. Sam was surprised to see the pair, wondered what sparked Cloud's interest in being a jockey, and looked forward to the races. When Billy confronted him about his parents' deaths, Sam did not recognize him and said it was complicated, claiming he was too young to understand. He agreed to reveal the truth if Cloud won the Gold Cup.[13]
Sam advises Billy.
After Cloud's victory, Sam told Billy about his parents and suggested he take up their wild chocobo conservation business, calling it a good cause that paid little. He offered to fund Billy's endeavors if he won a coin toss, but Billy declined, vowing to work hard and earn the gil himself, prompting Sam to fondly compare him to his parents.[13] Sometime later, Sam watched Loveless with Madam M and Andrea.[14]
Characteristics[]
Appearance[]
Sam is a middle-aged man with an average build, fair skin, short dark brown hair, a beard, and gray eyes. His outfit consists of a brown gambler cowboy hat with beige stitching and a string, a red-brown vest over a tucked-in white button-up shirt with rolled-up sleeves, and a brown leather belt with a gold chocobo buckle. He wears frayed blue jeans, brown cowboy boots with lighter patterned stitching, an empty holster on his right hip, and a leather whip on his left hip.
Personality[]
When you bet it all on a toss, sometimes you get burned by lady luck. Every coin has two sides.
Chocobo Sam, Final Fantasy VII Remake § "Underground Colosseum"
Sam is a risk-taking gambler who thrives on the thrill of the bet rather than the outcome, using a double-sided trick coin to keep the odds in his favor. He has handled chocobos since his teens and loves them, looking out for them and believing they make for great companions.[11][1][2] Sam is confident, nonchalant, and never loses his temper. He has a dry sense of humor, making sarcastic remarks to Cloud and playfully aggravating Madam M.[5][4][7]
Sam speaks his mind without hesitation, openly judging women by their appearance, complimenting Tifa's looks while dismissing Aerith's as passable.[6] He has a rivalry and seemingly romantic past with Madam M, though she hates acknowledging it despite them being on decent terms.[4][15] Sam was indifferent to Cloud at first, but grew to respect him after his experiences in Wall Market, even offering him life advice.[5][7][8]
Sam has worked under Don Corneo for years, though his loyalty to him remains ambiguous. Having endorsed girls for Corneo's auditions for so long, he knows the don's tastes better than his own and even rejected Aerith's pleas to get auditioned with Tifa to uphold his credibility.[6] He also sent Will and Clara to Corneo for loans, which led to their deaths.[13] Despite his ties to Corneo, Sam operates independently and made no attempt to stop Cloud and Aerith from sneaking into his mansion to rescue Tifa.[8][9] However, after meeting with Billy, Sam would show that he did indeed bear a level of resentment towards Corneo in regards to the fate of Will and Clara, giving some reason why he did not intervene with Cloud's mission to rescue Tifa. Further, Sam was willing to shoulder the burden of being the target of Billy's anger and centering the blame the boy felt towards him, as a means to protect him and his sister from foolishly seeking revenge on Corneo. This shows that while Sam's hands are far from clean, he nonetheless cares about those he considers friends and family.
Gameplay[]
Final Fantasy VII Remake[]
Chocobo Sam appears in Chapter 9', "The Town That Never Sleeps", and is spoken to during "Chasing Tifa". He becomes an objective in "The Trio" and, depending on the player's dialogue choices throughout the chapter, may offer his own series of Odd Jobs, starting with "The Party Never Stops" and ending with "A Dynamite Body".
In Chapter 14, "In Search of Hope", Sam plays a central role in the Odd Job, "Chocobo Search". A stablehand, having heard of Cloud's exploits from Sam, asks the party to locate three runaway chocobos. Completing the quest unlocks various fast-travel locations, and after finding all the birds, returning to Sam rewards a lifetime pass for Sam's Delivery, granting free fast-travel.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth[]
In Chapter 12, "A Golden Key", Chocobo Sam is involved in the "Gold Cup or Bust" Odd Job. He enters the Gold Cup chocobo racing tournament, represented by Joe riding Hyperion. Sam is confronted by Billy about the death of his parents and agrees to tell him the truth if Cloud wins the cup.
Musical themes[]
"Wall Market - Chocobo Sam", track 7 of disc 4 in the Final Fantasy VII Remake Original Soundtrack, is a variation of "Wall Market - The Town That Never Sleeps" that incorporates elements of the "Chocobo Theme" and plays near Sam's location in Wall Market.
Behind the scenes[]
Sam's two-sided coin.
Chocobo Sam was one of the three characters introduced as Don Corneo's henchmen, with the goal of portraying Corneo as a real-life mafia boss, who has power in the underworld with henchmen to do his dirty work.[16] Sam appears designed after the chocobo carriage NPC from the original Final Fantasy VII 
; although he is not the one driving the carriage in Final Fantasy VII Remake, his employees all resemble him with the same type of attire and beard.
Among dialogue choices, the majority of players (57%) reported telling Chocobo Sam "She's in great shape." about Tifa, followed by "She's a great fighter." (34%) and "She's great at handling the books." (9%). For Sam's coin toss, players were split, with a larger number of players reported answering "Heads." (39%), followed by "No deal." (35%) and "Tails." (26%); this was compared to the coin toss scene in Final Fantasy VI. The majority of players (60%) reported seeing Cloud's second dress, rewarded for completing Chocobo Sam's questline, compared to 35% who reported seeing his third dress for completing Madam M's questline.[17]
Voice[]
Chocobo Sam is voiced by Masashi Sugawara in the Japanese releases of the Final Fantasy VII remake project, who also voices Leo Cristophe from Final Fantasy VI in Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia. In the English releases, he is voiced by Larry Davis.
Citations[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Final Fantasy VII Remake Ultimania, p. 42
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Ultimania, p. 38
- ↑ Final Fantasy VII Rebirth script § "Esoteric Secrets of the Elders"
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Final Fantasy VII Remake script § "Underground Colosseum"
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Final Fantasy VII Remake script § "Chasing Tifa"
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Final Fantasy VII Remake script § "The Trio"
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Final Fantasy VII Remake script § "The Party Never Stops"
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Final Fantasy VII Remake script § "A Dynamite Body"
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Final Fantasy VII Remake script § "The Audition"
- ↑ Final Fantasy VII Remake script § "Words of Hope"
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Final Fantasy VII Remake script § "Chocobo Search"
- ↑ Final Fantasy VII Rebirth script § "Chocobo Racing"
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 Final Fantasy VII Rebirth script § "Gold Cup or Bust"
- ↑ Final Fantasy VII Rebirth script § "Loveless"
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedRescue Tifa - ↑ Robert Ramsey (n.d.) . Interview: Final Fantasy VII Remake Producer and Co-Director on Development, Launch, and Being Grateful for the Fans. Push Square. Archived from the original on May 25, 2020.
- ↑ Square Enix (2020, August 14). "Results of the FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE Post-Play Survey". From Final Fantasy Portal Site. Archived from the original on August 14, 2020.