Wind drake (Final Fantasy V)

Wind drake
Sprites
Background information
Physical distinctions	Gray dragons
More information
Recurring appearance

Wind drakes are a race of dragons in Final Fantasy V. It is an endangered species, with only one left in each world of Planet R. Lenna Charlotte Tycoon and Krile Mayer Baldesion both own a wind drake, with Lenna's being named Hiryu (from Japanese, "Flying Dragon"). The wind drakes are nearing extinction due to the poisoning of dragon grass, which has been the panacea of wind drakes for years.

The wind drake is the creature in the Final Fantasy V logo.

History

Before Final Fantasy V

On Bartz's world, King Alexander Highwind Tycoon owned Hiryu the wind drake. His wife fell sick while his daughter, Lenna, was young, and King Tycoon would often ride Hiryu in search of a doctor to cure her. Lenna's mother's condition continued to worsen and the last doctor was unable to cure her, meaning the only cure was the tongue of a wind drake. King Tycoon had vacillated, but decided against cutting off Hiryu's tongue. Upon hearing the news of her mother's impending passing, Lenna took a knife and rushed toward Hiryu. Ultimately, she decided against cutting off Hiryu's tongue and her mother passed away. Thereafter, Lenna was always reminded of her mother when she saw Hiryu. This caused her to bond with Hiryu.

On Galuf's world, Krile's parents, shortly after she was born, left the castle in search of the last wind drake, but were lost in the Gloceana Desert.

Final Fantasy V

Wind drake.

King Tycoon rode Hiryu to travel to the Wind Shrine. The drake was stranded on the Northern Mountains and Lenna—along with Bartz Klauser, Galuf Halm Baldesion, and Faris Scherwiz—rescued him, and flew him to the kingdom of Walse. Hiryu carried the party past the Tycoon Meteorite to Castle Tycoon where Lenna spoke to Faris about her childhood. Hiryu carried the party forward, but they were forced to leave him behind due to being unable to cross mountains, as they continued to Karnak.

In Galuf's world, Galuf borrowed Krile's wind drake to rescue Bartz, Lenna, and Faris, whom Gilgamesh held hostage at Castle Exdeath. The wind drake was sent back to Krile after Galuf rescued them. When Galuf did not return safely, Krile discovered, through telepathy, that Bartz, Galuf, Lenna, and Faris were in a Moogle Village. She sent the wounded wind drake to rescue them and take them back to Castle of Bal. This made the wind drake even more sick, and Bartz's party traveled to the Drakenvale to find dragon grass and decontaminate it. The wind drake refused to eat the plant at first, and Lenna ate it as a means of persuasion, but became sick due to the plant being poisonous to humans. The wind drake recovers, and Bartz's group used it to travel around Galuf's world.

In the merged world, Hiryu stopped Lenna from being thrown into the Void, and saved her from a monster possession. Hiryu was later found atop the Phoenix Tower where he jumped off to become the Phoenix summon. Krile's wind drake is waited atop Castle of Bal and can be retrieved at any time. A wind drake later saved the four Warriors of Light from the Void. When the Light Warriors later on return to the Guardian Tree to reaffirm their conviction to protect the planet, Krile rides her wind drake as the others are on chocoboback.

Final Fantasy: Legend of the Crystals

Linaly, Mid, and Prettz meeting Hyriuu.

Wind drakes became known as "Tycoon's sacred dragon". Linaly, Mid's ghost, and Prettz met one in the Temple of Winds after being ordered there by Queen Lenna.

The wind drake, at first small and weak, soon grew before their eyes. It broke out of the Temple of Winds and flew Prettz to the Black Moon to face off with Ra Devil. In the end, Hyriuu shrunk to its normal size once it reached the Black Moon, and Rouge threw it to the other pirates with orders to take care of it.

Characteristics

Krile flying a wind drak (2013 release).

Wind drakes are gray dragons big enough for people to ride them. Four people are known to have ridden a wind drake at once, though they usually carry just one passenger. They have a distinctive high-pitched call. Wind drakes are not the only tame dragons in the world, as Faris also owns a water dragon called Syldra. Krile can communicate with wind drakes as she has the ability to talk to intelligent animals.

Gameplay

Wind drake on the world map (2013 release).

Wind drakes controlled by the player can cross oceans, but not mountains. They can only land on plains.

In Bartz's world, Hiryu can be flown after being acquired at Walse. When first acquired near Walse, Hiryu can carry the party past the Tycoon Meteorite to Castle Tycoon where they can gain advanced items and equipment, and Lenna speaks with Faris about her childhood. As Hiryu cannot cross mountains, the party is forced to leave him behind as they continue to Karnak.

In Galuf's world, Krile's wind drake can be ridden to fly across the world after being acquired at the Moogle Village.

In the merged world, Krile's wind drake can be found again atop Castle of Bal and can be ridden at any time. Hiryu is involved in a sidequest in Phoenix Tower. In this world, the Airship and Hiryuu glitch can cause the player to lose their wind drake if they land it atop Ghido's Cave.

Musical theme

The theme for flying a wind drake is "Spreading the Great Wings" (大いなる翼を広げ, Ōinaru Tsubasa o Hiroge?) on the soundtrack. It has been performed live on Final Symphony II.

Behind the scenes

A wind drake appears on the logo for Final Fantasy V. The wind drake sound effect has been reused in the series, for Ceres in Final Fantasy Dimensions.

Wind drakes appeared in the full motion videos for the PlayStation release of Final Fantasy V.

The scene where the party wants to find dragon grass to save a wind drake has been alluded to in both Final Fantasy Dimensions and in Final Fantasy XIV. Final Fantasy XVI also includes an obscure allusion: When the final boss performs Phoenix's Eikon ability during the final battle in Japanese, he will exclaim Tycoon (タイクン, Taikun?), a shortened katakana version of the Tycoon (タイクーン, Taikūn?) name from Final Fantasy V. This references the Phoenix originally being Hiryu, a wind drake belonging to King Tycoon that first transformed into the Phoenix summon.

Concept art.

Wind drake in game logo.

Wind drake in PSX FMV.

Wind drake in PSX FMV.

Wind drake in PSX FMV.