This is one of the many worlds of FFXI. It was one of 20 servers activated upon the original release of FFXI in Japan.
ID Number: 01
Activation Date: May 16, 2002
History in the FF Series[]
Shiva has usually been depicted in the Final Fantasy series as bikini-clad woman colored in cool tones. She has appeared in Final Fantasy III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XIII as the Ice-element Summon. Like Ifrit, she is one of the few major summons to never be replaced with an alternate summon (e.g. Titan or Ramuh). Her specific appearances across the series have been variations on the same theme. She has usually had light or pale blue skin (FFIII,VI,VII,VIII,X). Occasionally she has had a light purple skin (FFV,IX) or rarely, white skin (FFIV). Her hair has usually been long (FFIII,VII,VIII,IX,X), but has occasionally been short (FFV,VI) or even spiked (FFIV) and has usually been blue (FFIII,IV,X) or light blue (FFIX), though on some occasions, it has been sea green (FFVI,VII), blonde (FFVIII), or light purple (FFV). Her outfit has usually consisted of a bikini top and bottom, tall boots, occasionally gloves, and [insert name of armband with hanging cloth piece of clothing here (also seen on Yuna in FFX)] or forming a partial cape, usually colored purple (FFIV,VI,VII), light purple (FFIII), or blue (FFVIII,IX,X). She has occasionally had a gemstone in her forehead (FFVII,IX). On a rare occasion, she has worn a snowflake-shaped tiara & earrings (FFIX) or had giant rings in her dreadlock-like hair (FFX). Shiva has also been depicted as twins, one with a darker appearance, and one with a lighter appearance (FFXIII). Her appearance has often been based on women from India (most easily visible in FFVII and FFIX). For her appearance in FFXI, see Shiva. Shiva was also a Summon in Final Fantasy Tactics & Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. There she dealt Ice-element damage as usual.
Shiva has usually been a part of the set of elemental summons (e.g. Ifrit, Ramuh, Titan) obtained relatively early on. Only rarely did she have to be fought to gain her services (Final Fantasy V, VI, XI, XIII). She usually did not pose much of a challenge.
- In FFIII, Shiva could be purchased at a magic shop in Leprit for 700 Gil. She was classified as Level 2 Summon Magic.
- In FFIV, she was one of many Summons obtained when Rydia matured in the Town of Summoned Monsters deep underground. There, we learn she is called the 'Queen of Ice'.
- In FFV, she is located inside the Worus Watertower in the castle of Worus on World One. She had to be fought & defeated in order to gain her services. Unusually, she was assisted by human soldiers, Ice Soldiers. She was classified as Level 2 Summon Magic.
- In FFVI, she & Ifrit fought against the Returners in a desperate last ditch effort for survival in the Magitek Factory in the Empire's capital, Vector. She only offered her services when she learned Ramuh converted himself to Magicite to assist the party.
- In FFVII, she was a red Materia obtained after rescuing the young girl Priscilla from the serpentine dragon Bottomswell in Lower Junon.
- In FFVIII, she was one of 2 GFs residing in a computer console at Balamb Garden (the other was Quetzalcoatl), the earliest summons the SeeDs could acquire.
- In FFIX, she was located in the Opal gemstone and was able to be summoned when tutor and family friend Dr. Tot gave Garnet several gems with Eidolons (Summons). According to the inscriptions on the Eidolon Wall in Esto Gaza, Shiva was the first Eidolon the Summoner Tribe discovered.
- In FFX, she is a Fayth (petrified inhabitant of Zanarkand) located in the Macalania Temple in the snowy forests of Macalania who gave a Summoner the ability to summon Shiva if she passed the temple's trials. She was originally a priestess-like figure garbed in purple, yellow, and blue when she wants to be seen. Macalania Temple was one of the stops along the Summoner's pilgrimage in the Yevon religion.
- In FFXI, she is a Celestial Avatar obtained from the Cloister of Frost in the ruins of Fei'Yin in the Northlands of the Quon Continent. For her background, see the story listed on Shiva.
- In FFXIII, the Shiva Twins, Styria and Nix, are Eidolons, spirits that appear to l'Cie when they begin to despair their fate. The Shiva Sisters appear to Snow, and he must "impress" them to obtain them as a summon. Like other Eidolons in FFXIII, the Shiva Sisters appear to be mechanical, and are capable of transforming into a "Gestalt Mode." Styria and Nix combine to form a motorcycle.
- In FF:Unlimited anime, Kaze summons Shiva using these 3 soils charges
- The cry of a soul without light... Forest Green
- The soil that forbids the birth of live... Maiden White
- To freeze all things... Ice Blue
Moves:
"Diamond Dust" (FF3,5,7,8,9,10,11,13), "Snowstorm" (FF4), "Gem Dust" (FF6), "Shiva" (FFT)- Ice-element attack on all enemies (FF3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,13 [Gestalt Mode], FFT)
"Icy Glare"- Ice-element attack on 1 enemy (FF3)
"Heavenly Strike"- deals physical damage & inflicts Delay status on 1 enemy (FF10,11)
"Hypno Beam" (FF3), Sleepga (FF11)- inflicts Sleep status on all enemies (FF3,11)
"Frost Armor"- gives all allies Ice Spikes status (FF11)
"Axe Kick"- deals a 1-hit physical attack on 1 enemy (FF11)
"Double Slap"- deals a 2-hit physical attack on 1 enemy (FF11)
"Rush"- deals a 5-hit physical attack on 1 enemy (FF11)
"Wheelie"- Charges forward, dealing damage to target (FF13 [Gestalt Mode])
"Spinfreeze"- Deals ice damage to surrounding targets and launches staggered targets into the air (FF13 [Gestalt Mode])
"Icicle Drift"- Slides into the target, dealing damage (FF13 [Gestalt Mode])
"Ice Ramp"- Jumps off conjured ice ramp, dealing ice damage (FF13 [Gestalt Mode])
Blizzard (FF10)
Blizzara (FF10), Blizzard II (FF11)
Blizzard IV (FF11)
NulFrost (FF10)
NulBlaze (FF10)
Attributes:
Final Fantasy VI
Offers no Level Up Bonus
Teaches Ice, Ice 2, Rasp, Osmose, Cure
Final Fantasy VII
Magic Power +1, HP Max -2%, MP Max +2%
[★]- 0AP (allows 1 use per battle)
[★★]- 4000AP (allows 2 uses per battle)
[★★★]- 15,000AP (allows 3 uses per battle)
[★★★★]- 30,000AP (allows 4 uses per battle)
[★★★★★]- 50,000AP (allows 5 uses per battle)
Final Fantasy VIII
Stat Junction: Str-J, Vit-J, Spr-J, Elem-Atk-J, Elem-Def-J, Elem-Defx2
Command Junction: Magic, GF, Draw, Item, Doom
Character Ability: Vit+20%, Vit+40%, Spr+20%, Spr+40%
Party Ability: N/A
GF Ability: SumMag+10%,20%,30%, GFHP+10%,20%, Boost
Refine Ability: I Mag-RF
Comptatibility Item: Arctic Wind, North Wind
GF Rival: Ifrit (the Fire-element Summon) (slightly lowers compatibility with the other 14 GFs as well)
Compatibility-Boosting Magic Spells: Blizzard, Blizzara, Blizzaga
Compatibility-Lowering Magic Spells: Fire, Fira, Firaga
- In FF7, gives Ice-element to weapon/armor when linked with Elemental materia
- In FF9, her attack strength was related to the number of Opals in the cast's inventory. The Opal also taught Vivi the Black Magic spell Blizzara.
- In FF10, when Onion Knight (Lulu's Celestial Weapon) is obtained, her 9999 damage cap is broken
Historical Background[]
Shiva is believed to be based on the figure from Hindu belief: Shiva, the Hindu god who is part of the Trimurti in the role of Destroyer. Shiva is the god of destruction (though this is considered a positive role, as the Destroyer of Evil and facilitator of rebirth, recreation). He is also called "The Pure One" and is unaffected by the 3 Gunas of Prakriti (matter): Sattva, Rajas, Tamas, "The Auspicious One". He is also considered lord of ascetics. He is the central god worshiped in one of the major denominations of Hinduism, Shaivism.
Shiva is traditionally depicted white-skinned (supposedly from his body being covered in ashes from cemeteries), black-haired man with a blissful, detached facial expression, with a blue neck (since he once consumed a poison), a necklace of cobras (representing the Kundalini), a crescent on his head, and a Third Eye which is almost always closed since it can unleash a beam of untamed energy—a death ray—which destroys all evil (it is also the eye of wisdom). He is usually shown deep in meditation and often sitting on tiger, elephant, and deer hides (representing he has overcome lust, pride, and an unfocused mind). Sometimes he is depicted as a formless, shapeless, abstract force. Shiva is described as without beginning and without end, or without birth and without death.
Shiva wields a trident, Trishula, which can punish evil and wrongdoers on all 3 planes of existence: physical, spiritual, and subtle. He also has a Great Bow called Pinaka. One of his roles is that of Nataraja, the Cosmic Dancer who represents all time and space and the movement of all bodies in the universe. Another is to perform the Tandava, the great dance of destruction which causes the dissolution of the universe at the end of every Kalpa (an eon, or age).
There is some doubt that this is the mythological source because Shiva is not female and has no association with Ice. One point supporting this, however, is that in Japanese translations, the Summon called Shiva is spelled Siva, which is one prominent way to spell the Hindu god's name.
Other possibilities that have been discussed are Siwa (Šiwa; also spelled Šiva), a Western Slavic (Polish, Czech, Slovakian) goddess of love, fertility, life, and spring. Her name means "living". The name matches up to the Japanese rendering of Shiva, but again, she has no Ice or cold properties.