Final Fantasy 16 fans discovered a classic easter egg related to Final Fantasy 4. Learn about the origin and history of this easter egg, and how it has appeared in other games.
Please note that this news may contain a very minor spoiler. If you prefer to discover easter eggs on your own, we recommend stopping here.
For those who don’t mind learning about the “Easter egg”, here is the first one that was uncovered:
As fans of the Final Fantasy franchise know, each game often includes references or Easter eggs from earlier instalments. In Final Fantasy 16, players have now come across a notable reference from Final Fantasy 4! (The image below was originally posted on Reddit.
The character known as the Spoony Bard makes a cameo appearance!
For those unfamiliar with the reference, in Final Fantasy 4, there is a moment in the story where Tellah, one of the characters, is on a quest to find his daughter Anna. She had eloped with a bard (who was actually Edward in disguise), much to Tellah’s disapproval.
When Tellah and his companions Cecil and Rydia arrive at Damcyan, the castle comes under attack from the Red Wings airship. Inside the throne room, they find Anna gravely wounded, with Edward, disguised as a bard, by her side. Consumed by anger, Tellah hurls insults at Edward, including the now-famous line, “You Spoony Bard!”
The translation of this line has an interesting backstory credited to Kaoru Moriyama, K. Okahisa, and H. Takahashi. The word “spoony” was meant to convey being infatuated in a silly or sentimental way. When Tellah uses it against Edward, it is meant to describe Edward’s character, but it also serves as a mild insult in the heat of the moment, as Tellah is seething with rage and unaware of the bard’s true identity. This translation choice was likely made to give it a lighter tone in the American version.
Over time, this line gained significant recognition and has even been retained in the remake of Final Fantasy 4, despite other dialogue being retranslated. It has also appeared in various forms in other Final Fantasy games:
Final Fantasy 10: In Luca, a monk shares that he was called a “spoony bard” by a girl he asked out.
Final Fantasy 13: In Rabanastre, a bangaa discusses counting things, including counting bards, and mentions that counting the spoony bards would be a different matter altogether.
Final Fantasy Tactics: Wiegraf Folles remarks, “No spoony bard could spin a sweeter tale.”
Dissidia 012: Kefka declares, “I’ve decided to help that spoony bard.”
Final Fantasy 14: The NPC for Bard quests refers to themselves as a “spoony bard,” and there is even a minion named “spoony bard” representing Edward.
And now, we can add Final Fantasy 16 to the list, featuring a singing Spoony Bard!
These clever nods to past games add an extra layer of enjoyment for long-time fans of the series, as it is always exciting to discover little connections in the world of Final Fantasy.
