Really recommend that you start including the summons/primals from the eden raid series!

XIV Bahamut’s unique in that while the other classical summons are mythical figures, Bahamut was a real dude who died, and his dragon brood created the summon version. From that perspective I always got the idea that perhaps his proportions were an element of forced perspective come to life; the unnaturally big parts of him are all the things that a smaller dragon would be looking up at, exaggerated by memory and perspective.

X really does have the best Bahamut, though. I feel like that one just perfected it, and every game afterwards has been sheepishly trying to avoid copying it.

X is the BEST Bahamut

Bahamut is in context the weave of the visible universe. The veil that contains real life, usually portrayed as a fish. It represents as much time as space.
I prefer the design from X because it’s the only one closer tho those ideals. As a wise controled force that crosses his arms as a containment measure. He doesn’t act unless he needs to. This represented in fights against him too.
He is majestic and imposing because of his restrained nature. (Comparing it to anima wich is the oposite. A resetrained entuty that is fightening to think what it will do when it gets set free)

We’ve got Bahumut, Bahumut Arisen, Neo-Bahumut, Bahumut Sin, Primal Bahumut, Bahumut Dirge of Cerberus, Bahumut Crisis Core

*One Bahumillion Bahumuts later*

And finally, after years of anticipation… Bahumut Hearts 3 Remind.

I’m surprised you didn’t touch on the fact that there are so many variations even in the games, Neo, Lunar, Golden, Solar, and more still yet to come I’m sure. I suppose they might be worth their own separate shorts, since Bahamut himself could fill a 10 minute video essay.

No big daddy platinum drago?
Hope someone gets that reference.

Yes it’s nostalgia. But it is also hands down the most magestic and otherworldly divine take. FF10s art style is so unique and evocative

Honestly when I see any enemy with a protruding belly like that FFXIV design, I instantly think “oh, this dude’s gonna spit or breathe something at me”. Idk much about Bahamut but that definitely feels right for a dragon

Yeah, XIV’s Bahamut is quite Thicc

I know it’s not a mainline game as such, but I have a great fondness for Bahamut’s design from Stranger of Paradise. It leans fully into an armor-like look, with floating blades forming into his wings and really nails that knightly ‘god king’ aesthetic they were going for, I think. It’s both a little bit more alien and at the same time more approachable take on XV’s ‘heroic’ theme.

ffX has some of the best summon design in all the franchise ngl

Bahamut with a Dumpy?!