During FFXIV Fan Festival Tokyo, it was revealed that Beastmaster is coming at some point after Dawntrail releases in the summer. We weren’t told much about what’s to come, so let’s look at past Beastmasters within the Final Fantasy franchise to see what it’s all about.
While having Beastmaster as a playable Job is a long anticipated and exciting thing for players, Beastmaster itself is not a new thing for Final Fantasy as a whole. It’s appeared in multiple games and even within Final Fantasy XIV, though the only Beastmaster we’ve had any contact with is within the side-content of the Bozjan Southern Front and Zadnor.
Beastmaster in Dawntrail
When announcing Beastmaster as the new Limited Job, Yoshi revealed an astonishingly small amount of information. Other than the picture and confirmation that it will be arriving, we know that Beastmasters and Blue Mages will be able to party up to run some content. Other than that, the only thing we know for sure is that the team are considering implementing a ‘collection system’ for the Job.
Beastmaster through the franchise
Within the Final Fantasy franchise, Beastmaster first appeared in Final Fantasy V as a class which could be obtained from the Fire Crystal. Within FFV, Beastmasters could either control an enemy during a fight or capture it for use in future fights. This capturing mechanic would work with the ‘collection system’ that Yoshi P alluded to in his Keynote speech.
Beastmaster also appeared in Final Fantasy VI, alongside Relm Arrowny who lends as inspiration for the Pictomancer Job also announced during the Keynote. In FFVI, Beastmasters were able to manipulate enemies in order to benefit the party.
Beastmaster has also appeared in a long list of other titles, including Final Fantasy Tactics and Final Fantasy Record Keeper.
Beastmaster in Final Fantasy XI
Most notably, Beastmaster was a playable Job within the first Final Fantasy MMO. Beastmaster was considered to be the best solo Job within the game and had many abilities, some of which may lend some clues regarding what we should expect once it’s added to FFXIV.
In FFXI, Beastmasters could ‘charm’ beasts and train them into fighting alongside them during battle. Alternatively, they could obtain special items, commonly referred to as ‘Jugs’, which allowed them to summon beasts during a fight. To restore a companion beast’s HP, Beastmasters had to feed them ‘pet food’ using an ability called ‘Reward’.
Beastmaster in FFXIV
Appearing in the side content of Bozjan Southern Front and Zadnor, Lyon Helsos is the final boss within Castrum Lacus Litore. Lore wise, he’s the leader of IVth Imperial Legion’s Beast Army, which is made up almost entirely of Beastmasters. During combat, the members of the IVth Legion are typically seen with tamed beasts fighting alongside them.
During the fight with Lyon in Castrum Lacus Litore, he commands a red-black Griffin-esque creature which goes by the name of Dawon.
What could this mean for the Beastmaster Limited Job
Word of warning, this part is all speculation!
Considering the fact that there is an already established Beastmaster within the game, not to mention his Legion which remains unseen, it seems likely that Lyon may feature within the storyline of Beastmaster once it eventually gets added into the game.
As for actual gameplay, there is nothing concrete to go on at this time. However, if we look at the abilities of Beastmasters in FFXI, which is most comparable, it’s possible that the Limited Job in FFXIV could play similarly.
