Video Game Inspirations and Oddities is an article series that focuses on the creation and design phase of video games and their characters.
In December of 1992, Final Fantasy V was released for the Super Famicom. FFV is notable for a variety of reasons, but in this article I will be focusing on a particular enemy that made its debut in the game. This particular enemy would become so popular that it has appeared many times since. This enemy is:
Final Fantasy VII Tonberry sketch by Tetsuya Nomura
(Note: This article is mostly concerned with Tonberry in its early appearances - FFV and FFVI - when it was still a new character, rather than any later game lore.)
Tonberry is a small green creature with a fish tail who wears robes, carries a lantern, and attacks with a kitchen knife.
But, is it based on any particular mythical or legendary creature like so many other Final Fantasy enemies are?
Well, most people believe that there are two possible legends that Tonberry could be inspired by. The first is the legend of the will-o'-the-wisp, or ghost light, due to the lantern Tonberry carries.
The second is the legend of the sea monk. There are actually two different and seemingly unrelated sea monk legends. I think the more popular one is probably the Japanese sea monk, or umibōzu.
Umibōzu are usually depicted as being very large, though there are apparently some tales about smaller versions. They are referred to as bōzu, or Buddhist monks, because of their bald heads.
The other type of sea monk comes from a European legend about a fish whose body resembles the robes of a Benedictine monk. These ones are smaller in size than umibōzu.
Even though Tonberry is from a Japanese game, I do think it seems more similar physically to the European sea monk, due to being smaller and wearing robes.
However, would the Japanese developers at Square even have known about European sea monks back in 1992? The European sea monk does not seem to be a particularly popular mythological creature.
Well, John Ashton's book Curious Creatures in Zoology - which contains information about the European sea monk - did receive a Japanese translation in mid-1992, while Final Fantasy V was still in development. There may have been other writings before that time in Japan that mentioned the European sea monk also. So it does seem possible for Square to have known of this creature.
I have seen some people online dispute the idea that Tonberry is related to fish at all, but supposedly Tetsuya Nomura did confirm that Tonberry is meant to be a merman of some kind, at least according to a quote I found on a Japanese website. Here is Nomura's quote, translated by LapinVT:
"This is the drawing I did when I was told, ‘Draw a fish-man.’ At first, I was drawing it seriously, but I started to get stuck partway through, and I thought, ‘Ah, this is good enough.’ It also appears in Dynamite Racer/DynamiTracer." (From PE Kaitai Shinsho, Tonberry design illustration comment.)
Unfortunately, I have not been able to confirm this quote myself, as I have not yet been able to find this specific version of that book. But, I do think that Tonberry is definitely part fish because of its tail.
It is unclear whether this makes it related to either of the sea monk legends though. However, Tonberry's robes do have a resemblance to the kind that Benedictine monks wear. The Tonberry's lantern and kitchen knife are also both objects that a Benedictine monk might have on his person - I will mention this point again later.
Even Nomura's quote seems somewhat vague as to what exactly Tonberry is supposed to be beyond a merman. Nomura was the monster designer for Final Fantasy V, though his original sketches of Tonberry no longer seem to exist, or at least they have never been made available to the public that I can find. The earliest Tonberry sketches that I can find are the ones he did for Final Fantasy VII.
In Nomura's quote, he says that he was asked to draw a merman - meaning that someone else at Square might have had the idea for Tonberry and just asked Nomura to draw the creature to a certain set of specifications.
Maybe someone at Square asked Nomura to draw a sea monk of some kind, and Tonberry was the final result? Or maybe someone just told him that they needed some kind of merman creature, and Nomura was left to decide the rest. We don't have enough information to know for sure.
But maybe by looking at Tonberry's name, we can figure out what it is supposed to be. So, what could the name Tonberry even mean?
There are several possibilities.
I will start with maybe the most simple explanation.
If this is the case, then Tonberry is probably meant to be some kind of grave-keeper instead of a monk. Being a grave-keeper could fit well with its robes and lantern. Being related to graves and the deceased could even fit with the possible will-o'-the-wisp, or ghost light, aspect - and also with Tonberry's "Grudge" ability that was introduced later in Final Fantasy VII.
This is probably the explanation that is simplest and most likely to be true - though I do not find it as interesting as the other upcoming possibilities. But I think that later games decided to take Tonberry in this more "ghostly" direction - they seemed to mostly drop the aquatic aspects of Tonberry, which were more apparent in Final Fantasy V (where he appeared in a waterfall cave) and in Final Fantasy VI to an extent (which I will explain later).
However, I still think this leaves one mysterious aspect to Tonberry's design: Why is this grave-keeper, if it is indeed such, also a merman?
I'm unaware of many legends connecting death and fish in Japan. Rather, fish usually seem to be associated with longevity there - such as the legend that eating the flesh of a ningyo (mermaid/merman) is supposed to grant immortality.
Maybe the insinuation is that mermen associated with long lifespans would make the best grave-keepers for the dead? Or maybe I am overthinking this, and Nomura or someone else at Square just decided to randomly combine grave-keepers and mermen together for no real reason.
But just for fun, let's continue to look at some other possibilities as to where Tonberry's name could have come from. These alternate possibilities will focus more on the idea that Tonberry could have been inspired by monks rather than grave-keepers. Of course, in some religions monks also tend to graves.
Dom Pérignon is a champagne named after Dom Pérignon, the Benedictine monk.
If Tonberry was originally supposed to be a sea monk, then perhaps Square intended its name to be a joke on the name of the monk Don Peri?
In Square's Seiken Densetsu 3 from 1995, there is actually a character named "Donperi" (spelled the same as the Japanese version of Dom Pérignon), so people working at Square in the '90s were certainly familiar with the champagne and the shortened way to write it in Japanese.
And that isn't the only time that Square characters in the 1990s referenced alcoholic drinks.
The Kappa in 1994's Final Fantasy VI might be a reference to the Kizakura sake brand, whose mascot was a Kappa. Kizakura means "yellow cherry", which is the name of the item in Final Fantasy VI that can cure the "Kappa" status (localized as the "Green Cherry" item and "Imp" status in English).
Kizakura sake Kappa mascots
Also, there is another connection between the Tonberry and the Kappa in Final Fantasy VI. Besides both being small green water creatures who possibly reference alcoholic drinks, the Tonberry can be "morphed" into pieces of Kappa equipment.
The only other enemy in the game who can be "morphed" into the Kappa equipment is Cactuar (known as Sabotender in Japan). Though also small and green, Cactuar is seemingly unrelated to water, being a desert cactus (though there are some types of cacti that you safely can drink water from - and there are other types that are unsafe).
The official artwork for Final Fantasy VI's Kappa spear weapon (one of the pieces of Kappa equipment that you can obtain via "morphing" a Cactuar or Tonberry) is very similar to the famous crescent staff of Shā Wùjìng / Sha Gojō from Journey to the West - and is in fact called the Spear of Sagojo in the Japanese version of Final Fantasy VI.
Shā Wùjìng is often associated with Kappa, and is usually depicted with a similar bald monk style head. He is also associated with sand and desert and is often referred to in English as "Sand Monk" or "Sandy" - perhaps this desert aspect is related to the Cactuar connection.
So, there exists some kind of possible alcohol/monk/water/desert connection between the Kappa, Tonberry, and Cactuar (who are also all small green creatures).
(These are the only enemies that can be "morphed" into the Kappa Equipment, but pieces of Kappa equipment can also be stolen from other enemies in Final Fantasy VI - though there does not seem to be any rhyme or reason why those particular enemies were chosen to hold them.)
Anyway, there is another possible origin for Tonberry's name that also concerns monks (though this one is just as likely to be a coincidence):
There was a Japanese book published in early 1992, when FFV was still in development, about Glastonbury Abbey, which spelled Glastonbury as グラストンベリ:
In Japan, Glastonbury seems to be mostly known for the legends of King Arthur that are associated with the town and the Abbey. One legend is that a group of the Benedictine monks at the monastery excavated King Arthur's body there. Other legends involve the sword Excalibur also being found there in Arthur's tomb, Glastonbury being the location where the Lady of the Lake resides, or Glastonbury being Avalon.
Monks excavating King Arthur at Glastonbury Abbey
So, using part of Glastonbury for the name of a fantasy monk creature would seem to fit. There are a few characters in Final Fantasy games who were named after locations in the real world (Halicarnassus is one such example in FFV) - though usually they use the full location name instead of just part of one. Maybe just the "tonberi" part was used because it also fit with a joke about "Don Peri"? Or maybe it is all just coincidence.
If Tonberry is supposed to be a monk, it fits for him to hold a lantern and knife. Benedictine monks were allowed to carry knives as tools, and the image of a monk walking about a monastery with a lantern seems to be a common one. In the popular movie The Name of the Rose from 1986 (based on the 1980 novel by Umberto Eco) - which was also released in Japan - there are many scenes with monks carrying lanterns; it is even depicted on the movie poster.
In the novel, there is a line relating the lanterns/lamps to the will-o'-the wisp (earlier I mentioned that some fans speculate Tonberry is related to the will-o'-the-wisp legend):
"There was a book of secrets written, I believe, by Albertus Magnus; I was attracted by some curious illustrations, and I read some pages about how you can grease the wick of an oil lamp, and the fumes produced then provoke visions. You must have noticed -- or, rather, you cannot have noticed yet, because you have not yet spent a night in the abbey -- that during the hours of darkness the upper floor of the Aedificium is illuminated. At certain points there is a dim glow from the windows.
Many have wondered what it is, and there has been talk of will-o'-the-wisps, or souls of dead librarians who return to visit their realm. Many here believe these tales. I think those are lamps prepared for visions."
The use of lamps by monks are mentioned often in this book:
"After six psalms, the reading of Holy Scripture began. Some monks were nodding with sleepiness, and one of the night wakers wandered among the stalls with a little lamp to wake any who had dozed off again. If a monk succumbed to drowsiness, as penance he would take the lamp and continue the round. The chanting of another six psalms continued. Then, the abbot gave his benediction, the hebdomadary said the prayers, all bowed toward the altar in a moment of meditation whose sweetness no one can comprehend who has not experienced those hours of mystic ardor and intense inner peace."
But if Tonberry is indeed based on a monk, one question still remains: what kind of deity does Tonberry worship?
In Final Fantasy V, Tonberries are located in a waterfall cave area whose boss is Leviathan. Perhaps they worship that large aquatic creature?
Maybe Tonberries are similar to H.P. Lovecraft's "Deep Ones" - fish-like humans who possibly worship Dagon, Hydra, and Cthulhu.
Here is a scene describing a group of Deep Ones with lanterns from The Shadow over Innsmouth:
"For out of an opened door in the Gilman House a large crowd of doubtful shapes was pouring—lanterns bobbing in the darkness, and horrible croaking voices exchanging low cries in what was certainly not English. The figures moved uncertainly, and I realised to my relief that they did not know where I had gone; but for all that they sent a shiver of horror through my frame. Their features were indistinguishable, but their crouching, shambling gait was abominably repellent. And worst of all, I perceived that one figure was strangely robed, and unmistakably surmounted by a tall tiara of a design altogether too familiar. As the figures spread throughout the courtyard, I felt my fears increase. Suppose I could find no egress from this building on the street side? The fishy odour was detestable, and I wondered I could stand it without fainting."
Lovecraft has long been popular in Japan, and The Shadow over Innsmouth even had a Japanese television movie adaptation in 1992. Many fans have suggested that Tonberry resembles a "slasher" villain from a horror movie. Perhaps it might also take influence from horror fiction?
So, is Tonberry a grave-keeper, a monk, or a cultist? Maybe Tonberry is all of those at once, or maybe Tonberry is none of them at all. It is very likely that I have put more thought into this question than Square did when making Tonberry. But whatever the case, Tonberry remains a dangerous and interesting foe.
Please let me know if you have any more information about the possible origin of Tonberry or its name.
(Thanks to Thrilling Tales of Old Video Games for inspiring this article.)
In December of 1992, Final Fantasy V was released for the Super Famicom. FFV is notable for a variety of reasons, but in this article I will be focusing on a particular enemy that made its debut in the game. This particular enemy would become so popular that it has appeared many times since. This enemy is:
Tonberry
Final Fantasy VII Tonberry sketch by Tetsuya Nomura
(Note: This article is mostly concerned with Tonberry in its early appearances - FFV and FFVI - when it was still a new character, rather than any later game lore.)
Tonberry is a small green creature with a fish tail who wears robes, carries a lantern, and attacks with a kitchen knife.
But, is it based on any particular mythical or legendary creature like so many other Final Fantasy enemies are?
Well, most people believe that there are two possible legends that Tonberry could be inspired by. The first is the legend of the will-o'-the-wisp, or ghost light, due to the lantern Tonberry carries.
The second is the legend of the sea monk. There are actually two different and seemingly unrelated sea monk legends. I think the more popular one is probably the Japanese sea monk, or umibōzu.
Umibōzu are usually depicted as being very large, though there are apparently some tales about smaller versions. They are referred to as bōzu, or Buddhist monks, because of their bald heads.
The other type of sea monk comes from a European legend about a fish whose body resembles the robes of a Benedictine monk. These ones are smaller in size than umibōzu.
Even though Tonberry is from a Japanese game, I do think it seems more similar physically to the European sea monk, due to being smaller and wearing robes.
However, would the Japanese developers at Square even have known about European sea monks back in 1992? The European sea monk does not seem to be a particularly popular mythological creature.
Well, John Ashton's book Curious Creatures in Zoology - which contains information about the European sea monk - did receive a Japanese translation in mid-1992, while Final Fantasy V was still in development. There may have been other writings before that time in Japan that mentioned the European sea monk also. So it does seem possible for Square to have known of this creature.
I have seen some people online dispute the idea that Tonberry is related to fish at all, but supposedly Tetsuya Nomura did confirm that Tonberry is meant to be a merman of some kind, at least according to a quote I found on a Japanese website. Here is Nomura's quote, translated by LapinVT:
"This is the drawing I did when I was told, ‘Draw a fish-man.’ At first, I was drawing it seriously, but I started to get stuck partway through, and I thought, ‘Ah, this is good enough.’ It also appears in Dynamite Racer/DynamiTracer." (From PE Kaitai Shinsho, Tonberry design illustration comment.)
Unfortunately, I have not been able to confirm this quote myself, as I have not yet been able to find this specific version of that book. But, I do think that Tonberry is definitely part fish because of its tail.
It is unclear whether this makes it related to either of the sea monk legends though. However, Tonberry's robes do have a resemblance to the kind that Benedictine monks wear. The Tonberry's lantern and kitchen knife are also both objects that a Benedictine monk might have on his person - I will mention this point again later.
Even Nomura's quote seems somewhat vague as to what exactly Tonberry is supposed to be beyond a merman. Nomura was the monster designer for Final Fantasy V, though his original sketches of Tonberry no longer seem to exist, or at least they have never been made available to the public that I can find. The earliest Tonberry sketches that I can find are the ones he did for Final Fantasy VII.
In Nomura's quote, he says that he was asked to draw a merman - meaning that someone else at Square might have had the idea for Tonberry and just asked Nomura to draw the creature to a certain set of specifications.
Maybe someone at Square asked Nomura to draw a sea monk of some kind, and Tonberry was the final result? Or maybe someone just told him that they needed some kind of merman creature, and Nomura was left to decide the rest. We don't have enough information to know for sure.
But maybe by looking at Tonberry's name, we can figure out what it is supposed to be. So, what could the name Tonberry even mean?
There are several possibilities.
I will start with maybe the most simple explanation.
1. Tomb + Bury
I have read discussion by some Japanese people online that believe that Tonberry's name could come from combining the English words "tomb" (トゥーム) and "bury" (ベリー) together.If this is the case, then Tonberry is probably meant to be some kind of grave-keeper instead of a monk. Being a grave-keeper could fit well with its robes and lantern. Being related to graves and the deceased could even fit with the possible will-o'-the-wisp, or ghost light, aspect - and also with Tonberry's "Grudge" ability that was introduced later in Final Fantasy VII.
This is probably the explanation that is simplest and most likely to be true - though I do not find it as interesting as the other upcoming possibilities. But I think that later games decided to take Tonberry in this more "ghostly" direction - they seemed to mostly drop the aquatic aspects of Tonberry, which were more apparent in Final Fantasy V (where he appeared in a waterfall cave) and in Final Fantasy VI to an extent (which I will explain later).
However, I still think this leaves one mysterious aspect to Tonberry's design: Why is this grave-keeper, if it is indeed such, also a merman?
I'm unaware of many legends connecting death and fish in Japan. Rather, fish usually seem to be associated with longevity there - such as the legend that eating the flesh of a ningyo (mermaid/merman) is supposed to grant immortality.
Maybe the insinuation is that mermen associated with long lifespans would make the best grave-keepers for the dead? Or maybe I am overthinking this, and Nomura or someone else at Square just decided to randomly combine grave-keepers and mermen together for no real reason.
But just for fun, let's continue to look at some other possibilities as to where Tonberry's name could have come from. These alternate possibilities will focus more on the idea that Tonberry could have been inspired by monks rather than grave-keepers. Of course, in some religions monks also tend to graves.
2. Don Peri
The name "tonberi" (トンベリ) is similar to "donperi"(ドンペリ) / "Don Peri" (ドン・ペリ), which is a popular shortened way to write "Dom Pérignon" (ドン・ペリニヨン) in Japanese.Dom Pérignon is a champagne named after Dom Pérignon, the Benedictine monk.
If Tonberry was originally supposed to be a sea monk, then perhaps Square intended its name to be a joke on the name of the monk Don Peri?
In Square's Seiken Densetsu 3 from 1995, there is actually a character named "Donperi" (spelled the same as the Japanese version of Dom Pérignon), so people working at Square in the '90s were certainly familiar with the champagne and the shortened way to write it in Japanese.
And that isn't the only time that Square characters in the 1990s referenced alcoholic drinks.
The Kappa in 1994's Final Fantasy VI might be a reference to the Kizakura sake brand, whose mascot was a Kappa. Kizakura means "yellow cherry", which is the name of the item in Final Fantasy VI that can cure the "Kappa" status (localized as the "Green Cherry" item and "Imp" status in English).
Kizakura sake Kappa mascots
Also, there is another connection between the Tonberry and the Kappa in Final Fantasy VI. Besides both being small green water creatures who possibly reference alcoholic drinks, the Tonberry can be "morphed" into pieces of Kappa equipment.
The only other enemy in the game who can be "morphed" into the Kappa equipment is Cactuar (known as Sabotender in Japan). Though also small and green, Cactuar is seemingly unrelated to water, being a desert cactus (though there are some types of cacti that you safely can drink water from - and there are other types that are unsafe).
The official artwork for Final Fantasy VI's Kappa spear weapon (one of the pieces of Kappa equipment that you can obtain via "morphing" a Cactuar or Tonberry) is very similar to the famous crescent staff of Shā Wùjìng / Sha Gojō from Journey to the West - and is in fact called the Spear of Sagojo in the Japanese version of Final Fantasy VI.
Shā Wùjìng is often associated with Kappa, and is usually depicted with a similar bald monk style head. He is also associated with sand and desert and is often referred to in English as "Sand Monk" or "Sandy" - perhaps this desert aspect is related to the Cactuar connection.
So, there exists some kind of possible alcohol/monk/water/desert connection between the Kappa, Tonberry, and Cactuar (who are also all small green creatures).
(These are the only enemies that can be "morphed" into the Kappa Equipment, but pieces of Kappa equipment can also be stolen from other enemies in Final Fantasy VI - though there does not seem to be any rhyme or reason why those particular enemies were chosen to hold them.)
Anyway, there is another possible origin for Tonberry's name that also concerns monks (though this one is just as likely to be a coincidence):
3. Glastonbury
In Japanese, the end part of the word Glastonbury is written identically to the way Tonberry is written. I have seen Glastonbury usually written as グラストンベリー, but also sometimes as グラストンベリ. Either way, both versions contain "tonberi" (トンベリ).There was a Japanese book published in early 1992, when FFV was still in development, about Glastonbury Abbey, which spelled Glastonbury as グラストンベリ:
In Japan, Glastonbury seems to be mostly known for the legends of King Arthur that are associated with the town and the Abbey. One legend is that a group of the Benedictine monks at the monastery excavated King Arthur's body there. Other legends involve the sword Excalibur also being found there in Arthur's tomb, Glastonbury being the location where the Lady of the Lake resides, or Glastonbury being Avalon.
Monks excavating King Arthur at Glastonbury Abbey
So, using part of Glastonbury for the name of a fantasy monk creature would seem to fit. There are a few characters in Final Fantasy games who were named after locations in the real world (Halicarnassus is one such example in FFV) - though usually they use the full location name instead of just part of one. Maybe just the "tonberi" part was used because it also fit with a joke about "Don Peri"? Or maybe it is all just coincidence.
If Tonberry is supposed to be a monk, it fits for him to hold a lantern and knife. Benedictine monks were allowed to carry knives as tools, and the image of a monk walking about a monastery with a lantern seems to be a common one. In the popular movie The Name of the Rose from 1986 (based on the 1980 novel by Umberto Eco) - which was also released in Japan - there are many scenes with monks carrying lanterns; it is even depicted on the movie poster.
In the novel, there is a line relating the lanterns/lamps to the will-o'-the wisp (earlier I mentioned that some fans speculate Tonberry is related to the will-o'-the-wisp legend):
"There was a book of secrets written, I believe, by Albertus Magnus; I was attracted by some curious illustrations, and I read some pages about how you can grease the wick of an oil lamp, and the fumes produced then provoke visions. You must have noticed -- or, rather, you cannot have noticed yet, because you have not yet spent a night in the abbey -- that during the hours of darkness the upper floor of the Aedificium is illuminated. At certain points there is a dim glow from the windows.
Many have wondered what it is, and there has been talk of will-o'-the-wisps, or souls of dead librarians who return to visit their realm. Many here believe these tales. I think those are lamps prepared for visions."
The use of lamps by monks are mentioned often in this book:
"After six psalms, the reading of Holy Scripture began. Some monks were nodding with sleepiness, and one of the night wakers wandered among the stalls with a little lamp to wake any who had dozed off again. If a monk succumbed to drowsiness, as penance he would take the lamp and continue the round. The chanting of another six psalms continued. Then, the abbot gave his benediction, the hebdomadary said the prayers, all bowed toward the altar in a moment of meditation whose sweetness no one can comprehend who has not experienced those hours of mystic ardor and intense inner peace."
But if Tonberry is indeed based on a monk, one question still remains: what kind of deity does Tonberry worship?
Deep Ones
In Final Fantasy V, Tonberries are located in a waterfall cave area whose boss is Leviathan. Perhaps they worship that large aquatic creature?
Maybe Tonberries are similar to H.P. Lovecraft's "Deep Ones" - fish-like humans who possibly worship Dagon, Hydra, and Cthulhu.
Here is a scene describing a group of Deep Ones with lanterns from The Shadow over Innsmouth:
"For out of an opened door in the Gilman House a large crowd of doubtful shapes was pouring—lanterns bobbing in the darkness, and horrible croaking voices exchanging low cries in what was certainly not English. The figures moved uncertainly, and I realised to my relief that they did not know where I had gone; but for all that they sent a shiver of horror through my frame. Their features were indistinguishable, but their crouching, shambling gait was abominably repellent. And worst of all, I perceived that one figure was strangely robed, and unmistakably surmounted by a tall tiara of a design altogether too familiar. As the figures spread throughout the courtyard, I felt my fears increase. Suppose I could find no egress from this building on the street side? The fishy odour was detestable, and I wondered I could stand it without fainting."
Lovecraft has long been popular in Japan, and The Shadow over Innsmouth even had a Japanese television movie adaptation in 1992. Many fans have suggested that Tonberry resembles a "slasher" villain from a horror movie. Perhaps it might also take influence from horror fiction?
So, is Tonberry a grave-keeper, a monk, or a cultist? Maybe Tonberry is all of those at once, or maybe Tonberry is none of them at all. It is very likely that I have put more thought into this question than Square did when making Tonberry. But whatever the case, Tonberry remains a dangerous and interesting foe.
Please let me know if you have any more information about the possible origin of Tonberry or its name.
(Thanks to Thrilling Tales of Old Video Games for inspiring this article.)
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