Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Director Reveals What Chocobos Smell Like

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's director, Naoki Hamaguchi, has revealed what the infamously stinky Chocobos actually smell like, and the answer isn't too surprising.

The Final Fantasy series is full of beloved characters and creatures, from Cloud Strife to Cactuars. By far the most beloved creatures in all of Final Fantasy, though, are Chocobos, the massive birds that are used as mounts and companions. No matter what game in the series it is, Chocobos are always a happy sight, something that's set to continue in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.

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As beloved as Chocobos are, though, there's one thing about them that's a little infamous in the world of Final Fantasy - their smell. Several games in the series note that Chocobos are a bit smelly, with Final Fantasy XIII-2 even noting that the stench can rub off on anyone who is riding them for long enough.

That smell has never been accurately described in the series before, beyond it being said to be rather stinky, but we finally have an answer from Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's director, Naoki Hamaguchi. Following a month of coverage, Game Informer just shared a video where they ask Hamaguchi 129 rapid-fire questions about the upcoming game.

As is typical for these rapid-fire interviews, a lot of the questions that Hamaguchi gets asked are rather silly, like how Red XIII can even ride a Chocobo considering he doesn't have opposable thumbs. During the interview, Hamaguchi is asked whether all Chocobos smell the same, to which he replies that they must have a similar odour.

Hamaguchi is then asked if they "smell pretty bad", causing him to respond by revealing that the stench "might be similar to a horse". Considering how Chocobos are basically the Final Fantasy equivalent of horses, that makes a lot of sense and certainly tracks with what has been said about their smell in the games and what their role is in most games.

Did anyone else think that Chocobos would just smell big chickens? They are just oversized birds, after all.

That being said, it does make the characters and world of Final Fantasy seem a little bit less heroic and fantastical. You're telling me that all the characters in the series can put up with villains wielding swords that are twice their height but they can't deal with animals that smell like horses? For shame, Final Fantasy. For shame.

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