8 Coolest Airships in JRPGs

JRPGs in the ’90s shared an element of exploration. First, we roamed the world map on foot. Later, we acquired a means of maritime transport to explore new continents.

By the end of the game, we’d obtain aerial transport, be it a vehicle, a divine creature, or even a city doubling as an airship.

Every JRPG fan knows that getting an airship means it’s time to explore every nook and cranny of the world, hunting for secrets, the best items, and sometimes that overpowered secret boss ready to annihilate us with one strike.

With so many games featuring airships, some stand out either because of their prominence in the story or simply for being more than just a mode of transport. Let’s dive into the coolest airships in JRPGs.

8 Grandship

Bravely Default

Bravely Default is a love letter to classic Final Fantasy games. If you’re one of those fans who believe the franchise has lost its essence, give Bravely Default a shot. This turn-based JRPG features a job system, familiar magic terminology, and overworld exploration. And, where there’s an overworld, there’s an airship.

At one point, you board the Grandship—a hybrid vessel combining a hotel, shops, a bar, inns, and more—which initially can’t move due to a faulty engine. But after some tweaks, the engine is fixed, and the ship takes flight, allowing players to freely explore the world of Bravely Default.

Interestingly, the Grandship stays with the player throughout the game, though it begins to wear down after a certain story beat (spoilers avoided here). By the end of the game, the airship is falling apart, but it remains by our side until the very end.

7 Lunar Whale

Final Fantasy IV

It’s an airship shaped like a whale that takes you to the moon. What’s not to like? Final Fantasy IV feels like a game about airships, considering you start aboard one as Cecil, the captain of the Red Wings, and later gain the Enterprise, the Falcon, and finally, the Lunar Whale.

Despite its name, the Lunar Whale isn’t a creature but a full-fledged airship gifted by a magical elder from Mysidia to transport the party to the Red Moon. Yeah, it sounds ludicrous out of context, but in a JRPG, it all makes perfect sense.

The Lunar Whale became iconic in Final Fantasy IV and even made a cameo in Final Fantasy XIV during the Endwalker expansion, paying homage to FFIV. Unfortunately, it’s one of the most expensive premium mounts in FFXIV, and those without it—like myself—can only admire it from afar.

6 Yggdrasil

Xenogears

Here, we have not one, not two, but three airships named Yggdrasil in Xenogears, each evolving in functionality. The first Yggdrasil can only traverse the desert, but it eventually sinks. Bart then discovers the Yggdrasil II beneath the Ignas Desert, which can navigate the seas.

Only after reaching the flying nation of Shevat is the ship upgraded to the Yggdrasil III, granting the ability to soar through the skies.

This opens up Xenogears’ world for some optional content, though not much, as technical and financial constraints unfortunately limited the game’s second disc.

Even so, you can explore the world, fight unique monsters, and find powerful gear for your party. Inside the Yggdrasil, there’s a bar, a lounge, and a hangar for the Gears. It would be a treasure to see Xenogears getting a remake and board the Yggdrasil again.

5 Albiore

Tales of the Abyss

The Tales of series followed the classic JRPG formula for a while, and older titles often included an airship for exploration. However, vehicles were phased out when the series shifted away from overworld maps in favor of fast travel.

In Tales of the Abyss, the Albiore strikes a balance by combining both systems. The party acquires the airship after a joint effort to save it from a cliffside, and since finders keepers always win, the Albiore is now ours.

With the Albiore, players can explore the world, revisit old locations, and uncover new secrets. The airship can also be upgraded twice: first, to add a fast-travel system, and second, to face a secret boss in the game.

4 Highwind

Final Fantasy VII

Final Fantasy VII is arguably the most celebrated entry in the Final Fantasy series, thanks in part to Final Fantasy VII Remake and its recent direct sequel, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Naturally, its elements, like the Highwind, also enjoy this fame, making it perhaps the most iconic airship in Final Fantasy.

Admittedly, the Highwind’s design isn’t the most distinctive or modern, and a Gold Chocobo can outdo it in terms of functionality. However, it’s undeniably the most nostalgic airship on this list, especially since you steal it right under Shinra’s nose.

The name is also significant, as it references the Dragoon job, one of the best in Final Fantasy. The Highwind is named after Cid Highwind, the chief engineer of the airship and the Dragoon counterpart in Final Fantasy VII.

With the airship, the JRPG’s open world is yours for the taking. Here’s hoping the third part of the remake does justice to the Highwind.

3 Flying Township

Breath of Fire II

When I started writing this list, I asked my editor if winged creatures could be included, and he said no. But what about flying towns, eh? I bet he didn’t see that coming.

Breath of Fire II is a JRPG with a base building mechanic, a feature I love in any game. Upgrading the Township is super rewarding and also beneficial from a gameplay perspective. What I didn’t know is that beneath the Township lies an engine capable of powering it into a flying city. Pretty neat.

It’s not the fastest airship in the bunch, but it gets the job done. The only caveat is that the Township’s engine runs on human force.

To make matters worse, the one who volunteers to serve as its fuel is Ganer Bateson, Ryu’s father and the protagonist of Breath of Fire II. That’s creepy and heartwarming at the same time.

2 Ragnarok

Final Fantasy VIII

If the sole criterion for this list were being the most badass airship, Final Fantasy VIII‘s Ragnarok would take the trophy home.

This dragon-shaped, crimson-red space airship boasts the sleekest design of all the ones mentioned here. And yes, space, because Squall and Rinoa stumble upon the Ragnarok while adrift in the Milky Way.

The Ragnarok is equipped with autopilot, has two internal save points, and three draw points containing Cura, Life, and Full-Life. It even features a dedicated area to play Triple Triad against the Card Club Group, the best minigame in any JRPG.

Did I mention it also has an onboard shop selling items and weapon remodeling services? Thanks to its advanced technology, it’s perfect for today’s eco-conscious adventurer.

But snake oil salesman speech aside, the Ragnarok is insane. Among all the airships in Final Fantasy, it’s my favorite. It also helps that I’m a huge fan of dragons, and its design was heavily inspired by these legendary creatures.

1 Epoch

Chrono Trigger

If there’s one thing Square excelled at in the past, it was creating overworld maps brimming with secrets and airships to uncover them.

They took this concept to another level with Chrono Trigger by introducing the Epoch, an airship capable not only of exploring every island on the planet but also traveling through time to different eras.

The Epoch isn’t just an airship with practical gameplay utility but also a powerful narrative device. It’s deeply woven into Chrono Trigger’s time-travel theme, adding even more depth to the story. It’s not just its design that makes the Epoch cool but everything it represents in arguably one of the best JRPGs of all time.

And I must apologize. I realized I made a mistake while writing this entry. It was my mistake to call this aircraft Epoch, as we all know that its true and only name is Aero-Dalton Imperial.