Final Fantasy VII Rebirth’s moogles feared for soulless gaze, accused of catfishing 

Moogles are cute and fluffy creatures that are a staple of the Final Fantasy series. However, Japanese players have been taking to social media to express their shock at moogles’ physical appearance in the recently released Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. 

Moogles are white or pink cat-like creatures with small batwings on their backs and a pom-pom antenna on their heads. They are generally friendly and talkative, adorably adding the word “kupo” to their sentences, and often help the player out either as a summon in battle or by supplying items. In FFIX and FFXVI, they are depicted as mail carriers. Some moogle characters like Stilzskin and Montblanc have appeared in numerous FF titles and become well-loved by fans.  

The basic design of moogles has been tweaked at various points over the years, with FFXII’s moogles having rabbit-like ears, for example. However, their appearance in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth seems to be too much of a departure from the beloved series mascot’s usual design. Their “creepy” and “scary” look has attracted unfavorable comparisons with Final Fantasy XIV and XVI’s more conventional-looking cute moogles. 

Rebirth’s moogle design even attracted comparisons to people who look different to their profile pictures on dating sites and apps. 

Moogles also appeared in Final Fantasy VII Remake, the first part of the Final Fantasy VII remake trilogy, as a summon and a merchant. Although similar in design to Rebirth’s and also attracting some criticism, they did not have the dead-eyed stare that seems to be freaking out some Rebirth players. Many English-speaking Rebirth players have also had similar reactions to the new game’s moogles.  

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is available now on PS5.