How to get a Chocobo in Final Fantasy XVI

Want to know how to ride a Chocobo in Final Fantasy XVI? It can take a while, and you may be wondering if you can ride one at all. Don’t worry though, we’re here with everything you need to know.

In Final Fantasy 16, there’s a big world to explore. While not all of it is open, there are big spaces for you to get around. So much so, going everywhere on foot can take a little while. To quote old infomercials: there has to be a better way!

There are Chocobos all over Valisthea too, so why can’t you just straddle up and take one for a spin? Well, easy there partner. You’ll be able to get your hands on one, but you need to first get to a specific part of the game and do a specific side quest.

Here’s what you need to do in the game to take the reins of these big birds roaming around Valisthea.

How do you get a Chocobo in Final Fantasy XVI?

Getting your own Chocobo is not hard, but it will take some time to get to the point in the story where you can. You’ll have to wait until you get past the second major time skip in the game. Through the main campaign, you’ll eventually get a quest called The Gathering Storm where you are tasked to look into the whereabouts of Martha. This is a pretty harrowing quest with some dark themes, so at least there’s a Chocobo-sized light at the end of the tunnel. 

Toward the end of this quest, you’ll be placed in Martha’s Rest. Once here, just outside the front entrance of the village, you’ll see a man (Rowan) with a side quest with a plus sign in the indicator. Talk to him accept the quest called The White Winged Wonder. 

You’ll find out there are bandits harassing a well-regarded chocobo called Whiteheart and will then be sent out to track it and the bandits down. Once you find them, you’ll have to dispatch the bad guys harassing the Chocobo, including a larger single-target boss.

However, once you’ve done with that, you will find out that Whiteheart is no other than Clive’s own Ambrosia, who it turns out, survived the fire at Pheonix’s Gate. It seems they want to remain in your service too. After you complete this quest, you will have access to your own Chocobo, on demand. 

How long until you get a Chocobo in Final Fantasy XVI? 

While riding a Chocbo is a pretty iconic activity in the Final Fantasy series, you’re going to have to play a while before you get one. It takes around 17-20 hours to get to the point in the campaign (if you are focusing predominantly on the main story) where you can reunite with Ambrosia and ride them around in the open areas.

Until then, you’re going to be on foot, so get your walking boots on. However, once you put in the time, you’ll be able to speed around the open fields, and even use your Chocobo friend to attack your foes. It takes a while, but the effort will be worth it.

How to ride your Chocobo in Final Fantasy XVI

Riding your Chocobo is easy. To call them, all you have to do is press R3 – Ambrosia will turn up next to you. Then, press X to climb aboard. Note, you can only do this in open areas, and not in towns or cities.

If you would like to run at full speed, you hold down R2. Your turning radius is drastically increased while running, so keep that in mind. 

You can also deal damage while riding Ambrosia. Just press Square to attack enemies. There are no combos here, but it is a good opener if you are running towards an enemy. 

That’s everything you need to know about getting a Chocobo in Final Fantasy XVI. Some of these areas can be long and winding, so getting your hands on the reins is a great feeling. Get on out there, and tear up the open road with your pal Ambrosia.

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