's director, Naoki Hamaguchi, has revealed what the infamously stinky Chocobos actually smell like, and the answer isn't too surprising.
The 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, .
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, .
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 se🐠nse 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 t♕h꧋ink 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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