Final Fantasy X‘s beloved national sport, blitzball, is now, somehow, Star Wars canon.
Yes, really.
As spotted by GamesRadar, Star Wars: Brotherhood writer Mike Chen snuck blitzball, a novelty mini-game from Final Fantasy X, into his novel as a nod to both a game he loves and his earlier career as an NHL journo.
Star Wars: Brotherhood is a just-released novel set during the early part of the Clone Wars. The brief synopsis: When an explosion devastates Cato Neimoidia, the home base of the Trade Federation, the finger of blame is quickly pointed at the Republic. To smooth things over, the Jedi Council dispatches Obi-Wan Kenobi to restore diplomatic ties and uncover the true perpetrator. Freshly-minted Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker wants to help and, defying the Council’s orders that Kenobi travel alone, decides to crash the party. Hijinks ensue.
Talking about the novel on Twitter, Chen embarked on a list of blink-and-you’ll-miss-it references and influences included in the story. It was at this point that Chen brought up Final Fantasy X and blitzball.
#6: There’s a reference to a sport called Blitzball played in a local lake. Blitzball is basically underwater hockey played as a minigame in Final Fantasy X. As a former NHL writer, I freaking loved Blitzball and spent hours winning leagues. pic.twitter.com/uad4uIMcrA
— Mike Chen – LIGHT YEARS FROM HOME is out now! (@mikechenwriter) May 17, 2022
This marks a bit of a positional change for Final Fantasy and Star Wars. It’s usually Final Fantasy sneaking in references to Star Wars, both subtle and overt. Fans have known for years that recurring characters Biggs and Wedge were named for Luke Skywalker’s X-Wing comrades. Final Fantasy IX‘s final boss memorably quotes Yoda’s famous line about the Dark Side’s seductive power: “Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate.” There are plenty of outlets that have covered Square Enix’s long-time love affair with Star Wars. Here’s one you can read right here.
Star Wars: Brotherhood is out now.
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