Question about Valefor in FFXIV.

[Yasuhiro]

Actually looking up on the wiki just a moment ago I found out more information on the Valefor mob in Crystal Tower, they're also known as Balfrey but I can't find the source on where that name came from, I even just replayed FFIII (JP) and the DS remake just recently too.

[Anonymoose]

they're also known as Balfrey but I can't find the source on where that name came from

Not all translations are equal, lol.

There are a series of books credited to King Solomon on the subject of the demons he allegedly enslaved, the most well-known of which in fantasy and gaming worldbuilding probably being the Lesser Key of Solomon, specifically the first book, the Ars Goetia. From these early lists of demons comes the name Valefar.

This was converted into バルフレー (Bafure).

バ Ba (There's no Va)
ル ru (replaces L)
フ fu
レ re
ー draws out the vowel just before it

Pretend you only know those Katakana and try to bring it back to English: BA-L-F-RAY. Balfrey.

In Final Fantasy X, they went with ヴァルファーレ, instead.

ヴァ u + a = va
ル ru
ファ fu + a = fa
ー draws out the vowel before it
レ re


EDIT Fun fact, it is believed that this is how the real-world Masamune was lost. Someone who claimed it had their name transcribed into Japanese, and when it came out again as Coldy Bimore, no one had no idea where the hell to start looking.