In the original release, Shantotto was primarily a character involved in Black Mage related quests, and was not meant to have become such an iconic Windurstian character. Her few appearances proved memorable to fans on both sides of the Pacific and in response the developers expanded on her character in a number of expansion stories. Due to her general popularity with the player-base she has become one of the game's most iconic characters, and typically serves as its main representative in crossover products or events.