Black Mage
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Vivi Ornitier is one of the most popular and well-known Black Mages in the Final Fantasy series. | |
| Also known as | Black Wizard |
| Type | Magical |
| Skills | Offensive magic |
The Black Mage (黒魔道士; kuromadōshi, or くろまどうし in earlier games without kanji support) is a character class (or job) in Square Enix's Final Fantasy series of computer role-playing games. It is occasionally referred to as the Wizard or Black Wizard, although this is sometimes a separate upgrade of the class. They are usually depicted wearing distinctive costumes consisting of a blue or black robe and a large conical, wide-brimmed hat which obscures their face, with two yellow eyes shining from within the shadow. Some Black Mages also wear trousers with vertical stripes.
In contrast to a White Mage, a Black Mage has the ability to cast offensive magic spells. Often elemental-based, these spells may also cause status changing ailments to the enemy. Spells range from Fire, Ice, and Thunder, to more destructive spells such as Meteor or Flare, to darker spells such as Death and Doom.
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[edit] History
The Black Mage has appeared in some form in nearly every Final Fantasy installment.
[edit] Final Fantasy
The Black Mage appears in the first title of the Final Fantasy series as one of six selectable classes at the start of the game. During the adventure, the player purchases increasingly powerful spells for the Black Mage, which can then be used in combat. The Black Mage's list of learned abilities is organized into eight numerical spell levels. Four spells are contained in each level, but only three of these can be learned by the Black Mage at any one time. Thus, an important part of strategy in Final Fantasy involves customizing the Black Mage by choosing certain spells over others in order to achieve maximum potential from the character. The player has the option of upgrading the Black Mage to a Black Wizard at a certain point in the adventure by completing a short quest from Bahamut, the King of Dragons.
In the original NES game, the Black Wizard lacked both the hat and obscured face that would become the defining features of the Black Mage. An interesting point is that it did prove that Black Mages are human. (There is some controversy since Black Mages never take off their hat.) This was changed in the WonderSwan remakes and Final Fantasy Origins so that he still looks like a 'proper' Black Mage after becoming a Black Wizard.
[edit] Final Fantasy II
In Final Fantasy IIBlack Mages exist as inhabitants of a city of magic-users. The village of Mysidia is home to Black Mages exclusively, and is pivotal in the player's quest to receive the Ultima Tome.
[edit] Final Fantasy III
Black Mage is one of the earlier jobs that can be available at the start of Final Fantasy III, after defeating the first boss. Later in the game, the Warlock (Magus in the Nintendo DS version) job will be available, which is the equivalent of the Black Wizard of the first game. Both jobs behave the same as the first game and spells can have to be bought and can only learn three spells. Also, some of the most powerful spells can't be bought, they have to be found in certain places.
[edit] Final Fantasy IV
In Final Fantasy IV, Mysidia is the name of the city from which Palom and Porom originate, although this incarnation is occupied by both Black Mages and White Mages. Palom is a black mage (though he doesn't wear the typical Black Mage garment) and he can also use Twin magic with his sister to unleash more powerful attacks. Tellah and Rydia also can use black magic, though the former is considered more as a Sage and the latter as a Summoner.
[edit] Final Fantasy V
The Black Mage job becomes available after defeating an earlier boss in Final Fantasy V. Unlike Final Fantasy III, however, there is only one Black Magic-based job. The Black Mage can learn and use all of the spells available in the game since there are no more than three spells per level. However, in order to use a certain level of black magic, the player must use the job and train to an appropriate level.
[edit] Final Fantasy IX
In Final Fantasy IX, the Black Mage Village is a forested hamlet where many mass-produced Black Mages have somehow become self-aware, and work to carve out an existence for themselves beyond the reach of their makers. Final Fantasy IX is also notable for its high focus on the "classic" Black Mage, as depicted in previous installments of Final Fantasy. Both a playable character (Vivi Ornitier) and a series of bosses (the Black Waltzes) are clothed in the traditional garb of Black Mages and can use black magic in battle. Final Fantasy IX was the only game (so far) that had Black Mages as a completely different race.
[edit] Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2
The character Lulu of Final Fantasy X is clearly based on the traditional Black Mage, at least in ability. However, she dresses in an exaggerated gothic style, and has no ties to traditional Black Mage garb.
In X-2, any character can use the dressphere system to transform into a Black Mage, typified by the character donning an oversized Black Mage hat.
[edit] Final Fantasy XI
In the MMORPG incarnation of the series, the Black Mage follows Final Fantasy tradition, being a mage class that specializes in damage-dealing through "nukes," or powerful offensive magic. Because of the new battle system used in Final Fantasy XI and other similar massively multiplayer online games, in which the monster will direct its attack towards the player that it perceives as the largest threat, it is not practical for the Black Mage to nuke without caution as they have in previous installations in the series. Despite these restrictions, they remain one of the biggest damage dealers in the game. Black Mages equip staves and clubs almost exclusively, they are also able to equip a certain class of swords called bilbos; unlike their White Mage brethren, they are unable to equip most shields. At later levels, they also have access to several scythes.
[edit] Final Fantasy Tactics
In Final Fantasy Tactics, the Black Mage is an unlockable job rather than a class - every character can theoretically become a Black Mage and Black Magic, once learned, can be used by characters with other jobs. Spells are not bought with money but rather with Job Points, which are awarded for successful actions. The Black Mage is one of the more expensive classes to master.
Unlike in the traditional Final Fantasy games, in Final Fantasy Tactics the Black Mage has to charge up a spell before it becomes effective. During this time the Black Mage cannot perform any actions besides moving without interrupting the spell, which makes charging Black Mages an important target, as they are relatively defenseless. Also, since most spells affect an area it's possible to use magic against the caster by standing close to him or his allies when the spell goes off. (Note that charging and area effects are common in Final Fantasy Tactics and by no means limited to Black Magic.)
[edit] Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
Unlike most other Final Fantasy games, in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, Black Mages only learn the first, second, and third-levels of the three standard elements: Fire, Thunder, and Blizzard. Black Mages can also become Time Mages after mastering 5 Black Mage skills. Black Magic affects the area in a cross formation (+), attacking one space in each cardinal direction from the center of origin. In the game, the job is limited only to Humans, Nu Mou and Moogles.
[edit] Other games
- In Kingdom Hearts, some of Donald Duck's rods have the figure head of a Black Mage. Some of the magic casting Heartless, such as the Wizard and especially the Blue Rhapsody also resemble Black Mages.
- Vivi Ornitier makes an appearance in Kingdom Hearts II, though he is never referred to as a Black Mage nor does he practice any magic.
- A Black Mage is a playable character in the PlayStation racing game Chocobo Racing. He rides a cloud and can power up the magic stones he collects during the race.
- Black Mages also appear in Mario Hoops 3-on-3 for the Nintendo DS, along with other Mario and Final Fantasy characters. His special shot is Meteor.
- Ragnarok Online features the Mage and Wizard jobs, being similar to that of Black Mages in their ability to use offensive magic. While physically weak (like other jobs of this type), they are capable of dealing great amounts of damage through the use of their magic.
[edit] References in culture
The concept of malicious sorcerers responsible for all sorts of mischief is near-universal in human culture. This stereotype is projected on anything from the shamans of rival tribes to the priests of foreign religions to the satanists of today.
However, the term black mage or black magician is found only in western society, as similar roles in other cultures are usually known by names without the color association. It is often supposed that the term 'black magic' originated as a corruption of the Latin "necromantia" (necromancy), in ancient Greek "νεκρομαντία" or a kind of divination which makes use of dead bodies to predict future events, to "nigromantia" (black art or magic). (Maybe this belief originates the myth of the necronomicon or book of the dead.) The color black does connote evil and death in other societies, as evidenced by the Nordic Svartalfr (black elves) known to bring nightmares, but its application to magic and its practitioners is unique.
'Black' and 'White' shamans appear in the Siberian shamanic tradition, and the white ones deal with the powers of the upper world, while black ones work with the lower world, but their roles in society do not seem to reflect western concepts of black and white magic.
Despite the stereotypes of western cultures, the Black Mages of Final Fantasy are no more predisposed towards evil than their white counterparts.
The outfit of the Black Mages is likely a reference to the Norse god Odin who, during his training in magic, travelled the world of the mortals wearing long baggy robes and a large steepled hat to obscure his face.
Black Mages have also been referenced in various mediums;
- The Black Mages is the name of Final Fantasy music composer Nobuo Uematsu's band that plays remixes of Final Fantasy music.
- Wizardmon from the Digimon series bears many similarities to a Black Mage.
- The Wizzrobes in several The Legend of Zelda games bear some likeness to a Black Mage. It should be noted that The Legend of Zelda and, thus, the Wizzrobe, predate the Black Mage and Final Fantasy by one year.
- The Mage (Innocent Devil) in Castlevania: Curse of Darkness looks almost identical to black mages (Vivi).
- In 8-Bit Theater, a webcomic parodying the original Final Fantasy, Black Mage Evilwizardington is a villainous and bloodthirsty sociopath who has next-to-no redeeming traits whatsoever and revels in acts of senseless violence. The character is based on the stereotypes that Black Mages are inherently evil.
