In several installments of the Final Fantasy series of role-playing games by Square Enix, classes (jobs) are roles assigned to playable characters that determine the character's proficiencies.[1] Classes can be loosely categorized into physical classes, which specialize in using weapons and techniques; magical classes, which are proficient in magic; and mixed classes, which combine elements of both classes in addition to other special abilities.
This article summarizes the most common character classes; many games in the series have featured unique classes that have not reappeared in subsequent games. For information on those classes, see the article regarding the game in which the class appeared. Job classes in Final Fantasy XI are featured in Final Fantasy XI character classes; those in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance are featured in List of jobs in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance.
Contents |
Many Final Fantasy installments deviate from the class system by allowing flexibility in character growth, or featuring pre-determined jobs. In Final Fantasy VI, VII, and VIII, characters begin with equipment and attack proficiencies similar to character classes, but the player can allocate magic and statistical bonuses.[7][8][9] Final Fantasy character classes have also made cameo appearances as hidden players in Mario Hoops 3-on-3 and Mario Sports Mix and as enemies in Kingdom Hearts II.
The following table summarizes the names of the jobs in the various Final Fantasy video games. The columns are sorted from pure physical (Fighting) jobs on the left to pure magical (Healing) classes to the right. Since jobs names can vary slightly between different versions of the same video game, the version where names are taken from is written under the video game title in the first column.
| Final Fantasy (version) |
N. of Classes |
Physical Classes |
Physical Classes with Magic |
Mixed Classes |
Offensive Magic Classes |
Mixed Magic Classes |
Healing Magic Classes |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FF 1 (NES) |
12 | Fighter Black Belt Thief Master |
Knight Ninja |
Red Mage Red Wizard |
Black Mage Black Wizard |
- | White Mage White Wizard |
|
| FF 2 (GBA) |
0 | - | - | (Firion) (Maria) (Guy) (Leon) (Gordon) (Josef) (Leila) (Ricard) (Scott) |
- | - | (Minwu) | |
| FF 3 (DS) |
23 | Freelancer Warrior Monk Knight Thief Dragoon Black Belt Viking Ninja Onion Knight |
Ranger Dark Knight |
Red Mage Scholar Bard |
Black Mage Evoker Geomancer Magus Summoner |
Sage | White Mage Devout |
|
| FF 4 (SNES) |
12 | Dark Knight Dragoon Monk Engineer |
Paladin Ninja |
Bard | Black Mage Summoner |
Sage Lunarian |
White Mage (F) White Mage (M) |
|
| FF 5 (GBA) |
26 | Black Mage Summoner |
White Mage | |||||
| FF 6 (SNES) |
14 | |||||||
| FF 7 (PC) |
0 | - | - | (Cloud) (Tifa) (Barret) (Nanaki/Red XIII) (Caith Sith) (Cid) (Yuffie) (Vincent) |
- | - | (Aeris) | |
| FF 8 | ||||||||
| FF 9 | 0 | (Steiner) (Amarant) |
(Zidane) (Freya) |
(Vivi) | (Quina) | (Garnet/Dagger) (Eiko) |
||
| FF 10 | 0 | (Wakka) (Rikku) |
(Tidus) (Auron) |
(Kimarhi) | (Lulu) | (Yuna) | ||
| FF X-2 | ||||||||
| FF 11 | 20 | Warrior Monk Thief Ranger Beastmaster Samurai Dragoon |
Paladin Dark Knight Ninja Puppetmaster Dancer |
Red Mage Bard Blue Mage Corsair |
Black Mage | Summoner Scholar |
White Mage | |
| FF 12 | ||||||||
| FF 13 | 6 | Commando | Sentinel | Ravager | Synergist Saboteur |
Medic | ||
| FF 14 | ||||||||
| FF T | ||||||||
| FF TA | ||||||||
| FF LD |
Physical classes are able to inflict damage through a variety of weapons and job-specific techniques. In general, these jobs have access to heavier weapons and armor than magical or mixed classes, giving them superior attack power and physical defense.
The Warrior (戦士 Senshi), formerly translated as the Fighter, is portrayed as an expert of the sword and/or axe who uses some of the most powerful armors and weaponry.[2][4] As such, it is a well-rounded physical combatant with high attack and defense statistics.[12] Initially, the Knight was treated as an upgraded form of the Warrior class,[2][4] but later games in the series began to use the two terms interchangeably.[18] Recurring abilities shared by the Warrior / Fighter and Knight classes include various special attacks, the most common of which are the various "break" or "rend" abilities, each of which can either inflict a specific stat-lowering debuffs or destroy a specific piece of enemy equipment. Recurring abilities of the Knight class include the ability to cast some lower level white magic spells and Cover, which intercepts attacks against wounded allies. The Warrior has appeared in Final Fantasy,[2] Final Fantasy III,[4] Final Fantasy X-2, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance,[17] and Final Fantasy XI;[13] the Knight has appeared in Final Fantasy,[2] Final Fantasy III,[4] Final Fantasy IV(Knight[Naito] also meaning Paladin in the Japanese Version), Final Fantasy V,[18] Final Fantasy XII International Zodiac Job System and Final Fantasy Tactics.[16] Though she is not officially deemed as a Warrior, Final Fantasy XIII protagonist Lightning fights and attacks enemies with a sword-like gunblade whenever she takes on the Commando role. Many games in the series feature specialized sword-wielding classes, such as Dark Knight, Paladin, Samurai, or Holy Knight.[4][16]
The Monk (モンク Monku) is a master of martial arts who favors barehanded fighting,[2][4][18] sometimes supplemented with claws. In some games, they can use meditative techniques, which improve their power or heal their wounds.[16][18] They can often counterattack against physical attacks as well.[18] In early English localizations of the series, the Monk was known as the Black Belt;[19] in Final Fantasy III, the Black Belt is an upgraded form of the Monk.[4] The Monk has appeared as a class in Final Fantasy,[2] Final Fantasy III,[4] Final Fantasy IV (as Yang Fang Leiden),[6] Final Fantasy V,[18] Final Fantasy VI (as Sabin Rene Figaro),[20] Final Fantasy IX (as Amarant Coral), Final Fantasy X (as Rikku), Final Fantasy XI,[13] Final Fantasy XII International Zodiac Job System, Final Fantasy Tactics,[16] Final Fantasy Tactics Advance,[17] and Hataraku Chocobo. In addition, Tifa Lockhart (Final Fantasy VII), Zell Dincht (Final Fantasy VIII) and Snow Villiers (Final Fantasy XIII) all fight with gloved hands (the former can also use claws), as well as having hand-to-hand limit breaks or special attack (Snow's Sovereign Fist), keeping the tradition of the monk class.
Samurai (侍 Samurai) are Japanese-styled fighters who fight primarily with katana.[16] They hold their weapons with both hands for increased damage. Some abilities often associated with Samurai are Coin Toss (sometimes Gil Toss, GP Rain, or Zeninage) which uses Gil to damage enemies, Fast Draw (also referred as Fdraw, Iainuki, Zantetsu or Oblivion/Cleave) an attempt to defeat the enemy in a single attack, and Blade Catch (Shirahadori), a supplementary evasion skill.[21] Samurai are featured as classes in Final Fantasy V,[21] Final Fantasy VI (as Cyan Garamonde), Final Fantasy X-2, Final Fantasy XI,[22] and Final Fantasy Tactics. In Final Fantasy Tactics, Samurai can unleash the "spirit" of certain katana with their Draw Out skill.[16] In Final Fantasy X, the character Auron uses the abilities that of a samurai and fighter, also Yuna can summon Yojimbo a samurai who when given the right gil can attack with zanmato (instant kill). Samurai is also a type of enemy in Kingdom Hearts II, with similar powers and appearance.
The Dragoon (竜騎士 Ryūkishi) (also known as Dragon Knight or Lancer) uses spears and their Jump ability and usually wears heavy armor.[4][18] Jump typically does double damage when the user is wielding a spear, and removes the Dragon Knight from combat for one round.[6][18] While jumping, Dragoons either thrust downward with their spears to skewer enemies,[6][16] or toss the weapon at the foe from above. In Final Fantasy VI, the "Jump" skill is a special ability conferred by the "Dragoon Boots" relic. The English software localization of Final Fantasy IV, Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance refers to Dragon Knights as Dragoons,[22] and the English localization of Final Fantasy Tactics refers to them as Lancers.[16] In addition, the characters Ricard Highwind (Final Fantasy II), Kain Highwind (Final Fantasy IV),[6] Cid Highwind (Final Fantasy VII),[23] Freya Crescent (Final Fantasy IX), and Llyud (Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings) are identified as Dragoons. Alexander Highwind Tycoon (Final Fantasy V), though not specifically stated to be a Dragoon, shares the common Highwind surname and wears armor resembling the traditional Dragoon garb. Ward Zabac (Final Fantasy VIII) is similar to a Dragoon because he fights with harpoon-style weapons and features an aerial limit break ("Jump"-like attacks).[24] Kimahri Ronso (Final Fantasy X) uses spears for weapons and features an overdrive called Jump.[25] The MMORPG Final Fantasy XI features the dragoon as a playable job class; players are able to utilize several signature jump techniques, as well as summon a wyvern as support in combat. In the Final Fantasy Tactics Advance series, only Bangaa characters can become Dragoons. Dragoon is also a type of enemy in Kingdom Hearts II, with similar powers and appearance. Unlike their armor, the design for the Dragoons' helmets remain fairly constant from game to game. Oerba Yun Fang from Final Fantasy XIII also possesses characteristics of a Dragoon, as she wields a spear and can even perform a full ATB attack called Highwind, a powerful Jump attack. During chapter 9 aboard "The Palamecia" in Final Fantasy XIII, a soldier-type enemy called "PSICOM Dragoons" appears, wearing the characteristic PSICOM armor with an additional hi-tech jetpack strapped to the back of the suit.
The Thief (シーフ Shīfu) is generally a nimble and agile physical combatant whose main weapon includes daggers or short swords.[2] They usually have very high speed, accuracy, and evasion but low defense due to light armor.[12] Steal is their trademark ability; it allows them to transfer an item or piece of equipment held by an enemy to the player's inventory.[12][16] They can also disarm traps and detect hidden passages.[18] as well as sometimes obtaining the skill 'capture' or 'mug', which allows items to be stolen during an attack. The Thief has appeared as a class in Final Fantasy,[2] Final Fantasy III,[4] Final Fantasy V,[18] Final Fantasy X and X-2, Final Fantasy XI,[13] Final Fantasy Tactics,[16] Final Fantasy Tactics Advance,[17] and Hataraku Chocobo. Locke Cole (Final Fantasy VI) and Zidane Tribal (Final Fantasy IX) were stated to be Thieves in their respective games, although Locke insists that he is a "treasure hunter."[26][27] Rikku (Final Fantasy X-2) starts off with Thief as her default dressphere,[12] and learns theft-related moves in Final Fantasy X (Steal, Pilfer Gil, etc.). Yuffie from Final Fantasy VII is identified as a "materia hunter," she does steal the party's materia at one time during the game, as well as comes equipped with "steal" materia when she joins the party.
The Ninja is generally both fast and powerful; however, to achieve this level of dexterity, Ninja are unable to wear heavy armor. They can equip Ninja-specific weapons, such as Ninja Swords, Katanas, Knives, and Boomerangs. Ninja usually possess the Throw ability, which allows them to throw powerful, damage-dealing items like Shuriken and weapons from the inventory at the enemy.[16][18] In many games, Ninja possess the ability to hold a weapon in each hand, sometimes known as Doublewield or Two Swords.[16][18] There are various Ninjutsu effects that depending on the game appear as magic,[6] throwable items, or commands. Specific to Final Fantasy XI, "Ninja shares more in common with a spellcaster than a physical job with the line of Ninjutsu spells". Current trends in FFXI, however, render this quote somewhat unsatisfactory. Players emphasize both the Ninja's iconic dual-weapon focused melee expertise as well as it's Ninjutsu "magic" to debuff and avoid damage; therefore, this game's incarnation of the job is more of a tank. In the original Final Fantasy, the Ninja class is a class change of the Thief. This association between the Thief class is a constant trend in latter Final Fantasy games. Edge in Final Fantasy IV has the Steal skill as well as the Ninjutsu abilities; in Final Fantasy Tactics Advanced mastering skills in the "Thief" jobclass is a prerequisite to acquiring the "Ninja" class.[2] They also appear in Final Fantasy III,[4] Final Fantasy V,[18] Final Fantasy VI (as Shadow),[20] Final Fantasy Tactics,[16] Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, and Final Fantasy XI.[22] Yuffie Kisaragi from Final Fantasy VII has her job given as "Ninja". Amarant Coral from Final Fantasy IX possesses the Ninja signature move, 'Throw', but also possesses many characteristics of the monk character class. Hope Estheim from Final Fantasy XIII has some characteristics of a Ninja, as he fights with boomerangs that he throws to attack enemies whenever he takes on the Commando role, in which he minors. Ninja has also appeared in Mario Sports Mix.
Dark Knights wield dark magic dedicated to stealing the health of an enemy. Their special attacks usually involve draining their own health — or, in some cases, sacrificing themselves — to inflict heavy damage on the enemy.[6] Some of the most notable dark knights in the series include Leon/Leonhart (Final Fantasy II), Cecil Harvey (Final Fantasy IV), Goffard Gafgarion (Final Fantasy Tactics) and Zeid (Final Fantasy XI). Dark Knights are also found in Final Fantasy III,[4] Final Fantasy X-2, and Final Fantasy XI. In Final Fantasy XI, they are a damage dealing class with the highest base attack in the game but have relatively weak black magic spells other than their dark magic.[22] They do not appear in Final Fantasy VIII and Final Fantasy IX, but their trademark Darkside ability is learnable. In Final Fantasy XII, the Soul Eater ability and the Arcane class of magic are learnable. In Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions, characters can use the Dark Knight class. This differs from Gafgarion's version of the class, which is renamed Fell Knight.[28] Dark Knights are usually among the most powerful damage dealers in their respective titles, but also typically suffer from a notable lack in defense, though this is often circumvented by their life absorbing abilities. Dark Knights are typically portrayed as either warriors of evil, or tortured figures who draw upon their own torment and suffering in order to power their abilities.
Paladins, the opposite of Dark Knights, are virtuous knights devoted to the good of the people; these "knights in shining armor" wield low-level white magic to aid the people. The Paladin can use Cover to temporarily redirect damage from an ally to itself. This ability was also usable through a Relic called True Knight in Final Fantasy VI, and was also available through the "Cover" Materia in Final Fantasy VII. Notable Paladins in the series include Cecil Harvey (Final Fantasy IV), Beatrix (Final Fantasy IX), Agrias Oakes, and Delita Hyral (both of whom are called Holy Knights in Final Fantasy Tactics). In Final Fantasy III they are simply referred to as Knights but do still possess the Cover skill and have access to low rank white magic. In Final Fantasy XI, they rely on curative magic and high defense bonuses to aid their parties in battle, they also have the highest sword and shield skills.[22] Paladins also appear in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance in which they are the ones who can master the powerful Holy Blade ability, which deals harsh Holy-based damage to a single target (except those who are immune against the element), often resulting to an instant kill to the afflicted target.
The Hunter (sometimes called Archer,[16] Ranger,[22] or Gunner[12]) is a physical class specializing in long-ranged weapons—such as bows, crossbows and occasionally guns.[16] The class frequently possesses the "Aim" command, which performs an attack with greatly increased accuracy,[21] and a command localized as "Barrage", "Rapid Fire" or "X-Fight", which makes several attacks for reduced damage, generally against random targets. Aside from their bow attacks, some Hunters have personal buff abilities, such as Charge, which increases the damage that arrows inflict.[16] They can inflict status effects with specialized arrows, and sometimes can detect, capture, or hide from enemies. They have appeared as a class (in some form) in Final Fantasy III,[4] Final Fantasy V,[21] Final Fantasy XI,[22] Final Fantasy XII International Zodiac Job System, Final Fantasy Tactics,[16] and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance.[17] Some White Mages and Warriors throughout the series can use bows. Rosa from Final Fantasy IV, for example, is a White Mage with the "Aim" ability.[6] The Hunter class is not present in Final Fantasy VI, however their "X-Fight" command is available. In Final Fantasy Tactics, the Engineer, Mediator, and Chemist classes have the ability to shoot long-range guns. The Sniper is an upgraded class of the Archer in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, and can use more advanced moves like Doubleshot. Barret Wallace and Vincent Valentine from Final Fantasy VII fight with a gun-arm and a gun, respectively, like Hunters, and the Double Cut materia can be used to gain the "Barrage" / "Rapid Fire" / "X-Fight" command, which is localized as "4x Cut" in this installment. Irvine Kinneas from Final Fantasy VIII wields a variety of rifles, and his Limit Break, "Shot", allows him to fire a volley of a variety of bullets with various effects. Laguna Loire from Final Fantasy VIII wields a machine gun and his Limit Break, "Desperado", has him swing from a rope and unleash a barrage of gunfire, followed by an explosion from a hand grenade, which deals damage to all enemies. Yuna (Final Fantasy X-2) starts off with the Gunner as her default dressphere. Wakka from Final Fantasy X serves as an interesting new take on a Hunter, as he fights with a blitzball he can throw to attack enemies from long distances rather than the expected bow, crossbow, or gun, and he, too, can use the "Aim" ability. The new playable race known as Gria in Final Fantasy Tactics A2 Grimoire of the Rift are able to become Hunters. The other new race in Final Fantasy Tactics A2 Grimoire of the Rift, the Seeq, have the Ranger job available to them. Sazh Katzroy from Final Fantasy XIII has some characteristics of Hunters, as he uses guns to attack enemies from long distances whenever he takes on the Commando role, in which he majors.
The Viking class is a very rare class that has only appeared in Final Fantasy III (both the NES and DS versions) and Final Fantasy Tactics A2. It consists of characters who wield axes and hammers as their weapons, and they can swing them with great ease. Vikings possess excessive physical strength and typically have a large amount of HP. In the DS version of Final Fantasy III, the class comes with the special ability "Provoke," which increases the chance of a targeted enemy attacking the Viking. All characters may take on the Viking job class in both versions of Final Fantasy III, while only Seeq can be Vikings in Final Fantasy Tactics A2. In addition, while there are no official Vikings in Final Fantasy X, Tidus may learn "Provoke" on the Sphere Grid fairly early on in the game. In Final Fantasy XI, the Warrior class learns "Provoke" at level 5. Characters who take on the Sentinel role in Final Fantasy XIII (such as Snow Villiers and Oerba Yun Fang, who initially major in the role) can also learn powerful defensive moves like the "Provoke" ability to take the focus off their allies, who then heal them as Medics, and they can even immediately counterattack their enemies after defending against their attacks.
The Berserker is a pure physical class focusing on high strength to defeat their opponents. Typically, Berserkers, like the aforementioned Vikings of Final Fantasy III, use axes and hammers, though some use their bare hands. In most appearances, a Berserker, unlike a Viking, is in a permanent "Berserk" status and as such not able to use other commands than "Attack". They first appeared in Final Fantasy V as a Job Class after acquiring the pieces of the Water Crystal. The Yeti Umaro from Final Fantasy VI can also be considered as a berserker. Final Fantasy VII's Vincent Valentine may be considered a Berserker due to his Limit Breaks, which morph him into powerful, yet uncontrollable creatures. In Final Fantasy X-2 the Berserker class appears again with the Berserker Dressphere. Berserker are controllable this time, but can use the berserk command to increase their power for less control. Berserker is also a type of enemy in Kingdom Hearts II, with similar powers and appearance. The Berserker class is also available as a job to the Seeq race in Final Fantasy Tactics A2 Grimoire of the Rift.
Mystic Knights are warriors that can cast magic on their swords to perform attacks with the power of the spell for several rounds. They have also been called Magic Knights, Mageknights, Biskmatars, and Sorcerers.[21] In Final Fantasy V, the Mystic Knight can use any magic previously learned on their sword.[21] The skill itself is called Magic Sword and Spellblade (Final Fantasy V Advance). Although their magic power is weaker than the mages', Mystic Knights use less MP (and generally pierce Reflect, which can hinder certain mages' offense). In Final Fantasy XI, Red Mages have "En-" spells, which imbue their weapons with elements. The Mystic Knight's ability appears in Final Fantasy IX in the form of the combo between Steiner and Vivi, where Vivi casts a spell on Steiner's sword, who attacks the enemy at the same time (although, confusingly, it is Steiner's MP which is consumed by doing so). In Final Fantasy VII, the Added Effect materia could be used in a combo slot with a Magic materia such as Bio or Transform or the Elemental Materia with other magic Materia such as Ice (Blizzard) or Fire for the same results. Likewise, the same effect can be obtained in Final Fantasy VIII through the use of the Junction system, adding elemental or status-inflicting spells to their respective attack junctions. In Final Fantasy X-2, the Warrior dressphere carries elemental physical attacks that use MP. Lightning, Snow, and Fang from Final Fantasy XIII can physically attack enemies with their weapons while causing elemental damage with some of their attacks whenever they take on the Ravager role.
Onion Knights are warriors with distinctive, onion-like helmets. In all versions of Final Fantasy III, they have an initially low stat growth rate which steeply increases as they approach the maximum level of 99. In earlier versions of Final Fantasy III, they are the starting class, can use all equipment, and cannot cast spells or use other special abilities. In the Nintendo DS remake, they are an optional class obtainable through a sidequest and have gained the ability to use black and white magic of all levels. However, they cannot use other classes' new, class-specific equipment. In Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions, the Onion Knight job can use any weapon, its stats are initially low, but increase based on the number of other jobs a character has mastered. In Dissidia: Final Fantasy, the Onion Knight character can use sword-based attacks and black magic spells.
The Machinist (からくり士 Karakurishi), Gadgeteer, Tinker or Engineer job is focused on using mechanical devices. In Final Fantasy VI, Edgar Roni Figaro, has the Tool command, which allows him to use tools to damage and / or debuff enemies, and can wield spears, swords and knives. In Final Fantasy XII International Zodiac Job System, the Machinist job can wield guns and measures, wear light armor and cast some high level time spells and low level green spells. In Final Fantasy Tactics, Engineers can wield guns and have the Aimed Shot command, which includes three attack abilities: Arm Shot, which prevents attacks and spells, Leg Shot, which prevents movement, and Seal Evil, which can petrify undead targets, and the Engineer job is exclusive to the recruitable character Mustadio Bunansa and the NPC Barich Fendsor. Final Fantasy Tactics Advance includes a Gadgeteer job and Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift includes a Tinker job, Gadgeteers have the Pandora command and Tinkers have the similar Clockwork command, each Pandora or Clockwork ability performs a specific effect, such as healing, applying a specific buff or buffs or applying a specific debuff, and randomly targets either all members the enemy team or all members of the Engineer's own team, both jobs use fist and claw weapons and are exclusive to the Moogle race.
The Freelancer (すっぴん Suppin), also localized as Bare or Natural, is usually the default job in the games in which it appears. In Final Fantasy V, the Freelancer can use any piece of equipment, it starts out with no stat bonuses or penalties and no special abilities, however it inherits the highest stat bonuses and most passive abilities from other jobs a character masters, and, unlike other jobs, it has two slots for commands or special abilities. In the Nintendo DS remake of Final Fantasy III, the Freelancer has replaced the Onion Knight as the default job, Freelancers have average stats, can use most equipment and can cast first level black and white magic spells. In Final Fantasy X-2 International + Last Mission, characters change to the Bare job if all available Dresspheres have been disabled in the Yadonoki Tower bonus dungeon, Bare characters have low stats and no special abilities. In Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon, the Natural job has average stats and learns mostly offense-oriented, chocobo-themed abilities. In Final Fantasy III and V, characters with the Freelancer job wear their default outfits. In Final Fantasy X-2 International + Last Mission, characters with the Bare job are unarmed and in their underwear, in Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon, Chocobo, the protagonist, wears a red pouch around his neck while using the Natural job. Lightning, Snow, Vanille, Sazh, and Hope from Final Fantasy XIII take on the Freelancer job until they are made into l'Cie.
The Gunner (銃使い Jyuutsukai), sometimes localized as Fusilier, is a class focused on the use of firearms. Each version of the class includes a command for performing special attacks with a gun, in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance and Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift, that command is Gunmanship, and the attacks deal elemental damage or have a chance of inflicting a specific debuff on the target, while in Final Fantasy X-2, the class's signature command is called Gunplay and most of the special attacks deal physical damage to a single target. The class was first introduced to the series in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, and has also been featured in Final Fantasy VII (Barret Wallace and Vincent Valentine), Final Fantasy VIII (Laguna Loire and Irvine Kinneas), Final Fantasy X-2, Final Fantasy XIII (Sazh Katzroy), and in Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift, in which it is localized as Fusilier. In Final Fantasy Tactics Advance and Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift, the class is exclusive to the Moogle race.
Magical classes specialize in casting magic, including traditional white and black magic, as well as more esoteric forms of magic, such as geomancy. Magical classes are generally restricted to lighter equipment, such as rods, staves and robes, giving them weak attack power and physical defense, however their armor often provides high magical defense, and their equipment often provides bonuses to magic-related stats.
One of the most iconic classes of the Final Fantasy franchise, the Black Mage (黒魔道士 Kuromadōshi) is a magic user specializing in attack magic, Black Magic.[2][21] Their weapons are generally restricted to rods and daggers. 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.[2][21] The outfit of the Black Mages is similar to the generic appearance of a wizard. In the original NES game, the Black Wizard lacked the hat and obscured face that became the defining features of the Black Mage. This was changed in the WonderSwan remakes and Final Fantasy Origins so that he still looks like a traditional Black Mage after becoming a Black Wizard.[2] In the English localization of Final Fantasy Tactics, Black Mages were called Wizards.[16] In Final Fantasy IX, the Black Mage Village is a forested hamlet where many mass-produced Black Mages have become self-aware. Final Fantasy IX is the only game that features Black Mages as a distinct race, although the Yukes of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles are very similar in their inhuman appearance and magical ability. In Final Fantasy I, Black Mages can be upgraded into Black Wizards.[2]
The Black Mage is available as a class in:
In Kingdom Hearts, some of Donald Duck's rods have the figure head of a Black Mage. Statues of Black Mages are seen in various places at the magic academy in Geo in Legend of Mana. A Black Mage is a playable character in the PlayStation racing game Chocobo Racing. A Black Mage also appears in Dice de Chocobo, Chocobo Land: A Game of Dice, Mario Hoops 3-on-3 and Mario Sports Mix, while enemy Black Mages appear in Chocobo's Dungeon 2. The Black Mages is the name of Final Fantasy music composer Nobuo Uematsu's band that plays remixes of Final Fantasy music. Black Mages have also made appearances in Super Mario Sports Mix.
A White Mage (白魔道士 Shiromadōshi) uses White Magic,[2] which emphasizes defensive spells such as replenishing party members' hit points with spells such as Cure, reviving the fallen with spells such as Raise or Life, and curing status conditions with spells such as Esuna.[21] Typically having a weak and limited repertoire of attack spells and an inability to use heavy weaponry or armor, their primary use is support for other members of a battle party. White mages' weapons are generally restricted to staves, rods, maces, and similar weapons such as flails and hammers. The relic weapon for white mage in Final Fantasy XI is the mythical hammer Mjollnir. Usually their only offensive skill is the magic Holy, which deals heavy damage to a target, regardless of whether or not the target is undead. They often cast 'holy'-element spells, which are typically effective against undead or demonic enemies. Because of the limited use of the class in combat, the White Mage has occasionally been integrated with the Summoner class. The White Mage is typically depicted as wearing a white cloak or robe, which robe has long sleeves and a hood that covers the Mage's hair.[2][4][22] Another feature of the robe is the red, triangular patterns on the cuffs of the sleeves and bottoms of the robes.[2][4][22] In some games, female White Mages wear the hood over their hair, while male White Mages normally do not wear the hood at all. In Final Fantasy XI, the hood is a separate piece from the body and they can be worn independently, regardless of gender.
White Mages have appeared as a class in:
Some White Mage NPCs appear in various towns in Final Fantasy IV, and Shelinda from Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2 is also a White Mage NPC. Shirma, (or Shiroma) a pink-haired female White Mage, is the partner of the main character Boco in Chocobo's Dungeon 2, a playable character in Chocobo Racing and makes another appearance in the Nintendo DS game Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales. She is also one of the central characters in Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon for the Wii console. A White Mage is also playable in Dice de Chocobo, Chocobo Land: A Game of Dice, and Mario Hoops 3-on-3.
A Devout (司祭 Shisai) is the natural evolution of a White Mage as they gain higher levels of healing and white magics like Seal and Holy. A Devout is limited to using a mace or flail, can only wear robes, and yet can use any other armor freely.
Summoners (召喚士 Shōkanshi) use Summoning Magic, which calls on powerful entities known as call beasts (Final Fantasy IV), Espers (Final Fantasy VI and Final Fantasy XII), Guardian Force (or "GF," for short, in Final Fantasy VIII), Eidolons (Final Fantasy IX, Final Fantasy XIII, and the DS version of Final Fantasy IV), Aeons (Final Fantasy X), Avatars (Final Fantasy XI), or simply Summon Monsters (most other games in the series). These entities attack enemies, protect the party, or render other forms of aid. Summoners often use commands such as "Summon," but in the original translation of Final Fantasy IV, the command was instead known as "Call". As a magic-using class, summoners are typically shown to be physically frail as a trade-off for high magical potency, and can traditionally equip only light armaments such as clothing and robes. Summoners often use staves or rods as weapons,[16] although in some games they can also use whips; their potential in the use of melee weaponry is downplayed significantly in favor of their ability to use magic. Many summoners feature a horn on the forehead and green robes.[22][30] Rydia of Final Fantasy IV, Garnet Til Alexandros XVII and Eiko Carol of Final Fantasy IX, and Yuna of Final Fantasy X are identified as summoners,[25] though there is usually also a strong White Mage element to the character. In some games that lacked Summoners, various means of equipping the summon ability are provided. In Final Fantasy III, the lower-class name for a Summoner is called an "Evoker".[4] Notable recurring "Summons" include Ifrit, Shiva, Ramuh, Bahamut, and Odin.
Summoners have appeared in:
The Time Mage (時魔道士 Tokimadōshi) is a specialized wizard with the ability to manipulate the space-time continuum to speed up, slow down, or completely halt the passage of time; control celestial bodies; or influence the pull of gravity.[30] Although it is referred to as Time Mage in English localizations of the series, some versions call it the Time/Space Mage. Time magic is also referred to as green magic and Time Mages as Green Mages to coincide with the black/white/red/blue mage theme. In actuality, the Japanese version specifically calls these mages "Time Mages" (時魔道士, tokimadōshi). Time Mages can typically wield rods and/or staves. They are commonly depicted wearing tall, pointed wizard hats adorned with star and moon decorations.[30]
Time Mages have appeared as classes in:
Scholars are a magic-based class introduced in Final Fantasy III. In Final Fantasy III, they use 'books', physical weapons with element-based damage and which are equally powerful from the front or back rows. In the original version of Final Fantasy III, Scholars can check an enemy's hit points or weakness. In the Nintendo DS remake, they can cast low level Black and White Magic spells, the effects of any items they use in battle are doubled, and their Study ability allows them to check an enemy's hit points and weakness, as well as removing the target's buffs. In Final Fantasy XI, Scholars have access to both the curative White Mage spells and the elementally powerful Black Mage spells, but do not have access to most of the enfeebling or enhancing spells from either job's spell line (though many of these can be acquired depending on the sub-job selected). They have spells that influence the weather effect that a character is under, and can cast powerful elemental Damage Over Time (DOT) spells that inflict small amounts of damage over regular intervals for a period of time. They also build up "charges" that are used to power effects that can cause spells to be cast more efficiently or more powerfully. While books cannot be equipped in Final Fantasy XI, the book theme from Final Fantasy III is retained as a book appears floating before the Scholar whenever a charge is used. In Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift, the Scholar class is exclusive to the Nu Mou race. Scholars have the Lore ability, which allows them to cast a number of spells. Many Lore spells inflict a specific type of damage such as ice or thunder indiscriminately against all units on the field, other Lore spells include Mad Science, which inflicts a random buff on a single target, and Study, which reveals the target's equipment, treasure and gil (money).
Scholars appear in:
A well-known NPC Scholar is Maechen from Final Fantasy X.
Although often combined with the role of the Time Mage, the Green Mage (緑魔道士 Midori Madōshi) is occasionally a separate class, specializing in casting status effects or removing them. They can cast single/multiple variants of staples such as Poison, Sleep and Blind and their reversals, as well as newer effects such as Leap (increasing agility). Green Magic does not include spells that cause HP damage, with the exception of some damage over time spells; nor does it typically include curative spells. Like most magic users they have relatively low HP (though higher than that of a Black Mage in general) but greater attack power than other caster classes, as they wield maces and hammers. As can be expected, the typical uniform for a Green Mage is dyed green.
They appear in:
The Sage (賢者 or セージ Kenja or Sēji) is a combination mage who can cast both black and white magic spells, like Red Mages. Unlike Red Mages, however, Sages eschew physical combat in favor of increased spellcasting proficiency, and are therefore usually restricted to light armor and weak weapons such as staves and wands, as well as having low MP.
They appear in various videogames throughout the series:
The Alchemist or Chemist class is generally focused on consumable restorative items. In Final Fantasy V, Chemists possess the passive Pharmacology ability, which doubles the potency of consumable restorative items such as Potions and Ethers and the Drink command, which allows a Chemist to use special drinks for personal buffs, and can gain three more commands: Mix, which combines two items to generate various effects depending on the items used, Recover, which removes debuffs from the party, and Revive, which revives the party with a small number of health points. In Final Fantasy X-2, Alchemists possess the Mix command, which functions much like it does in Final Fantasy V, can learn abilities used through the Stash command, which mimic the effects of consumable restorative items without consuming them, and can learn the Chemist, Elementalist and Physicist passive abilities, which double the potency of restorative, elemental damage and non-elemental damage items respectively. In Final Fantasy Tactics, Chemists possess the Items command, which makes it possible to use various consumable restorative items, and the Throw Items ability, which increases the range of these items, the ability to use each type of item must be learned separately. In Final Fantasy Tactics Advance and Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift, the Alchemist job is exclusive to the Nu Mou race, Alchemists can learn powerful damaging non-elemental damage spells such as Flare, as well as other spells, such as Rasp, which reduces the target's magic points, Astra, a buff which prevents the next status ailment from affecting the target, Poison, which poisons the target, and Toad, which transforms the target into a toad.
Chemists and Alchemists appear in:
These classes can use both adequate physical attacks and magic or magic-related attacks. Generally, these classes can equip heavier weapons and armor than magical classes, although their selection of heavier weapons and armor tends to be limited compared to that of physical classes.
Red Mages (赤魔道士 Akamadōshi) are members of a hybrid class, able to cast spells associated with either Black or White Mages, as well as wield swords. Unfortunately, the jack-of-all-trades quality of their profession makes them less powerful at each individual skill than the classes which specialize in them. In general, they are only able to cast low-mid level spells,[4] but make up for this deficiency by casting more quickly. For example, in later appearances, they are often associated with the ability to cast two spells in a single combat round (called Dualcast or Doublecast).[30] Final Fantasy XI, while not turn-based, continues this tradition by granting players who play as Red Mages a "Fast Cast" job trait, significantly shortening the period of time required to cast any magic spell. They are also able to access the special ability "Chainspell," which allows the player to both cast and recast spells instantly for a short period of time. In dress, Red Mages are usually recognizable by a distinctive red hat tipped with a white feather.[22]
Red Mages have appeared in:
Red mages did not appear in Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy VII or Final Fantasy X, although their signature X-Magic / W-Magic / Doublecast ability appears in all three games.
The Blue Mage (青魔道士 Aomadōshi) is a mage who is able to replicate the special attacks of his/her opponents.[30] The precise extent of and mechanism for this capacity differs from game to game. Most Final Fantasy games require that an enemy use the ability at least once during combat. For example, Blue Mages in Final Fantasy V must be targeted by the ability to learn it; once the ability has been learned, however, any Blue Mage in the party may use it.[33] Players who adopt the Blue Mage job in Final Fantasy XI have a random chance to learn abilities executed during combat, by absorbing the essence of felled opponents. Typically, Blue Mages learn a variety of abilities, making them very versatile. The Final Fantasy XI incarnation is highly skilled in swords, making them a potentially deadly melee fighter, while having an arsenal of powerful spells at their disposal which can either be damaging, enfeebling, enhancing, or healing, making the Blue Mage potentially one of the most powerful and well rounded classes in the game when played to its limit. Players must set their learned magic, and depending on what types of spells are equipped, determines the role the Blue Mage will be best suited for while in a party or event situation. Other installments do not require an enemy to use the ability at all. Some games in the series which do not explicitly offer the Blue Mage as a job class feature abilities or characteristics generally associated with Blue Mages.
Blue Mages have appeared in:
Geomancers (風水士 Fūsuishi) channel the powers of the surrounding environment;[4] therefore, their abilities differ depending on their location. If in a forest, they will attack with vines and forest animals, if in a cave with rockslides, if in a desert with quicksand, and so on. Geomancers are featured either as a class or in loose association with a character's powers. In the Japanese versions, Geomancers are "風水士 (fūsuishi)," which specifically refers to Chinese geomancy or feng shui. The signature attack for a Geomancer has been called "Terrain" (Final Fantasy III),[4] "Gaia" or "Earth" (Final Fantasy V),[35] "Elemental" (Final Fantasy Tactics) and "Geomancy" (Final Fantasy Tactics A2).[16] In the two first games, the Geomancers are depicted wearing green or blue fur-lined clothes and a fur-lined cap.[21]
They appear in:
Bards (吟遊詩人 Gin'yūshijin) use songs to cause effects, often buffing the party or debuffing the opposition via the Sing command.[4][12][35] They generally equip harps as weapons.[35] Some Bard incarnations, including Edward Chris von Muir from Final Fantasy IV, have the ability to Hide from the enemy.[6] This command is mainly inserted due to the Bard's low physical abilities. Bards in Final Fantasy XI have MP regeneration songs and stat boosting songs. In Final Fantasy Tactics, Bard is the only male-exclusive class available to generic units.[16] In "Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift", the Bard job is exclusive to the Moogle Hurdy.
The Bard class is seen in:
Beastmaster (also known as Tamer or Trainer) can control or even capture and train monsters.[35] Typically, the class wields whips. In Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy Tactics Advanced, whips are not an available weapon type, instead, the Beastmaster classes of those games specialize in axes and instruments respectively.
The class (or a variation thereof) has appeared in:
Dancers (踊り子 Odoriko) use special Dances to cause status effects or damage to enemies on a battle field.[12][16] In Final Fantasy V, there are four offensive dances, each with a single effect, one of which is performed randomly when the Dance command is selected. In Final Fantasy VI, the Dance command allows one of eight dances to be performed, each dance causes the player to lose control of the character, who will randomly perform one of the dance's four special abilities each turn. In Final Fantasy Tactics, Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift and Final Fantasy X-2, the Dance command allows one of several dances to be selected, each dance performs a single fixed effect.
The Dancer class appears in:
The Gambler (ギャンブラー Gyanburā) uses a Slots system in battle. When the player selects the slots command, three slots like those of a slot machine are presented on screen. Each slot is then stopped by the press of a button. Certain combinations produce beneficial effects such as healing the party or dealing great damage, or even death, to the enemies. However, this is usually balanced with combinations that have disadvantageous effects, such as reducing the party's health, or instant game over.
The Gambler class has appeared in:
Gambler is also a type of enemy in Kingdom Hearts II, with similar powers and appearance.
Mimes can replicate the previous action of another party member with the Mimic command.[35]
They appear in many different versions throughout the series:
Puppet Masters employ a toy puppet into combat. The puppet itself can have various skills usually from other jobs most notably Paladin, Black Mage, White Mage, and Ranger. Usually these skills are modified to fit in with the Puppet Theme. Puppet Master was not directly in games previous to Final Fantasy XI. Some abilities and characters do fit under the basic description of Puppet Master.
They appear in:
A Memorist is like a Red Mage and a Blue Mage put together, they can learn enemy magic (not skills however) and re-cast them. They gain magic by learning it like a Blue Mage but can learn healing and offense like a Red Mage. They are limited to daggers, robes, and trinkets.
In a review of the Final Fantasy Anthology compilation, IGN praised Final Fantasy V's "incredibly engrossing" job system.[36] The gameplay of Final Fantasy Tactics Advance was lauded for retaining elements from Final Fantasy Tactics while offering freedom to players to develop characters as they wish;[37]
However, some reviewers thought the character jobs in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance are too many and overlap one another, and reach a point where certain abilities are redundant.[38]
| Book: Final Fantasy series | |
| Wikipedia books are collections of articles that can be downloaded or ordered in print. | |
|
|||||||||||||||||