Final Fantasy character classes
Categories: Final Fantasy character classes
The Final Fantasy series by Square Enix features a variety of classes (or jobs) that are assigned or assignable to each character in your active party. While many early games in the series have featured individual character classes, they did not appear, as such, in Final Fantasy VII through Final Fantasy X. Recent Final Fantasy titles, however, such as Final Fantasy X-2 and Final Fantasy XI, have seen a return of specialized classes. The following list 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, please see the article regarding the specific game in which the class appeared.
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Physical classes
Physical classes fight using a variety of weapons, including their bare hands. Many of them specialize in specific techniques, although generally these attacks are not based in magic.
Fighter/Knight
The Fighter is portrayed as a skilled swordsman who can make use of some of the most powerful heavy armors and weaponry in the game. As such, it is a well-rounded physical combatant with both high attack and defense statistics. Initially, the Knight was treated as an upgraded form of the Fighter class, but later games in the series began to use the two terms interchangeably. The Fighter/Knight can be reasonably described as one of the most basic character archetypes in the Final Fantasy series. The Fighter has appeared in Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy III, while the Knight has appeared in Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy III, Final Fantasy V, Final Fantasy Tactics and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. The classes Warrior (Final Fantasy X-2) and Squire (Final Fantasy Tactics) bear some similarity to the Fighter class, as well, but are not explicitly referred to as such. As many of the main characters from the Final Fantasy series are sword fighters, many of them can be said to be roughly analagous to the Fighter or Knight class, including Cecil Harvey (Final Fantasy IV), Cloud Strife (Final Fantasy VII), Squall Leonhart (Final Fantasy VIII), and Tidus and Auron (Final Fantasy X). Many games in the series also feature a variety of specialized sword-wielding classes, such as Dark Knight, Paladin, or Holy Knight. While these classes use the same basic type of equipment as the Fighter/Knight, they usually feature unique specialized skills and attacks.
Monk
The Monk is a master of martial arts (especially karate) who shuns heavy weapons or armor in favor of barehanded fighting. In the later games, it has also shown a proclivity towards certain meditative techniques which can improve its attack power, or heal its battle wounds. Frequently it has the ability to immediately counterattack against physical attacks directed at its person. In early English localizations of the series, the Monk was known as the Black Belt. The Monk has appeared as a class in Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy III, Final Fantasy V, Final Fantasy XI, Final Fantasy Tactics, and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. The characters Yang Fang Leiden (Final Fantasy IV), Sabin René Figaro (Final Fantasy VI), Tifa Lockheart (Final Fantasy VII) and Zell Dincht (Final Fantasy VIII) can be roughly categorized as Monk-type characters. Amarant Coral (Final Fantasy IX) incorporates a number of characteristics of both the Monk class and the Ninja character class.
Berserker
A Berserker is a warrior who fights battles in an unbridled rage, but are thus uncontrollable and unpredictable. In most games, the Berserker cannot be controlled directly: they automatically attack the closest enemy, no matter what. The character Umaro from Final Fantasy VI (whose class is given as Sasquatch in the Japanese language version) is analagous to the Berserker class. Berserker is present as a class in Final Fantasy V and Final Fantasy X-2.
Samurai
Samurai are Japanese fighters whose weapon of choice is the katana. They hold their blades with both hands for increased damage, and are often associated with the "Coin Toss" (or "Gil Toss" or "GP Rain") special attack. In the original Japanese version of Final Fantasy VI, the character of Cyan Garamonde is identified as a Samurai. Samurai are featured as classes in Final Fantasy V, Final Fantasy X-2, Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy Tactics. In Final Fantasy Tactics, Samurai can unleash the "spirit" of certain katanas with their "Draw Out" skill.
Dragon Knight
The Dragon Knight uses spears to Jump onto enemies. Jump typically does double damage when the user is wielding a spear, and removes the Dragon Knight from combat for a number of rounds. Kain Highwind of Final Fantasy IV, and Freya Crescent of Final Fantasy IX were Dragon Knights. Cid Highwind (Final Fantasy VII) and Ward Zabac (Final Fantasy VIII) are similar to Dragon Knights in that they both fight using harpoon-style weapons and both characters' limit breaks are aerial attacks (jump attack). Kimahri Ronso (Final Fantasy X) has abilities from both the Dragon Knight class and the Blue Mage class. Richard Highwind of Final Fantasy II is referred to as a Dragon Knight, but does not have class's trademark aerial attack. Dragon Knights are available as part of the job system in Final Fantasy V, Final Fantasy XI, Final Fantasy Tactics, and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. The English software localization of Final Fantasy IV and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance refer to Dragon Knights as Dragoons, and the English localization of Final Fantasy Tactics refers to them as Lancers.
Thief
The Thief is generally only a mediocre physical combatant, but with an unusually high skill at dodging attacks due to their natural dexterity. They can steal items from their foes, disarm various traps, and sneak up on their opponents unawares. The Thief has appeared as a class in Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy III, Final Fantasy V, Final Fantasy X-2, Final Fantasy XI, Final Fantasy Tactics, and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. The characters Locke Cole (Final Fantasy VI) and Zidane Tribal (Final Fantasy IX) are characterized as thieves. In many games, the Ninja class is treated as an upgraded form of the Thief, and the characters Edge (Final Fantasy IV), Yuffie Kisaragi (Final Fantasy VII), and Rikku (Final Fantasy X) incorporate elements of both the Thief and Ninja classes.
Magical classes
Magical classes specialize in casting magic in all its forms. This includes both traditional white and black magic, as well as more esoteric forms of magic, such as geomancy.
Black Mage
A Black Mage is a magic-user that specializes in attack magic. Many of their spells utilize the elements to attack their enemies (fire, ice, electricity, etc.). The Black Mage is available as a class in Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy III, Final Fantasy V, Final Fantasy X-2, Final Fantasy Tactics, and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. In the English localization of Final Fantasy Tactics, Black Mages were called Wizards. Other black mages throughout the series are Tellah (who also exhibits white magic powers) and Palom of Final Fantasy IV and Vivi Ornitier from Final Fantasy IX. On her default sphere path, Lulu of Final Fantasy X is roughly analagous to a Black Mage. As the series has grown, Black Mages have gained the ability to not only inflict elemental damage, but also to cause certain status ailments such as Blind.
White Mage
A White Mage uses magic to replenish party members's hit points, revive the wounded, cure status conditions, and deal holy damage to the enemy. White Mages have appeared as a class in Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy III, Final Fantasy V, Final Fantasy X-2, Final Fantasy XI, Final Fantasy Tactics, and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. Rosa Farrel and Porom of Final Fantasy IV are roughly analagous to White Mages. Aerith Gainsborough of Final Fantasy VII can be classified as a White Mage as her limit breaks mostly involve healing, curing and reviving party members. In the English localization of Final Fantasy Tactics, White Mages were referred to as Priests.
Red Mage
Red Mages use the abilities of both Black Mages and White Mages and have the combat abilities of a Fighter, but are dilettantes and are not as good at any one ability as are any of the other classes. In general, they are only able to cast lower-level spells, and even then, not necessarily every one of those. In their later appearances, they were associated with the ability to cast two spells in one combat round. Terra Branford and Celes Chère of Final Fantasy VI can be roughly classified as Red Mages, as they both weild swords as their primary weapons and automatically learn both black and white magic. Red Mages have also appeared as classes in Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy III, Final Fantasy V, Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. Later in the series, such as Final Fantasy XI, the Red Mage began to gain specialized magic (such as Refresh, which slowly restores your MP over time) that the other mages are not able to.
Time/Space Mage
The Time/Space Mage 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, to increase or decrease the pull of gravity, or even to open up rifts to another dimension. The Time/Space Mage is often referred to as simply Time Mage in English localizations of the series. Time/Space Mages have appeared as classes in Final Fantasy V, Final Fantasy Tactics, and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance.
Blue Mage
The Blue Mage is a practioner of blue magic, a specialized school of magic which replicates the special attacks of various monsters, usually through observation: in most games, the only way to learn blue magic spells is to survive being targetted by them. Blue Mages have appeared as classes in Final Fantasy V, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, Final Fantasy X-2 (as 'Gun Mages), and Final Fantasy VII. Additionally, various characters in other games have been identified as Blue Mages, including Strago Magus (Final Fantasy VI, pictured at right), Quistis Trepe (Final Fantasy VIII), Quina Quen (Final Fantasy IX), and Kimahri Ronso (Final Fantasy X). In Final Fantasy VII, the "Enemy Skills" materia allows a character to cast blue magic.
Summoner
Summoners call upon entities of great power (whose name and source varies from game to game) to attack their enemies, protect their party or render other forms of aid. This type of magic is known within the franchise as summon magic. Summoners have appeared as optional classes in Final Fantasy III, Final Fantasy V, Final Fantasy XI, Final Fantasy Tactics, and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. Rydia of Final Fantasy IV, Garnet Til Alexandros and Eiko Carol of Final Fantasy IX, and Yuna of Final Fantasy X are identified as summoners. In the English localization of Final Fantasy IV, Summoners were referred to as Callers.
| Final Fantasy Character Classes |
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Berserker —
Dragon Knight —
Geomancer —
Monk —
Ninja —
Samurai —
Thief —
Warrior |