Final Fantasy weapons and armor
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 | This article may require copy editing for grammar, style, cohesion, tone, or spelling. (February 2007) |
In the Final Fantasy computer role-playing game series, weapons and armor are integral parts of gameplay. Several have seen recurring use throughout the series; others have been influenced by a variety of mythological and fantasy concepts.
Weapons
Basic alloy weaponry
Interspersed between unique weapons are a graded scale of other, more common weapons, usually sold in shops. They are typically, with only a few exceptions, labeled according to the following progression, from weakest to strongest: Bronze, Iron, Steel, Mythril/Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Crystal, Adamantite (found in FF1) /Adamantine. Armor typically follows the same alloy progression. Moreover, armors of "Genji" series are seen in Final Fantasy IV, Final Fantasy V, Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy IX, Final Fantasy Tactics, and most recently in Final Fantasy XII. Although not an alloy, "Wooden" weapons and "Leather" armor are also often seen throughout the series.
Projectiles
The Final Fantasy installments feature several types of projectile weapons, including bows, balls, guns, and launchers. Gunblades have a gun-like handle which contains a firing mechanism but are not considered projectile as the firing mechanism only makes the blade vibrate causing extra damage, and does not fire any actual shells.
Yoichi's Bow is one of two commonly recurring bows in the series. It first appeared in Final Fantasy II as the strongest Bow weapon, and returned in Final Fantasy III, IV, V as one of the 12 Sealed Weapons, XII, and the Tactics games. In Final Fantasy XI, it is named "Yoichinoyumi", being one of the most powerful bows in the game, it is only attainable after several upgrade phases. The other recurring bow is the Artemis Bow, found in IV, V, XII and the Tactics games. For many bows, arrows are kept at quantitive inventory, with an exception being Final Fantasy Tactics.
The blitzball is a projectile weapon used only by Wakka in Final Fantasy X. It is a ball with bumps all over for gripping when under water. In the game, blitzballs are used in a sport of the same name, with the official blitzball tournament ball color as white with blue stripes in a spiral pattern all across the ball. As a weapon, the ball comes in a variety of styles, many of which bear the same appearance as the default ball, while others were of various other colors, or have spikes. Wakka's Celestial Weapon, the World Champion, is a brown and black ball with a row of blades. A blitzball also appears as part of Tidus' overdrive attack "Blitz Ace" in Final Fantasy X, thrown to him by one of his comrades, and in a similar attack for Shuyin, "Terror of Zanarkand", in Final Fantasy X-2. Finally, in Kingdom Hearts, a young alternate version of Wakka makes a cameo appearance in the game with his default blitzball as his weapon.
Guns are used by numerous antagonists throughout the series, such as several job classes in Final Fantasy Tactics/Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, the Yevon missonaries from Final Fantasy X, and various antagonists in Final Fantasy VII. The Gun-Arm is used by Barret Wallace and Dyne in Final Fantasy VII. Simply put, a Gun-Arm is a firearm mounted to its owner's forearm, in the cases of both Dyne and Barret, serving as a replacement for lost limbs. There are various additional Gun-Arms available for Barret throughout the game, including a few close-range variants, such as a large drill or cannon ball. Barret's initial Gatling Gun appears throughout cutscenes, and, like the Buster Sword, cannot be bought or sold. In Advent Children, Barret uses a new Gun-Arm, which can transform from an artificial limb into a large gatling gun that features three firing units rotating around a central plasma gun. The Gun-Arm is also used by Ken "Godhand" Mishima in Square game Ehrgeiz.
Vincent Valentine also wielded various kinds of handguns rifles and shotguns in Final Fantasy VII and Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII. Irvine Kinneas used a type of shotgun while Laguna Loire wielded a machine gun in Final Fantasy VIII. In Final Fantasy X-2 there was a special class where one of the three selected characters could brandish guns as their main weapons. None of these guns typically used any kind of ammo with the exception of when Irvine in FFVIII would use his limit break "Shot." Many of the characters from Before Crisis also wield firearms, such as Gun (female), Two Guns (male) and Shotgun (female).
In Final Fantasy XII all characters in a player's party can acquire the use of firearms. Amunnition is bought and unlimited. The firearms themselves do not have special traits, but different ammunitions have some built in. The weapon class of Bombs were included, which also had its own ammunitions.
Boomerangs are included in some installments as well. The Full Moon is the one of the most powerful boomerangs in the Final Fantasy series. It is typically used by the Thief or Ninja classes. It first appeared in Final Fantasy III and has also been included in Final Fantasy IV, V, VI, VII, IX, and XI. When this weapon is included in a Final Fantasy game, there is often another boomerang weapon known as "Rising Sun."
Shuriken are also common the series, most often used with the Ninja's 'Throw' ability. Yuffie in Final Fantasy VII uses various forms of Shuriken as her primary weapon in the game. The Shuriken is also the weapon of the Shuriken (Female) character in the Before Crisis franchise of Final Fantasy VII.
Projectile launchers — flying blades similar to boomerangs — are common in several Final Fantasy games. Though no official name released, in early Japanese translations, it was called "Blaster Edge". It is an arm mounted weapon, usually on the opposite of the dominant hand. It is utilized somewhat similar to a bow, launching a projectile, and unbelievably returns to its wielder like a boomerang. In Final Fantasy VI, Locke Cole wielded these type of weapons. The models found in Final Fantasy VI are the Hawkeye and Sniper. In Final Fantasy VIII, Rinoa Heartilly wielded this weapon, which features numerous incarnations.
Knives and daggers
Throughout the series, knives and daggers serve as key weapons of thieves, ninjas, and other similar characters. One such example is the Catclaw, taken from the works of fantasy author Fritz Leiber. It is depicted as a hooked dagger (or dirk) in his stories but has undergone a number of changes in the Final Fantasy series. In the earlier games of the series, as well as several spin off games such as Final Fantasy Legend, it appeared as an extremely powerful knife (the most powerful weapon for Black Wizards in the first Final Fantasy) and was clearly a reference to the weapon of the same name wielded by Fritz Leiber's fictional character, the Gray Mouser.
Recent re-releases of these games have renamed the weapon "Cat Claw." The third game of the series introduced "claws" as their own category of weapon and the Catclaw appeared as a claw rather than a knife in Final Fantasy IV. It is possible that the game programmers thought it would confuse the player to have a weapon with "claw" in its name be a knife rather than a claw, and deliberately made the change. However, it is also possible that the weapon's change in depiction was accidental. Many of the game's developers had no prior experience with the series and were possibly unaware that the Catclaw was originally intended to be a knife, simply lumping it in as a claw when they were combing previous games for ideas for weapon names. In Final Fantasy VI and Final Fantasy VII the weapon was renamed "Tiger Fang." The Catclaw also makes an appearance in Final Fantasy Mystic Quest and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, again as a claw type weapon. In Final Fantasy IX, the weapon serves as Amarant's default weapon, entitled "Cat's Claw" in this incarnation. In Final Fantasy X, Rikku also used a claw-like weapon, and a pair of daggers in her default "Thief" dressphere in Final Fantasy X-2.
Swords
Buster Sword
The Buster Sword (バスターソード) was made famous in Final Fantasy VII, in which it served as the default weapon of the game's protagonist, Cloud Strife. However, a weapon of the same name also appears in an earlier RPG, Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals.[1] In Final Fantasy VII storyline, a catatonic Cloud took Zack's sword after the latter was shot to death by Shin-Ra troops while trying to protect Cloud. Because of this exchange, Cloud later returns the weapon over Zack's grave in his honor, for Zack gained the sword from Angeal. In the game, it cannot be bought or sold, and is the weapon used by Cloud during the game's cut-scenes. The Buster Sword's most distinguishing characteristic is its impractical size, making it an iconic element of Cloud's appearance, and synonymous with any impractically oversized sword in video games or anime.
It bears a resemblance to the oversized sword wielded by the lead character Guts in the manga Berserk. It bears characteristics of a traditional katana in its one-sided edge, could be compared to a zanbato or zweihänder in its size, and a bastard-sword in its hilt. The katakana for Buster Sword, "バスターソード" was frequently used as the transliteration for bastard-sword in early Japanese games due to the limit on characters.
The Buster Sword appears in the games Kingdom Hearts (PS2) and Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories (GBA). The games feature a version of Cloud using the Buster Sword, although this version differs from its traditional look by appearing to be wrapped in heavy bandages. Also, the Metal Chocobo keyblade given to the player by Cloud resembles the Buster Sword in many ways, including its gigantic size (it is the second longest keyblade in the game) and its appearance, including the two materia slots at the base of the blade. There is also Fenrir which resembles Cloud's buster sword in the Kingdom Hearts series. The sword also appears in Cloud's possession in Itadaki Street Special, and as both Cloud and Zack's weapon in Ehrgeiz. It is also seen in Final Fantasy XII as a weapon held by Gilgamesh, and in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance as a normal weapon. Also appeared in the original Final Fantasy Tactics as Materia Blade.
Elemental swords
Throughout the series, various weapons focused on elemental attacks are included — often in the form of a sword. The Flame Saber, sometimes called "the Flame Sword," "the Firebrand" or "the Flametongue," is a sword that first appeared in the original Final Fantasy. It has gone on to become the prototypical Fire elemental sword in most of the series' games, appearing in virtually every Final Fantasy game, with Final Fantasy VII being a notable exception (due, of course, to the materia system). "Flame Saber" was also the name of one of Squall's Gunblades in Final Fantasy VIII, though this form had no elemental properties. Flametongue exists in Final Fantasy X-2 as an ability that inflicts fire-based damage. The Ice Brand, sometimes called "the Ice Sword" or "Blizzard", contains the element of Ice, which is opposite to Fire. Therefore, the Ice Brand is the opposite elemental sword to the Flame Saber. In Final Fantasy X-2, Ice Brand is an ability accessible through the Warrior dressphere, and inflicts ice-based damage. The Coral Sword first appeared in the original Final Fantasy as a water-based weapon. In other games, it appeared as a Thunder elemental weapon, and has often had its names altered (such as "Thunder Blade" in Final Fantasy VI) in order to make its elemental connection more noticeable. It has made appearances in Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy V, Final Fantasy IX, Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy Tactics. Finally, the Liquid Steel is a sword of Water elemental properties, making it powerful against Thunder elemental enemies in the game. It has only appeared in Final Fantasy X. In Final Fantasy X-2, the player can use an ability called Liquid Steel, which inflicts water-based damage. There's also the Thunder Blade from X-2 which deals thunder damage. Other swords and weapons have elemental attacks as added bonuses. In Final Fantasy VI, Flame Sabre, Blizzard, and Thunderblade were all elemental swords that randomly cast the Level 1 Spell of their element (Fire1, Ice1, Bolt1), but the blades otherwise all granted the same stat increases.
Excalipoor and Excalibur
Excalipoor (also translated as "Excalipur" and "Excalipar") is a sword appearing in Final Fantasy V, Final Fantasy VIII, and Final Fantasy Tactics. It is considered a fake Excalibur and will always deal 1 HP of damage. The fourth time the player faces Gilgamesh in Final Fantasy V, he wields this weapon, believing it to be the real Excalibur (players can later find the real Excalibur in the Sealed Castle). Excalipoor appears in Final Fantasy Tactics under the localization "Excalipar" as an unusable Rare Treasure from a dispatch mission, in which it is described as an imitation of Excalibur but is noted to be of a unique craftmanship. In Final Fantasy VIII, the weapon (as "Excalipoor") is once again wielded by Gilgamesh. However, in this game it is used only randomly, as Gilgamesh is a GF that randomly selects from four swords to use for attacks. In this game, it still only deals 1 HP damage. In Final Fantasy IV Advance, a similar sword named 'Caliburn' can be obtained in the Lunar Ruins; it also possesses poor attack strength and has a misleading description. It has a brief mention in Final Fantasy IX, as an easter egg and sword for those who complete the game quickly. The sword can also be obtained in Final Fantasy VI Advance at the auction house in Jidoor for half a million gil. In this game its attack power is very poor at 1, and the sword's only true purpose is to be wagered at the Coliseum in order to encounter and defeat Gilgamesh, gaining him as a summon in the process.
In the remake of Final Fantasy III, players can find Excalibur by going through the Erueka side-quest in the Light Tower. By defeating the third optional boss, only "worthy" characters may wield the sword, which is the second best weapon in the game, only behind Ragnarok. In Final Fantasy XI, the Excalibur is the final Relic sword upgrade and can perform the weaponskill Knights of the Round.
First Ken
The 'First Ken (translated as "First Sword" in English) is a collection of six swords—designed such that they can be assembled into one—used by Cloud Strife as his primary weapon in Final Fantasy VII Advent Children, the film sequel to Final Fantasy VII. While the sword, and the individual swords comprising it as well, actually has no official name, it is known commonly as the "First Ken" or "First Tsurugi." This misconception is understandable given that the same kanji can be read as either "ken" or "tsurugi" in Japanese.
The origin of the name "First Ken" was from the Advent Pieces edition of Advent Children's commentary, in which Tetsuya Nomura called the main sword Cloud uses (prior to it being combined with any other swords) the "First Ken," because he was literally calling it the first sword Cloud uses. During production of the movie, the swords were known internally as the fusion swords. In addition, a replica of the swords in the Master Arms series has been identified at hobby shows as the "Buster Sword (Advent Children)."
The weapon consists of one main base blade, one hollow blade that serves as the front edge for the combined sword, two identical—but asymmetrically opposite—serrated blades that form the back, and two identical—also asymmetrically opposite—smaller blades that attach to the sides. In its fully assembled state, the First Ken is reminiscent of Zack's Buster Sword in its shape and size. The swords of the disassembled First Ken are usually stored on racks inside special compartments on both sides of Cloud's motorcycle, the Fenrir. In addition, Cloud wears a harness on his back that is designed to allow him to carry all six swords at once. [2] See them here For a diagram of the different blades and an explanation of their assemblage, see this webpage.
The first is the Main Blade, which has two forms — a buster sword-style exaggeration and a complex split blade similar to Cloud's Apocalypse sword. By itself, the main blade serves as Cloud's primary weapon, with which he can be seen using his Blade Beam Limit Break on one occasion. Next is the Hollow Blade, which does not have an inner core as is expected with a sword. Cloud detaches the weapon from the completed First Ken for use as an off-hand weapon during his fight with Sephiroth. A similar weapon makes an appearance on Final Fantasy Tactics Advance under the name "Eclipse." Third and fourth are the serrated blades, two identical long swords with mirror images of one other, with one side of each completely straight while the other bears a squared-serrated pattern. A long black hilt completes the design for both. Finally, the switch blades are small swords that are mirror images of one another, both with single-sided blades and gear-like mechanisms between at their hilts that allow them to fold up like a switchblade. It is in this folded form that these two small blades are locked onto the sides of the base sword in assembling the combined First Tsurugi, their sharp edges turned forward.
Cloud can perform a unique Limit Break with this sword, as seen near the finale of Advent Children. It is called "Kyūkyoku Bushin Hakazan Version 5" (究極武神破壊斬 Version 5), or "Ultimate War God Slash Version 5" (the original version being better known as "Omnislash version 5"), and is significantly different from the Omnislash in the original game. While the original used only one sword for a longer sequence involving 15 slashes, Omnislash Version 5 is a fast succession of six slashes using the six swords that comprise the completed First Tsurugi. It also differs from the original in that Version 5 involves the six swords levitating while Cloud himself briefly flies. Its odd name is derived from the design process of the film; it was the 5th version of the new Omnislash the designers had worked on. This name bears an interesting resemblance to the famous 'Jecht Shot' used by Tidus and Jecht during Blitzball matches in Final Fantasy X. The shot's official name is the 'Sublimely Magnificent Jecht Shot Mark 3'.
While the Cloud of Kingdom Hearts' continuity used the Buster Sword in Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, he uses the completed First Ken in Kingdom Hearts II. As did the Buster Sword, the First Ken appears wrapped in bandages.
Gunblade
A Gunblade is a sword with a pistol embedded in the blade. The layout of such a weapon differs from a rifle with a bayonet in that the edged component has an integral barrel, rather than being attached to the end of the barrel. In essence, the gunblade has a pistol to supplement a sword, while a bayonet is a blade to supplement a rifle. The gunblade does not fire projectiles, despite its name. Triggering a round in the gun chamber sends a shockwave through the blade, increasing the damage potential to whatever the blade strikes at that moment (confirmed by the Final Fantasy VIII Ultimania, an official publication of Square-Enix[3]). This enhanced strike requires perfect timing by the user, making this weapon difficult to master and use effectively. Because of this manner of attack, the gunblade would be classified as a vibroblade.
The weapon played a significant role in Final Fantasy VIII, where it was the weapon of choice of the protagonist, Squall Leonhart, and his rival, Seifer Almasy. Squall uses a gunblade called "Revolver." It is a combination of a long blade and a revolver. The Revolver gunblade is embellished with the Griever symbol on both sides of the blade and at the end of a chain attached to the grip. Squall usually wields his gunblade with both hands but can also use one hand when appropriate. Seifer's gunblade is called the "Hyperion." It is a combination of a pistol and a long blade. In comparison to Squall's revolver, the Hyperion is primarily used with one hand. In Final Fantasy VIII, Balamb Garden's headmaster, Cid Kramer hopes that either Seifer or Squall will get through the exams, because he anticipates a gunblade specalist in SeeD.
Throughout Final Fantasy VIII, Squall's gunblade can be reconstructed into various forms, using proper accessories and items to bring out the weapon's full potential. Final Fantasy VIII is interesting in that it doesn't feature Ultima Weapon, the traditional strongest sword, but instead the Lionheart, which is capable of dealing damage exceeding 150,000 HP, putting an end to almost any foe in the game world very quickly.
Furthermore, Final Fantasy VIII highlighted the firing aspect of the gunblade by allowing Squall and Seifer (when playable) to input a command that denotes pulling a trigger in order to deliver a critical hit (This option was not present for the non-gunblade users). The firing ability of the gunblade is also apparent in Squall's limit break "Renzokuken", where the player is opted to chain 'trigger' commands to deal damage.
Squaresoft did not invent the concept (except for the shockwave aspect) and historically some early flintlock pistols actually were constructed as gun-swords, with the barrel of the pistol attached to the side of the blade of a shortsword or dagger. Examples of these weapons can be found in the armoury of Wawel Castle (Kraków, Poland). There also existed pin-fire cartridge gun-swords being produced as far as into the 1800s, though in limited quantity. There was even a US patent filed on the design of one such weapon.[1]
Weapons reminiscent of the gunblade appear in the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII. Weapons called "Velvet Nightmares" were used in Final Fantasy VII Advent Children by Yazoo and Loz, though these weapons were notably different in that while gunblades function only as swords, the Velvet Nightmares function only as guns. However, they can be used to block sword blows (demonstrated in the movie). [2] Weapons with both gun and sword functionality are used by Weiss in Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII. His katana-rifle hybrids are actually the first "gun-sword" weapons in Final Fantasy to incorporate a projectile mechanism while also functioning as a sword. Though both of these weapons are often referred to as "gunblades" among fans of Final Fantasy, only those weapons in the style used by Seifer and Squall in Final Fantasy VIII are officially referred to by that title.
The main female protagonist of Final Fantasy XIII is seen wielding a form of gunblade in the trailer. Her weapon doesn't comprise of both at the same time; rather, it can switch back and forth between Uzi and scimitar-like forms. In Kingdom Hearts II Squall gave Sora a Keyblade—by the name of Sleeping Lion—that resembled a gun blade. Another similar weapon is wielded by Wild ARMs characters Ashley Winchester and Janus Cascade. These weapons are referred to as "Bayonets," but the design more closely resembles a gunblade than it does real-world bayonets. The gunblade, under its own name, also appears in Parasite Eve 2 as a secret weapon. Its version is an ultra high frequency blade with a shotgun attachment. Gunblade like weapons appear in the video game trilogy .hack//G.U. (Used by the Steam Gunner class), but unlike the usual gunblades we see, the blade is combined with a rifle like weapon. In the Playstation 2 game Gungrave Overdose, Juji Kabane uses dual sub machine guns with fiery katanas attached to opposite ends that are referred to as gunblades. In the movie Blade 2 a pair of pistols is featured that have large blades covering most of the front. These guns fire normal rounds, but the blades serves as a secondary weapon for close quarters combat. The movie Ultraviolet features a fight where the protagonist Violet uses dual automatic pistols with wakizashi-length blades extending downwards from the grips for similar purposes.
Lightbringer/Illumina
The Lightbringer is one of the strongest swords in the series. A common trait of this weapon is that it gives several stat bonuses, and casts the Holy spell (or Pearl as it is referred to in Final Fantasy VI) either when attacking or when used as an item. Its first appearance was in Final Fantasy VI, in which it was renamed "Illumina" during English localization. The Lightbringer corrupts the wielder with strong desires of destruction and chaos. Only a person with a pure and strong soul, such as Ranperre (in Final Fantasy XI), can wield the Lightbringer without being corrupted with desires of darkness. To make it clearer, only a person that has a pure desire to use the Lightbringer to "actually bring light" is able to wield it without being corrupted.
Though its first appearance came in Final Fantasy VI, it has reappeared in Game Boy Advance rereleases of earlier Final Fantasy games. In Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls, it is won by defeating Death Gaze in the Soul of Chaos dungeon, and is a sword for the Red Mage. In Final Fantasy IV Advance, it is the best sword for Cecil Harvey, acquired by completing Cecil's Lunar Trial perfectly. In Final Fantasy XI, the Lightbringer is an extremely powerful sword that was wielded by the leader of the Temple Knights (From San d'Oria) Ranperre. The weapon is known to be the strongest of all weapons in the game, though it is unusable by players.
The sword has an apparent counterpart called Deathbringer, which has appeared in Final Fantasy I: Dawn of Souls, IV, XI and XII. While little lore behind it exists, in Final Fantasy IV it was apparently left to the king of Fabul by a wandering dark knight, then given to Cecil as a reward for fighting the Redwing invasion. It proved to be his ultimate weapon until he later became a paladin and couldn't use it anymore. In the original North American release, it was called Black to match the name of Cecil's strongest armor as a Dark Knight. It randomly dispatched targets on contact.
Masamune
In the early Final Fantasy games the Masamune was the "ultimate weapon". It was a sword that could be used by most characters, even ones that normally could not use swords. From Final Fantasy IV—in which it was Edward "Edge" Geraldine's ultimate weapon in conjunction with the Murasame (another common weapon in the series) —onward the weapon is usually presented as a katana and is the most powerful weapon for the Ninja or Samurai class. In Final Fantasy V, it was one of the 12 Sealed Weapons and allowed the wielder to always attack first in battle. The Masamune in Final Fantasy VI exists, but due to Ted Woolsey's creative translations, it was renamed "Aura." It is a weapon for Cyan Garamonde, but not his ultimate weapon. In Final Fantasy VII, the Masamune is the weapon of the main villain, Sephiroth. In this incarnation, the power of this legendary sword allows it to cut through anything. The sword is also of such unwieldy length that it is said only Sephiroth can wield it.
The sword appears in a similar form in Final Fantasy VIII, in which it appears as one of the four legendary swords wielded by Gilgamesh. In Final Fantasy IX, it can be wielded by the main character, Zidane, as a double-bladed polearm. In Final Fantasy X, it is Auron's Celestial Weapon and strangely resembles a giant spanner. Rikku takes up the same weapon in her Dark Knight dressphere in Final Fantasy X-2. In Final Fantasy XII the Masamune is the most powerful katana in the game[4]. Marquis Elmdor is the wielder of the Masamune in Final Fantasy Tactics. The Masamune was also a strength boosting artifact in Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles. Finally, the Masamune is a weapon available to the human race in the Ninja class, and to the Viera race in the Assassin class, in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. Later in the game, an upgraded form of the Masamune called the Masamune 100 can be obtained; according to legend the blade will not dull for one hundred years. In the Nintendo DS remake of Final Fantasy III, it is the strongest dark-blade in the game (besides the Ultimate Job Weapons).
Ragnarok
Ragnarok is the name of a powerful sword seen in Final Fantasy III, IV, V, VI, VII, IX, X-2, XI, XII, Tactics, Tactics Advance and Crystal Chronicles . The name comes from the Norse word, Ragnarök, meaning "End of the Gods" - not Twilight of the Gods as many seemed to believe. At Ragnarok, all gods and the rivaling creatures of the gods will perish, only leaving two gods that had survived. Those two and any other surviving mortal creatures will then create a new world of absolute peace. It has few specific characteristics that carry from game to game. For the most part, it is simply a powerful sword found near the end of the game used by protagonist, or lead sword-wielding character. In Final Fantasy IV, the Ragnarok was Cecil's best weapon (although this has been changed in the recent Game Boy Advance remake) but was re-titled the "Crystal Sword" in the original English translation. In Final Fantasy V, it is guarded by Shinryu, also its guardian in Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls, and stolen from Neo Exdeath. In Final Fantasy VI, it is a Magicite that can be turned into a Flare-casting sword, but left as a Magicite, teaches Ultima, the best Spell in the game. In Final Fantasy VII, the Ragnarok is one of Cloud Strife's best swords. In Final Fantasy VIII, it appears not as a weapon, but as a space craft equivalent to the airships of other Final Fantasy games. In Final Fantasy XI, it is the final upgrade of the Relic great sword.
In Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles, "Ragnarok" is the name of the Clavat's strongest weapon, with the exception of their Ultima Sword. In Final Fantasy IX, its one of Steiner's strongest swords. Although there is not a weapon with its name available for use, "Ragnarok" is the name of one of Sora's techniques in Kingdom Hearts, obtained by defeating Riku. This move terminates in Sora unleashing several curving energy beams, perhaps a reference to Final Fantasy VIII's Ragnarok and its machine guns and large energy cannon. In Final Fantasy X-2, it appears as an accessory since weapons are not introduced in FFX-2. In Final Fantasy Tactics, it is a powerful knightsword that also grants the wielder a permanent shell effect (magic protection) when equipped. In Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, the Ragnarok is a purchasable weapon with no special effects, although a sword called "Nagrarok" does appear, similar to other Ragnaroks in the series.
Others
Other swords appear throughout the series. The Blood Sword is common throughout the series, with a frequent trait of the weapon being its ability to drain HP from enemy targets; however, the sword often has a low accuracy rate and when used against undead opponents, it heals them and damages the user. In addition, if the wielder's HP meter is full, the weapon does not inflict damage. It has appeared in Final Fantasy II, Final Fantasy III Final Fantasy IV (as well as in the form of a spear called the "the Blood Lance"), Final Fantasy V, Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy IX (as a sword for Steiner), and Final Fantasy XII. In Final Fantasy Tactics, Gafgarion wields the Blood Sword in the battle at Golgorand Execution Site. In Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, the Blood Sword is a sword with very low damage, but it heals the user equal to the amount of damage done - if used when the user is at full health, it still does normal damage. In Final Fantasy XII it causes the Sap ailment, which gradually takes away the victim's HP and more effective than Poison.
The Vorpal Sword was originally a weapon that appears in Lewis Carroll's book Through the Looking-Glass and the poem Jabberwocky. It is used in the poem to kill the fearsome Jabberwocky. It has appeared in many RPG video games including the original Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy XI.
Apocalypse has been a recurring weapon in the recent re-releases of Final Fantasy V and VI for the Game Boy Advance, and also appeared as one of Cloud Strife's weapons in VII. It is also one of Tidus' weapon, which causes status-ailments such as death (instant K.O.) and Petrify (turning a person into stone). The sword is remarkably powerful in the first two mentioned games, though further info on its origins are unknown beyond it being forged by 'the ancients'. Apocalypse also appears in FFXI as the final completed stage of the Relic Scythe, the end-all weapon for the Dark Knight class. It also boasts the highest base damage of any weapon in the game at a rating of 103.
The Souba makes its first (and so far only) appearance in Final Fantasy VII Advent Children as the main villain Kadaj's weapon. It has the normal hilt of a katana, and appears to look like one at first glance, but it has one very distinguishable feature: it has two parallel blades, set a small distance apart from each other. This unorthodox design does have its uses apart from looking interesting; in one scene of the movie, Kadaj traps a semi-complete First Tsurugi in the space of the blades and twists his wrist, throwing the First Tsurugi into a wall a fair distance away, and leaving Cloud only with one Switchblade Sword. Another possible use of the Souba is, as described in accordance to a very similar weapon in Rurouni Kenshin, is that since the sword would cause two wounds very close together, it would be nearly impossible to stitch up the resulting injury. But with the technology of the Final Fantasy VII world, this may not be an issue.
Ultima Weapon
The most powerful weapon used by the main character is often known as The Ultima Weapon. (Note: In Final Fantasy VI, it was translated as "Atma Weapon.") It appears in the Final Fantasy I portion of Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls as a treasure that can be carried over via the cleared data. In Final Fantasy V Advance, it can be obtained by defeating Neo Shinryu, one of the game's strongest bosses, in the "Shinryu's Lair" section of the Sealed Temple. In Final Fantasy VI, the title of "Ultima (also known as Atma) Weapon" is given to two very different subjects: The first is a pair of swords, the power of which is based on the hit points (HP) of the wielder; the more HP the character has, the stronger the power of the weapon. The second subject with this title is a large, dragon-like boss with a special affinity to magical attacks.
Ultima Weapon appears in Final Fantasy VII as one of five WEAPONS featured in that game. Once defeated, the party receives the Ultima Weapon sword, Cloud's most powerful weapon. As in the previous game, the sword's power depends on Cloud's hit points. In fact, during battle, the blade will appear solid and fully substantial if Cloud is fully healed, and the blade will grow translucent and less substantial as Cloud's hit points are reduced. Ultima Weapon appears in Final Fantasy VIII as a boss in the Deep Sea Research Center. While physically similar to its form in the previous game, this incarnation also wields a sword that resembles Cloud's Ultima Weapon. Zidane's most powerful weapon in Final Fantasy IX is also known as "Ultima Weapon," the blades and guards of which bear similarities to Cloud's Ultima Weapon. Steiner also has a weapon entitled "Ultima Sword," although this is not his ultimate weapon. In Final Fantasy XII Ultima is one of the better two-handed swords, but not the best in the game.
In the Japanese and International versions of Final Fantasy X, Tidus' most powerful weapon is yet another Ultima Weapon. Its name was changed to "Caladbolg" in the North American version of the game. Some believe it was actually supposed to be Excalibur instead of the Ultima Weapon, since Caladbolg happens to be a brother-like version of the tale of the Excalibur. It is also the name of an optional boss fought in the Omega Ruins, which also appears in Final Fantasy X-2 as an enemy. The data files for Final Fantasy XI contain a great sword titled Ultima Weapon, but the item is unusable and there is no known way to obtain it. In Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles, the scroll for an Ultima weapon (the Greatest Weapon scroll) features numerous bonus effects. In the Kingdom Hearts series, the Ultima Weapon appears as the strongest form of the Keyblade. Though sharing the same name, the appearance of the weapon in Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II are different. Both weapons must be synthesized, via the moogle shops. In the first game, Ultima Weapon had the longest reach and most power of any keyblade and was yellow in color with the key's tooth being Sora's trademark necklace crown and the keychain being a golden heart, while in Kingdom Hearts II the weapon was blue in color, has the ability MP Hastega, and had the second most powerful attack (the Fenrir keyblade has the most power, but has the ability Negative Combo). In Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, the Ultima Weapon is obtained through alternate means and is the strongest attack card, which appearance takes form from the first game.
Other weapons
In addition to the types of weapons above, Final Fantasy includes whips, dice, staffs/rods, lances, axes, and other common weapons.
The chain whip, a long-range weapon, made its debut in Final Fantasy IV, as one of Rydia's weapons. In Final Fantasy V, the Chain Whip is one of the many whips used by Trainers; all whips can paralyze enemies in the game, and one of the 12 Sealed Weapons is the Firebute Whip. In Final Fantasy VIII, it is used by the SeeD Instructor, Quistis Trepe. Models include the "Chain Whip", "Slaying Tail", "Red Scorpion" and, "Save the Queen".
Dice have been used as weapons in various titles, most notably Final Fantasy VI, in which Setzer Gabbiani could equip them. The Dice usually dealt damage based on the roll of various amounts of dice and the user's level. The Fixed Dice, which threw three dice, allowed for an extra multiplier if the same number was brought up on all three dice. The dice were also used as Cait Sith's Limit Break in Final Fantasy VII. In Final Fantasy XI dice are used in the Corsair's "Phantom Roll" ability, and Goblins have an attack known as "Goblin Dice". The Lady Luck dressphere from Final Fantasy X-2 also uses dice as one of its special attacks.
Staffs and rods are often wielded by magical characters. Some provide magical bonuses or other similar effects. Of particular note is the Healing Staff, which does not deal damage, but rather heals it wielder's target. Mostly rods are for black mages and staves for white mages, but this sometimes goes vice-versa.
The Holy Lance, sometimes known as the "Spirit Lance" (called "Longinus" in Japanese and Spanish versions, after the Biblical Spear of Destiny), appears in nearly every Final Fantasy game as one of the strongest weapons for the Dragon Knight or the closest equivalent character (Cid Highwind, for instance), and is nearly always a Holy elemental weapon. Its first appearance was in Final Fantasy II, where anyone could use it due to the weapon system of the game. In Final Fantasy IV, it was the strongest weapon for Kain Highwind, won by defeating the Plague boss; however this is not his strongest weapon in the Game Boy Advance remake (this is the only version of the game where this is the case). In Final Fantasy V, the Holy Lance was one of the 12 Sealed Weapons. It also appears in Final Fantasy IX as one of Freya Crescent's strongest weapons. In early English language localizations, this weapon was sometimes known as "the White Lance" and "the Pearl Lance" in order to avoid religious connotations due to Nintendo's strict censorship policies. Kimahri also uses this lance in the Japanese version, but in the American version it is simple called "Spirit Lance," and it is his legendary weapon. The only two games in the numbered Final Fantasy series to not feature this weapon are the original Final Fantasy—due to there being no lances/spears in the game—and Final Fantasy VIII, in which there is no major character that uses a spear. The strongest spear and weapon overall can be wielded by Lilties in Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles and is called the "Longinus".
The Rune Axe is one of the strongest weapons in the games in which it appears. While axes are not in every game, the Rune Axe is in almost every game that has them as an available weapon. It is in Final Fantasy II, III, IV, V as one of the 12 Sealed Weapons, and the Dawn of Souls remake of Final Fantasy I. In Final Fantasy XI, it appears as an item (Along with a series of Rune items from various other weapon classes) which is obtained from a "Strange Apparatus". These Rune weapons have bonus stats that manifest in exchange of draining MPs from a player while in combat.
Save The Queen is a weapon seen often in the more recent Final Fantasy games. It is first seen in Final Fantasy Tactics, as the weapon equipped to Meliadoul Tingel in the second encounter with her. In Final Fantasy IX, it was the sword used by General Beatrix, while in Final Fantasy Tactics it is a knight's sword. In Final Fantasy Tactics: Advance, it appears as a sword that can be used by the Paladin class of the human race (as the "SaveTheQueen" due to character limits), and here teaches knightly abilities. In addition, it is the knightsword used by Llednar Twem, a "Biskmatar" or "mageknight." In Final Fantasy XI it is a sword wielded by the Paladins. Most recently, in Final Fantasy XII, Save The Queen makes an appearance as one of the better Great Swords in the game. Although usually a sword, it has appeared in other forms; for example, it was the best whip of Quistis Trepe in Final Fantasy VIII, and in Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II (along with an upgraded version in II, called "Save the Queen+"), it was the best staff for Donald Duck. Also present in Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II is a shield with a similar name ("Save the King"), which serves as the best weapon for Goofy. However, in Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles, instead of being a weapon, Save The Queen was an artifact. In Final Fantasy VI Advance it appears as a weapon available for Celes in the game's bonus dungeon.
The Zodiac Spear was the most powerful weapon in FFXII. Interestingly, it was among many other weapons that had greater attack power than the Ultima Blade which usually is one of the strongest weapons in the game. To obtain it players had to simply NOT open four specific treasure chests. This weapon being the strongest in the game parallels with the creature, Zodiark, which was apparently the strongest esper in the game.
There are also unconventional weapons available for the characters to wield such as books, bags, cloths, dolls, forks, musical instruments and souls. Books first appeared in Final Fantasy III as weapons for Scholar, Sage, and Ninja classes. It also appeared in Final Fantasy Tactics as the weapon of the Oracle and Calculator job class though it was known as dictionary in the game. Cloths also appeared in Final Fantasy Tactics as the weapon of the Dancer job class. Like the previous two, bags were weapons wielded by women regardless of job class in Final Fantasy Tactics. Dolls were used by Lulu in Final Fantasy X to attack for her. They often took the form of characters and races from previous games, such as Cait Sith, Cactuar, Moogles, Moombas, and others. Her ultimate weapon was the Onion Knight, a class from Final Fantasy III. The fork was used in Final Fantasy IX by Quina Quen. The Gastro Fork, given by Quina's master, was the ultimate one. Souls were utilized in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance by the Morpher job class which is available to the Nu Mou. Most of the souls are obtained through The Hunter's "Capture" ability.
There are a variety of musical instruments used as weapons in Final Fantasy. Most notable of these would be the harp and the bell. Both first appeared as weapons in Final Fantasy III. The bell was used by the Geomancer and Ninja class in the game while harp was utilized by the Bard and Ninja class. The bell also made its appearance in Final Fantasy V as the weapon of the Geomancer class. The Earth Bell is also one of sealed weapons in the Castle of Kuzar. Many kinds of bells appear in Final Fantasy IX as artifacts or key items to open most doors in Burmecia and Gizamaluke's Grotto. The harp was also used by Prince Edward of Damcyan in Final Fantasy IV. In Final Fantasy V it was used by the Bard class. The Apollo Harp was one of the sealed weapons in the game. Aside from these two other musical instruments have been used as a weapon such as castanets and flutes in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance (flutes also used by Eiko Carol in Final Fantasy IX). These are used by the Beastmaster class of the Nu Mou and the Animist class of the Moogle. Another form of instrument used, is the Megaphone used by Cait Sith in Final Fantasy VII. Although not a true instrument, it can't actually classify under any other weapon-type.
Armor and accessories
Recurring armor and accessories
Like weapons, many pieces of armor from the Final Fantasy series appear in multiple titles in the series. For example, a notable type of armor reused in the series is Genji, which consists of a shield, helmet, body armor, and sometimes shoes. Many armors featured in the Final Fantasy series are named after metals or stones, such as bronze, iron, silver, mythril, gold, emerald, diamond, and crystal; others are based on colors or spells. The noted alloys Admantite (Adaman) and Materite (Materia) also appear from time to time, usually as body armor. Each Final Fantasy game features unique armor, as well.
Armor and accessories used in the Final Fantasy series consist of items such as bracers, shields, rings, bangles, shoes, helmets, body armor, robes, and dresses. However, not all games in the series have an armor system; for example, Final Fantasy X-2 uses the equipping of accessories instead of armor. Final Fantasy VIII uses stats increases from equipping Guardian Forces, a form of summoning in the game, than the use of armor. In many of the games, armor or accessories in the game could only be equipped in a certain job class like Black Mage with a Black Robe, or a Warrior with the Warrior's Shield. As previously mentioned, the Genji set of equipment is one of the most frequent and powerful types of armor in the series; it has appeared in Final Fantasy II, Final Fantasy IV, Final Fantasy V, Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy IX, Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy XII, Final Fantasy Tactics, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, and the Game Boy Advance remake of Final Fantasy I. The Genji Armor is also mentioned in Final Fantasy XI Online.
Several individual pieces of armor and accessories recur throughout the series. Two of the most common are the Aegis shield and the Protect Ring, which provide various effects for the character, depending on the game. The Golden Hairpin almost always benefits the spellcasters in the party. For example, in Final Fantasy VI and Final Fantasy V, they were accessories that reduced spell costs by half; in Final Fantasy Tactics, they were head armor that gave a significant boost to the maximum MP value and nullified the silence status effect. The Ribbon is an item in most Final Fantasy games that allows the equipped user to become immune to all status ailments. Most times, it appears as a helmet; in some games, such as Final Fantasy VI, it is an accessory. In Final Fantasy IX it is used by Eiko to learn Guardian Mog, an ability "that protects you with unseen force", which is given to her when Mog/Madeen leaves. In Final Fantasy X International, it is a customizable ability embedded into armor, having the same effect as it does normally. Sometimes, the item is female-only (as in the case of Final Fantasy Tactics Advance where only Viera may equip it), while other times, it is universal. In Final Fantasy V, it can only be equipped by the Dancer, or 'Normal' classes. In Final Fantasy VIII, it can be accquired from Chocobo World (A class).
By game
In Final Fantasy IV, the Adamant Armor is the most powerful body armor piece. However, most armor and equipment in Final Fantasy IV is part of a set, such as Genji or Shadow.
In Final Fantasy V, the Bonemail, the Cursed Ring, and the Thornlet provide the greatest stat boosts of any armor in the game. However, they simultaneously inflict the wearer with a specific status ailment: the Bonemail makes the wearer undead and unable to take a Phoenix Down, the Cursed Ring afflicts the wearer with "Doom" (delayed death), while the Thornlet inflicts "Sap" (HP leak) on the wearer.
Most armor items in Final Fantasy VI can be grouped into one of four categories - body armor, shields, helmets, and relics. Body armor generayl boosts defense; however, some provide bonuses to evasion (Force Armor) and MP (Minerva). The most powerful set of body armor is the Snow Muffler. The most powerful shield, the Paladin Shield, is only available after wearing the status ailment-inducing Cursed Shield; this marks the first time in the series that equipment is available in this manner. Some helmets, like the Cat Hood and Mystery Veil, provide status adjustmnets to numerous areas, such as Magic Evade and elemental defense. Finally, Relics are special accessories which can be equipped independently of any armors or other accessories already in use. They typically confer special abilities or statuses on either the user or the whole party. Relics include Dragoon Boots, which turn the "Fight" command into "Jump" for an extra damage attack; Economizer, which reduces MP cost to 1 for any spell cast; and Genji Glove, which allows the character to equip a weapon in each hand.
Final Fantasy VII was the first game in the series not to feature shields, helmets, or body armor. Equipment was reduced to one weapon, one defense item (usually an "armlet" or "bracelet"), and one accessory per character. Most weapons and armlets in the game feature slots into which Materia can be inserted to increase the user's stats. Some armlets, like the Shinra Beta, can be stolen from enemies; other equipment, like the Mystile, are extremely rare yet potent.
In Final Fantasy IX, armor and accessories also provide new spells and abilities for characters to use. Additionally, many of the summons in the game are learned by equipping jewels as accessories. The Hawaiian equipment is inserted for comical reasons; the equipment offers little in the way of attributes and is useless in battle.
In Final Fantasy X, armor is not interchangeable between characters; rather, the player must purchase armor for each individual party member, as each person can only equip one type of armor. Like the weapons in Final Fantasy X, armor in the game can be customized with up to four different features, which provide abilities or raise the battle power of the character who equips it. Those armors designated for different party members but bearing the same features usually have similar names (i.e. White Bracer versus White Bangle).
Many of the armors and armor abilities from Final Fantasy X appear again in Final Fantasy X-2, although they are referred to as "accessories" and cannot be customized by the player. Many accessories take the form of clothing items or pieces of jewelry (i.e. Gold Earrings) rather than shields or helmets as in previous games. Signature armor items from previous Final Fantasy games also make appearances (as accessories), including the Gold Hairpin, Ribbon, and Power Wrist.
References
- ^ http://www.rpgclassics.com/shrines/snes/lufia2/weapons.shtml
- ^ V-Jump, ed. (2005). Final Fantasy VII Advent Children Prologue (in Japanese). Shueisha. p. 57. ISBN 4-08-779339-7.
- ^ Studio BentStuff, ed. (1999). Final Fantasy VIII Ultimania (in Japanese). DigiCube/Square-Enix. p. 43. ISBN 4-925075-49-7.
- ^ BradyGames, ed. (2006). Final Fantasy XII Signature Series Guide. BradyGames. p. 266. ISBN 0-7440-0837-9.
See also
External links
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