Magic ( term ) Magic is a significant element in the " Final Fantasy " series , and is important in both the gameplay and the plot . As a gameplay element , magic is the counterpart of physical attacks , and generally , those who are able to use magic are called mages . In the plot , magic has a major influence in the workings of the game ' s world , and can be used either to destroy or to save it . Profile . Magic is , by definition , " the art of producing a desired effect or result through the use of incantation or various other techniques that presumably assure human control of supernatural agencies or the forces of nature " . The " Final Fantasy " series features many different methodologies and schools of magic used in many different ways to manipulate the various forces and essences of nature through knowledge or various items , sometimes even bordering on scientific and technological methods similar to magic itself . Use of magic in the series is not always exclusive to the respective Magic command available in each game . For example , games like " Final Fantasy IX " or " Final Fantasy X " feature abilities that , while not considered part of the usual magic schools such as White or Black , require MP to use and cause " unnatural " or " superhuman " effects such as poisoning or debilitating enemies . Some games feature Limit Break abilities , which may be healing or protective , create destructive energy blasts , or allow the user to attack an enemy multiple times in succession ; they usually do not consume MP , instead having their own gauges to fill or triggering conditions . Technicks in " Final Fantasy XII " are supernatural abilities that require no MP and are seen as a contrast and parallel to Magick . Thus , though any manipulation of energies to achieve feats beyond normal human abilities could be considered " magic , " the variety of different abilities with similar workings make a single , definitive definition of magic impossible ; what constitutes magic is thus vast , but ill - defined . Types . Magic is one of the two principal forms of attack in the series , the other being physical attacks . Although the specific features of the magic system vary significantly from game to game , many concepts have remained consistent . Magic spells have different types and effects . In the series ' first game , " Final Fantasy " , magic is split between " White Magic " — healing and battle support spells , and " Black Magic " — offensive spells . As the series progressed and new spells were added , different types of spells have been introduced , each able to be used by different types of mages . " Final Fantasy VI " . Magic is split into three categories named based upon their effect : Attack , Healing , and Effect . The list of magic spells gives each spell a corresponding sphere next to their names : white ( Healing ) , black ( Attack ) and grey ( Effect ) . " Final Fantasy VII " . Abilities are split into a classification system based on the five types of Materia . Green Materia is Magic Materia , and having any equipped bestows the Magic command . Each Materia may contain up to four different spells , while the better ones require AP before granting access to them . Examples of magic include Fire , Cure , and Resist . Magic is split into four categories : " Crisis Core - Final Fantasy VII - " . Each Materia corresponds to one spell . Magic Materia is green Materia , and they are split into three types based on color . " Final Fantasy VIII " . Magic types are sorted into several views : " Final Fantasy XI " . " Final Fantasy XI " has a diverse and complex magic classification system spread over its 20 job classes . These sub categories are divided into magic sub - types called " skill " , spanning the generic types — sometimes in the same category . Example : Paralyze is a White Magic spell , and Poison is a Black Magic spell , yet both are considered Enfeebling Magic spells , affected by Enfeebling Magic skill level . Black Magic includes all Elemental Magic , all Dark Magic , Enfeebling Magic and some Enhancing Magic . White Magic includes all Healing and Divine Magic , and Enfeebling and Enhancing Magic . There are no Enfeebling or Enhancing spells available to both schools . " Final Fantasy XI " uses the - na , - ra , - ga , and - ja suffixes to broadly indicate the different effects and area of effects ( AoE ) of spells , while roman numerals describe a spell ' s power ( I to VI ) . This allows for players to ascertain a spell ' s general effect and power at a glance . Ivalice . Further in the series , Magic has been given a new spelling ; magick , in the Ivalice - related games , starting with " Final Fantasy XII " and followed by subsequent games within the Ivalice Alliance . This also marks the appearance of new magic types : " Final Fantasy Legend III " . Besides the typical White Magic and Black Magic spells that appear , there is Lost Magic , which contains more powerful spells than White Magic and Black Magic have . There are only three Lost Magic spells that can be bought in shops . Shar can create Lost Magic spells for the party by mixing two elemental stones , but these stones are in limited supply . There are enough elemental stones in the game to precisely make one copy of each Lost Magic spell . " Final Fantasy Mystic Quest " . Alongside White Magic and Black Magic , Benjamin and his ally Phoebe can cast Wizard magic . This spell pool consists of powerful attack spells , mostly group spells , with a casting limit distinct from the White and Black categories . Tiering . Sells have a hierarchy of power , which is divided in tiers . These tiers are denoted by the suffixes - " ra " , - " ga " and - " ja " , normally corresponding to the second , third and fourth level of power of a spell , respectively ( e . g . " Cure " evolves to " Cura " , which progresses to " Curaga " ) . There are various exceptions to this . In the localized versions of earlier installments , numbers were used instead of suffixes . Elements . Spells can be divided into elemental spells and non - elemental spells . Elemental magic is associated with a particular element , such as fire , ice , lightning , water , wind , and earth , with fire , ice , and lightning often serving as the main elements , and water , wind , and earth more often than not serving as secondary elements . The elemental spells ' number and names vary from game to game . Sometimes , holy and dark , also exist . Non - elemental spells are not associated with an element . Examples include spells that affect the status of the target . Each magic caster possesses a level of magic power , which determines the damage of a given spell . Characters with higher magic power will deal more damage than the same spell cast by someone with a lower magic power . Certain characters can have affinities to an element : for example , a Fire spell from a fire - based character will cause more damage than cast by a wind - based character . Each target possesses magic resistance , which lessens the effect of magic spells . In addition to the target ' s magic resistance , certain targets have a different resistance ( positive or negative ) to certain elements : they may receive more damage than usual from spells associated with that elemental ( usually 200 % damage ) or less ( usually 50 % ) ; they may nullify the damage ( 0 % ) or absorb it ( usually 100 % of the damage is converted to health gain ) . Non - elemental magic damage depends only on magic resistance . Story . " Final Fantasy IV " . The summoners ' home , the village of Mist , is destroyed . Cagnazzo , under the guise of the King of Baron , ordered the village burned because he feared the summoners ' power . Rydia is the only survivor , and her powers become pivotal to world safety , as she can summon her Eidolons to save Cecil Harvey ' s party from Golbez . The magic Meteor is a powerful and sealed magic spell Tellah seeks to avenge his daughter . Zemus battles Golbez and Fusoya , and the two cast Twin Meteor to dispatch him , only to see him rise again as Zeromus . In the 3D remake releases , it is mentioned that the gift of magic was bestowed on humans by the Lunarian Kluya , and they could not access its power before his arrival . " Final Fantasy VI " . 1000 years ago , the Warring Triad began the War of the Triad and many creatures and humans were transformed into magical demi - gods called espers while other humans began using magic extracted from them . The Warring Triad petrified themselves to stop the war , the espers fled to another dimension , and magic was forgotten . The few surviving humans rebuilt the world — those who still had magical powers founded the village of Thamasa , and although over time their powers dwindled , it remained innate and present . Twenty years ago Emperor Gestahl found the Esper World . With a process developed by Cid Del Norte Marquez , he forcibly extracted raw magical power from the espers he captured . This led to the process known as Magitek , and many powerful machines were infused with magical energy , as well as people , including Kefka Palazzo and Celes Chere , making them Magitek Knight s . With magic fueling their army , the Gestahlian Empire conquers much of the world . The rebel faction Returners comes across a woman named Terra Branford , a former imperial general who lost her memories . She is the child of the esper Maduin and a woman named Madeline , making her half - esper and one of the few humans to naturally know magic . The esper Ramuh reveals that Magitek is inefficient — the magic extracted is weak and kills the espers — but when an esper expires they become magicite , which can teach magic at a higher potency and efficiency . Kefka finds and takes control of the Warring Triad , draining their powers to become the God of Magic . Reshaping the world into the World of Ruin , Kefka rules unopposed with his new powers , until the Returners reassemble their ranks and assault his tower . The Warring Triad and Kefka are destroyed , and magic vanishes from the world . The party ' s innate magic fades , the magicite shards they had collected shatter , and the world reforms to its previous state . Due to her emotional attachments to the children of Mobliz , Terra becomes a full human and survives . " Final Fantasy VII " . Magic can be used via Materia , orbs of mystical energy created by condensed Mako from the Lifestream . As the Lifestream is the collective consciousness of all who have died , Materia allows the holder to access the knowledge of the Lifestream and tap into the powers of the Planet , manifesting as magic or other abilities . As such , magic is the materialization of Spiritual Energy . Ancients were said to have been able to use magic without the use of Materia . Professor Hojo , a scientist for the Shinra Electric Power Company , studied Materia but was unable to grasp its secrets . Being a rational scientist , he objected to the use of the term " magic " to describe the powers of Materia . In addition to the powers granted by Materia , few can manifest magic - like powers in their Limit Breaks , although it is neither confirmed nor denied if Limit Breaks are related to magic in any way . There are also ultimate spells , too powerful for a normal human to use . One is Meteor , the ultimate Black Magic with the power to destroy the Planet . Meteor summons a small planet from outer space and sends it hurtling towards the Planet . In counter to Meteor , the ultimate White Magic has the power to stop it , Holy . Both of the great spells work on special Materia , the Black Materia for Meteor , and the White Materia for Holy . Sephiroth plans to use Meteor to become a God . Meteor would create a wound on the Planet so great that the Lifestream would be sent out to heal it . Sephiroth plans to take control of the Lifestream and take over the Planet . Aeris Gainsborough travels to the Forgotten Capital to summon Holy . Sephiroth kills her , but not before Holy is summoned . Using his power Sephiroth holds Holy back . Cloud Strife and his party descend into Sephiroth ' s lair in the Northern Cave and defeat him , releasing Holy and crushing his plot to become a God . Holy is sent out too late , and Meteor breaks through it and crashes into the metropolis of Midgar . Aeris summons the Lifestream to force Meteor back and save the Planet . " Final Fantasy VIII " . Magic is the manipulation of the planet ' s energy fields . Magic can be used by everyone through different means , the main ones being sorceress power ( embodiment ) and Guardian Force junctioning ( Para - Magic ) . Sorceress ' s power is attributed to the legend of the Great Hyne , supposedly the creator of the world and the first sorcerer . The legend goes that fragments of the Great Hyne ' s power were given to women who became sorceresses . This passing of sorceress powers , called the embodiment ( called " The Succession of Witches " in the Japanese version ) , became a tradition where a person with the capacity to embody a sorceress ' s power is chosen as the candidate . As such , sorceresses are both respected and feared . Dr . Odine , who started out as a monster researcher and moved on to study Guardian Forces , cooperated with a sorceress and began studying sorceresses and magic . He developed Para - Magic , which involves junctioning a Guardian Force to a person . It is unclear where a Guardian Force resides within the body , but observations show that those who rely on the Guardian ' s power suffer memory loss . By junctioning Guardian Forces , people can use magic by drawing the energy from various sources , such as items , draw point s and monsters . Ultimecia , a powerful sorceress from the future , wishes to change the world by compressing time and taking power from all sorceresses ever to have existed . Time compression involves powerful time magic that causes various present states to appear at one time , which causes all sorceresses to exist at one given time to give Ultimecia the opportunity to become the most powerful sorceress in existence , and an all - powerful being able to control all of time and space . Time compression requires her to possess a sorceress from the past and draw their power . However , the SeeD s from a certain past travel through the time compression ending her reign and restore the flow of time . " Final Fantasy X " . According to the " Final Fantasy X Scenario Ultimania " , the first development in Spira was brought about by the power of magic . The use of magic depended on individual factors , and those who could use magic naturally had an advantage , while those who couldn ' t were discriminated against . Thus the age of the magic civilizations was an age of inequality . When machina was invented it was revolutionary and did away with the inequalities and spread throughout Spira . Machina developed quickly , and things once thought impossible rapidly became a reality . The endless supply of electricity made " cities that never slept " possible . Machina was supposed to be an alternative for those who couldn ' t use magic , but when it surpassed the power of magic , new problems arose . Some nations possessed outstanding machina technology , while other nations didn ' t , and a new age of inequality began . Once machina was outlawed by the Yevon Temple , magic again became the prominent power in the world . Some study black magic to be able to use various spells , but the most respected magic users in Spira are the summoners who embark on a pilgrimage to gain the power of the Final Aeon . " Final Fantasy XI " . There are many origins and different perspectives on how magic came into the hands of the Enlightened Races and Beastmen of Vana ' diel , but one constant fact is how its origins can be traced back to the nation of Windurst and the race of the Tarutaru . One tale states of how a young Tarutaru girl , lost around the ruined towers in the wilderness of Sarutabaruta , came to meet the last known living remnant of the Kuluu race and was lead to the Full Moon Fountain , having gained the power of magic and becoming her race ' s first Star Sybil . Another states of how the Terrestrial Avatar Fenrir came to bestow the gift of magic upon the Tarutaru upon their discovery of the Full Moon Fountain . Regardless , the power of magic was soon wielded by the Tarutaru with unmatched proficiency , and it would soon usher in the Age of Magic . Over time , as the powers they wielded became widespread and even fell into the hands of the dreaded beastmen , the Tarutaru would come to an age of isolationism , as the world came to find and use a new power that would change its shape . " Final Fantasy XIII " . The crystal is the source of magic . The fal ' Cie , machines with a core made out of crystal , can use magic , while humans have their crystal power dormant , which can be unlocked by being branded as l ' Cie by a fal ' Cie . Although off - limits to regular citizens , PSICOM and Guardian Corps can cast magic via AMP , and thus the magic Sanctum uses is called Manadrive . " Final Fantasy XIII - 2 " . When Etro ' s gate opened during the fall of Cocoon , chaos leaked from Valhalla into Gran Pulse , but the goddess Etro intervened and closed the gate , preventing a flood . It is said in a fragment entry that when the timeline was changed and history broken , fissures appeared in the wall that separates the spirit and the material and the crystal power that was once bestowed only upon the l ' Cie was released , permeating deep into the soil . As such , after the Catastrophe , some of the people who settled the lowerworld developed the ability to use magic , including former l ' Cie Serah Farron . Magic is used by channeling the crystal power within each magic - wielder . The AMP technology is still present , and is used by the Academy ' s robots , as well as the Proto fal ' Cie Adam . " Final Fantasy XV " . Two schools of magic exist , but both are related to the kings of Lucis , who wield divine powers because their bloodline has been blessed by the astral s . The magic the royalty can use includes Elemancy , the elemental power of Fire , Ice and Thunder , that can be collected in various places . Originally only usable by the royal family , Elemancy can be collected in flasks and used by others in a similar manner . Items , like potions and elixirs , gain their healing power from Prince Noctis — without him , they would be just regular soda . Noctis Lucis Caelum , the heir to the throne , can wield the power of the Crystal to teleport and summon weapons to himself . The king of Lucis , Regis Lucis Caelum , maintains a magic barrier around the Crown City of Insomnia to fend it from the outside world , but doing so ages him . Only the descendants of the Lucis Caelum bloodline can brandish the Royal Arms , and Regis and Noctis can wield all of them at once in Armiger . Ring of the Lucii is a royal heirloom that allows the monarch to channel the Crystal ' s power . The ring holds the souls of the past Lucian monarchs , and if someone outside of their bloodline wears the ring , the kings will judge whether they are worthy of its power — if deemed unworthy the ring - bearer is burned alive . The ring allows the command of the Old Wall , twelve statues in Insomnia that house the spirits of dead kings and can animate to defend the city at the behest of the ring - bearer . The one deemed worthy to wield the Ring of the Lucii can also cast special spells with it . The old kings ' spirits are linked to the mortal world from " the beyond " by the Ring of the Lucii in a concept called the " bonding of the souls . " Via a method that seems similar , the king can allow others to lend his power , whereupon the recipients become able to wield some of the king ' s powers . This happens with King Regis and the Kingsglaive , and Prince Noctis and his friends . Niflheim has a device that can block the king ' s powers linked to the Crystal : the forging of weapons from thin air , and the use of Elemancy . This does not affect the Ring of the Lucii ' s powers , however . Although Nyx Ulric says Lunafreya Nox Fleuret can ' t use magic in " " , she has the powers of an Oracle and can fight Starscourge . She also uses the Trident of the Oracle , a Royal Arm , to summon the old kings to empower Noctis . Astrals , the gods of Eos , can use supernatural powers , and their magic is linked to their element . For example , Shiva , the ice goddess , can freeze things solid with a touch of her hand . " Final Fantasy Type - 0 " . Magic is a power usually granted by the Crystals of Orience , but sees its greater use by those of the Vermilion Bird Crystal of Dominion of Rubrum . The Vermilion Bird Crystal ' s powers bear control over such forces that drive this craft , and it is responsible for bestowing the gift of magic onto its citizens . Although those who study magic under the Crystal command incredible power , it is susceptible to the Milites Empire ' s crystal jammer , which renders those who use the Crystal ' s power powerless . Class Zero can wield magic without the Crystal due to having been augmented by Arecia Al - Rashia , and draw the power from their hearts by the force of phantoma instead . People ' s magical powers wane once they become adults ; it is unknown if this also extends into the use of phantoma rather than the powers of the Crystal . l ' Cie are servants of the Crystals who grant them incredible strength and the ability to wield magic . However , many view this as the l ' Cie sacrificing their humanity . Magic is researched in Akademeia ' s Sorcery Division . Different spells are analyzed and reformulated day and night , and the findings taught to individuals enrolled as Agito Cadet s who seek to actualize their full magic potential . History of magic within the Dominion of Rubrum . Upon the ancient verse , " Unto Orience came the Crystal of the Vermilion Bird , to guide the children of Rubrum and bestow the great task upon them " , in the year 1 RG , the creed interpreted into what would open the way to path of magic , was initially known to the few that desired to learn its ways who sought the great task of becoming Agito , the figures of legend said to be able to open the paths to the heavens . Housing the Vermilion Bird Crystal under a humble schoolhouse , in 100 years , the word of this verse by the school ' s first chancellor eventually spread to settlements far and wide , expanding it into a grand institution of edification , erudition , and enlightenment that would become known as Akademeia , where the mystical arts could flourish and thrive . About a century after the unification and official establishment of the Dominion of Rubrum in Ven . XVII , 123 RG , in the wake of the rise of Crystal States in Pyr . XXVII , 297 RG , the separation of magic from religious faith was made official ; such ability being only known to Agito Cadets only saw the transmission and accessibility of magical knowledge relatively hard to come by . With the establishment of the Sorcery Division , the study of magic saw leaps in progress ; while spells were traditionally learned singularly from individual from individual , categorization and classification of these spells helped provide a plethora and lexicon of spells to anyone that bore magical power . In addition , Rubrum ' s military strength helped advance by this measure of stabilizing and unifying magical spells , as proper teams that specialized in certain aspects could fight as one . Though the Agito Cadets as a group were disbanded , the idea that all under Akademia ' s roof can become Agito became a unifying schoolwide motivation . Japanese naming scheme . The Japanese names for magic spells often have their names written in katakana and are borrowed from English words . In the original " Final Fantasy " there was a four character limit on ability names , so all spells in that game only had four characters in them ( this also applied to the English NES version which lead to some creative names ) . This meant several things : Future games had extended the upper limit for ability names , however most magic spells retained their shortened name . In " Final Fantasy IV " Dispel , known in Japan as , was renamed to the likely intended name . This ability was the only Black or White Magic spell in the game to have five characters . This change carried into " Final Fantasy V " , before it went back to its original name in future games ( excepting " Final Fantasy XI " ) . The introduction of - ja abilities meant Magic spells had five character names , however these are not ordinarily spells used by the player . Even cases of Curaja appearing as a player spell in English releases is actually " Curaga " in Japanese , where the third - tier spell localized as " Curaga " is actually " Curada " .