Final Attack Final Attack is a gameplay term in the " Final Fantasy " series . It refers to a part of a unit ' s attack script that has it execute an action upon being killed . In terms of game coding , the final attack can be a specific attack , or the final attack script initiate a cutscene meant to be viewed upon the unit dying . Appearances . " Final Fantasy VI " . When a monster revives itself using the final attack script , it is treated as if it had never died ; monsters with a final attack script to revive themselves typically are not meant to be killed . For example , the player ' s goal is to defeat Wrexsoul , not the Soul Saver s , so simultaneously killing the Soul Savers would hypothetically end the battle with Wrexsoul still " alive , " but due to the final attack script , they are not treated as being dead during the time they revive themselves , and so the battle continues . In the same way , the player is intended to defeat the demon form of the Chadarnook , not the goddess form , so the final attack script to revive itself keeps the player from winning by killing the goddess form . There are ways around this script . Certain Death attacks stall an enemy ' s final attack script for one turn . They are Banish , Odin , Raiden , Oblivion , Snare , and Banisher . For most normal enemies , disabling their final attack only does that and nothing more , but against certain bosses glitches can arise . Against Wrexsoul and the Soul Savers , if the player kills a Soul Saver with Snare or Banish , their final attack to revive themselves will not execute and they will remain dead . If both Soul Savers are killed this way , and Wrexsoul removes / has removed itself from the battle , the battle will end as the game considers the player to have defeated the enemy party . Against Deathgaze , if the player uses the Vanish - Doom bug in the Super Nintendo version to kill it with Banish , it prevents the game from recognizing it as beaten . Contrary to popular belief , this does not permanently miss the Bahamut magicite ; while it won ' t be dropped for that battle , Deathgaze ' s death script never running also means Deathgaze is not flagged as defeated , and continues to appear at random , and so will give the magicite whenever he is beaten " properly " . " Final Fantasy VII " . Several enemies execute a final attack when their HP is reduced to 0 . Some enemies , such as the Dragon Zombie and Ultimate Weapon , cast a powerful spell . Other enemies that have a final attack script are 2 - Faced , Bottomswell , Gargoyle , Hojo , and Helletic Hojo . Dragon Zombie is special in that it will only use its final attack , Pandora ' s Box , once per save file due to a global variable coded into the attack . The global variable is also used in the Jenova∙SYNTHESIS battle , meaning that after this battle , fighting another Dragon Zombie would have it use its final attack again . This is normally impossible since the Jenova∙SYNTHESIS battle is past the point of no return . The player can utilize the final attack script as part of the Final Attack Materia , won from the Battle Square after winning the Special Battle once . For each level the Materia gains , the command from the attached Materia will be used upon death , up to a maximum of five times . This can be further extended if the player equips the same Materia again to another Final Attack Materia on the same character , up to eight times . Final Attack can be paired with all Magic and Summon Materia , Steal , Sense , Throw , Morph , Deathblow , Manipulate , Mime and Master Command . If paired with Master Magic / Summon / Command , a random ability contained in the Materia is chosen . If paired with Command Materia , the ability highlighted in the menu is used for the final attack . If paired with a Magic Materia , the highest spell the Materia has learned will be used . If the character has two copies of the same Magic or Summon Materia paired with Quadra Magic and Final Attack , the party member will use the spell four times when killed . This applies to Master Materia as well . For example , if Cloud is killed with Master Summon paired with Quadra Magic and Phoenix paired with Final Attack , he will cast Phoenix Flame four times when killed . When facing superboss es it is recommended to link the Phoenix Materia with Final Attack and equip the set to the party ' s most durable member . If the party member always has enough MP to execute the final attack , the boss would have to kill the equipped character at most six times for the player to get a Game Over . Final Attack will hit either the enemy or allies , depending on the ability ' s default target . Abilities that target enemies choose a random enemy , unless the attack is area - of - effect . All supportive single - target spells target the character using the final attack . Final attack will only trigger when the character is killed by an enemy . If the player kills themselves , even if done by a confused ally , or are killed by Poison or Death Sentence , the final attack will not trigger . " Final Fantasy VIII " . Final attack scripts are generally run through monsters that are at least level 30 or higher , including the Imp , Behemoth , and Krysta . If killed via instant death moves , the final attack script does not play . " Final Fantasy IX " . Two bosses are notable for using final attacks upon their " death : " Beatrix and Kuja . While the player has technically won against these opponents by reducing their HP to 0 , they use a powerful attack that reduces the entire party ' s HP to 1 , or ends the battle instantly , respectively . Thus , for storyline purposes , neither of these opponents can technically be defeated . Maliris uses the attack Raining Swords when defeated as a final attempt to defeat the player . If all the characters ' HP is depleted by this attack , it ' s Game Over even if Maliris also dies . " Final Fantasy X " . Only two enemies have access to a final attack . The Behemoth King casts Meteor when killed , and the Catoblepas casts Ultima . If either enemy is defeated by a counterattack or Zanmato , the final attack will not be executed . In the case of the Behemoth King in the PAL / International / HD versions , if it is captured on the final attack , it will not cast Meteor . " Final Fantasy X - 2 " . The Humbaba executes Meteor upon being killed . However , the final attack can be negated if Humbaba is eject ed , bribed , or defeated when a special dressphere is present . " Final Fantasy XI " . Some opponents , such as the Behemoth fought in the KS99 BCNM Horns of War , use final attacks upon their death . " Final Fantasy XIV " . Behemoth will cast Ecliptic Meteor on death during the FATE " He Taketh It with His Eyes " . The Ghost of Meracydia will cast Neurolink Burst on death in The Second Coil of Bahamut - Turn 4 . " Bravely Default " . At Job Level 5 , the Dark Knight class can learn the support ability See You In Hell , which activates when a character is KO ' d and inflicts four times the damage of a conventional attack on all enemies .