Protect ( status ) Protect , also known as Barrier and Safe , is a recurring positive status effect in the series . It is often granted to a character through the use of the Protect spell , the auto - ability Auto - Protect , the item Light Curtain , or the Blue Magic spell Mighty Guard . It typically reduces damage inflicted by from physical attacks for a set amount of time . Appearances . " Final Fantasy " . Protect is a positive status effect the player can use from their White Mage , White Wizard , Red Mage , Red Wizard , or Knight . It raises the target ' s defense slightly . It will not wear off after a set of time and can be stacked like the Temper spell . Protect will only wear off if the character either dies or has Dispel used on them . A Protected character will have a glowing orange outline around them . " Final Fantasy II " . Protect is a positive status that can be acquired using either the Protect spell or the Protect Tome . The spell raises Defense depending on the spell ' s level . " Final Fantasy III " . The Protect status can be provided using the Protect spell , the Defender as an item , or using the Minne song from the Madhura Harp with the Sing command . The status is somewhat random : it can nullify 25 % or 50 % or even more , while the song can be increased in effect by Job - leveling . Sing formula : " Final Fantasy IV " . Protect is gained from the Protect spell and halves damage from physical attacks . The 3D version and subsequent 3D versions are based on it . In the 2D versions , there was no actual Protect status ; instead , the Protect spell instead raises a character ' s Defense . It can be stacked until a character ' s Defense reaches 255 . In the GBA and PSP versions , Edward ' s Sing command changes to Chant while equipped with the Harmony Ring , granting Protect and Shell to the entire party . " Final Fantasy V " . Protect may be gained by casting the Protect spell , the Blue Magic spell Mighty Guard , using the item Iron Draft via the Drink ability , and using the Mix command to combine a Dragon Fang with a Phoenix Down and create the item Dragon Defense . " Final Fantasy VI " . Protect , originally translated as Safe , the status can be granted using Protect , Mighty Guard , and many accessories and Gau ' s Rages . It reduces damage done from physical attacks to 170 / 256 ( 33 % damage reduction ) and is represented by a yellow aura around the protected character . " Final Fantasy VII " . Barrier cuts physical damage by half and can be gained by using the Barrier Materia or using the Wall spell or the Protect Ring accessory . The item Light Curtain can be used to grant protect to all allies . The Enemy Skill Big Guard casts Barrier along with MBarrier and Haste . On the barrier gauge shown to the right , it appears as the red gauge . " Crisis Core - Final Fantasy VII - " . The status returns as Barrier , and just like in " Final Fantasy VII " , it cuts the physical damage by half and can be gained by using the Barrier Materia , Wall Materia , or some accessories . Cait Sith ' s Courage Boost ! DMW grants the Barrier status along with many statuses , and the status can randomly be implemented via the DMW as well when not in modulating phase . " Final Fantasy VIII " . Protect returns as a positive status that reduces physical damage by half and lasts 32 seconds . It can be granted by casting the spell Protect that can be drawn from various enemies , using a Protect Stone item , using Selphie ' s Limit Break Wall , or casting Quistis ' s Limit Break Mighty Guard , which will grant Protect regardless of Crisis Level . Protect can also be provided using the Guardian Force ability Auto - Protect . " Final Fantasy IX " . Protect halves received physical damage . It can be applied via the White Magic spell Protect and the Blue Magic spell Mighty Guard . Carbuncle will also cast it it during its long summoning animation . When used , the character will glow yellow , similar to previous games . How long the status lasts depends on the character ' s Spirit and the battle speed . " Final Fantasy X " . Protect halves received physical damage . This status effect can be gained from either casting the White Magic spell Protect , Kimahri ' s Ronso Rage Mighty Guard , wearing an armor that has Auto - Protect , using the item Light Curtain , or by Rikku mixing items to give the Protect status . " Final Fantasy X - 2 " . Protect is similar to its " Final Fantasy X " predecessor and reduces physical damage . It can be cast if one of the player characters is a White Mage who has already learned Shell or has the Helios Guard Garment Grid equipped . Another form is SOS Protect used when a player ' s character gets low on HP . The Helios Guard Garment Grid comes with it along with the Warrior Job class after learning Sentinel . " Final Fantasy XI " . Protect is a status caused by the White Magic spell by the same name . It increases the target ' s defense by a flat amount , as opposed to reducing physical damage taken like in other games . " Final Fantasy XII " . Protect reduces physical damage by 25 % and can be granted by using the Protect or Protectga spell , or by equipping the Shielded Armor . An enemy skill called Greater Barrier grants the status along with Shell . Guns and measures ignore the Protect status . Basch can grant the status to multiple allies by casting Protectga . " Final Fantasy XIII " . Protect is a status enhancement which reduces physical damage against the target by 33 % . There is also an upgraded version of the status called Protectra which raises the physical resistance by 50 % , but with shorter duration . Some accessories like the Guardian Amulet and the Shield Talisman grant Protect status either at the start or during a battle , although they only do this once . Aegisol casts Protect on the party on the field . Deprotect cancels out the Protect status , and Protect can also heal a target from Deprotect . " Final Fantasy XIII - 2 " . Protect reduces received physical damage by 25 % and can be bestowed by Protect and Protectga . It can be removed with Dispel , Deprotect , and Deprotega . " " . reduces physical damage received . Protect can be bestowed by , , , , and . With auto - ability Lightning can steal opponents ' Protect status to herself . triggers Protect if Lightning is in battle . Angel of Valhalla can bestow Protect on Lightning with either the spell Protect or his Inspire ability . He can gains them at bond level 2 . " Final Fantasy Tactics " . Protect can be granted using Protect , Protectja , Wall , or wearing the Lordly Robe and using the Tynar Rouge as an accessory . Protect does not directly reduce damage from attacks in this installment , but subtracts the attacker ' s physical AT by 1 / 3 in the damage formula . If the attack is done with a weapon that uses Magickal Attack or Speed , then Protect instead reduces that stat for the attack . In addition , physical attacks that have stat - dependent success rates will face a penalty such that revised stat = [ stat * 2 / 3 ] when targeting a Protected unit ; consequently , Protect can lower either the success rate or the damage of physical attacks . The status lasts for 32 ticks . " Final Fantasy Tactics Advance " . Protect is granted by the abilities : Protect , Barrier , 100 % Wool , and Yellow Spring . It reduces physical damage . " Dissidia Final Fantasy " . The Warrior of Light gains the Protect status while in EX Mode , boosting his Defense by 10 points . " Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy " . The Warrior of Light again gains Protect status in his EX Mode , to the same effect as in the first game . " World of Final Fantasy " . is a status effect that halves damage until the end of the next round .