Curse (spell)

Curse is a recurring ability in the Final Fantasy series. It usually inflicts the status ailment of the same name, though sometimes it may inflict a whole host of status ailments.
A separate ability of the same name also appears as a recurring attack in the series, recurrently used by Scarmiglione from Final Fantasy IV and Amarant Coral from Final Fantasy IX.
==Overview==
Curse is often a debilitating spell, with its effects varying in each appearance. Curse originally appeared as a Black Magic spell in Final Fantasy II, which inflicted the status ailment of the same name onto targets.
After its original appearance, Curse has made only a handful appearances as a player spell, often being associated with the Black or Dark Magic schools. The ability would not appear as a usable spell for players until the Game Boy Advance port of Final Fantasy V, serving as a late-game Dark Arts spell. Like its enemy ability counterpart, it simply inflicted several status ailments onto targets. Afterwards it would reemerge in a more prominent role in the Final Fantasy XIII subseries as a recurring Saboteur spell, even featuring a group-wide version called Cursega.
While several titles have another ability of the same name, it often counts as a unique ability not associated with the Magic skillset. The unique Curse ability instead serves as a status debuffing spell, often lowering a target's stats in some fashion. This is reflected in the Japanese names for both attacks—the spell version uses the recurring katakana character naming structure for spells, being known as or ; the ability version's name derives from the Japanese noun for a curse, spelled in either kanji or hiragana characters as .
Curse has occasionally included upgraded forms in some titles, with their names deriving from the series's recurring magic tier system. The following are the prominent recurring upgraded forms:
*Cursera - An upgraded form of Curse that appears in both Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles and Final Fantasy Dimensions II. Cursera inflicts the Curse on multiple targets in both titles. 
*Cursega - An upgraded Curse spell that appears as a recurring spell in the Final Fantasy XIII subseries. It deals non-elemental magic damage to all targets and has a chance to inflict the Curse status.
Some titles have featured unique or alternate upgraded forms. These spells include unique properties, or are used by specific jobs:
*Curse I - XVI - Due to the unique progression system of Final Fantasy II, Curse levels up like all other magic spells. There are sixteen versions, having a increased success rate with each level the spell.
== Appearances ==
=== Final Fantasy II ===
Curse is a Black Magic spell which inflicts Curse on one or all enemies. The success rate increases with the level of the spell. Any character can learn Curse by having them use the Curse Tome (Curse Scroll in Origins).
Curse Tome	Curse Tome
Effect 	Allows the target to learn Curse when used outside of battle. Casts Curse VIII on all enemies when used in battle.
Find 	Castle Deist
Drop 	Captain, Mini Satana, Puroboros
Curse VI can be used exclusively by Sorcerer, Curse VIII by Imperial Shadow, Ghost, and Devil Wolf, while Curse XVI is used by the Emperor in the final battle.
=== Final Fantasy V ===
Curse is a Dark Art usable by Necromancers in the Advance and 2013 Matrix Software versions. It randomly inflicts Toad, Mini, Poison, Darkness, Old, Sleep, Confuse, Berserk, Silence, and Sap to a single target. It is also used by the bosses Archeodemon and Neo Shinryu.
=== Final Fantasy IX ===
Curse is an enemy ability used by Ozma and Hades. It inflicts Confuse, Poison, Darkness, Slow, and Mini on the entire party, along with a random amount of damage.
=== Final Fantasy X ===
Curse inflicts Silence, Poison, Darkness, Sleep, and Curse on one party member. It is used by Yu Pagoda when only one is active.
==== Final Fantasy X-2 ====
Curse inflicts the status of the same name and is used by Aka Manah, Arast, Azi Dahaka (Oversoul), Bahamut, Daeva, Dark Elemental, Epitaph, and Guardian Beast.
=== Final Fantasy XI ===
Curse is a Black Magic that inflicts a strong Curse status on one target that cuts maximum HP and MP by 50%. It is cast by the undead hound Cwn Cyrff, and the Corse Raigegue R d'Oraguille (who is apparently the undead form of former San d'Orian king Raigegue the Lupine).
=== Final Fantasy XII ===
Curse is an enemy ability used by more powerful forms of undead, especially ghosts, such as Bogey and Necrofiend. It inflicts every susceptible player party member in range with Poison, Disease, Confuse, and Sap, effectively crippling the party.
=== Final Fantasy XIII ===
Curse is a Saboteur ability that deals magic damage to one target and may apply the Curse status, with a base chance of 20%. It has an ATB cost of 1. It is learned by Sazh (stage 8), Snow (stage 7), and Fang (stage 5).
==== Final Fantasy XIII-2 ====
Curse is a Saboteur ability that deals magic damage to one target and may apply the Curse status. It has an ATB cost of 1 and has a modifier of 0.35. It can be learned by Ahriman (level 4), Pantopoda (34), Schrodinger (28), Silver Lobo (21), and Unsaganashi (49).
It is also an enemy ability used by Vampire.
==== Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII ====
Curse is a debuffing ability that deals magic damage to one target and may apply the Curse status. It has an ATB cost of 25, a multiplier of 0.20, and a duration of 30. It can also be used by enemies.
=== Vagrant Story ===
=== Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles ===
Curse is an enemy spell cast by Shades, etc. Cursera is a stronger form used by Abaddon and Malboro that is an area of effect ability. Both inflict Curse status.
=== Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light ===
Curse appears as a Dark Magic spell and costs 2 AP to cast. Curse can be given to any character by having a Curse Tome in the character's inventory. The spell can only be purchased in Urbeth for 2000 gil.
=== Final Fantasy Dimensions ===
Curse is the level 3 ability of the Dark Knight class, learned for 80 MP. For the cost of 15 MP, the user will inflict the Curse and Sap statuses to one target.
=== Pictlogica Final Fantasy ===
=== Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade ===
=== Final Fantasy Record Keeper ===
=== Mobius Final Fantasy ===
===World of Final Fantasy===
Curse is an active ability that inflict various status ailments on a single target for 10 AP. It can be used by Devil Wolf.
===Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin===
==Non-Final Fantasy guest appearances==
=== Bravely Default ===
Curse is a Genome ability learned from or . It lowers the physical attack and physical defense of one target by 25% for four turns. It costs 12 MP.
== Gallery ==
FFII NES Curse6.png|Final Fantasy II (NES).
FFII Curse1 PS.png|Final Fantasy II (PS).
FFII Curse1 All PS.png|Curse cast on the enemy party in Final Fantasy II (PS).
FFII Curse1 GBA.png|Final Fantasy II (GBA).
FFII Curse1 All GBA.png|Curse cast on all enemies in Final Fantasy II (GBA).
FFII PSP Curse.png|Final Fantasy II (PSP).
FFII PSP Curse All.png|Curse cast on the entire party in Final Fantasy II (PSP).
FFII iPod Curse.png|Curse from Final Fantasy II (iPod).
Curse from FFV Advance.png|Final Fantasy V Advance..
FFV iOS Curse.png|Final Fantasy V (2013 mobile/Steam).
FFIX Curse 2.png|Final Fantasy IX.
FFX Curse.png|Final Fantasy X.
FFXII Curse.png|Final Fantasy XII.
Curse from FFXIII.jpg|Final Fantasy XIII.
Curse from LRFFXIII.jpgLightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII.
FF4HoL_Curse.png|Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light.
FFD Curse.PNG|Final Fantasy Dimensions.
DFFOO Curse.png|Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia.
PFF Curse.png|Pictlogica Final Fantasy.
PFF Curse XVI.png|Curse XVI in Pictlogica Final Fantasy.
FFAB Curse N.png|Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade (N).
FFAB Curse N+.png|Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade (N+).
FFAB Curse - Sazh SSR.png|Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade (SSR) [FFXIII].
FFAB Curse - Sazh SSR+.png|Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade (SSR+) [FFXIII].
FFRK Curse 2.png|Final Fantasy Record Keeper.
==Etymology==
Category:Status enemy abilities
Category:Black Magic
Category:Dark Magic