Materia (term)

250px|right|thumb|Various Materia in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.
Materia is a recurring term and set of items in the Final Fantasy series that is typically associated with stat boosts and abilities, or in some cases, is used as a plot device. Materia is typically crafted into the equipment of the users, and used for boosting their performance. It originates from Final Fantasy VII.
==Appearances==
===Final Fantasy VII===
Materia is both a major plot device and the basis for the game's skill system. Divided into several sets—Magic, Command, Summon, Support and Independent Materia—the Materia equipped to party members allows them to use new command or support abilities, and also affects stats. Either the Materia provides percentage-based stat boosts, or it can lower some stats while boosting others in the case of Magic and Summon Materia. Materia can be swapped between party members. Materia placed in linked slots in equipment with a Support Materia grants additional effects to the skills in the paired Materia. Materia grows by gaining AP from battle.
Materia would go on to be a key recurring feature in the Final Fantasy VII series.
====Before Crisis -Final Fantasy VII-====
Materia is obtained by taking photos with the cellphone and converting the images into Materia. The color of the photo in question determines the type of Materia obtained.
====Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-====
The sole playable character, Zack, has limited Materia slots and Summon Materia can only be used via the Digital Mind Wave system. As a SOLDIER, Zack can make use of the Materia Fusion system provided by his employer, the Shinra Electric Power Company, to create unique materia and grant stat boosts to them. Zack also fights four materia crystals in Nibel Reactor, and needs to collect seven red materia to place on the pedestal of Minerva to unlock the final door in the final dungeon.
====Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children====
People have stopped using Materia, but Cloud Strife keeps a chest of Materia at the Sector 5 slums church until they are stolen by the Remnants of Sephiroth, who implant the Materia into their bodies to boost their battle capabilities. Kadaj also uses a Materia to summon Bahamut SIN.
The color of Materia do not correspond to the colors seen in the Final Fantasy VII related games, indicating the coloring system in the games is mainly for gameplay purposes.
====Dirge of Cerberus -Final Fantasy VII-====
Vincent can use spells by equipping his firearms with Magic Materia, and the spells can be powered up by using Materia Boosters.
The Protomateria lets the holder tap into the power of Chaos and Omega and is an important item for Vincent, Lucrecia, and the Tsviets.
====Final Fantasy VII G-Bike====
====Final Fantasy VII Remake====
Materia is slotted into equipment to make use of during battles. Chadley is a Shinra researcher who is coming up with new materia based on Cloud and the party's help.
===Final Fantasy XIV===
Materia was a crafting system introduced in the original Final Fantasy XIV early, but made a bigger return with an overhaul in A Realm Reborn. It functions very differently from Materia in the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, as it does not provide any command abilities and is strictly stat boosts, in addition to being acquired differently. It allows the players to upgrade equipment by converting undesired equipment into Materia. The user must have achieved a full spiritbond with the equipment before. Any crafting class can then meld the Materia with another piece of equipment to boost its stats.
===Final Fantasy Tactics===
The Materia Blade is a weapon usable by Cloud Strife. Some Materia are also found as artefacts. Both instances are allusions to Final Fantasy VII.
===Dissidia Final Fantasy===
Cloud's Crystal is a Materia orb.
====Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy====
====Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia====
Yuffie stole a Materia on Tifa's glove in Chapter 1. According to Tifa, the Materia are not functioning in the world of Opera Omnia.
===Pictlogica Final Fantasy===
==Non-Final Fantasy guest appearances==
===Ehrgeiz: God Bless the Ring===
Materia appears as equippable items which serves as magic within the Forsaken Dungeon. There are ten materia in total; Fire, Ice, Thunder, Flare, Freeze, Trine, Quake, Meteor, Ultima, and Holy. Materia can be equipped as Basic Magic or Ultra Magic, Basic Magic attacks are different from the Ultra Magic attacks, Basic Magic is single target while Ultra Magic targets all enemies. Basic Magic consume one Magic Stone to use while Ultra Magic consume three Magic Stones. If the user is equip a rod or staff weapon type, the time is reduce for using an Ultra Magic spell and these spells will only consume two Magic Stones instead of three.
Ehrgeiz Fire Materia.png|Fire Materia.
Ehrgeiz Ice Materia.png|Ice Materia.
Ehrgeiz Thunder Materia.png|Thunder Materia.
Ehrgeiz Flare Materia.png|Flare Materia.
Ehrgeiz Freeze Materia.png|Freeze Materia.
Ehrgeiz Trine Materia.png|Trine Materia.
Ehrgeiz Quake Materia.png|Quake Materia.
Ehrgeiz Meteor Materia.png|Meteor Materia.
Ehrgeiz Ultima Materia.png|Ultima Materia.
Ehrgeiz Holy Materia.png|Holy Materia.
==Other media==
===Dead Fantasy===
Tifa Lockhart carries several different colored glowing Materia within her arms and legs, including the White Materia. She casts offensive spells from them, such as Fire, Gravity, Quake, Ultima, Thunder, and Blizzard, and supporting spells, such as Protect, Haste, Stop, Blind, and Poison. She also has another Materia that can boost her stats and speed until in Dead Fantasy III, Hitomi steals all of Tifa's Materia, from then on carrying six Materia orbs. Later, she shows the glowing White Materia to Helena Douglas.
In the remake version, all of Tifa's Materia are translucent.
==Etymology==
Category:Materia
Category:Item types