Four Fiends

200px|thumb|Lich Fiend of Earth from the original Final Fantasy is the First of the Four Fiends.
The Four Fiends is a group of recurring enemies and characters in the Final Fantasy series. They are often associated with the four elemental forces—earth, fire, water, and wind. They can be seen as counterbalances to the four crystals, as the Four Fiends often seek to subvert the influence the crystals have on the world.
A recurring trait between the Earth-elemental "fiends" is their affinity to status effects and/or Death: Lich, Scarmiglione and Flamerus Rex are undead, and Scarmiglione and Asmodai use powerful debuffing abilities.
== Appearances ==
=== Final Fantasy ===
The Four Fiends are demons that serve Chaos. They sequester themselves in caverns around the world to drain the Crystals of their energy. Each is defeated by the Warriors of Light, only to be fought again in the final dungeon, the Chaos Shrine, before the final battle with Chaos. In the Dawn of Souls and the 20th Anniversary versions, the Four Fiends of Final Fantasy IV can be fought in the extra Soul of Chaos dungeon, Hellfire Chasm.
Lich from FFI Pixel Remaster battle sprite.png|Lich
Marilith from FFI Pixel Remaster battle sprite.png|Marilith
Kraken from FFI Pixel Remaster battle sprite.png|Kraken
Tiamat from FFI Pixel Remaster battle sprite.png|Tiamat
=== Final Fantasy IV ===
The Four Archfiends, or Four Fiends of the Elements, act as intermediaries between Golbez and Zemus, keeping tabs on Zemus's control of Golbez while serving the latter as minions. They are Scarmiglione of Earth, Cagnazzo of Water, Barbariccia of the Wind, and Rubicante of Fire. Cecil's group has to fight each one once, and then he must fight all four together inside the Giant of Babil. They can also be fought as a single entity called Geryon in the 3D remakes.
Final Fantasy IV also has a monster called Screamer. Despite the reference, it has nothing to do with the Four Fiends.
Scarmiglione2-ffiv-gba.png|Scarmiglione
Cagnazzo-ffiv-gba.png|Cagnazzo
Barbariccia-ffiv-gba.png|Barbariccia
Rubicante-ffiv-gba.png|Rubicante
==== Final Fantasy IV: The After Years ====
The Four Archfiends return, as do the original Four Fiends from the original Final Fantasy. If Golbez is in the party, he says a few interesting and sad words to the Archfiends after their defeat.
=== Final Fantasy VII series ===
Though the Four Fiends do not appear as elemental archfiends or monsters, the term "Four Fiends" was colloquially used to refer to Tifa Lockhart's group of friends in Nibelheim, comprising herself, Emilio, Tyler, and Lester. This is likely a reference to the recurring Four Fiends in other titles. The group originally appeared in Final Fantasy VII during the flashback in "Searching for the You of That Day".
=== Final Fantasy IX ===
The guardians of Terra are based on the original Four Fiends of Final Fantasy: Maliris, Tiamat, Kraken, and Lich.
Similar to the guardians of Terra are the four guardians of the elemental shrines on Gaia that seal the entrance to Terra. Only the Earth Guardian is fought as a boss (by Zidane and Quina), while the other three are killed off-screen (Fire Guardian by Freya and Amarant, Wind Guardian by Vivi and Steiner, and Water Guardian by Garnet and Eiko). The Water Guardian is unseen, but its reincarnation appears as Kraken in Memoria.
Kuja recreates the four from the memories of the Crystal in Memoria where their fights are triggered by passing otherwise unmarked areas. Crystal palette swaps of the four are fought in the Crystal World, the game's final area.
Lich-ffix-battle.png|Lich.
Maliris-ffix-battle.png|Maliris.
Kraken-ffix-battle.png|Kraken.
Tiamat-ffix.png|Tiamat.
===Final Fantasy XIV===
Versions of the Four Fiends based on the Archfiend's from Final Fantasy IV are introduced in Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker. They are voidsent inhabitants of the Thirteenth who serve Golbez. 
Kraken and Tiamat appear in Final Fantasy XIV as well but are unrelated to each other. Kraken is the final boss of Hullbreaker Isle, while Tiamat is one of the First Brood. Three world servers are also named after Tiamat, Marilith and Lich, on the Japanese Gaia data-center, North American Dynamis data-center, and the European Light data-center respectively.
=== Final Fantasy Tactics Advance ===
An elite group of the Red Wings known as the Falgabirds consists of four powerful monsters representing the original Four Fiends:
* Lich, who appears as a boss Zombie
* Marilis, who appears as a boss Lamia
* Kraken, who appears as a boss Ice Flan
* Tiamat, who appears as a boss Thundrake
=== Final Fantasy Mystic Quest ===
The Vile Four serve the Dark King and attack the resting place of the Crystals to drain their energy. They are Flamerus Rex, Ice Golem, Dualhead Hydra, and Pazuzu.
Stronger versions are fought in the final dungeon as palette swaps, but bear different names: Skullrus Rex, Stone Golem, Twinhead Wyvern, and Zuh.
FFMQ Flamerus Rex.png|Flamerus Rex
FFMQ Ice Golem.png|Ice Golem
FFMQ Dualhead Hydra.png|Dualhead Hydra
FFMQ Pazuzu.png|Pazuzu
=== Final Fantasy Adventure ===
After Julius has seized control of the Pendant of Mana he summons several powerful monsters. Three of these—Kary, Kraken and Lich—are based on the original Four Fiends. There are also three dragons in the Temple of Mana, though none of them clearly analog to Tiamat.
=== The Final Fantasy Legend ===
The Four Fiends serve Ashura, and through him, the Creator. They are based on the four symbols of Chinese astrology and use the Japanese names for those symbols. Each either guards or seeks a Sphere of their associated mythological color, which controls access to the Tower. When the party confronts Ashura, he tempts them with control of the four major worlds, essentially offering them the role of Fiends. When the party climbs the outside of the Tower, they face the Fiends a second time, each dropping a piece of top-tier meat for the party's monsters.
* Gen-Bu, Black Tortoise of the North, who has sundered the Statue of Hero to guard the Black Sphere.
* Sei-Ryu, Azure Dragon of the East, who holds half of the Blue Sphere.
* Byak-Ko, White Tiger of the West, who searches for the White Sphere from a flying fortress.
* Su-Zaku, Vermilion Bird of the South, who has leveled the fourth world single-handed and guards the Red Sphere.
FFL Gen-Bu.png|Gen-Bu
FFL Sei-Ryu.png|Sei-Ryu
FFL Byak-Ko.png|Byak-Ko
FFL Su-Zaku.png|Su-Zaku
=== Final Fantasy Dimensions ===
The Four Generals command the military of the Avalonian Empire. Baugauven, who controls fire, is a shrewd man who invents his own powerful techniques. Asmodai, who controls earth, exudes miasma that renders him invincible. Styx, who controls water, is a witch with knowledge of powerful curses. Vata, who controls wind, is the youngest of the four who accidentally gains the power of the Dragoon. Their superiors are the four Divine Generals, who possess the elements of thunder, ice, light and darkness.
Ffl-char-baugaven.png|Baugauven (Four General).
Ffl-char-asmodai.png|Asmodai (Four General).
Ffl-char-styx.png|Styx (Four General).
Ffl-char-vata.png|Vata (Four General).
Ffl-char-shango.png|Shango (Divine General).
Ffl-char-cocytus.png|Cocytus (Divine General).
Ffl-char-empireo.png|Impireo (Divine General).
FFD Gehenna.png|Gehenna (Divine General).
=== Final Fantasy Dimensions II ===
The Four Fiends are the main antagonists of the first portion of the game. They are based on the original Four Fiends of the original Final Fantasy: Kraken, Lich, Marilith, and Tiamat. The fiends attack Morrow and his allies throughout different periods of history before being defeated. The fiends are fought in the final chapter in Stream of Chaos and are defeated once again.
The Four Fiends also appear as elemental Phantom Stones players can obtain via summon drawing. Kraken is water-elemental, Lich is earth-elemental, Marilith being fire-elemental, and Tiamat being wind-elemental. Three out of the four summons' player abilities are skills used by each fiend from their past appearances, Lich teaching Kill from the original Final Fantasy, Marilith teaching Sword Quiver from Final Fantasy IX, and Tiamat teaching Plasma Storm from Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings.
The Four Fiends appeared as additional bosses to fight alongside Kuja when he was available to fight as an event boss, hearkening to them serving him in Memoria in Final Fantasy IX.
Aside from the traditional Four Fiends from the original Final Fantasy, the four elemental Archfiends from Final Fantasy IV and the Four Avalon Generals from Final Fantasy Dimensions appear as Phantom Stones for the players to draw through in-game currency.
FFLTnS Kraken.png|Kraken's sprite.
FFLTnS Lich.png|Lich's sprite.
FFLTnS Marilith.png|Marilith's sprite.
FFLTnS Tiamat.png|Tiamat's sprite.
FFLTnS Kraken Alt1.png|Kraken's Signet.
FFLTnS Lich Alt1.png|Lich's Signet.
FFLTnS Marilith Alt1.png|Marilith's Signet.
FFLTnS Tiamat Alt1.png|Tiamat's Signet.
=== Dissidia Final Fantasy ===
Both the Four Fiends from the original Final Fantasy and the Archfiends from Final Fantasy IV appear as summons. The Four Fiends have effects involving timers that activate an effect when it expires, while the Archfiends activate in response to the opponent's summon. The two groups share effects based on their ranking of power in their original games: Lich and Scarmiglione reduce the opponent's Bravery to 0, Marilith and Cagnazzo freeze the opponent's Bravery, Kraken and Barbariccia swap the fighters' Bravery, and Tiamat and Rubicante triple the summoner's Bravery.
The Four Fiends are shown in portraits in the corners of the Old Chaos Shrine arena. Garland's original four HP Attacks, as well as the forms his sword takes, are based on the Four Fiends: an axe form for Earthquake, twin swords for Blaze, a chain flail for Tsunami, and an extended lance for Cyclone. The bonus sample voices the player can unlock for Garland in the PP Catalog are of him speaking the names of the Four Fiends, as well as Chaos.
The Archfiends have an equipment set named for them that gives the "Elemental Archfiend" combination—Scarmiglione's Fang, Barbariccia's Wristlet, Rubicante's Cowl, and Cagnazzo's Carapace.
Each of the Archfiends and Four Fiends has a respective player icon depicting their debut appearance from their games' original releases.
Lich port-dissidia.jpg|Lich's portrait in the Old Chaos Shrine.
Marilith port-dissidia.jpg|Marilith's portrait in the Old Chaos Shrine.
Kraken port-dissidia.jpg|Kraken's portrait in the Old Chaos Shrine.
Tiamat port-dissidia.jpg|Tiamat's portrait in the Old Chaos Shrine.
==== Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy ====
The Archfiends now also appear as tutors for the in-game manual in the Labyrinth.
=== Final Fantasy All the Bravest ===
The Four Fiends Scarmiglione, Cagnazzo, Barbariccia, and Rubicante from Final Fantasy IV make an appearance as enemies in Final Fantasy All the Bravest. They use the same sprites as their Super Nintendo counterparts.
===World of Final Fantasy===
In the initial version, only Tiamat and Kraken appeared in normal enemy and boss encounters and as transfigurations for other Mirages. In the Maxima version, a bonus dungeon was added, Hidden Dungeon, that introduced Marilith and Lich, along with Garland as superbosses.
WoFF Tiamat.jpg|Tiamat
WoFF Kraken.png|Kraken
WoFF Lich.jpg|Lich
WoFF Marilith.png|Marilith
== Non-Final Fantasy guest appearances ==
=== Hanjuku Hero: Aa, Sekaiyo Hanjukunare...! ===
The Four Archfiends from Final Fantasy IV are parodied in the 4th chapter. The chapter number alludes their game's origin. The seasons have been stolen, and by defeating the Four Archfiends will return them. They each have a castle, and are located on the four corners of the map. Sprimiglione , the Fiend of Spring is found in the northeast castle. Summacante , the Fiend of Summer is found in the southwest castle. Fallicia , the Fiend of Fall is found in the northwest castle. Winazzo , the Fiend of Winter is found in the southeast castle.
Hanjuku Hero - Sprimiglione Field.png|Sprimiglione (Field)
Hanjuku Hero - Samakante Field.png|Summacante (Field)
Hanjuku Hero - Fallicia Field.png|Fallicia (Field)
Hanjuku Hero - Winazzo Field.png|Winazzo (Field)
Hanjuku Hero - Sprimiglione.png|Sprimiglione
Hanjuku Hero - Samakante.png|Summacante
Hanjuku Hero - Fallicia.png|Fallicia
Hanjuku Hero - Winazzo.png|Winazzo
== Etymology ==
The original Japanese name is "four heavenly kings". 
== Citations ==
pl:Four Fiends
Category:Recurring characters
Category:Recurring enemies