Meteor (Final Fantasy IV)

thumb|right|250px|Tellah casting Meteor.
Meteor, also called Meteo, is a powerful spell in the Final Fantasy IV series. The ultimate Black Magic, it bombards the enemy with small meteorites and can do massive damage. It requires significant vitality and power to cast and can backlash and kill the caster if they are too weak to harness the spell.
==Story==
===Final Fantasy IV===
The party learns of Meteor from Tellah. Wishing to avenge his daughter, Anna, he seeks Meteor to kill Golbez. Tellah is searching for Meteor on Mount Ordeals where he encounters Cecil Harvey. The young mages Palom and Porom warn Tellah Meteor is too dangerous in his old age, but he does not listen. At the summit, Kluya's spirit restores Tellah's memories, granting him all the spells he has forgotten, and teaching him Meteor. When the party returns to Mysidia, the Elder of Mysidia warns Tellah against using Meteor, and implies the spell had been sealed away for some time for being too dangerous, but Tellah still does not listen.
Some time later in the Tower of Zot, Tellah claims his chance at revenge. Assailing Golbez with the strongest spells he knows to no avail, Tellah casts Meteor. The spell weakens Golbez, forcing him to flee, and shatters his telepathic control of Kain Highwind. The spell may have also weakened Zemus's control over Golbez himself, causing Golbez to hesitate killing Cecil (due to realizing the latter was, in fact, his brother). The effort to cast Meteor drains what is left of Tellah's life force, and he perishes soon after.
During the battle against Zemus, Golbez and Fusoya combine their powers to cast Twin Meteor , (W.Meteo on the SNES and PlayStation), killing him. When Zemus is reborn as Zeromus, Golbez and Fusoya use the normal Meteor spell on him to no effect, and Zeromus counters with his own Meteor spell and nearly kills them.
===Final Fantasy IV: The After Years===
After the final battle when the party is fleeing the Depths pursued by the Creator, the Maenads attack him to delay him and help the party escape, eventually destroying him with a Meteor spell.
==Gameplay==
===Final Fantasy IV===
thumb|right|250px|Tellah casts Meteor (iOS).
Meteor has a casting time of 10 and costs 99 MP to cast, making it is the most expensive spell in the game (in the 3D versions, the Twincast spell Ultima is stronger). It has a spell power of 800 in the 2D versions (250 in the 3D versions) and ignores magic defense and split damage, as well as Shell and Reflect. It is learned by Rydia at Level 60 (Level 80 in 3D versions) and by Palom at Level 50 (55 in the 3D remakes). Tellah acquires the spell on Mt. Ordeals, but due to having only 90 MP, he is normally unable to cast it (in the 3D versions, Augments and Soma Drops carried over from New Game+ can be used to increase his maximum MP). Fusoya also knows Meteor when he joins the party.
Zeromus (2D and 3D) casts Meteor during the final battle when at critical health (as his first attack when below 30,000 HP and every third turn thereafter in the 3D remakes, and every other turn when below 12,000 HP in the other versions).
In all 2D releases Meteor is a Holy-elemental spell. In the 3D remakes, Meteor is a non-elemental spell.
===Final Fantasy IV -Interlude-===
Rydia? routinely uses Meteor in the final battle with the party. It can be learned by Palom (level 50).
===Final Fantasy IV: The After Years===
Meteor is learned by Rydia (level 65), Golbez (level 60), and Palom (level 50). It deals heavy non-elemental damage to all party members.
It can be used by Atomos, Creator, Iron Giant, King Behemoth, Mysterious Girl, Nova Dragon, Tellah, and Ultima Weapon.
==Behind the scenes==
Tellah's search for the forbidden black magic Meteor alludes to Minwu's search for the forbidden white magic Ultima in Final Fantasy II. Both are located in a sacred place near a town called Mysidia, and both characters are ultimately killed by association with the magic.
==Gallery==
FF4SNESMeteo.jpg|Final Fantasy IV (SNES).
Meteor-FF4-PSP.png|Final Fantasy IV (PSP).
Meteor FFIV iOs.PNG|Final Fantasy IV (iOS).
FF4PSP Meteor.png|Final Fantasy IV: The After Years.
==Etymology==
Category:Final Fantasy IV