5 Most Iconic Spells In Final Fantasy 6 (& 5 That Aren't As Memorable)
Fans of Final Fantasy will recognize Square Enix's signature mix of a compelling narrative and interesting gameplay. Prior to the "3D Revolution" of Final Fantasy 7, previous installments relied on sprites and limited processing power to tell their stories. However, Square Enix proved devs don't need sheer firepower to make games. As such, Final Fantasy 6 surprised the franchise's player-base with its unique story and dynamic battle system. In fact, the title's arsenal of spells proved to be extremely fun to play with.
In fact, thanks to nostalgia, Final Fantasy fans would recognize most of the spells in FF6. After all, this installment became one of the most popular main series title across the franchise. Moreover, hardcore fans may also find its diverse roster of spells open for experimentation. such, which of these spells proved to be the most iconic? Moreover, which of these spells haven't really aged well?
10 Iconic And Memorable: Libra
In most confrontations, knowing the enemy wins half the battle. Thanks to Libra, Final Fantasy fans can get reliable information about enemy statistics with just a single spell. Aside from offensive magic, Libra saved countless players from having to restart a battle with this nifty status magic.
Thanks to Libra, players can detect not just the HP and MP of enemies. Rather, the spell also reveals the level and the elemental weaknesses of these opponents. As such, players not only have an idea how close they are to defeating any enemy, they also know exactly how to approach the fight.
9 Not-So-Memorable: Fire
Fire is the cleanser! In Final Fantasy games, the Fire branch of spells has become a staple part of any spellcaster's repertoire of magical abilities. After all, most monsters in the early parts of most Final Fantasy games are extremely vulnerable to low-level magic. Moreover, players who want a chill spellcasting experience can rely on Fire to deal decent damage. Meanwhile, they may rely on stronger variants such as Fira and even Firaga to turn up the heat.
However, as much as Fire can be a reliable spellcasting ally, some might say this spell is a bit overrated. Aside from Summons, players may want to consider experimenting with other abilities to turn the tide of battle.
8 Iconic And Memorable: Silence
Enemy abilities can easily irritate players, especially when they cleave away a ton of HP from the party. In most cases, players have to pray their spells can deal larger damage to eliminate the enemy outright. Unfortunately, sometimes, an enemy ability can be too strong that it eliminates the party before they recover. Thanks to Silence, players can stop enemies from casting magic, at least for a short while. And when they do return to casting magic, even clerics and their weapons would've dealt massive damage by then.
With this spell, players inflict the Silence status ailment on the target. In most games, being "Silenced" disables them from either using their energy or stops them from talking. As such, flavor-wise, this stops them from "speaking" magic words or utilizing their spellcasting. Gameplay-wise, Silence can turn the tide of a battle, as players are free to cast spells in the span of time Silence is active.
7 Not-So-Memorable: Drain
Who wouldn't want a decent life-steal ability? After all, in crucial moments, using an enemy's own health against them can become a sudden life-saver. Thanks to Drain, players can take advantage of the difference in health to make up for damage dealt to them.
With Drain, characters can heal themselves by absorbing the HP of their target. Moreover, Drain ignores Reflect, meaning this spell won't get canceled even on targets with Reflect activated. Unfortunately, Drain isn't the most reliable healing spell around. Even if it drains an enemy's HP, it's not exactly a great damage-dealer. As such, players might be better off with more powerful and damaging spells.
6 Iconic And Memorable: Haste
More strategic players understand that sometimes, everything's all up to Speed. In harder battles, the faster side always gets to set the playing field. As such, players who know how to use Haste may very well set up a winning combo or maneuver just with sheer speed alone - especially if they have dexterous rogues with their attacks (such as the Assassin Shadow) and flexible rangers with their skills (like the Adventurer Locke).
Thanks to Haste, players get to increase the Speed of a target. Given FF 6 plays with an Active Time Battle system, characters who go first can deal damage to enemies very early on. With Haste, players can set up powerful combos and essential support spells by speeding up these character's turn gauges.
5 Not-So-Memorable: Death
If there's a way to insta-kill an opponent, why miss the chance? Thanks to Death, players of Final Fantasy 6 may be able to eliminate most of their enemies without so much as an issue. Unfortunately, like with all insta-kill options, the Death spell in FF 6 does come with a few caveats.
For instance, Death isn't exactly invincible. In fact, enemies with Runic can counter Death, and some enemies (such as Undead) aren't affected by Death. And while the spell does possess a 95-percent hit rate, there's still a 5-percent chance of Death flopping in crucial battles. As such, it might be best for players to rely on more dynamic spells such as Break.
4 Iconic And Memorable: Reflect
Magic and other monster abilities can be extremely difficult to deal with, especially when they're extra powerful. Sometimes, Magic Defense doesn't offer enough protection for characters to withstand for high-end magical attacks. Thankfully, Reflect may be able to deal with this sticky situation with a handy solution.
Players who want a more strategic take on magic counters may want to try Reflect instead. Thanks to Reflect, characters may be able to reflect some magical attacks back to enemies through this magical barrier. This spell might not be the strongest defensive spell, but Reflect becomes extremely handy against spellcasters.
3 Not-So-Memorable: Dispel
Players aren't the only ones who can inflict magical effects on opponents. Unfortunately, most enemies have the ability to impose magical effects on characters, some with very annoying effects. Moreover, characters who don't get to remedy these effects quickly may underperform and eventually force the party to lose.
Thanks to Dispel, most magical effects will leave the target - leaving them to their most basic state. This spell can be extremely useful against beefed up opponents or against debuffed allies, as Dispel can remove Float, Reraise, Reflect, Protect, Shell, Stop, Haste, Slow, Regen, Berserk, Image, and Invisible. However, instead of Dispel, players might want to invest in Esuna instead. After all, some of the more debilitating effects tend to be status ailments and not magical effects.
2 Iconic And Memorable: Esuna
Outside monster abilities, it's buffs and debuffs that can easily turn the tide of battle for either side. Monsters or characters equipped with the right support spells or derailed with ailments might just force players to win or lose. As such, players looking to level the playing field may cast Esuna.
Unlike Dispel, Esuna focuses on remedying status ailments that can hinder the entire party. As such, Esuna gets to remove Stop, Slow, Sleep, Sap, Confuse, Silence, Petrify, Poison, and Blind. Moreover, removing these ailments on time may help players reposition themselves and prepare for a counter-offensive.
1 Not-So-Memorable: Raise
Unfortunately, some battles become difficult to deal with. And with the game prompting game over when the entire party gets knocked out, players need to be extra careful in battles. Thankfully, Raise can help even the odds by returning knocked out party members back into action.
With Raise, players can revive party members who were knocked out. When party members return with Raise, they get a small about of their HP restored as well. Stronger variants of Raise also exist, such as Arise (that revives with full HP), or Reraise (auto-restore with partial HP). However, despite its usefulness, players may be better off stocking up on Phoenix Downs first before relying on this spell.
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