Instant Death

Instant Death refers to any attack that automatically kills its victim regardless of what HP they have remaining. Instant death attacks are recurrent throughout the series; several bosses, including final bosses, are known to use instant death moves and some summons, such as Odin and Yojimbo, can also kill instantly.

Some weapons have a chance of afflicting the instant death effect. The most common example is the recurring Assassin's Dagger. In Final Fantasy X, the Support Abilities Deathtouch and Deathstrike can be manufactured onto a weapon, which gives it the opportunity to inflict instant death. In Final Fantasy VIII the player can include the instant death effect in physical attacks by junctioning 100 Death spells into status attack.

As with the use of curative and resurrective spells such as Raise, instant death's effect is often reversed for the undead. Using an instant death ability on the undead will heal it to full in the same way that using Raise would kill it, though there are some exceptions, such as the undead in Final Fantasy XII.

Instant death spells generally do not work on bosses, however, exceptions exist.

Final Fantasy VII
The player can also add the instant death element to a character's physical attacks by linking Despell Materia with Status Effect Materia in the character's weapon. Equipping the pair in the character's armour will make him/her immune to instant death, instead.

Final Fantasy VIII
The player can add the instant death effect to physical attacks by junctioning 100 Death spells to a character's status attack.

Final Fantasy XII
All of Yiazmat's physical and rake attacks have 5% of inflicting instant death.