Flare (ability)

Flare, also known as Nuke, is a recurring spell throughout the Final Fantasy series. It is often among the most powerful of the Black Magic spells in most games in which it appears and is a counterpart to the White Magic Holy. It first appears in the first Final Fantasy. The type of damage it does depends upon the game it is in, though it is usually fire or non-elemental damage and is always Black magic.

While Flare is usually the ultimate spell, next to Ultima, sometimes there are upgrades to Flare, which usually affect several targets. Flare upgrades include Giga Flare, Flare Star and Ardor. There is also a dark version of Flare, called Shadow Flare.

Final Fantasy
Flare is a Level 8 Black Magic Spell for Black Wizards. It is learned in Lufein and costs 50 MP to cast. It generally does around 500-600 damage per enemy, depending on the caster's Intelligence. It attacks all enemies at once, with no option to only attack one enemy. It was translated as Nuke in the original NES version. In the Dawn of Souls version, the Judgment Staff dropped from Atomos in the Lifespring Grotto can cast Flare when used as an item in battle.

Final Fantasy II
Flare is a high level black magic. It can only be bought at the hidden magic shop in the Jade Passage.

Final Fantasy III
Flare is a level 8 Black Magic, which can only be cast by the Magus and Sage.

Final Fantasy IV
Known as Nuke in the SNES version, with Flare as the Twin spell. In the GameBoy Advance, it was called Flare and the Twin spell was called Pyro. The Bahamut summon would cast Giga Flare.

Final Fantasy V
Flare is a Level 6 Black Magic Spell, and it is obtained in the magical part of the Fork Tower, where you must defeat Omniscient. The physical part contains Holy and the Minotaur must be defeated. If the party takes too long getting one after the other, the tower will explode and you'll get a game over. Dark Flare appears in the GBA Remake as a Necromancer Dark Art and is comparable to Bahamut's Mega Flare.

Final Fantasy VI
Flare does non-elemental damage and ignores magic defense. It is taught by Bahamut at a rate of x2. Its Spell Power is 60 and its Hit Rate is 150. It costs 45 MP to cast.

There is also an enemy ability called Flare Star (though it can be utilized by having Gau/Gogo using the Io Rage) which deals barrier-piercing fire elemental damage to all targets based on their levels and the number of opponents affected. On single targets this usually translates to extreme damage.

Final Fantasy VII
Flare is found in the Contain Magic Materia, as the level 4 magic. It does extreme Fire damage. There also exists an enemy skill Shadow Flare, which is similar in function except non-elemental. The animation is also the same, except without colour.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
The Flare spell is used from the Flare Materia. Genesis can use a upgraded version called Shadow Flare.

Final Fantasy VIII
Flare can be refined using Fire Magic-RF. It is also found in using a Flare Stone. Despite being created through Fire Mag-RF, it is non-elemental. When Junctioned it affects Fire, Ice, and Lightning-elements.

Final Fantasy IX
Vivi can cast Flare, which does non-elemental damage. It can be learned by him by equipping the Black Robe. Kuja and Ozma have the ability to cast Flare Star. It does damage based on the target's Max HP and level. Thorn can cast a lesser version called Light Flare after being charged by Zorn.

Final Fantasy X
Flare deals non-elemental damage in this game. It is the final ability on Lulu's Sphere Grid path.

Final Fantasy X-2
Flare can only be used by equipping either the Conflagration or Megiddo Garment Grids and Spherechanging through the colored gates. The spell will appear in the Black Magic skillset.

Final Fantasy XI
Flare is the Ancient Magic fire elemental spell. It takes an extraordinarily long time to cast, but is the highest damaging fire-based black magic spell until a Black Mage reaches level 75. At that point the mage can learn Flare II by meriting it. Flare II deals more damage. Flare is not particularly noteworthy, though, because all Ancient Magic does pretty comparable damage outside of where a monster would have particular strength or weakness to a specific element.

Final Fantasy XII
Available as Black Magick License 7 costing 70LP, Flare inflicts heavy non-elemental damage on a single target. A similar spell is Ardor, which casts extreme Fire damage to all targets in range.

Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings
Flare is the ultimate ability available to Kytes. The Esper Chaos can use Flare as its ultimate ability.

Final Fantasy Tactics
Flare is learned by the Black Mage for 900 JP, and is their ultimate spell. The Lucavi Zalera can cast an upgraded form called Flareja.

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
Flare is learned by Alchemists from the Lotus Mace. Sages possess an area version, Giga Flare, also learned from the Lotus Mace. There is also a Blue Magic called LV? S-Flare.

Final Fantasy Mystic Quest
Unlike most other variations of Flare, this version will attack multiple targets, and has a defined fire element. It is a Wizard spell, and is the strongest spell in its classification, as well as in the game. The final boss can cast an upgraded version of Flare called Mega Flare.

Kingdom Hearts II
Flare is one of Donald's two Limit Breaks, the other being Comet. It summons several rockets to attack enemies before firing a large barrage of rockets, causing heavy damage.

Flare