Dark Matter (item)



Dark Matter is a recurring item in the Final Fantasy series. It is usually a very rare item, with special effects.

Final Fantasy IV
The Dark Matter item can be stolen from Zeromus before using the Crystal in the final battle, using Edge's Steal command. It can only be used in the final battle, but serves no real purpose. Early theories said it lowered the power of Big Bang, but this was eventually proven false.

In the 3D version, the Dark Matter actually serves a real purpose: after stealing it from Zeromus and completing the game, the player can land the Lunar Whale near the face on the Red Moon and walk up to it. The party will be prompted to use an item. Using the Dark Matter will initiate a boss battle with a new superboss, Proto-Babil. In the iOS version, the Dark Matter can be stolen from Zeromus's true form.

Final Fantasy IV: The After Years
Dark Matter is a dummied out item, only accessible via hacking.

Final Fantasy V
The Dark Matter is a Chemist's mixing ingredient. It is the exact opposite of Holy Water and if the two are mixed, it will create a dud. However, if combined with a Phoenix Down, it will create the incredibly powerful Death Potion item.

Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-
Dark Matter is a Materia Fusion component that adds +1 MAG to the resulting Materia. Dark Matters are easily farmed end-game; by killing Lesser Worms the player can get plenty of Dark Matter drops by equipping the Mog's Amulet. The drops can be doubled by also equipping a Jeweled Ring.

Final Fantasy VIII
The Dark Matter can teach Quistis Trepe the Blue Magic spell Shockwave Pulsar. It is a tool that level 100 Siren can refine from x100 Curse Spike. It can also be refined into x100 Ultima.

Final Fantasy IX
The Dark Matter is a winnable item from the Treno Auction House and allows Dagger to learn Odin as a summon. It increases Strength by 3 and Magic by 2 when equipped as an add-on.

Only one can be obtained this way, being the easiest way. If used in battle it will inflict 9,999 damage to a single target. Two more Dark Matters can be obtained, but both are from Ozma, the game's superboss. One can be stolen, while the other is a random drop, for a total of three possible Dark Matters in the game.

Final Fantasy X
The Dark Matter is an item used with the Use command, which deals non-elemental Magic damage in the same manner as the spell Ultima and Flare. It can be dropped by Abaddon, Abyss Worm, Bomb King, Cactuar King, Catastrophe, Catoblepas, Chimerageist, Coeurlregina, Don Tonberry, Earth Eater, Espada, Fafnir, Fenrir, Greater Sphere, Hornet, Ironclad, Jormungand, Juggernaut, Jumbo Flan, Kottos, Malboro Menace, Nega Elemental, Nemesis, Neslug, One-Eye, Ornitholestes, Pteryx, Shinryu, Sleep Sprout, Stratoavis, Tanket, Th'uban, Ultima Buster, Vidatu, and Vorban, and bribed from Land Worm.

In the International and HD Remaster versions, it can also be dropped by Dark Anima, Dark Bahamut, Dark Cindy, Dark Ifrit, Dark Ixion, Dark Mindy, Dark Sandy, Dark Shiva, Dark Valefor, Dark Yojimbo.

It can be used to customize equipment to add Break Damage Limit and Ribbon (Ribbon is only in the International, PAL and HD Remaster versions).

When Ultima Buster is unlocked in the Monster Arena after catching five of every enemy across Spira, the prize of Dark Matter x99 will be awarded. Additionally, the best way to farm Dark Matters in the International and HD Remaster versions is to battle [Dark Yojimbo; Yojimbo is faced five times in succession and each time has a chance of dropping Dark Matter. If the player exits the cave, or enters the Blitzball menu in the middle, the battles are reset and start from the first battle all over again; this way, the player can defeat Yojimbo as many times as needed, without actually killing it.

Final Fantasy X-2
Dark Matter is an exceptionally rare item only obtained in the Via Infinito by bribing Paragon or receiving as a drop from Trema. An Alchemist can Mix it with any other item, creating the Miracle Drink effect. One of Lady Luck's Random Reels results is named Dark Matter; it does 9,999 damage.

Final Fantasy XI
Dark Matter is used to Augment certain equipment obtained in Reisenjima; it can produce greater and more random results than the usual augmentation stones. Dark Matter is also used to upgrade body-slot Empyrean Armor to Item Level 119. It is obtained in Vagary.

Final Fantasy XII
Dark Matter is an extremely rare item only available through chests, the bazaar, the clan shop after achieving the highest clan ranking, and through stealing from The Undying during the final battle. Dark Matter is incredibly powerful in that it adds up all of the damage from Knots of Rust and Devour Soul dealt since the last time a Dark Matter was used, and deals that damage all in one hit, up to 60,000 damage. Devour Soul is an attack used by the Esper Shemhazai when summoned that is essentially the same as using a Knot of Rust. Shemhazai's special attack, Soul Purge, has exactly the same effect as Dark Matter, including resetting the damage counter.

The damage of Knot of Rust is (caps at 9,999):
 * DMG = Current HP / Random(1~10)

The damage of Dark Matter and Shemhazi's Soul Purge is the sum of all Knots of Rust and Devour Soul that have been used, divided by 3. Damage caps at 60,000.
 * DMG = SUM (Knot of Rust DMG) / 3 + SUM (Devour Soul DMG) / 3

The damage counter resets to 0 after each use of Dark Matter or Soul Purge. Dark Matter's damage is unaffected by Reverse and has the maximum effect capacity, which means no other spell or Technick can be performed simultaneously.

Dark Matter can be made in the bazaar by selling Bat Wing x1, Grimoire Aidhed x3, and Grimoire Togail x3. Also, the sixteen chests on Phon Coast and the sixteen chests in the Necrohol of Nabudis correspond to each other. The Zodiac Spear can only be found in the Necrohol of Nabudis, meaning if the player claims the chests on the Phon Coast before obtaining the spear, it will be forever lost. However, if the player is to open the chests with the Diamond Armlet on, they will all contain Dark Matter instead of Knots of Rust. The chests can be claimed in either Necrohol of Nabudis or Phon Coast, and once claimed, will disappear from both locations and will never respawn. It is recommended the player first finds the Zodiac Spear, and claims the other chests later with the Diamond Armlet equipped to get the Dark Matters.

In the International Zodiac Job System, Dark Matter can no longer be acquired from the bazaar and selling the ingredients needed to make it will result in making the Dark Energy instead. The Dark Energy is an item that does not charge up with Knot of Rust or Devour Soul and always deals 50,000 damage to each enemy in range.

Final Fantasy XIII
Dark Matter is a catalyst used in upgrading equipment, costing 840,000 gil to purchase in R&D Depot. It is also dropped by the Shaolong Gui that spawn on Gran Pulse after completing Missions 56-62.

Final Fantasy XIII-2
Dark Matter is a component used to obtain medium- to high-leveled equipment. It sells for 5000 gil and is obtained from winning at the chocobo races (Havoc Stakes).

Final Fantasy XIV
Dark Matter is a special catalyst used exclusively for equipment repairs. It comes in six grades, which can be used to repair equipment whose level falls within a certain range (Grade 1: level 1-10; Grade 2: level 11-20; Grade 3: level 21-30; Grade 4: level 31-40; Grade 5: 41-50; Grade 6: 51-60).

It can be obtained fairly commonly as levequest rewards, gathering or treasure chests, and is also sold by certain NPCs. Dark Matter Clusters can be obtained from certain gathering nodes, which are used to make repair kits for airships.

During the quest "A Relic Reborn (Stardust Rod)", Gerolt implies that dark matter is of meteoric origin.

Final Fantasy Type-0
Malboro can drop this item, which is needed to complete Mutsuki's quest.

Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift
Similar to Final Fantasy XII, the Dark Matter deals damage to all enemies on the map and its power increases the more Knots of Rust the player has used. The Ranger can also use it with his Mirror Items ability to invert its effect and restore health to all allies.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles
Dark Matter is a Magic Artifact that adds Magic +5 to a character's skill.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates
Dark Matter appears as Magicite and is created through the Lilties' Alchemy ability when the player fails to create the Magicite. Dark Matter can be mixed again to create Materials through Alchemy. While Dark Matter cannot be carried around like other Magicite, it can be picked up and thrown at enemies to cast a random magic spell or inflict the Zap status with no damage dealt. The spells are either the non-damaging Zap effect (50% chance), Fire (15% chance), Blizzard (15% chance), Thunder (15% chance), Quake (2% chance), Meteor (2% chance), or Ultima (1% chance).

Bravely Default
Dark Matter is a material imbued with the power of dark and can be used for compounding. It can be bought from the Adventurer (Norende Village Compound Shop Lv. 8) for 200 pg.

Final Fantasy Dimensions
When the world is merged together into the World of Dusk, several pieces of Dark Matter are created, both in the world and in mysterious Rifts scattered across the planet. The Warriors of Light and Darkness race to collect all the pieces of Dark Matter before the Avalonian Empire can reach them. Upon collecting every piece of Dark Matter, the barrier surrounding Castle Avalon vanishes, allowing the Warriors to confront the Empire directly.

Etymology
It seems probable that, like many, its mysterious nature is the only reason for the name being used in the games. The item in the games bears no other apparent similarities to the predicted properties of the real-world equivalent.