Break Damage Limit

Break Damage Limit, also known as Uncapped Damage, is a support ability in many of the Final Fantasy games that allows the player to exceed 9,999 damage in a single hit, which was the primary damage limit in early Final Fantasy games. Despite the name, Break Damage Limit usually allows units to restore HP exceeding the 9,999 limit as well.

Usually, abilities that break the 9,999 damage limit cap at 99,999 instead. Final Fantasy XIII is the first game in the series that sets its primary damage limit at 99,999, and sets its secondary damage limit cap at 999,999 damage.

Final Fantasy
Since most enemies in the original version have fewer than 4 digits worth of HP, with the highest being the final boss, Chaos, with 2,000 HP, players don't get to "break the damage limit" as there isn't a cap to break then.

However, enemies in the remakes gained a boost in their HP and new enemies with higher HP were added. The attacks in the Dawn of Souls, 20th Anniversary and mobile editions can exceed 9,999 damage, and it will show the amount on screen. This is only possible by augmenting attacks with status-increasing items or magic.

Final Fantasy II
Final Fantasy II was the first game in the series to allow players to exceed 9,999 damage, however, there is only one enemy in the game that has more than 9,999 HP, the final boss, Emperor, with 10,000 HP in the original version. Nevertheless, players can exceed the damage limit if they boost their damage with the help of Haste and Berserk and are equipped with the Blood Sword(s). However, instead of displaying the true value of the damage, the game will only display the last four digits in the damage window, e.g. if one were to deal 12345 damage the damage window will only state 2345.

As for the later remakes, attacks in the Dawn of Souls, 20th Anniversary and mobile editions can inflict more than 9,999 damage, but will only show the maximum of 9,999 damage even if more is inflicted. This amount of damage is only possible by augmenting attacks with status-increasing items or magic.

Final Fantasy III
The original NES version allows players to break the damage limit of 9,999. This is mostly commonly done with the fully equipped Onion Knight strategy, as that is the game's strongest setup. Even if the player were exceed 9,999 damage the game will still display 9,999 damage. However, the exact amount of damage will be dealt to the target nonetheless.

All attacks in the 3D remake versions allow more than 9,999 damage, but it will display 9,999 damage even if more damage is done. To check the real amount of damage players can visit the old man who lives in the town of Gysahl who records various information from the game, including the maximum amount of damage dealt.

Final Fantasy IV
Limit Break is an augment ability in the 3D version acquired automatically when the player completes the game. Only two Limit Break augments can be obtained, since the game allows only two plays of New Game Plus.

Final Fantasy IV: The After Years
The Limit Ring is an armor that allows a character to break the damage limit, provided their Attack power and Strength are high enough. There are also several Band abilities that can exceed 9,999 damage: Makeshift Cannon, Petal Whirlwind, Infinity, Sky Grinder, Ultima Spark, King's Quad, Final Fantasy, and Double Jump. All other Bands can break the damage limit if at least one of the characters involved in the band has the Limit Ring equipped.

The Tokita Sword is one of three super items that were likely used for testing purposes that still reside in the game's coding. The debug sword allows the equipped character to break the damage limit.

Final Fantasy VII
There is no known legitimate way to break the damage limit, but a glitch allows the player to overflow the maximum damage. The damage will be shown with strange characters, like Chinese ideograms. This effect can be easily achieved with Barret and Vincent, but it is possible for all characters to perform this glitch.. The glitch allows one to defeat bosses like Emerald Weapon in one hit.

Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-
Zack can use Break Damage Limit when he is equipped with the Brutal, Divine Slayer, Heike Soul or Genji Glove accessories. Brutal is a reward for beating mission 7-4-6. For Divine Slayer the player must defeat the game's superboss Minerva in mission 9-6-6. The Heike Soul is a reward for completing all missions. Genji Glove is hidden in a treasure chest in mission 9-6-4.

Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy VIII was the first game in the series to break the damage limit, but it still has a hard limit of 60,000 due to the way the game stores damage values (16-bit integers cannot exceed 65,535). The GF Eden and Quistis's ultimate Limit Break Shockwave Pulsar can deal more than 9,999 damage.

Also, the GF Cactuar can deal 10,000 damage when it reaches level 100. The damage limit can also be broken using the Kamikaze ability. ChocoBocle is another attack capable of breaking the damage limit, but is only obtained by playing Chocobo World.

Final Fantasy X
Normal damage cap is 9999 but with Break Damage Limit it rises to 99999. Break Damage Limit can be customized into weapons with 60 Dark Matters. Fully powered-up Celestial Weapons also have the ability. Aeons' attacks and Overdrives also have this capacity, although Valefor, Ifrit, Ixion, Shiva, and Yojimbo only gain this ability after Yuna, Wakka, Kimahri, Lulu, and Auron's Celestial Weapons, respectively, have been upgraded with their Crest.

The aeon Anima can seemingly break the 99999 damage limit in International/PAL/HD versions of Final Fantasy X when using her Overdrive. Anima's overdrive, Oblivion, lands 16 hits on each enemy. When animations are set to short, these hits are combined into a single damage value. This may create the appearance that Anima can exceed even the 99999 damage limit; however, it is simply displaying the total damage of 16 hits, in which each individual hit is still limited to 99999; thus the total damage to each enemy cannot exceed 1,599,984.

Break Damage Limit has no impact on items. Items can never break the damage limit, except for Dark Matter, which can always break it even without Break Damage Limit equipment. Mix is mostly unaffected by Break Damage Limit equipment; generally any given mix will either always be able to exceed the limit even without equipment, or never be able to exceed the limit even with it.

Dealing the maximum damage of 99999 in the Final Fantasy X HD Remaster version earns the Mega Strike trophy.

Final Fantasy X-2
Yuna, Paine, and Rikku can break the damage limit via the Invincible accessory and through special abilities on the Higher Power and The End Garment Grids. Only the special dresspheres have Break Damage Limit as a job ability, after the acquisition of certain key items.

Invincible is acquired by asking the cameraman in Kilika Port in Chapters 1, 3 and 5 about the Youth League base. After speaking with him in Chapter 5, he will take the party to the new Youth League base where the accessory Invincible can be found. The Higher Power Garment Grid is acquired in Chapter 5 found inside the Chocobo Ranch. The End Garment Grid is obtained from Shinra after completing Shinra's Bestiary.

In the International and HD Remaster versions, the Garment Grids Peerless and Last Resort have these abilities as well, by passing through yellow and blue gate, respectively.

Dealing 99999 damage in battle in the Final Fantasy X-2 HD Remaster version earns the trophy Overkill.

Final Fantasy XI
Single-hit physical attacks cap at 9,999 damage, but damage multipliers can break the cap. Diabolos's Ruinous Omen and Odin's Zantetsuken against NMs cap at 9,999 damage, but multipliers can cause them to break the damage cap. All other damage is not capped.

Final Fantasy XII
Quickenings, Espers and Dark Matter can break the damage limit and the Arise spell can heal over the 9,999 limit. Because the game has an invisible Break HP Limit (players' HP can exceed 9,999 although that is the highest value displayed on screen), Balance can also deal more than 9,999 damage if used by a low-health character whose maximum HP exceeds 9,999.

In the International Zodiac Job System version, all damage that exceeds 9,999 HP will be shown by default, unlike in Final Fantasy XII.

Final Fantasy XIII
The damage cap is set at 99,999 damage. The limit can be raised to 999,999 with the Genji Glove accessory. Breaking the limit unlocks the Limit Breaker trophy or achievement. Eidolons can naturally break the limit (allowing the player to gain Limit Breaker trophy without Genji Glove).

Final Fantasy XIII-2
Uncapped Damage is a passive ability that raises the 99,999 damage cap to 999,999 damage. Only Lightning's Commando form learns this ability through her Crystarium. It cannot be infused into other Paradigm Pack allies. Lightning also breaks the damage limit by default in the "Lightning's Story: Requiem of the Goddess" downloadable content scenario.

Final Fantasy Type-0
The majority of attacks have a damage cap of 9999, however, there are a few attacks that can break this barrier. Bahamut ZERO breaks the damage cap with Tera Flare and Triad Maneuvers also can deal over 9999. Ultima is the only magic that can break the damage limit.

Final Fantasy Mystic Quest
Due to an overflow glitch, if Benjamin casts Cure on the Dark King, he will deal damage well over the intended limit.

Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light
The player is able to break the damage limit by default and all attacks that exceed 9,999 HP will be shown.

Bravely Default
The player can surpass the 9,999 limit through Bravely Second.

Final Fantasy Dimensions
The Eidolon Bahamut and the Gigaflare Fusion Ability can break the damage limit when used. Wielding the Ultima Weapon or a Valhalla can allow the wielder to break the damage limit with other attacks.

Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
Wall Rushes can do more than 9,999 damage, but the extra damage is not shown.

Names in Other Languages

 * Italian: Danni Apeiron ("Danni" means "damages" in Italian, and "Apeiron" derives from Ancient Greek meaning "no limit").
 * Portuguese (from Brazil): Quebrar o limite de dano ("Quebrar" means "to break", "o limite" means "the limit", and "de dano" means "of damage".
 * French: Dégâts extra ("Dégâts" meaning "damage").
 * German: Hit-Expander.
 * Spanish: Expansión de daño ("Damage expansion").