Element (term)

Elements are special properties based on energy that are present in many attacks in almost every game. Characters and monsters may be weak to, resistant to, immune to, or absorb these special properties.

In the Final Fantasy series, elements play a very important role during battle. They hold sway the survival of player characters against certain enemies. Manipulating elements oftentimes mean life or death. Most games in the series have eight; which are usually Fire, Ice, Lightning, Wind, Earth, Water, Holy, and Shadow. Many of these elements have a recurring Summon based around them.

Most games feature Fire, Ice, and Lightning being in a trinity of sorts, as there are three levels of magic usually associated with them, although some games may have three levels of magic of another element. Some games, most notably Final Fantasy IV and Final Fantasy X, had fewer than eight elements. Final Fantasy IV didn't feature a Water element, although several spells such as Flood have water-based graphics. Final Fantasy X did not feature Earth or Wind.

Earth
Manipulates the ground, and will usually not work with airborne enemies, or those imbued with float. Most plant enemies absorb the earth element. Quake is the standard magic carrying this element. While most games of the series have only one Earth spell, Final Fantasy VII has three levels of Earth elemental spells, while Final Fantasy X neglects Earth and Final Fantasy XII has no earth-based attack or spell for the player's use. Titan is usually the summon for this element.

Fire
One of the three standard elements. Most plant or undead enemies are weak against it. Fire is its standard elemental magic. Fire-based attacks are usually shown to be effective against ice-based enemies, most notably in Final Fantasy X. Ifrit is a prominent summon of the fire element.

Wind
First recognized in Final Fantasy IV under the name of Projectiles, Wind elemental attacks are often effective against aerial enemies, though in some games, aerial enemies may absorb them. Earth-based enemies are usually weak against this element. Aero and Tornado are some of the spells that belong to this element. Wind has no recurring summon; it changes from game to game.

Water
All water-based enemies will absorb this element. Water is the basic elemental spell for this element. Fire-based enemies are greatly affected by this element. Final Fantasy X, wherein water-based attacks are very effective against lightning-based enemies, three levels of Water elemental spells appear. Leviathan is usually the summon for this element.

Ice
Ice is of the three standard elements, and is easily defeated with fire, and vice versa. Blizzard is its standard spell. In Final Fantasy X, ice-based attacks are very effective against fire-based enemies, while in Final Fantasy XII, ice-based attacks are effective against enemies with thunder affinities. Shiva is a recurring summon representing this element.

Lightning
Lighting is also one of the three standard elements, and Thunder is its basic spell. Machines are known to be damaged greatly when struck with lightning-based attacks, but depending on the game they could sometimes greatly absorb it. In Final Fantasy X, lightning-based attacks are very effective against water-based enemies, while in Final Fantasy XII, lightning-based attacks are effective against ice-based enemies. Ramuh is usually the summon for this element.

Holy
A higher level element, Holy is also known as the element Light. All healing spells such as Cure are affiliated with it. The spell Holy is the only recurring offensive spell of this element unless healing spells are used on undead targets, in which case they also cause damage. Greatly inflicts damage to undead and dark-based enemies. Alexander is usually the summon for this element.

Dark
A higher level element, Dark is also known as the element Shadow. The element Dark is most prominent in Final Fantasy XII as it features three levels of dark-elemental spells, Dark, Darkra, and Darkga, all of which are very effective against Holy-based enemies. Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII, and Final Fantasy X do not have the Dark element. There is no recurring summon for this element. However, the closest to a recurring summon would be Zodiark, who has appeared in several titles set in the world of Ivalice.

Poison
An element present in Final Fantasy VI and Final Fantasy VIII. When inflicted with the status ailment Poison, a poison-elemental enemy will heal itself with an effect similar to Regen. The most common poison-elemental spells are Bio and Poison. Final Fantasy VII featured three levels of Poison elemental spells, while Final Fantasy XII featured an Esper with the affinity of Poison, Cúchulainn. Final Fantasy VIII featured the summon Doomtrain as the elemental summon for this element, but he also inflicts other status abnormalities, such as Blind, and Confuse.

Gravity
Only truly recognized in Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy X-2, it is related to the spells Gravity and Graviga as well as to Demi in the latter title. It is also prominent in Final Fantasy XII as the element of the Esper Zeromus and in Final Fantasy VIII as the element of the Guardian Force Diabolos. In the Crystal Chronicles subseries, spells of this element do not inflict damage, but can be used against aerial enemies to temporarily stun them.

Dia
The Dia spells in the original Final Fantasy are classified under their own element. Dia spells are only effective against undead enemies and have no effect on other enemies.

Throw
Throw, also known as Projec, is an element exclusive to Final Fantasy IV. All Spears and arrows have this element and Edge's Throw command adds the Throw element to the weapon he throws. Most aerial enemies are weak against this element.

Comet
Comet appears as an element in Before Crisis -Final Fantasy VII-. The eponymous spell is usually a non-elemental attack in the Final Fantasy series, but the damage dealt to certain enemies through Comet and Cometeo in Before Crisis is unrelated to the damage dealt by other non-elemental attacks.

Hidden
Hidden is an element exclusive to Final Fantasy VII. It does not have much of an explanation, and only applies to a handful of Enemy Attacks and Aeris's Limit Breaks. By junctioning an Elemental Materia with a regular Materia (one that does not have a normal Elemental property), Hidden elemental attacks can be absorbed.

Cure
Cure is also sometimes considered an element, or Cure spells are classified as Holy-elemental in some games.