Break (status)

Break is a recurring status in the Final Fantasy series. The afflicted target suffers a penalty to their stats, usually their attack and defense.

Final Fantasy VII
Two handicaps in the Battle Square causes the player's weapon or armor to break, denying them any stat bonuses from the equipment piece that breaks. The two statuses can be inflicted multiple times for increasingly detrimental effects. The player can by-pass the effect of their broken weapon by using the Goblin Punch Enemy Skill.

Final Fantasy VIII
Vit 0 is a negative status effect that causes the target's Vitality and Spirit to become zero, making it highly vulnerable to physical and magical attacks.

Final Fantasy X
Auron's section of the Sphere Grid contains Power Break, Armor Break, Magic Break and Mental Break. When used on an enemy, the Break status of the same name is inflicted, lowering their Attack, Defense, Magic Power or Magic Defense. Armor Break also has the effect of negating an armored enemy's armor, allowing weapons without the Piercing ability to do normal damage.

In the International version of the game, the ability Full Break inflicts all four Break statuses on the target.

Final Fantasy XIII
As the party attacks enemies, their Chain Bonus increases. When the Chain Bonus reaches the Stagger point, the enemy is Staggered, and takes more and more damage from attacks as the Chain Bonus continues to increase. Staggered enemies are also vulnerable to status ailments they may not be normally.

Final Fantasy XIII-2
Stagger works identically to the original game.

Dissidia Final Fantasy
When a character's Bravery falls below 0 as a result of an opponent's attack, they are afflicted with Break status. Their Bravery turns transparent with the word "Break" over it. Characters in Break status do not damage the opponent's Bravery when they attack, though their own Bravery will still increase. Break is recovered when the character's Bravery regenerates to its base value, either over time or by landing attacks, or when the character lands an HP attack, resetting their Bravery to 0 after which it quickly recovers back to base value. When a character is inflicted with Break, their opponent receives the stage Bravery pool on top of their current Bravery, and the Bravery pool resets to its base value shortly after.

Golbez's EX Mode ability Black Fang can instantly Break the opponent if charged fully. Various summons, such as Deathgaze and Odin, can Break the opponent instantly. Stage hazards and summons that reduce the opponent's Bravery cannot Break them, they will merely reduce their Bravery to 0.

Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
Break works identically to Dissidia, with the addition of two new types of Break - Assist Break and EX Break. EX Break is performed by successfully landing an Assist attack on an opponent in EX Mode, and depletes their EX Gauge and grants the player the stage Bravery pool. Assist Break is performed by attacking an opponent's Assist while in EX Mode or blocking an Assist's attack, and rewards the player the Bravery pool while executing an Assist Lock on the opponent.

Final Fantasy Trading Card Game
Cards that have their power reduced to zero by attacks or special abilities are afflicted with Break, destroying them and sending them to the Break Zone, which serves as the discard pile. Various cards have abilities that instantly Break other cards regardless of their power.