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 often times 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 or four levels of magic usually associated with them, although some games may have three or four 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 did not feature a Water element, although several spells such as Flood have water-based graphics. Final Fantasy X did not feature Earth or Wind.

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 where Fire and Ice are opposed. Ifrit is the main summon of the Fire element. In Ivalice, the recurring summon of fire is Belias.

Ice
Ice is one 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 Lightning affinities. Shiva is a recurring summon representing this element. In Ivalice, the recurring summon of ice is Mateus.

Lightning
Lightning 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. In Ivalice, the recurring summon of lightning is Adramelech.

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. Floating targets are normally immune to this element. While most games of the series have only one Earth spell, Final Fantasy VII has introduced three levels of Earth-elemental spells, while Final Fantasy X neglects Earth and Final Fantasy XII has no normal Earth-based attack or spell for the player's use until late in the game after the party obtains the Esper Hashmal. Titan is usually the summon for this element. In Ivalice the recurring summon of earth is Hashmal.

Wind
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. In Ivalice the recurring summon of wind is Chaos.

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. In 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. In Ivalice, the recurring summon of water is Famfrit.

Holy
A higher level element, Holy is also known as Light. All healing spells such as Cure are affiliated with it, with exception of the first Final Fantasy, in which the Dia spell line is used. 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. In Ivalice, the recurring summon of holy is Ultima.

Dark
A higher-level element, Dark is also known as Shadow. 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 IV, Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-, Final Fantasy IX, Final Fantasy XI, Final Fantasy XII, and Final Fantasy XIV are the only main-series titles and spin-offs to include it. It is, however, a common staple of the Ivalice Alliance. The only recurring summon of the Dark element is Zodiark, who has appeared in several titles set in the world of Ivalice.

Poison
An element present in Final Fantasy II, Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy VII, and Final Fantasy VIII. When inflicted with the status ailment Poison, a poison-elemental enemy will heal itself with an effect similar to Regen; poison is sometimes absorbed by undead enemies. 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, despite not being a recognized element of the game. Final Fantasy VIII featured the summon Doomtrain as the elemental summon for this element, which also inflicts all the negative status in the game.

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 Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles subseries, spells of this element do not inflict damage, but can be used against aerial enemies to temporarily stun them.

Cure
Cure is also sometimes considered an element, though Cure spells are usually classified as Holy-elemental in some games despite the Holy spell damaging enemies which Cure would heal.

Shoot
Shoot, also known as Throw, or, is an element that is possessed by weapons, usually bows but also throwing weapons such as shuriken. They are effective against aerial enemies.

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

Body
An element exclusive to Final Fantasy II, and the rarest of the status elements. It involves movement of a character, and the spells Blind, Silence, Slow, and Stun all fall under this element.

Matter
An element exclusive to Final Fantasy II. It is primary the element of instant death attacks, with the exception of the Death spell itself. Besides Death, abilities that KO or change a character's form fall under this element such as Warp, Teleport, Mini, Toad, Break as well as Swap and Stop. All Undead enemies are immune to this element.

Mind
An element exclusive to Final Fantasy II which involves manipulation of the mind, includes Sap, Sleep, Fear, Fog, Confuse, and Curse. Many status abilities in the game fall under this element.

Death
An element exclusive to Final Fantasy II. It contains only one spell, Death. This limits the spell's effectiveness in battle, as enemies will often be immune to the Death 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. Notably, the Typhon summon is Comet-elemental.

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.

Drain
An element exclusive to Final Fantasy Mystic Quest, and there are only three enemy abilities possessing this element. There is also a unused special protection related to drain, called Reverse Drain. Not only does it protects against Drain, but this one reverse the effect of drain and damages the enemy while healing one or both characters instead.

Damage
An element exclusive to Final Fantasy Mystic Quest and Final Fantasy Legend III, all physical attacks falls under this element.

Zombie
An element exclusive to Final Fantasy Mystic Quest. The Cure spell has this element. Only useful against the undead.

Axe
An element exclusive to Final Fantasy Mystic Quest. Benjamin and Kaeli's axes have this element, so does Reuben's Morning Star. Useful against the tree-type, crab-type, turtle-type and worm-type monsters.

Bomb
An element exclusive to Final Fantasy Mystic Quest. Benjamin's Bombs have this element. Only two type of enemies have this weakness, they are Gather type and slime-type monsters.