Magicite (Final Fantasy VI)



Magicite is the postmortem remains of an esper and an important gameplay element in Final Fantasy VI. In a system designed by Hiroyuki Ito, pieces of magicite act as the means through which player characters can learn magic, grant party members stat boosts and allows them to use summons.

Story
The first known espers that left their remains in the world are the few who died in the infamous War of the Magi, such as Phoenix and Ragnarok. In the Ancient Castle a sorcerer petrified Odin who refused to turn into magicite and was left standing as a statue. In time the castle was buried under desert sands. There are possibly many more magicite remnants that could later have been taken by the Gestahlian Empire.

The party first learns of magicite from Ramuh in Zozo. When Terra went berserk after coming into contact with another esper, Valigarmanda, Ramuh summoned Terra to him. When the Returners catch up with him Ramuh explains that the empire's method of extracting magic from espers is flawed and only through magicite is total transfer of an esper's power possible. Ramuh sacrifices himself to become a magicite, and gives the party the magicite of espers struck by the empire: Siren, Cait Sith and Kirin.

The Returners attack the empire's Magitek Research Facility, which holds several espers hostage. Ifrit and Shiva fight the Returners, but upon learning that Ramuh had entrusted them, they transform into magicite for the party to use. The Returners find many more espers who had been captured by the empire to extract their magic, all of whom are transformed into magicite. Witnessing this, the empire learns how to transform espers into magicite.

In Thamasa, when the Returners let their guard down after teaming up with a group of espers led by Yura found in the Esper Caves, the imperial general Kefka Palazzo kills them and transforms them into magicite during the Battle of Thamasa. More espers depart the Esper World through the Sealed Gate and fall into his trap as Kefka destroys them, gaining more power.

In the World of Ruin after the world was destroyed by Kefka, magicite is in abundance but live espers are not. One esper had escaped Kefka's grasp, known as Deathgaze, who had flown out of the Sealed Gate. This esper drops the Bahamut magicite when defeated. When the party finds Odin, his statue crumbles to form his magicite piece. The Returners find several powerful free roaming espers who, upon defeat, transform into magicite: Leviathan, Gilgamesh, Gigantuar and Diabolos. When Kaiser Dragon falls to the Returners, the Diabolos magicite is granted, possibly the remnant of an esper left over from the War of the Magi, or an esper kept by Kaiser Dragon.

When he party finds Kefka atop his tower, he has absorbed the world's magic power from the Warring Triad and become the god of magic. As the Returners kill him, magic vanishes from the world and the espers' magicite remains dissipate.

Equipped to the party
To use magicite it must be equipped via the menu option "Abilities" ("Skills" in the SNES localization; right next to the character's icon in the mobile/Steam release). A list of magic spells the magicite teaches displays when it is equipped. The equipped magicite piece's esper can be summoned once per battle by pressing, or tapping the magicite tab (for the mobile/Steam releases), in the Magic menu mid-battle.

After a battle, when magicite is equipped, the party will gain anywhere between 1 and 10 Magic Points, which are multiplied by the learning rate of each spell in the esper. For example, Ramuh teaches Thunder at a rate of x10, Poison at a rate of x5 and Thundara at a rate of x2. If 2 Magic Points are gained after a battle, Thunder gains 20, Poison gains 10 and Thundara gains 4. Once a spell has 100 Magic Points it is learned and can be cast at will. Some magicite gives stat boosts when equipped to a character as they level up. For example, Ramuh gives +1 Stamina and Ifrit +1 Strength.

Magicite Shard
A Magicite Shard is an item that can summon a random esper when used in battle, even espers that are not in the player's possession. Magicite Shards will never summon Odin, Raiden or any of the four espers exclusive to the Advance and mobile/Steam releases. Magicite Shards can be won from Mover and Imperial Elite. It can be stolen from Flan, Intangir, and Mousse. They can also be found in the Cave to the Sealed Gate, Tzen (in the World of Ruin), and the Ancient Castle.

Gallery

 * SNES/PS/GBA sprites