Lich (Final Fantasy)



The Lich (リッチ Ricchi) is the Fiend of Earth from the original Final Fantasy. He appears at the bottom of the Cavern of Earth. Unlike the other three Fiends, he is undead, with the appearance of a skeleton.

Story
As the Earth-elemental Fiend, he drains the power of the Earth Crystal, making the Earth rot in Melmond. He was the third fiend to awaken, doing so shortly before the game begins. When the Warriors of Light arrive at Melmond, they find the Earth rotting and people dying. They learn that a vampire is blamed for this occurrence, so they travel into the nearby Cavern of Earth to defeat it. However, when they return to the town, they see that the Earth is still decaying. Using the Star Ruby found in the cavern to gain passage through the Giant's Cave, they travel to the Sage's Cave, where they are told by Sadda that the vampire was only working for a greater force: the Lich. The Warriors travel again to the Cavern of Earth, where they find the Earth Crystal. After confronting the Lich, the party prevails. The Earth Crystal shines again, and the land stops rotting, growing again by the Crystal's power.

First Battle
Lich is a difficult boss, the hardest faced to that point in play. As an undead enemy, he is weak to Dia and Fire, so if either of these spell series are available, their use would prove better than mere physical attacks, which are not too effective. He is a proficient user of elemental spells and can complement his physical prowess with Haste, as well as hinder the party with Sleep. The party should Heal whenever weakened while keeping on the attack. With this method, this battle won't be a threat at all.

Second Battle
Even though the Lich was defeated, when the Warriors of Light travel through time, they must fight the Lich of the past. Inside the Chaos Shrine, there is a floor known as the "Lich Room" which contains many of the monsters from the Cavern of Earth. The stairway to the next floor is guarded by this past Lich, an encounter which can be triggered many times by walking through the same spots. This time, however, he is tougher, with 2,800 HP and an expanded spell list, including Death and Flare. The same tactics from the previous battle work here, with the Firaga and Diaga spells effective against the still undead Fiend.

Related enemies

 * Vampire
 * Marilith
 * Kraken
 * Tiamat

Trivia
The Lich also makes a major appearance in the Final Fantasy parody webcomic 8-Bit Theatre, where he serves a similar purpose to that in the game as one of the Four Fiends, and guards the Earth Orb from the Light Warriors.

Lich (Final Fantasy)