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Berserk (バーサク, Bāsaku?) is a recurring status effect in the Final Fantasy series. Generally, berserked units have increased attack power and speed, but can only use physical attacks and cannot be controlled. The status is usually gained through a spell of the same name and an item called Bacchus's Wine. The job class Berserker is always berserked, and uses it for greater physical damage. Characters under Berserk usually glow red and in some games also emit steam from their head.
Inflicting Berserk on an enemy may interrupt powerful spells or final attacks, provided the party can mitigate the boosted physical damage.
Appearances
Final Fantasy II
Berserk increases an ally's attack power and can be stacked. Players retain control of a berserked character, making the status more desirable than in later installments.
Final Fantasy IV
A character becomes uncontrollable and attacks automatically at every turn with a 50% bonus to attack power. The Psycho Edward bug in the Game Boy Advance port involves placing Edward under Berserk status.
Final Fantasy IV -Interlude-
The Berserk status returns as a status effect and it functions the same way as its predecessor.
Final Fantasy IV: The After Years
Final Fantasy V
The Berserker job is in a constant Berserk state and cannot be controlled. The Berserker also learns the state of Auto-Berserk as a passive trait that can be equipped to other classes as well. The Blue Magic spell Moon Flute inflicts Berserk on the entire party. Via the Kiss of Blessing bug in the SNES version, the player can inflict Berserk on targets that are meant to be immune to it.
Berserk characters deal increased damage via the following formula:
The status can be removed with Dispel. Berserked characters are immune to Confuse, the Flirt command, and the effects of the Lilith Rod. Enemies under the influence cannot be controlled or execute counterattacks. However, berserked party members may still use Counter.
Final Fantasy VI
When a character is under the effects of the Berserk status they deal more damage and become uncontrollable, automatically attacking a random enemy on their turn. The berserk character may randomly use Attack, Mug, Jump, Rage, and Magitek, depending what they have available. An Attack command is added to the list of possible actions even if the character can't normally use it. Berserked monsters always do a standard physical attack. If a character selects a command before being berserked, but before they take action, then that command is still executed.
Umaro is in a constant pseudo-berserk state and cannot be controlled. Gau (and Gogo, due to his/her ability to use Rage), once having chosen a monster from the Rage list, become uncontrollable for the rest of the battle. Mog also falls into this state after successfully dancing. All these states are similar to the Berserk ailment, and the Berserk status can still be applied on top of these pseudo-berserk states.
If a character is inflicted with the Berserk status while riding a Magitek Armor, they randomly attack with Fire Beam, Ice Beam, or Thunder Beam on a random enemy. This can be a problem if some of the enemies absorb elements.
Final Fantasy VII
Berserk increases the character's physical attack damage by x1.5, though at the cost of losing control of them. Berserked units physically attack a random enemy every chance they get and never deal critical hits.
An amusing glitch results with some enemies that are not immune to Berserk but do not have a specified attack to use when Berserked. The game falls back on having them use a spell that costs more MP than they will ever have, and thus continually gives the message "[Enemy]'s skill power is used up". Pairing the Mystify Materia with Added Effect lets the player add the status to a character's physical attacks, or defend against the status, depending whether the combination is set in a character's weapon or armor.
Game Element | Type | Effect |
---|---|---|
Berserk | Magic | Inflicts Berserk 80% of the time when used on enemies, and 100% of the time when used on allies. |
War Gong | Item | Inflicts Berserk 80% of the time when used on enemies, and 100% of the time when used on allies. |
Howling Moon | Limit Break | Inflicts Berserk and Haste on user, and increases Attack by 60%. |
Berserk Needle | Enemy Attack | Inflicts minor non-elemental damage and Berserk. |
Crazy Claw | Enemy Attack | Inflicts minor non-elemental damage and Berserk. |
Peace Ring | Accessory | Prevents Berserk, Fury, and Sadness. |
Fury Ring | Accessory | Automatically puts wearer in Berserk mode. |
Final Fantasy VIII
The Mad Rush command inflicts Berserk on the party, as well as Haste and Protect. Other ways to gain the status are via the Berserk spell and certain enemy attacks, such as Malboro's Bad Breath. The effect is removed using Esuna, the healing item Remedy or the Treatment command.
Berserk boosts damage by 50% and makes the afflicted attack a random enemy target. Rinoa's Angel Wing Limit Break puts her in a type of Berserk status, but rather than using physical attacks, she casts a random spell from her magic stock without actually expending the spells. If there are no spells to cast, she does physical attacks with her attacks being five times stronger than normal.
Final Fantasy IX
Dagger can inflict targets with Berserk with the White Magic spell Berserk. It is also used by Ozma as a counterattack. Freya can also inflict Berserk on all allies by using Luna. The enemy ability Buzz inflicts Berserk.
Berserk is cured by Gysahl Greens or the spell Esuna.
While under the Berserk status, targets cannot input commands and only use the default Attack command, gaining a +50% damage boost.
Final Fantasy X
Berserk can only be inflicted by enemies. Berserked targets attack uncontrollably for increased damage. Berserk increases all damage, not just physical, but there is only one case where this can be seen: when a Guado Guardian casts Berserk on an Evil Eye, it increases the damage of their magical Stare attack.
Final Fantasy X-2
Wearing an accessory (like Faerie Earrings) to counteract the berserk effect cast by Assault does not work.
Game Element | Type | Effect |
---|---|---|
Soul Swipe | Flimflam | Inflicts Berserk. |
Assault | Swordplay | Grants Berserk, Shell, Haste, and Protect to the party. |
Kogoro Shock | Kogoro | Inflicts Lightning-elemental damage as well as Berserk. |
Pesky Ghiki | Ghiki | Inflicts non-elemental damage and Berserk. |
Berserk | Instinct | Grants Berserk as well as increasing Attack power. |
Berserk Knife | Cutlery | Inflicts non-elemental damage and Berserk. |
Mad Seeds | Fallalery | Inflicts non-elemental magic damage and Berserk. |
Berserk Missile | Machinations | Inflicts physical damage and Berserk. |
Crazy Wing | Dextral Arts | Inflicts non-elemental magic damage and Berserk. |
Cat Nip | Accessory | Gives the wearer the SOS ??? ability. In the International and HD Remaster versions, Cat Nip gives the wearer Auto-Berserk and Auto-Slow. |
Similarly, the accessory Bloodlust inflicts poison and berserk and forces the player to only attack, but boosts their Strength.
Final Fantasy X-2: Last Mission
Berserk causes the character to uncontrollably move towards enemies and attack them with increased physical strength, without being able to take any other action. Some fiends inflict the status with their regular attacks. The Berserker's ability Berserk allows the character to enter the status at will. The auto-ability Berserkproof makes the character immune to the status.
Final Fantasy XI
Berserk is a beneficial status gained from a job ability used by Warriors. Rather than having the character attack relentlessly, it increases Attack power and simultaneously reduces Defense power.
Final Fantasy XII
The character has given in to rage, fighting relentlessly with heightened attack power. Remove by casting Dispel.
Description
The Berserk spell itself is either an Arcane Magick (original) or Time Magick (Zodiac versions). Bacchus's Wine also inflicts the status, although in the original version it has a chance of missing (it has a 100% chance in the Zodiac versions). The weapon Avenger can also inflict Berserk to an enemy. Certain monsters' attacks can inflict the Berserk status as well. The Zodiac versions introduce the Berserker Bracers accessory which generate a constant Berserk status.
In addition to the increased attack power and the loss of control, berserked characters attack faster, similar to Haste. However, the character's defense power drops. The status effect itself is considered positive, as it can be removed by using Dispel, but not Esuna, and the status persists even if a Save Crystal is touched. The effect is temporary.
A character in Berserk can't be controlled as a party leader, can't use Quickenings and is immune to Confusion. Berserk's attack and speed boosting traits can be further boosted by stacking the character with Bravery and Haste.
At one point, Fran automatically enters Berserk while fighting Vossler.
Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings
Berserk can be used by Ba'Gamnan, who learns the spell of the same name at level 12.
Final Fantasy XV
Berserk doubles Strength and Magic, but reduces Vitality and Spirit to 0. Though the official guide lists this status and it has an icon, there doesn't seem to be any way to apply the status. It may have been considered overpowered. The Windows and Royal Editions add an accessory for Noctis with a similar effect: Rare Metal adds Strength +500 but reduces Vitality -500, breaks the damage limit (of all attacks) but reduces max HP by 90% (HP boosts gained from food are unaffected).
Final Fantasy Tactics
When a unit is berserked they acquire a bright red tint and a red star in a speech bubble above their head. The status can be inflicted through the Templar's Spellblade or Mystic's Fervor, an Orator's Insult, and the special abilities Mind Blast by Mindflayer or Grand Cross by Ultima. Berserk lasts for the duration of the battle.
When berserked a unit's effective PA is equal to [PA * 3/2]. The unit is uncontrollable, and always uses the ATTACK command. Thy cannot use reaction abilities and certain move abilities, such as Move-HP Up and Move-Get Exp. They also tend to attack in front of the opponent.
Magick Ring, Barette and Ribbon can all be equipped to prevent berserk.
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
The Defender job class can learn the reaction ability Last Berserk, which causes the Defender to self-Berserk when in HP Critical status. The Juggler job class can learn the ability Firebomb, which Berserks and deals damage. The Soldier job class learns Provoke, which Berserks the target. Animists learn the ability Catnip, which Berserks the target.
The Berserk status is especially useful when there is a law prohibiting the Fight command. Placing enemy units under Berserk forces them to use Fight, thus allowing them to get sent off.
Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift
Berserk can be inflicted through the Trickster ability Snigger, the Soldier ability Provoke, the Animist ability Catnip, the support ability Critical: Berserk, or through the use of the enemy ability Tomato Ketchup.
The Berserk status makes the afflicted uncontrollable and the unit will only use the Fight command.
Bravely Default
Makes the user berserked, raising their Physical Attack by 50%. The user attacks random enemies if there are multiple.
Game Element | Type | Effect |
---|---|---|
Berserk | Piracy ability Enemy ability |
Raise physical attack by 50% and continue to making conventional attacks for six turns. |
Frenzy Dagger | Weapon | 25% chance to cause Berserk. |
Irritate | Enemy ability | 75% chance of inflicting Berserk on target. |
Remedy | Item Compounding ability |
Cures the target of poison, blind, silence, sleep, paralyze, dread, berserk, confuse, and charm. |
Fairy Ward | Spiritism ability | Render all allies immune to poison, blind, silence, sleep, paralyze, dread, berserk, confuse, charm, doom, death, and stop for five turns. |
Bravely Second: End Layer
Final Fantasy Dimensions
The affected turns red and emits steam. Berserk boosts ATK, but the unit can only attack. This status also gives Attack a cast time. It wears off after a fight.
Dissidia Final Fantasy (2008)
Whenever the player engages any piece on a stage, all battle pieces adjacent to the player become Berserk and the player must engage them instantly, unable to customize their character or use any skills before the battle.
Some battle pieces start in Berserk, and fight the player if they place their piece adjacent to them. Berserked battle pieces glow red. The effects of Berserk can be nullified once by using the Blink skill, or all the time, including all the next stages of the story, with the Invisible skill.
Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia
Final Fantasy Record Keeper
Final Fantasy Brave Exvius
Mobius Final Fantasy
World of Final Fantasy
Non-Final Fantasy guest appearances
Chrono Trigger
A character under the Berserk status randomly attacks an enemy without input from the player. They deal more damage than normal and have boosted defense. Characters under the status are red, in the same manner of Final Fantasy V and Final Fantasy VI.