Gravity is a damage type in Final Fantasy VIII. It is not represented in the junction system as either an element or a status, but targets are either susceptible to it or not, similar to "Blow Away". The player cannot resist this damage type with junction abilities and enemies' resistance is innate.
Gravity damage deals damage by removing a percentage of the target's HP, so the more HP a target has, the more they will be damaged. However, the damage cap for most abilities in Final Fantasy VIII is 9999 and bosses tend to be immune to Gravity. Still, Gravity-type abilities are good against certain enemies with a lot of health and high Vitality, such as Malboro and Tonberry and Adamantoise. Diablos and Red Giant are intended to be fought with Gravity.
Gravity attacks can be physical or magical, and can thus be mitigated with Defend, Protect, and Shell. Gravity attacks cannot be elemental.
Abilities[]
| Limit | Micro Missiles (Blue Magic), Meteor Strike (Duel) |
|---|---|
| Spell | Demi (Magic, Slot, Angel Wing) |
| Summon | Diablos |
Enemy abilities[]
| Ability | Description | Enemy |
|---|---|---|
| Demi | Reduces HP by ¼. Can be used by player via Magic. | Diablos, Esthar Soldier (Cyborg), Funguar, Gargantua, Paratrooper, Ruby Dragon, Torama |
| Dissolving Acid | Reduces HP by 37.5% and inflicts Vit 0. | Malboro |
| Gastric Juice | Reduces HP by 50%. | Gayla |
| Gravija | Reduces party's HP by 75%. | Diablos, Griever, Omega Weapon, Ultima Weapon |
| Maelstrom | Halves party's HP and inflicts Curse. Ultimecia removes 62.5% of current HP. | Edea (2nd), Ultimecia (1st) |
| Micro Missiles | Physical ability that halves target health. Can be learned as a Blue Magic. | GIM52A |
| Oil Blast | Reduces HP by 62.5%. Counter when HP is below ⅓rd of Max HP. Never misses. | Oilboyle |
Enemies[]
The following regular enemies are immune to Gravity:
Many bosses are immune to Gravity, but the following bosses are susceptible to it:
Etymology[]
Gravity, or gravitation, is the natural phenomenon by which physical bodies appear to attract each other with a force proportional to their masses. It is most commonly experienced as the agent that gives weight to objects with mass and causes them to fall to the ground when dropped. The name for fractional damage in the Final Fantasy series comes from "heavier enemies take more damage" mindset (though in practice, bosses and special enemies tend to be immune).