Ifrit (Final Fantasy IX)

Ifrit
(イフリート, Ifurīto?)
Background information
Race	Eidolon
Availability
Obtained	Topaz (Doctor Tot)
Character(s)	Dagger
Specifications
Element	Fire
Summon abilities	Flames of Hell
More information
Recurring appearance

Causes Fire damage to all enemies.

In-game description

Ifrit is an eidolon in Final Fantasy IX who can be acquired as a summon for Dagger. It is a Fire-elemental summon who takes the form of a fiery bi-pedal beast. Ifrit is one of the iconic summoned monsters in Final Fantasy, and one of the most recurring ones. Unlike some other eidolons in Final Fantasy IX, Ifrit does not have a major storyline role.

History

Mural of Ifrit in Madain Sari.

Ifrit was an eidolon that manifested to protect the crystal of Gaia. The summoners have presumably known of it for centuries, as it appeared on a mural on the Eidolon Wall in Madain Sari, the summoners' village on the Outer Continent. As the summoners left the Mist Continent 500 years ago, summon magic fell into legend among the Mist Continent populace.

Ten years ago, Garland ordered Kuja to destroy Madain Sari with the Invincible, killing most summoners. A young summoner girl and her mother escaped on a small boat, but the mother died during the long voyage to the Mist Continent. The boat was found near Alexandria, and the girl was adopted by the royal family as she greatly resembled the recently-perished Princess Garnet except for the horn on her head, which the king ordered removed. The girl had lost her memories during the voyage, and grew up as Garnet never learning she was adopted.

After the king passed, Queen Brahne became power-hungry and wanted to conquer the Mist Continent with the aid of eidolons extracted from Garnet and with a new army of black mages. Her eidolons stolen from her, Garnet escaped Alexandria Castle with her new friends, took on the alias "Dagger", and traveled to the Outer Continent to look for Kuja, who had supplied Brahne with the knowledge of eidolons and black mages. While on the Outer Continent, Garnet learned about her true identity and saw Ifrit's as a mural on the Eidolon Wall.

Garnet became queen after Brahne perished in her battle against Kuja, and inherited the jewels into which her eidolons had been extracted. Receiving an Topaz from Doctor Tot, Garnet learned to summon Ifrit.

Characteristics

Ifrit summoned.

Ifrit is depicted as a fiery beast following the summon's more bestial depiction since Final Fantasy VIII. It has a demonic face with glowing pupil-less eyes and pointy ears. It has huge golden ram's horns and a hairless and muscular torso supported by fur-covered legs. The fur around its head is like a lion's mane and the same brown color as the lower half of the body. Ifrit has large hands and feet with sharp claws.

Gameplay

Summon

Ifrit's Hellfire from Final Fantasy IX screenshots

Ifrit costs 104 MP to summon before Garnet/Dagger loses her eidolons, and 26 MP after learned from a piece of Topaz for 20 AP. One Topaz is obtained as part of the story from Doctor Tot after the party returns to Alexandria from the Outer Continent, and more are available from synthesis in Daguerreo, Black Mage Village, and Hades in the endgame (requires 100 gil, Ore, and Eye Drops). Topazes can be found in the Cold Lagoon chocograph treasure (x19) and when using a Dead Pepper on the ledge in Quan's Dwelling (x15). They drop from Grimlock (Blue Head), Wraith (Red Flame), Veteran, and Vepal (Red) in "Gulug/Interior".

Ifrit's attack, Flames of Hell, deals Fire damage to all enemies.

The attacks and spell power for Dagger's summons are based on item stock and length of animation, the short version being weaker. When Dagger summons during her Trance, there is a random chance the summon will reappear during the battle for zero MP cost, but the animation will always be the short version, and item stock "bonuses" will be disregarded. The summon will reappear in intervals to repeatedly damage the enemy until a new eidolon is summoned or until Dagger exits Trance, is KO'd, or ejected.

The formula used to determine the amount of damage an eidolon does during its full animation is as follows:

$Base = Summon Power - Target's Magic Defense$

$Bonus = Magic ... [(Level + Magic) / 8] + 1$

$Damage = Base * Bonus$

If the eidolon is summoned and does its half animation, the formula changes to as follows:

$Damage = [((Base * Bonus) * 2) / 3]$

Ifrit's spell power for the full animation equals 42+# of Topaz in stock. The spell power for the short animation is 37.

The first time a summon is called in battle the full animation plays. Afterward, there is a 33% or 10% chance to get the full animation again based on the following:

If MP < (Summon MP Cost * 2), the chance of full animation is:

Random number between 0...255 >= 170, use full animation

Otherwise, the chance of full animation is:

Random number between 0...255 >= 230, use full animation

MP in these calculations refers to the MP before the cost is subtracted. The value used for Summon MP Cost is unaffected by Half MP.

The Bonus for Flames of Hell calculation above can boosted by 50% by equipping Dagger with Red Hat or Cachusha. Equipping both at once does not stack.

The Boost ability makes the summon always do the full animation, but it costs many Magic Stones and takes a long time to learn from the Pumice Piece.

Ifrit is an especially useful eidolon against enemies weak to fire and magical damage in general, however, its usefulness is dampened by how late it is acquired when Dagger already has stronger eidolons, and because Eiko also has a fire-elemental summon that is almost as strong as Ifrit and also revives fallen allies: Phoenix. Summoning Ifrit earns the Heat of the Moment achievement in the mobile and Steam versions.

Tetra Master

Tetra Master
#061 Location: Black Mage Village (Genome [Pond]) Madain Sari (Lani) Treno (Card Stadium; Card Freak Cil [disc 3], Eidolon Master [disc 4]) Memoria (Strong Phantom in Lost Memory)

Ifrit has an eidolon-type card for Tetra Master, which can be won late into the game from the Eidolon Master in the card stadium in Treno, Lani in Madain Sari (Garnet or Amarant must not be in the party or she leaves), and the Genome by the pond in Black Mage Village. Strong Phantom in the final dungeon's Lost Memory area also uses it.

Gallery

Concept artwork.

Concept artwork.

Concept artwork.

Flames of Hell.

Etymology

[view · edit · purge]In Arabian mythology, Ifrit (also spelled Efreet or Afreet, from Arabic عفريت Ifrīt), is the name given to a class of Jinn (Demons also known as Djinn, Djinni, and Genie) that embody fire. Though they could live for thousands of years, they were not immortal, and if cut, they would "bleed" the fire running through their veins until it consumed their bodies.