Causes [Death] on levels in multiples of 5
Description
L5 Death is an enemy skill in Final Fantasy VII that instantly kills targets whose levels are multiples of 5. The player can learn it on the Enemy Skill Materia. The skill does not work on bosses and is only learned very late into the game, making it not very useful in practice.
Obtained[]
If obtaining all enemy skills the earliest they are available, L5 Death is the fourth last Enemy Skill the player learns, obtained from the Parasite in the Northern Cave, who only uses it when manipulated. To prevent the skill from killing the player's party, they can ensure the members are not on levels that are multiples of 5, or use Death Force, Safety Bit or Added Effect paired with Odin or Destruct in the party's armor. The spell is learned as long as it hits a character with the Enemy Skill Materia, no matter if it succeeds.
Stats[]
| Command Materia | Enemy Skill Materia |
|---|---|
| Effect | Instant Death if target's level is a multiple of 5 on target party. |
| MP cost | 22 |
| Reflect | No |
Use[]
The spell graphic is a red semi-transparent skull (similar to the effect used when bosses are defeated) that opens its jaw.
Because the party can only learn L5 Death in the final dungeon, all but one of the viable targets for it are located in previous areas that are still visitable, or the Battle Square. As such, most of the vulnerable enemies are very weak and able to be killed with just about any attack instantly, making L5 Death not useful in practice and more something to learn for completion's sake. Only the King Behemoth further into the final dungeon could be a viable target for L5 Death, though there are many other strategies the player could also follow.
The other level-based ability on the Enemy Skill Materia, L4 Suicide, has many more applicable uses than the L5 Death. If the player did want to use Instant Death, L5 Death could be substituted with the Death spell from the Destruct Materia, or Odin, which don't have level restrictions.
