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FFVIII Magic

Squall casts magic in battle.

Magic is a junction ability every Guardian Force has already mastered in Final Fantasy VIII. It may be removed using the item Amnesia Greens, and later re-added using the Magic Scroll item bought from Pet Shops in Timber or Esthar City.

Mechanics[]

The party member must equip a Guardian Force that knows the Magic command and set it in the character menu. The player must acquire some spells by drawing them from enemies and draw points, or by refining them from items. Each character has a magic spell inventory that can store 32 different spells, each as high as 100 units.

Spells are stocked and used up individually, and each party member has an individual stock of spells that can be divided between the party in the menu. The player can discard spells from a character's spell list by pressing Square/X and then confirming.

The command is sealed if the user is silenced, or in Ultimecia Castle until the party unlocks it by defeating a boss.

Base damage calculation for magic spells is:

[1]

Each spell has its own spell power, apart from Demi that works by draining a quarter of the target's current health.

Spell Spell Power Spell Spell Power
Fire, Blizzard, Thunder 18 Meteor 20
Aero 22 Fira, Blizzara, Thundara 24
Water, Drain 26 Bio 30
Meltdown 32 Firaga, Blizzaga, Thundaga 35
Tornado 38 Quake 40
Holy, Flare 48 Ultima 80
Apocalypse 120

The healing spells' healing amount (or damage to undead targets) is determined by the following formula:

[1]
Spell Spell Power Spell Spell Power
Cure 18 Cura 36
Curaga 60

Shell reduces both offensive and curative spells' effectiveness.

Status ailment spells have no spell power, but their effectiveness is calculated by the following formula:[1]

If (Status Defense >= 200) Target does not get the status
else: Infliction% = Magic Stat/4 - Target's Spirit/4
Infliction% = Infliction% - Status Defense + 200
Status Defense starts at 100 (0%) and the cap is 200 (100%).

Casting magic can affect compatibility with the Guardian Forces currently junctioned to the caster. GFs of the same element as the spell tend to gain compatibility, where as GFs of opposite element tend to lose it. However, the effect is minor.

Some spells can be cast via other means than the Magic command, including Selphie's Slot and Rinoa's Angel Wing Limit Breaks (the spells are not used from the spell inventory), or via Stone-type items. Spells can also be cast via the Draw command by choosing Draw → Cast, but these will have very high damage variance:

[1]

List of spells[]

Click on individual spells for more info.
Name Effect Refinement Ability Image
Fire Inflicts minor Fire-elemental damage on one target. F Mag-RF FFVIII Fire
Fire magic damage/one enemy
Fira Inflicts moderate Fire-elemental damage on one target. F Mag-RF, Mid Mag-RF FFVIII Fira
Fire magic damage/one enemy
Firaga Inflicts major Fire-elemental damage on one target. F Mag-RF, High Mag-RF FFVIII Firaga
Fire magic damage/one enemy
Blizzard Inflicts minor Ice-elemental damage on one target. I Mag-RF FFVIII Blizzard
Ice magic damage/one enemy
Blizzara Inflicts moderate Ice-elemental damage on one target. I Mag-RF, Mid Mag-RF FFVIII Blizzara
Ice magic damage/one enemy
Blizzaga Inflicts major Ice-elemental damage on one target. I Mag-RF, High Mag-RF FFVIII Blizzaga
Ice magic damage/one enemy
Thunder Inflicts minor Thunder-elemental damage on one target. T Mag-RF FFVIII Thunder
Thunder magic damage/one enemy
Thundara Inflicts moderate Thunder-elemental damage on one target. T Mag-RF, Mid Mag-RF FFVIII Thundara
Thunder magic damage/one enemy
Thundaga Inflicts major Thunder-elemental damage on one target. T Mag-RF, High Mag-RF FFVIII Thundaga
Thunder magic damage/one enemy
Water Inflicts moderate Water-elemental damage on one target. I Mag-RF Water-FFVIII
Water magic damage/one enemy
Aero Inflicts moderate Wind-elemental damage on one target. T Mag-RF FFVIII Aero
Wind magic damage/one enemy
Bio Inflicts moderate Poison-elemental damage and inflicts the Poison status ailment, causing them to take damage after they take a turn. ST Mag-RF FFVIII Bio
Poison damage + status change/one enemy
Demi Inflicts damage equal to 25% of the target's current HP on one target. Percentage varies if drawn-cast. Time Mag-RF Demi
Magic to reduce one enemy's HP by 1/4
Quake Inflicts major Earth-elemental damage on all units in the targeted party. Time Mag-RF FFVIII Quake
Earth magic damage/all enemies
Tornado Inflicts major Wind-elemental damage on all units in the targeted party. T Mag-RF, High Mag-RF FFVIII Tornado
Wind magic damage/all enemies
Holy Inflicts extreme Holy-elemental damage on one target. L Mag-RF FFVIII Holy
Holy magic damage/one enemy
Flare Inflicts extreme non-elemental damage on one target. F Mag-RF FFVIII Flare
Non-elemental magic damage/one enemy
Meteor Hits ten random units in the targeted party for random damage. Forbid Mag-RF FFVIII Meteor
Non-elemental magic damage/all enemies
Ultima Inflicts extreme non-elemental damage on all units in the targeted party. Forbid Mag-RF Ultima-FFVIII
Non-elemental magic damage/all enemies
Cure Restores a minor amount of HP on one target. Deals damage on Undead enemies. L Mag-RF FFVIII Cure
Restore HP
Cura Restores a moderate amount of HP on one target. Deals damage on Undead enemies. L Mag-RF, Mid Mag-RF FFVIII Cura
Restore HP
Curaga Restores a major amount of HP on one target. Deals damage on undead enemies. L Mag-RF, High Mag-RF FFVIII Curaga
Restore HP
Life Revives a target from Knocked Out status and restores 12.5% of their HP. L Mag-RF FFVIII Life
Revive from KO
Full-life Revives a target from Knocked Out status and restores 100% of their HP. L Mag-RF FFVIII Full-Life
Restore HP fully, revive from KO
Regen Bestows Regen on one target, allowing them to gradually recover HP over time. L Mag-RF FFVIII Regen
Restore HP at regular interval
Esuna Removes all negative status ailments from one target except Doom. Supt Mag-RF FFVIII Esuna
Remove abnormal status
Scan Reveals Level, HP, elemental affinities and detailed information on strategy and/or personality on the target. N/A FFVIII Scan
Scan enemy's HP and weakness
Sleep Inflicts Sleep on the target, preventing them from taking action until they are physically struck or otherwise wake up. ST Mag-RF FFVIII Sleep
Cause Sleep
Blind Inflicts Darkness on the target, causing their physical attacks to miss more often. ST Mag-RF FFVIII Blind
Cause Darkness
Silence Inflicts Silence on the target, preventing them from casting spells. ST Mag-RF FFVIII Silence
Cause Silence
Confuse Inflicts Confuse on the target, causing them to choose random abilities and target random units. ST Mag-RF FFVIII Confuse
Cause Confuse
Berserk Inflicts Berserk on the target, increasing their physical strength but causing them to attack enemies indiscriminately and uncontrollably. ST Mag-RF FFVIII Berserk
Cause Berserk
Break Inflicts Petrify on the target, turning them into stone until cured. Counts as defeated. ST Mag-RF FFVIII Break
Cause Petrify
Zombie Inflicts Zombie on one target, forcing them to take damage from curative abilities. L Mag-RF FFVIII Zombie
Cause Zombie
Death Attempts to instantly kill one target. L Mag-RF FFVIII Death
Cause Death
Double Allows target to cast two spells in a single turn. Time Mag-RF Double
Use magic successively
Triple Allows target to cast three spells in a single turn. Time Mag-RF, High Mag-RF Triple
Able to use magic 3 times
Dispel Removes all positive status ailments from one target. Supt Mag-RF FFVIII Dispel
Remove magic effect
Protect Bestows Protect on one target, reducing damage suffered from physical attacks by half. Supt Mag-RF FFVIII Protect
Reduce physical damage temporarily
Shell Bestows Shell on one target, reducing damage suffered from magic attacks by half. Supt Mag-RF FFVIII Shell
Reduce magic damage temporarily
Reflect Bestows Reflect on one target, reflecting all single-target spells from the target onto a unit on the opposing party. Supt Mag-RF FFVIII Reflect
Reflect magic temporarily
Float Bestows Float on the target, granting them immunity from Earth-elemental attacks. N/A FFVIII Float
Floats
Drain Inflicts non-elemental damage on the target and heals the spellcaster by the same amount or less, depending on status resistance. Damages the user when either side is Undead or afflicted with Zombie. Supt Mag-RF FFVIII Drain
Absorb HP
Haste Bestows Haste on one target, increasing the speed at which their ATB gauge increases. Time Mag-RF FFVIII Haste
Increases speed temporarily
Slow Inflicts Slow on one target, reducing the speed at which their ATB gauge increases. Time Mag-RF FFVIII Slow
Reduces speed temporarily
Stop Inflicts Stop on one target, freezing their ATB gauge for a short time. Time Mag-RF FFVIII Stop
Stops temporarily
Meltdown Inflicts Vit 0 on the target, forcing them to receive more damage from physical and magical attacks. ST Mag-RF FFVIII Meltdown
Non-elemental damage + make enemy Vit 0
Pain Inflicts Darkness, Silence and Poison on the target. ST Mag-RF FFVIIIPain
Cause Poison, Darkness, and Silence
Aura Bestows Aura on the target, allowing them access to Limit Breaks regardless of HP for allied units, or increases the strength for enemy units. Supt Mag-RF FFVIII Aura
Able to use Limit Breaks more often
Apocalypse Inflicts extreme non-elemental damage on all units in the targeted party. Stronger than Ultima. N/A FFVIII Apocalypse

Other appearances[]

Dissidia Final Fantasy NT[]

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Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia[]

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Pictlogica Final Fantasy[]

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Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade[]

Some of the magic spells appear.

Ability Cards
Legend Cards

Final Fantasy Record Keeper[]

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Final Fantasy Brave Exvius[]

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Mobius Final Fantasy[]

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Gallery[]

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Citations[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Final Fantasy VIII – Battle Mechanics FAQ by ForteGSOmega (Accessed: August 03, 2019) at GameFAQs Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "ffviii" defined multiple times with different content
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