I couldn't miss the chance to practice my drawing!
Slow (スロウ, Surou?) is a recurring status effect from the Final Fantasy series. Its exact effects vary from game to game, but it always results in a character being able to perform fewer actions in a given amount of game time. In the original Final Fantasy, it results in a character scoring fewer hits in battle, while in Final Fantasy Tactics, it results in a character getting fewer turns.
Sometimes, this status effect is accompanied by a spell of the same name that causes the status effect. Slow usually can only be cured with time, but inflicting Haste on a slowed character may remove the status as well.
Appearances[]
Final Fantasy[]
Slow is not a proper status effect, as it acts as a modifier to stats and cannot be cured by any white magic or items. However, it is represented by a glowing white outline if a slow effect connects on a player character since the WonderSwan Color release, so it visually appears like a status effect.
When a slow effect connects on a target, their hit multiplier is reduced by 1, to a minimum of 0. A hit multiplier of 0 means the afflicted target can only ever deal 1 hit per normal physical attack. Even bare-handed Monks/Masters will only deal 1 hit, ignoring the usual hit doubling from their fists.
At the start of a battle, all present parties begin with a hit multiplier of 1. If one is hasted, their hit multiplier increases to 2 (the maximum). If a slow effect is applied to the hasted target, they return to a hit multiplier of 1, returning to normal but visually gaining the glowing white outline if a player character. If a second slow effect connects on the same target, their hit multiplier reduces to 0, which is when they are actually slowed. Any slow effect on a target with 0 hit multiplier will always miss.
Slow is inflicted by the spirit-elemental spell Slow and the non-elemental spell Slowra. It will last for the current battle's duration. Its effects can be counteracted by Haste (once to return to normal, twice to gain haste status).
In Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls to 20th Anniversary Edition, the item Spider's Silk can be used to cast Slow upon the enemy party.
Final Fantasy II[]
Slow lowers the Hit Rate of the victim.
Final Fantasy III[]
Final Fantasy IV[]
The status decreases a character's ATB gauge's filling-up speed. In 2D versions, it decreases the speed modifier by 8 (default being 16 for all targets), and can only be decreased to 32.
Final Fantasy IV -Interlude-[]
The Slow status returns as a status effect and it functions the same way as its predecessor.
Final Fantasy IV: The After Years[]
Final Fantasy V[]
Game Element | Type | Effect |
---|---|---|
Slow Cannon/Burst/Shot | Combine | Inflicts slow and non-elemental damage. |
Slow | Time Magic | Inflicts slow. |
Slowga | Time Magic | Inflicts slow to all targets in the enemy party. |
Slimer | Enemy ability | Inflicts slow. |
Web | Enemy ability | Inflicts slow. |
Final Fantasy VI[]
The ATB bar fills up at half the normal speed, so turns come less often. It also slows time for effects like the Poison status and causes temporary effects to lapse more slowly. It has no effect on Terra's Trance gauge. Attackers will have a 25% bonus to hit rate against those affected. Slow and haste are mutually exclusive; anything that sets slow cancels haste and vice versa. Slow will affect the doom status, slowing the countdown timer on the afflicted.
It can be removed with Esuna spell, Haste spell, Hastega spell, Dispel spell, Unicorn's Healing Horn, Sabin's Soul Spiral, Strago's Transfusion, Mog's Forest Healing from Forest Nocturne, Tapir from Love Serenade, Meerkat from Desert Lullaby, and Raccoon from Water Harmony. This status is removed at the end of battle.
Game Element | Type | Effect |
---|---|---|
Slow | Magic | Inflicts slow. |
Slowga | Magic | Inflicts slow to all targets of the enemy party. |
Clamp | Enemy ability | Inflicts slow. |
Cling | Enemy ability | Inflicts slow. |
Diabolic Whistle | Enemy ability | Inflicts slow as well as other statuses to the party. |
Entangle | Enemy ability | Inflicts slow. |
Entwine | Enemy ability | Inflicts slow to party. |
Gunk | Enemy ability | Inflicts slow. |
Mind Blast | Enemy ability | Inflicts slow as well as other statuses to the party. |
Slime | Enemy ability | Inflicts slow. |
Slimer | Enemy ability | Inflicts slow. |
Venom | Enemy ability | Inflicts slow. |
Final Fantasy VII[]
Slow makes a target's ATB gauge fill at half the normal speed. The pace of all timed effects, such as Barrier and Slow-numb, is halved as well.
Linking Added Effect with Time in a character's armor makes the character immune to Slow (but also immune to Haste). The effect can be removed with DeSpell Holy Torch, White Wind, and Angel Whisper.
Game Element | Type | Effect |
---|---|---|
Slow | Magic | Inflicts Slow. |
Abnormal Shell | Enemy Attack | Inflicts minor non-elemental damage, as well as Slow and Darkness. |
Dance | Enemy Attack | Inflicts minor non-elemental damage and Slow to party. |
Eyesight | Enemy Attack | One of four versions. Inflicts Slow and Darkness, but is only used as a counter to physical attacks. |
Silk | Enemy Attack | Inflicts Slow. |
Slow Dance | Enemy Attack | Inflicts minor non-elemental damage and Slow. |
Stigma | Enemy Attack | Inflicts major non-elemental damage as well as Slow and Poison to the party. |
Super Nova | Enemy Attack | Inflicts damage equal to 15/16 of character's HP as well as Slow, Confuse, and Silence to party. |
Support Beam | Enemy Attack | Inflicts Slow. |
Toxic Barf | Enemy Attack | Inflicts Poison and Slow. |
Jem Ring | Accessory | Protects against Petrify and Slow. |
Spider Web | Item | Inflicts Slow on all enemies. |
Final Fantasy VIII[]
Slow lasts for around 6.6 seconds. While it decreases the rate the ATB gauge will fill, it also lengthens the amount of time positive statuses will last.
Game Element | Type | Effect |
---|---|---|
Slow | Magic | Inflicts Slow. |
Runaway Train | GF Attack | Inflicts Poison-elemental damage as well as Sleep, Poison, Darkness, Silence, Slow, Stop, Berserk, Confuse, Doom, Petrifying, and Vit 0 to all enemies. |
Bad Breath | Blue Magic, Enemy Attack | Inflicts Slow as well as multiple abnormal status to all enemies. Inflicts mediocre magic damage and Slow to all enemies in Geezard's case. |
'Brrawghh!' | Enemy Attack | Inflicts Slow, Curse, and Darkness as well as non-elemental damage to the party. |
Evil Eye | Enemy Attack | Inflicts non-elemental damage as well as Slow and Curse on the party. |
Ochu Dance | Enemy Attack | Inflicts non-elemental damage as well as Slow and Curse on the party. |
Sticky Icky | Enemy Attack | Inflicts non-elemental damage as well as Slow. |
Sticky Web | Enemy Attack | Inflicts Slow. |
Final Fantasy IX[]
Game Element | Type | Effect |
---|---|---|
Slow | Black Magic | Inflicts Slow. |
Bad Breath | Blue Magic | Inflicts Slow as well as other statuses. |
Curse | Enemy Attack | Inflicts Slow as well as non-elemental damage and various other statuses. |
String | Enemy Attack | Inflicts minor non-elemental damage as well as Slow. |
Web | Enemy Attack | Inflicts minor non-elemental damage and Slow. |
Gladius | Weapon | Has Slow as an Add-Status. |
Oak Staff | Weapon | Has Slow as an Add-Status. |
Ragnarok | Weapon | Has Slow as an Add-Status. |
Silver Fork | Weapon | Has Slow as an Add-Status. |
Locomotion | Auto-Ability | Prevents Slow and Stop. |
Dispel & Haste | Wht Mag | Removes Slow. |
Final Fantasy X[]
The Slow status causes the afflicted to have fewer turns. This is unlike Delay, which simply delays a target's next turn.
Game Element | Type | Effect |
---|---|---|
Slow | White Magic | Inflicts Slow and pushes back the target's next turn. |
Slowga | White Magic | Inflicts Slow to all enemies and pushes back the target's next turn. |
Bad Breath | Overdrive | Inflicts Slow as well as many other statuses to all enemies. |
Chaos Grenade | Overdrive | Inflicts non-elemental damage and Slow to all enemies as well as many other status effects. |
Contamination | Enemy Attack | Inflicts Slow as well as other statuses. |
Impulse | Enemy Attack | Inflicts non-elemental damage as well as Slow and other statuses. Only in the International version, by Dark Bahamut. |
Kozuka | Enemy Attack | Inflicts non-elemental damage as well as Slow and other statuses. Only in the International version, by Dark Yojimbo. |
Mega Graviton | Enemy Attack | Reduces party's HP by 7/16 as well as inflicting Slow and other statuses to party. Only in the International version. |
Obliteration | Enemy Attack | Inflicts non-elemental damage as well as Slow to the party. Only in the International version. |
Ochu Dance | Enemy Attack | Inflicts Slow and many other statuses to the party. |
Putrid Breath | Enemy Attack | Inflicts Slow as well as other statuses and non-elemental damage to the party. |
Shockwave | Enemy Attack | Inflicts Slow as well as many other statuses and non-elemental damage to party. |
Slam | Enemy Attack | Inflicts non-elemental damage and Slow. |
Slime | Enemy Attack | Inflicts non-elemental damage as well as Slow and many other statuses. |
Stone Gaze | Enemy Attack | Inflicts Petrify and Slow as well as non-elemental damage. |
Tentacles | Enemy Attack | Inflicts non-elemental damage as well as Slow. |
Ultra Spark | Enemy Attack | Inflicts extreme non-elemental damage as well as Slow and other statuses to party. |
Venom | Enemy Attack | Inflicts Slow and Poison as well as non-elemental damage. |
Slowtouch | Auto-Ability | Inflicts Slow half the time when attacking physically. |
Slowstrike | Auto-Ability | Inflicts Slow when attacking physically. |
Slow Ward | Auto-Ability | Protects against Slow half the time. |
Slowproof | Auto-Ability | Protects against Slow. |
Gold Hourglass | Item | Inflicts non-elemental damage and Slow and Delay to all enemies. |
Silver Hourglass | Item | Inflicts Slow to all enemies. |
Final Fantasy X-2[]
Targets afflicted by Slow have slower animations. The ATB bar for afflicted party members turns gold for the duration of the effect.
Game Element | Type | Effect |
---|---|---|
Bad Breath | Blue Bullet | Inflicts Slow as well as many other statuses to all enemies. |
Slow Dance | Dance | Inflicts Slow on all enemies while dancing. |
Intimidate | Instinct | Inflicts non-elemental damage and Slow. |
Sticky Honey | Fallalery | Inflicts non-elemental damage and Slow to all enemies. |
Slow Shell | Machinations | Inflicts non-elemental damage as well as Slow. |
Blackout | Enemy Attack | Inflicts non-elemental damage as well as Darkness and Slow. |
El Nino | Enemy Attack | Inflicts non-elemental damage and Slow to party. |
Lingering Gaze | Enemy Attack | Inflicts non-elemental damage and Slow. |
Really Bad Breath | Enemy Attack | Inflicts multiple statuses, including Slow, to the party. |
Slow Attack | Enemy Attack | Inflicts non-elemental damage and Slow. Only in the International version. |
Squirt Gun | Enemy Attack | Inflicts Water-elemental damage and Slow. |
Slowproof | Auto-Ability | Protects against Slow. |
Silver Hourglass | Item | Inflicts Slow. |
Gold Hourglass | Item | Inflicts Slow to all enemies. |
Final Fantasy X-2: Last Mission[]
Slow makes the character take only one action every two turns. Some fiends inflict the status with their regular attacks. The player can inflict it by using the Yubimello medicine. It can be healed by entering the Haste status. The auto-ability Slowproof makes the character immune to the status.
Final Fantasy XI[]
The Slow status has two effects: the speed of attacks is reduced, and the recast times of spells are increased. The casting times of spells and the recast times of job abilities are not affected by Slow.
The slow status is directly inflicted via a variety of spells and a Blood Pact:
- Battlefield Elegy
- Carnage Elegy
- Cimicine Discharge
- Filamented Hold
- Hojo: Ichi
- Hojo: Ni
- Massacre Elegy
- Slow
- Slow II
- Slowga
It is also an added effect of the following spells and Blood Pacts:
- Bad Breath
- Megalith Throw
- Radiant Breath
- Rock Throw
- Sprout Smack
Monsters possess a multitude of abilities that inflict slow that are unavailable to players.
Final Fantasy XII[]
Slow status halves unit's ATB gauge speed, forcing them to take action less frequently. It can be inflicted via the Slow and Slowga Time Magicks. Long Bolts will inflict Slow status on a target, so will the Kagenui, Iron Pole, Heavy Lance, and the Orichalcum Dirk. The Ensanguined Shield inflicts Slow for the bearer.
Slow can be healed by Haste, Dispel or Remedy. Sash and Ribbon immunize against Slow, and Hermes Sandals cancels out the effect.
Slow does not affect the rate other statuses last.
Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings[]
Slow is a status effect that causes the unit to move slowly and have a lower rate of attacking.
Slowga is a spell used by Ashe that inflicts Slow to all enemies in range. Balasa's Fire Fist attack also inflicts Slow as well as Fire-elemental damage to an enemy, while Ifrit's Hellfire inflicts Slow and Fire-elemental damage to all surrounding enemies.
Final Fantasy XIII[]
Slow is granted by the Saboteur's Slow spell. It makes the ATB gauge charge 50% slower. The effect can be cleared by Esuna or be canceled by casting Haste on an afflicted character.
Final Fantasy XIII-2[]
Slow can only be inflicted by enemies and Feral Links. It lowers the target's ATB recharge rate by 33%. The only way for the player to apply this status to enemies is to use Don Tonberry's, Nekton's, Samovira's, or Ultros's Feral Links. Slow cannot be cancelled by Haste.
Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII[]
Slow decreases ATB speed by 50. Lightning can inflict it upon her opponents with the Slow and Slowga spells, and if afflicted herself, can heal it with Remedy or Mega Remedy. It expires on its own after a time.
Oerba Yun Fang uses Slow Hunter on enemies afflicted with Slow dealing increased damage.
Pretty Orb immunizes Lightning to Slow.
Final Fantasy XIV[]
Slow lengthens the cast times and recast times for abilities, and may also lengthen the duration between auto-attacks. It is overridden by Haste.
The Arm's Length ability gives a chance to inflict Slow on attackers when the user is struck.
Final Fantasy Tactics[]
When a character is inflicted with Slow their sprite moves more slowly. The character's effective speed is halved (round down). Slow lasts for 32 ticks.
Slow can be inflicted with Slow, Slowja, Forbidden Dance, Wind Blast, Biora, Ague, and Grand Cross.
Diamond Bracelet, Cachusha and Ribbon can all be equipped to prevent Slow.
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance[]
Slow halves the recovery speed of a unit's ATB gauge, and can be inflicted through the use of the Ninja ability Earth Veil, the Blue Magic spells Bad Breath and Hastebreak, the Time Mage spell Slow, the Elementalist ability Sliprain, and the Assassin ability Ague. The enemy ability Spellbind also inflicts Slow, and is only used by Mateus.
Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift[]
Slow can be inflicted on targets through the use of the Time Mage spells Slow and Slowga, the Spellblade ability Slow Blade, and the enemy abilities Bewitching Gaze, Binding Circle, Cloying Breath, Gold Hourglass, Mucus, Sheol, and Vine Lash.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles[]
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates[]
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time[]
Slow is a status effect that causes a character to move slowly. While the effect can fall off over time, it can be dispelled via Clear or Cleara. It can be cast on an enemy via the combination Blizzard and Clear.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a Darklord[]
Final Fantasy Dimensions[]
Pictlogica Final Fantasy[]
Final Fantasy Record Keeper[]
Final Fantasy Explorers[]
World of Final Fantasy[]
Slow increases the afflicted's wait time until they are able to take their next turn.
Game Element | Type | Effect |
---|---|---|
Slow | Active Ability | Inflicts Slow on a single target. |
Bad Breath | Active Ability | Inflicts Poison/Blindness/Oblivion/Slow/Confusion to a single target. |
Lust Dagger | Active Ability | Inflicts Physical Fire damage/Slow to a single target. |
Accursed Gaze | Active Ability | Inflicts neutral Magical damage/Slow to a single target. |
Blaster | Active Ability | Inflicts neutral Magical damage/Slow/chance of Death to a single target. |
Mini Blaster | Active Ability | Inflicts neutral Magical damage/Slow/chance of Death to a single target. |
Icicle Drift | Active Ability | Inflicts Magical Ice damage/Slow to a single target. |
Quicksand | Active Ability | Inflicts Magical Earth damage/Slow to a single target. |
Sonic Wings | Active Ability | Inflicts Magical Wind damage/Slow to a single target. |
Sticky Goo | Active Ability | Inflicts Magical Water damage/Slow to a single target. |
Whirlpool | Active Ability | Inflicts Magical Water damage/Slow to a single target. |
Resist Slow | Passive Ability | Protects the user against Slow. |
Spider Silk | Item | Sometimes inflicts the effects of Slow to a single target. |
Slow Mirajewel | Mirajewel | Allows Lann or Reynn to use Slow. |
Resist Slow Mirajewel | Mirajewel | Raises Lann or Reynn's Resistance to Slow to 100. |
Slow Seed | Ability Seed | Allows a Mirage to use Slow. |
Resist Slow Seed | Ability Seed | Raises a Mirage's Resistance to Slow to 100. |
Chocobo no Fushigina Dungeon[]
Chocobo's Dungeon 2[]
While slowed, Chocobo can take only one action every other turn.
Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales[]
Slow is a status effect that causes the person affected to take their turn after the user.
- Cards that cause Slow
Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo's Dungeon[]
Non-Final Fantasy guest appearances[]
Chrono Trigger[]
The Slow status decreases the time between turns. The status is shown with a white outline on the character, in the same manner of Final Fantasy V and Final Fantasy VI.
Bravely Default[]
Slow lowers the affected characters speed. Slow Parry is an enemy ability that has a 50% chance to apply slow to the attacker when taking a single-target physical attack.