Consume HP to deal damage to one foe.
Description
Souleater is a Technick in Final Fantasy XII that lets the character deal increased non-elemental physical damage with their weapon to a ground-based target at the cost of 20% of their maximum HP. It is purchased from Technicks shops after the Lhusu Mines events in the original PlayStation 2 version and from Mt Bur-Omisace onwards in the Zodiac versions. In the original version, all player characters who have the License Board can activate it. In the Zodiac versions, it is used by certain jobs and Vossler.
Obtain[]
The license for Souleater costs 35 License Points. In the original PlayStation 2 version, Souleater is sold in Technicks shops for 6400 gil in Bhujerba (after meeting Ba'Gamnan in the Lhusu Mines), Rabanastre (after Leviathan), and Nalbina Fortress (after defeating Judge Bergan).
In the Zodiac versions, the Technick is purchased for 6000 gil after visiting Mt Bur-Omisace in Rabanastre, Nalbina Fortress, and Bhujerba, as well as in Mt Bur-Omisace, Mosphoran Highwaste (after defeating Judge Bergan), Phon Coast, Archades, and Balfonheim (after Draklor Laboratory). It is also found in the Trial Mode Stage 42 treasure (with the Diamond Armlet).
In the Zodiac versions, the Souleater license can be used by the job classes Uhlan, Red Battlemage, Knight, White Mage, Monk, and Bushi; White Mage and Bushi need Adrammelech, while Monk needs Exodus. White Mage must obtain Adrammelech or duo with one of the many jobs that get the specific Battle Lore that lies next to Souleater on the White Mage board. Vossler also has it natively in the Zodiac versions.
Mechanics[]
Souleater has 100% accuracy and deals non-elemental damage at the cost of taking 20% of the user's maximum HP.
- Original
- [1]
- Zodiac
Though it is not Dark-elemental, Souleater will heal the undead. Like all Technicks, it is unaffected by Reverse. In the original version, Souleater is 1.4 times more powerful than a regular physical attack. In the Zodiac versions, Souleater is 1.7 times more powerful than a regular physical attack and heals undead enemies by 2.0 times. Because Souleater does not use the weapon's innate damage formula, only considering the weapon's ATK stat, it is best to equip the highest-ATK weapon for it (axes and hammers tend to have high ATK values, and will not deal randomized damage this way). Its damage is also unaffected by Bravery. Like all non-Attack commands, Souleater is followed by a brief delay before the user can act again.
Souleater does not awake sleeping targets. If the user has Inquisitor license, they will gain MP when they damage the enemy.
Use[]
Souleater does more damage than Attack, but Attack can combo or critical, depending on the weapon, which exceed Souleater's damage. Using Attack is also faster. Therefore, there are not many good uses for the ability. To get sustained higher weapon damage, the player should use Berserk and/or Bravery instead, which are incompatible with Souleater; Berserk because a berserked character cannot use Technicks, and Bravery because the effect does not factor into Souleater's damage calculation.
Souleater can be used to deliberately bring a character down to critical HP. Because it removes 20% rounded down, it can safely be used five times from full HP so long as the user's maximum does not end in 0 or 5. Souleater can also be useful in the battle against Chaos where the Attack command is sealed. As Souleater's damage is non-elemental regardless of the weapon's own element, it could be used against enemies that resist the character's weapon element. However, Souleater healing undead enemies needs to be kept in mind.
Etymology and origin[]
Souleater or "Darkness" is a recurring Dark Knight job in the Final Fantasy series that uses the user's own health to deal damage to enemies. A soul eater is a folklore figure in the traditional belief systems of some African peoples, notably the Hausa people of Nigeria and Niger. Belief in soul eaters is related to traditional folk beliefs in witchcraft, zombies, and related phenomena. The soul eater is supposedly able to consume an individual's spirit, causing a wasting disease that can be fatal.