Final Fantasy/Armor

Armor not only affects how much damage an enemy can do, but also affects your evasion and speed. There are four types of armor: body, head, arms, and shields. Each character class can equip a different set of armor:
 * Warriors and Knights use heavy body armor and helmets, and can equip large shields.
 * Thieves and Ninjas use lighter, but can still equip helmets and small shields.
 * Monks and Masters use only the lightest equipment and no shields.
 * Red Mages and Wizards can use most of the same equipment as Thieves and Ninjas
 * White and Black Mages/Wizards can use very little armor, and no shields.

Body
Body armor comes in two flavors: heavy mail which offers more protection but can be used by fewer classes, and armlets, which over less protection but more mobility and can be used by all classes. Given the choice, go with mail over armlets.

Black Robe

 * Original Name: Black Shirt
 * Cost: --
 * Sell: 1
 * Defense: 24
 * Evasion: 2
 * Special: Casts Ice2
 * Purchase: --
 * Find: Flying Fortress
 * Users: Black Wizard

Chain Mail

 * Cost: 80
 * Sell: 40
 * Defense: 15
 * Evasion: 15
 * Special: --
 * Purchase: Cornelia, Pravoka
 * Find: --
 * Users: Warrior, Knight, Ninja, Red Mage, Red Wizard

Clothes

 * Original Name: Shirt
 * Cost: 10
 * Sell: 5
 * Defense: 1
 * Evasion: 2
 * Special: --
 * Purchase: Cornelia
 * Find: Ice Cavern, Flying Fortress
 * Users: Warrior, Knight, Thief, Ninja, Monk, Master, Red Mage, Red Wizard, White Mage, White Wizard, Black Mage, Black Wizard

Copper Armlet

 * Cost: 1000
 * Sell: 500
 * Defense: 4
 * Evasion: 1
 * Special: --
 * Purchase: Elfheim
 * Find: Marsh Cave
 * Users: Warrior, Knight, Thief, Ninja, Monk, Master, Red Mage, Red Wizard, White Mage, White Wizard, Black Mage, Black Wizard

Diamond Armlet

 * Cost: --
 * Sell: 32500
 * Defense: 34
 * Evasion: 1
 * Special: --
 * Purchase: --
 * Find: Sunken Shrine
 * Users: Warrior, Knight, Thief, Ninja, Monk, Master, Red Mage, Red Wizard, White Mage, White Wizard, Black Mage, Black Wizard

Diamond Armor

 * Cost: --
 * Sell: 30000
 * Defense: 42
 * Evasion: 10
 * Special: --
 * Purchase: --
 * Find: Sunken Shrine
 * Users: Knight

Dragon Mail

 * Cost: --
 * Sell: 30000
 * Defense: 42
 * Evasion: 10
 * Special: --
 * Purchase: --
 * Find: Tower of Mirage
 * Users: Knight

Flame Armor

 * Cost: --
 * Sell: 15000
 * Defense: 34
 * Evasion: 10
 * Special: Protects against ice
 * Purchase: --
 * Find: Mt. Gulg
 * Users: Warrior, Knight, Ninja

Ice Armor

 * Cost: --
 * Sell: 15000
 * Defense: 34
 * Evasion: 10
 * Special: Protects against fire
 * Purchase: --
 * Find: Ice Cavern
 * Users: Warrior, Knight, Ninja

Knight Armor

 * Cost: 45000
 * Sell: 22500
 * Defense: 34
 * Evasion: 33
 * Special: --
 * Purchase: Melmond
 * Find: --
 * Users: Warrior, Knight

Leather Armor

 * Cost: 50
 * Sell: 25
 * Defense: 4
 * Evasion: 8
 * Special: --
 * Purchase: Cornelia, Pravoka
 * Find: --
 * Users: Warrior, Knight, Thief, Ninja, Monk, Master, Red Mage, Red Wizard

Mythril Mail

 * Cost: 7500
 * Sell: 3750
 * Defense: 18
 * Evasion: 8
 * Special: --
 * Purchase: Crescent Lake
 * Find: Mt. Gulg
 * Users: Warrior, Knight, Ninja, Red Mage, Red Wizard

Ruby Armlet

 * Cost: 50000
 * Sell: 25000
 * Defense: 24
 * Evasion: 1
 * Special: --
 * Purchase: Gaia
 * Find: Citadel of Trials
 * Users: Warrior, Knight, Thief, Ninja, Monk, Master, Red Mage, Red Wizard, White Mage, White Wizard, Black Mage, Black Wizard

Silver Armlet

 * Cost: 5000
 * Sell: 2500
 * Defense: 15
 * Evasion: 1
 * Special: --
 * Purchase: Melmond
 * Find: Marsh Cave
 * Users: Warrior, Knight, Thief, Ninja, Monk, Master, Red Mage, Red Wizard, White Mage, White Wizard, Black Mage, Black Wizard

Steel Plate

 * Original Name: Iron Armor
 * Cost: 800
 * Sell: 400
 * Defense: 24
 * Evasion: 23
 * Special: --
 * Purchase: Pravoka, Elfheim
 * Find: Marsh Cave, Cornelia Castle
 * Users: Warrior, Knight, Ninja

White Robe

 * Original Name: White Shirt
 * Cost: --
 * Sell: 1
 * Defense: 24
 * Evasion: 2
 * Special: Casts Invs2
 * Purchase: --
 * Find: Flying Fortress
 * Users: White Wizard

Head
Helmets add more protection than body armor alone, but only the Warrior, Knight, and Ninja classes can equip more than the most basic helmet. The most worthwhile headgear in the game is the ribbon, which offers little physical protections, but makes the wearer immune to all status effects.

Diamond Helm

 * Cost: --
 * Sell: 500
 * Defense: 8
 * Evasion: 3
 * Special: --
 * Purchase: --
 * Find: Sunken Shrine
 * Users: Knight

Grand Helm

 * Cost: 450
 * Sell: 225
 * Defense: 5
 * Evasion: 5
 * Special: --
 * Purchase: Melmond
 * Find: Mt. Duergar
 * Users: Warrior, Knight, Ninja

Healing Helm

 * Cost: --
 * Sell: 10000
 * Defense: 6
 * Evasion: 3
 * Special: Casts Heal1
 * Purchase: --
 * Find: Tower of Mirage, Flying Fortress
 * Users: Knight, Ninja

Helmet

 * Cost: 100
 * Sell: 50
 * Defense: 3
 * Evasion: 3
 * Special: --
 * Purchase: Elfheim
 * Find: Mt. Duergar
 * Users: Warrior, Knight, Ninja

Leather Cap

 * Cost: 80
 * Sell: 40
 * Defense: 1
 * Evasion: 1
 * Special: --
 * Purchase: Pravoka, Elfheim
 * Find: Temple of Chaos
 * Users: Warrior, Knight, Thief, Ninja, Monk, Master, Red Mage, Red Wizard, White Mage, White Wizard, Black Mage, Black Wizard

Mythril Helm

 * Original Name: Silver Helm
 * Cost: 2500
 * Sell: 1250
 * Defense: 6
 * Evasion: 3
 * Special: --
 * Purchase: Crescent Lake
 * Find: Titan's Cave, Mt. Gulg, Flying Fortress
 * Users: Warrior, Knight, Ninja

Ribbon

 * Cost: --
 * Sell: 1
 * Defense: 1
 * Evasion: 1
 * Special: Protects against status effects and instant death
 * Purchase: --
 * Find: Sunken Shrine, Waterfall Cave, Flying Fortress
 * Users: Warrior, Knight, Thief, Ninja, Monk, Master, Red Mage, Red Wizard, White Mage, White Wizard, Black Mage, Black Wizard

Arms
As with headgear, arm protection adds a small amount of defense, but only a few classes can equip the best kinds. The most useful piece is the protect ring which blocks instant death attacks (except Petrification).

Bronze Gloves

 * Cost: 200
 * Sell: 100
 * Defense: 2
 * Evasion: 3
 * Special: --
 * Purchase: Melmond
 * Find: Elfheim Castle
 * Users: Warrior, Knight, Ninja

Diamond Gloves

 * Cost: --
 * Sell: 10000
 * Defense: 8
 * Evasion: 3
 * Special: --
 * Purchase: --
 * Find: Sunken Shrine, Flying Fortress
 * Users: Knight

Gauntlets

 * Cost: --
 * Sell: n/a
 * Defense: 6
 * Evasion: 3
 * Special: Casts Bolt2
 * Purchase: --
 * Find: Citadel of Trials
 * Users: Knight, Ninja, Red Wizard

Giant's Gloves

 * Original Name: Power Gauntlet
 * Cost: --
 * Sell: 5000
 * Defense: 6
 * Evasion: 3
 * Special: --
 * Purchase: Casts Saber
 * Find: Sunken Shrine
 * Users: Warrior, Knight, Ninja, Red Wizard

Leather Gloves

 * Cost: 60
 * Sell: n/a
 * Defense: 1
 * Evasion: 1
 * Special: --
 * Purchase: Pravoka
 * Find: --
 * Users: Warrior, Knight, Thief, Ninja, Monk, Master, Red Mage, Red Wizard, White Mage, White Wizard, Black Mage, Black Wizard

Mythril Gloves

 * Original Name: Silver Gauntlet
 * Cost: 2500
 * Sell: 1250
 * Defense: 6
 * Evasion: 3
 * Special: --
 * Purchase: Crescent Lake
 * Find: Mt. Gulg, Ice Cavern
 * Users: Warrior, Knight, Ninja

Protect Ring

 * Original Name: ProRing
 * Cost: 20000
 * Sell: 10000
 * Defense: 8
 * Evasion: 1
 * Special: Protects against auto-kill attacks
 * Purchase: Gaia
 * Find: Flying Fortress, Temple of Chaos (Past)
 * Users: Warrior, Knight, Thief, Ninja, Monk, Master, Red Mage, Red Wizard, White Mage, White Wizard, Black Mage, Black Wizard

Steel Gloves

 * Cost: 750
 * Sell: 350
 * Defense: 4
 * Evasion: 5
 * Special: --
 * Purchase: Melmond
 * Find: Western Keep, Citadel of Trials
 * Users: Warrior, Knight, Ninja

Shields
Shields not only give protection, but they can randomly block a physical attack, resulting in no damage to the wearer. Equip a character with shield if possible, no matter how weak it is since a block absorbs all damage. Since the protect cloak technically isn't a shield, it can be equiped by most characters that cannot use shields.

Aegis Shield

 * Cost: --
 * Sell: 20000
 * Defense: 16
 * Evasion: 0
 * Special: Immunity to Petrification
 * Purchase: --
 * Find: Tower of Mirage
 * Users: Knight

Buckler

 * Cost: 2500
 * Sell: 1250
 * Defense: 2
 * Evasion: 0
 * Special: --
 * Purchase: Crescent Lake
 * Find: --
 * Users: Warrior, Knight, Thief, Ninja, Red Mage, Red Wizard

Diamond Shield

 * Original Name Opal Shield
 * Cost: --
 * Sell: 7500
 * Defense: 16
 * Evasion: 0
 * Special: --
 * Purchase: --
 * Find: Sunken Shrine, Flying Fortress
 * Users: Knight

Flame Shield

 * Cost: --
 * Sell: 5000
 * Defense: 12
 * Evasion: 0
 * Special: Protects against ice
 * Purchase: --
 * Find: Mt. Gulg
 * Users: Warrior, Knight, Ninja

Ice Shield

 * Cost: --
 * Sell: 5000
 * Defense: 12
 * Evasion: 0
 * Special: Protects against fire
 * Purchase: --
 * Find: Ice Cavern
 * Users: Warrior, Knight, Ninja

Iron Shield

 * Cost: 100
 * Sell: 50
 * Defense: 4
 * Evasion: 0
 * Special: --
 * Purchase: Pravoka, Elfheim
 * Find: --
 * Users: Warrior, Knight, Ninja

Leather Shield

 * Original Name: Wood Shield
 * Cost: 15
 * Sell: 7
 * Defense: 2
 * Evasion: 0
 * Special: --
 * Purchase: Pravoka
 * Find: Terra Cave
 * Users: Warrior, Knight, Ninja

Mythril Shield

 * Cost: 2500
 * Sell: n/a
 * Defense: 8
 * Evasion: --
 * Special: --
 * Purchase:
 * Find: Terra Cave, Crescent Lake, Mt. Gulg
 * Users: Warrior, Knight, Ninja

Protect Cloak

 * Cost: --
 * Sell: 10000
 * Defense: 8
 * Evasion: 2
 * Special: --
 * Purchase: --
 * Find: Flying Fortress, Temple of Chaos (Past)
 * Users: Warrior, Knight, Thief, Ninja, Red Mage, Red Wizard, White Mage, White Wizard, Black Mage, Black Wizard