Final Fantasy/Classes

The game allows you to create a party of four characters (chosen from warriors, monks, thieves, black mages, white mages, and red mages) and go on a quest to activate the four crystals and restore peace to the land.

Each of the six base classes can be upgraded once you complete the Citadel of Trials quest a little over halfway through the game. Warriors become knights, monks become masters, thieves become ninjas, black mages become black wizards, white mages become white wizards, and red mages become red wizards. Aside from a newer, older, cooler look, each character can now equip stronger weapons and armor. Magic using classes will now be able to learn higher level spells and some non-magic using classes will now be able to learn low level magic.

Each character also has an ideal Weapon and Armor configuration once you've obtained the class change and searched every area. This configuration may change based upon your set up. For instance, the Dragon Armor is best for the Knight. However you can only find 1 set of Armor. If you have 2 Knights, you'll have to determine the ideal configuration for your party.

For more on various party configurations, see the party recommendations page.

Fighters
These are the types of characters that you put on the front lines since they can survive hard hits and hit back even harder. You'll generally want to conserve MP, especially early in the game, so you'll have your fighters do all of the fighting while your magicians protect themselves. However, in many situations, it will be magic than ends the fight quickly and your fighters will simply act as a buffer between the magicians and the enemies. You should have at least one, if not two, fighters in your party.

Warrior/Knight

 * Warriors were called "Fighters" in the NES version.

Summary: Warriors are a good start for someone who's new at the game because of their many positive qualities and relatively few negative qualities. They work well with any class and unlike most of the other classes, they are still effective when you have more than one in your party. The cost of keeping them (especially Knights) up to date with the latest equipment makes having more than one rather expensive.


 * Pros:
 * High HP, Defense, Strength and Agility stats.
 * They can equip almost every weapon and armor in the game.
 * Knights can take some of the burden of healing off of other characters.


 * Cons:
 * Cumbersome armor will substantially reduce agility. Despite their unarmored Speed, they will often be the last to attack in battle when fully equipped.
 * They can't use any magic until they upgrade, and then only weak white magic.
 * Very expensive to keep fully equipped.


 * Upgrade:
 * Knights can use low level (1-3) white magic.


 * Changes in Dawn of Souls and Anniversary Edition:
 * Aside from being a bit stronger and faster, they are the same as in the original games.

This class does the highest damage over most of the game, and has the highest survivability against both magic and melee attacks for the entire game. They have incredibly high defensive power as well as high HP - high enough that an attack that would do 80+ damage to any other class will only do 1 damage to a warrior/knight. Strength is the highest statistic for the Fighter, with Vitality also being important. In addition to dealing significant damage to monsters, they work as excellent shields for the Mages/Wizards by putting them at the head of the party, since enemies attack the party leader the most often. They also have high agility and evasion (improved even further with shields).

Once upgraded you can use them for healing minor wounds in order to save your white wizard's MP for when you need powerful healing spells. The knight can also use the very best of weapons and armor, of which there are 1-2 of each type only usable by this class.

The warrior is the overall strongest class by far. The major drawback of the class is that it is the most expensive to outfit properly; however even a poorly-outfitted warrior will be stronger than a thief or black belt. By late game although other classes can compete in damage-dealing the knight stands alone in survivability. Running without one of this class is not recommended for beginners, and the strongest parties will contain two warriors.


 * Ideal Equipment Configuration:
 * Weapon: Excaliber (NES: Xcalber)
 * Head: Healing Helm
 * Body: Dragon Armor
 * Hand: Aegis Shield
 * Arm: Protect Ring (NES: ProRing)

It could be argued that the Masmune is best for the Knight as it's the strongest weapon in the game. However, Excaliber gives status enhancements against all enemies of special type (i.e. Undead, Mage, Giant, etc.). For the ideal party configuration, it's usually best to give the Masmune to another character. The Healing Helm does not protect as well as the Diamond Helmet (NES: Opal Helmet), offering 6 vs 8 points of protection. However, having available the ability to heal your entire party during a battle makes up for the loss of 2 absorb points, especially with weaker enemies where healing adds more HP than an enemy attack can remove. The Dragon Armor protects your Knight against all elemental attacks. Think of it like Diamond Armor (NES: Opal Armor) with a Ribbon built in. The Aegis Shield is necessary because while the Ribbon protects against Stoning and other status effects, Dragon Armor does not. The ProRing guards as well as any gauntlet but with the added bonus of protecting against instant Death spells and minimizing instant Death attacks (typically from the Mindflayer (NES: Sorcerer)).

Thief/Ninja
Summary: Thieves start off fairly weak, but once they start hitting multiple times per attack, they can do as much damage as a Warrior. However, they have relatively low HP and defense (compared to a Warrior), so they tend to be the first to fall in a fight. After the class change they can learn basic Black magic spells. Both classes have extremely high agility, which will make it significantly easier to flee from battles throughout the game.


 * Pros:
 * High Speed and Luck stats. This combination will allow them to easily flee from battles, which is a big reason to have one.
 * A ninja can do almost as much damage as a knight during most of the game.
 * Ninjas can use Haste and Temper - two very useful Black magic spells that improve your fighting ability.
 * In Dawn of Souls and Anniversary Edition, Ninjas can equip more weapons weapon than Knights and the second most amount of armor.


 * Cons:
 * With low HP and a poor selection in armor (though still better than Wizards), they can be killed quickly if enemies gang up on them.
 * Low magic resistance. Not as bad as the monk/master, but expect them to take 1.5x to 3x as much damage from a spell as a wizard or knight.
 * Their HP is much lower than a Knight's, and will eventually drop below that of a white wizard.
 * Other than for escaping from battles, they are not very useful in the early game when your levels are still low.


 * Upgrade:
 * Ninjas can use low level (1-4) black magic.


 * Changes in Dawn of Souls and Anniversary Edition:
 * They have been slowed down. They can no longer run away from most anything.
 * In exchange, they are significantly stronger and can do as much damage as a Warrior.

A Ninja makes a good secondary fighter, especially when teamed up with a Warrior/Knight. Don't put him at the front of the party - even as a Ninja he cannot take that much damage. Battles in FFI tend to be challenging, so you will be running away a lot, solely for the purpose of having enough HP and MP to fight the boss at the end of the dungeons. Thieves, and especially ninjas, practically guarantee that you can flee from a fight. The major use for them over a second Knight is that they can learn Haste and Temper, which boosts attack by quite a bit (although a Red Wizard can learn those spells as well).

Note: Despite the name, the Thief doesn't have a steal ability.


 * Ideal Equipment Configuration:
 * Weapon: Sasuke's Blade (NES: Katana)
 * Head: Ribbon
 * Body: Diamond Armlet (NES: Opal Bracelet)
 * Hand: Ice Shield
 * Arm: Protect Ring (NES: ProRing)

As with the Knight, it could be argued that the Masmune is best for the ninja as it's the strongest weapon in the game. Sasuke's Blade does not offer status enhancements like Excaliber so the Masmune is simply the more powerful weapon. However, for the ideal party configuration, you'll have to determine if it's worth giving the Masmune to another character. There is some debate surrounding which Armor to use. You could equip your Ninja with the Heal Helmet but then you'd lose the protection of the Ribbon. You could attempt to compensate with the Flame Armor and Ice Shield but you'd still be vulnerable to Gas, Lightning and Stoning. The gain to the party isn't worth the risk and exposure to your Ninja. It ultimately would cost your party more. The Diamond Armlet offers the strongest protection at the lowest weight. This allows your Ninja to dodge attacks more readily than heavy armor. The Ice and Flame shield offer the same protections but with no additional magical protection if you have the ribbon. However, fire attacks are more likely before you find the Ribbon. Since the Ice Shield protects against fire, it's the one to keep. It's found in the Ice Cavern and will dramatically help your character in the Citadel of Trials against the Rakshasa (NES: ManCat) who cast potentially lethal Fire2 spells. The ProRing guards as well as any gauntlet but with the added bonus of protecting against instant Death spells and minimizing instant Death attacks (typically from the Mindflayer (NES: Sorcerer)).

Monk/Master

 * Monks were called "Black Belts" in the NES version.

Summary: They can fight as well as a Warrior, except they have much lower Defense. Not too far into the game they will be able to do more damage unarmed than even a Warrior/Knight equipped with the best available weapon. They also use very little armor and no weapons so they are very cheap to maintain. While their defense is low, they actually earn a defense bonus by not wearing any armor at all. Even still, it is not recommended that you put them at the front of the party. Their lack of need for armor and weapons make them a very inexpensive choice.


 * Pros:
 * High Damage stat, high numbers of attacks per turn, and high HP, allowing them to do more damage than a Warrior/Knight.
 * Very cheap to keep fully equipped since they won't need weapons and or much equipment later on.
 * Unequipping weapons and armor will boost their strength and defense.


 * Cons:
 * Lower evasion and magic resistance. A Master may take 2x-5x as much damage from a spell as a wizard or knight.
 * They sometimes do little damage to monsters and/or bosses that have a high absorb and/or defense stat.
 * HP is low in early levels, but does raise considerably later on. No magic at all.


 * Upgrade:
 * Absolutely nothing.
 * Masters gain less magic defense per level as opposed to their non-upgraded class.


 * Changes in Dawn of Souls and Anniversary Edition:
 * Improved defense and magic resistance.

Monks are unique in that they gain empty-handed fighting ability with experience. Therefore, they are best equipped with nunchaku early on, but fight better with no weapons by experience level 8 or 9. Armor-wise they are trickier to outfit; although the class does get a bonus when going unarmored it is still extremely weak defensively in doing so (particularly vulnerable to spells), yet the armor available to the class is so poor that equipping it is hardly an improvement.

The major advantage of the class throughout most of the game is that they cost nothing to maintain, saving valuable gold that can be used to upgrade other characters. They would be even better than the Knight if not for their lower defense, which keeps them from being a good person to put in the front slot. That said, the Master is great in the second slot, with a Warrior/Knight in the front row taking most of the damage. Around level 20 or so they will get more hits in than any other character resulting in more damage. When Haste and Temper are cast on the Master, he can kill most bosses in one hit. He will take a fair amount of damage, so it is recommended that you also take a White Mage/Wizard with you to heal, or at least stock pile Hi-Potions.

All this changes however at higher levels, however. Since the master's damage and to-hit rating continue to increase significantly with each level, past level 40 or so they become the strongest damage-dealers, and by level 50 will do more damage than an entire party of other characters - enough to kill even the final boss in one swing, with a lucky hit. Unfortunately for this class most parties will not reach that high of a level, but for a player that does a lot of leveling-up late in the game or wishes to maximize out your party, a high-level master is the strongest character by far.


 * Ideal Equipment Configuration:
 * Weapon: None (hands only)
 * Head: Ribbon
 * Body: Diamond Armlet (NES: Opal Bracelet)
 * Hand: none. Zeus Gauntlet as item.
 * Arm: Protect Ring (NES: ProRing)

The Master is so strong that equipping the Masmune would only slow him down. The ultra light ribbon detracts only 1 point from your Master's evade. This small loss ability to dodge attacks is virtually unnoticeable while the Ribbon's ability to help him withstand powerful elemental and status attacks will be invaluable. The Diamond Armlet offers the strongest protection at the lowest weight. With an added 34 points of protection, it is the only device that exceeds the Monks natural Absorb increase. However, be warned: strategically you will hurt your Master's defense if this is not applied before either the Ribbon or the Protect Ring! Once you've collected the Diamond Armlet, then you get the other equipment for his added protection. With nothing in his hands, like a shield, you can put another piece of Armor in this slot. This is especially useful in the original NES version where each character is limited to 4 slots. The Zeus Gauntlet is by far the best choice here. The Power Gauntlet is not worth the power gained for the round of attack lost. The extra Healing Helmet isn't worth it since this will be your primary attack fighter towards the end of the game. You'll also have another Healing Helm and the Heal Staff. The Zeus Gauntlet will add to the Master's only weakness; his inability to attack multiple enemies at once. The ProRing guards as well as any gauntlet but with the added bonus of protecting against instant Death spells and minimizing instant Death attacks (typically from the Mindflayer (NES: Sorcerer)).

Magicians
There are two types of magic in the game: white and black, and a mage that can use each type exclusively. A third class of mage, the Red Mage, may use both types of magic, but they are restricted from casting the strongest levels of magic as a consequence. All wizard classes have low attack, low HP, and low defense. If the magic users are in the bottom two rows they will not be targeted as often. It is still necessary to have a physical attacker or two since you cannot use magic all of the time.

Later on in the game you will start finding equipment that can cast spells an unlimited number of times, however they are no replacement for magicians as the items can only cast low level spells, and the effectiveness of the item-spell is determined by the wielder's magic stat. Mages have much higher magic power than a fighter, so these items will be more effective when used by them. Besides, it's usually preferable to keep your fighters attacking the enemies, not using items.

Red Mage/Red Wizard
Summary: A Red Mage is a versatile sorcerer who is able to cast both black and white spells. This allows him or her to be useful both in curing wounded allies and in destroying enemies with magical destruction. The Red Mage is also relatively versatile when it comes to equipment and can use many swords as well as a number of protective devices usually forbidden to mages. A jack of all trades, master of none, they are not as physically strong as the fighter classes, nor are they as powerful with magic as the other magician classes. They are still a beneficial class throughout all phases of the game because of their versatility, and one of few classes that may still be effective when there are two in the party.


 * Pros:
 * They can use (most) level 1-7 white and black magic.
 * They can equip many of the same weapons and armor as a Warrior/Knight until late in the game.
 * Significantly better defense than either of the two other wizards, about on par with a Ninja or Master.


 * Cons:
 * A few of the best spells of both categories are denied to them - mostly at high level but some of the better low-level spells are unavailable as well.
 * They get less HP in comparison to many other classes, and less MP than other mages.
 * They can be more expensive than any other class to maintain since you have buy both spells and equipment.
 * Their Spell Level goes up 1-3 levels after the Black and White Wizards.


 * Upgrade:
 * Red Wizards can use up to level 7 magic (with some restrictions).
 * Most level 1-5 magic that was restricted can now be used.


 * Changes in Dawn of Souls and Anniversary Edition:
 * Decreased HP - they will often have around half of what a Knight of the same level has.

In the beginning they are as strong as a Warrior and can use most spells, so new players might be tempted to go with four Red Mages. However, as you progress their limitations will become more and more apparent. Even though they can use up to level 7 spells, they are restricted from using quite a few of them - specifically the useful White spells. There will also be more and more weapons and armor that they cannot use, so they will fall behind the Knight in terms of attack and defense. However, there are still several powerful weapons they can make use of. Red Wizards make suitable substitutions for a Ninja, Master, or even a Black Wizard. However, they cannot replace a Warrior's high damage nor a White Wizard's high curative powers.

The incredibly low HP will be the biggest problem of a Red Wizard, and will be a handicap early on, so they should be moved to the third or fourth slot, even behind a White Wizard. It should also be noted that in Dawn of Souls or Anniversary Edition, you can use the silver apple two times on a Red Mage/Wizard and their HP will be higher than the Black Mage/Wizard. The Silver apple can be obtained by chance as many times as you want it in the Earth Gift Shrine on the dark forest floor level.


 * Ideal Equipment Configuration:
 * Weapon: Masmune (Defender)
 * Head: Ribbon
 * Body: Diamond Armlet (NES: Opal Bracelet)
 * Hand: Protect Cloak (NES: Pro Cape)
 * Arm: Protect Ring (NES: ProRing)

The Red Wizard can handle many kinds of weapons other magic casters cannot. The Defender (NES: Defense) is the second strongest sword he can swing and also a good one to use as an item as it casts Blink (NES: Ruse) raising his evade a full 80 points! However, given the additional power he'll have over either the White Wizard or Ninja by the time you get to the penultimate floor of the Temple of the Fiends, the Red Wizard is certainly the character to hold the incomparable Masmune. The Ribbon is the obvious choice for this magic user. They cannot wear helmets and they need all the physical protection they can get, especially from powerful magic. The Diamond Armlet offers the strongest protection at the lowest weight. This allows your Red Wizard to dodge attacks while still being protected when he does get hit. The Protect Cloak offers additional protection at low weight which can be beneficial against enemy attacks. However, if you're playing with a White and Black Wizard as well, you will want to let them have the Protect Cloaks and let your Diamond Armlet serve as your main defensive armor. Especially in the NES version, this could be an opportunity for your Red Wizard to hold an extra item, like the Zeus Gauntlet. The ProRing guards as well as any gauntlet but with the added bonus of protecting against instant Death spells and minimizing instant Death attacks (typically from the Mindflayer (NES: Sorcerer)).

White Mage/White Wizard
Summary: The White Mage is a sorcerer devoted to the restorative power of white magic. They are capable of casting many powerful spells that can restore allies to combat readiness even after sustaining grave wounds. The White Mage is also able to cast a limited number of offensive spells, mainly targeting the unholy creatures that are classified as undead.


 * Pros:
 * They can use level 1-8 White magic, including Life, Cure, and Harm.
 * They can use magic that enhances the stats of the rest of the party.
 * Very cheap to maintain in terms of equipment.
 * Decent (not great) HP, and very good MP.
 * A White Wizard can revive a dead team member to full health.


 * Cons:
 * They have low Defense and Strength stats. Their low Strength isn't much of a problem if you have two fighters, but their low Defense means they need a lot of protection.
 * Except for Holy, Their attack spells only work against the undead, so they can do next to nothing against other types of enemies,
 * They have a very limited choice of usable equipment.


 * Upgrade:
 * White Wizards can use all white magic.
 * White Wizards can equip a few weapons with decent power.


 * Changes in Dawn of Souls and Anniversary Edition:
 * Higher defense and speed stats.
 * Significantly stronger, especially after the class change, though still the weakest class.
 * Much more HP.

Throughout most of the earlier part of the game, a red wizard would be a superior substitute to this class. But without a white wizard you will lack the extremely powerful Cure4 and Life2 spells which will make the endgame far harder. Even with a knight's incredibly high defense and HP, they will require a lot of attention from White Wizards later on in the game.

They are excellent for supporting your other party members because of their healing magic. However, their low Defense and usually weak armor will make them easy targets later in the game. Since Red Wizards and Knights cannot cast Life 2 or the more advanced Cures, you will have to rely on items for healing if you don't have a White Wizard. While they will always be weak, when equipped with Thor's Hammer they can do about half the amount of damage as a ninja. They can also use the Harm/Dia series of magic, which is quite powerful against the undead - which you will be facing a lot of in the game.


 * Ideal Equipment Configuration:
 * Weapon: Masmune (Thor's Hammer)
 * Head: Ribbon
 * Body: White Robe (NES: White Shirt)
 * Hand: Protect Cloak (NES: Pro Cape)
 * Arm: Protect Ring (NES: ProRing)

The White Wizard can suddenly become an attack warrior with the Masmune in her hand. However, if you're playing with a Red Wizard, you should give him the Masmune and keep Thor's Hammer. It's more likely the Red Wizard equipped with the Masmune can kill an enemy in 1 round, especially at the higher levels. This is increasingly important when dealing with powerful enemies. In any case, keep Thor's Hammer as an item. Mindflayers are vulnerable only to Lightning spells and they will be the biggest thorn in your side at the end of the game. Having someone able to cast Thundara who ordinarily cannot will be of great advantage. The Ribbon is the obvious choice for this magic user. They cannot wear helmets and they need all the physical protection they can get, especially from powerful magic. The White Robe offers as much protection as the Ruby Armlet (NES: Gold Bracelet). However, the added benefit of being able to autocast Invisara (increasing your entire team's evade) is not only more valuable than simple Absorb points but also allows you access to ALL level 6 spells, making it clear which 3 you should buy. The Protect Cloak offers additional protection at low weight which can be beneficial against enemy attacks. This adds 8 absorb points to the White Robe, giving you a total 32 absorb points. This doesn't match the 34 absorb points of the Diamond Armlet but it comes very close. The ProRing guards as well as any gauntlet but with the added bonus of protecting against instant Death spells and minimizing instant Death attacks (typically from the Mindflayer (NES: Sorcerer)).

Black Mage/Black Wizard
Summary: Black Mages are wielders of the destructive black magic and use the elements of the world, poison, and mental attacks to destroy their foes. They are great to have because of their spells but, like the white wizard, they have very low offense, defense, and life (lower, actually). When used properly, black magic can do more harm than any of the fighters.


 * Pros:
 * They can use level 1-8 Black magic.
 * Many spells can target multiple monsters at once, allowing you to kill them all easily instead of killing each one at a time. Most of the major bosses are weak against one or more of their spells.
 * Most of their equipment is very inexpensive.
 * Once equipped with a Cat Claw they can do quite a bit of damage.
 * Very high magic power - even higher than the White Wizard.


 * Cons:
 * They have a limited amount of weapons and armor that they can use.
 * They have lowest HP and Strength of all the classes.
 * Offensive spells have wide variability in damage. Sometimes a spell will do 150 damage to an enemy and the next time the same spell is cast against the same enemy it will only do 40 damage.


 * Upgrade:
 * Black Wizards can use all black magic.
 * Black Wizards can equip a few weapons with decent power, including the Cat Claw.


 * Changes in Dawn of Souls and Anniversary Edition:
 * Slightly stronger defense and HP, though they are still the weakest.

A very useful class, though not quite a valuable as the white wizard and Knight. They are excellent for clearing out large groups of enemies (which you will frequently encounter). Once you get the Gauntlets, anyone can "cast" Bolt2/Thundara so their usefulness in this regard is diminished. However, they still have the highest magic power and can cast some very powerful spells, including the most powerful spell, Flare. Once you get their strongest weapon they are surprisingly powerful and can kill many weaker enemies in a single hit. If you are willing to sacrifice a little offensive magic ability for more physical power (and a character that can survive repeated hits), a Red Wizard makes a suitable replacement for a Black Wizard.


 * Ideal Equipment Configuration:
 * Weapon: Cat's Claw
 * Head: Ribbon
 * Body: Black Robe (NES: Black Shirt)
 * Hand: Protect Cloak (NES: Pro Cape)
 * Arm: Protect Ring (NES: ProRing)

The Black Wizard's Cat's Claw is seemingly designed especially for him. With a limited weapons array, the Cat's Claw makes the Black Wizard formidable. However, he's physically weak enough that it wouldn't be worth tossing him the Masmune, unless you wanted to try it for fun. The Ribbon is the obvious choice for this magic user. They cannot wear helmets and they need all the physical protection they can get, especially from powerful magic. The Black Robe offers as much protection as the Ruby Armlet (NES: Gold Bracelet). However, the added benefit of being able to autocast Blizzara allows you access to the full range of elemental spells: Ice (Black Robe), Fire (Mage Staff), Lightening (Thor's Hammer, Zeus Gauntlet), Gas (Bane Sword). The Protect Cloak offers additional protection at low weight which can be beneficial against enemy attacks. This adds 8 absorb points to the Black Robe, giving you a total 32 absorb points. This doesn't match the 34 absorb points of the Diamond Armlet but it comes very close. The ProRing guards as well as any gauntlet but with the added bonus of protecting against instant Death spells and minimizing instant Death attacks (typically from the Mindflayer (NES: Sorcerer)).

Upgrading your character class
You'll need the Rat's Tail which you can find in the Citadel of Trials. Once you acquire it from the chest, you have to take it to Bahamut's Cave in the Cardia Islands, the chain of islands between the North Eastern and North Western continents.

A good source of experience points
Early on, the best way to level up is to battle the enemies at the Power peninsula near Pravoka. From Pravoka, on the world map, go a little south to find the path that goes immediately east. After a short walk you will come to a fork in the road, with the option of going north or southeast. Go north, past the dock, around the mountains, until you cannot go any further. The 2 x 2 section that makes up the edge of the peninsula has enemies from the continent across the straight. Enemies include:


 * Necrotaurs (usually in groups of 1-4)
 * Hill Gigas (usually in groups of 1-4)
 * Winter Wolves (usually in groups of 4-9)
 * Trolls (usually in groups of 2 with 1 or 2 Necrotaurs)

The Winter Wolves have fairly low HP, but can hit all of your party at once. The Necrotaurs and Trolls are much stronger, but can be killed somewhat quickly as well. The Hill Gigas are very strong, but give 800 XP a piece (not to mention 800 Gil). At low levels your party might be able to defeat one or two, but you would do well to flee from packs of four unless you are over level 10.

Before even attempting to fight in this area, you should get the Cure2 and Steel spells, and the best weapons and armor you can buy from Pravoka. Elfheim sells Mythril Swords, however they cost 4,000 Gil a piece. You should buy them as soon as you can since they make fighting a lot easier. If you have a Red Mage or Black Mage, get the Fire2 spell as well.