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.

Combat mechanics
Each character has an absorb and evade rating. Up to four pieces of armor may be equipped, each adding to the absorb rating and decreasing the evade rating. Thus higher absorb ratings are better while lower evade ratings are preferred.

The base absorb rating of a character is 0, except for unarmored monks/masters which have absorb equal to their level. A bug in the NES version causes the monk/master to have their absorb reset to the unarmored level on leveling up, until the armor page is visited again to correctly set it.

The base evade rating of all characters is 48 plus their agility rating. Every extra point of evade generally decreases the character's chance to be hit by 0.5%. The strongest monsters will have high to-hit ratings however and will rarely be dodged, so absorb is more important than evade.

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

 * Original Name: Chain Armor
 * 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

Diamond Armor

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

Dragon Mail

 * Original Name: Dragon Armor
 * 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's Armor

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

Leather Armor

 * Original Name: Wood 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

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

Copper Armlet

 * Original Name: Copper Bracelet
 * 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

 * Original Name: Opal Bracelet
 * 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

Ruby Armlet

 * Original Name: Gold Bracelet
 * 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

 * Original Name: Silver Bracelet
 * 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

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

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

Grand Helm

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

Healing Helm

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

Helmet

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

Leather Cap

 * Original Name: Cap
 * Cost: 80
 * Sell: 40
 * Defense: 1
 * Evasion: 1
 * Special: --
 * Purchase: 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

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

Diamond Gloves

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

Gauntlets

 * Original Name: Zeus Gauntlet
 * 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: Casts Saber
 * Purchase:
 * Find: Sunken Shrine
 * Users: Warrior, Knight, Ninja, Red Wizard

Leather Gloves

 * Original Name: 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

 * Original Name: Iron Gauntlet
 * 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

 * Original Name: Silver Shield
 * Cost: 2500
 * Sell: 1250
 * Defense: 8
 * Evasion: --
 * Special: --
 * Purchase: Crescent Lake
 * Find: Terra Cave, Mt. Gulg
 * Users: Warrior, Knight, Ninja

Protect Cloak

 * Original Name: ProCape
 * 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