TheFinal Fantasyseries is renowned for the difficulty spikes it incorporates into its stories. Enemies will become more challenging the further the player progresses down their given path, but their newfound physical strength is easily dealt with if playable characters have been leveled appropriately.
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Though the strength of an enemy is relatively easy to overcome,their magical capabilitiescan often cause problems during the early stages of agame. Some enemies tend to focus largely on inflicting the party with status effects that are capable of wiping out an entire party if they begin the fight unprepared. There are many devastating status effects inFinal Fantasy, but some are more dangerous than others.
10Sleep
Sleep will likely be one ofthe first status effects encountered in anyFinal Fantasygamedue to how simple it is to counteract. Those experiencing its effects will not act in battle and will instead remain motionless while multiple “z"s drift above them.
It can be negated when the inflicted party member is struck with a physical attack, so most uses of the spell harbor little threat. It is only when faced with a foe who relies solely on magic that its true dangers are revealed. Characters struck by magic will not be awakened from their depths of slumber, so it is vital to remedy the Sleep effect during encounters such as this.
9Poison
As its name would suggest, the Poison effect damages the afflicted slowly over time. It takes away a different amount of HP depending on the entry it is featured in, but there is no use in denying the danger it poses in each of its portrayals.
IfFinal Fantasy 7’s Cloudbecomes a victim of Poison’s effects, he will take damage equivalent to 1/32 of his maximum HP per turn. This may not seem like much, but Poison works in tandem with an attacker, often leading to a party’s swift demise.
8Toad
Toad is arguably the most bizarre status effect present in theFinal Fantasyseries. When cast, it will transform those it is aimed at into a small green frog and, though it seems far less dangerous than most other effects in the series, the restrictions associated with it are more than capable of annihilating the party.
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As a frog, the afflicted’s strength is reduced to their base damage while their ability to cast magic is subsequently prohibited. The best means of nullifying the effects of Frog is to use a Maiden’s Kiss on the sufferer, but doing so will not prevent them from being inflicted with Toad shortly after remedying it.
7Stone
After participating in Operation Mi’ihen,Tidus and his companionswill journey to the Djose Temple to pray for another Aeon. Their trip is short, but the monsters blocking the way may render the journey a much more arduous one.
The Basilisk enemy found on this path will pose a great danger at this point in the story due to its ability to inflict the party with Stone, an unpredictable spell that can immobilize its target. It can also banish a character from the battle if the damage it deals is higher than a party member’s current HP.
6Berserk
The Berserk ailment can be as much of a blessing as it can be a curse depending on the situation it is used in. If cast on a magic-wielding opponent, the Berserk status will cause the inflicted to attack using only physical abilities.
While under the influence of the Berserk effect, the damage output of the character will increase. This is beneficial if the party’s heavy hitter is exposed to it, but the white mage will be rendered utterly useless if they are hit. It is a deceptively dangerous status, so curing it should be the player’s first main goal if its infliction is unwelcome. The Berserker Dressphere inFinal Fantasy X-2also allows Yuna toharness Berserk’s benefitsin combat.
5Sap
Similar to the Poison status effect, Sap can drain the HP of those it is cast on. It can lower a party member’s health much faster than what poison is capable of, making it one of the most lethal ailments to appear throughout theFinal Fantasyseries.
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Final Fantasy 12’s reveal of the Sap effect sees it dealing a staggering 10 points of damage per second. Though this may not seem like much compared to the thousands of HP Vaan and his comrades will have upon first encountering it, it can easily decimate a party if they are inflicted while their HP is low.
4Disease
Disease is one ofFinal Fantasy’s most dangerous statuses ever created. It was introduced inFinal Fantasy 9to prevent a character from gaining experience after a battle concluded, but its implementation inFinal Fantasy 12saw it posing a much deadlier threat.
Those who contract this infamous ailment will find that healing items no longer have any effect. This is because of Disease’s ability to render a character’s current HP their overall maximum. If combined with the Sap status, Disease will leave the afflicted with an incurable maximum HP of 1.
3Zombie
The battle withSeymour Flux atop Mt. Gagazetsees the first use of Zombie inFinal Fantasy 10. During the battle, Seymour will use his Lance of Atrophy ability on a single party member. The victim of his attack will begin to glow green, revealing that they are now under the influence of Zombie.
Many will disregard the florescent appearance of their party members at first, but they will quickly learn the error of doing so upon attempting to heal them. Healing items used on a character afflicted with Zombie will now do damage, makingthe Holy Water itemthe only way to neutralize its effects.
2Confuse
Confuse isn’t an overly difficult status effect to counteract, but most players will find themselves struggling to survive it during the later stages of aFinal Fantasygame. If Confused, the party member will mistake friend for foe and begin to attack their own comrades.
Like Sleep, the Confuse effect can be remedied by simply attacking the afflicted party member, but sometimes the player will be forced to do so even if they don’t want to.Inside the Omega RuinsinFinal Fantasy 10lurks the Marlboro, a frightening foe who can inflict Confuse on the entire party. The player will likely have leveled their characters in preparation for this dungeon, but, thanks to Confuse, their new strength may swiftly lead them to an untimely demise.
1Full Break
When used by Auron, the Full Break ability allows the player to diminish an enemy’s buffs. Those susceptible to it will see their Power, Armor, Mental, and Magic points all being decreased, making them much easier to defeat.
Unfortunately for the player, Auron isn’t the only character in the game capable of inflicting this effect. Many high-level enemies will feature an attack that inflicts Full Break and the only way to remedy it is to cast Dispel on the afflicted. Removing Full Break requires one to sacrifice their buffs, further highlighting how dangerous it can be.
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