7 of the best black mages and spellcasters in Square Enix games
Fireballs, thunderbolts and much more: let’s celebrate the some of the best spellcasters in all of gaming!Earlier this year, we showcased some of our favorite white mages and healers in games (read that here!).
Today, let’s take a look at a role that’s a bit more… destructive.
Every RPG party needs an offensive spellcaster. The ability to pepper enemies with magic attacks is not only useful, it’s also just plain cool.
You could say the same about the ones doing the casting - whether you call them wizards, witches, or black mages, they’re some of the most memorable in their games.
Here are just seven of our favorites:
Veronica - DRAGON QUEST XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition
Veronica is a powerful mage whose temperament is as incendiary as a Frizz spell.
A run-in with the forces of darkness leaves her trapped in the body of a little girl, but thanks to the Luminary’s help, she’s able to restore her magical power. Along with her sister Serena, she accompanies the Luminary on his journey to defeat the Lord of Shadows.
And we’re glad she does. Veronica’s magical might lets her cast a wide variety of powerful spells. She can even sap an enemy’s defenses and agility!
She may not always be the politest member of the group, but she’s a welcome reminder that sometimes good things really do come in small packages.
Palom (and Porom) - FINAL FANTASY IV pixel remaster
Considering their young age, you might assume that these twins would be unable to fling a fire spell without setting their own hair alight. I mean, have you seen a six-year old try to do… anything?
Yet Palom and Porom are each intensely powerful mages in their own right. And together they’re a force to be reckoned with.
Of course, only Palom is a black mage, but to separate him from his white mage sister just felt wrong. Not only do they enhance each other’s magic, they balance each other’s personalities too.
For example, Palom may be a little kid, but has a big ego. It’s always good to have his ‘older’ sister around him to knock him down a peg when necessary. That’s what siblings are for, right?
Jack - STRANGER OF PARADISE FINAL FANTASY ORIGIN
“Hold on you confusing, yet surprisingly insightful blog monkey!” I hear you cry. “You put Jack in your list of white mages too! What gives!?”
As I said then, the protagonist of STRANGER OF PARADISE FINAL FANTASY ORIGIN is a Jack of all trades - he’s able to take on multiple jobs from the FINAL FANTASY series, including the Black Mage.
This job lets him fire off black magic spells, from Fire to devastating Firaga. In fact, when it comes to pure, unfettered destruction, Jack’s among the best. We’ve all seen a mage cast Blizzaga at a foe for massive damage, but how many can follow up by turning them into crystal and crushing them beneath their heel?
Brutal, yes, but oh-so effective.
Lulu - FINAL FANTASY X HD
Lulu may initially come across as intimidating - she’s stern, reserved and could flash-fry you with a single wiggle of a cuddly moogle. That’s if she doesn’t cut you down to size with some scathing words first.
Yet beneath that composed exterior is a kind-hearted, witty, and supportive, black mage who will stop at nothing to protect her friends. Even though she’s still recovering from personal tragedy, she steps up to guide and support Yuna during her Pilgrimage to defeat the murderously moist Sin.
She’s equally valuable in combat too. The monsters of Spira can be very tough and swords or spears won’t always cut it. Lula’s devastating magic is essential to your success - even the most armored foes don’t enjoy a lightning bolt to the face.
And she does all this while wielding some of the most adorable weapons in FINAL FANTASY history. What a class act.
Pyromancer - Outriders
Wait! Before you all rush to Twitter to tell us (I assume very politely) why Outriders are in no way mages actually, allow me to state my case.
The Pyromancer is a class in the game that has the ability to control perhaps the most traditionally wizard-friendly element of all: fire.
If you go Pyromancer, you can set foes alight, blow them up with powerful thermal explosions… even summon a literal volcano to rain hot lava down upon them.
Okay, so maybe it’s not ‘magic’ in the traditional sense, but if that’s not traditional mage schtick, I don’t know what is.
Not even remotely coincidentally, Outriders Worldslayer is out now. It’s the ultimate form of Outriders, featuring a whole new campaign (plus the original story is also included), a fascinating villain, deep new endgame content, and a host of tweaks and new systems that make your sort-of-black-mage-like powers even more… well, powerful.
Y’shtola - FINAL FANTASY XIV: Shadowbringers
Y’shtola hasn’t always walked the path of black magic - when we first meet her in FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn, she’s a healer all the way.
But during the Shadowbringers expansion, the cultured conjurer undergoes an unexpected career change and becomes a black magic-casting sorceress instead.
Whichever role she uses, Y’shtola has a curious and insightful nature, and a commitment to justice that serves her well as one of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. She’s one of the most steadfast allies to the Warrior of Light and has steered them right through many adventures.
She can hold her own in battle too, and thanks to the Trust system, which lets you play through Shadowbringers and Endwalker dungeons solo with prominent NPCs from the story instead of fellow players, you can also take advantage of her incredible destructive abilities!
Vivi - FINAL FANTASY IX
Vivi may have awesome power, but as far as we’re concerned, he’s a special treasure who must be protected.
Perhaps the feeling’s to be expected - FINAL FANTASY IX puts poor Vivi through the wringer. The lonely little mage is tricked, his search for identity leads him to an existential crisis, and even worse, he has to deal with that EXPLETIVE DELETED skipping rope.
That he’s able to emerge from his trials a stronger, more confident person is a testament to his strength of character - and his skill as a spellcaster.
In fact, Vivi is a true black mage through and through. Not only is his design a callback to the original FINAL FANTASY, his awesome of spells can devastate the many misty monsters that move against him.
This contrast between destructive power and a humble nature is just one reason Vivi’s such a fan-favorite character. He’s the little mage that could.
Those were just a few of Square Enix’s superb spellcasters, but we’re sure you have thoughts of your own.
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