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When you think about mages in video games, one of the first images that come to mind is the Black Mage of 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Final Fantasy fame. With robes, a steepled hat, and a face cloaked in darkness but for two glowing, y𒉰ellow eyes, the Black Mage has st𒊎amped a significant mark on gaming.
Black Mages have been part of Final Fantasy since the very beginning, and they're as core to the series as Chocobos, Moogles, and groups of crystals that have undue influence over the workings of the world.
What Is A Black Mage?
The exact nature of a Black Mage changes from game to game, but there is one thing that ties them all together: magic. Blac🔯k Magic is almost always associated with offensive, elemental magic, usually separated into different tiers. In many games, they can also take advantage of nasty status ailments, such as poison and petrification.
In games with a class-changing system, such as FF3 and FF5, the Black Mage will be one of the first classes unlocked. It's the most basic of spellcaster classes, giving you access to useful elemental damage and an alternative to whacking enemies over the head with a weapon. If there are no classes to experiment with, you'll often have Black Mage party members who stick to the role, such as Vivi in FF9 and Lulu in FF10.
In this way, they're great introductions to the depths of each game's individual battle systems.
In some games, Black Mages are a richer part of the world-building. Instead of merely being a class to use or a title given to a single character, Black Mages are a known entity, and Black Magic is their realm. We've detailed some of these examples below to illustrate just how Final Fantasy has used Black Mages as part of their worlds.
The Black Mages Of Final Fantasy 2 And 4
While not referred to as such in FF2, there are certain inhabitants of the town of Mysidia who greatly resemble Black Mages. They serve as shopkeepers, though they're very obviously meant to be the counterpart to the White Mages of Mysidia, who are named and seen in the form of Minwu. This establishes Black Mages as something known and named in-universe, and is something we see again in FF4.
In FF4, you can encounter some Black Mages very early in the game, in one of the basements of Baron Castle. Talking to them will let you know that Black Mages are also an established force in this world, with Baron having a dedicated Black Mage regiment. In addition to this, Black Mages are again encountered in a town with the name Mysidia - they are far more common there than in Baron, and it seems that Mysidia is where s🥂uch magicians 𝓡come from.
While multiple characters 🎃can use Black Magic in this game, only Palom refers to himself as a Black Mage specifically - Tellah is a Sage, so a master of both Black and White Magic, and Rydia is a Summoner, whose use of Summons seems to preclude her being known as a Black Mage. With Black Magic being a known elem🦩ent in this world, it appears that the title of Black Mage is a specific one.
The Black Mages Of Final Fantasy 9
Vivi Ornitier is one of the most recognizable Black Mages in the entire Final Fantasy series, thanks to his compelling storyline, adorable design, and adorable personality. As you progress through the game, you learn that Vivi, and indeed all the other Black Mages you encounter, are creations - dolls infused with magic and mist to serve as soldiers. Thanks to this, they have limited lifespans, something that those who seem to 'break their programming' as it were have to come to terms with.
These Black Mages are the creations of Kuja, the game's antagonist, who poses as an arms dealer. His ultimate plan is to stoke the flames of war, giving one side unimaginable power through the Black Mages, to cause untold death and devastation. This would serve Kuja's master, Garland, whose plan relies on the flow of souls into the Iifa Tree - for more details on this plan and the plot of FF9, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:check out this guide to the ending (but beware spoilers!).
As puppets or dolls, we see a few different varieties of Black Mage in FF9. First we have Vivi, the prototype. Thanks to his special status, he's shorter than the other Black Mages, but is capable of unbelievable power. In addition to Vivi, there are three varieties of stock Black Mage- Type A, Type B, and Type C, increasing in power respectively. These are the 'weapons' that Kuja bestows upon Queen Brahne to wage war, and those that he employs himself.
There are also three Black Waltzes, who were created by two of Kuja's lackeys, Zorn and Thorn. These are more specialized mages, and seem to be used as assassins - they each make attempts on the party's lives in an attempt to kidnap Princess Garnet. They each have special powers that no other Black Mage has:
- Black Waltz 1 can summon a gigantic sealion to do battle with him, and uses ice magic.
- Black Waltz 2 is extremely quick and can even teleport short distances, and specializes in fire magic.
- Black Waltz 3 can fly and has mastery over thunder magic.
At the end of the game, despite the apparent elimination of Kuja, Black Mages seem to be prospering, w🍷ith more being created to sustain their population.
The Black Mages Of Final Fantasy 14
In the history of Eorzea, FF14's world, Black Mages were feared for their mastery over the purely destructive power of Black Magic. The school of magic was founded by a woman called Shatotto, and her discoveries were turned into a force for war by the nation of Mhach. These wars were devastating, destroying the land itself.
After the Sixth Umbral Calamity, Black Magic seemed to be wiped out completely, but devotees of the destructive force always remained, and it is through such students that the Warrior of Light is able to unlock the powers of Black Magic themselves, and progress from being a Thaumaturge into a Black Mage proper. Black Mages remain a rarity outside of the Black Mage Job Quests, but their importance to the world's history cannot be denied.