Final Fantasy Compendium

Black Mage

Appearances: FF1, FF3, FF4, FF5, FF8, FF9, FF10, FFX-2, FF11, FF12RW, FFT, FFTA, FFTA2
Aliases: Black Wizard, Warlock, Wizard

Black Mages are one of the most frequently appearing job classes, right up there with its opposite - White Mage. Black Mages have the ability to cast Black Magic, which is defined as magic intended to harm or enfeeble the target. They wear long robes with pointy wizard hats, which cloud their faces in darkness save for a pair of yellow eyes (ooh, scary). They tend to be the most powerful in magic power, but less in magic defense, when compared to the White Mage. And like all mages, they have very little attack power.

Similar Job Classes: White Mage, Red Mage, Blue Mage, Dark Knight

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FF1
NAME: Black Mage
OVERVIEW: Evolves into Black Wizard, allowing more use of weapons, armor, and greater access to spells.
WEAPONS: Masamune, Large Dagger, Silver Knife, Small Dagger, Mage Staff, Power Staff, Wooden Staff
ATTRIBUTES: High MP, high magic power, low HP, low strength, low physical defense, high magic defense, low accuracy
MAGIC:
Black Magic: Fire, Lock, Slep, Lit, Dark, Slow, Tmpr, Ice, Fir2, Hold, Lok2, Lit2, Conf, Fast, Slp2, Ice2, Bane, Fir3, Slo2, Lit3, Qake, Stun, Rub, Ice3, Blnd

FF1
NAME: Black Wizard
OVERVIEW: Evolved from Black Mage. Allows greater use of weapons, armor, and access to all Black Magic spells.
WEAPONS: Masamune, Cat Claw, Large Dagger, Silver Knife, Small Dagger, Mage Staff, Power Staff, Wizard Staff, Wooden Staff
ATTRIBUTES: Low strength, low agility, high magic
MAGIC:
Black Magic: Fire, Lock, Slep, Lit, Dark, Slow, Tmpr, Ice, Fir2, Hold, Lok2, Lit2, Conf, Fast, Slp2, Ice2, Fir3, Slo2, Bane, Warp, Lit3, Qakem Stun, Rub, Blnd, Brak, Sabr, Ice3, Zap!, XXXX, Stop, Nuke

FF3
NAME: Black Wizard (FF3) / Black Mage (FF3DS)
OVERVIEW: Evolves into Warlock.
WEAPONS: Knife, Dagger, Mithril Knife, Mithril Rod, Ice Rod, Fire Rod, Light Rod
ABILITIES/MAGIC:
  • Fight - Attack with equipped weapon
  • Magic - Cast magic spell
  • Run - Run away from battle
  • Item - Use an item from inventory
  • ATTRIBUTES: High magic, low magic defense

    FF3
    NAME: Warlock (FF3) / Magus (FF3DS)
    OVERVIEW: Evolved from Black Wizard. Remarkably, the Warlock can equip fewer weapons total, but has access to the Ultimate Rod.
    WEAPONS: Mithril Rod, Ice Rod, Fire Rod, Light Rod, Ultimate Rod
    ABILITIES/MAGIC:
  • Fight - Attack with equipped weapon
  • Magic - Cast magic spell
  • Run - Run away from battle
  • Item - Use an item from inventory
  • ATTRIBUTES: High magic, high HP, low strength

    FF4
    NAME: Rydia
    OVERVIEW: Rydia is technically a Caller. She is a Red Mage when she is a child, as she can also cast Cure, Sight, and Hold which are White Magic spells.
    WEAPONS: Uses staffs and rods best
    ABILITIES/MAGIC:
  • Call - Summon a monster to deliver a massive attack
  • Black - Cast Black Magic
  • ATTRIBUTES: High magic, low strength

    FF4
    NAME: Palom
    OVERVIEW: Palom is a pure Black Mage (as opposed to Rydia), and can combine with Porom to unleash Comet.
    WEAPONS: Uses staffs and rods best
    ABILITIES/MAGIC:
  • Bluff/Boast - Increase magic power
  • Twin - Team with Porom to perform a special magic attack
  • Black - Cast Black Magic
  • ATTRIBUTES: High black magic, low strength, low HP, low speed

    FF5

    NAME: Black Mage
    OVERVIEW: Black Mages learn all the spells of a certain level once they have enough AP.
    WEAPONS: Knives, Rods
    ABILITIES/MAGIC:
  • !Black - Cast Black Magic (default)
  • MP+30% - Increase max MP by 30%
  • ATTRIBUTES: High magic, low strength

    FF8
    NAME: Rinoa Heartilly
    OVERVIEW: Though she does not equip rods, her limit involves casting powerful Black Magic at the enemy. Rinoa's other limit break involves training her dog Angelo to attack, find items, revive, etc. which has earmarks of a Trainer.
    WEAPONS: Blaster Edge
    LIMIT:
  • Angel Wing - Rinoa becomes uncontrollable, and casts only magic which harms or enfeebles the enemy at five times normal magic power
  • ATTRIBUTES: High HP, high strength, high magic power, high magic defense

    FF9
    NAME: Vivi Orunitia
    OVERVIEW: Vivi is the only character that can use Black Magic, and can also Focus to increase his power. There are other black mages in the game as enemies; they are variations on the same costume and powers.
    WEAPONS: Staffs
    ABILITIES/MAGIC:
  • Focus - Increase magic power
  • Black Magic - Cast Black Magic
    Trance:
  • Double Black - Cast two spells in the same turn when in Trance mode
  • SUPPORT ABILITIES (character specific): Reflectx2, Mag Elem Null, Return Magic, Half MP
    ATTRIBUTES: High magic power, low speed, low strength

    FF10
    NAME: Lulu
    OVERVIEW: Lulu uses dolls instead of Rods or Staffs. Lulu's Sphere Grid path leads her to learn most Black Magic, except Ultima. Ultima is centered at the sphere grid, so anyone really has an equal chance to learn it first.
    WEAPONS: Dolls
    ABILITIES/SKILLS:
  • Black Magic - Cast Black Magic
  • Focus - Increase party's magic power and magic defense
  • Reflex - Increase party's evasion
  • Doublecast - Cast two spells in the same turn
    Overdrive:
  • Fury - Build up power to cast several of the same spell at random enemies
  • ATTRIBUTES: High magic, high magic defense, low speed, low strength

    FFX-2
    NAME: Black Mage
    OVERVIEW: This Black Mage is almost exactly like Lulu from FF10, but can also absorb MP.
    WEAPONS: Staff
    ABILITIES/MAGIC:
  • Focus - Increase magic power
  • MP Absorb - Absorb MP from an enemy
  • Black Magic - Cast Black Magic
  • SUPPORT ABILITIES: Black Magic Lv.2 (decrease wait time for spell by 30%), Black Magic Lv.3 (decrease wait time for spell by 50%)
    ATTRIBUTES:

    FF11
    NAME: Black Mage
    OVERVIEW: These Black Mages have more abilities to increase their accuracy, mana recovery, and other self-improving features.
    WEAPONS: Uses Staffs and Clubs best
    ABILTIIES/MAGIC:
  • Manafont - Eliminates MP cost of spells
  • Elemental Seal - Enhances accuracy of next spell
  • Black Magic - Cast Black Magic
  • SUPPORT ABILITIES: Magic Attack Up, Clear Mind (increases MP regained when resting), Conserve MP
    ATTRIBUTES: High magic power, low physical defense

    FF12RW
    NAME: Black Mage / Wizard / Kytes
    OVERVIEW: Only enemy moogles can be black mages, but Kyes holds his own as well.
    WEAPONS: Rods
    ABILITIES/MAGIC (Black Mage/Wizard):
  • Fire, Blizzard, Thunder, Stone, Firaga
  • Slowga, Hastega, Regenga, Stopga, Comet (Black Mage only)
  • Blizzaga, Thundaga, Stonega (Wizard only)
    ABILITIES/MAGIC (Kytes):
  • Fire, Blizzard, Thunder, Stone, Firaga, Blizzaga, Thundaga, Stonega, Bio, Charge, Flare

  • FF: Tactics
    NAME: Black Mage/Wizard (PSX)
    OVERVIEW: This Wizard uses spells of Fire, Lightning, and Ice, and a few status spells.
    WEAPONS: Rod
    ABILITIES/MAGIC:
    Black Magicks/Black Magic (PSX): Fire, Fira/Fire2 (PSX), Firaga/Fire3 (PSX), Firaja/Fire4 (PSX), Thunder/Bolt (PSX), Thundara/Bolt2 (PSX), Thundaga/Bolt3 (PSX), Thundaja/Bolt4 (PSX), Blizzard/Ice (PSX), Blizzara/Ice2 (PSX), Blizzaga/Ice3 (PSX), Blizzaja/Ice4 (PSX), Poison, Toad/Frog (PSX), Death, Flare
    Reaction Ability: Counter Magic - Counter magic attack with same spell
    Support Abilities: Arcane Strength/Magic Attack Up (PSX)
    Move Abilities: None
    ATTRIBUTES: High MP, high magic power, low evasion, low attack power

    FF: Tactics Advance
    NAME: Black Mage
    OVERVIEW: These are very similar to FFT Wizards, but only have only Fire, Lightning, and Ice spells.
    WEAPONS: Rod
    ABILITIES/MAGIC:
    Black Magic: Fire, Fira, Firaga, Blizzard, Blizzara, Blizzaga, Thunder, Thundara, Thundaga
    Reaction Abilities: Return Magic - Counter magic attack with same spell
    Support Abilities: Geomancy - Lower RES of elements by 1
    Combo: Black Combo
    ATTRIBUTES: High MP, low HP, low attack power

    FF: Tactics A2
    NAME: Black Mage
    OVERVIEW: Identical to FFTA Black Mages.
    WEAPONS: Rods
    ABILITIES/MAGIC:
    Black Magick: Fire, Fira, Firaga, Blizzard, Blizzara, Blizzaga, Thunder, Thundara, Thundaga
    Reaction Abilities: Magick Counter
    Support Abilities: Geomancy

    Traits of Black Mage in Other Games

    FF6: All characters can learn any type of Black Magic by equipping Espers and earning AP.
    FF7: All characters can learn any type of Black Magic by equipping Materia and earning AP to increase its power.
    FF8: All characters can learn any type of Black Magic by drawing it from enemies or geographical points.
    FFX-2: Several Garment Grids allow using Black Magic without needing to earn AP to learn it.


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