Summary
- Final Fantasy 9's unique Firaga Sword allows Vivi and Steiner to combine their powers for a strong fire attack.
- Meltdown in Final Fantasy 6 deals fire and wind-based damage while ignoring enemy defenses.
- Final Fantasy 16's Ignition skill allows Clive to use powerful fire-based abilities by absorbing Eikons.
Magic has existed in the Final Fantasy franchise since it debuted in 1987 on the NES. Players could create several magic-based Jobs, like the Black Mage, and buy spells in shops. Nowadays, most skills are learned naturally through character progression, skill trees, or Job sets. One of the biggest elemental types in the series is based on fire.
Final Fantasy: 10 Best Magic Systems In The Series, Ranked
From Final Fantasy 7's materia system to Final Fantasy 16's Eikonic abilities, we've ranked the best magic systems in the series.
Fire-based attacks have come in many varieties. Some have been repeated numerous times, and others are locked into a single game. Let's go through how these fire-based spells have affected Final Fantasy games and rank them based on power. Attacks from fire-based Summons, like Ifrit, will not be counted as that would be too cheap of a ranking.
8 Firaga Sword (Final Fantasy 9)
Vivi and Steiner Team Up
Final Fantasy 9
- Released
- July 7, 2000
WHERE TO PLAY
Final Fantasy 9 has a unique combo system that exists only between two characters. Vivi is a Black Mage who can cast powerful spells, with his strongest fire-based attack being Firaga. Steiner is a knight who uses physical skills, but if Vivi is in the party, they can use Sword Magic together.
This will imbue Steiner’s sword with magic, with Firaga Sword being his strongest fire-based attack, which can be stronger than Vivi’s Firaga on its own.
7 Meltdown (Final Fantasy 6)
Wind And Fire Is A Lethal Mix
Final Fantasy 6
- Released
- October 11, 1994
WHERE TO PLAY
Meltdown exists in a few of the games, and it can switch between non-elemental, like in Final Fantasy 8, and elemental, like in Final Fantasy 6. Not only is Meltdown a fire-based attack in Final Fantasy 6, but it also does wind-based damage, and it can ignore enemy defenses.
There is a risk to using it, though, as it will attack everyone, including the allied party. However, players can equip gear to absorb the spell, making the negatives not troublesome.
6 Ignition (Final Fantasy 16)
The Power Of Phoenix
Final Fantasy 16
- Released
- June 22, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Final Fantasy 16 is a unique game, as players will primarily control Clive, who can absorb Summons called Eikons throughout the campaign. He is innately gifted with Ifrit’s powers, but he can also gain another fire-based Eikon, Phoenix.
Final Fantasy: 8 Strongest Characters Who Use Swords, Ranked
Raise your blades and guard yourselves! These Final Fantasy sword-wielders have all the skill and abilities to slice and dice through any warrior.
Players can swap between Eikons in combat, and each Eikon will give Clive a good amount of abilities. Flames of Rebirth is the best Fire skill at his disposal, which will strike an area with a pillar of fire and heal Clive in return.
5 Flare (Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy 13)
A Bright Burn On All
Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy 13
- Released
- November 21, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- OpenCritic Rating
- Weak
Like Meltdown, Flare can be fire-based or non-elemental in the series, with the latter being the norm across games like Final Fantasy 4 and Final Fantasy 6. Final Fantasy 7 is one game where Flare is a fire-based spell, but it is outplayed by Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy 13’s version.
In that game, Flare will attack all enemies for a burning amount of damage. As Lightning is by herself in the game, all types of area-effecting spells are important to clear battles quickly.
4 Hell Firaga (Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7)
Shoot Fireballs And Cause Status Effects
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7
- Released
- March 24, 2008
- ESRB
- Teen // Blood, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation Portable
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 has a cool Materia system as players can fuse the items together to craft stronger spells. Hell Firaga, which shoots three fireballs randomly at enemies or an enemy that will do a good amount of damage.
What makes it killer, though, is that Hell Firaga has status effects attached, including Poison, Silence, Stop, and Death. If players are lucky, Hell Firaga can be an instant killer, which is good for Zack, as he, too, was alone on his journey.
3 Firaga Fury (Final Fantasy 10)
Breaking The Limit
Final Fantasy 10
- Released
- December 17, 2001
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Mild Blood, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
- Platform(s)
- PS2
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
Limit Breaks vary from game to game, like in Final Fantasy 8, Irvine can use Shot. Based on the ammo given, he can shoot rapidly, and players can make it stack nicely. Fire Ammo would be his best fire-based attack, and it can be devastating.
Final Fantasy: 8 Strongest Characters Who Use Guns, Ranked
Who’s the quickest shot in the Final Fantasy Frontier? This breakdown of some of the most powerful gunslingers in the franchise will find out.
However, players can get more from Lulu in Final Fantasy 10 if they use her Overdrive. Firaga Fury will cast Firaga multiple times, depending on how good players are at timing their button prompts, but at mass output, this can hurt a lot.
2 Firaja (Final Fantasy Tactics)
Strategically Spreading Fire
Final Fantasy Tactics
- Released
- June 20, 1997
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Mild Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Square
- Genre(s)
- Tactical, RPG
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation (Original)
Firaga is typically the best fire-based spell for Black Mages in the series, but there are a few that go beyond that. Firaja is the best fire-based Black Mage spell in Final Fantasy Tactics, for example. This spell will attack a large area on the grid for a massive amount of damage.
It takes time to cast, which can be interrupted if enemies move out of the way, but that’s why it’s important to cast Haste on Black Mages in the game.
1 Flare Star (Final Fantasy 14)
The Ultimate Fire Spell
Final Fantasy 14
- Released
- August 27, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen - Language, Mild Blood, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Genre(s)
- MMORPG
- Platform(s)
- PC, macOS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X
Flare Star is in a few games, like Final Fantasy 6, as Gau can learn it from monsters. However, it pales in comparison to the power it has in Final Fantasy 14. It’s the top spell for a Black Mage, and it will primarily strike one target with concentrated damage, and then that will spread out in a radius.
It’s similar to how Firaja can spread in Final Fantasy Tactics but on a grander scale. Final Fantasy 14 has some of the strongest magic in the series, but it takes dedication with its many Jobs to master spells like Flare Star, making the effort grueling but worth it in the end.
6 Best Final Fantasy Games Not Developed By Square Enix, Ranked
Other developers outside of Square Enix have had a hand at various Final Fantasy games, and the following are some of the best examples of it.