Twenty-nine years ago, Final Fantasy V introduced the Blue Mage. And ever since then the job has been a series staple.
It focuses on learning and using enemy abilities. In the eighth installment of the Final Fantasy series, the young Balamb Garden professor Quistis Trepe takes on the role – which only makes sense given the academic nature of the job.
Quistis can learn sixteen different Blue Magic spells in all.
They’re taught to her through the corresponding items, which are gained either as enemy drops, mugging enemies, or by modding cards. It’s a fairly large list of spells – and given she can only use them as a limit break, you’ll have to select which is best from not only what you have, but what the situation calls for.
So what are the best choices?
Let’s take a look at the whole gang of blue magic in FFVIII and rank them all.
16. LV?Death
Starting the list is the most situational (and probably most rarely used) spell.
LV?Death does exactly what its name (kind of) infers:
It casts death on enemies within certain levels. What levels the spell effects depends on how much danger Quistis is.
If she’s in the yellow and everybody else is fine, the spell will go after levels with multiples of 4.
This number decreases, and the spell gets better, the lower Quistis’ HP is – and what the condition of her fellow party members are.
How to Obtain: Learn it from the Curse Spike item. The easiest and earliest way to get one is by modding the Tri-Face card.
15. Micro Missiles
Micro Missiles are a volley of small warheads that reduce enemy hit points by a fixed percentage, not unlike the Gravity spell.
The percentage of HP that the missiles take depends on how much trouble Quistis is in.
It starts at 50%, and if you’re willing to take the risk, goes all the way to 90%.
This can turn the tide of battle – especially if Quistis is having a very hard time.
How to Obtain: Missiles can be mugged from Death Claws on the Centra continent, and you get one from the second battle with BGH251F2.
14. Ultra Waves
Here’s one of the earliest Blue Magics you can learn:
Ultra Waves hits all enemies with sonic sound waves.
While it has a fairly low attack power, it does have applications for early game stuff, such as farming items, AP, or cards around Balamb Garden.
Ultra Waves gets stronger the lower Quistis’ HP is when it’s used.
How to Obtain: Caterchipillar enemies drop Spider Webs, which teach the spell. Caterchipillars can be fought all around Balamb Garden as well as in its training center.
13. Acid
Best thought of as a ‘discount Bad Breath’, Acid inflicts bad statuses on enemies.
Which statuses you get depends on how much danger Quistis is in, but most of the time it will just be poison.
Given the right dangerous circumstances, however, you can also inflict Vit 0, petrify, darkness, and silence.
How to Obtain: Mystery Fluids can be mugged from Gaylas, which can be found all over the Trabia continent. You can also mod Gayla cards for the item.
12. Laser Eye
Shooting a laser from her eyes, Quistis does magical damage to one enemy.
As simple as that.
The power of the optical beam goes up with Quistis’ danger level. For as simple as it is, Laser Eye is very utilitarian that will see a lot of use as her default Blue Magic spell.
How to Obtain: Quistis starts with this spell. No item needed!
11. Gatling Gun
Gatling Gun is one of Quistis’ few Blue Magic spells that deals physical damage.
This is useful when you come across enemies that would otherwise absorb what you throw at it, or have the audacity to cast Shell.
This is a good use of her limit break if she has a good strength stat.
How to Obtain: SAM08G enemies during the infiltration of the Missile Base on disc two have the Running Fire items, which teach the spell. Their cards can get you the item as well!
10. Electrocute
As one of Quistis’ three elemental blue spells, Electrocute attacks enemies with a high-voltage lightning-based attack.
Useful against aquatic or mechanical creatures.
It’s quite shocking if you ask me… I’m sorry.
How to Obtain: Coral Fragments teach Quistis this spell and are dropped from Creeps. Creeps are easiest to encounter in the Deling City Sewers during that whole kerfuffle at the end of disc one.
9. Aqua Breath
With Aqua Breath you get a barrage of bubbles that batters foes and deals, as expected, water damage.
As a very traditionally classic blue magic spell, Aqua Breath is exactly what it sounds like – and is perfect for dealing with fire-based enemies, or just crowds of weaker foes that need to be dispatched on the quick.
How to Obtain: Aqua Breath is learned from a Water Crystal, which is dropped by Chimeras in the desert areas on the Galbadia Continent.
8. Fire Breath
Quistis sprays fire across the battlefield, dealing – you guessed it – fire damage to all enemies.
With its electric and aquatic brethren, Quistis has access to all the elements with her Blue Magic.
This makes her limit break that much more versatile.
How to Obtain: You’ll need an Inferno Fang. You can get these from Ruby Dragons located on the Centra Continent’s mountains. Hexadragons on the Esthar Continent also drop them.
7. Raybomb
Raybomb is a big explosion that damages all enemies.
It’s the only other Blue Magic spell that deals physical damage.
Plus it’s fairly powerful by itself, and only gets more dangerous as Quistis’ HP gets lower.
Raybomb is a great way to sweep through crowds of enemies – especially those that would otherwise resist her magical attacks.
How to Obtain: You’ll have to find a Power Generator. These are very rare. Most players will get theirs by opening all the trap doors during the second Laguna dream and then later collecting it as Squall. The only other way is to mug them from Blitz enemies on the Esthar Continent, but only at level 30 or above.
6. Bad Breath
If you’ve played any substantial amount of the Final Fantasy series, then Bad Breath should be plenty familiar to you.
It’s a noxious cloud that’s usually exhaled by Malboros and inflicts just about every non-lethal status effect there is.
In Final Fantasy VIII, Quistis can learn this ability to give her enemies all those bad statuses.
You wouldn’t expect her to have such terrible halitosis, but here we are.
How to Obtain: Quistis will need to eat a Malboro Tentacle. You can get one through Card Modding, or by mugging Malboros either on the Esthar Continent or either the Island Closest to Heaven or Hell.
5. Homing Laser
Sometimes all you need is something straightforward and simple.
That’s what Homing Laser is: a simple yet amazingly effective laser beam that does large amounts of damage to a single target.
Until you get the later high-end Blue Magic spells, this should be your go-to for when Quistis needs to do damage with her limit break.
How to Obtain: Understandably, you’ll need a Laser Cannon. The easiest way to get it is simply by beating the story-required boss Mobile Type 8. But if you want it earlier you can get it as a rare drop from level 30+ Belhelmel enemies all over Galbadia Continent.
4. White Wind
Ah yes, another Final Fantasy Blue Magic staple.
White Wind is a healing spell that restores HP.
The amount it restores is the difference between Quistis’ max HP, and whatever her current HP is at the time of casting.
It’s a little situational to use, but if Quistis has more HP than her friends it can be used to get everybody back on their feet.
How to Obtain: The Whisper item teaches this spell. Adamantoises all over the Galbadia Continent have them as muggable items. Get one, and that Whisper will tell Quistis all about White Wind.
3. Degenerator
As the best Blue Magic spell for getting through random battles, Degenerator instantly defeats all minor-leaguers(that means no bosses or special enemies such as PuPu or Cactuars).
It’s great for just getting yourself out of a random fight when you’re trying to get where you’re going.
Or to just feel awesome about yourself.
It’s also really helpful when farming the bad guys for items or AP.
How to Obtain: You learn Degenerator from the Black Hole item. You can really only get this through Card Modding, specifically Gesper and Diabolos cards.
2. Mighty Guard
This is the quintessential protective magic spell for blue mages.
Mighty Guard applies a variety of good magic buffs onto the party. Which spells are cast depends on how much danger Quistis is in, but even a well-to-do Mighty Guard gives the party Protect and Shell, which is very useful.
At its best, Mighty Guard can give you just about every magical buff you can get – from Haste and Protect all the way to Aura.
How to Obtain: Defeat a Behemoth on the Esthar Continent and make it drop a Barrier item. Barrier will teach Quistis Mighty Guard.
1. Shockwave Pulsar
Shockwave Pulsar is one of the very few attacks in the game that can break the damage cap.
Big, flashy, and super high impact to all enemies, casting Shockwave Pulsar while Quistis is in extreme danger can do well over 10,000 points of damage.
Seeing that much damage all at once in 1999 was amazing.
And you know what? It still is.
How to Obtain: You’ll need an elusive Dark Matter to learn this spell. 100 Curse Spikes turns into a single Dark Matter, and only a level 100 Siren can do it with her Tool-RF ability. Curse Spikes come from Tri-Face enemies and their respective cards.
Brian knows more about RPGs than he does world history. Combine with his love of writing and you get somebody who can, and will, go on forever about every nuance of every game he's played.
