Summary
Part of the appeal of a classicFinal Fantasygame is its cast. These characters tend to have diverse personalities, looks, and, of course, jobs. Jobs give each character a specialty and role in battle. Some of the more recognizable jobs include the warrior, the black mage, and the summoner. With such a long history,Final Fantasyhas produced jobs that are a little odd and out of place even for a fantasy world.
However, some jobs seen through the series have been simultaneously thematically or mechanically cool and, sadly, rarely used. While the last mainlineFinal Fantasygame,Final Fantasy 16, did not use the traditional party system (or, indeed, a set party at all), there will always be a newFinal Fantasygame on the horizon, and with it, the hope of returning to aclassic, party-baseddesign. Failing that, these jobs could always find a place in the omni-collage ofFinal Fantasy 14, if they haven’t been already.
The Brooding Dark Knight
First Seen In: Final Fantasy 2
Although the archetype ofthe edgy, grimdarkknight-gone-bad enjoys undying love among fantasy fans, its inclusion in theFinal Fantasyseries has been somewhat scarce considering its popularity. Dark knights tend to appear as anti-heroes or optional jobs that job-fluid characters can switch to, such as Lightning inFF13: Lightning Returnsor the Gullwing girls inFF10-2.
Dark knights sacrifice their own health to deal more damage against foes. Perhaps becauseFinal Fantasytends to portray their fantasy worlds as bright and optimistic, this type of job would seem out of place if included too often. That being said, the dark world of Final Fantasy 16, Valisthea, would probably suit it just fine.
The Nature-Communing Geomancer
First Seen In: Final Fantasy 3
The geomancer job sounds like an earth-elemental mage, but its capabilities reach far beyond simple rock and soil. Geomancershape and manipulate their terrainat zero MP cost. In other words, their abilities change depending on where they are in the natural world. This job has plenty of potential as players “unearth” their unique abilities as the party travels across different landscapes.
For example, the geomancer might whip up a dust storm out in the desert, or conjure spears of molten rock while traveling across a volcano’s rim.Final Fantasyhas always had something of an environmental message, and the geomancer would be perfect for exploring themes of natural preservation.
The Mix And Match Chemist
First Seen In: Final Fantasy Tactics
The chemist, who can combine different items together for unique effects, has only been seen in one mainlineFinal Fantasytitle,Final Fantasy 5, andTactics. However, the similarly named, similarly themed, similarly rare alchemist shares many of this job’s properties.Final Fantasy 10’s Rikku had its primary ability as her overdrive.
Implementing a chemist or alchemist sounds like a lot of work in creating combination tables. However, sincecrafting is so popular in modern RPGs, it is surprising that a job centered around collecting items and experimenting with different recipes for powerful items hasn’t seen more use. Of course, it is a learnable Disciple of the Hand job inFF14.
The Untamable Ranger (Or Beastmaster)
Granted, there are a few overlaps between the ranger job and the archer, which has enjoyed some representation, although in many cases, outside the mainline series. However, the ranger is more than a bow. Their affinity with wild pets and wilderness survival abilities, a specialty that the beastmaster job shares, are sorely missing in most of the series.
Rangers or beastmasters could mechanically behave in a similar way to summoners, bringing all thebeasties they have made friends withon their adventure to battle. Being able to tame and improve a pet or wild ally’s abilities in battle could be a fun gameplay loop by itself.
The Studious Scholar
First Seen In: Final Fantasy: Tactics
The scholar is a job focused on intellect, knowledge, and analysis. InFinal Fantasy Tactics, scholars had the unique ability to study enemy weaknesses and use area-of-effect spells to exploit them. Their ability to read and interpret battle conditions and enemy weaknesses is a job mechanic that may be niche but adds a much-needed level of strategy.
Unfortunately, scholars are often overshadowed by flashier magic users, such as summoners or black mages. Final Fantasy 14 gave this job a fresh spin by introducing it as a healing job that uses faerie companions to aid their party. While it is more of an aesthetic nod to the original job, it is still nice to see its inclusion.
The Soul-Stealing Necromancer
Last Seen In: Final Fantasy 5 Advanced
This job has probably made the most infrequent appearances in a series about light-imbued heroes battling the forces of darkness thanks to its grizzly nature. Despite being aplayable staple in many other RPGs, Necromancers are more likely to be an enemy type than a playable role. In fact, the job only appeared in the GameBoy Advanced version ofFinal Fantasy 5, and while they were set to be a job inFinal Fantasy 11’s “Treasures of Aht Urhgan” expansion, they were deemed “inappropriate” and reworked into the puppetmaster.
However, their status as inherently undead and their ability to turn living creatures is still compelling. Perhaps if the series continues its dark streak, fans will be able to control a party member with the ability to manipulate their enemy’s corpses, turning the tide of battle with a small squad of grotesque goons.
Gun Mage - Final Fantasy 10-2
Firearms And Fantasy, Together At Last!
Some combinations seem fated to be, such asthe marriage between science fiction and fantasy. It seems preposterous that an archetype that mixes the sharp fit of a gunslinger with the mystical mastery of a mage should be apart so often. OnlyFinal Fantasy 10-2demonstrated the potential of this potent pairing.
Equipping the gun mage dressphere gives its user the ability to deal extra damage to foes providing they have the right ammunition type and even learn abilities from their prey. There’s definitely some overlap here with the enemy-skill copying blue mage, but this archetype is cool enough to warrant expansion. For example, the gun mage could work similarly to the black mage job but under Vancian Magic (orD&Dspellslot) rules, meaning they can only use magic as long as they still have magical ammo).
