Red MagesinFinal Fantasyis often referred to as a jack of all trades and a master of none. Their Red Mage qualities give them the ability to cast offensive Black Mage spells and defensive White Mage spells. However, their magic can never be as effective as a Black Mage or White Mage on their own. They do have the benefit of being able to equip better gear though and withstand more blows while dishing out plenty of damage themselves.
Red Mages are also not as strong as say a Warrior Job though. Characters in theFinal Fantasyseries have definitely imbued Red Mage vibes while not sticking strictly to what the Job began as in the first game. Let’s see who comes the closest and can cast multiple types of magic. They will be ranked based on who comes the closest to meeting the traditional standards of a Red Mage, but be forewarned that some of these character pitches may be out there.
Benjamin does not sound like a typical name fora JRPG hero. Maybe that’s becauseFinal Fantasy Mystic Questwas designed with Westerners more in mind. Benjamin is the only playable character in the game as his temporary comrades that come in and out of the party are controlled by an A.I. system. Benjamin can learn three types of magic: Black, White, and Wizard. He’s not the most talented mage in the game despite all of these gifts which makes him a good honorary candidate as a Red Mage.
Rydia is a strong mage inFinal Fantasy 4but only in the latter half of the game. At the start, Rydia is a child who knows basic Black and White Mage abilities including Fire and Cure. At some point, Rydia leaps into another dimension which advances her age. In this time she learns how to become a Summoner and a better Black Mage but she forgets her White Mage abilities somehow. This is why Rydia can’t rank that high as a Red Mage archetype. As a Black Mage though, she’s near the top thanks to her boosted Summoner skills.
Zack first appeared inFinal Fantasy 7but only in flashbacks.Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7is a prequel that shows his origins along with what led up to his death. He’s the only playable character in the game, so traditionally it would make sense that he would fit the every-man or Red Mage type of role.
With Materia that players can fuse, Zack can get powerful White and Black Mage abilities. These spells are strong and necessary to stay alive, especially with Cure, but Zack lacks the magical know-how to truly be a great spell caster. His sword damage is far more deadly.
Sazh is one of theparty members fromFinal Fantasy 13and he’s actually one of the first two alongside Lightning. In this game, Jobs are called Roles and they don’t follow the standard titles. For example, typical magical abilities like Fire can be cast via the Ravager Role while characters with the Medic Role equipped can cast Cure. The final sequel in this trilogy,Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy 13, goes back to more traditional titles as Lightning can become a Red Mage. That said, in terms of stats, Sazh fits the Red Mage role inFinal Fantasy 13. He’s not a gifted spell caster or damage dealer as he’s more like a middle-of-the-road party member. As a story character, Sazh is great like the heart of the group who has an adorable Chocobo chick in his afro.
Terra is the starting character inFinal Fantasy 6, a game with so large a cast that it doesn’t truly have a main character. Terra is as close as the game gets and unlike most characters in this world, she can learn magic naturally. She can learn fire-based spells like literally Fire while she can heal party members with Cure and Raise. She learns the ultimate White Mage spell, Holy, which can be devastating to the undead. Her magic stat overall is better than Celes’ and her secret ability allows Terra to sort of go Super Saiyan-like fromDragon Ball Zto take on another, more powerful form.
3Celes (Final Fantasy 6)
The Magic Knight
Terra is more magically gifted, but Celes has the better more well-rounded stats which makes her a better candidate as a Red Mage or perhaps even a Magic Knight in theFinal Fantasyuniverse. She can learn White Magic, mostly in the supportive categories like Protect and Haste.
Her Black Magic is ice-based so Blizzard is her offensive spell of choice. Unlike Terra who only learns one ultimate spell naturally, Celes can learn two: Meteor and Flare. It should also be noted that every character inFinal Fantasy 6can learn magic via Espers, but Terra and Celes are special as they are descendants of an ancient race.
Ritz is one of the key characters who gets sucked into thebook of Ivaliceat the start ofFinal Fantasy Tactics Advance. She gets lost for a bit but the main character, Marche, can eventually recruit her. Races in this game have some shared Jobs but there are a lot of exclusive ones too. For example, the bunny-like Viera are all female and they can learn Jobs like Fencer and Red Mage. Even though Ritz is a Hume, she’s an honorary Viera in terms of Job choices. She can become a great Red Mage which is fitting given that her character sprite is normally adorned in a red pallet.
Neon is fromStranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin. She will not start in the party but she will become the fourth Warrior of Light once Jack, Ash, and Jed rescue her. Jack is the hero who can unlock everyJob inStranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Originsort of a joke as he is the Jack of all trades. The other party members, controlled with A.I. in solo-player, will have limited Jobs they can select. Ash and Jed are strong party members but they can’t learn any mage-based classes. That’s why Neon will be a must to add to the party as soon as possible as she can become a Red Mage. Her other Jobs are mostly based on sword roles.
