Up against a hardcore boss and running low on hi-potions? Limit breaks in Final Fantasy are super attacks that usually trigger when a character has taken significant damage, filled a special gauge, or met specific conditions. They are as intrinsic to characters as their job, impossible hairstyle, or back story, and on top of that, tend to be among their most stylish moves.
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Everyone has their breaking point, whether that's running low on potions during a boss fight or being ambushed for the fifth consecutive time by one of Final Fantasy's most annoying enemies. But limit breaks help to relieve the tension of a fight, reflect the party's emotional state, or deliver a satisfying, cinematic finishing move.
7 Desperation Attack - Final Fantasy 6
A (Proto) Limit Break System With Some Interesting Ideas
Final Fantasy 6
- Released
- October 11, 1994
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Fantasy Violence, Partial Nudity
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Final Fantasy 6 introduced the concept of limit breaks, albeit in a different state than they would come to be known. Desperation attacks have a small (6.25%) chance to occur when a character's hit points drop below 1/8ths of their maximum, so long as the battle has raged on for more than 26 seconds. This special attack can only be used once per battle, and the player has no control over whether it will trigger in place or a regular attack or not.
Despite this unpredictability, desperation attacks are incredibly powerful as they bypass an enemy's armor and have a chance to kill an enemy instantly. Desperation attacks are significantly less flashy than later iterations, but still potentially lead to some epic "snatching victory from the jaws of defeat" moments.
6 Trance - Final Fantasy 9
A Super Cool Concept With A Highly Flawed Implementation
Final Fantasy 9
- Released
- July 7, 2000
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Violence, Mild Language
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
The Limit Break system in Final Fantasy 9, known as "trance," has plenty going for it, but it comes with a fatal flaw that drops it down in the ranking for most fans. Tranced characters gain a flashy aura around them, granting them heightened stats and special abilities that can devastate enemies.
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The mechanic is even integrated into the story. Major bosses turn up the threat level when they discover that their emotions are the key to unlocking this greater power, or when party members are blocked from using it due to emotional blunting. The core problem with trance is that, once its meter is filled, it triggers whether it would be useful or not, leaving players feeling annoyed that it triggered in a random battle and not when it needs to during an important fight.
5 Full ATB Attacks - Final Fantasy 13
Pulling Off An All-Out Attack At An Opportune Moment
Final Fantasy 13
- Released
- March 9, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
If nothing else, Final Fantasy 13 has style, and this is reflected in its limit break system, where each character can pull off their own unique "Full ATB Skills" (named after Active Time Battle) by spending all of their action points at once. Characters are not required to be at low health or the victim of a flurry of blows, but they might be considered final stand actions in some situations.
Full ATB attacks are unlocked after a certain story step and come with character-specific and highly stylish animations. Their most effective usage is when an enemy is staggered. They are an interesting twist that puts control firmly in the player's hands and makes an all-out attack feel like a risky draw outside the right moment.
4 Quickening - Final Fantasy 12
Chaining Devastating Attacks for Maximum Carnage
Final Fantasy 12
- Released
- October 31, 2006
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Alcohol Reference, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Partial Nudity, Suggestive Themes
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
Like its approach to the series' classic combat system, Final Fantasy 12 took a unique spin on limit breaks by introducing Quickenings, a system that allows characters to unleash deadly "Concurrences." Unlike traditional limit breaks triggered by damage or desperation, Quickenings require stored "Mist Charges" and involve a mini-game of chaining attacks together in rapid succession.
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The strategic layering of Quickenings can lead to absurdly powerful combos culminating in massive finishing moves like Tornado or Inferno that can wipe out even the game's toughest marks. However, missing a chain opportunity can cut a Quickening short, adding a high-risk, high-reward dynamic to an otherwise (arguably) overcalculated battle system.
3 Limit Break - Final Fantasy 7
The Classic System That Redefined ATB Combat
Final Fantasy 7
- Released
- January 31, 1997
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Fantasy Violence, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes
- Genre(s)
- RPG
This is the system that made Limit Breaks famous and coined the name of the mechanic. In Final Fantasy 7, a character’s Limit gauge fills as they take damage, eventually allowing them to unleash devastating and iconic special attacks. Each character will have a full roster of Limit Breaks by the end of the game, provided players have unlocked stronger versions by using their Limit Breaks or defeating enemies a certain number of times.
The ultimate, fourth-level limit breaks are unlocked by finding manuals throughout the game. Besides Tifa's punch-up slot machine and Vincent's monster transformations, Final Fantasy 7's Limit Break system is basic, clean, and simple, which could be a good or bad thing depending on the player. Regardless, it still stands as one of the best. The Remake also did a great job in transferring the ATB system into the real-time hybrid system, and of course, added spectacular animations for each.
2 Limit Break - Final Fantasy 8
Much More Than Just A Stylish Upgrade
Final Fantasy 8
- Released
- February 11, 1999
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
On the surface, the limit break system in Final Fantasy 8 seems like a simple upgrade from its predecessor, but there is actually a lot more going on under the hood than players might expect. Limit Breaks become available when the player drops below 25% of their maximum health, but the chance of gaining a limit break ability is also determined by a hidden and nuanced "Crisis Level" stat that checks for defeated or condition-afflicted party members.
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The Crisis Level also determines which limit break ability the party member will use, if they choose to use it. Almost every party member has a unique limit break mechanic that requires timing (Squall's Renzokuken, Selphie's Slots), button input memorization (Zell's Duel combos), or extra-curricular field studies (Quistis' blue mage monster abilities), which makes battles more frenetic and active. While the junction system leaves each party member something of a blank slate, their limit breaks are an outstanding feature that gives each character bundles of personality.
1 Overdrive - Final Fantasy 10
Personalized, Strategic, and Deeply Satisfying Power Moves
Final Fantasy 10
- Released
- December 17, 2001
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Mild Blood, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
Final Fantasy 10's Overdrive system is one of the series' most versatile takes on Limit Breaks. Each character can charge their Overdrive meter in different ways, not just by taking damage, but also by dealing damage, defeating enemies, or helping allies. Either way, the player has control over how to build it up and how to release it.
Executing Overdrives often involves mini-games or timing-based inputs, making them feel more personal and interactive, but without too much waiting through animations. Pulling off a perfect Overdrive at the right moment is incredibly satisfying (and sometimes necessary to survive FF10's toughest bosses), striking the right balance between depth and simplicity.
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