Summary
Most jobs introduced in theFinal Fantasyfranchise have an immediate romantic or even archetypal appeal and have since become celebrated mainstays. The series has never shied away from experimentation, allowing the developers at Square Enix to pull from unusual inspirations or their own creative imaginations, leading to some fan favorites such asthe iconic black mageor the high-jumping, lance-wielding dragoon.
However, some of these designs led to what some might consider “quirky” or “questionable” jobs with varying levels of popularity. These highly specialized and experimental roles often have niche utilities, unusual mechanics, and obscure origins that add a certain kind of flavor (often with an acquired taste) to each adventure. While they may not be the ultimate crowd-pleasers, some of these odd jobs might be somebody’s fantasy.
On the face of it, the idea of aFinal Fantasyprotagonist dressing in stripes and painting their face with clown makeup is rather silly, but a possible explanation as to why theMimenever saw much of a return followingFinal Fantasy 5andFinal Fantasy 6is because this job is actually game-breakingly powerful in the right white-gloved hands. Although they are depicted as being eccentric, mimes aren’t known for playing around.
With theirability to copy the last moveof any party member (at no cost), Mimes can dominate fights, provided that they are in the right company. Additionally, the Mime can use any non-equipment-related ability as long as it has already been learned. The Mime is one of the last obtainable jobs inFinal Fantasy 5, which seems reasonable given its extraordinary power.
An orator is a person who is highly trained in the art of conversation, which might sound a little out of place in a game about whacking fantasy monsters with swords, spears, and magic spells. But with its ability to inflict berserker status effects with an insult, stall attacks by holding a dialogue, and even convince enemies to switch sides, theOrator(or theMediatorin the PlayStation version ofFinal Fantasy Tactics) might be the only example of a job that offers the player aviable speech buildin theFinal Fantasyseries. Sadly, the Orator can only be effectively deployed in a limited number of situations.
Still, in those rare moments, the Orator can completely turn fights around without having to draw a single sword (although they are known for carrying guns). Another strange job from the excellent spin-offTacticsline is the calculator, another magic user who bends math and multiplications to shrink spell costs (just as a clever tax accountant will use creative crunching to make sizable assets invisible). Provided the player has a head for numbers, this other high-school-class-themed magician can be extremely powerful.
TheScribeis unusual mainly because its name doesn’t seem to describe the job accurately in any way. InFinal Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light, jobs are equipped or swapped using crowns. The Scribe’s crown resembles a stopwatch, which is thematically appropriate as the Scribe’s abilities all involve time in some way. Its “Wireless” and “Time” spells deal damage depending on how many minutes or hours the player has racked up in either multiplayer or the main game.
“Crown” heals party members for different amounts depending on how many jobs they have maxed out, and “Completion” boosts stats according to the player’s progress inThe 4 Heroes of Light. The Scribe is never seen writing anything down or even holding a quill, leaving some fans wondering why the job was not instead called"the Timekeeper" or “Chronomancer,“especially considering that (amongst other strange jobs) the game has a “Storyteller” crown.
TheOnion Knightis the first job that players encounter in the originalFinal Fantasy 3, and it can be considered synonymous with a blank-slate “freelancer.” The Freelancer replaced it as the default job in the 3D remake, with the Onion Knight returning as a secret unlockable (before the closure of the 3DS’s Wi-Fi Connection service). While the Onion Knight can hardly be recommended as a viable playstyle, given its meager stats for most of its lifespan, characters with this job post-level 90 gain incredible stats and can use just about every weapon or armor item in the game.
Besides that end-game boon, having this job equipped is akin to having no job at all. ThisweirdFinal Fantasy curiositymay have come from a Japanese phrase referring to a life of poverty: “Peeling away a layer one after the other and crying after each.” Anyone who has ever worked a real-life job with inadequate compensation might know how it feels to have to eat their savings to survive before they can find a more prosperous livelihood, and while an arduous life of struggle might ultimately make someone stronger, they’ll just as likely come out the other end smelling like an old barrel of onions.
This art-based specialization has the ability to “copy” an enemy with her magic and use one of the monster’s attacks. If that seems familiar, that’s because thePictomancerinFinal Fantasy 6is basically a haphazard hybrid between theBlue Mage, the monster-move copying Magician, and the Mime. Despite being one of the final unlockable characters inFinal Fantasy 6, Relm the Pictomancer never becomes useful until the player finds a “fake mustache.” With it, she can control monsters.
It’s unclear why a fake mustache allows her to do this, but a little mystery is all part of the magic.Interestingly, this job made a return after a long time in art school hibernation.Final Fantasy 14’s Pictomancer, added with theDawntrailexpansion, is supposedly a hybrid of the Black Mage and Summoner jobs; a ranged caster that uses a giant novelty paintbrush and palette in combat that can paint windows into other places and sketch weapons to buff their allies.
1Festivalist - Final Fantasy 10-2
A Dressed-Down And Fun Approach To Life-Or-Death Fantasy Fighting
Final Fantasy 10-2replaces static jobs with dress spheres, allowing characters to change their job (andtheir already-questionable attire) on the fly. Depending on who has it equipped, the Gullwing girls will have different abilities when using theFestivalistdress sphere. Rikku casts random elemental magic (depending on the outcome of a goldfish game), Paine uses a variety of theatrical masks to inflict conditions, and Yuna casts any spell (from “Scan” to “Ultima”) depending on where her sandal lands on the ground.
While there is always a chance of striking it big and dealing vast amounts of damage, the Festivalist is better suited as a short diversion rather than a serious choice for battle. Fans of theFFfranchise outside of Japan only got to see the Festivalist with the HD release ofFinal Fantasy10and10-2. This job probably makes more sense within the context of Japanese culture, but as a quick primer, this kind of outfit is designed for hot summer festivals or hot spring outings.
