Ninjas are at all-time high thanks to the release ofAssassin’s Creed Shadowsbut there are more examples of RPGs with them present. There are plenty of cool ninjas in theFinal Fantasyseries. The most prominent of which has to beYuffie fromFinal Fantasy 7. While she doesn’t dress like a ninja, she does have some smooth skills in battle, especially in the current remake project.
Other notable ninjas include Edge fromFinal Fantasy 4and Shadow fromFinal Fantasy 6. Besides named characters, players have been able to inhabit the roles of Ninja Jobs since the first game, and how they play changed between titles. Among the many choices out there, whatFinal Fantasygames have Ninja Jobs?
ThefirstFinal Fantasytechnically had Jobs as players could assign their four party members with the Warrior, Thief, Monk, Red Mage, Black Mage, and White Mage. Players were locked in after their picks but halfway through the game players could advance these Jobs and suddenly some weak Jobs would become incredibly powerful. The Thief could advance to the Ninja and obtain more equipment unlocks and Black Magic spells of all things. Black Magic is not a common trope for Ninja Jobs in these games which makes them one of the powerful versions in the series.
Final Fantasy 3is the first game to include a way forplayers to learn Jobsas they progressed and to switch them on the fly, unlike the first game. However, Western fans couldn’t play this 1990 NES game until 2021 via itsPixel Remasteredition but they did get to engage with the DS 3D remake in 2006. There are differences between these versions to make the Ninja stronger, or weaker. For example, in the 3D remake version, Ninjas can use Throw to toss items at enemies but lack a more diverse equipment set while the non-3D versions give the Ninja more gear to use.
Final Fantasy 5included a Job systemtoo which advanced some things from the previous iteration. Mastering Jobs can allow players to cross-class by transferring abilities around to create unique combos.
Ninjas can be obtained after the party gets to the Fire Crystal automatically in the story. Ninjas can equip a weapon in each hand without any penalties, making their physical attack power legendary and they can use the Throw command too. Dual-Wield can be transferred to other Jobs to make them just as strong.
Final Fantasy 12handles Jobs a bit differently than most games in the series as every character starts at a specific place on the License Board but can broaden their horizons as they branch out in this Chess-like skill tree. There are twelve Jobs each tied to the signs of the Zodiac and the Shikari Job, which is the Ninja and Thief combined equivalent, falls under Pisces. Vaan, who is the main character, begins in this area of the License Board, and with LP, License Points, players can gain equipment unlocks for things like Daggers, Ninja Swords, and Light Armor.
Final Fantasy 11was the first MMO in the series and with each new expansion came a new set of Jobs to master.Final Fantasy 14was the evolution of its MMO systems but players didn’t have to wait long before they could become a ninja unlikeFinal Fantasy 11which locked it behind its first expansion:Rise of Zilart. Like the originalFinal Fantasy, players had to first become a Rogue, aka the Thief equivalent, and then they could go on a side quest to unlock the Ninja Job. UnlikeNinjas in other games,Final Fantasy 14’sgave them abilities to deal with multiple enemies at once and it wasn’t just about mastering equipment.
was the first game that gave Western players access to a swappable Job system and also the first tactical RPG entry. Unlocking Jobs required leveling up one or multiple Jobs and skills could be passed between them like inFinal Fantasy 5.
Also likeFinal Fantasy 5, the biggest reason to get a Ninja was to dual-wield weapons without penalty. Unlocking the Ninja Job required progressing into the Archer, Geomancer, and Thief Jobs. Ninjas were also available in the indirect sequel that stilltook place in Ivalice,Final Fantasy Tactics Advance.
Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Lightis a weird spinoff in many ways like Jobs now being referred to as Crowns. Players could gain Crowns as they progressed in the story, and equipping them would change that character’s class. Crowns could be adorned with jewels to boost their effects in battle. Ninjas could be unlocked later in the game and they had an incredible passive ability to lessen the frequency of random battles, which other forms of the Ninja inFinal Fantasycould have used. This spinoff is largely seen by many fans as the predecessor toBravely Defaultwhich did feature Jobs.
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Originis a reboot, reimagining, and prequel to the original game all rolled into one of the easiestSoulslikes to get into for beginners. LikeFinal Fantasy Tactics, players had to level up Jobs to unlock others. A Ninja required players to advance in the Thief and Samurai Jobs which sort of made sense. Jack, the hero, could become any Job while his teammates were locked into a handful with Jed being the only other character who could become a Ninja.
