Final Fantasy Character Jobs - History and Development

History and Development

1. In Final Fantasy, the player allocates permanent class selections to the four playable characters at the beginning of the game. Each of the six starting classes can be upgraded to a corresponding advanced class midway through the game.
2. Characters in Final Fantasy II are molded according to their performance in battle. However, while jobs are not part of the game mechanics, they are part of the setting; the playable characters include a White Mage, a Dragoon and a Dark Knight, and the town of Mysidia is populated mostly by Black and White Mages.
3. Final Fantasy III changed the formula by allowing the player to change a character's class, as well as acquire new and advanced classes.
4. Final Fantasy IV introduced characters already locked into a class; abilities related to the character's class are learned as the character gains experience points.
5. Final Fantasy V returned to the system used in Final Fantasy III, allowing players to change a character's classand acquire new and advanced classes. Furthermore, FInal Fantasy V added ability slots, allowing a character with one class to use abilities learned with another quest.
6. In Final Fantasy VI, each playable character has a locked class from the beginning of the game, and a signature command, such as Dance, Lore or Mimic. However, the magicite system lets every character learn almost every magic and summoning spells.
7. In Final Fantasy VII, characters were designed around traditional classes which affect base stats, stat growth and weapon type of the character (ex: Tifa was designed around the Monk class, giving here strong physical stats, low hp growth and hand to hand weapons). Due to the materia system letting the player assign any magic or special command (ex: Steal, Mimic) to any character, they can all be customised to play the same in battle; nevertheless, each character is differentiated by their stats and unique limit breaks.
8. Final Fantasy VIII adopted the same system as Final Fantasy VII.
9. In Final Fantasy IX, characters have predetermined "dormant abilities" similar to Final Fantasy IV; however, the characters in Final Fantasy IX learn abilities by wearing equipment instead of gaining levels.
10. Final Fantasy X introduced the sphere grid; characters began at certain areas of the grid, which represent traditional character classes by their statistical bonuses and abilities. Character classes were re-introduced in Final Fantasy X-2 as "dresspheres"; these classes are gradually acquired and can be changed at any point, including battle mode.
11. The classes that appeared in Final Fantasy XI, the first MMORPG title in the series, have certain unique implementations that more closely follow MMORPG convention. Notably, in Final Fantasy XI a player can equip a secondary job, called a "subjob", and have half the abilities of that class. Extensive backstories are often given to the games' job classes to add to the setting's lore.
12. In Final Fantasy XII, abilities are unlocked through the License Board system, which allows the player can mold characters into anything, without restriction of traditional classes. However, in the game's international version and in Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings, the growth system is modified to have more clearly defined classes.
13. In Final Fantasy XIII, characters can switch class mid-battle and in the field, utilizing the Paradigm system.
14. In Final Fantasy XIV, player classes vary by what weapon they are wielding (i.e. wielding a sword turns that player into a Gladiator, while wielding knuckles turns the player into a Pugilist etc.). Additionally, abilities learned from other classes may be junctioned onto the player's current class (i.e. a Pugilist may use Red Lotus from the Gladiator class)
15. In Final Fantasy Tactics and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, classes are chosen by the player from one of several starting classes; however, characters must meet prerequisites before changing classes.
16. In Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light all characters can use any piece of equipment or magic spell available at one point in time. However, equipping a different crown alters a character's battle performance to a certain extent, raising the power of some weapons, spells and abilities and decreasing those of others, as well as providing special abilities unique to that crown, so the concept of classes can still be used in this case.

Many Final Fantasy installments deviate from the class system by allowing flexibility in character growth, or featuring pre-determined jobs. In Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy VII, and Final Fantasy VIII, for example, characters begin with equipment and attack proficiencies similar to character classes, but the player can allocate magic and statistical bonuses. Final Fantasy character classes have also made cameo appearances as hidden players in Mario Hoops 3-on-3, Mario Sports Mix and as enemies in Kingdom Hearts II.