Appearing first inFinal Fantasy 6, Espers are versions ofFinal Fantasysummons that provide powerful magic to the warriors that get to slay them. They returned inFinal Fantasy 12as demigod-like beings from the extradimensional Occuria, shunned to exist in Ivalice as powerful beasts. Vaan and his companions inFinal Fantasy 12actually encounter various Espers throughout their journey, with some of them even offering their assistance to these characters.
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However, players of theFinal Fantasygame might wonder just who they should assign specific Espers to. This is especially worth contemplating since each Esper offers unique advantages to combat, adding a degree of flexibility to the game’s mechanics.
All About Espers
Before players begin tinkering with assigningEspersto characters, it’s important to understand how Espers will affect the nature of the growth of characters they’re given to. Here are some things players need to consider when dealing with Espers:
Vaan, Knight (Belias, The Gigas)
Unlocked as the party’s first Esper,Beliasis located in the Tomb of Raithwall. Acquiring Belias allows players to assign a second Job to their characters. And considering Belias’s status as the “first” Esper, it’s best to assign Belias to a party member that focuses on defending the frontlines during the early stages of the game.
This means Belias fits the likes ofVaan, who tend to gravitate towards roles that either serve as melee DPS or defenders, such as theKnight. Of all Jobs in the game, the Knight has perhaps the most straightforward builds, and Vaan’s License Boards can benefit quite a bit from Belias’s bonuses.
License Board Unlocks
Being the first Esper in the game, Belias doesn’t have great License Board unlocks, since its effects on the character’s skill sets aren’t extremely substantial. Of its available unlocks, the Potion Lore 1 (Knight) might be the most practical, considering how it can improve Potion use in the early game.
Summon Abilities
Although serving as the first Esper in the series, Belial is a potent summon once called upon. He has these abilities:
Vaan, Knight (Mateus, The Corrupt)
A story-required Esper, players can acquireMateus, The Corruptin the Stilshrine of Miriam. While its bonuses do come with a wide range of benefits, its offerings for theKnightmake it yet another viable Esper for the Job. As such, this meansVaanis a deserving recipient of Mateus’s blessings, particularly since the Knight benefits from License Board unlocks that give it access to powerful White Magicks.
Unlike Belias which is acquired early in the game, players who want to tap into Vaan’s potential as a healing Knight might want to skip Belias in favor of Mateus. That way, Vaan can maximize his potential as a tank and heal party members without relying on White Mages.
Players who want to put Mateus into a character may want to choose a martial class that doesn’t have immediate access to healing spells. This will instantly make them tougher than tanks and capable of acting as secondary healers:
When summoned, Mateus can bestow unique attacks to players that can devastate the battlefield:
Balthier, Foebreaker (Adrammelech, The Wroth)
An optional encounter,Adrammelechcan be located in the Zertinan Caverns via the Dalmasca Westersand (Galtea Downs) within the Athroza Quicksands zone. It’s recommended to avoid the Esper in The Balamka Fault, as the encounter here is with a powered-up Adrammelech. And similar to Adrammelech’s brutal combat encounter, his bonuses fit the powerfulFoebreaker, best assigned to flashyBalthier.
Thanks to Adrammelech’s License Board bonuses, Balthier as Foebreaker may benefit from Battle Lore, especially with the kinds of weapons these tend to unlock. This allows Balthier to have access to more equipment he can experiment with, especially when he’s needed on the frontlines.
While an optional Esper to fight, Adrammelech provides quite a lot of significant boosts to any Job it’s equipped to. The extra technicks provided to martial Jobs can improve their performance, while magicks provided for spellcasters can greatly improve their utility. Players should give Adrammelech to characters with more practical combat approaches:
When summoned, Adrammelech has thunderous roars that let players know of the wrath he brings with him. He has two main abilities:
Balthier, Shikari (Cúchulainn, The Impure)
After players complete Tomb of Raithwall, players can locateCúchulainnin a new area within the Garamsythe Waterway. However, this can only be unlocked via the Sluice Gate Key, acquired after the Hunts “Waterway Haunting” and “Lost in the Pudding.” Of the Jobs where he offers License Board unlocks, Cúchulainn best serves the interests of theShikari, especially with their tendencies to become mobile scouts.
Given the Shikari’s tendency to strike things at a distance with fast and loose attacks,Balthierseems like a viable Job to receive Cúchulainn’s benefits. This is especially since Protectga and Shellga allow Balthier to become a protective scout and defend allies with extra abilities in case of emergencies.
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Cúchulainn actually gives players quite the tempting License Board unlocks, with users having to choose just which unlocks would benefit their characters the most. It’s highly recommended to grab unlocks to enhance spellcaster abilities:
Cúchulainn devastates foes in combat with his two unique abilities:
Vaan, Knight (Hashmal, Bringer Of Order)
A story-related unlock, players can acquireHashmal, Bringer of Ordernear the end of Pharos, located within the Ridonara dungeon. Similar to Mateus, Hashmal can offer potent White Magicks to theKnight, making it an excellent source of some of the game’s most powerful White Magick spells. In turn, this makesVaana deserving recipient of Hashmal, provided he’s looking for a decent healing tank build.
Unfortunately, given how Hashmal is unlocked at a later part of the story, players do need to adjust to Vaan not having an assigned Esper for this particular Job. Moreover, the potential MP cost of Hashmal’s unlocks may mean Vaan has to have the right stats in order to maximize these benefits.
The License Board unlocks of Hashmal can greatly benefit martial Jobs in need of nifty healing abilities, especially since this allows them to become more potent tanks or secondary healers. Here are some things to consider when equipping Hashmal:
When summoned, Hashmal offers unique abilities to players throughout the fight:
Ashe, Black Mage (Famfrit, The Darkening Cloud)
Another story-related Esper,Famfrit, the Darkening Cloudcan be unlocked once players access the end portion of Pharos located inside Ridorana dungeon. Being one of the few Espers to actively offer HP benefits, its License Board unlocks for theBlack Magemake Famfrit a viable source of extra base HP for the vulnerable Job. GivenAsheand her affinity for casting spells, this character being the recipient of Famfrit makes sense.
Not only that, but the HP boost that Famfrit can provide for the Black Mage can make it a more combative Job unlike other spellcasters. Considering that Ashe tends to gravitate toward combat-oriented builds, she won’t suffer as many defensive detriments with high-enough HP.
Compared to other Espers, players can use a lot of nifty Time Magicks that Famfrit can unlock for them. Aside from that, there are some beneficial unlocks for other Jobs that can benefit them depending on their needs, particularly special magicks and HP bonuses:
When summoned in battle, Famfrit boasts the following abilities:
Penelo, Time Battlemage (Zalera, The Death Seraph)
Unlike other optional Espers, acquiring the opportunity to fight and obtainZalera, the Death Seraphcan be quite tricky as it can only be accessed in a Barheim Passage hidden area. This begins after completing the “Dalmasca’s Desert Bloom” hunt, going to North Bank Village, and healing “Dran?” in the hut behind Dantro’s Wife. Despite the difficulty in obtaining Zalera, the Esper’s License Board unlocks can greatly benefit theTime Battlemage.
WithPenelogravitating toward the Time Battlemage Job, the Ether Lore 3 unlocks from Zalera give Penelo quite the boost in MP restored whenever she uses Ether. Considering the flexible skillset and spell list of the Time Battlemage, the extra MP per Ether used could be very well worth the while.
The License Board unlocks for Zalera is quite tricky, as its provisions aren’t extremely mind-blowing compared to its benefits. Of its unlocks, Traveler isn’t as powerful given its step-based damage, whereas Steal isn’t extremely beneficial given its early-game acquisition. Its extra weaponry provision can be helpful, and the additional Health can benefit in the late-game as the benefits do allow HP to exceed 9999 even if the gauge cannot show it.
When summoned, Zalera boasts two extremely powerful abilities:
Ashe, Red Battlemage (Exodus, The Judge-Sal)
Although an optional Esper, players can acquireExodus, the Judge-Salafter finishing the events of Mt. Bur-Omisace and the Stilshrine of Miriam. Players need access to the Empyrean Seat within Babbling Vale, which can be done after a series of tasks in the Mosphoran Highwaste after repairing the gate to Phon Coast. Despite the long route players have to take to fight Exodus, its benefits for the likes of theRed Battlemagemake it worth the while.
WithAshegravitating towards combat magics, it makes sense for her to become a Red Battlemage. And while Red Battlemages have the ability to wear armor and use melee weapons on top of magic, their martial prowess isn’t ever going to be on par with other Jobs. With Exodus unlocking Heavy Armor 8-10, Ashe can very well be a combat magic powerhouse.
Similar to the neutral judgment of Exodus, there are a lot of neutral node unlocks that the Esper provides to Jobs. Not a lot of them are necessarily “coveted” considering how some Jobs can already make their builds more powerful with the right combination, but it’s perhaps helpful to look for ways to improve the spellcasting capabilities of martial classes or the melee capacity of spellcasters:
When summoned, Exodus can perform:
Fran, Archer (Shemhazai, The Whisperer)
Unlockable through the story mode, players can getShemhazai, the Whispereronce they finish the Great Crystal and Giruvegan story events. And while Shemhazai seems like an easy-peasy Esper to obtain, her License Board unlocks can benefit certain Jobs greatly when used correctly, particularly theArcher– a Job thatFrannaturally leans towards.
Thanks to Heavy Armor 10-12 node in the License Board, Shemhazai allows Archers to wear some of the strongest Heavy Armor in the game, permitting them to go toe-to-toe against the title’s toughest foes without worrying about their safety in melee. For gambits that rely on precision aim in critical areas, the safety net the Heavy Armor offers is something players can’t ignore.
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Unlike other Espers, Shemhazai, the Whisperer seems the most potent when equipped with either an Archer or a Red Battlemage. Aside from the benefits for these classes, Shemhazai’s unlocks can open up a lot of nifty equipables:
When summoned, Shemhazai can help players win fights with these two abilities:
Penelo, Time Battlemage (Zeromus, The Condemner)
An optional Esper encounter, players can confrontZeromus, the Condemnervia the Stone of the Condemner, obtainable via the Nu Mou Acolyte in Mt. Bur-Omisace after the events in the same area as well as the Stillshrine of Miriam. While optional, acquiring Zeromus for aTime Battlemagecan give it some of the best Technicks in the game.
WithPeneloas a Time Battlemage, players can use her to fight some of the peskiest magic-users in the game. Zeromus gives her access to both Addle and Shear, allowing her to lower an opponent’s Magick Attack and Resist respectively, leaving them open to powerful magical attacks but at the same time not giving them enough room to counter.
The Condemner has a lot of great License Board Unlocks that can condemn opponents, depending on the right use. It’s always helpful to have unlocks that boost the spellcasting capabilities of mages or nifty debuff capabilities of other classes:
When summoned, players can rely on Zeromus for its two attacks:
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Basch, Monk (Chaos, Walker Of The Wheel)
FacingChaos, Walker of the Wheelrequires quite a lot of key items before unlocking his area, the search of which begins after the Hunts “Waterway Haunting,” “Lost in the Pudding,” and “Crime and Punishment.” Players then need the Blackened Fragment, Grimy Fragment, Dull Fragment, and Moonsilver Medallion to gain access to three other medals – the Medallion of Bravery, Lore, and Lusterless Medallion – which then unlocks a new area in the Necrohol of Nabudis.
While optional, Chaos offers a lot of powerful License Board unlocks to characters it’s assigned to. This is more obvious with theMonk, befitting a more combat-oriented character likeBasch, especially considering Chaos' White Magick unlocks. Essentially, Basch as a Monk will now have a slate of protective White Magicks to ensure he stays safe in the frontlines while at the same time giving him the capabilities of protecting his team.
As appropriate with the rather difficult nature of unlocking the Chaos fight, his License Board unlocks can become extremely beneficial depending on the right assignment. Spellcasters can benefit from the extra powerful spells, while martial classes can work with the extra spellcasting capabilities provided by Chaos:
When Chaos walks the wheel, enemies run in fear. His summoning lets him do the following abilities:
Basch, Monk (Ultima, The High Seraph)
While optional in terms of encounters,Ultima, the High Seraphis probably one of thebest Espers inFinal Fantasy 12. Located near the very end of the Giruvegan area after acquiring the Treaty Blade, Ultima can be one tough cookie to crack. Regardless, getting Ultima assigned to a fast character likeBaschas aMonkcan make him easily one of the best melee DPS characters in the game.
Seemingly straightforward, Ultima gives Monk the Swiftness x2 node unlock in their License Board. Despite its simple name, Swiftness can give at least 12-percent boosts to the character’s charge meter, allowing them to perform tasks much faster compared to everyone else.
Despite the difficulty in the initial battle, Ultima has quite the efficient unlocks for certain Jobs. Swiftness is arguably one of the best passives in the game as it reduces action time by 10-percent, with Expose a close second benefit for other Jobs:
When summoned, Ultima boasts extremely powerful attacks that befit her name:
Vaan, Bushi (Zodiark, Keeper Of Precepts)
Perhaps the “ultimate” Esper,Zodiark, Keeper of Preceptsis an optional encounter unlocked after collecting ten other Espers and finishing “The Mine Flayer” Hunt. Zodiark is faced at the end of the new high-level area in Henne Mines, which can be accessed after talking to Geomancer Yugelu. It’s best that players strive to unlock Zodiark and assign him to a character likeVaanafter taking theBushirole, as this endows him with the capabilities of being one of the best melee fighters inFinal Fantasy 12.
When assigned to a Bushi, Zodiark unlocks Heavy Armor 9-11, allowing Vaan to wear the game’s strongest available armors. This allows him to persevere on the frontlines without being hindered by much threats, letting him pulverize enemies with Technicks without much trouble.
Acquiring Zodiark after a lengthy battle at the end of the dreaded Henne Mines unlocks a lot of high-end equipment to Jobs that could otherwise not easily obtain them. Outside that, acquiring Renew is probably the next best License Board unlock for classes that need the nifty healing option:
When summoned in battle, Zodiark is a menace to behold and has these abilities:
Final Fantasy 12: The Zodiac Ageis available on PC, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One.
