| For other uses, see Magic (disambiguation). |
Magic (まほう Mahou) is a type of skill that appears throughout the Kingdom Hearts series.
Magic can be either offensive or supportive, and it differs from weapon skills in that its usage is generally limited by some factor, such as the player's current MP, and that its potency is determined by the Magic stat (maximum MP in Kingdom Hearts). In Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts II, and Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, offensive magic is the only way to inflict elemental damage. Additionally, many types of magic inflict status effects on enemies.
Party members who specialize in magic include Donald Duck, Jack Skellington, and Zexion.
Magical power is associated with wisdom, as indicated by the descriptions of the Dream Rod and Struggle Wand, as well as Wisdom Form. It is also associated with the color blue, the color of the MP gauges appearing in Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II, the color of magic cards in Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories, and the signature color of Wisdom Form. In the menus, magic is represented by a symbol of Donald's mage hat.
In Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II, choosing the Dream Rod in the Dive to the Heart grants greater magic-casting ability upon leveling up earlier in-game. Magic-focused play styles are considered to be among the more difficult to use, owing largely to the care that must be taken of elemental effects, as some enemies may either be immune to and/or healed by certain elements, as well as the limitation of a finite amount of MP which must be carefully managed, with the assistance of restorative items and abilities such as MP Haste and MP Rage.
Usage
Many individuals in the Kingdom Hearts universe are capable of using magic. All wielders of the Keyblade are capable of learning magic, and magic of the Keyblade itself is capable of great feats, being able to lock a world's Keyhole, open gates, and transform into different forms. Some specialize in the use of magic, such as Donald Duck, Merlin, and Yen Sid. Those that are adept at magic can use it in a wide variety of uses outside of combat, such as transformations, transportation between worlds, realms, or even time periods, or casting enchantments or curses. Like many techniques, spells are often accompanied by an invocation, such as "Light!" when casting a Holy spell.
Mechanics
Kingdom Hearts
There are seven types of basic magic that become available throughout Kingdom Hearts, which are upgraded upon reaching certain milestones, up to maximum of three tiers. They are accessible from the Command Menu under "Magic", and three of them can be set to shortcuts at a time for easy access during battle.
Casting magic costs MP, which can be recovered by collecting MP Orbs, attacking enemies, using restorative items such as Ethers, or by touching a Save Point. Some party members' abilities can also restore MP. The length of the MP gauge determines how effective magic casts are, and as basic magic gets upgraded to higher tiers, it will become even more powerful.
In Kingdom Hearts, summoning is categorized as magic.
Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories
Magic cards represent the types of magic that appeared in Kingdom Hearts. They are colored blue, as are summon cards. By using sleights, higher-tiered magic can be used in battle, as can advanced magic techniques, such as Tornado and Mega Flare.
Kingdom Hearts II
There are six types of basic magic in Kingdom Hearts II, which are upgraded upon reaching certain milestones, up to a maximum of three tiers. They are accessible from the Command Menu under "Magic", and four of them can be set to shortcuts at one time for easy access during battle. Most magic can be cast in combos, similarly to attack combos, ending with a slightly more powerful magic finisher. Magic combos are affected by combo-related abilities, such as Combo Plus and Finishing Plus, and magic attacks can be interspersed with weapon attacks in one combo. Magnet and Cure magic cannot be used to make a combo.
Casting magic costs MP, which can be recovered by collecting MP orbs, using restorative items such as Ethers, entering a Drive Form, or by touching a Save Point. If the MP gauge is fully emptied, MP Charge begins, during which the gauge is replaced with the pink Charge gauge. While the Charge gauge gradually empties, magic cannot be used, but portions of the gauge can be emptied immediately in the same manner as recovering MP.
Wisdom Form, Master Form, and Final Form have abilities that enhance the casting of magic, while Valor Form and Limit Form disable the use of magic.
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
- See also: Panel System and Magic Panel
In Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, magic can be used during missions when magic panels are installed into the panel grid. The number of available casts for a type of basic magic is determined by the number of installed panels for that type, but casts can be restored mid-mission by using items such as Ethers. Linking basic magic panels to special magic panels will increase the level or grant multiple casts of that magic.
There are five varieties of magic that appear, each with three tiers; however, unlike in other games, different tiers of one type of magic will have different effects. For example, Fire launches a homing fireball, Fira shoots a penetrating fireball straight ahead, and Firaga launches a large fireball with slight homing capabilities into the air, after which it explodes.
Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep
In Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, a wide variety of magic techniques are available, basic and advanced, in the form of magic commands. As with attack commands, magic commands go through a cool-down period before they can be used again, but otherwise, their use is not limited.
Magic commands may be dropped by enemies, purchased from shops, found in small treasure chests, or obtained from various mini-games, such as the Command Board.
Kingdom Hearts Re:coded
In Kingdom Hearts Re:coded, magic commands return in the same capacity as in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep.
They may be found in rare prize blox, purchased from shops, or awarded for high ranks in boss battles.
Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance
In Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, magic commands return in the same capacity as in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep and Kingdom Hearts Re:coded.
Magic commands may be purchased from shops, found in large chests, obtained through Ability Link or won from mini-games.
Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep -A fragmentary passage-
Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep -A fragmentary passage- uses the same magic system from Kingdom Hearts II.
There are only four types of basic magic available, which are at their respective third tiers from the beginning. They are accessible from the Command Menu under "Magic", and four of them can be set to shortcuts at one time for easy access during battle. Most magic can be cast in combos, similarly to attack combos, ending with a slightly more powerful magic finisher.
Casting magic costs MP, which can be recovered by collecting MP orbs, using restorative items such as Ethers, or by touching a Save Point. If the MP gauge is fully emptied, MP Charge begins, during which the gauge is replaced with the pink Charge gauge. While the Charge gauge gradually empties, magic cannot be used, but portions of the gauge can be emptied immediately in the same manner as recovering MP.
In addition to standard magic, magic Situation Commands are introduced. If the gauge above the Command Menu is filled by inflicting damage with magic, a Situation Command will appear above the Command Menu for the attribute that was used the most to fill the gauge. The tier will be one above the tier of the magic that was used.
Kingdom Hearts III
Kingdom Hearts III uses the same magic system as Kingdom Hearts II and Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep -A fragmentary passage-.
There are six types of basic magic, with three tiers becoming available upon reaching certain milestones. Unlike in past Kingdom Hearts games, higher tiers of magic consume more MP; for instance, Fire costs 10 MP, Fira 14 MP, and Firaga 20 MP. They are accessible from the Command Menu under "Magic", and each type of magic can be switched to any of the available tiers in the menu for access in the field. Up to twelve of them can be set to shortcuts at one time for easy access during battle. Most magic can be cast in combos, similarly to attack combos, ending with a slightly more powerful magic finisher. Magic combos are affected by combo-related abilities, such as Combo Plus and Magic Galvanizer, and magic attacks can be interspersed with weapon attacks in one combo. Cure magic cannot be used to make a combo.
Casting magic costs MP, which can be recovered by collecting MP orbs, using restorative items such as Ethers, or by touching a Save Point. If the MP gauge is fully emptied, MP Charge begins, during which the gauge is replaced with the pink Charge gauge. While the MP Charge gauge gradually empties, magic cannot be used, but portions of the gauge can be emptied immediately in the same manner as recovering MP.
The way offensive magic is cast can change based on the current Formchange. The different styles of magic casting are:
- Basic Style (基本スタイル Kihon Sutairu): The standard use of magic. Each type of offensive magic has a unique casting effect. This style is used by every Keyblade's base form, Second Form, Counter Shield, Mirage Staff, Nano Arms, Frying Pan, Ultimate Form, Light Form, Dark Form and Double Form.
- Proximity Style (近接スタイル Kinsetsu Sutairu): Offensive magic is cast in a dome or circle around Sora, damaging nearby enemies in a manner similar to Fire magic in Kingdom Hearts II. This style is used by Hyper Hammer, Agile Claws, Blizzard Claws, Blizzard Blades, Storm Flag and Boom Hammer.
- Dual Style (二連スタイル Ni-ren Sutairu): Offensive magic is cast as small projectiles that are fired in paired bursts. Each successive tier of magic increases the number of projectiles per burst by one. This style is used by Double Arrowguns, Twin Yo-Yos, and Hunny Blasters.
- Artillery Style (砲撃スタイル Hōgeki Sutairu): Offensive magic is cast as a large cannonball-like projectile that explodes on impact, similar to Firaga in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. This style is used by Magic Launcher, Drill Punch, Hunny Launcher, Highwind, and Clock Drill.
Additionally, the effect of offensive magic changes when they are cast underwater.
As playable characters, Riku has access to Thundaga and Curaga magic, while Aqua has access to Firaga, Blizzaga, Thundaga, and Curaga.
In Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind, as playable characters, Roxas can use Waterga and Curaga, while Kairi has access to all six spells.
The magic Situation Commands from Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep -A fragmentary passage- return, now called Grand Magic. Again, Grand Magic commands will be one tier above the magic that triggered them. Certain abilities obtained through equipping specific weapons or accessories or through a Full Course Bonus allow grand magic commands to generate more easily during battle, as well as grant access to the otherwise unavailable Curaza command.
Recurring magic
- See also: Magic command (KHBBS), Magic command (KHREC), and Magic command (KH3D)
- Fire, Fira, Firaga, Firaza
- Blizzard, Blizzara, Blizzaga, Blizzaza
- Thunder, Thundara, Thundaga, Thundaza
- Cure, Cura, Curaga, Curaza
- Aero, Aerora, Aeroga, Aeroza
- Gravity, Gravira, Graviga
- Zero Gravity, Zero Gravira, Zero Graviga, Zero Graviza
- Stop, Stopra, Stopga
- Magnet, Magnera, Magnega
- Reflect, Reflera, Reflega
- Water, Watera, Waterga, Waterza
Origin and naming
Many of the magic that appears in the Kingdom Hearts series borrows heavily from magic in the Final Fantasy series. This includes elemental types, as well as specific spells, such as Fire, Curaga, and Reflect. The distinction between Black, or offensive magic, and White, or supportive magic, is not carried over to Kingdom Hearts, however.
Also borrowed from Final Fantasy is the naming convention of basic magic. In most installments of Final Fantasy, the second and third tiers of magic are usually denoted by the suffixes -ra and -ga, respectively. This convention is followed in Kingdom Hearts, with one notable exception: While the fourth tier of magic in Final Fantasy, when included, is -ja, Kingdom Hearts uses the suffix -gun, localized in English as -za in Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance and Kingdom Hearts III and -ja in Kingdom Hearts 0.2 Birth by Sleep -A fragmentary passage-. Some accessories are named after the fourth tier of magic, using the suffix -gun (e.g., Firagun Bangle), as are two Reaction Commands, Firagun and Blizzagun.
Abilities
Certain abilities enhance or facilitate the use of magic, generally by boosting magical damage, elemental damage, or MP recovery.
- MP Haste
- MP Rage
- Fire Boost
- Blizzard Boost
- Thunder Boost
- Magic Lock-On
- Crime & Punishment
- Magic Haste
- Magic Spice
- Master Magic
- Endless Magic
- Leaf Bracer
- Cure Boost
- Magic Galvanizer
- Full MP Blast
In Kingdom Hearts, some party members also possess abilities that mimic the effects of spells.
- Jack Skellington's Blazing Fury (Fire)
- Jack Skellington's Icy Terror (Ice)
- Jack Skellington's Bolts of Sorrow (Thunder)
- Ariel's Thunder Potion (Thunder)
- Tarzan's Healing Herb (Cure)
- Ariel's Cure Potion (Cure)
- Jack Skellington's Ghostly Scream (Gravity)
- Tarzan's Wind Armor (Aero)
- Ariel's Aero Potion (Aero)
- Peter Pan's Storm's Eye (Aero)
- Peter Pan's Time-Out (Stop)