Final Fantasy 1 - Magic

FF1 Pixel Remaster has 64 magic spells total: 32 Black Magic and 32 White Magic, each spread across 8 levels. Different classes have access to different spell levels, and knowing which spells to prioritize saves both Gil and spell charges.

Spell priorities

Spells are sold in specific towns, and you'll visit them in a fixed order. Cornelia has your starting three: Fire, Thunder, and Cure. Elfheim opens up Level 3-4 spells like Fira, Cura, Haste, and Teleport. Crescent Lake sells Level 5-6 spells once you've picked up the Canoe. Gaia carries Level 7 spells. And Lufenia is the final magic shop with Level 8 spells, including Holy, Flare, and Full-Life. The walkthrough covers the exact progression through each town.

For must-have spells, Fire earns its slot immediately. Most dungeon enemies in the first half of the game are undead or weak to fire, so it'll outperform physical attacks from your casters by a wide margin. Haste and Temper are the endgame damage combo: Haste doubles hit count, Temper adds flat damage to every hit and stacks. Cast both on a Master or Knight and the numbers get absurd. Cure, Cura, and Curaga keep your party standing through long dungeons. NulAll is a must for the Chaos fight, blocking all elemental damage in a single cast. Teleport and Exit save time escaping dungeons; don't skip them.

FF1 uses a charge system, not MP. Each spell level has a limited number of charges (starting around 3, increasing with Intelligence), and once you're out, you're out until you rest. Inns, Tents, and Cottages restore all charges. This is where the Pixel Remaster differs most from the NES original: the Intelligence stat was broken for 30 years, doing nothing at all. It actually works now, which means dedicated casters like Black Wizard and White Wizard scale harder than Red Wizard in the late game. Plan your charges carefully in longer dungeons; a staff swing costs nothing when you're low on juice.

Black Magic

Offensive and debuff spells. Black Mages learn all levels, Red Mages up to Level 7, Ninjas up to Level 4. Fire dominates the early game because of how many enemies are weak to it, and it stays relevant through Fira and Firaga upgrades. For the endgame, Haste and Temper turn your physical attackers into wrecking balls; they're Black Magic spells, which means your Black Wizard handles buff duty alongside nuking. Flare is the strongest single-target nuke in the game and it's non-elemental, so nothing resists it.

White Magic

Healing and support spells. White Mages learn all levels, Red Mages up to Level 7, Knights up to Level 3. The Dia line is your anti-undead tool and it's been effective since Cornelia, dealing solid damage to skeletons and ghouls that resist physical hits. Healing progresses from Cure through Cura to Curaga, and you'll want each upgrade as soon as it's available. NulAll and Full-Life are the two endgame essentials: NulAll blocks elemental damage across the whole party (critical for Chaos), while Full-Life revives a fallen ally at full HP instead of a sliver.