Final Fantasy 2 - Magic

Final Fantasy 2 Pixel Remaster lets any character learn any spell with no class restrictions. Buy a spell tome from a shop or find one in a dungeon, use it from the inventory, and that character permanently learns the spell at level 1. From there, every successful cast in battle pushes the spell toward the next level. Higher levels mean more damage, better hit rates, and stronger healing, but they also cost more MP. Out-of-combat casts don't count toward leveling (with one exception worth knowing about below).

Prioritize Cure above everything else; it's your lifeline from the first dungeon through the final boss. Assign one elemental spell per character to avoid splitting proficiency gains. Fire for Firion, Blizzard for Maria, and Thunder for Guy works well and covers every elemental weakness you'll encounter. Blink and Protect are non-negotiable for boss fights because they stack, so casting Blink three or four times makes your party nearly untouchable against physical attacks. And Esuna needs to reach level 6 or higher to cure Petrify, which becomes a common threat in mid-game dungeons.

One easily overlooked mechanic is single-target versus group casting. When you target all enemies with a spell, the damage is divided by 8. Always single-target bosses. Group casting is fine for clearing weak random encounters, but against anything with real HP, focus your damage on one target at a time.

For a deeper look at how proficiency and spell levels interact, check the leveling guide. The walkthrough also notes which spells to buy at each town along the way.

Black Magic

Black magic covers offensive spells and debuffs. Key spells include Fire/Blizzard/Thunder for damage, Haste/Berserk for offense, and Flare for raw non-elemental power.

White Magic

White magic handles healing, buffs, and status cures. Cure is a must-have throughout the game. Blink and Protect are critical for boss fights. Holy deals massive damage to undead and bosses.