Instant Death

FFIV Deathbringer KO GBA — Cecil Harvey giving Instant Death to an enemy with the use of Deathbringer.

Instant Death refers to any attack that automatically kills its victim regardless of what HP they have remaining. Instant death attacks are recurrent throughout the series; several bosses, including final bosses, are known to use instant death moves and some summons, such as Odin and Yojimbo, can also kill instantly.

Some weapons have a chance of afflicting the instant death effect. The most common example is the recurring Assassin's Dagger. In Final Fantasy X, the Auto Abilities Deathtouch and Deathstrike can be manufactured onto a weapon, which gives it the opportunity to inflict instant death. In Final Fantasy VIII the player can include the instant death effect in physical attacks by junctioning 100 Death spells into status attack.

As with the use of curative and resurrective spells such as Raise, instant death's effect is often reversed for the undead. Using an instant death ability on the undead will heal it to full in the same way that using Raise would kill it, though there are some exceptions, such as the undead in Final Fantasy XII.

Instant death spells generally do not work on bosses, however, exceptions exist.

Appearances

Final Fantasy

Game Element	Type	Effect
Scourge	Black Magic	Inflicts Death to all vulnerable enemies, low rate of success
Death	Black Magic	Inflicts Death to vulnerable enemies.
Quake	Black Magic	Inflicts Death to all enemies.
Earthquake	Enemy Ability	Inflicts Death to whole party.

Final Fantasy II

Game Element	Type	Effect
Death	Black Magic	Inflicts Death.
Warp	Black Magic	Instantly kills.
Teleport	Black Magic	Instantly kills.
Toad	Black Magic	Instantly kills.
Break	Black Magic	Instantly kills.

Final Fantasy III

Game Element	Type	Effect
Raze	Black Magic	Inflicts Death to weaker enemies.
Death	Black Magic	Inflicts Death.
Lilith Rod	Weapon	Casts Death.
Zantetsuken	Odin Attack	Chance of causing Instant Death.
Demon Eye	Leviathan Attack	Chance of causing Instant Death.
Rend	Bahamut Attack	Chance of causing Instant Death.

Final Fantasy IV

Game Element	Type	Effect
Deathbringer	Weapon	May inflict Death.
Death	Black Magic	Inflicts Death to Weaker Enemies.
Odin	Summon Magic	Inflicts Death 50% of the time.
Black Fang	Enemy Attack	Inflicts Death.
Ninth Dimension	Enemy Attack	Inflicts Death. Is Reflectable.

Final Fantasy V

Game Element	Type	Effect
Death	Black Magic	Inflicts Death.
X-Zone	Time Magic	Inflicts Death.
Level 5 Death	Blue Magic	Inflicts Death on enemies whose levels are a multiple of 5. Bypasses Death immunity.
Roulette	Blue Magic	Inflicts Death on a random target.
Doom Potion	Mix	Inflicts Death.
Odin	Summon	Inflicts Death to all enemies.
Doom Sword	Enemy Attack	Inflicts Death as well as non-elemental damage.
Assassin's Dagger	Weapon	Randomly casts Death after each attack.
Death Sickle	Weapon	Randomly casts Death after each attack.

Final Fantasy VI

Game Element	Type	Effect
Death	Magic	Inflicts Death.
Banish	Magic	Has a chance to inflict Death on all enemies.
Lv 5. Death	Lore	Inflicts Death to enemies whose levels are a multiple of 5.
Roulette	Lore	Inflicts Death on a random target.
Oblivion	Bushido	Inflicts Death on all enemies.
Antlion	Dance	Inflicts Death
Snare	Dance	Inflicts Death.
Banisher	Magitek	Inflicts Death.
Joker's Death	Slots	Inflicts Death to party if it is 7-7-Bar, or inflicts Death to all enemies if it is 7-7-7. Teaches Lv 5. Death to Strago
Air Anchor	Tools	Inflicts Death if target attempts to do a move.
Chainsaw (2nd version)	Tools	Inflicts Death.
Odin	Summon	Zantetsuken. Inflicts Death to all enemies.
Raiden	Summon	Shin-Zantetsuken. Inflicts a much greater chance of Death to all enemies compared to Odin.
Sabre Soul	Limit Break	Inflicts Death.
Star Prism	Limit Break	Inflicts Death.
Blaster	Enemy Attack	Inflicts Death.
Assassin's Dagger	Dagger	May inflict Death on the enemy it hits.
Ichigeki	Dagger	May inflict Death on the enemy it hits.
Wing Edge	Boomerang	May inflict Death on the enemy it hits.
Zanmato	Sword	May inflict Death on the enemy it hits.
Memento Ring	Relic	Prevents Death, Zombie, and Petrify.
Safety Bit	Relic	Prevents Death, Zombie, and Petrify.
Zantetsuken	Weapon	May instantly kill the enemy if it hits.

Final Fantasy VII

Game Element	Type	Effect
Death	Magic	Inflicts Death.
Death Force	Enemy Skill	Prevents Death.
L5 Death	Enemy Skill	Inflicts Death on all enemies whose levels are a multiple of 5.
Roulette	Enemy Skill	Inflicts Death on a random target.
Flash	Command	Inflicts Death to all enemies. It is the 2nd level ability of the Slash-All Materia.
[[Limit (Final Fantasy VII)#Death Joker\|Death Joker	Limit Break	Inflicts Death to the player party if the player rolls two Cait Siths and a Bar in Cait Sith's Slots Limit Break.
Dragon Dive	Limit Break	Inflicts 6 non-elemental attacks with a chance of Death to random enemies.
Finishing Touch	Limit Break	Inflicts Death on all enemies. Doesn't work on all enemies.
Hyper Jump	Limit Break	Inflicts major non-elemental damage with a chance of Death to all enemies.
Game Over	Limit Break	Inflicts Death on any enemy regardless of immunities if the player rolls three Cait Siths in Cait Sith's Slots Limit Break.
Hammerblow	Limit Break	Ejects an enemy. Doesn't work on all enemies.
Satan Slam	Limit Break	Inflicts extreme non-elemental damage and a chance of Death to all enemies.
Hidden One	Enemy Attack	Inflicts Death.
Joker	Enemy Attack	Inflicts Death. Doesn't always work.
Knife	Enemy Attack	Inflicts Death.
L4 Death	Enemy Attack	Inflicts Death on party whose levels are a multiple of 4.
Scissor Attack	Enemy Attack	Inflicts minor non-elemental damage and Death. Used as a counterattack when HP is 50% or less.
Suffocation Song	Enemy Attack	Inflicts Death. Only used if Gighee is alive, and if at least one opponent has Sadness.
Safety Bit	Accessory	Prevents Death.
Kiss of Death	Item	Inflicts Death on all enemies.

The player can also add the instant death element to a character's physical attacks by linking Destruct Materia with Status Effect Materia in the character's weapon. Equipping the pair in the character's armor will make him/her immune to instant death, instead.

Final Fantasy VIII

Game Element	Type	Effect
Death	Magic	Inflicts Death.
Death Stone	Item	Casts Death.
Degenerator	Blue Magic	Ejects the target.
Destroy	Enemy Attack	Instantly kills a GF
Iai Blow	Enemy Attack	Inflicts Death and physical damage.
Lv? Death	Blue Magic	Inflicts Death on all enemies whose levels are a multiple of X. X is broken down into the following: Crisis Lv 1: LV4 Death Crisis Lv 2: LV3 Death Crisis Lv 3: LV2 Death Crisis Lv 4: LV1 Death
Lv5 Death	Enemy Attack	Inflicts Death on party members whose levels are a multiple of 5.
Rapture	Limit Break	Ejects all targets
The End	Limit Break	Instantly kills any enemy
Zantetsuken	Summon	When used by either Odin or Gilgamesh it inflicts instant death to all targets. Odin can use it against the player party if the player runs out of time while battling him.

The player can add the instant death effect to physical attacks by junctioning 100 Death spells to a character's status attack.

Final Fantasy IX

Game Element	Type	Effect
Death	Black Magic	Inflicts Death.
LV5 Death	Blue Magic	Inflicts Death on enemies whose levels are a multiple of 5.
Roulette	Blue Magic	Randomly inflicts Death on a target.
Death Cutter	Enemy Attack	Inflicts major non-elemental damage and Death.
Snort	Enemy Attack	Ejects its target
Avenger	Weapon	Has Death as an Add-Status.
Iai Strike	Sword Arts	Instant Death to an enemy if successful
Zantetsuken	Summon	Odin has a chance of inflicting Instant Death depending on the number of Ore in the party inventory

Final Fantasy X

Game Element	Type	Effect
Death	Black Magic	Inflicts Death.
Pain	Anima Skill	Inflicts non-elemental damage and Death.
Zanmato	Yojimbo Skill	Instantly kills any target. Dark Yojimbo can use it against the party in International and PAL-versions.
Banish	Enemy Attack	Inflicts Death to Aeons.
Blaster	Enemy Attack	Inflicts Death.
Crush Spike	Enemy Attack	Inflicts non-elemental damage and Death.
Fangs of Hell	Enemy Attack	Inflicts Death.
Glyph Mine	Enemy Attack	Inflicts Death if a party member is standing on a pillar when a mine explodes.
Hades Claw	Enemy Attack	Inflicts non-elemental damage as well as Death and Poison.
Heavenly Strike	Enemy Attack	Inflicts Death, Confuse, and Power Break. Only in the International and Pal Version, and only used by Dark Shiva.
Hyper Blaster	Enemy Attack	Inflicts Death.
KO Punch	Enemy Attack	Inflicts non-elemental damage and Death.
Mega Death	Enemy Attack	Inflicts Death to party.
Megaton Punch	Enemy Attack	Inflicts non-elemental damage and Death.
Passado	Enemy Attack	Inflicts non-elemental damage and Death. Only in the International and Pal Version.
Deathtouch	Auto Ability	50% chance of Death when attacking physically. Can be customised onto a weapon with 30 Farplane Shadows.
Deathstrike	Auto Ability	Inflicts Death when attacking physically. Can be customised onto a weapon with 60 Farplane Winds.
Death Ward	Auto Ability	50% chance of preventing Death. Can be customised onto armor with 15 Farplane Shadows.
Death Proof	Auto Ability	Prevents Death. Can be customised onto armor with 60 Farplane Winds.
Farplane Shadow	Item	Casts Death.
Farplane Wind	Item	Casts Death on all enemies.

Final Fantasy X-2

Game Element	Type	Effect
Death	Arcana	Inflicts Death.
Carrier Flurry	Paine's Pet	Inflicts Death.
Death Flurry	Paine's Pet	Inflicts non-elemental damage and Death.
Zantetsu	Bushido	Inflicts Death.
Shin-Zantetsu	Bushido	Inflicts Death to all enemies.
PuPu Platter	Rikku's Mascot	Inflicts Instant Death to all enemies.
Arsenic Knife	Paine's Mascot	Inflicts Instant Death.
Death Petals	Floral Fallal	Inflicts Death.
Death Missile	Machina Maw	Inflicts Death.
Deeth	Full Throttle	Inflicts Death.
Death Blast	Enemy Attack	Inflicts damage equal to remaining HP and Death.
Gun Payback	Enemy Attack	Inflicts physical damage and Death to a Gunner, Gun Mage, or Alchemist.
Killer Fang	Enemy Attack	Inflicts physical damage and Death.
Mage Payback	Enemy Attack	Inflicts physical damage and Death to a White or Black Mage.
Russian Roulette.	Enemy Attack	1st version. Inflicts physical damage and Death.
Sword Payback	Enemy Attack	Inflicts physical damage and Death to a Warrior, Samurai, or Dark Knight.
Deathproof	Auto Ability	Prevents Death.

Final Fantasy XI

Game Element	Type	Effect
Death	Dark Magic	Inflicts Death.
Extremely Bad Breath	NM Skill	Inflicts Death on players in range.
Perdition	Enemy Skill	Inflicts Death.
Zantetsuken	Odin Skill	Inflicts Death on anyone in range.

Final Fantasy XII

Game Element	Type	Effect
Death	Arcane Magic	Inflicts Death.
Warp	Time Magic	Banishes targets.
Telega	Boss Skill	Banishes party member.
Kill	Zalera Skill	Inflicts Death on vulnerable enemies.
Death Strike	Boss Skill	Inflicts Death on vulnerable party members.
Crushing Fangs	Enemy Skill	Chance of Instant Death.
Prime Level Death	Boss Skill	Instant Death to party members whose levels are a prime number.
Dimensional Rift	Enemy Skill	Chance of Instant Death.
Darkja	Boss Skill	Dark-elemental damage and chance of Instant Death. Used by Zodiark.
Death Strike	Boss Skill	Instant Death. Accuracy lowered by target's Shell. Used by Yiazmat.
Warp Mote	Item	Banishes targets.
Deathbringer	Weapon	May cause Instant Death.
Assassin Arrows	Weapon	May cause Instant Death

All of Yiazmat's physical and rake attacks have 5% of inflicting instant death.

Final Fantasy XIII

Game Element	Type	Effect
Death	Full ATB Skill, Enemy Ability	Inflicts Instant Death with a low rate of success, inflicts non-elemental damage when it fails.
Zantetsuken	Gestalt Ability	Inflicts Instant Death on all enemies with low HP, inflicts non-elemental damage otherwise.
Progenitorial Wrath	Enemy Ability	Inflicts Instant Death with a low rate of success, inflicts non-elemental damage when it fails.

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