Do you have a license for that?

Unlike its earlier PlayStation 2 incarnation for the west, Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age now boasts an incredibly versatile and expansive job system, allowing players to designate roles to characters of the party. This can range from healing, support, damage dealing, tanking, or a mix of several at once!

With so many choices and characters available, it’s very easy to become overwhelmed by choice. The last thing you want is your healer to be poking away at an enemy with a spear for 1 damage while other characters in the party approach death’s door! Below is an overview of the jobs, why you should pick them, and if they fit your preferred playstyle.

6. Shikari

Balthier bravely takes on the undead as a Shikari.

The speedy Shikari is a ninja-like job capable of flashy combos and nifty support. While they don’t use much magic at all, they turn their focus to using items, daggers, guns and ninja swords to get the job done. Ninja swords can deal elemental damage in addition to having high combo rates, making them extremely efficient yet specialized damage tools.

Shikari wear light armor which increases their HP considerably, making them excellent stand-in tanks when the situation calls for one. Their natural affinity with shields enables them to safely evade many attacks while throwing back their own. They get access to a small dose of white magic; Protectga and Shellga, both quite essential. Not only this, but they also get access to all many Item Lores which dramatically boost the effectiveness of potions and remedies alike.

One fantastic way a Shikari can make use of their item support is with the powerful Nihopalaoa accessory. While it may be hard to say, it’s easy to use. This accessory reverses the effects of any restorative item the wearer uses. A Shikari can take advantage of this by using remedies on enemies to give them many status ailments at once!

Shikaris excel in:

• Damage dealing
• Item-based support, debuffing and healing
• Tanking

Pick Shikari if you:

• Need a substitute tank for emergencies
• Like to avoid a heavy reliance on magic
• Enjoy flexible but specialized damage dealers

Further details: https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Shikari

5. White Mage 

Ashe uses the Cura spell, restoring much-needed HP in the heat of battle.

White Mage is a prestigious staple in the Final Fantasy series, renowned for its ability to keep the party alive and well, White Mages are a rather essential job to have during your travels. While they don’t offer much in the way of offensive attacks or defense, they make up for it in their handy healing and support spells.

With every white magic spell at their disposal, there isn’t any situation too dire for them, they’re able to revive allies, remove nasty status effects, and heal any wounds that the party may suffer. In addition to this, they also learn green magic, further bolstering their supportive capabilities. In the event you come across undead monsters, White Mages can take them down by casting Holy, Cures or Raises on them as a way to bypass their low offensive output.

It’s worth noting that White Mage is able to offset their biggest weakness—a lack of damage—by being paired with a secondary job that excels in it. Pairing it with Machinist enables White Mages to comfortably deal damage at a safe distance without relying on strength due to guns naturally bypassing defense. Similarly, pairing it with Black Mage enables White Mages to cast both offensive and defensive magic with ease.

White Mages excel in:

• Healing
• Support
• Killing undead

Pick White Mage if you:

• Need a reliable, strong healer
• Are facing a particularly dangerous fight
• Need lots of support

Further details: https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/White_Mage_(Final_Fantasy_XII)

4. Black Mage

Both Penelo and Ashe cast powerful black magic to deal heavy damage to a foe.

Black Mages are another staple in the Final Fantasy series, infamous for their powerful spells that can take chunks of HP off of even the most powerful monster. Luckily, in this game, they’re no different! For what they sacrifice in defense and physical attack, they make up for in magical damage in addition to both offensive and defensive utility.

As their name implies, they primarily learn black magick and can learn every single black magic spell in the game. This enables them to  easily target an enemy’s elemental weakness, but it doesn’t stop there! They also learn a handful of helpful green magick spells like Bubble, Decoy and Oil that give them some utility.

They learn every Magick lore, so their spells really leave a mark. When groups of enemies surround the party, Black Mages really shine with their area-of-effect (AoE) spells, capable of dealing elemental damage to all targets at once. Their weaknesses in physical offense and defense can be supplemented by pairing them with a secondary job that specializes in these fields, like Knight, Monk or Archer.

Black Mages excel in:

• Damage dealing
• Exploiting elemental weaknesses
• Crowd control

Pick Black Mage if you:

• Need a strong damage dealer that can stand at a safe distance
• Want to handle multiple enemies at once
• Enjoy using magic

Further details: https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Black_Mage_(Final_Fantasy_XII)

3. Monk

Straight to the point, Fran shows two wolves who's boss with some fearsome punches and kicks.

Monks pack a punch! These brawlers are capable of not only fighting with their bare hands, but also poles—a much prized weapon for their innate ability to hit those pesky flying foes. They have no shortage of offensive and supportive abilities, from naturally learning two of the breaks to being able to cast white magic, monks sit comfortably well in a variety of party setups.

They learn a plethora of white magic spells like Bravery, Curaja, Protectga, Shellga and Esunaga, making them fantastic stand-in supporters or healers to help lighten the load in damage-heavy situations. They also have access to two breaks; Wither and Expose, crushing enemy strength and defense respectively, making them excellent choices when choosing a secondary job.

Monks are the only job in the game to have access to every HP and Battle lore, so they’re as strong as they are sturdy. For what they may naturally lack in offensive magic, they make up for in everything else!

Monks excel in:

• Damage dealing
• Debuffing
• Supporting

Pick Monk if you:

• Enjoy a job that can stand in for any role as the situation needs
• Don’t want to rely on a single healer
• Want to deal with flying enemies without relying on magic

Further details: https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Monk_(Final_Fantasy_XII)

2. Knight

Ashe stands bravely against a rather unassuming foe with sword and shield in hand.

Knights are incredibly powerful tanks and damage dealers, suited for all sorts of situations that players may find themselves in as they explore Ivalice. While they don’t explicitly possess many offensive abilities, their capabilities as physical attackers in addition to their support abilities make them very reliable allies on the battlefield.

They generally perform a tanking role as they gain access to lots of heavy armor in addition to all shields in the game, but they’re also proficient with white magic, having access to spells such as Curaga, Bravery and Esuna. This grants them the ability to support and even heal while still being strong enough to leave bruises on their targets.

They can obtain massive amounts of max HP early on thanks to the plethora of HP lores they can learn, and their high evasion while using shields makes them an effective all-rounder for any party. If a shield isn’t necessary, they can swap to great swords, or even a weapon usable by a secondary job.

Knights excel in:

• Tanking
• Supporting
• Adapting to many situations

Pick Knight if you:

• Enjoy a job balanced in both attack and defense
• Enjoy a more traditional tanking role
• Want to minimize reliance on using healers

Further details: https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Knight_(Final_Fantasy_XII)

1. Foebreaker

A foebreaker Vaan prepares to create a few wolf pelts with his mighty axe.

Foebreakers are mighty axe-swinging, shield-bringing tanks who utilize a variety of offensive abilities—most notably the 4 break abilities—that enable them to crush enemy stats to dust. A Foebreaker’s efficiency isn’t to be underestimated as they’re capable of reducing an enemy that hits for 3000 damage down to 300 or less!

Though they generally perform a tanking role due to their ability to use shields and heavy armor, they are equally as efficient at dealing damage. Their signature weapons—axes and hammers—are fairly cheap, yet boast some of the highest attack power in the game. While they hit incredibly hard, their damage is somewhat luck-based, so players may want to use weapons from jobs that a Foebreaker is paired with instead, particularly ones focused on strength like swords, great swords or spears.

Another one of their token strengths lie in the powerful HP augments and battle lores they gain from their license board. Foebreakers can obtain enormous max HP and attack power for a few hundred license points, enabling them to perform very well from early stages in the game.

Foebreakers excel in:

• Tanking
• Dealing physical damage
• Debuffing enemy stats via technicks

Pick Foebreaker if you:

• Enjoy a job balanced in both attack and defense
• Don’t want to worry much about casting spells
• Enjoy seeing bosses being turned to mincemeat

Further details: https://finalfantasy.fandom.com/wiki/Foebreaker

You may also be interested in:

• Final Fantasy XII Best Weapons That Are Powerful
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