- "Một phù thủy không thể chết khi vẫn còn nắm giữ sức mạnh phù thủy."
- —Edea Kramer
Sorceress Edea casts her Ice Strike Limit Break
Sức mạnh Phù thủy (còn được gọi là "Hiện thân phù thủy" trong bản tiếng Nhật) is the special power that separates a Sorceress from a normal human being in Final Fantasy VIII.
Granted to Sorceresses at the beginning of time by the Great Hyne, the Sorceress Power is a mysterious gift that enables a person to use magic naturally without resorting to a Limit Break, a Guardian Force or a Junction System. A potential Sorceress is quite rare to find but identifiable by people who know what to look for. As an example of their rarity Sorceress Adel kidnapped hundreds of young girls from all over the world in an attempt to find the one who could be the successor of her power.
The Sorceress Power seems to be an immortal, inexorable power. It attaches to a person and remains with them until their death, at which point it must be passed on to another Sorceress or Sorceress potential.
The recipient of the power must be physically close to the Sorceress at the time of their death in order to receive it. Adel and Ultimecia were forced to give their power to Rinoa and Edea, respectively, due to this event even though these people were not the ones they wanted to give the power to. It is unknown what happens to the Sorceress and/or her power if there are no recipients in proximity to them.
Manifestations of the Power[]
A total of fifteen different Sorceresses are shown exhibiting the Sorceress Power in Final Fantasy VIII but only two of them have any background on how they originally obtained it:
- Edea Kramer; received the Power from another Sorceress at the age of five and on top of that also received Ultimecia's powers several years later.
- Rinoa Heartilly; received the Power from Edea during the Battle of the Gardens and, later, Adel on board the Lunatic Pandora
Although the Sorceress Power originates from the Great Hyne, it seems to take different forms within different people. Every Sorceress in Final Fantasy VIII demonstrates a different "specialty" with their Power.
| Sorceress | Power |
|---|---|
| Edea | Ice (shown in her Draw lists, her weapon, and her Limit) |
| Adel | Force (shown in her choice of spells (Flare, Ultima, Meteor) and her Energy Bomber skill) |
| Rinoa | Pure, primal magic (shown by the effects of her Angel Wing Limit Break) |
| Ultimecia | Time and Space (shown in her spells (Quake, Bio, Meteor) and her choice of Time Compression as the ultimate spell; also shown in her abilities when she possesses Edea) |
| The eleven Sorceresses in the Commencement Room | Varies, but each Sorceress definitely has a theme, as each Sorceress only casts one or two specific spells |
The full extent of the abilities of a Sorceress is unknown. Throughout the game Sorceresses are seen utilizing telekinesis, teleportation, telepathy, mind control, mental possession, control over the elements, the installation life into inanimate objects, projection of kinetic barriers, the capacity to phase through solid matter, and enhanced strength and endurance. Sorceresses also demonstrate the ability to alter their physical appearance to some extent.
A notable physical trait that most Sorceresses seem to have is, when utilizing their powers, the appearance of wings or wing-like structures behind them; the appearances of which seem to run parallel with the Sorceress' personality traits.
Mechanics of the Power[]
Sorceress Powers may be cumulative.
If a woman were to receive the Power from two separate Sorceresses, she would likely be more powerful than a woman who had only received Power from one. This would also allow a Sorceress to potentially utilize multiple Power themes (eg Ice magic and Fire magic). Edea is not only capable of casting ice magic, she is also capable of phasing through walls because Edea received Ultimecia's powers upon her death.