The world ofFinal Fantasyhas always been enriched by its diverse and imaginative job system, allowing people to customise their characters and parties with unique abilities and strategies. While iconic roles like Black Mage and Warrior remain ever-present, many intriguing and powerful jobs have faded into obscurity over the years, appearing only in a handful of titles or spin-offs.
If you’ll allow me to get a bit nostalgic, there are a few that have been sitting in the wings forfar, fartoo long, and I’d like to see them back in full force. No, not as phantom jobs in FF14, but full-fledged returns.
7Calculator
The Calculator (or Arithmetician for War of the Lions purists) from Final Fantasy Tactics is just wild. It’s basically a magical mathematician with unbridled power. The targeting of their spells are based on things like level, experience points, or even what height they’re standing at. And you may be castinganyspells.
Yeah, it sounds confusing at first, but once you get it, you feel like a genius. It’s so precise and totally rewards you for thinking outside the box. Bringig this back would make combat encounters feel so complex and make you actually think about your moves, a far cry from the button-mashiness of FF16.
6Geomancer
I’ve always loved the idea of the Geomancer. They arrived on the scene forthe first time in FF3and were made even more awesome in FF5 thanks to their free and random but powerful attacks. We’re talking elemental attacks and battlefield control based on where you’re fighting.
Imagine a modern Geomancer causing landslides, making geysers erupt, or conjuring blizzards right under an enemy’s feet, but with modern graphics. The limits are boundless, and there’s nothing more rad than the idea of killing a god with a bell.
5Green Mage
The Green Mage was an interesting addition to Final Fantasy Tactics A2. They were all about support magic, but not healing - they were the masters of buffs and status spells, which made them a perfect addition to a team that had the basics settled.
Like the Calculator above, a modern Green Mage would add some complexity: I reckon they’d make you think beyond just hitting hard or healing up, which is a nice change of pace.
4Chemist
The Chemist job is always my MVP when it comes to Final Fantasy Tactics playthroughs. Sure, White Magic is fine, but the utility that comes from instant heals and offensive support with guns makes them truly powerful contenders. There’s something about healers being the gun-toting class that tickles my funny bone.
Alchemists could do with a modern revamp, too, but Potion-slinging Chemists are the ones who truly have my heart. We haven’t seen the likes of themsince Final Fantasy 10-2(where they were, confusingly, named Alchemists despite the Tactics games making a clear distinction between the two).
3Mystic Knight
I always thought the Mystic Knight was one of the coolest concepts. They’re warriors who can infuse their weapons with elemental magic, showing up first in Final Fantasy 5 and being one of the most powerful jobs.
This hybrid class makes combat a bit more dynamic, letting you quickly switch elements to hit enemy weaknesses. We’ve seen plenty of magic sword-wielders in more recent games, but they’re always missing the flair and aesthetics of the original class design, and I’d like to see that incarnation return.
2Mime
Now this one is a bit iconic. Starting off as a gimmick (and somewhat secret) class in FF5, we also got to experiment with Mimicry in FF6 with Gogo. Being able to copy the last-used action performed byanyonein the party without spending MP or using up items made them a key lynchpin in some of the jankiest strategies ever.
It’s such a flexible and potentially game-breaking job that demands creative thinking. Imagine an FF where you can have people mimicking limit breaks or other unique abilities? Reusing Megalixirsfor fun? I just think Square-Enix has only scratched the surface of this powerhouse of an idea.
1Beastmaster
The Beastmaster has a long history in Final Fantasy, letting you capture or tame monsters and then unleash their unique abilities in battle. We’ve seen them in Final Fantasy 5 and Tactics Advance, and they’re incredibly useful in both, whether for controlling the battlefield or brute-forcing monsters to grant their Blue Magic to your Blue Mages.
Imagine being able to recruit a variety of monsters throughout your journey, each offering different attacks, buffs, or even defensive actions. This job would really encourage exploration and offer a constantly evolving playstyle, letting you adapt your tactics by swapping out your summoned beasts.
Add the Morpher class from Tactics Advance, and you’re onto adoublewinner.
