- “Twelve constellations illuminate the evening sky, moving along the same elliptical path traveled by the sun and the moon. These constellations correspond to the twelve signs of the zodiac, each of which takes a turn dominating the nights of Ivalice for one month each year.”
- —Tutorial, Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions.
It refers to the twelve Zodiacal Constellations: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces. Ophiuchus is also a Zodiacal constellation, though often not counted, but most games in the series that include the Zodiac make note of it in some way. The thirteen signs of the Final Fantasy Zodiac appear on the Ivalice Alliance logo. The summon Zodiark is named after the Zodiac.
Queen Stella, an aristocrat in the city of Treno, spends her days collecting the twelve Stellazzio coins, each named after a Zodiac Sign. Once the player finds her one, she will give a prize. After all twelve are found, she will note she feels like another one exists somewhere. This is the Ophiuchus coin. By reading the coins' descriptions in the Key Item screen in order, the player can uncover the Stellazzio story.
The symbols for Zodiac signs are seen in concept artwork for the metal frame sphere in Doctor Tot's study.
There are thirteen subligaria, each named after Zodiac symbols (including Ophiuchus), obtained from the Fomors in dungeons around Tavnazia. These subligaria are used in a sidequest to obtain special level 50 armor.
In addition, the Federation of Windurst's Caster Companies are named after Zodiac symbols.
The thirteen Espers each represent one of the thirteen Zodiac Signs. The opposite Scions of Light, which never appear in the game, also represent the signs. The twelve jobs of the Zodiac Job System each refer to a sign of the Zodiac. Zodiac equipment is the most powerful equipment in the game, namely the Zodiac Spear and Zodiac Escutcheon.
The signs of the Zodiac play the largest role in Final Fantasy Tactics, called the "Zodiac Brave Story" in-game. They play both a role in gameplay and in the plot.
Zodiac Compatibility ChartEdit
It is the destiny of all creatures to be born under a particular sign of the zodiac. The interactions of man and monster alike are governed by the compatibilities of these signs. When the twelve are arranged in a circle, and straight lines drawn to form squares between them, signs at the corners of a given square's corners are of poor compatibility. When lines of equal length are drawn to form a triangle, signs at the triangle's points are of good compatibility.
Gender also plays a significant role in determining compatibility. Units with opposite signs and the same gender have the poorest possible compatibility. Units with opposite signs and opposite genders, however, have excellent compatibility. Monsters are considered to be of opposite gender to both male and female humans, but the same gender as other monsters.
Compatibility affects both the amount of damage dealt to enemies and the success rate of magicks. For example, if a unit attacks an enemy of good compatibility with a weapon, it will deal 1/4 more damage than it normally would. Excellent compatibility would increase the amount of damage by 1/2. On the other hand, damage dealt to enemies of poor compatibility is reduced by 1/4, and of extremely poor compatibility, by 1/2. All playable characters and monsters are given a set Zodiac Sign, except for Ramza Beoulve, whose birthdate and sign are chosen by the player. Zodiac compatibility plays a role in determining the effectiveness of most abilities.
- O means unit has good compatibility.
- X means unit has bad compatibility.
- = means unit has neutral compatibility.
- ! means that compatibility depends on gender, units of the same gender have bad compatibility. Units of the opposite gender have good compatibility. All monsters are gender-neutral; therefore, they cannot have good or bad compatibility.
The in-game calendar is divided up into twelve months, each one named after a sign of the Zodiac. Serpentarius (Ophiuchus) is not counted within the Ivalice calendar.
|The Zodiac Calendar|
|Ivalice Month||Days Long||Solar Calendar|
|Aries||30||3/21 - 4/19|
|Taurus||31||4/20 - 5/20|
|Gemini||32||5/21 - 6/21|
|Cancer||31||6/22 - 7/22|
|Leo||31||7/23 - 8/22|
|Virgo||31||8/23 - 9/22|
|Libra||31||9/23 - 10/23|
|Scorpio||30||10/24 - 11/22|
|Sagittarius||30||11/23 - 12/22|
|Capricorn||28||12/23 - 1/19|
|Aquarius||30||1/20 - 2/18|
|Pisces||30||2/19 - 3/20|
The signs of the Zodiac are each represented by one of the thirteen Auracite crystals, the Zodiac Stones. These stones are related to the Lucavi demons, who use them to enter the world of Ivalice to do evil. The stones can possess humans holding them at the moment of their death and forever take control of their bodies. When the need arises, the possessed person can transform into the Lucavi monster.
The Zodiac Stones work to transport good as well, since they respond to Rapha's grief over the death of her brother, Marach Galthena, and return him to life. The other Zodiac Stones are used in a series of sidequests where they are used to activate lost technology. The Serpentarius stone is counted as a Zodiac Stone.
A faction of characters in the game are named after constellations, with Taurus and Kapel respectively representing Taurus and Capricorn.