Final Fantasy Thief and Ninja iconic discussion

[Xander Olivieri]

I stumbled onto a very interesting argument on another site and it really had me thinking to every Final Fantasy game I've ever played. Two notable class/jobs have been around since the very beginning, the Thief and the Ninja. The argument was based on iconic standing in the Final Fantasy universe, but I want to propose a different set of questions.

When you first played Final Fantasy, what did you think when you found these classes? (Any game)

What is the most iconic thing about each class.

When you think of Thief, what is it that pops into your head?

When you think of Ninja, what is it that pops into your head?

How do you see the relationship between a Thief job and a Ninja job?

Which of the two do you think is more iconic?


As I said, both have existed in the games since their first incarnation. They are both reoccurring classes/jobs/occupations. I'm very curious to see how these two specific jobs are seen by various players.

 

[Wings Don't Cry]

Due to the way the job system worked in the original Final Fantasy and the similarities between their stats, the Ninja is often considered the upgrade to the Thief in many Final Fantasy games. Especially since they are usually fragile speedsters.

The iconic parts of both jobs were not apart of the original Final Fantasy or its sequel, it wasn't until the third game that they really stood out and codified what the jobs would be like for future Final Fantasy games.

The iconic thing about the Thief is that it is usually the only job that has the !Steal command which varies in usefulness between games while the Ninja can deal high amounts of damage at an alarming rate either due to their ability to throw weapons or dual-wield. Final Fantasy IV had the honor of having the character that filled both roles.

A typical Final Fantasy Thief will usually be using knives and wear light clothing. They are usually among the fastest characters and deal 'meh' damage. The earlier Final Fantasy games also liked to give them a bandanna. Sadly Marcus of Final Fantasy IX would be the last thief in the main series to follow this trend, which is basically like taking the pointed hat away from the Black Mage. In every Final Fantasy game since the Thief's stealing ability debuted you would want to have a Thief in your party at some point to steal rare and useful items except Final Fantasy IV. Most iconic thieves in the series are of course main male character Locke from Final Fantasy VI and Zidane the young protagonist from Final Fantasy IX.

The Ninja will dress like stereotypical anime ninjas although they rarely dress in black which kind of ruins the stealth thing. Ninjas in Final Fantasy tend to equip katanas or ninja swords if the particular game includes both types of weapons. The Ninja has a naturally high speed rivaling the Thief and is capable of wielding stronger weapons that have some of the highest critical hit rates in the game. Although in the first game the Ninja is capable of wearing heavy armor, in later games this was changed so that they're about as frail as the Thief you used earlier in the game. The Ninja will be known for throwing its shurikens and fuma shurikens for high damage as well as being that one job you have to master so you can pass on its innate ability to dual wield off to a knight-sword wielding class. Most iconic ninjas in the series are probably Edge from Final Fantasy IV who is infamous for throwing silverware to dish out 9999 damage, fan favorite Shadow from Final Fantasy VI and of course the hyperactive Yuffie from Final Fantasy VII.

The Thief has definitely been in more games than the Ninja but that doesn't necessarily mean it's more iconic. The Thief has always been a class that you would get early in the game while you would only find its ability useful during specific fights while the Ninja is usually a mid-to-late game class that finds its way onto most teams almost immediately it is available and even finds itself sticking all the way to the end. Especially in Final Fantasy III where the two classes started to distinguish themselves, the Thief had less than a handful of stuff worth stealing while the Ninja was easily one of the strongest physical classes.

In the end I have to go with the Thief as most iconic just because they have always existed in Final Fantasy games even if there is no Thief in terms of game play there is one character than sets themselves up to be one during the plot. Except Final Fantasy VIII but we can pretty much ignore that game for the sake of the entire discussion.

 

[Luck]

When you first played Final Fantasy, what did you think when you found these classes? (Any game)
"Oh my god Yuffie is so annoying, why do I have to jump through these hoops to get her to join?"

What is the most iconic thing about each class?
Stealing with the Thief, throwing with the Ninja, although I'd say the Throw ability is probably one of the worst bonuses the class has. That could just be my inner hoarder talking.

When you think of Thief, what is it that pops into your head?
Locke, and nothing else usually.

When you think of Ninja, what is it that pops into your head?
Edge and Wutai as a whole.

How do you see the relationship between a Thief job and a Ninja job?
Probably the dishonorable deeds they're popular for, and their focus on agility and stealth.

Which of the two do you think is more iconic?
I'd say ninjas. While thieves appear earlier on, their abilities vary in usefulness. Ninjas already have a reputation in popular culture, and they tend to be much more useful in the long run with their techniques.

 

[DowntownDumpling]

I'm not gonna bother answering all these questions because to most of them mine would just be incomplete versions of those already stated. What I will say is that I think of Thieves as a basic job class that you need outside of battle, whereas the Ninja is just a vaguely powerful battle-centric class. I don't bother with either one when I don't have to.