Elemental Crystals

The world breathes only as long as the crystals shine.

In the original 1987 Final Fantasy for the Nintendo Entertainment System, the Elemental Crystals serve as the literal foundation of existence. These four artifacts govern earth, fire, water, and wind, determining the elemental powers of a world inhabited by humans, elves, dwarves, mermaids, dragons, and robots. When these crystals were darkened by the four Elemental Fiends, the world plunged into decay: the Wind crystal's failure caused the Lefeinish civilization to decline 400 years prior, while the Water crystal went dark 200 years later when violent storms sank a massive shrine. The Earth and Fire crystals followed, plaguing the land with raging wildfires and causing vegetation to decay in towns like Melmond.

Quick Facts

Primary function

Governing one of the four classical elements: earth
fire
water
and wind

Core elements

Earth
Fire
Water
Wind

First appearance

Final Fantasy (1987)

Common guardians

Four Elemental Fiends (Lich, Kary, Kraken, Tiamat) and Chaos

Restoration method

Warriors of Light defeating the Elemental Fiends

Lore & Background

Four hundred years before the game begins, the Lefeinish people used the Power of Wind to craft airships and a giant space station known as the Floating Castle. As their country declined due to the darkened Wind crystal, history repeated itself over two centuries later when the Water crystal dimmed, sinking an ocean-based civilization's central shrine. The Earth and Fire crystals soon followed suit, devastating the agricultural town of Melmond with wildfires and rotting plains. In this time of darkness, the sage Lukahn prophesied that four Light Warriors would arrive to save the world. These warriors each carry one of the darkened crystals, tasked with a desperate quest to defeat the evil forces responsible and restore light to their respective elements.

Reader's Guide

Players begin by choosing four characters from six available classes: Fighter, Thief, Black Belt, Red Mage, White Mage, and Black Mage. These choices are locked for the entire game. To progress, players must navigate an overworld map using foot travel, a canoe, a ship, or eventually an airship. Random encounters occur on field maps unless in preset locations or boss battles.

The primary goal is to defeat the four Elemental Fiends (Lich, Kary, Kraken, Tiamat) and restore light to the crystals. Combat is menu-based and turn-based, requiring players to manage character levels (1-50), hit points, and equipment restrictions per class. Magic is divided into White (defensive/healing) and Black (destructive/debilitating) spells of levels 1-8. Items like Tents, Cabins, and Houses allow for healing and saving on the world map, while special items such as the Levistone and Mystic Key are essential for unlocking new areas and defeating fiends.

Did You Know?

The game was originally conceived under the working title Fighting Fantasy before trademark issues forced a name change.
By March 2003, all versions of Final Fantasy had sold a combined two million copies worldwide.
Final Fantasy was the first game to show player characters on the right side of the screen and enemies on the left, replacing the first-person view common at the time.
The Lefeinish people crafted a giant space station called the Floating Castle using the Power of Wind 400 years before the game's start.