Limit breaks

Woo! Fun stuff. Limit breaks are a very useful feature in this game and will make your life a lot easier when it comes to fighting hard enemies.
When your character is low on HP, the number will appear yellow. In battle, that will trigger the limit break mode: the attack- option should make a "bling!"- like sound and have a small arrow next to it. Press right and you'll see the option of this addtional attack mode. The lower your character's HP is, the more likely it is to appear. Unless it is 0, of course. :p

Each character has a different type of limit break. Their abilities are obtained differently and have different effects:
Squall Quistis Rinoa Selphie Zell Irvine Other Characters

Squall

Limit break: Renzokuken

Squall's limit break consists of a sequence of physical attacks, so you can press R1/ E at the right time to trigger the gun blade for a perfect hit, just like during his normal attack. If you get it often enough, you will get a "Perfect!" at the end of the sequence, with an extra bonus. he attack is then finished off with a special attack, depending on the type of his weapon.

Quistis

Limit break: Blue Magic

When choosing Qustis' limit break, you'll notice that the attacks she uses are- enemy attacks. To learn those, you will have to pick up the items listed below and use them on her, and she will automatically learn them so you can choose them in battle. :) it's not actually magic per se, as you can use any attack as often as you like- in limit break mode, of course.

Rinoa

Limit break: Combine/ Angel Wing

Rinoa, being the princess that she is, refuses to fight herself when feeling weak and lets- lo and behold- her dog do all the work. Yes, her dog fights for her. Talk about responsible. (Did I ever mention I do not like Rinoa? I really don't!) Anyway, to make Angelo learn new attacks, you have to buy or pick up pet magazines (called Pet pals) and read them. Then, go to Rinoa's menu and select the new skill which should have appeared. The bar is still empty- it will fill automatically while you're walking around. Rinoa has to be in the party. Once the bar is full and the dog has learned the skill, you will hear a sound signalizing so.
When choosing the limit break, Rinoa will summon Angelo and he will perform a random attack of the ones he already learned.
You can find all pet pal issues and where to gain them in the magazine section. Hint: If you want good limit breaks, don't read all magazines and just make Angelo learn the attacks you really want. That way, it'll be more likely that you gain your wanted attack when choosing Rinoa's limit break.

Angel Wing: Starting at Disc 3 in the Ragnarok, you will be able to use Angel Wing as well: Rinoa will grow wings on her back and enter a berserk- like status, casting random spells every round. They're not dependant on or decreasing the spells she has in her inventory, though.

Zell

Limit break: Duel

Now here your initiative is asked for! Zell's limit break works like a small fighting game: certain key combos are given which you have to press in the right order to trigger his moves and hit the enemy. If you're not used to it, suck at it or just plain hate it (like me!), you can turn this into an automatic process in his status menu.
Keep in mind that you have a time limit and try to finish as many good combos as possible for a lot of damage! However, if you use one of the flashing combos, the limit break will be over regardless of how much time you have left.
Zell learns new combos every time you read a "Combat king"- magazine. You can find their locations in the magazine section as well.

Selphie

Limit break: Slot

A raffle in an RPG, and you can draw as often as you like! Isn't it great? Especially for people like me who have never won anything in a tombola except for a plastic ballpoint pen, this limit break is great! (At least psychologically.)
Anyway, Selphie's limit break chooses random spells for you to use. If you don't like what you get, just choose the next one. In some cases, the spells will even be cast more than once! Like in Rinoa's Angel Wing, they're not dependant on Selphie's spell inventory and thus you can use spells she doesn't own (or if she owns them, they won't decrease).
If that wasn't enough, there are certain bonus spells or spell combos which appear rarely. There are no particular ways to learn them, they just appear later in the game- and it takes a lot of luck to get them. :)
So where's the catch? While you're drawing spells and searching for that Ultimax3, the battle keeps running in the background- and if you take too long in your search, you might just find yourself killed off in the process.

So here, the special spell combos:

• FullCure- Restores all HP of the entire party in battle.
• Wall- Casts Shell and protect on all party members.
• Rapture- Puts wings on the enemy and removes them from battle flieing. This doesn't work on bosses, undead or already flieing enemies.
• THE END- weirdest but most powerful attack in the game, since it also works on bosses (except X-ATM092; but yes, other than that it even works on Omega weapon :D): the screen turns into the green field Rinoa is standing on in the intro movie; the words "THE END" appear- and you won the fight!

Irvine

Limit break: Shot

Irvine's limit break requires money! First you'll get a list with the ammo you have (you can either find it somewhere, receive it from monsters or most commonly, you have to buy it in shops, price list in the items section.). You'll also get a time limit in which you have to shoot the enemy as often as possible. Don't forget to aim!

Other Characters