Break (ブレイク, Bureiku?), also known as Vit 0 (体力０, Tairyoku Zero?), is a recurring status in the Final Fantasy series. The afflicted suffers a penalty to their stats, usually their Attack and Defense.
Appearances
Final Fantasy VII
Two handicaps in the Battle Square claim to break the player's weapon or armor. In fact, they simply reduce the character's Strength or Defense stats respectively. The two statuses can be inflicted multiple times for increasingly detrimental effects. The player can bypass the effect of their broken weapon by using the Goblin Punch Enemy Skill.
Final Fantasy VIII
Vit 0 is a negative status effect that drops the _target's Vitality and Spirit to zero, making it highly vulnerable to both physical and magical attacks. The afflicted gains a purplish hue. All enemies can be inflicted with Vit 0, making it one of the most useful effects in the game. Ribbon can be used to prevent it.
Vit 0 is inflicted by the magic spell Meltdown, the GF Doomtrain, the Blue Magic spell Bad Breath when used at Crisis Level 4, or the Blue Magic spell Acid when used at Crisis Level 3 or 4. Vit 0 is removed when the battle ends, or by using Esuna, the items Remedy+, Elixir, or Megalixir, the GF Siren's Treatment command, and Selphie's Full-cure.
Final Fantasy X
Auron's section of the Sphere Grid contains Power Break, Armor Break, Magic Break and Mental Break. When used on an enemy, the Break status of the same name is inflicted, lowering their Attack, Defense, Magic Power or Magic Defense. Armor Break also negates an armored enemy's armor, allowing weapons without the Piercing ability to do normal damage.
In the International, PAL and HD Remaster versions, the ability Full Break inflicts all four Break statuses on the _target.
Final Fantasy XIII
As the party attacks enemies, their Chain Bonus increases. When the Chain Bonus reaches the Stagger point, the enemy is staggered, and takes more and more damage from attacks as the Chain Bonus continues to increase. Staggered enemies may also be vulnerable to status ailments they may not be normally, lose beneficial statuses, change into a more vulnerable form, or otherwise be further hindered.
Final Fantasy XIII-2
Stagger works identically to the original game.
Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII
The stagger mechanic is still in the game, but is no longer called "Break" in Japanese, rather being referred to as Knocked Out. The "Stagger Wave" appears with an enemy's HP gauge. Each monster has its own stagger point and conditions for raising the Stagger Wave listed in each monster's bestiary entry. When enough Stagger Power is accumulated and the enemy reaches its Stagger Point, it will be staggered.
Final Fantasy XV
The player can break enemies by dealing good damage to them, such as with warp-strikes. Some weapons are especially good for breaking, like Cerberus and some royal arms. Breaking enemies has various effects from them dropping body appendages to drastically lowering their stats, depending on which part of the enemy is broken.
Dissidia Final Fantasy (2008)
When a character's Bravery falls below 0 as a result of an opponent's attack, they are afflicted with the Break status. Their Bravery turns transparent with the word "Break" over it. Characters in Break status do not damage the opponent's Bravery when they attack, though their own Bravery will still increase. Break is recovered when the character's Bravery regenerates to its base value, either over time or by landing attacks, or when the character lands an HP attack, resetting their Bravery to 0 after which it quickly recovers back to base value. When a character is inflicted with Break, their opponent receives the stage Bravery pool on top of their current Bravery, and the Bravery pool resets to its base value shortly after.
Golbez's EX Mode ability Black Fang can instantly Break the opponent if charged fully. Various summons, such as Deathgaze and Odin, can Break the opponent instantly. Stage hazards and summons that reduce the opponent's Bravery cannot Break them, they will merely reduce their Bravery to 0.
Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
Break works identically to Dissidia, with the addition of two new types of Break—Assist Break and EX Break. EX Break is performed by successfully landing an Assist attack on an opponent in EX Mode, and depletes their EX Gauge and grants the player the stage Bravery pool. Assist Break is performed by attacking an opponent's Assist while in EX Mode or blocking an Assist's attack, and rewards the player the Bravery pool while executing an Assist Lock on the opponent.
Dissidia Final Fantasy NT
Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia
Final Fantasy Trading Card Game
Cards that have their power reduced to zero by attacks or special abilities are afflicted with Break, destroying them and sending them to the Break Zone, which serves as the discard pile. Various cards have abilities that instantly Break other cards regardless of their power.