Summary
- Toad status effect is significant in Final Fantasy series with unique abilities.
- Toad in FF5 provides a chance to turn others into Toads through regular attacks.
- FF7 Rebirth features Toads with new abilities and charming character-specific appearances.
Status effects across the Final Fantasy series tend to be a bit hit-or-miss. You get so many cool effects, yet in most games, bosses can’t even suffer from them, making them functionally useless. This isn’t always the case (thank you, Final Fantasy 10) though often enough to be annoying.
Which is what makes Toad, or sometimes Frog, so fun. It’s not meant to be serious. An enemy casts a spell and now you’re a frog. Simply deal with it. While Toad hasn’t appeared in every Final Fantasy game, it’s left a strong impression in all of them. So let’s take a look at some of the most memorable.
8
Final Fantasy 2
Final Fantasy 2 was the introduction of the Toad status effect to the series, and it mostly unchanged in entries since. It was a very strong foundational it laid down. Once you are turned into a frog, your accuracy is massively reduced, though enemies inflicted with it die instantly instead.
What makes these frogs stand out so much is just how teeny tiny they are. You’re miniature! Even better is that the status remains after battle, giving each character a slightly unique portrait in the menu. It’s like having a little pet frog.
7
Final Fantasy Tactics
Politics in games rarely hit the same way they do as they do in a Yasumi Matsuno. His games showcase a strong understanding of class warfare, divine rights, and plenty more. It’s heavy stuff, and Final Fantasy Tactics shows it with great talent. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t have time for humour, though.
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You can of course be turned into a Toad. Plenty of Jobs have the ability to turn enemies into Toads, and the same is true of enemies. These plump little frogs take up the whole tile they’re on, having the same reduced accuracy and inability to cast magic as other renditions. It does have one advantage though – because frogs are so short, enemies attacking them from above have a lesser bonus than usual.
6
Final Fantasy 15
Final Fantasy 15 is a fascinating game. Though filled with heart and passion, it is a game stitched together by hope and many other projects crushed together. It has immaculate vibes though as you journey the world with your entourage, and plenty of frog-related activities await you.
What makes the Toad status of FF15 so surreal is the many quests that task you with collecting frogs. Enemies can also turn you into a frog. Who’s to say all those frogs you pick up aren’t just others turned into frogs? You may never know the answer, but at least you can enjoy Noctis’ friends make fun of him after being turned into a frog.
5
Final Fantasy 14
In Final Fantasy 14, the Toad status effect is pretty much unchanged from other entries, though with the added caveat that you can’t perform any actions. Just running. Or hopping. Not too many enemies can turn you into a frog though, meaning these little amphibians are usually only seen in certain scenarios.
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Gilgamesh is one such enemy who can turn players into frogs. Even worse, he sics his faithful companions, Enkidu, after you while in this forms. All you can do is helplessly hop away. You can also be potentially turned into a Fire Toad by Amon, which lets you breathe fire. How gracious of him.
4
Final Fantasy 5
In Final Fantasy 5, the Toad status effect is a little bit different. Yes, you have terrible attack and accuracy, and cannot use most forms of magic. But that is the key difference – most forms of magic. This time around, frogs get the opportunity to fight back. A little bit at least.
You see, anyone that is a Toad in FF5, be they you or an enemy, has a chance of turning others into Toads with their regular attack. You could create a veritable army of Toads just by attacking the enemy as one yourself! Plus, the frogs this time around are significantly more plump than earlier entries, which is just adorable.
3
Final Fantasy 4
The Toad status effect of Final Fantasy 4 is quite funny because it’s significantly different between the original and Pixel Remaster versions, the and 3D mobile version. While gameplay-wise they function the same, the appearance is night and day. While the original game has, well, regular frogs, the 3D version features a much more anthropomorphic version. Equally cute and unsettling.
FF4’s Toad is fairly harsh, too. You have an attack stat of 1, and everything else at 0, while enemy attacks are doubled. It’s basically a death sentence, while also remaining after battle. Black Mage’s do retain the Toad spell, however, which they can cast on themselves to revert back to their non-frog form.
Edward also uniquely retains his ability to sing as a frog, but only one – Toadsong.
2
Final Fantasy 7
Final Fantasy 7 was the first Final Fantasy game to showcase the Toad status effect in 3D, and remained the only one to do so until Final Fantasy 11. It’s a bit less cruel than other entries, only reducing your attack to a quarter of its full value rather than depleting it entirely. It also clears up after battle, making things a bit more manageable.
And why do these frogs stand out so much? Because they look so silly, obviously. They’re some of the biggest frogs the series has shown off (Gigantoads not withstanding), and they stand up, which is not a typical frog thing to do. The little pose they hit in combat is just adorable, too. They even do the victory animation as a frog!
It was also one of the only games to call the status effect Frog, rather than Toad.
1
Final Fantasy 7 Remake And Rebirth
Final Fantasy 7 was already one of the best renditions of the Frog status effect in the series, so which game could possibly top that? The remake of Final Fantasy 7, obviously. The Toads this time around are dramatically different than previous. While actions are limited and stats are reduced, they can actually hold their own for once.
Rebirth goes even further with this, giving you a ranged attack that can restore health. That’s all cool, but not the real draw. It’s how they cool. Cloud gets a tiny Buster Sword, Barrett keeps his sunglasses on, Aerith has a bow and Tifa keeps on her skirt and suspenders. You aren’t going to find frogs better than this.
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