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Mindflayer, also known as Sorcerer or Mind Flare, is an enemy in the original Final Fantasy.

They appear in several dungeons, such as Flying Fortress, the Cavern of Ice, the Citadel of Trials, and the Chaos Shrine. They are dangerous foes, as they have some potent special attacks. Its physical attack, while doing only one point of damage per hit, may cause instant death and is non-elemental. Protective equipment and NulDeath cannot add resistance, so the only way to lower the chance of the instant death triggers is to have high magic defense (and therefore high levels).

Their own magic defense is high, making them hard to hit with magic, and they do not have any weaknesses. Physical attacks are the way to go, but their Mind Blast ability can target the party's physical fighters, which in turn can hinder the player's fleeing abilities.

Stats[]

AI script[]

Action Probability
Attack 72.12%
Mind Blast 24.04%
Flee 3.85%

Prior to Pixel Remaster:

Action Probability
Attack 50.00%
Mind Blast 50.00%

In versions before Pixel Remaster, Mindflayer has 130 morale, and only gains a chance to run away if the lead party member is Lv26 or higher.

Behind the scenes[]

Like so many enemies in Final Fantasy, Mind Flayers are taken directly from the bestiary of Dungeons & Dragons, and are one of the most infamous and iconic monsters of that game. While the "Evil Eye" (AKA a Beholder) was drastically changed in appearance in every single release after the initial Japanese one due to copyright concerns, Mind Flayers have not been renamed or graphically altered, despite their prominence in Dungeons & Dragons, and have appeared in other games since. One general assumption is that, so long as the Mind Flayers are not called "illithids" (which is a specifically-protected term), Wizards of the Coast cannot claim copyright infringement, as the concept of the "octopus-faced mind eater" comes from still earlier works by Brian Lumley and H.P. Lovecraft.

Gallery[]

Etymology[]

Mindflayers, or "Illithids," are a race found in Dungeons & Dragons. They appear humanoid, with heads that resemble octopuses, and frequently are found in the Underdark. They have fearsome psychic powers, subsist on a diet comprised of the brain tissue of sapient beings, and often enslave other races.

Related enemies[]

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