Fans of tactical RPGs may fondly rememberSquare Enix’sFinal Fantasy Tacticsfor its unique take on the genre. After all, the publisher does add a lot of signatureFinal Fantasythemes to a unique story set inFF12’s Ivalice. In addition, the game’s compelling narrative and interesting gameplay options make it a memorable title despite its 1997 release.
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Some fans may highly recommend this game as one of the best in the genre. However, forFinal Fantasyfans picking upTactics, the straightforward yet deep customization system might become overwhelming at first. WhichFinal Fantasy TacticsJobs are the best?
Updated on Jul 09, 2025, by Rhenn Taguiam:With the recent release ofStranger Of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origintaking theFinal Fantasyfranchise further into action territory, and withFinal Fantasy 16likely to keepFF7 Remake’s blend of tactical action, fans of classic Final Fantasy games might be clamoring for a return to the franchise’s turn-based RPG roots. Thankfully for players, avid fans of the franchise can skip older titles in the franchise and head straight toFinal Fantasy Tacticsfor equally-engaging tactical gameplay paired with an equally compelling narrative. And with the classic game possibly featuring the most number of Jobs across the franchise, both series newcomers and franchise savants might want to see a more medieval fantasy take on some fan favorites - and with some acclaimed Jobs being must-picks in the game.
15Onion Knight
Players who loveFinal Fantasywill recognize the Onion Knight Job class. InTactics, the Job stays true to its nature of being more of a wildcard, either being super strong or extremely weak. Moreover, the Onion Knight has a steep leveling curve that could impede a party’s progress. For instance, players unlock the Onion Knight if they have Squire 6 and Chemist 6. However, they only level up the Onion Knight Job by mastering two Jobs, meaning they can unlock the last Onion Knight level by mastering 14 Jobs, with certain Jobs not counting.
Moreover, the Onion Knight has strange caveats. For instance, they don’t have “real” abilities and can’t equip any abilities,including summons. They can, however, wear all kinds of equipment including their exclusive Onion set.
14Arithmetician
Arithmetician is a specialized spellcaster that can imbue special conditions to spells they cast. This ability immediately makes Arithmeticians quite the curious class to pick. After all, a simple tweak to their ability can insta-kill opponents. Unfortunately, they do have a low Magick Attack and are one of the slowest spellcasters.
Players should skip the Arithmetician not because the Job is inefficient, but because the Arithmetician takes quite a bit of skill to control, which might not be worth the while for players who simply want to enjoy the game. Thankfully, the Arithmetician becomes easy to access for characters who specialize in spell-casting, as this unlocks when a character is White Mage 5, Black Mage 5, Mystic 4, and Time Mage 4.
13Dragoon
Fans ofFinal Fantasybecome familiar with the Dragoon very early on in previous titles, asthese dragon-themed lancerscan Jump and thrust their spears into opponents with terrifying efficiency. They return inTactics, this time a specialized Job class, alongside their Jump ability. As such, they can walk on any tile with Ignore Elevation, albeit still vulnerable to traps, sand, and water. Unfortunately, the Dancer and Bard’s Fly ability easily outclasses the Jump mechanic in this regard.
Moreover, despite the efficiency of spears in the game, the best spears for Dragoons can’t be found in shops, and players need access to the Archer and Thief Jobs to tap into Dragoon. Unfortunately, the lackluster performance of Archers and Thieves as ranged and melee classes, respectively, make the Dragoon a poor investment.
12Archer
Players who want a more ranged physical class inTacticswould likely choose an Archer for their future skirmishes. Their Aim actions delay their action for quite a stronger attack. Moreover, the Concentrate support ability makes their attacks unblockable when hit.
Unfortunately, the first of the Archer’s blunders comes with the fact that their Aim loses its value if enemies move out of their tiles, as arrows don’t follow their targets. And bows by nature remain inferior to stronger guns, making Archers obsolete in the late game.
11White Mage
Aside from the Black Mage, the White Mage remains one of the most iconicFinal FantasyJobs out there. As such, it’s no wonder the white-and-red garbs of the White Mage make a presence inTactics. Moreover, they serve as a specialized Job for the Chemist. At its core, the White Mage serves as a great support Job, thanks to the defensive nature of White Magic. Unfortunately, their charge times do become a hindrance to more tactical groups.
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The White Mage becomes a skippable Job if players already have access to characters with strong healing abilities but are also strong fighters, such as the Samurai and the Monk.
10Black Mage
Who better to serve as the most powerful spellcasters in the game than those who specialize in deadly spells, and especially one of themost iconic Jobs in the series? Thanks to theBlack Mage, players have access to early-level offensive spells, and at the same time can grow into the late-game with access to the game’s most powerful attacks. Thanks to their inherent ability to boost their overall Magic Attack, the Black Mage can grow into an OP Job in no time.
Despite being one of the most basic Jobs available at the beginning portions of the game, the Wizard is perhaps the best spellcaster available in terms of pure offense. Stats-wise, the Wizard already has an incredible Magic Attack, and the existence of both equipment and passives that boost Magic Attack make deadly spells even deadlier at the hands of this spellcaster. Most importantly, Wizards have access to Flare - something that can easily kill foes (even bosses!) with no existing counter.
9Summoner
For theSummoner, why even rely on their own magical abilities when they cansummon espersto do things for them? They are by nature a hybrid offensive and defensive spellcaster, depending on the kind of monsters that they summon on the battlefield. With this in mind, they boast the second-highest magical DPS in the game, second only to the Black Mage.
While they’re not as potent as Wizards in terms of base spellcasting power, their main strength lies not necessarily in their offensive capabilities but in what their summons can offer. Essentially one of the best anti-mob Jobs, the Summoner’s summons not only deal massive damage but can also separate allies from enemies, making them very safe to use. Perhaps their largest caveats would be their relatively lower speed, lower unlocking speed, and lower overall Magic Attack.
8Oracle
Also known as the Mystic, theOracleisa spellcasting Job with an emphasison inflicting various status ailments with their various spells or even buff allies in times of need. It’s perhaps their Mystic Arts that bestows various disadvantages that can ruin the opponent’s day, especially when things such as Silence can stop pesky spellcasters from using powerful abilities
Perhaps one of the more underrated Jobs in the game, the Oracle has access to a lot of great spells such as Paralyze, Petrify, and Sleep that can tear through random foes much faster. Moreover, Life Drain is a great tool to keep when facing bosses due to its sheer practicality. Their true weakness lies in their lack of early-game DPS and their inaccurate attack statuses.
7Geomancer
Master of the elements, theGeomancerremains one of themost defense-intensive Jobsin the game. They have access to Geomancy that allows them to use the earth itself to obliterate enemies and even bestow disadvantages to them. Depending on the spell, Geomancy can manipulate the environment to the advantage of the party.
While the Geomancer isn’t as much of a well-known Job compared to others, their middling attributes make them a safe Job to learn. Not to mention, their impeccable buffing nature makes them a must-have. For instance, their Attack Up buff is a necessary buff for any big damage dealer in a party, making the Geomancer’s assets quite important for players who want to pull off high damage numbers.
6Knight
Consideredthe first “physical” Jobin the game, theKnightis often a gateway for players to unlock other Jobs like the Monk, and may even unlock other Jobs like the Samurai. Their Rend is the Job’s best asset, being capable of bestowing disadvantages to the enemy. Combined with the Ninja’s Dual Wield, the Knight can potentially Rend two different (or twice of the same) attributes at the same time.
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While basic in terms of offerings, the Knight easily becomes one of the best tanks in the early game and has potential in the late game with their decent HP, evasion, and break skills. However, their biggest weaknesses lie in their rather low movement, slower speed, and lack of ranged options.
