The Classes

The Job System

FF III's job-change system is the original. Any of your four heroes can become any unlocked job — the art is reading the dungeon ahead and retraining to answer it, while spending your Capacity Points wisely.

01 · How It Works

Jobs, Capacity Points & job levels

  • Crystals unlock jobs in four waves. Everyone starts as an Onion Knight; each Crystal you awaken adds a batch of jobs you can freely assign to any hero.
  • Changing jobs costs Capacity Points (CP), earned from battles. Bigger "distance" between the old and new job costs more — so plan retrains rather than flipping constantly.
  • Job level builds with use and improves that job's effectiveness (and a few abilities/equip options). A freshly-changed job has a short proficiency dip before it settles in.
  • Stats follow the job. Physical jobs raise Strength/Vitality, mage jobs raise the relevant Magic stats — so a long-term caster wants to live in caster jobs.
Pixel Remaster noteThe PR added a job-level boost that greatly eases the Famicom original's harsh job-change penalty — experimenting between jobs is far more forgiving here. This is the 2D Famicom game (the original nameless Light Warriors and the classic Onion Knight), not the DS 3D remake.
02 · The Roster

Every job, by Crystal

Jobs unlock progressively as the four Crystals awaken. (Groupings follow the Famicom/Pixel Remaster layout.)

Start

JobRole
Onion KnightStarting job. Weak for most of the game, but with the full Onion gear and very high levels it becomes the strongest class — see Secrets.

Wind Crystal

JobRole
WarriorSturdy physical attacker; carries the early game.
MonkHigh HP and barehanded damage; great early bruiser.
White MageHealing and support magic — always keep one.
Black MageElemental nukes; your early ranged damage.
Red MageJack of all trades (low-tier black + white + decent melee); excellent until specialists arrive.
ThiefSteal, high speed, escape; situational utility.

Fire Crystal

JobRole
KnightArmored frontline that auto-defends low-HP allies; sturdy mid-game tank.
RangerBows (back-row safe) with multi-hit Barrage; reliable ranged damage.
ScholarStudy reveals an enemy's weakness; doubles item healing. The answer to Hein.
GeomancerFree, safe terrain attacks that never miss; low-risk damage.

Water Crystal

JobRole
DragoonJump — leap out of range, then crash for big damage. The required answer to Garuda.
VikingMassive HP and a Provoke to soak hits; the dedicated tank.
Dark KnightSouleater hits all enemies and tears through split/clone foes.
EvokerEarly summoner — summons fire a random (RNG) effect.
BardBuff/utility songs; weak in a straight fight.

Earth Crystal (final)

JobRole
NinjaTop physical: dual-wield, Throw (shuriken), high speed. An endgame pillar.
SageCasts all White, Black and Summon magic. The endgame magic pillar.
SummonerFull-power summons (not RNG like the Evoker).
DevoutMaster White mage — the best healing in the game.
MagusMaster Black mage — the strongest offensive magic.
Black Belt (Master)Endgame Monk — enormous barehanded physical damage.