To learn an enemy skill, you must be equipped with an Enemy Skill materia. When an enemy hits you with it's
special skill, you will learn it, even if it misses or kills you. However, unless you win the battle, you won't keep the skill you've
learned. There are 24 skills in all, and one of the 24 stars on the Materia Menu will light up as you get more enemy skills. Note
that you can't learn a skill and then have your player cast it on another person with an Enemy Skill materia; they must learn it
from enemies. You'll know if you learned a skill because the character with the materia equipped will spin in a circle once and
you'll get a message. Keep in mind that if you're controlling a monster to learn a particular skill, you'll have to target the
character wearing the Enemy Skill materia.
For those of you who would like complete guide, here is a list that shows the
earliest point at which you can learn each skill as you play through the game.
ANGEL WHISPER
Cost - 50 MP
Effect: An angel appears above one person and brings them back to life if they are dead. They also relieve any status ailments and dispel any bad effects. In addition HP is restored to the amount shown during the skill's use; however, this can be a bane to characters with high HP because if your life is higher than the amount shown, it is reduced to that amount. You'd think that this would be a great way to weaken enemies with more than 9999 HP, but it won't work on your opponents in this manner--it will only heal them, remove status ailments, etc.
Learn: From the beckoning women in the yellow swimsuits (Polan Solita) you meet in the Northern Crater if you take the right path the first time you meet your friends.
Tip: The easiest way to learn this skill is by controlling your enemy and picking the bottom option to make them use this skill on you.
AQUALUNG
Cost - 34 MP
Effect: Blue bubbles strike all enemies for water damage.
Learn: From the Jenova Birth in the Forgotten Capital, the Harpy in the plains surrounding the Gold Saucer; or from the floating sea-dragon creature (Serpent) in the sunken plane near the Gold Saucer.
Tip: To easily pick up this skill, just control a Harpy and choose the bottom option to make it use Aqualung.
BAD BREATH
Cost - 58 MP
Effect: Inflict multiple status ailments upon all enemies, including Confusion, Frog, Minimum (Shrink), Mute, Poison, and Sleepel.
Learn: From the Mobor creatures (green guys with tentacles and really big mouths) living on the outside ledges in Gaea's Cliff. You can also meet them in the Northern Crater, if you take the right path the first time you run into your friends.
Tip: Be sure to have some protective accessories equipped when trying to learn this skill or your party may be too weakened by the Smelly Breath to kill the Molbor or even escape!
BETA
Cost - 35 MP
Effect: A swirling red shape appears, surrounded by specks of white. All targets are hit for magic damage.
Learn: The big shadow snake (Midgar Zolom) in the marsh near the Chocobo Farm.
Tip: This monster won't use Beta unless he's waving back and forth. To make him do that, inflict heavy damage on him. Then just wait until he uses Beta. If he still doesn't use it, take off a little bit of his life since he tends to use Beta more when he's near death.
CHOCOBUCKLE
Cost - 3 MP
Effect: A fat chocobo bounces around and hits one foe for special damage. This attack gains strength each time you flee from a battle.
Learn: Go to the Chocobo Farm. Talk to the man in the barn and choose the first choice. The 5th item from the top costs 1500 gil; purchase three of them (Mimett Greens). Then go to the chocobo tracks on the Southern Continent near the forest (by Mideel), or by the first Chocobo farm near Kalm town. Equip yourself with a Chocobo Lure materia. When you encounter a chocobo, kill off all but one of the other enemies and use the item you bought 3 of on the chocobo (it looks like an orange squash). This will make the chocobo peck at the ground. At any time after that point (whether or not the chocobo is still pecking), use the L4 Suicide skill and you may get hit by the Chocobuckle.
Tip: This chocobo will typically be accompanied by two "Elfadunk" monsters. (They look like blue elephants.) As far as I know, this is the ONLY chocobo that can be hit with the L4 Suicide enemy skill.
DEATH FORCE
Cost - 3 MP
Effect: One ally becomes immune to instant death attacks (this doesn't protect you from dying if you lose all your HP).
Learn: The huge tusked turtles (Adamantaimai) by the shoreline of the Westmost Continent.
Tip: You can't learn this skill unless you control the turtle and make it use Death Force against you. To do this, choose the bottom option once it's under your control.
DEATH ROULETTE
Cost - 6 MP
Effect: One friend or foe is randomly killed.
Learn: From the floating card-jesters (Death Dealer) in the Northern Crater if you take the right path the first time you meet your friends.
Tip: You can control the Death Dealer and make him use Death Roulette on you by picking the second option when the enemy abilities window appears. If it kills one of your enemies, you'll have to try again until the pointer lands on you.
DEATH SENTENCE
Cost - 10 MP
Effect: One enemy is Condemned (they die when the counter over their head reaches zero).
Learn: The yellow, spiked enemies (Bound Fat) that live in front of and in the area behind the Forgotten Capital.
Tip: You could control these guys, but if you kill one it will counterattack with this skill so it may be easier to simply off one, especially if you don't have the Manipulate materia. If you do, then simply control them and pick the bottom option to use the Death Sentence.
DRAGON FORCE
Cost - 19 MP
Effect: Increases your physical and Magic Plus defense rating.
Learn: From the dragons (Dark Dragon) you meet during the descent into the Northern Crater.
Tip: You can't learn this unless you control the Dark Dragon and have it use Dragon Force on one of you (pick the second choice).
FLAME THROWER
Cost - 10 MP
Effect: A stream of fire burns one foe for Fire damage.
Learn: From any enemy that utilizes a fire breath attack. One of the earliest locations would be the room with the ladders and pipes where you fight the boss of the mountains behind Nibelheim; you can fight Dragons in that area that use Kaen Housha often. You can also learn it from the flying yellow monsters (Arch Dragon) in the Mythril Mine.
Tip: While you could learn this skill by controlling a Dragon and picking the bottom choice to make it use this skill on you, chances are it will hit you with Kaen Housha as it's initial attack in the first place. The same goes for the flying Aakudoragons.
FROG SONG
Cost - 5 MP
Effect: Transforms all foes into frogs and puts them to sleep.
Learn: From the green frogs (Touch Me) in the circular forest near Gongaga Town (also from the other forests nearby).
Tip: You can control the enemy and make it use Kaeru no Uta on you (pick the bottom option).
GOBLIN PUNCH
Cost - 0 MP
Effect: One foe is hit for physical damage. The damage inflicted is multiplied if your opponent has the same EXP level that you do.
Learn: Imp-like monsters wearing boxing gloves (Goblin) found on the only forested island in the northeast area of the map.
Tip: You can control the Goblins if you want (pick the middle option to use the Goblin Punch), but it's more likely that they'll hit you with it in the first place, so don't even bother and just let them strike first.
LASER
Cost - 16 MP
Effect: Reduces an enemy's HP by one-half.
Learn: From Death Claw in the Corel Prison (manipulate it). Or, from the dragons (Dark Dragon) you meet during the descent into the Northern Crater.
Tip: You can either let the Dark Dragon use this ability on you, or you can control it (using Manipulate), and pick the top option to make it use Laser on one of your allies.
L4 SUICIDE
Cost - 10 MP
Effect: All enemies with an experience level that is a multiple of 4 loses almost all their HP (you can't kill an enemy with this spell. The best you can do is reduce their HP to one point). In addition, they may be afflicted with the 'Minimum' status.
Learn: Burrowing squirrel-like foes (Mu) found near the Chocobo Farm.
Tip: You can't control this enemy, so you'll have to wait until they use it on you.
L5 DEATH
Cost - 22 MP
Effect: Any enemy whose level is a multiple of 5 is instantly killed.
Learn: From the blue, leech-like enemies (Parasite) in the Northern Crater.
Tip: Simply use Manipulate to command your foe and then choose the middle option if you want the Parasite to use Level 5 Death on one of your members.
MAGIC BREATH
Cost - 75 MP
Effect: Rainbow orbs hit all foes for fire, ice, and lighting damage.
Learn: From the red spider/crab-like creatures (Stilve) living inside the Frozen Mountain. Also from the blue, leech-like enemies (Parasite) in the Northern Crater.
Tip: To learn this skill from a Parasite quickly, control it and pick the last option to have it use Magic Breath on your allies.
MAGIC HAMMER
Cost - 3 MP
Effect: Bop one foe on the head and gain up to 100 MP (assuming the monster has enough MP).
Learn: Plant-like monsters (Razor Weed) found on the tip of the Westernmost Continent (in the dark grass).
Tip: You can control an Razor Weed and have it use the Magic Hammer against one of your allies (choose the third option).
MATRA MAGIC
Cost - 8 MP
Effect: Fire a pack of missiles at one enemy for magic damage.
Learn: Machines with big feet and guns for arms (Sweeper Custom) around Junon Town. Or from the wheeled robo-creatures in the underwater part of Junon Town.
Tip: To learn this skill from the Sweeper Custom, just control it and choose the last option.
MIGHTY GUARD
Cost - 56 MP
Effect: Has the same effect as casting Haste, Barrier, and MBarrier on all your allies.
Learn: The spiky, shelled creatures with green tentacles (Beach Plug) that live on the shore near the Gongaga Town.
Tip: The Beach Plug won't use Mighty Guard unless you control it and make it use the skill on one of your members (it's the middle option).
PANDORA'S BOX
Cost - 110 MP
Effect: A star field and question mark appear; hits all enemies for physical damage.
Learn: From the huge, multi-limbed bone dragons (Dragon Zombie) in the Northern Crater if you take the right path the first time you meet your friends.
Tip: As the Dragon Zombies are uncontrollable, you'll simply have to keep fighting them until they use this skill on one of your characters.
SHADOW FLARE
Cost - 100 MP
Effect: A black flare hits a single opponent for magic damage.
Learn: From the Ultimate Weapon in Disc 3; it uses it as a counterattack before dying. Or, learn it from the Dragon Zombies in the Northern Crater.
Tip: If you're fighting the flying dragon, just kill it and it will use the Shadow Flare on you. If you're trying to learn it from a Dragon Zombie, you'll have to wait until it uses it since you can't control them.
TRINE
Cost - 20 MP
Effect: A Delta Force-like attack that hits all enemies for lighting damage.
Learn: Godo, of the pagoda's top floor in Wutai. Also from the red spider/crab-like creature (Stilve) living inside the Frozen Mountain, or the spider-like boss (Materia Keeper) of the mountains behind Nibelheim. Remember, the only time you can learn this skill is while fighting one of the above monsters, so learn it while you still can!
Tip: Actually, the Materia Keeper is more likely to use this against your characters than any other enemy that can use this skill. It's a good thing, too, since you can't control it.
WHITE WIND
Cost - 34 MP
Effect: Each ally regains lost HP and their status ailments are cured and dispelled. The amount of HP recovered depends on the current HP of the caster.
Learn: The white and green cactus-like monsters (Zemzelett) in the grassy area by Junon Town, or from the winged serpents (Wind Wing) you fight if you're hit by a barrier at Whirlwind Maze.
Tip: You can't learn White Wind from a Zemzelett unless you control it and make it use the skill on you (pick the bottom choice to do this).
????
Cost - 3 MP
Effect: A weight drops and hits for special damage. The amount is equal to the amount of damage the caster has received in battle.
Learn: From the balance-like creatures (Jersey) in Nibelheim. Also from the purple behemoths (Behemoth) you encounter when raiding Midgar City. Keep in mind that you won't actually learn this skill unless you take damage from it.
Tip: The Judges will use this skill eventually. You can't control them, but they're easier to run into than the Behemoths.
DISC ONE:
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'Aqualung' from the Harpys found near the Gold Saucer and in the Corel Desert area. You can also learn it from 'Jenova Life', who you fight in the Forgotten Captial.
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'Beta' from Midgar Zolom in the nearby marsh. You must severely injure him (he'll start waving back and forth), before he will be able to use Beta against your party.
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'Big Guard' from the Beach Plugs that live on the shores of the Gongaga Area.
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'Death Force' from the Adamantaimais that live on the shore of the Wutai area.
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'Death Sentence' from the Bound Fats in Zango Valley.
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'Flame Thrower' from the Arc Dragons flying around in the Mythril Mine.
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'Frog Song' from the Touch Mes in the forests in the Gongaga Area.
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'Laser' from the Death Claws in Corel Prison.
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'L4 Suicide' from the Mus that live in the field around the Chocobo Farm.
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'Magic Hammer' from the Razor Weeds in the Wutai Area.
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'Matra Magic' from the Sweeper Customs that will fight you just outside of Midgar City.
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'Trine' from the Materia Keeper boss that you fight in the Nibel Mountains. You can also learn this skill from the Stilves in Gaea's Wall (Disc 2).
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'White Wind' by manipulating a Zemlezett (found in the area near Junon), and having him use it on you.
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'????' from the Jerseys that roam the halls of the Shinra Mansion in Nibelheim. You can also learn this skill from the Behemoths in the area below Midgar (Disc 2), and from the King Behemoths in the last dungeon (Disc 3).
DISC TWO:
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'Bad Breath' from the Molbors on the outside ledges of Gaea's Wall.
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'Chocobuckle' from the Chocobos found in the Mideel Area. You must feed that Chocobo a 'Mimett Greens' during battle, then cast L4 Suicide on it. After enough attempts, it will counter with 'Chocobuckle'.
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'Goblin Punch' from the Goblins found on Goblin Island and Round Island.
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'Magic Breath' from the Stilves in Gaea's Wall, or from the Parasites in the final dungeon (Disc 3).
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'Shadow Flare' during the final battle with the Ultima Weapon or the Dragon Zombies in the last dungeon (Disc 3).
DISC THREE:
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'Angel Whisper' from the Pollen Salitas in the last dungeon.
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'Dragon Force' from the Dark Dragons in the last dungeon.
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'L5 Death' from the Parasites in the last dungeon.
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'Pandora's Box' from the Dragon Zombies in the last dungeon.
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'Roulette' from the Death Dealers in the last dungeon.