You'd best be frozen!
Freezing Dust's flavor text from Final Fantasy VI
Freeze (フリーズ, Furīzu?), also called Frozen or Deep Freeze (凍結, Tōketsu?) , is a recurring status ailment from the Final Fantasy series, usually associated with the Ice element. It halts the affected from taking action. Despite their naming similarities, the ability called Freeze does not inflict the Freeze status.
Appearances[]
Final Fantasy VI[]
The status is not named in the game, but the word "frozen" is used in the flavored text of the inflicting abilities. Frozen is a status ailment similar to stop, the character is encased in ice and unable to take any action. This status can be removed by hitting the frozen character with a Fire-elemental spell or weapon, Sabin's Soul Spiral, and Mog's Water Harmony's Raccoon.
Frozen eventually wears off but it takes twice as long as stop or sleep. If Terra is frozen solid while tranced, and the trance bar runs out during her frozen state, she will be permanently tranced for the duration of the battle.
Gau has access to this status through the Fiend Dragon Rage and its ability Northern Cross, and no enemy or boss has immunity to said status.
Before Crisis -Final Fantasy VII-[]
The Blizzard spells had the additional effect of inflicting Frozen where a character was unable to move for 3 to 4 seconds. The status could be prevented by resisting/absorbing Ice.
Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-[]
Blizzard-type magic and ice-type attacks can inflict Frozen that stops the afflicted for a period of time and makes them subject to additional damage during freezing. This status can be removed by being hit with a Fire-elemental ability.
Final Fantasy IX[]
A character under the Freeze status is encased in ice and immediately KO'd if hit with a physical attack. The affected will thaw out in time, and will be cured if a Fire-elemental spell is cast on him or her. Some enemies, like Hecteyes and Gimme Cat, can still blink when frozen. If the player tries to escape manually, the frozen party member still assumes the run pose, but fails to leave the battle with others . The player can inflict the status with the Frost Blue Magic and Ice Brand and Ice Lance have Freeze as an Add Status. The player can protect against Freeze with Body Temp.
Final Fantasy XIV[]
Deep Freeze will freeze characters solid, preventing them from moving or performing actions and occasionally causing damage over time. Some variants of Deep Freeze will build up gradually before freezing solid, others freeze automatically. The Frozen status will also apply Deep Freeze upon reaching 4 stacks, while the Freezing status will apply Deep Freeze when it expires. Blue Mages can inflict Deep Freeze with the spell The Ram's Voice, as can several enemy abilities.
Final Fantasy XV[]
Using ice-elemental Elemancy inflicts Frozen status to both party and enemies in the area, though party members can be protected against it with equipment. Frozen targets move sluggishly and take damage overtime until they thaw out.
Final Fantasy XVI[]
The Eikonic Feat Cold Snap is a dodging ability that can also temporarily freeze enemies. This has two variants. Pressing while Clive is sliding along the floor triggers Frostbite, briefly freezing an enemy with an ice crystal. Precision-dodging an attack with Cold Snap instead freezes all enemies within a radius with Permafrost. The duration of Permafrost's freezing is longer with stronger attacks than weaker attacks.
King's Knight -Wrath of the Dark Dragon-[]
In Freeze status, an enemy is encased in ice and cannot move for several seconds. Kaliva's KM II, Icicle Press, is the first ability known to inflict Freeze on each target struck.
Final Fantasy Type-0[]
Targets inflicted with Freeze cannot move or act for a short period of time.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles[]
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates[]
Players and enemies can be frozen from being hit by Ice Magicites. Certain dungeons that have a ice floorings can freeze players if they stay on these for too long. These floorings, however, do not affect enemies.
Those inflicted with Freeze will be encased in ice and sustain damage from Freeze for a few seconds. They will also be unable to move, making them vulnerable to attacks.
Several equipment such as the Frost Armor and the Frost Helm grant the wearer the Equipped Bonus Anti-Frost Boost, which reduces the damage inflicted from being Frozen.
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time[]
Pictlogica Final Fantasy[]
Final Fantasy Explorers[]
Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales[]
Freeze is a status effect. Unit affected by Freeze takes double damage from blue zones.
Cards that cause Freeze[]
Comparison with Stop[]
The Stop status also prevents the affected from taking action, but the lore behind it is different; in-game descriptions for Stop describe the affected as being frozen in time.
Some games that lack the Freeze status have ice-elemental attacks that inflict Stop. These are the Freeze spell in Final Fantasy VII and the enemy-exclusive White Breath technick in Final Fantasy XII.