Darkside

In Final Fantasy VIII, "Darkside" (あんこく) is a unique command ability. It allows a character to inflict triple damage with their normal attack while sacrificing 10% of their maximum health. While powerful, this skill comes with a health cost, requiring careful usage. Not every character can learn Darkside; instead, it must be acquired through specific Guardian Forces (GF) such as Diablos, Doomtrain, and Eden. This skill represents a take on the "Dark Knight" concept from the Final Fantasy series. Players can mitigate the health loss by junctioning Drain magic to their ST-Atk. In battle strategy, Darkside is often used to quickly defeat enemies or in combination with Limit Breaks for increased burst damage, but players should be mindful of their character's health to avoid self-inflicted deaths. Darkside is a high-risk, high-reward ability in Final Fantasy VIII, worthy of study and exploitation.