Strago learns a Lore while fighting on the Floating Continent in Final Fantasy VI.

Main Walkthrough

Each main character in Final Fantasy VI has their own unique ability, and for Strago that ability is Lore. A Blue Mage, Strago can learn a specific list of unique moves from enemies, then use them himself in combat. Strago's Lores tend to be a bit less straightforward than the abilities of other characters, and can prove quite powerful under the proper circumstances.

There are a few rules that govern whether or not Strago will learn a Lore from an enemy:
  • Strago must be in the party during the battle
  • Either an enemy or a character mimicking an enemy (Gau, Relm, Gogo) must use the move
  • Strago can't be affilicted with any abnormal statuses when the move goes off - this includes being KOed
  • You must win the battle
  • Strago must be conscious when the fight ends
Strago does not need to be hit by the Lore to learn it. This runs contrary to Blue Mages in other Final Fantasy titles, where being subjected by the move was a prerequisite to learning it.

Below is a list of all the Lores Strago can learn in Final Fantasy VI, and the enemies from whom he can learn each Lore. This list omits enemies whom Strago never gets a chance to fight, even if they appear on the Veldt. (It isn't a good place to go Lore hunting.) Even if an enemy knows the Lore it may not use it normally, in which case you should have Relm use her Control ability, via the Fake Mustache relic.

Some of these enemies appear in multiple locations. This list includes the earliest possible place where you can fight it. (In most cases, the alternate location is the Dragons' Den.) You can also find most of the enemies - the non-boss enemies, anyway - on the Veldt, though their appearances are random.

Strago uses the Doom Lore in Final Fantasy VI.

Doom (Condemned)

MP: 20
Learned from:
  • Ahriman (Kefka's Tower)
  • Alluring Rider (Cyan's Dream)
  • Dark Force (Kefka's Tower)
  • Death Warden (Cave on the Veldt)
  • Kaiser Dragon (Dragons' Den)
  • Nelapa (Floating Continent)
  • Plague (Dragons' Den)
  • Rest (Kefka's Tower)
  • Skull Dragon (Kefka's Tower)
  • Still Life (Owzer's Mansion)
  • Yojimbo (Kefka's Tower)
Inflicts Doom on a single target, KOing them in 20 seconds. Not terribly useful, as you can defeat enemies that are vulnerable to Doom well before the timer elapses.

Strago uses the Roulette Lore in Final Fantasy VI.

Roulette

MP: 10
Learned from:
  • Armodullahan (Dragons' Den)
  • Ahriman (Kefka's Tower)
  • Alluring Rider (Cyan's Dream)
  • Dark Force (Kefka's Tower)
  • Nelapa (Floating Continent)
  • Plague (Dragons' Den)
Randomly selects a combatant, from the party or the enemies, and KOs them. Generally not recommended, as many enemies are immune to Instant Death - but your party members are not.

Strago uses the Tsunami Lore in Final Fantasy VI.

Tsunami (CleanSweep)

MP: 30
Learned from:
  • Blue Dragon (Ancient Castle)
  • Dark Force (Kefka's Tower)
  • Enuo (Ancient Castle)
  • Kaiser Dragon (Dragons' Den)
  • Leviathan (Nikeah / South Figaro ferry)
  • Master Tonberry (Ancient Castle)
  • Omega Weapon (Dragons' Den)
  • Ultima Buster (Kefka's Tower)
Inflicts Water-elemental damage to all enemies. A better alternative to Aqua Breath when dealing with groups of enemies, as it doesn't split damage, though a poorer choice when dealing with single targets.

Strago uses the Aqua Breath Lore in Final Fantasy VI.

Aqua Breath (Aqua Rake)

MP: 22
Learned from: Default Lore

Inflicts Water-elemental damage to all enemies. A great Water-elemental attack when Strago first joins the party, and a must-have for the Burning House in Thamasa. It loses its overall usefulness as you progress through the game, and Tsunami winds up being a better move for crowd control.

Strago uses the Aero Lore in Final Fantasy VI.

Aero

MP: 41
Learned from:
  • Dark Force (Kefka's Tower)
  • Deathgaze (world map, in the airship, World of Ruin)
  • Demon (Kefka's Tower)
  • Gilgamesh (Dragon's Neck Coliseum)
  • Gorgimera (Cave on the Veldt)
  • Kaiser Dragon (Dragons' Den)
  • Magic Dragon (Dragons' Den)
  • Marchosias (world map, near Kohlingen, World of Ruin)
  • Omega Weapon (Dragons' Den)
  • Sprinter (world map, near Maranda / Jidoor, World of Ruin)
  • Storm Dragon (Mt. Zozo)
  • Tyrannosaur (world map, forest north of the Veldt, World of Ruin)
  • Vasegiatta (world map, near Thamasa)
Inflicts Wind-elemental damage to all enemies. Situational, given that not a ton of enemies are weak to Wind-elemental attacks, but handy since there aren't many ways to exploit Wind outside of Gau's Rages.

Strago uses the 1000 Needles Lore in Final Fantasy VI.

1000 Needles (Blow Fish)

MP: 50
Learned from:
  • Angler Whelk (Darill's Tomb)
  • Brainpan (Floating Continent)
  • Cactuar (world map, desert near Maranda, World of Ruin)
  • Dark Force (Kefka's Tower)
  • Face (Phoenix Cave)
  • Gigantuar (world map, desert near Maranda, World of Ruin)
  • Gilgamesh (Dragon's Neck Coliseum)
  • Humbaba (Mobliz, World of Ruin)
  • Mover (Kefka's Tower)
  • Samurai Soul (Ancient Castle)
Inflicts exactly 1,000 points of damage to a single target. Good when you want a predictable source of damage, and useful against foes with extremely high defenses. Otherwise, not that amazing.

Strago uses the Mighty Guard Lore in Final Fantasy VI.

Mighty Guard (Big Guard)

MP: 80
Learned from:
  • Dark Behemoth (Dragons' Den)
  • Guardian (Kefka's Tower)
  • Land Ray (Solitary Isle, World of Ruin)
  • Mover (Kefka's Tower)
Casts Protect and Shell on the party. One of Strago's best Lores, and a strong argument for putting him in the party. You'll probably have to get Relm to use Sketch / Control on a foe to teach this to Strago, as this move doesn't come up often.

Strago uses the Revenge Blast Lore in Final Fantasy VI.

Revenge Blast (Revenge)

MP: 31
Learned from: Default Lore

Inflicts damage to a target equal to Strago's maximum HP minus his current HP. Capable of inflicting some pain, but on the whole it's better to keep Strago at high HP rather than risk letting it get low.

Strago uses the White Wind Lore in Final Fantasy VI.

White Wind (Pearl Wind)

MP: 45
Learned from:
  • Curlax (Cyan's Dream)
  • Dark Force (Kefka's Tower)
  • Kamui (Zone Eater's Belly)
  • Lady (Kefka's Tower)
  • Magic Dragon (Dragons' Den)
  • Marchosias (world map, near Kohlingen, World of Ruin)
  • Neslug (Dragons' Den)
  • Peeper (Solitary Isle, World of Ruin)
  • Sprinter (world map, near Maranda / Jidoor, World of Ruin)
  • Storm Dragon (Mt. Zozo)
  • Vector Lythos (Kefka's Tower)
  • Venobennu (Esper Caves)
Heals all party members equal to Strago's current HP. Great if Strago has lots of HP; not so great if he's in a desperate situation. Keep Strago in the back row and away from harm if you intend to use White Wind on a regular basis.

Strago uses the Lv.5 Death Lore in Final Fantasy VI.

Lv.5 Death (L.5 Doom)

MP: 22
Learned from:
  • Armodullahan (Dragons' Den)
  • Apocrypha (Floating Continent)
  • Daedalus (Kefka's Tower)
  • Dark Force (Kefka's Tower)
  • Death Machine (Kefka's Tower)
  • Deathgaze (world map, in the airship, World of Ruin)
  • Devil (Kefka's Tower)
  • Duel Armor (Kefka's Tower)
  • Omega Weapon (Dragons' Den)
  • Skull Dragon (Dragons' Den)
Instantly KOs any enemies with a level that's a multiple of 5. This doesn't work on bosses, and on the whole isn't worth using.

Strago uses the Lv.4 Flare Lore in Final Fantasy VI.

Lv.4 Flare (L.4 Flare)

MP: 42
Learned from:
  • Apocrypha (Floating Continent)
  • Dark Force (Kefka's Tower)
  • Devil (Kefka's Tower)
  • Duel Armor (Kefka's Tower)
  • Magic Dragon (Dragons' Den)
  • Magna Roader (brown) (Narshe Mines, World of Ruin)
  • Omega Weapon (Dragons' Den)
  • Red Dragon (Phoenix Cave)
Inflicts non-elemental damage to all enemies with a level that's a multiple of 4. Good for crowd control when you know that it will work. On the whole, not a great Lore.

Strago uses the Lv.3 Confuse Lore in Final Fantasy VI.

Lv.3 Confuse (L.3 Muddle)

MP: 28
Learned from:
  • Apocrypha (Floating Continent)
  • Dante (South Figaro Cave, World of Ruin)
  • Dark Force (Kefka's Tower)
  • Devil (Kefka's Tower)
  • Magic Dragon (Dragons' Den)
  • Omega Weapon (Dragons' Den)
Inflicts Confusion to all enemies with a level that's a multiple of 3. You're better off just using a move that defeats enemies.

Strago uses the Reflect??? Lore in Final Fantasy VI.

Reflect???

MP: 0
Learned from:
  • Dark Force (Kefka's Tower)
  • Daedalus (Kefka's Tower)
  • Kaiser Dragon (Dragons' Den)
  • Zurvan (Dragons' Den)
Inflicts Blind, Slow, and Silence on any enemies with the Reflect status. This would be more useful if you could use it in the Cultists' Tower. On the whole, though, Reflect??? is highly situational. You can start off by casting Reflect on an enemy to make this stick, but... why not just defeat them normally...?

Strago uses the Lv.? Holy Lore in Final Fantasy VI.

Lv.? Holy (L.? Pearl)

MP: 50
Learned from:
  • Alluring Rider (Cyan's Dream)
  • Dark Force (Kefka's Tower)
  • InnoSent (Kefka's Tower)
  • Kaiser Dragon (Dragons' Den)
  • Magic Dragon (Dragons' Den)
  • Omega Weapon (Dragons' Den)
  • Red Dragon (Phoenix Cave)
Inflicts Holy-elemental damage to all enemies with a level that's a multiple of the last digit of the party's current gil. Maybe you'll find this useful, or... maybe you'll just waste a turn. By and large not worth your time.

Strago uses the Traveler Lore in Final Fantasy VI.

Traveler (Step Mine)

MP: Varies; see below
Learned from:
  • Brachiosaur (world map, forest north of the Veldt, World of Ruin)
  • Crawler (world map, near Maranda / Jidoor, World of Ruin)
  • Dark Force (Kefka's Tower)
  • Fafnir (world map, near Albrook, World of Ruin)
  • Intangir (Triangle Island, World of Balance)
  • Master Tonberry (Ancient Castle)
  • Onion Dasher (Yeti's Cave)
  • Tonberry (Yeti's Cave)
  • Unseelie (world map, near Nikeah, World of Balance)
Inflicts damage on a single target equal to the number of steps you've taken, divided by 32. MP cost rises with power. With some walking this spell can hit the 9,999 damage limit faster than most other skills - though Traveler can get expensive.

Strago uses the Force Field Lore in Final Fantasy VI.

Force Field (ForceField)

MP: 24
Learned from:
  • Fiend (Kefka's Tower)
Randomly chooses an element and nullifies all attacks of that element for all combatants. Could be useful; probably isn't. Force Field takes so long to acquire - Fiend is one of the final bosses - that you probably won't use Force Field for, well, anything.

Because you only get one chance to learn Force Field you need to ensure that Strago is in the party that fights Fiend, near the end of Kefka's Tower. Put Strago in the first party when forming your three parties, then have that party choose to go left when you reach the area with three green buttons.

Strago uses the Dischord Lore in Final Fantasy VI.

Dischord

MP: 68
Learned from:
  • Crawler (world map, near Maranda / Jidoor, World of Ruin)
  • Dark Force (Kefka's Tower)
  • Figaro Lizard (Ancient Castle)
  • Gamma (Kefka's Tower)
  • Gilgamesh (Dragon's Neck Coliseum)
  • Lizard (Serpent Trench, World of Ruin)
  • Metal Hitman (Kefka's Tower)
  • Omega Weapon (Dragons' Den)
Halves the level of a single target, reducing its stats. Dischord almost never works on bosses, since it won't work against enemies immune to Instant Death, so you probably won't use this Lore.

Strago uses the Bad Breath Lore in Final Fantasy VI.

Bad Breath (Sour Breath)

MP: 32
Learned from:
  • Dark Force (Kefka's Tower)
  • Great Malboro (Kefka's Tower)
  • Malboro (Darill's Tomb)
  • Malboro Menace (Dragons' Den)
Inflicts Blind, Confuse, Imp, Poison, Silence, and Sleep on a single target. A decent way to debilitate stronger targets when you don't know their weaknesses.

Strago uses the Transfusion Lore in Final Fantasy VI.

Transfusion (Pep Up)

MP: 1
Learned from:
  • Intangir (Triangle Island, World of Balance)
  • Junk (Kefka's Tower)
  • Mousse (world map, near Kohlingen, World of Ruin)
Restores a single ally to full HP and MP and removes all status ailments, but KOs Strago, removes all of his MP, and removes him from the battle. Only good in a pinch. Generally speaking you do not want to sacrifice party members, and the fact that Strago disappears completely means you can't even revive him.

Strago uses the Rippler Lore in Final Fantasy VI.

Rippler

MP: 66
Learned from:
  • Blue Dragon (Ancient Castle)
  • Dark Force (Kefka's Tower)
  • Gigantoad (near Albrook, World of Ruin)
  • Leap Frog (islands, World of Ruin)
Trades all positive and negative status effects between Strago and a target enemy. Good against a few enemies, or if you're up against something, such as a Malboro, that likes to inflict lots of status ailments.

It's important to note that Interceptor, Shadow's dog, counts as a status effect in the early versions of Final Fantasy VI. If an enemy uses Rippler on Shadow it can 'steal' Interceptor, and if you don't get Interceptor back by the end of the fight he'll be lost forever. Don't mess around with this Lore on the SNES version, in other words.

Strago uses the Stone Lore in Final Fantasy VI.

Stone

MP: 22
Learned from: Default Lore

Inflicts non-elemental damage to all enemies and inflicts Confusion. Targets that share Strago's level receive eight times as much damage. A decent early-game Lore for crowd control, though it gets overshadowed later on by more reliable Lores.

Strago uses the Quasar Lore in Final Fantasy VI.

Quasar

MP: 50
Learned from:
  • Dark Force (Kefka's Tower)
  • Gilgamesh (Dragon's Neck Coliseum)
  • Goddess (Kefka's Tower)
Inflicts non-elemental damage on all enemies, ignoring defense. If Grand Delta wasn't around Quasar would be pretty good. The two Lores do the same thing, though, and Grand Delta hits harder, so...

Strago uses the Grand Delta Lore in Final Fantasy VI.

Grand Delta (GrandTrain)

MP: 64
Learned from:
  • Hidon (Ebot's Rock)
  • Omega Weapon (Dragons' Den)
Inflicts non-elemental damage on all enemies, ignoring defense. A stronger version of Quasar, and one of Strago's best Lores. Grand Delta is easier to get, too, making Quasar quite useless.

Strago uses the Self-Destruct Lore in Final Fantasy VI.

Self-Destruct (Exploder)

MP: 1
Learned from:
  • Balloon (Burning Home, Thamasa)
  • Bandit (Narshe Mines, World of Balance)
  • Dark Force (Kefka's Tower)
  • Gamma (Kefka's Tower)
  • Grenade (Burning Home, Thamasa)
  • Junk (Kefka's Tower)
  • Wartpuck (Zone Eater's Belly)
KOs Strago, inflicting non-elemental damage equal to Strago's HP to one enemy. Only good in emergencies, and if Strago has lots of HP. (And if he has lots of HP, it's probably not an emergency.)