Wizard

Aside from the technical aspect of being a summoner slash mage, Rydia’s ability can mean something deeper.

Summon Magic. Summoners are a special group of humans (in some reports they are considered a different race altogether), who are born with the power of summoning. The process of acquiring a summon is not very detailed in the Final Fantasy IV context, but following Rydia’s example, it is assumed that a summoner has to gain a summon’s trust before being able to use their powers.

Not only Rydia has a special ability, but she is also the only good summoner left, at least to the player’s knowledge, after the attack launched on Mist. In the Feymarch, Rydia is quickly befriended by its inhabitants because she is a child and a girl. Eidolons indeed tend to “surrender their hearts to the pure of mind and soul”. Satisfying both conditions make Rydia a perfect candidate to develop her powers to their utmost potential.

White Magic. Rydia is able to perform white magic spells only when she is a child, after returning from the Feymarch she has forgotten them. No explanation is given and since her summon and black magic abilities became stronger, one might wonder why did she lose the white magic ability instead of improving it. Simple answer: Rosa is the white mage, having two would have been too much¹. Complex answer: losing white magic may have at least two meanings.

Traditionally white is the colour of innocence and this is echoed by Rydia being a child. Also, as I said above, white magic has defensive purposes, it provides support to the party. Losing white magic can therefore signify a loss of innocence. In Rydia’s case the loss is partial because even as an adult, she retains some childlike aspects.

Another meaning is the loss of Rydia’s desire to be perceived as peaceful, innocent (as might be boosted by her adult’s “aggressive” attire). Adult Rydia is much more determined, more confident of who she is and what she is able to do. One of the reasons she comes back from the [cref 31 Feymarch] is to help Cecil, it is as if she wanted to say “Look I’m not a child any more, if I have to crush an enemy to pieces to stop Golbez I’ll do that”.

1. Porom, the black mage, and Palon, the white mage, who join the party after Rydia has been swallowed by Leviathan, petrify themselves at the end of the fight against Cagnazzo. Therefore they have already left the party when Rydia comes back. [↩]