Limit Break

A Limit Break is a powerful ability introduced in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. During a Limit Break, the user unleashes a tremendous amount of power as an attack that they wouldn't normally be able to perform. The attack is usually based on the user's element or abilities in previous games, such as a combo finisher or Limit. Unlike a Limit from Kingdom Hearts II, the character can take damage if attacked while performing a Limit Break, although the damage taken is less than not in a Limit Break. It also heals the character from any status problem and prevents them from getting any status problem.

In order to activate a Limit Break, the user must drop into a low amount of their HP, also known as the Alarm Zone. This area is marked as being yellow, as opposed to the rest of the green bar. After having dropped into the player's Alarm Zone, a small sound will sound. This means that the player can hold down the button for a few seconds to begin their Limit Break. Once the powerful attack has been triggered, a marker will begin to move down the HP bar, until it reaches the other end. At that point, the Limit Break ends, and the Alarm Zone is set closer to the end of the HP bar. To use the Limit Break again, the player must survive another attack to re-enter the Alarm Zone. The item Limit Recharge increases the Alarm Zone, and the ability Limit Boost increases where the Alarm Zone is at the beginning of a mission.

On Day 225 of the Story Mode, Roxas will receive the Final Limit panel from Saïx, which allows to user to execute his or her Final Limit. During a Final Limit, the user's Limit Break is prolonged, doubling the length of the attack. This is because the user will execute a special extra ability during a second part of their Limit Break. This extra attack will become executable when the marker that runs across the HP bar touches the left end of the HP bar. Then, the marker will run backwards to the Alarm Zone; during this time, the special series of an extra attack will begin until the end of the Limit Break. Because of this, the Final Limit's extra ability can only be used during the second half of the Limit Break. It also will always begin in the exact middle of a Limit Break, provided the user does not gain or lose any health in the process.

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Trivia

 * If you look closely, when Organization XIII members activate their Limit Breaks, thornbeams similar to the ones that Xemnas and the Twilight Thorn use in their boss battles will surround them for a brief moment.
 * When the Limit Boost panel is equipped, the alarm doesn't sound until your health is reduced to about a fourth of what it was.
 * The term "Limit Break" was first coined in Final Fantasy VII where Tetsuya Nomura was first brought in as a character designer at Square Enix. Though the mechanism was first introduced in Final Fantasy VI, it was simply Terra's ability. Ever since, most Final Fantasy titles have had some form of "Limit Break" type system, such as Trance, Quickening, and Overdrive.