Severing Wind

Severing Wind (断空剣) is a classic technique of the Tales series. This is one of the most well-recognized elemental melee attacks in the series.

Arte Description and History
When Severing Wind is used, the character spins around, slashing upwards while jumping into the air, creating a cyclone of wind that hits all surrounding enemies.

In Tales of Eternia, this attack appears as Earth Divide. It can be used when Spiral Attack is used at the precise moment that the spell Cyclone is cast by either Keele Zeibel or Meredy. Earth Divide represents one of four Team Skills that are activated through the use of a melee arte from one character and a spell from another character cast at the same instant, combining both into one powerful elemental arte. Also, although it is named only in the Japanese version, this same attack is used by Garr Kelvin during Meredy's Destiny summon.

The arte appears in Tales of Symphonia, localized as Decisive Slice when it is used by Garr Kelvin during the final team battle stage at the coliseum in Meltokio. Within the Playstation 2 version of Tales of Symphonia, Zelos Wilder obtains the ability to use this arte in place of Light Spear, if a Wind elemental property is added to his attack through the use of the "Opal" accessory, the S. Seal: Wind arte, a Wind elemental weapon, or the Green Quartz item, and if Light Spear has been used over 200 times. This elemental variant can be used only by Zelos, despite the nearly identical moveset he shares with Kratos Aurion.

In Tales of the Abyss, Severing Wind creates a mid-level Wind FOF circle, which can be used strategically to create an FOF Change with other attacks. Additionally, the arte itself can be used within a complete Fire or Light FOF circle to transform it into Searing Gale.

In the Playstation 3 version of Tales of Vesperia, this arte is available to Flynn Scifo. However, this arte is represented very differently, as a diagonal slash towards the ground before jumping into the air with an uppercut slash. This version of the attack lacks the typical Wind-elemental property and surrounding cyclone, making the attack visually similar to Fang Blade from other games, despite lacking any relation to this arte. Flynn's version of this attack can be contrasted with Yuri Lowell's Ryuujinshou arte, which shares a similar name in both Japanese and English versions, but follows a different style of execution, much like their differing variations of Dragon Swarm.

Mothership Titles
Tales of Destiny - Stahn Aileron, Garr Kelvin (Vortex) Tales of Eternia - Team Skill: Reid Hershel + Keele Zeibel/Meredy (Earth Divide); Destiny Summon: Garr Kelvin Tales of Symphonia - Garr Kelvin (Decisive Slice) Tales of Symphonia (PS2) - Zelos Wilder, Garr Kelvin Tales of the Abyss - Guy Cecil (Severing Wind) Tales of Destiny (PS2) + Director's Cut - Stahn Aileron, Garr Kelvin Tales of Vesperia (PS3) - Flynn Scifo Tales of Graces - Richard

Escort Titles
Tales of the World: Narikiri Dungeon 2 - Garr Kelvin Tales of the World: Narikiri Dungeon 3 - Garr Kelvin Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology - Magic Knight class, Stahn Aileron (Severing Wind) Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World - Zelos Wilder (Severing Wind) Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology 2 - Magic Knight class, Brandish class, Garr Kelvin, Zelos Wilder, Guy Cecil

Fan-Translated Names
Tales of the World: Narikiri Dungeon 2 (Kajitani-Eizan): Severing Wind Tales of the World: Narikiri Dungeon 3 (Kajitani-Eizan): Severing Wind

Tales of Destiny
Localized Description: "Drags enemies into a vortex created by the user's spinning body."

Tales of the Abyss
Localized Description: "Arcane arte: A tornado created from a spinning attack damages the enemy."

Tales of the World: Radiant Mythology
Localized Description: "Master: Spinning slashes create a tornado that lifts the enemy."