―Charge's hover-over tip, Epic Battle Fantasy 4 Charge is a positive status effect introduced in Epic Battle Fantasy 4. Its icon is a yellow spark. Charge allows the entity to use a special attack once, fully expending the status. It cannot be Dispelled and, unusual for status effects, doesn't vanish upon death.
Similar mechanics existed since the first game in the series, but without a visualization through a status icon. Charging is used primarily by foes, some of which automatically gain the status on certain conditions (such as "once every X turns"), while others have to spend a turn and use a specific ability to obtain it. Only one charge-able skill is accessible to players — Lance's Hyper Beam in EBF4 and 5, which deals high damage to all foes, but costs a turn to charge. The Premium-exclusive Acceleratorgun in EBF4, along with the EBF5 versions of the Thunder Core and Sub Zero can randomly inflict Charge on Lance, occasionally allowing him to use Hyper Beam without a turn penalty. In EBF5, using the Ion Cannon Limit Break will give Lance 2x Charge (regardless of who used it or whether Lance is at the front or in backup).
This article lists related foe attacks, as well as whether the attack can be blocked by Syphon or Berserk once it's charged up. You can also try to prevent the foe from taking a turn (via Freeze and Stun) and wait it out; this works with any foe in EBF4 (unless immune to both Freeze and Stun), but in earlier games it depends on how is charging programmed for this specific foe.
In EBF5 this status has something of a cousin in the Cooldown mechanic, in which certain skills must have a certain amount of turns pass after use to be used again.
Additionally, on Hard/Epic Lightning Sprite and Thunder Elemental enter the battle with 2x Charge on self, allowing to use their strongest attacks from the get-go.
Syphon
Berserk
Berserk