To learn an enemy skill, you must be equipped with an Enemy Skill materia. When an enemy hits you with it's special skill, you will learn it, even if it misses or kills you. However, unless you win the battle, you won't keep the skill you've learned. There are 24 skills in all, and one of the 24 stars on the Materia Menu will light up as you get more enemy skills. Note that you can't learn a skill and then have your player cast it on another person with an Enemy Skill materia; they must learn it from enemies. You'll know if you learned a skill because the character with the materia equipped will spin in a circle once and you'll get a message. Keep in mind that if you're controlling a monster to learn a particular skill, you'll have to target the character wearing the Enemy Skill materia.

For those of you who would like a more definitive guide, here is a list that shows the earliest point at which you can learn each skill as you play through the game:

DISC ONE:

• Learn 'Matra Magic' from the Sweeper Customs that will fight you just outside of Midgar City

• Learn 'L4 Suicide' from the Mus that live in the field around the Chocobo Farm

• Learn 'Beta' from Midgar Zolom in the nearby marsh. You must severely injure him (he'll start waving back and forth), before he will be able to use Beta against your party

• Learn 'Flame Thrower' from the Ark Dragons flying around in the Mythril Mine

• Learn 'White Wind' by manipulating a Zemlezett (found in the area near Junon), and having him use it on you

• Learn 'Aqualung' from the Harpys found near the Gold Saucer and in the Corel Desert area. You can also learn it from 'Jenova Life', who you fight in the Forgotten Captial

• Learn 'Laser' from the Death Claws in Corel Prison

• Learn 'Frog Song' from the Touch Mes in the forests in the Gongaga Area

• Learn 'Big Guard' from the Beach Plugs that live on the shores of the Gongaga Area

• Learn '????' from the Jerseys that roam the halls of the Shinra Mansion in Nibelheim. You can also learn this skill from the Behemoths in the area below Midgar (Disc 2), and from the King Behemoths in the last dungeon (Disc 3)

• Learn 'Trine' from the Materia Keeper boss that you fight in the Nible Mountains. You can also learn this skill from the Stilves in Gaea's Wall (Disc 2)

• Learn 'Death Force' from the Adamantaimais that live on the shore of the Wutai area

• Learn 'Magic Hammer' from the Razor Weeds in the Wutai Area

• Learn 'Death Sentence' from the Bound Fats in Zango Valley

DISC TWO:

• Learn 'Bad Breath' from the Molbors on the outside ledges of Gaea's Wall

• Learn 'Magic Breath' from the Stilves in Gaea's Wall, or from the Parasites in the final dungeon (Disc 3)

• Learn 'Chocobuckle' from the Chocobos found in the Mideel Area. You must feed that Chocobo a 'Mimett Greens' during battle, then cast L4 Suicide on it. After enough attempts, it will counter with 'Chocobuckle'

• Learn 'Goblin Punch' from the Goblins found on Goblin Island and Round Island

• Learn 'Shadow Flare' during the final battle with the Ultima Weapon. You can also learn it from the Dragon Zombies in the last dungeon (Disc 3)

DISC THREE:

• Learn 'Dragon Force' from the Dark Dragons in the last dungeon

• Learn 'L5 Death' from the Parasites in the last dungeon

• Learn 'Angel Whisper' from the Pollen Salitas in the last dungeon

• Learn 'Roulette' from the Death Dealers in the last dungeon

• Learn 'Pandora's Box' from the Dragon Zombies in the last dungeon