Carbuncle is an optional boss in Final Fantasy V encountered in Castle Exdeath. On the tenth floor, skull tiles cover the room. If the party steps onto the northernmost one, they will teleport to an inaccessible spot where Carbuncle is. There is a flight of stairs below if the party does not want to fight him. Defeating him wins Carbuncle, a Level 4 Summon. It is recommended to fight him, because after defeating Exdeath in the castle, the party cannot come back to fight him again.
Stats[]
Normal
Healing
Battle[]
Carbuncle in battle.
Carbuncle has two forms, an offensive form and a healing form, which share HP but not status conditions. The offensive form has permanently active float and reflect status effects. It never strikes physically and attacks only by reflecting magic off itself. The offensive form consists of three phases, which change once its HP falls below certain thresholds. Its first phase casts the second-tier elemental Black Magic spells, Fira, Blizzara, and Thundara. When its HP falls below 10,000, it switches to casting Bio, Confuse, and Stop. When its HP falls below 3,000, it switches to casting Break, Banish, and Death. In this form, it is vulnerable to only silence, slow, and darkness, and old via Level 2 Old.
On the turn after the third spell Carbuncle's offensive form casts within the same phase, Carbuncle swaps to its healing form. The healing form loses its reflect and float statuses, loses the Heavy flag, becomes vulnerable to several more status ailments and gains weaknesses to every element. It casts Cura on itself, then on its next turn switches back to its offensive form.
Strategy[]
Mystic Knights are useful as they bypass the reflect with their Spellblades.
There are multiple ways to end the fight quickly by taking advantage of the vulnerable healing form. These actions must be timed on Carbuncle's turn after it has cast three offensive spells. The form change occurs roughly around one second after the third spell, but this depends partially on the Battle Speed settings. Attacks can also be timed immediately after Carbuncle casts Cura, but the window is much shorter.
In the defunct mobile/Steam versions, players can see when the healing form is active by inflicting a status ailment on Carbuncle, then waiting until the tint or color flashing disappears. For example, attacking after charging Bio Spellblade will inflict sap and causes Carbuncle to flash dark green. Once the flashing stops, the player will know it is in healing form.
These abilities can instantly defeat Carbuncle during its healing form:
- Mystic Knight charges Bio or Break Spellblade and lands an attack.
- Black Magic spell Break.
- Summon Catoblepas.
- Blue Magic spell Death Claw, then any attack after.
These fractional damage abilities can also be used during its healing form for heavy damage:
- Time Magic spell Graviga.
- Gaia can use Sonic Boom.
- Blue Magic spell Missile.
Other strategy options include using physical attacks or fixed damage moves like Zeninage. Mystic Knights can also charge Silence Spellblade and prevent Carbuncle from doing anything.
If the player wishes to use spellcasters, they can bypass Carbuncle's reflect by casting Reflect on a party member and bouncing magic off that character. Slow and Silence are useful spells to reflect onto Carbuncle.
The player can also use spells that do not get reflected, such as Comet, Aqua Breath, Goblin Punch, 1000 Needles or Summon magic.
The first phase's offensive magic can be partially negated by equipping Flame Ring (bought in Istory or rarely stolen from Red Dragons) to block fire and ice elements, and Diamond Armor (bought at Moore) to reduce lightning damage.
Each of Carbuncle's forms have their own inventory, and as such two Reflect Rings can be stolen, once from each form.
Other appearances[]
Final Fantasy Record Keeper[]
This section about an enemy in Final Fantasy Record Keeper is empty or needs to be expanded. You can help the Final Fantasy Wiki by expanding it.