Astaroth (Final Fantasy II)

Astaroth is one of four bosses in Pandaemonium in Final Fantasy II guarding a treasure chest containing a Ribbon. A top-rank demon from Pandaemonium, she was one of Satan's generals.

Strategy
Astaroth is a very dangerous foe, second only to the Emperor in difficulty. She wields a potent drain effect on every physical blow, and also utilizes high-level spells, such as Aero 16, Fire 16, and Drain 16. he best bet is to equip a melee character with a Blood Sword, use Berserk and Haste on them, then cast Blink and Shield on all the characters to minimize Asteroth's regeneration from Drain. She may score a few solid hits while the party is casting these preparatory spells, so it may be useful to employ a second mage in casting Cure on the whole party during this time.

Astaroth resists most elemental Black Magic, so once the protective spells are cast, one should start pounding her with the highest-level Ultima, Flare, Poison and Holy spells. Drain is also worth a shot to steal back any HP she may have syphoned from the party. As always, one should make sure at least one character is devoted to watching over the party's health.

Additionally, the Blood Sword will cause extreme damage to Astaroth, making this battle very easy. An alternate method of winning is to simply cast a level 8 or higher Teleport.

Trivia

 * In her appearance for Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, Astaroth's gender is revealed to be female in the dialogue shown after the player defeats her.

Etymology
Astaroth in demonology is a prince of Hell. In art, specifically in the Dictionnaire Infernal, Astaroth is depicted as a nude man with dragon-like wings, hands, and feet, a second pair of feathered wings after the main, wearing a crown, holding a serpent in one hand, and riding a wolf or dog.

Related Enemies

 * Lucifer