Golbez (Final Fantasy IV 3D)

Golbez, also known as Golbeze, is a boss in Final Fantasy IV. He is encountered twice. The first time is a cinematic battle between Tellah and Golbez that the player can only witness to its conclusion, and the second is a playable battle.

First battle
This is a cutscene battle where Tellah fights Golbez. Tellah will cast Firaga, Blizzaga, and Thundaga (and Bio/Virus in the SNES version) in that order, until he finishes both Golbez and himself with Meteor.

Second battle
In the second battle, the player has little time before Golbez paralyzes the party with Binding Cold and then summons the Shadow Dragon to use Black Fang to kill the party members one by one. With only Cecil remaining, Rydia arrives and uses the Mist Dragon to blow away the Shadow Dragon. Cecil is cured of his paralysis and the battle begins as Rydia joins the party. If Cecil has been KO'd by Calcabrina in the previous fight, he should be revived immediately; if Golbez uses Binding Cold before the player has revived Cecil it is a Game Over, as Rydia is only scripted to show up when Cecil is the last one standing.

Depending on the version the player is playing, the battle proceeds differently from this point onward.

Strategy
To defeat Golbez, it is recommended to be at least at level 35.

The opening of the battle is identical to the 2D versions, up until Rydia enters. Golbez begins the second segment by casting Barrier Shift, acquiring a random elemental weakness and making himself absorb all other elemental damage. He will repeat this every time the player hits his weak spot. Unlike the 2D versions, all of Golbez's HP must be depleted to defeat him, though he has less HP now. His HP total resets when he summons the Shadow Dragon, so any damage dealt in the battle's opening will not count.

Golbez will group-cast Level 2 spells on the party, and also casts Drain and Osmose on Cecil to heal himself.

If Cecil was killed or badly hurt in previous the battle with Calcabrina, it is imperative to restore his health as quickly as possible, otherwise Golbez's first attack will almost certainly kill Cecil before the player gets the chance to make a move. The player should use a Spider Silk on Golbez to make the second half easier. It is imperative that Cecil has the Shell status, and it is helpful that Rydia does, too.

The party should focus on reviving Rosa and casting Shell on her, and repeat the same for all the other party members. If Rosa is knocked out, Cecil should cast Cura to ensure he and Rydia can survive Golbez's spells and the Sap ailment.

Once Rosa is revived and protected against spells, she should use White Magic to revive, heal, and buff the party. Cecil should use Libra on Golbez. Rydia should summon an Eidolon that strikes Golbez's weakness. Kain's Jump is trivial, so he can be used to heal MP with Ethers, when necessary. It isn't necessary to have all members revived, as Rosa, Cecil and Rydia alone can defeat Golbez.

An alternate strategy is to buff the party and then cast Bio on Golbez every turn, which he cannot absorb. Cecil and Kain's best option is to simply attack, while Yang should exploit Focus with a Hell Claw and Cat's Claw, if the player has them.

Golbez's spells can also be reflected, but Rosa can easily cover their damage with Cura if the party members have the Shell status. Libra can be used to find out Golbez's weakness and then use Rydia's summons to deal heavy damage.

Related enemies

 * Shadow Dragon