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Carbuncle is a support Guardian Force in Final Fantasy VIII that bestows the party with Reflect. It is the first supportive Guardian Force the player can obtain, and the second GF obtained by drawing from a boss.

Its ability pool reflects its supportive role in battle. It learns HP, Vitality and Magic junctions, as well as status attack and defense junctions. It learns HP and Vitality boosting support abilities and Ability x3 that lets the junctioner equip three support abilities at once. Carbuncle is the first GF to learn Counter, which has the junctioner immediately use the Attack command on the enemy that hits them physically, and Auto-Reflect, that bestows a permanent Reflect status. Its unique ability is Recov Med-RF that lets the player refine recovery items from other items.

Profile[]

Carbuncle is a small pale green creature with a large red gem on its forehead from which its name derives from. It has tall blue-tipped ears, a small face, big bushy tail, rabbit-like hind legs and tiny paws. It stands upright and has a large tuft of fur on the top of its head.

Obtained[]

Iguions-FFVIII

Iguions.

Carbuncle is drawn from the Iguions when Squall and Irvine fight them during the Deling City parade. If missed, it can still be drawn from Krysta in the final dungeon. If missed on both occasions, it cannot be obtained in that playthrough. Obtaining Carbuncle in the Steam version earns the player the achievement Carbuncle.

Carbuncle is immediately useful, as in the next boss battle after obtaining it casting Reflect on the party makes the boss waste turns by using Dispel.

Battle[]

Carbuncle_"Ruby_Light"_from_FINAL_FANTASY_VIII_Remastered

Carbuncle "Ruby Light" from FINAL FANTASY VIII Remastered

In its summoning animation, Carbuncle appears from a hole in the ground, jumps up and casts Ruby Light on the party, granting them the Reflect status before returning into the hole. Because Carbuncle is not a damage-dealing GF it cannot be boosted, and while it can learn SumMag+% abilities from items, they will have no effect.

Compatibility[]

The charge time for summoning depends on the compatibility between the character and the GF and the Battle Speed. The greater the compatibility, the less time it takes to summon. Compatibility can be boosted with compatibility boosting items, by casting magic that is the same element as the Guardian Force (or status buffs and curative magic and Holy in Carbuncle's case) and by summoning the GF during battle. Compatibility is reduced by using "opposing" magic to the GF's element and other summons. Carbuncle's "opposing" GF that decreases its compatibility the most is Siren

Compatibility Chart
Summon Effect Carbuncle +20, Siren -10, Every other GF -1.6
Compatibility Items Dragon Skin +3.2, LuvLuvG +20.2
Casting Magic Aura +1, Double +1, Haste +1, Holy +1, Protect +1, Reflect +1, Shell +1, Triple +1, Cure +0.2, Cura +0.2, Curaga +0.2, Esuna +0.2, Full-life +0.2, Life +0.2, Regen +0.2, Berserk -0.2, Blind -0.2, Break -0.2, Death -0.2, Pain -0.2, Silence -0.2, Sleep -0.2, Slow -0.2, Stop -0.2, Zombie -0.2, Dispel -1.2

The below values are the base compatibility values with all playable characters at the start of the game. Although Seifer cannot junction Carbuncle in a normal playthrough, a default value still exists for his compatibility.

Party member Compatibility
Squall 580
Quistis 640
Zell 600
Selphie 720
Rinoa 680
Irvine 590
Seifer 360
Edea 620

Stats[]

The following table represents the base stats:

Level HP
16 1,220
20 1,326
30 2,086
40 2,714
50 3,350
60 3,994
70 4,646
80 5,306
90 5,974
100 6,650

Abilities[]

Abilities learned naturally by Carbuncle are listed below:

Ability AP Prerequisite
FFVIII Junction ability icon HP-J 50 None
FFVIII Junction ability icon Vit-J (Already learned)
FFVIII Junction ability icon Mag-J 50 None
FFVIII Junction ability icon ST-Atk-J 160 Mag-J
FFVIII Junction ability icon ST-Def-J 100 None
FFVIII Junction ability icon ST-Def-Jx2 130 ST-Def-J
FFVIII Junction ability icon Ability x3 (Already learned)
FFVIII Command ability icon Magic (Already learned)
FFVIII Command ability icon GF (Already learned)
FFVIII Command ability icon Draw (Already learned)
FFVIII Command ability icon Item (Already learned)
Ability AP Prerequisite
FFVIII Character ability icon HP+20% 60 HP-J
FFVIII Character ability icon HP+40% 120 HP+20%
FFVIII Character ability icon Vit+20% 60 None
FFVIII Character ability icon Vit+40% 120 Vit+20%
FFVIII Character ability icon Vit Bonus 100 Vit+40%
FFVIII Character ability icon Counter 200 None
FFVIII Character ability icon Auto-Reflect 250 Counter
FFVIII GF ability icon GFHP+10% 40 None
FFVIII GF ability icon GFHP+20% 70 GFHP+10%
FFVIII GF ability icon GFHP+30% 140 GFHP+20%
FFVIII Menu ability icon Recov Med-RF 30 None

Triple Triad[]

TTCarbuncle

Carbuncle is a Level 9 GF Card in Triple Triad for use in the minigame and for turning into 3 Glow Curtains with Quezacotl's Card Mod. It is won from CC Group Heart of Balamb Garden.

Other appearances[]

Dissidia Final Fantasy (2008) and Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy[]

CarbuncleDissidia

Carbuncle in Dissidia.

Carbuncle is a summon that casts Ruby Light to equal the opponent's Bravery with the summoner's. When summoned manually, the artwork of its Final Fantasy VIII appearance appears. Carbuncle's manual version is obtained in the Destiny Odyssey IV's second stage.

Carbuncle returns as a summon in Dissidia 012 with the same function. Its manual version can be purchased from certain Moogle Shops for 50 KP.

Gallery[]

Etymology[]

Carbuncle was a mythical creature reportedly sighted in the Americas by Spanish conquistadors. It is described as a small creature, either a bird or a mammal, that has a gem in its forehead crystallized from the brain of a dead dragon. According to myth, it is good luck to catch a carbuncle. A carbuncle is also an archaic name given to any red cabochon cut gemstone. The name applied particularly to red garnet.

Its name in the French version is Ahuri, meaning bedazzled or stupefied.

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