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Garuda from Final Fantasy III
Garuda from Final Fantasy XI

Garuda's initial concept artwork for Final Fantasy III (left) and Garuda concept artwork for Final Fantasy XI (right), which has been the basis of most of its appearances since.

Garuda (ガルーダ, Garūda? or カルラ, Karura?) is a recurring creature in the Final Fantasy series, first introduced in Final Fantasy III.

Initially depicted as a strong enemy with various bird-like attributes and Lightning-elemental attacks, the creature transitioned into a role as a recurring Wind-elemental summon, with its design solidifying as a female humanoid bird monster.

Appearances[]

Final Fantasy III[]

FF3NES-Garuda

Garuda debuted as the character and boss in Final Fantasy III. As the evil advisor to King Gorn of Saronia, Gigametz mind controls the king, forcing him to pointlessly send his troops into battle against each other and exiling the prince Alus Restor. When forced to attempt to kill his son, the king stabs himself to lift the curse and Gigametz himself faces the Warriors of Light as Garuda.

Garuda in Final Fantasy III resembles a man with bird wings, feet and head. In his artwork and 3D model from the remake his body and plumage is colored white, while in his Famicom and Pixel Remaster sprites his body is green while his plumage is yellow. It's notable for his Lightning ability that deals significantly high damage to the player and the party, making the Dragoon's Jump ability essential for winning the battle.

Final Fantasy VII[]

Garuda FF7

Garuda appears as an enemy in Final Fantasy VII, initially fought in the Da-chao Statue map. It appears as a green, bird-like creature with human arms and is capable of using Ice and Lightning-elemental attacks.

Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-[]

NeedleKiss-ccvii

Garuda appears as an enemy monster in mission 9-4-6: Only for 1st Class, and is capable of casting Tri-Thundaga. It appears as a large brown bird with pink tipped wings, with a long, pole-arm-like beak.

Final Fantasy IX[]

Garuda-FFIX

Garuda appears as both a regular and friendly enemy. The regular enemy can cause wind damage to the entire party with Aerial Slash or reduce the party's HP to single digits with Maelstrom. Garuda appears as a bird-like creature with a disproportionally large face and beak, large eyes and green and blue feathers tipped with red and a head of pink hair. The friendly version's body coloration leans more towards towards green, while it's wing and tail feathers display a rainbow pattern.

Final Fantasy X[]

Garuda FFX

Garuda is a large bird-like enemy. During the party's first encounter with this enemy, Yuna summons Valefor for the very first time.

Final Fantasy XI[]

Garuda (FFXI)

Garuda appears in Final Fantasy XI as one of the eight celestial Avatars, also known as sleeping gods, representing Wind, acting as its first appearance as a summon. Garuda takes the form of a green woman with bird-like features. As a summon, she can be acquired from the Cloister of Gales at Cape Terrigan. She can cast a number of wind-based spells and abilities in addition to using her claws to physically damage enemies.

Perhaps one of her more commonly used abilities is Aerial Armor, which gives every member of the party the effect of Blink, or Hastega which grants haste to every member of the party and is exclusively available to Garuda, but she also does have limited abilities which allow her to heal party members. Garuda is also highly respected for her Predator Claws attack, a devastatingly powerful strike that is often the Summoner's staple attack for notorious monster fights.

Garuda was a small bird raised by a young prince. When the prince got attacked by a viper, Garuda looked for means to cure him. Another bird informed her that she should seek the aid of the King of Birds, who could awaken the healing wind, Vuychap. Garuda flew ever further upwards, looking for the King of Birds, but couldn't find him anywhere. Having reached the limits of her strength, she fell from the sky, but her resolve was so powerful that she transformed during her fall, gaining a humanoid shape and regaining her vitality.

She realized that she now had the power to heal the prince, and did so, leaving him afterwards, as she no longer looked like the little bird he had raised. However, it is said that, once the prince grew up, he managed to find her and married her. Upon Garuda's death, Altana transformed her into the Celestial Avatar of Wind because of her loyalty and devotion. Vuychap is the name of the brightest, green-colored star of the Garuda constellation.

Blood Pact abilities
Level Name Pact Type MP Effect
1 Aerial Blast Rage All Massive wind damage to enemies within area of effect. Only available during Astral Flow.
1 Claw Rage 7 Physical slashing damage.
10 Aero II Rage 24 Deals minor wind magic damage.
25 Aerial Armor Ward 92 Gives all party members within range the effect of Blink.
36 Whispering Wind Ward 92 Restores some HP to all party members in range.
48 Hastega Ward 112 Gives all party members in range the Haste status.
55 Garuda's Favor Avatar's Favor 0 Enhances Evasion of all party members near Garuda.
60 Aero IV Rage 118 Deals moderate wind magic damage.
70 Predator Claws Rage 164 Three-hit physical attack dealing massive slashing damage
75
Merit
Wind Blade Rage 182 Deals massive wind magic damage to one target.
86 Fleet Wind Ward 114 Grants party members within area of effect the Quickening status.

As an enemy, Garuda Prime is the creature that must be defeated for a Summoner to learn to call her forth as a summon, though that is not the only possible reward for defeating her.

Final Fantasy XII[]

Garuda-FFXII-TZA

Garuda first appears as a boss outside the Tomb of Raithwall. Despite this, it isn't classified as a boss in the Clan Primer since it appears as a regular enemy called Garuda-Egi later on in the Paramina Rift.

Final Fantasy XIII[]

Garuda Interceptor

The Garuda Interceptor (戦闘爆撃騎カルラ, Sentō Bakugekiki Karura?) appears as a boss in Lake Bresha. The Final Fantasy XIII Ultimania Omega reveals that Garuda was conceptualized as a fal'Cie at some point during development but was ultimately scrapped in the final game.

Final Fantasy XIII-2[]

The Garuda Interceptor returns now simply under the name Garuda (カルラ, Karura?). It can be encountered in the Vile Peaks -200 AF-.

Final Fantasy XIV[]

Garuda from FFXIV battle render

Garuda is a primal worshiped by the Ixal, and known as the Lady of the Vortex. Among the Primals summoned by the tribes of Eorzea, Garuda is one of the more capricious and volatile in her disdain for "landwalkers". Her disdain extends to other primals, and in A Realm Reborn she plots to absorb their aether before being thwarted by the Warrior of Light and the Ultima Weapon.

Garuda first appeared as a boss in the original release in The Howling Eye and The Howling Eye (Hard). In the relaunched A Realm Reborn, Garuda appears as a boss in The Howling Eye The Howling Eye, The Howling Eye (Hard) The Howling Eye (Hard), and The Howling Eye (Extreme) The Howling Eye (Extreme). A version of Garuda, based on the Warrior of Light's memories of the Primal, also appears as a boss in Eden's Verse: Furor Eden's Verse: Furor and Eden's Verse: Furor (Savage) Eden's Verse: Furor (Savage).

Variations on Garuda can be summoned by the Summoner Summoner job, namely Garuda-Egi and Emerald Garuda, using the resultant aether of encounters with her. A simulacrum of Garuda can be summoned to instantly defeat all normal enemies within the Deep dungeon Deep dungeon, Heaven-on-High Heaven-on-High, when using the Vortex Magicite.

A "Garuda" from another world appears as part of the A Nocturne for Heroes Final Fantasy XV collaboration event, faced during Messenger of the Winds Messenger of the Winds. Mistaken for the primal Garuda, she takes the name for herself when she returns to her home.

Final Fantasy XV[]

FFXIV-XV Garuda Full Appearance

Two Garudas appear in Final Fantasy XV as part of the Adventurer from Another World Final Fantasy XIV collaboration event added in patch 1.27. The Garuda from Final Fantasy XIV gets summoned by a group of world displaced Ixal and functions as a boss during the event. Meanwhile, another Garuda, known as the Messenger of the Winds, is an ancient being once defeated by the Astrals in battle and sent into long slumber. Her true name lost, she takes the name of the invading Primal and aids Noctis in a similar way to the Astrals.

Final Fantasy XVI[]

Garuda from FFXVI artwork

Garuda, the Warden of the Wind, is an Eikon whose Dominant is Benedikta Harman.Clive Rosfield can utilize her power in combat, allowing him to use her talons and wind magicks in battle. Garuda is a bird-like feminine Eikon who spawns two Egis, Chirada and Suparna, whom Benedikta considers her sisters.

Final Fantasy Mystic Quest[]

FFMQ Garuda

Garuda appear in the Windia region.

Final Fantasy Adventure[]

FFA Garuda Sprite

Garuda is a boss found within the Dime Tower. It attacks by shooting feathers. When Davias is defeated, he explains that he has already given the Pendant of Mana to Garuda and that Garuda has taken it over the mountains.

The Final Fantasy Legend[]

FFL Condor

Garuda is a possible monster that the party's Monster units can transform into.

Final Fantasy Legend II[]

FFLII Garuda

Garuda is an enemy encountered in the Central Shrine and a possible transformation for monster units.

Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia[]

DFFOO Garuda Icon

Garuda is a Zu-type enemy that is resistant to thunder-elemental damage, and weak to wind-elemental and ranged damage. It is capable of using Breath to inflict magical BRV damage to the entire player party, Sonic Boom to inflict strong magical BRV damage to the entire player party, Head Butt to inflict melee HP damage to a single party member, Lightning to inflict thunder-elemental magical BRV damage to the entire player party with a chance of inflicting Paralyze status, Howl to buff it's own ATK and max BRV points.

As a flying creature it becomes vulnerable when afflicted with Break, which removes all buffs from it and is rendered unable to attack until their BRV points naturally recover.

Pictlogica Final Fantasy[]

Garuda from Final Fantasy X appears as an enemy in Pictlogica Final Fantasy, while Garuda from Final Fantasy III appears as a boss.

Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade[]

Garuda Sighted Brigade
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Final Fantasy All the Bravest[]

Garuda ATB

Garuda appears in Final Fantasy All the Bravest, based on it's appearance in Final Fantasy X. It is encountered as an enemy inside the Zanarkand Ruins. It uses Dive and drops the Brotherhood.

Final Fantasy Dimensions II[]

FFLTnS Garuda God Artwork

Garuda is a wind-elemental summon. There are three versions of Garuda available; two versions available to Wrieg and a version available to Maina.

In the original free-to-play version, all three versions of the summon could only be obtained through the summon drawing shop and equipped by any party member.

Final Fantasy Record Keeper[]

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Final Fantasy Brave Exvius[]

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Mobius Final Fantasy[]

MFF Garuda Interceptor FFXIII

The Final Fantasy XIII Garuda Interceptor appears as a card.

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Final Fantasy Trading Card Game[]

Garuda from Final Fantasy III, Final Fantasy XI, and Final Fantasy XIV appear as cards.

Final Fantasy Portal App[]

387a Garuda

Garuda from Final Fantasy XIV appears as a Triple Triad card.

Non-Final Fantasy guest appearances[]

Other Square Enix titles[]

Bahamut Lagoon[]

Garuda appears as the Divine Dragon of Wind. Unlike the other Divine Dragons, Garuda takes on a bird like appearance with dark coloration. It could be used as a summon in combat for the Warlock and Dragoneer jobs, unleashing powerful winds on the target.

Lord of Vermilion series[]

Garuda appeared as a unit. Its appearance takes that of a small, bipedal bird, seemingly made out of stone, with green feathers on its back and its wings seemingly fused into a hoop.

Guardian Cross[]

Two Garudas appeared as wind-elemental summon cards for players. The default ★4 Garuda was depicted as a golden humanoid avian with a snake woman in its beak. A stronger ★5 version based on the Final Fantasy XIV summon also appeared under the name "Lady of the Vortex".

Etymology[]

Garuda is a large, birdlike creature that appears in both Hinduism and Buddhism. It serves as Lord Vishnu's mount and is the Hindu name for the constellation Aquila. Contemporary representations of Garuda are the brahminy kite and phoenix. While less frequently used in the series than ガルーダ (Garūda), the Japanese カルラ (Karura) is derived from 迦楼羅, a transliteration of Garuda.

References[]

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