Sneaky beings that slowly creep through the darkness carrying knives and lanterns. Their incessant, innocent stare stabs through opponents, pushing them over the brink of despair.
Dissidia Final Fantasy museum description
The (Tonberry, トンベリ?, lit. Tonberi), sometimes known as Pug or Dinglberry, is a recurring enemy from the Final Fantasy series. Since its debut in Final Fantasy V, the Tonberry has become a mainstay of the series, appearing in every main series game. Along with the Behemoth and Malboro, it stands as one of the more iconic and formidable enemies in the series. It also appears as a summoned monster in several games.
Tonberries are quite small, usually no taller than three feet. They typically have green skin, round heads with small snouts and yellow eyes. They wear dark brown cloaks with hoods and usually carry two things with them: an old-fashioned lantern and a small butcher knife. Tonberries are usually found within caves and attack alone, though in a handful of games they appear in small groups of two or three.
In battle, Tonberries slowly walk towards the player's party, and when close use their signature Chef's Knife attack, which either does massive damage or instantly kills a party member. If attacked, they counter with Karma or Everyone's Grudge, doing damage to the attacker based on how many enemies they have slain, the damage increasing as the target party member kills more enemies. Compounding their offensive strength is their high HP, placing Tonberries as extremely dangerous foes.
The Master Tonberry and Tonberry King appear as common variants, and are stronger Tonberries that are sometimes treated as bosses. To denote their higher rank they appear with golden stars or crowns floating over their heads. Though normal Tonberries are diminutive, some games feature giant variants.
Appearances
Final Fantasy V
Named Tonberi in the RPGe translation, Dinglberry in the Anthology release, and finally renamed Tonberry for the Advance release, Final Fantasy V is the debut game for the recurring enemy. They have high HP and slowly walk towards the party to prepare their Cleaver attack, which does high damage and ignores defense.
Final Fantasy VI
Originally known as Pug in the SNES and Anthology releases, it was later translated as Tonberry in the Advance version. Tonberry counters attacks with their special attack Knife, doing heavy damage, and follow it up with the Lore Traveler, which does higher damage as the party takes more steps. The Tonberry enemy attacks solo, and the related Tonberries enemy attacks in trios. The Master Tonberry is a monster-in-a-box boss that can change its elemental properties.
In the Anthology release, the Bestiary refers to them as Tonberry, although the name Pug is kept otherwise. There is also a boss fight against several Tonberries merged as one, and a powerful Tonberry called Master Tonberry.
Final Fantasy VII
Tonberry enemies appear exclusively in the Gold Saucer Battle Square. They were originally planned to appear in the Whirlwind Maze and their encounter data exists there but cannot be fought without cheats or hacks. Tonberry enemies slowly walk towards party members and use their special attack Knife to instantly kill a party member.
The stronger Master Tonberry, found in the Northern Cave, also uses Knife, along with Everyone's Grudge which does increased damage as the target kills more enemies.
Before Crisis -Final Fantasy VII-
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Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-
Tonberry enemies appear in large numbers in three special missions, as well as a single Master Tonberry. The Tonberry King is a massive Tonberry that appears in the higher difficulty missions. Tonberry enemies are slow enemies that use Chef's Knife to deal heavy damage. Some of the stronger variants can teleport to avoid attacks and get closer to Zack to attack. A subset of missions involving Zack tracking Tonberry enemies rewards him with the Tonberry summon.
Tonberry also appears as a summon on the Digital Mind Wave, after obtaining Tonberry's Knife. Murderous Thrust damages an enemy and ignores Vitality. The power of the attack is based on the level:
| Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3 | Level 4 | Level 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 52 | 60 | 64 | 68 | 78 |
The following Tonberry enemies can be fought:
Final Fantasy VIII
Tonberry enemies appear as regular enemies in Centra Ruins and in Ultimecia Castle, where they use Chef's Knife and Karma. If the player kills enough Tonberry enemies in the Centra Ruins, the Tonberry King appears, a larger Tonberry who becomes a Guardian Force when defeated, albeit after shrinking to normal Tonberry size.
Tonberry is best known for its LV-Up and LV-Down skills that may be needed to gather certain rare items. He also possesses abilities relating to shops such as receiving discounts, accessing a shop from any location, allowing the purchase of rare items, and selling items for a greater price.
Chef's Knife, GF Tonberry's attack, deals non-elemental damage in random amounts. Tonberry's summon time is 14.0s, which, according to the Final Fantasy VIII Ultimania, allows the player to boost its damage to around 190% of normal damage using a regular PlayStation controller. Its damage is calculated as follows:[1]
Tonberry's compatibility is boosted by 20 when summoned, and its compatibility with the user decreases by 1.6 if the player summons another GF. Unlike most other Guardian Forces, Tonberry doesn't have an "opposing" GF whose summoning would greatly decrease compatibility, nor does casting magic have any effect on its compatibility. The compatibility item Chef's Knife increases compatibility by 3.2, and the LuvLuvG by 20.2, as with every other GF.
Abilities
Abilities learned naturally by Tonberry are listed below:
| Ability | AP | Prerequisite | Ability | AP | Prerequisite |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Magic
|
(Already learned) |  SumMag+10%
|
40 | None | |
| GF
|
(Already learned) | SumMag+20%
|
70 | SumMag+10% | |
| Draw
|
(Already learned) | SumMag+30%
|
140 | SumMag+20% | |
| Item
|
(Already learned) | GFHP+10%
|
40 | None | |
| LV Down
|
(Already learned) | GFHP+20%
|
70 | GFHP+10% | |
| LV Up
|
(Already learned) | GFHP+30%
|
140 | GFHP+20% | |
 Eva+30%
|
(Already learned) | Boost
|
10 | None | |
| Luck+50%
|
(Already learned) |  Haggle
|
150 | None | |
| Initiative
|
160 | None | Sell-High
|
150 | Haggle |
| Move-HP Up
|
200 | None | Familiar
|
150 | None |
| Auto-Potion
|
150 | None | Call Shop
|
200 | Familiar |
Final Fantasy IX
Tonberry enemies in Final Fantasy IX attack in trios and quartets and are found in Ipsen's Castle. Chef's Knife does 9999 damage, ensuring a kill, but Everyone's Grudge functions based only on the number of Tonberry enemies killed, rather than all enemies, and so usually does little damage.
Final Fantasy X
Tonberry enemies appear in the Cavern of the Stolen Fayth, while the Master Tonberry appears in the Omega Ruins. Don Tonberry is a special boss created in the Monster Arena. In addition to their trademark Karma and Chef's Knife, all Tonberry enemies have the ability "Voodoo", which instantly kills a summoned Aeon.
Final Fantasy X-2
Tonberry enemies are found in Via Infinito, as one of only two enemies to be visibly seen on the map instead of in a random encounter (the other being the Elder Drake for the first half of the Via Infinito). Touching the Tonberry will begin a battle with it, which is often mandatory to clear the floor. Deeper into the Via Infinito, players will begin to encounter the deadly Mega Tonberry enemies as well.
These immensely dangerous creatures can slaughter even a max-level party in seconds without careful preparation, so evading contact with them becomes a major part of the puzzles on later floors. At the same time the Mega Tonberry enemies begin appearing, a third variant appears that gives the player items. This variant appears as a normal Tonberry accompanied by what appears to be a baby Tonberry; talking to the baby will cause it to fall over, while the parent will give the player a random item from a short list.
Sphere Break
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Final Fantasy XI
Introduced in the Rise of the Zilart expansion pack, Tonberries are the remains of the Kuluu and Zilart races, mutated by the intense magic released from the crystals during an event known as the Meltdown, which nearly destroyed Vana'diel. They now live in the Elshimo Uplands region as a race of beastmen. Players are able to talk to Tonberries on special occasions, making it the second Final Fantasy title that allows the player to converse with them.
Tonberry enemies in Final Fantasy XI are notorious for using Everyone's Grudge, which does more damage the more Tonberry enemies a player has killed so far (thus the reason why they are constantly avoided even by the most experienced of players), but through a quest players can reset the factor to zero. They also possess an attack called Throat Stab, which can reduce a player's health to critical levels unless they back out of range. Unlike in other titles, some of the Tonberry enemies are mages utilizing black magic and summoning arts, and use wands or rods instead of the signature knives (this does not stop them from using Throat Stab though).
Final Fantasy XII
The Tonberry is not an enemy, but is instead a codename for the pilot of an air-to-ground offensive machine fought in the opening sequence of the game. The codename Tonberry is mentioned after Reks defeats the Air Cutter Remora and it sounds the retreat.
Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings
The past has a way of catching up to you.
In-game description
Template:Enemy The Tonberry appears as a level 2 non-elemental melee Esper. Its normal attack is Knife, which lowers stamina and deals damage to one foe, and its special is Karma, which deals damage to one foe based on the number of the target's kills. Enemy Tonberry enemies have red skin in contrast to the allied ones which are green.
Fortress
The Tonberry is, or was, set to appear in this spinoff installment, albeit with a more grotesque appearance compared to previous incarnations.
Final Fantasy XIII
A Tonberry appears as an enemy in Final Fantasy XIII. It faces the party after killing an Undying Cie'th the party hunts as a mission, and is fought in its stead. Unlike Tonberry enemies in previous games, Tonberry enemies in Final Fantasy XIII can move fairly quickly. Its knife removes positive status effects from the player.
Its signature move is called "Deep-seated Grudge" which, after a build-up, completely restores its HP and inflicts damage proportional to the amount of HP it had lost to all characters. The longer it is fought, the stronger it becomes, and the greater the reward. A later mission in Titan's Trials features three Tonberry enemies at once.
Final Fantasy Type-0
Kurasame, the instructor of Class Zero, uses a pet Tonberry in battle wearing the same robes as his students.
In-game sprite
Kurasame's memories suggest that he rescued the Tonberry when it was injured, after which it accompanied him. After Kurasame's death, the Tonberry is left in care of Class Zero.
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
Tonberries appear in one mission and one clan encounter, where they are a threat because, while they have low Move and Speed, they specialize in Knife and Karma, which are as powerful as ever. There are also Masterberries which have high speed and the powerful Voodoo spell, making them much more dangerous than their green cousins.
Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift
Tonberry and Tonberry King enemy appear in Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift. One of them has even posted a notice in the pub, desiring revenge for all the fallen monsters Clan Gully has fallen, a reference to its ability, Karma. When the petitioner is met in person, it croaks out "Everyone who has fallen... all their hate... IS YOURS!"
Crystal Defenders
Tonberry enemies appear as basic enemies, in W1 and W2, in Crystal Defenders. Template:Sec-stub
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles
Tonberry in Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles.
Tonberries are enemies. There are also Tonberry Chefs in the Moschet Manor. Template:Sec-stub
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers
- Tonberry
- Tonberry Amok
- Tonberry Queen
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Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a Darklord
Tonberries are characters in Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a Darklord, where they carry out the evil schemes of Princess Mira. One of the important Tonberries is named Tonbetty.
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy
Tonberry enemies will appear as enemies in Theatrhythm Final Fantasy.
Chocobo no Fushigi na Dungeon
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Chocobo's Dungeon 2
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Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales
Tonberry also appears in Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales. He has a total of five non-elemental cards. Template:Sec-stub
Cards
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Dissidia Final Fantasy
Tonberry being summoned.
Sneaky beings that slowly creep through the darkness carrying knives and lanterns.
Dissidia Final Fantasy Summon Compendium
Tonberry appears as a summon. When summoned, its Final Fantasy VIII artwork appears and a Tonberry sprite will begin moving towards the opponent's Bravery. Upon reaching the opponent's Bravery, it deals damage to the Bravery equal to the HP the summoner lost since it summoned Tonberry. This summon can be obtained as a Stage Bonus on the Destiny Odyssey V storyline. The Tonberry sprite that the summon conjures is based on the Tonberry's sprite from Final Fantasy V.
Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
Tonberry returns as a summonstone, with the same function as in Dissidia Final Fantasy. It can be purchased from certain Moogle Shops for 30 KP.
Final Fantasy: Unlimited
In the anime, Final Fantasy: Unlimited, Tonberry makes an appearance as a summon, under the name of Meteor Master. Their appearances are slightly similar, as the Meteor Master has the same spherical eyes, reptilian shape, and absent mouth. The Meteor Master even has variations of the Tonberry's trademark lantern and knife. The Soil Charge Triad (Soil is like the colored bullet of a Magun, used to summon creatures) needed to summon Meteor Master is:
- A thunderous boom shatters the skies, Horizon Gold!
- A wrath of anger pours down from the heavens, Aero Black!
- A wedge of light strikes for all eternity, Fort Silver!
Followed by saying: "Annihilate! Summoned Creature! Meteor Master!"
In the English audio version, the Soil Charge Triad was changed to:
- The roar of the sky engulfed in flames, Horizon Gold!
- The daggers of an angry rain, Arrow Black!
- The light that drives a wedge into eternity, Photon Silver!
Followed by saying: "Destroy! I summon you! Meteor Master!"
Other appearances
DynamiTracer
In this rare Square space racing game for the SNES (with music composed by Nobuo Uematsu), the Tonberry is a playable character.
Kingdom Hearts
In Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II, there are Gummi Ships named after the Tonberry.
Etymology
The Tonberry creature is possibly derived from stories of will-o'-the-wisps, ghostly lights or lamps that are said to be spirits of the dead or other beings that lead travelers astray. It may also be derived from stories of Jack-o'-Lantern, which are themselves derived from stories of will-o'-the-wisps, a man who tricked the Devil into never taking his soul and as such, when he died and there was no place for him to go, was condemned to forever wander the world with a lantern lit by an ember from the flames of the underworld.
References
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