Final Fantasy VIII
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Cactuar

Cactuar sprinting across Cactuar Island

Where to Find It

  • Cactuar Island, the sandbar east of the Centra continent (also home of the Jumbo Cactuar)

Vital Statistics

Like nearly every enemy in Final Fantasy VIII, this enemy’s level rises with your party’s average level, and its rewards change across three level brackets. Check out the Character and Enemy Leveling page for the full explanation of how enemy levels work.

Level bracketsLow 1–19
Mid 20–29
High 30–100
HP by levelLv 1: 202Lv 10: 230Lv 20: 280Lv 30: 350Lv 100: 1,400
HP formula0.1x² + 2x + 200 (x = enemy level)
AP20
Triple Triad CardCactuar Triple Triad Card
Command Ability IconCardRarely turns into Gerogero

Elemental Affinities

ElementEffect
Fire Element IconFireNormal
Ice Element IconIceNormal
Thunder Element IconThunderNormal
Earth Element IconEarthNormal
Poison Element IconPoisonNormal
Wind Element IconWindNormal
Water Element IconWaterWeak (bonus damage)
Holy Element IconHolyNormal

Status Vulnerabilities

Percentages are the base chance for the status to land before level and junction modifiers; the higher the number, the easier it is to inflict.

StatusWorks?
Death Status IconDeathImmune
Poison Status IconPoison80%
Petrify Status IconPetrify70%
Darkness Status IconDarkness80%
Silence Status IconSilence80%
Berserk Status IconBerserkImmune
Zombie Status IconZombieImmune
Sleep Status IconSleep80%
Slow Status IconSlow90%
Stop Status IconStop50%
Doom80%
Petrify Status IconGradual Petrify70%
Confuse Status IconConfuseImmune
Drain Status IconDrain100%
DegeneratorImmune
Vit 0 (Meltdown)100%
The EndWorks

Draws, Steals, and Drops by Level

Low (1–19)Mid (20–29)High (30–100)
DrawGreen Magick IconHasteGreen Magick IconHasteGreen Magick IconHaste
MugMiscellaneous Item IconCactus Thorn x2Miscellaneous Item IconCactus Thorn x2Miscellaneous Item IconCactus Thorn x3
DropMiscellaneous Item IconCactus Thorn x1–2Miscellaneous Item IconCactus Thorn x1–2Miscellaneous Item IconCactus Thorn x2–3
Drop (with Party Ability IconRare Item)Miscellaneous Item IconCactus Thorn x3 or Miscellaneous Item IconLightweight x2Miscellaneous Item IconCactus Thorn x4 or Miscellaneous Item IconLightweight x4Miscellaneous Item IconCactus Thorn x4 or GF Item IconJet Engine x1
DevourRestores 50% of max HPRestores max HPRestores MAX HP & removes status abnormalities

Attacks

  • “1000 Needles”: Always hits, always 1,000 damage, ignores Green Magick IconProtect and Defend. Survivable by anyone with 1,001 HP; fatal to anyone without.
  • “Escaped...”: Its other signature: leaving mid-fight, and taking its 20 AP with it.

Strategy

Its Evasion is enormous, so use magic, GFs, or sure-hit attacks before it flees. Anyone under 1,000 HP can be KO’d by 1000 Needles.