Iifa Tree The Iifa Tree , called Iifa , the Ancient Tree of Life in the location logo , and sometimes mistaken as the Lifa Tree , is a location on the world of Gaia in " Final Fantasy IX " . It was planted long ago by Garland as a gigantic soul filter , filtering the souls of Gaia . It is located on the Outer Continent . The dwarves of Conde Petie refer to the Iifa Tree as the Sanctuary , because after going through a ceremony , not unlike getting married , the happy couple journey to the Iifa Tree to inscribe their names . Nature . According to the " Final Fantasy IX Ultimania " what is seen above the surface is not the true Iifa Tree , but a part of the tree ' s roots . The true part of the tree resides underground and reaches all the way to the planet ' s core to hold the planet ' s crystal in its grasp , while its roots form the planet ' s substrata , zigzagging around the globe just beneath the surface . Story . The Iifa Tree originates from Terra and is over 5 , 000 years old . It was transplanted to Gaia by Garland after the Terrans ' failed attempt at fusing the two planets into one . As a result of the failed fusion , Gaia ' s landscape was left in ruin , and to oversee the world ' s recovery Garland moved Terra ' s magical tree , Iifa , to Gaia . Even though Garland used the Iifa Tree ' s roots to stabilize the environment it took millennia for the planet to recover from the disaster . Around 3 , 000 years ago Garland used the Iifa Tree to block Gaian souls from returning to their crystal in the planet ' s core , halting the planet ' s soul cycle . Garland ' s plan was to only allow Terra ' s souls to cycle . Around 1 , 800 years ago Garland built the Soul Divider at the tree ' s base to replace the rejected Gaian souls with Terran ones so the Terran civilization might one day be revived . The Mist that covers the Mist Continent is a by - product of the filtering process , and is expelled from the tree to the Mist Continent through the tree roots . The roots can be seen breaking the surface on the world map on the Mist Continent , hinting at the tree ' s existence before any mention of it occurs , but its malign purpose is not obvious . Zidane and his friends are lead to the Iifa Tree by Eiko to find Kuja . Eiko dispels the barrier surrounding the tree created by Carbuncle , and the group enters the trunk through a maze of roots . They find a platform which reacts to Zidane ' s presence , allowing for descent into Iifa ' s depths where the Mist breeds powerful monsters , and the interior glows a blinding green . After riding a leaf - like protrusion farther down the tree , Zidane , Garnet , Vivi , and Eiko marvel at the seemingly endless green pools below the harp - like structure of Iifa ' s base . After Zidane examines the area the Iifa Tree begins to shake , and Soulcage , the Soul Divider , challenges the party . Soulcage ' s demise eradicates Mist from the Mist Continent but the tree still blocks the Gaian souls from returning to their crystal . Shortly after , the area surrounding the Iifa Tree is the stage of a battle between Alexandria ' s army and Kuja , who takes control of Bahamut and the Alexandrian forces are destroyed . After Kuja destroys Terra , a dying planet that has existed on the inside of Gaia ever since the failed fusion , the Iifa Tree activates and expels enormous amounts of Mist across Gaia . Its roots protrude everywhere , cutting off several locations such as the North and South Gates , Observatory Mountain , Ice Cavern , Pinnacle Rocks , Fossil Roo , Conde Petie , Conde Petie Mountain Path , the Desert Palace , Oeilvert , and Esto Gaza . The portal to Memoria manifests above the Iifa Tree and the Second Battle of the Iifa Tree ensues with a swarm of Silver Dragons when the " Invincible " attempts to enter the portal , and the party fights a Nova Dragon . After the party has defeated Trance Kuja in Crystal World and Necron on the Hill of Despair , Kuja teleports the party outside of the Iifa Tree . While the rest of the party departs , Zidane remains to look for Kuja . The Iifa Tree writhes furiously , and after Zidane finds Kuja the Iifa Tree collapses upon itself , and presumably dies , although the exact reason for this is unknown . When the party confronted Kuja in Crystal World he claimed Gaia ' s assimilation by Terra had begun , and that the Iifa Tree would incite " a cataclysmic destruction of Gaia , " but this prediction didn ' t realize . Locations . The Iifa Tree lies on the northwestern side of the Outer Continent . Its roots spread out across the surrounding land with a sparse forests nearby . Outer Seal . The entrance to the Iifa Tree is barred by a seal . Eiko explains an eidolon is sealed there and that only a summoner can clear the way . Gargant Grass grows around this area , prompting Zidane to wonder if a gargant lives nearby . Moving off the bottom of the screen leads to the world map , and moving to the top leads to the Tree Roots . When the player is first here , they must select " Ask Eiko " to continue . The Ruby jewel is obtained at this point . When the party returns after recruiting Amarant at Madain Sari the Mist is gone . A scene plays out with Kuja , and the player must choose their party . Tree Roots . The dense , twisting roots of the tree provide a path for Zidane and the party to travel across to reach the trunk . The area is infested with monsters . The first four screens of Tree Roots take place in the same field area , pictured right . On each screen the player will start at the bottom and move to the top before appearing on another branch at the bottom again . Only one branch appears on the screen at a time . The screens are linear paths from a top - down perspective . The first area is on the branch starting and ending on the the right . Moving off the top and onto the next screen , the second area is on the branch starting and ending on the left . Moving off the top and onto the next screen again , the third area is on the branch starting and ending in the middle . Moving off the top and onto the next screen once more , the fourth area is identical to the first area and is the branch starting and ending on the left . Off the top of this screen leads into another section of tree roots . When the player ventures here after obtaining Amarant , the fourth screen will instead take the player to the Tree Trunk . The second area of tree roots . Unlike the other two , the camera is not at a top - down angle . The exit on the right side leads back to the fourth screen of the first field area of tree roots . The exit on the left side leads into the third area of tree roots . The third area of tree roots is another straight path closer to the base of the tree . Mocchi , a moogle , stands at the bottom of the screen . The bottom of the screen links to the second area of tree roots , and the top of the screen contains a descending platform that responds only to Zidane . This takes the player into an Inner Roots area . The first time the player goes onto the elevator a short scene occurs where the party discovers what the platform does . As part of the Mognet sidequest , the player can deliver a letter from Mogryo to Mocchi . Inner Roots . Mist and roots permeate even the inside of the tree . Blue treasure chests not usually seen in Gaia are scattered throughout . The elevator in the bottom right can take the player back to the tree roots . The exit at the top - right screen takes the player down into the second area of the inner roots . The exit at the top of the screen takes the player to the first area of the inner roots , and the exit at the bottom takes the player to the third area . This area has a number of offshoots from the path on the left . The second encountered from the top has an action related where the character can push something . Pushing it drops a chest containing a Phoenix Down onto the first offshoot from the path . Another offshoot from the path at the bottom - most point in the screen is a chest containing a Hi - Potion . On the path before the chests for the other items will be a Healing Rod , however it only appears once the player presses a switch in the third inner roots area . The exit at the top leads to the second inner roots area , and the exit at the bottom takes the player to a second elevator . Near the top of the screen there is a small cave on the left with a switch . This reveals a chest in the previous room . Toward the bottom in a small cave on the right is a chest containing an Ether . A left offshoot from the path at the bottom of the screen holds a chest containing a Lamia ' s Flute , and further along the path is a chest containing a Remedy . Elevator . The lower depths of the Iifa Tree glow a bright green . A leaf - like elevator platform that again only responds to Zidane takes the party on a spiraling descent . On the way down , a scene with two fixed encounter s ensue , before the party reaches the bottom of the tree . Bottom . The green light grows brighter at the bottom , which appears to have a structure similar to a harp . The light is so bright the bottom cannot be seen ; only swirling green pools are visible . Soulcage ambushes the party here and is defeated , ending the expulsion of Mist . Down the staircase and on the right is a chest containing an Elixir . On the same level as the Elixir , on the opposite side of the tree , is a hidden chest containing a Brigandine armor . The player progresses with the story when they press the action button on the farthest left point of the lower level . Talking to Dagger will trigger the scene onto a boss fight against Soulcage . After the battle a scene ensues and the player will find themselves back at the Outer Seal . Tree Trunk . Atop the screen is a fairly hidden Mocchi . The bottom of the screen leads onto the Tree Path . A scene will ensue when the player first comes here , and the player will encounter a pair of Mistodon enemies , shortly followed by an an encounter with a single Mistodon . Talking to Mocchi here involves a small part of the Mognet sidequest where Mocchi will let the player read a letter from Stiltzkin to Mocchi . Tree Path . The Tree Path is a long path where the player is chased by Mistodon enemies as fixed encounters . The exit on the right leads the player to the Tree Trunk , and the exit on the left leads the player to a scene at Leviathan ' s eidolon grave . A scene occurs with Dagger , and the party obtains the Aquamarine jewel . Quests . Mognet . The Iifa Tree ' s moogle appears in the third tree roots section and in the Tree Trunk . If the player earlier received the Vivi ' s Eyes letter , they can give it to Mocchi . Finding Mocchi at the Tree Trunk will allow the player to read the Blessing or Curse ? letter from Stiltzkin to Mocchi . Blu Mag . Quina can eat Stroper or Dracozombie to learn Lv5 Death , Zombie to learn Roulette , Myconid to learn Mighty Guard , and Mistodon to learn Angel ' s Snack . Enemies . All enemies inside Iifa Tree can be one - hit killed : Zombies , Dracozombies , Mistodons and the boss Soulcage are undead , therefore healing spells and items can easily dispatch them ; Stropers are Stone enemies can be killed by using a Soft on them . Myconids , being Level 20 and thus a multiple of 5 , are vulnerable to Lv5 Death , assuming that Quina has learned the Blue Magic spell from either the Stroper or the Dracozombie . Creation and development . The Iifa Tree was designed by concept artist Christian Lorenz Scheurer , who " wanted to give the tree a brain - like appearance " . Musical themes . The theme of the Iifa Tree is called " Iifa Tree " . The theme is based on the moon ' s theme from " Final Fantasy IV " . When the player returns here for Kuja , " Dark Messenger " plays . " City Under Siege " plays once the party talk to Kuja and onwards . Other appearances . " Theatrhythm Final Fantasy " . The Iifa Tree appears in the background of the Field Music Sequence for " Over the Hill " and " Dark City Treno " . Etymology and symbolism . Iifa is pronounced the same as , an word which means " beauty " , but as a name , it is used more symbolically as an adaptation of the Latin , which comes from חוה " Ḥawwā " and means " living " . ( The common English form of this name is . ) Emphasizing the tree ' s association with life , the circle - and - cross pattern on the front of the tree resembles the , an ian symbol for life . The " world tree " is a motif in several religions and mythologies , represented as a colossal tree which supports the heavens , the world , and , through its roots , the underworld . This is similar to how the Iifa Tree connects Terra to Gaia and the " afterlife " it governs via the soul cycle , and how the Iifa roots encircle the planet in their grasp . The tree is also connected to the motif of the tree of life , a mystical concept alluding to the interconnection of all life on the planet .