Cactuar The Cactuar is a recurring enemy from the " Final Fantasy " series as well as appearing as a summon . Cactuars are little cacti , typically depicted having stiff arms and legs , three black holes for their faces , representing two eyes and an oblong mouth , and three reddish quills at the top of their heads . They have their own language , mostly consisting of variations of the word " Ge - ka " , which resemble squeaks and warbles to the ear . Cactuars in " Final Fantasy X " appear to speak Al Bhed . They were originally known as Cactrots , and later renamed to cactuar . Other variations of cactuar include Qactuar , Kactuar , Cactuer and Cactoid . Other languages refer to them as " Pampa " , " Kyactus " and " Cactilio " . The cactuar ' s debut appearance was in " Final Fantasy VI " as an enemy in the desert near Maranda on the World of Ruin . Profile . According to an article in the 15 February 1997 issue of " V - Jump " , the cactuar was designed by Tetsuya Nomura based on a doodle he drew on a notebook when he was a high school student . They bear a resemblance to Japanese " " , a type of clay figure made for ritual and funerary uses . Cactuars are usually very fast , and tough to hit . Their HP is usually low , but their defenses are high and they often yield large amounts of gil and EXP . Often , they counter most attacks with 1000 Needles ( Blow Fish in some versions of " Final Fantasy V " and " Final Fantasy VI " ) , which always deals 1000 HP of unblockable damage that ignores Defense . Usually , this ability can be learned as Blue Magic . In some games , such as " Final Fantasy IX " , cactuars may be underground and will only counterattack if they are hiding . Some games have stronger versions of this attack , such as the 10 , 000 Needles . Cactuars are often weak to Water . The Gigantuar , also known as the Jumbo Cactuar , is a recurring boss type of cactuar . They are bigger versions of the cactuar and sometimes sport a mustache . In some occurrences , Gigantuar has the attack " 10000 Needles " , with an additional " 99999 Needles " in games where the max HP limit is more than 9999 . As a summon . The cactuar has also appeared as a summon . Usually becoming available after defeating the Gigantuar , the Cactuar uses 1000 Needles as its main attack , though this does not necessarily inflict 1 , 000 points of damage . Appearances . " Final Fantasy VI " . Cactuars , titled Cactrots in the original SNES English translation , have their first appearance in " Final Fantasy VI " . They can only be found in a small desert near Maranda in the World of Ruin . Cactuars leave behind 10 , 000 Gil and 10 Magic Points , the largest of any common enemy . A Gigantuar can be fought in the " Advance " and mobile versions after the player defeats ten cactuars . If it is defeated , the Cactuar magicite is available . When summoned for 50 MP , Cactuar randomly uses " 1000 Needles " on all enemies , or an attack called " 10 , 000 Needles ? " that does 9 , 999 damage . Cactuar ' s magicite grants + 2 Speed at Level up . It teaches the following spells : " Final Fantasy VII " . There are two type of cactuars ; the regular cactuar found in the Corel Desert , and the Cactuer found at Cactus Island ( south of Cosmo Canyon ) . Cactus Island is only accessible through the use of the " Highwind " or gold chocobo . Cactuers can be morphed into Tetra Elementals , an accessory that absorbs fire , ice , lightning , and earth magic . A cactuar can also be made to appear in the Snowboarding game at Gold Saucer , as an extra figure to race the player during Time Attack mode . " Dirge of Cerberus - Final Fantasy VII - " . Cactuars appear during Chapter s 6 and 10 . They will not attack during these chapters , but will when encountered in extra missions . " Before Crisis - Final Fantasy VII - " . The Sabotender and Sapotender are the two variants of cactuar . " Crisis Core - Final Fantasy VII - " . Large numbers of Kactuars can be fought in three special missions . A Kactuer also appears in the final mission , dropping Cactus Thorn . Cactuar appears as a summon on the DMW after obtaining the Cactus Thorn . 1000 Needles hits enemies a total of 18 times dealing damage based on the level of the DMW . A cactuar also appears from the safe later occupied by Lost Number if the player inputs the correct code . " Final Fantasy VIII " . While a recurring enemy common in Kashkabald Desert , they are far more prevalent on Cactuar Island southeast of the location . Normal Cactuars yield very little ( around 2 to 3 ) EXP , but do yield 20 AP , the most of any regular enemy and even some bosses . After defeating the Jumbo Cactuar optional boss , the Cactuar can be obtained as a Guardian Force . The Cactuar Guardian Force uses its signature 1 , 000 Needles move whose damage is calculated by the first digit in Cactuar ' s level times 100 . As a late - game GF , it learns the rare Evasion and Luck junctions and support abilities that enhance these stats . It learns a command ability that nullifies all physical damage while the user is defending , and is the only GF to naturally learn a self - destruct command that deals immense damage that breaks the damage limit at the cost of sacrificing said character . The Cactuar ' s unique feature is that it learns all support abilities that give permanent stat boosts upon level up ; players who want to min - max keep avoid leveling up until they gain Cactuar and then equip these abilities for grinding sessions . Cactuar doesn ' t learn any refine abilities . Cactuar ' 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 , Cactuar 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 Cactus Thorn increases compatibility by 3 . 2 , and the LuvLuvG by 20 . 2 , as with every other GF . The regular Cactuar and Jumbo Cactuar have Triad Triad cards . " Chocobo World " . Cactuar is one of Boco ' s friends and assists him on his quest to find MiniMog , and later on in his quest to save Koko . He helps by finding items for them to use throughout the game . " Final Fantasy IX " . Cactuars appear in the desert areas on the Outer Continent and Forgotten Continent . They usually hide underground and counter any attack with 1000 Needles . They can cast Confuse and use a turn to emerge above ground ; after doing so , they won ' t use their counterattack anymore but instead hide again after being attacked . The Cactuar is the only enemy Quina can eat to learn its signature 1000 Needles move . " Final Fantasy X " . The cactuars are native to the deserts of Bikanel Island . A sidequest involves Ten Cactuar Gatekeepers guarding the entrance to the Valley of the Cactuars in the Sanubia Sands . The player can obtain special spheres for locating each cactuar , which leads the player to the Mercury Sigil . Another variation is the Qactuar , which migrated from Bikanel to the Thunder Plains where Gandof sealed them within statues . Praying at any three Qactuar stones will cause a spirit to appear . Following the spirit of the Qactuar and praying at the broken tower will reveal a chest containing the Spirit Lance , Kimahri ' s Celestial Weapon , if the is pressed . The Cactuar King is another , tougher version of the Cactuar . It is bred and fought at the Area Conquest section of the Monster Arena . The monster becomes available after collecting at least one of each fiend found at the Thunder Plains , and the prize for unlocking it is 99 Chocobo Wings . Defeating it will net some Blessed Gems . Twelve of Lulu ' s Dolls are based on the Cactuar . These dolls may increase AP , reduce MP cost , give Counter abilities , Preemptive abilities , Magic Booster or the Sensor ability . " Final Fantasy X - 2 " . The cactuars of the Cactuar Nation return under the guidance of their leader , Marnela . Their life - cycle involves starting off as cacti before becoming mobile and later returning to a cacti state , though there are rogue cactuar who refused to abide by it and were thus sealed off . These cactuar can enlarge monsters with their needles . A young Al Bhed boy named Benzo is able to communicate with the cactuar . The Ten Cactuar Gatekeepers are again gathered from across Spira to save the Cactuar Nation from their mortal enemy , Angra Mainyu . Marnela sacrifices her life to protect the Cactuar Nation until they are gathered . During the quest , the player also has the opportunity to fight the Jumbo Cactuar the rogue cactuar create . If a cactuar is the last enemy and it runs away while one of the girls is trying to attack , the girl will run off screen in pursuit . She will be visible again when everyone does their victory pose . It takes 15 kills to Oversoul a Cactuar - type enemy . Rikku ' s initial reaction to the Mascot dressphere is that she wanted to be a cactuar , which is actually Paine ' s weapon for this dressphere . " " . Cactuars appear on floors 15 to 19 , 27 to 30 , and 75 to 77 . Cactuars have high Evasion and are difficult to hit with physical attacks . They lack the ability to attack from a distance and can only attack when adjacent to the player , but their " X - Needles " attack never misses and can completely destroy one ' s primary dressphere in one hit . Cactuars are not hostile unless provoked , and are only a problem when encountered in hallways and block the way past . It is recommended to attack them from a distance if battling is necessary . A Black Mage ' s magic can kill it in one hit from a distance , provided one has high Magic , a Dark Knight ' s ability will kill the Cactuar after five turns , and a Lady Luck ' s MP Dice can deplete the Cactuar ' s MP ( depleting 14 MP in total will render it unable to cast " X - Needles " ) . " Final Fantasy XI " . Cactuars are a monster of the Sabotender family ( the name commonly used for Cactuar in the Japanese games ) . The game marks the first time in the series that the monsters have deviated from their established design . Members of the Sabotender family reside in the Kuzotz region — mainly in the Altepa Desert , Quicksand Caves and Kuftal Tunnel . They are aggressive to players by sound , and their 1000 Needles ability deals a total of one thousand points of damage to all targets within the area of effect . 10 , 000 Needles follows similar suit , and is used by Notorious Monster s in the Sabotender family . The Sabotender family has two peculiar notorious monsters in the Altepa Desert , including the well known " Cactrot Rapido " . Unlike their weaker cousins , these notorious monsters are not aggressive whatsoever , and run at high speed throughout the desert , ignoring all forms of provocation other than defending their fellow Sabotenders . As such , these monsters are unable to be grabbed for battle via normal means ( i . e an attack spell ) , instead parties that hunt these NMs do not sit in one spot waiting for them to appear ; rather , a normal Sabotender attacked and held until the notorious monster stops running to join in the defense of its cousin . Cactuar is also the name of a cross - shaped constellation in the middle of the stellar map . At one time , a group of meteors observed falling from the location of the central star and was dubbed the " Thousand Needles Shooting Star " . " Final Fantasy XII " . Cactoids and Cactite s are docile creatures found in the Dalmasca Estersand and Dalmasca Westersand . They will usually not attack unless provoked and are often found sleeping peacefully . Cactoids are not cactuars in the traditional sense , but share many traits , mainly being mobile cactus - esque beings . As they are only encountered early , they are not seen using a ' 1000 Needles ' attack or any variation as most cactuars do . They can drop Bundles of Needles when defeated while holding the Dragoon ' s Monograph . One of the hunts in the clan primer is the Flowering Cactoid , which looks similar to an ordinary Cactoid but with a flower on its head . It will attack unprovoked and can be found with the ordinary Cactoids in the Dalmasca Estersand . It is the only enemy in the game that can use the 1 , 000 Needles attack . Later , the party can also obtain the 1000 Needles attack as a technick from the merchant at the Mosphoran Highwaste . " " . The Cactoid is the Rank I Earth Ranged Yarhi . It attacks with 1000 Needles to deal minor damage . " Final Fantasy XIII " . Cactuars are rare enemies in Gran Pulse ' s Archylte Steppe . They have 777 , 777 HP and use Kick as their attack . If not attacked in the beginning of a battle , the Cactuar will transform into a stronger version . There is a rare variant called the Flowering Cactuar that usually attempts to flee the battle , but may use powerful magic attacks as well . The Gigantuar can be fought in Cie ' th Mission 54 on the Archylte Steppe . Its main attack is 10 , 000 Needles , which deals exactly 10 , 000 damage and sometimes deals Pain and Fog . Additionally , there exists an in the game ' s data . " Final Fantasy XIII - 2 " . The Cactuar appears in the Archylte Steppe , as does its larger brother , the Gigantuar . Defeating three Gigantuars will unlock a sealed Time Gate . Other types include the Metallicactuar , Cactuaroni , Flowering Cactuar and Metal Gigantuar . Each type of Cactuar may be recruited as a party member at the end of battle . In addition , the Cactuarina and Cactuarama may also be recruited with the use of Moogle Throw . In Academia - 500 AF - , green Cactuar - shaped statues are used as checkpoints within the maze of floating blocks . In a Brain Blast quiz in Academia , it is also revealed that Cactuar signs are used for symbols for emergency exits in amusement parks . " Final Fantasy XIII - 2 Fragments After " reveals Snow Villiers was branded by the fal ' Cie Cactuar with a Focus to find Serah Farron and fight alongside her in her fated battle . Cactuars appear as an enemy in the Dead Dunes . A cactuar statue is also placed prominently in the town of Yusnaan . Lightning can also obtain cactuar - related adornments : and . " Final Fantasy XIV " . Cactuars are common sights in Thanalan , and unlike in other games , can be encountered even at low levels . The weaker ones use lesser variations of their infamous technique " 1000 Needles " such as " 100 needles " . Stronger cactuars , such as the Sabotender Del Sol , still use a full 1000 needles . Cactuars retain their classic pose from earlier games while walking around , but adopt a more combative stance when engaged in battle . Players can also obtain a minion known as a " Cactuar Cutting " from a high - level game sidequest . " Final Fantasy XV " . Cactuars are very rare monsters that can be fought in parts of Duscae , Leide and Cleigne , and will only respawn after a minimum of 15 minutes . They are powerful opponents that can dodge Shift Breaks , and yield very high amounts of EXP . Additionally , Slactuar s and Gigantuar s can be fought . As well as their appearance as monsters , there are different coloured Cactuar dolls that can be collected to complete a side quest for Talcott at Cape Caem . The Cactuar Statuette is bought from the shop at Wiz Chocobo Post . The Cactuar Model is bought from the antique shop in Lestallum . The Cactaur Sculpture is bought from the shop outside the Leville Hotel in Altissia . The player must use Umbra | Umbra to go back to give it to Talcott . The Cactaur Effigy is found in Chapter 15 in Formouth Garrison , the imperial base near Hammerhead . It is behind the white building after the player has cleared the area of enemies . Additionally , the " green man " symbols on pedestrian crossing signals in Insomnia are in fact cactuar silhouettes . " Final Fantasy Type - 0 " . Cactuars appear as recurring enemies in the Berith Desert , Cetme District , and Old Lorica . The Kactuar and Blooming Cactuar also appear as enemies in the Berito Desert . In the story , the traitor among the " Four Champions , " which included Class Zero ' s instructor Kurasame Susaya , was said to have owned a pet Cactuar just like how Kurasame has a pet Tonberry . Though the traitor perished in his attempt to kill all his comrades , his Cactuar is said to still lurk in Akademeia . The player can randomly encounter the pet Cactuar while exploring certain areas of Akademeia . These areas include : Terrace , Chocobo Ranch , Back Garden and the Airship Landing . Sighting the Cactuar for the first time has it drop a l ' Cie Stone . It also drops an item needed for completing a task and couple random items , including a Crystal Shard and a Wizard ' s Hat . " Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles " . Cactuars appear in Lynari Desert in all three cycles . They are fairly scarce regardless of Cycle . " " . Cactuars appear as normal enemies in various dungeons . The Jumbo Cactuar is a boss which can be fought in the Infinity Spire . " " . Cactuar appears as a summon , however , it cannot attack ; instead , it cures its allies . Its speed is Sprightly , and it takes one slot to summon . It is obtained in Chapter 3 , in Quartint Hills 3 . Cactuar makes a cameo appearance . In the desert on the overworld , casting magic on the cactuar shaped cactus will make two to four scratch cards pop out . Cactuars appear as enemies . When a water attack is used on one , it grows to immense proportions . The player can pick up cactuars and use their special attack " 1000 Needles " against other enemies . It is also possible to acquire a cactuar emblem . " Final Fantasy Dimensions " . All Cactuar enemies used the same sprite , however the Gigantuar sprites are scaled up by stretching pixels to varying degrees . " Dissidia Final Fantasy " ( 2008 ) . Cactuar appears as a summon . It uses 1 , 000 Needles on the opponent ' s Bravery points , reducing them by 1 , 000 . If the opponent ' s bravery is less than 1 , 000 , their bravery is reduced to zero , without inflicting break . Cactuar can be obtained as a Stage Bonus on the " Destiny Odyssey IX " storyline . " Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy " . Cactuar returns as a summonstone , with the same function as in " Dissidia " . He can be purchased from certain Moogle Shop s for 60 KP . " Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia " . Cactuar appears as an enemy . " Theatrhythm Final Fantasy " . Cactuars appear as enemies during Battle Music Sequence s ( BMS ) . " Pictlogica Final Fantasy " . Cactuar appears as an enemy . " Final Fantasy All the Bravest " . The Cactuar appears as an enemy inside the Fabul Waterways . It uses 1 , 000 Needles and drops the Kotetsu . " Final Fantasy Record Keeper " . Cactuar species make appearances throughout the game , most frequently as bonus targets during certain Special Event s . Appearing in singles , they can sometimes drop Orbs that are one or two levels above those that would drop from a more common foe . As a standard enemy , they are found within the intermediate to advanced Records of " Final Fantasy VI " and in the Monday Daily Dungeon , the latter basing itself on " Final Fantasy VI " for the enemies drawn . Dr . Mog is shown to own a figure of a Cactuar , which can be seen in the background whenever the player accesses their Item Chest . " Final Fantasy Brave Exvius " . Cactuar appear as enemies in some areas , such as the Zadehl Westersand . Cactuar however are most commonly known and used by their Metal variants , the Metal Minituar , Metal Cactuar and Metal Gigantuar who serve as EXP Units , whose purpose is to be infused into other units for 5 , 000 , 10 , 000 and 30 , 000 experience respectively being the best tool for the player to maximize their units quick and evolve them for further benefits . These Cactuar can be found in a bunch of different ways usually involving events and prizes . The Metal Minituars and Cactuar can be purchased through the Medal Exchange Panel in the Arena by investing some Medals earned through fighting and advancing through the grid . Gigantuars are instead most commonly available through King Mog ' s shop and can be purchased through event - only currency and are very cheap usually costing 100 of the respective currency all the time . However King Mog has a limited supply of 100 for each event . All of these variants can be found in the event - only dungeon Cactuar Dunes with each variant appearing at a different level of the dungeon . Minituars are guaranteed to appear at the end of " Entrance " and may appear at some point in " Entrance " and " Interior " . Metal Cactuars are guaranteed to appear at the end of " Interior " and may appear at some point in " Interior " and " Uncharted Zone " . Gigantuars are guaranteed to appear at the end of " Uncharted Zone " and may appear at some other point there . " Mobius Final Fantasy " . Cactuars appear in various colors and sizes as enemies and as material cards . As enemies , they have low HP , but will need to be broken with a random element to be defeated quickly . If hit with an element that is neither their strength nor their weakness , the attack does little damage . " World of Final Fantasy " . The Cactuar is based on its appearance in " Final Fantasy VIII " according to the " Who ' s Who " of the Cactuar Conductor . Additionally , the Gigantuar mirage bears an obvious resemblance to the Gigantuar from " Final Fantasy VIII " . Cactrot and Gigantrot mirages also appear , which essentially are the same as the Cactuar and Gigantuar , except instead of needles , they fire " meedles , " and they allow for different blank space abilities to be added once imprisomed . The Cactuar Conductor runs all of the trains . He is the first Cactuar in the series who is able to communicate with the main characters in their own language . He is presented as being an energetic middle - aged Cactuar ( saying that he is over 50 years old ) who likes to play pranks on people and other mirages . " Chocobo no Fushigi na Dungeon " and " Chocobo ' s Dungeon 2 " . The Cactuar also appears as an enemy class and a specific enemy . Oddly , they attack primarily with Gil Toss , though some types can use Poison Needle . They can also drop a large amount of gil upon defeat . " Chocobo Racing " . The Cactuar is a secret character . In order to unlock it , the Story Mode must be beaten six times . Afterwards , the cactuar can be selected by holding R2 while the cursor is over Squall . It is unique in that the cactuar does not use a vehicle to race , and rather runs around the track . Cactuars are fairly enigmatic enemies in this game , as their movement speed doesn ' t work like that of most enemies . They technically have the same movement speed as chocobo , but they are allowed to move two grids or attack once each turn , making them hard to fight . They have long - range skills such as Gil Toss and 1000 Needles . They also appear as a Dry Cactuar variant in the Guardian of the Light dungeon . Cactuar is an earth element , and has six cards under his name . " Dice de Chocobo " . The cactuar used to live in a peaceful desert until they were attacked by the Wandering Ocean , which destroyed their home and forced them to hide underground . Thanks to the Comodeen and Kaze , the cactuar gained the courage to use their own lifeforce to create a whirlwind that destroyed the Wandering Ocean . Everyone mourned the deaths of their fallen comrades , until it was revealed the cactuar could be revived with sunlight . Fungo was the only one of the heroes to translate the cactuar language . The cactuar were all voiced by Etsuko Kozakura in the Japanese version . Herba uses a similar group of cactus creatures as servants , referred by her as her " Cactibabies " , last seen in " " obtaining an Omega crystal and almost all of them were destroyed by Omega ' s aura in the process . " Final Fantasy Trading Card Game " . Cactuar appears with Wind - and Earth - elemental cards . " Triple Triad " . Cactuar from the series appear on Triple Triad cards in the version available via the " Final Fantasy Portal App " . Non - " Final Fantasy " guest appearances . " Itadaki Street " series . Cactuars appear in " Itadaki Street Portable " . Cactuars also appear in " Itadaki Street Special " . " Dragon Quest X " . Cactuars along with , Mandragoras . appeared as monsters during the Final Fantasy - Dragon Quest crossover events . Also , characters can be dressed with Cactuar robes and the iconic Cactuar pose can also be staged . " Mario Hoops 3 - on - 3 " . The Cactuar appears as a secret character in the sports game , " " along with a Ninja , a White Mage and a Black Mage . This is mainly because Square Enix developed the game . Cactuar ' s special shot is 1000 Needles . Unique to its design in this game and the Nintendo Wii spiritual sequel , " Mario Sports Mix " , in which it was also an unlockable character , the cactuar ' s design incorporates segmented limbs , giving the arms and legs a jointed appearance , which may have been intended to make it look flexible enough to play basketball . He is the fastest player in the game . Cactuar is unlocked by first unlocking Glare Desert , which is unlocked by scoring 800 points in Jr . Street , playing in the Star Cup . Once Glare Desert is unlocked , Cactuar ' s head appears in the sand . Dribble the ball on it causes it to move . After dribbling on it a few times , it will run away . Once this has been done , win the match to unlock Cactuar . " Mario Sports Mix " . Cactuar reappeared alongside the same four unlockable " Final Fantasy " characters with which it debuted . It can be unlocked by playing 60 Matches or by completing the Cactuar Mission at Star Cup . " " series . The Cactuar is a special ship that can be obtained in the " Kingdom Hearts " series . In the original ' the player can unlock the blueprint by defeating 1000 Heartless and then talking to . This can be done after locking the . In ' , by receiving an S - Rank in ( Mission 2 ) , the blueprint for the Special Cactuar ship is received . It costs 1197 munny and requires 198x Material - G , 8x Fire - G and 2x Orichalcum - G gummi blocks to build . " " . Cactuars make an appearance in the ending cutscene of " Hanjuku Hero 4 " as drawings . One of the main protagonists , Volt Krueger , has three pictures of a Cactuar on his jacket . " Lord of Vermilion " . A Cactuar appears as a card in the card game " Lord of Vermilion III " . They reappear in " Lord of Vermilion Arena " . " " . The player can purchase a hat called " Cactrot " . The hat ' s description , " Desert , South of Miranda . World of Ruin . Watch out for Blow Fish " , is a direct reference to " Final Fantasy VI " ( the original term for 1000 Needles was " Blowfish " ) . The player can purchase it for 1000 Tix , or ROBUX , another reference to the 1000 Needles ability . It is even in the form of a cactus wearing a small hat . " Rise of Mana " . Cactuars appears as an ally . " Sword Art Online II " . A cactuar appears as a profile picture and it wears a blackglasses while video - chatting with Death Gun .