1000 Needles

1000 Needles , also known as Blowfish, is a Blue Magic spell and a monster ability in the Final Fantasy series. Although it is not exclusive to them, the attack has become the trademark ability for the Cactuar. The spell sprays a steady stream of needles at a target, and deals exactly 1,000 HP of damage regardless of Defense, armor, Protect, or (at times) Evasion.
It is useful against enemies with low HP and high defensive abilities. There is sometimes a stronger version exclusive to enemies called 10000 Needles. A weaker version called 100 Needles can also be used by enemies in Final Fantasy VII and low-level cactuars in Final Fantasy XIV.
==Appearances==
===Final Fantasy V===
1000 Needles (also known as Blowfish) is a spell taught by Lamia and Hedgehog to a Blue Mage. It costs 25 MP to cast. The player can also use it by catching and releasing a Lamia, Cactus, or Hedgehog.
===Final Fantasy VI===
The Cactuar can use 1000 Needles (also known as Blowfish) up to ten times in a row for a total of 10,000 HP damage. The Brainpan and Face also know the spell. Strago can learn 1000 Needles as a Lore, which costs 50 MP to cast. It can be learned from Angler Whelk, Brainpan, Cactuar, Dark Force, Face, Humbaba, Samurai Soul, and Gilgamesh.
The Cactuar esper, When summoned for 50 MP, randomly uses 1000 Needles on all enemies that does 1,000 damage, or an attack called 10,000 Needles? that does 9,999 damage.
===Final Fantasy VII===
The Cactuer on Cactus Island may use 1000 Needles to deal exactly 1000 damage to its target.
The Death Machine uses a similar named attack, 100 Needles, but it is a normal attack and its damage can range.
===Final Fantasy VII Remake===
The Cactuar summon uses 1,000 Needles to deal small but fixed damage to one opponent, also inflicting them with and .
====Dirge of Cerberus -Final Fantasy VII-====
The Cactuar can use the 1000 Needles ability.
====Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-====
Kactaar, Kactuar, and Kactuare have access to 1000 Needles. Kactaar and Kactuare can also use 10,000 Needles, while Kactuare uses 100,000 Needles upon death. These attacks deal ten hits of 100 damage, 1,000 damage and 10,000 damage respectively over a small area.
1000 Needles is also Cactuar's Limit Break on Chocobo Mode. It deals 18 consecutive hits, whose damage depends on the level, to every enemy on the field.
The damage dealt for each hit is as follows:
Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4	Level 5
300 	500 	1000 	1500 	2000
1000 Needles is a level 8 special materia that boosts the chance of Cactuar appearing on the Digital Mind Wave. It begins at 5x, and increases by 1x each level up to 9x. It is a reward for Mission 9-4-3 and is bought from Junon Souvenirs.
===Final Fantasy VIII===
The Cactuar uses 1000 Needles when it is attacked. Humorously, the attack itself displays hundreds of '1's to signify each needle attacking the target, but this is only done for comedic effect as the actual damage is shown after the attack has ended.
===Final Fantasy IX===
The Cactuar counters all attacks with 1000 Needles when hidden in the ground. It can't be reflected and works with Return Magic. Quina can learn 1,000 Needles by eating a Cactuar. It costs 8 MP to use. 1,000 Needles can be useful to deal controlled damage to reduce an enemy's HP to low digits, giving Quina the chance to eat it.
===Final Fantasy X===
Qactuars can use 1000 Needles while Cactuars have the 10,000 Needles attack. The Cactuar King from the Monster Arena can use 10,000 Needles and 99,999 Needles, which kills instantly.
====Final Fantasy X-2====
1000 Needles is a Blue Bullet learned from Cactuars. It costs 24 MP to cast. 3000-Needle Special is used by an Oversoul Cactuar, which does three 1,000 damage attacks to random party members.
===Final Fantasy XI===
1000 Needles is a Blue Magic ability learned from Sabotenders for the Blue Mages (level 62). It shoots multiple needles at enemies within range. It costs 5 Blue Magic Points to set. When set, it grants VIT +3 and AGI +3. It takes 12 seconds to cast and can be recast every 120 seconds.
1000 Needles is also an enemy ability used by the Sabotender family.
===Final Fantasy XII===
1000 Needles is a Technick for the player to use. Only the Flowering Cactoid Mark uses this attack as an enemy ability, as Cactites and related enemies are docile and often asleep.
In the original PlayStation 2 version, it is purchased at the Mosphoran Highwaste for 7,000 gil and takes 35 LP to learn. In the Zodiac versions, 1000 Needles can be used by the Archer, Bushi, and Shikari. Reddas also knows it. The Technick is found in Sochen Cave Palace.
====Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings====
1000 Needles is the Esper Cactoid's attack, but it does not necessarily inflict 1000 HP of damage.
===Final Fantasy XIII===
1000 Needles is Cactuar Prime's main attack, and inflicts 1000 damage with every hit, as well as containing a possibility of inflicting Pain or Fog and removing status enhancements. Sentinels can, however, mitigate the damage. The Gigantuar Mark uses 10,000 Needles, which has a base damage of 10,000 and the same effects, though it is not used as rapidly compared to the Cactuar Prime.
====Final Fantasy XIII-2====
The Gigantuar uses 1000 Needles, an attack that hits one party member. It has a high chance of inflicting Pain and/or Fog. The Metal Gigantuar uses 10,000 Needles as a group attack that is deployed every 7 turns. The regular Cactuar can also use 1000 Needles as a Feral Link.
====Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII====
1000 Needles can be used by the Cactuar, Cactair, and Cactuar Ω. Lightning's Guard abilities do little to mitigate the damage. The Cactair's first two 1000 Needles attacks fail as the needles get stuck in its hair.
===Final Fantasy XIV===
The cactuar family can use 1000 Needles and its variants. Since cactuars are encountered at low-to-mid levels, most only use weaker forms, like 100 Needles. The full 1000 Needles move is generally reserved for boss-type cactuars seen in FATEs or quests.
Blue Mages can also learn 1000 Needles. The spell has a 6-second cast time and hits a 4-yalm radius around the caster, dealing 1000 points of damage that is evenly split between all enemies struck by the attack (500 on two enemies, or 333 on three, etc.)
===Final Fantasy XV===
Enemy attacks are not named, but cactuar-type enemies shoot needles. The bestiary entry mentions it thusly:
===Final Fantasy Type-0===
===Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles===
1000 Needles exists according to Cactuar, but it is not listed on Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles enemy abilities.
===Final Fantasy Dimensions===
Gigantuar can use a version of 1000 Needles: instead of hitting a single target for 1000 points of damage it attacks randomly 5 times, each time dealing 1000 points of damage, and potentially inflicting Stun. It can also use a single-shot version of 1000 Needles as a counterattack.
===Final Fantasy Dimensions II===
===Dissidia Final Fantasy===
1000 Needles is the ability of the Cactuar summon. It instantly inflicts 1000 points of Brave damage to the opponent. If their Brave is lower than 1000, 1000 Needles reduces their Brave to zero instead of inflicting Break status.
====Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy====
1,000 Needles is the ability of the Cactuar summon and like in Dissidia, it deals 1000 damage to the opponent's Bravery. It has an Auto and Manual version.
====Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia====
1,000 Needles is a Ranged BRV attack dealing 1000 damage and used by Cactuar and Gold Cactuar.
===Pictlogica Final Fantasy===
===Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade===
===Final Fantasy All the Bravest===
1,000 Needles is the enemy ability that is used by the Cactuar during battle.
===Final Fantasy Record Keeper===
1000 Needles is used by Cactuars when they appear in various dungeons, as well as by boss-type Cactuar variants such as the Jumbo Cactuar. It always deals 1000 damage to the target.
===Final Fantasy Explorers===
1,000 Needles is used by Cactuars and Gigantuars. A Blue Mage can learn it by defeating an enemy who has used it in the presence of the Blue Mage. As a Blue Magic, 1,000 Needles costs 100 AP to cast, has a cooldown time of five seconds, and hits the target once for 1,000 damage. It can be moderately useful early in the game, but is outclassed when other abilities become capable of dealing more than 1,000 damage per hit.
1,000 Needle Mode is a Crystal Surge that, when activated, makes all attacks deal 1,000 damage. Critical hits during 1,000 Needle Mode deal 10,000 damage. It can be useful for racking up fast damage by attacking as rapidly as possible, and even basic attacks from mashing the Y-button deal the same damage. It can be dangerous for the players, since enemy attacks are also affected by the Crystal Surge, and a single critical hit can kill an explorer. 1,000 Needle Mode can add the ability mutation Critical Power↑.
===Final Fantasy Brave Exvius===
===World of Final Fantasy===
1,000 Needles is an active, physical ability that inflicts a fixed amount of neutral physical damage to a single target for 4 AP. It can be used by Cactuar and Master Cactuar★.
===Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin===
===Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales===
=== Final Fantasy Trading Card Game ===
The Cactuar card can use an ability based on 1000 Needles. By Dulling the Cactuar, the player deals 1000 damage to a Forward of their choice.
==Non-Final Fantasy guest appearances==
===Mario Hoops 3-on-3===
1000 Needles is the special shot of the unlockable Cactuar character.
=== Dragon Quest Tact ===
1000 Needles is a skill that can be learned by Cactuars at level 42. It deals 1000 damage to a single enemy up to three squares away from it. Upgrading the skill reduces the amount of MP it costs to use.
==Gallery==
Blowfish-ff5-snes.jpg|Final Fantasy V (Super Famicom).
1000Needles-FF5-GBA.png|Final Fantasy V (GBA).
FFV_1000_Needles_iOS.png|Final Fantasy V (defunct mobile/Steam).
Bartz using 1000 Needles from FFV Pixel Remaster.jpg|Final Fantasy V (Pixel Remaster).
Ff6blowfish.PNG|Final Fantasy VI (SNES).
FFVI Lore 1000 Needles.png|Final Fantasy VI (GBA).
FFVI Android 1000 Needles.png|Final Fantasy VI (defunct mobile/Steam).
1000 Needles from FFVI Pixel Remaster.jpg|Final Fantasy VI (Pixel Remaster).
FFVII 1000 Needles.png|Final Fantasy VII.
VIICC 1000 Needles.jpg|Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-.
VIICC 1000 Needles Summon.jpg|1000 Needles as a summon ability in Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-.
1000 Needles from CCFFVIIR.png|1000 Needles as a summon ability in Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII- Reunion.
FFVIII 1000 Needles.png|Final Fantasy VIII.
FFX 1000 Needles.png|Final Fantasy X.
FFX-2 1000 Needles EA.png|Final Fantasy X-2.
FFXI 1000 Needles.png|Final Fantasy XI.
FFXII 1000 Needles.png|Final Fantasy XII.
RW 1000 Needles.png|Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings.
Thousand Needles from FFXIII.jpg|Final Fantasy XIII.
FFXIII-2-1000-Needles.png|Final Fantasy XIII-2.
LRFFXIII 1000 Needles.png|Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII.
FFXIII-2 Retro 1000 Needles.png|Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Retro-spective trailer.
BLU using 1000 Needles from FFXIV.png|Final Fantasy XIV.
FFCC cactuar.png|Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles.
FFD 1000 Needles.PNG|Final Fantasy Dimensions.
D012 1000 Needles.jpeg|1000 Needles used by the summon Cactuar in Dissidia and Dissidia 012.
DFFOO 1000 Needles.png|Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia.
PFF 1000 Needles.png|Pictlogica Final Fantasy.
FFAB 1000 Needles - Blue Mage (M) SR.png|Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade (SR).
FFAB 1000 Needles - Blue Mage (M) SR+.png|Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade (SR+).
FFAB 1000 Needles - Sabin SSR.png|Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade (SSR) [FFVI].
FFAB 1000 Needles - Sabin SSR+.png|Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade (SSR+) [FFVI].
FFAB 1000 Needles - Sabin Legend SSR.png|Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade (SSR) [FFVI].
FFAB 1000 Needles - Sabin Legend SSR+.png|Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade (SSR+) [FFVI].
FFRK 1000 Needles.png|Final Fantasy Record Keeper.
FFBE 1000 Needles.png|Final Fantasy Brave Exvius.
WoFF 1000 Needles.png|World of Final Fantasy.
Cactuar 1000 Needles.png|Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales.
1000Needles plus.JPG|Plus version in Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales.
Mario Sports Mix Cactuar 1000 Needles.png|Mario Sports Mix.
==Etymology==
1000 Needles (harisenbon) is the colloquial Japanese name for a blowfish.
In Japan, there is a popular children's rhyme recited while making , which says if someone breaks the promise, they must swallow a thousand needles.
de:1.000 Stacheln
it:1000 aghi
ru:1000 иголок
Category:Non-elemental enemy abilities
Category:Recurring Limit Breaks
Category:Summon abilities
Category:Recurring Blue Magic