Dragon's Neck Coliseum

The Dragon's Neck Coliseum, also known as the Colosseum, is a location in Final Fantasy VI at the northwest corner of the World of Ruin, north of Kohlingen and Figaro Castle. The name is derived from the shape of the peninsula where the coliseum lies. The Dragon's Neck Coliseum is a battle arena where a party member can fight enemies by betting items. Before the cataclysm, it was just a small cabin called the Dragon's Neck Cabin.
In the SNES and PlayStation releases the location is named "Colosseum". The Game Boy Advance and subsequent releases, however, spell all instances of the name as "Coliseum".
Winning ten times in the mobile/Steam version earns the Gateway to the Top achievement.
== Story ==
In the World of Balance, the coliseum had yet to exist. The owner decided to build a coliseum, because he believes people are at their best when they are at war.
A year after the end of the world, the coliseum has been completed, with the owner pleased with Kefka for creating a world full of war. Due to his ongoing debts, Ultros was forced to act as the coliseum's receptionist by Siegfried, who also took residence within the newly built arena. At some point the lone surviving Imperial soldier inside the coliseum ran into Locke Cole and was told to pass on a message to his allies.
If Shadow survived the end of the world and was rescued from the Cave on the Veldt, he decides to leave from Thamasa shortly after the party had exit Strago's home and took up fighting in the coliseum. When the party had bet the Ichigeki in the coliseum, Shadow battles his old companions in a duel. After the match, Shadow decided to rejoin the remaining Returners in the battle against Kefka.
== Gameplay ==
The player can fight in the coliseum at will. When the player chooses to fight, they must wager an item. They will see their opponent and the item they have wagered, and must choose a party member to do battle. The coliseum fights are one-on-one, and the player's character is AI-controlled and will use any command and spell they know. Nothing stops them from using acquired moves which injure or even kill themselves, such as Self-Destruct or Soul Spiral.
Monsters at the coliseum will not use their regular AI scripts; they instead use the abilities in Relm's Control options for that monster. The Control option has a maximum of four abilities, and one of the abilities will be picked at random when their turn comes up.
If the player wins, they will lose their wagered item and win the opponent's wagered item. If the player loses the battle, or if both the player's character and the opponent are killed simultaneously, the player loses their wagered item and wins nothing. If the player's character warps out of battle using Teleport or is thrown out of battle by an enemy move such as Snort, they will retain their wagered item.
The following battle commands are disabled within the coliseum battles: Items, Revert, Throw, Control, Slot, Leap, Defend, and Possess (even though the latter is not available at this point of the game by any normal means).
The coliseum removes KO, Invisible, Petrify, and Zombie statuses before a match, but not Imp, Float, or Poison, and restores HP and MP to their max before the match begins. There is no need to heal those statuses or restore HP/MP to prepare for the match, except if a status prevents the player from properly equipping a character.
If all party members are killed in the coliseum, the player can walk around with a party of dead people until they encounter a battle outside of the coliseum that turns into an instant Game Over.
== Character setup ==
=== Overall setup ===
There are several good pieces of equipment to equip on the fighter. The Paladin's Shield negates/absorbs all elemental damage, and has the highest evasion of any shield. It can be obtained the easiest by fighting on the Solitary Island to dispel the Cursed Shield. Master's Scroll is another good choice, found in the Ancient Castle. Other good ones include the Merit Award and Miracle Shoes (both can be won in the coliseum), Ribbon, and Safety Bit/Memento Ring, depending on the situation. Weapons vary from character to character, but the Lightbringer paired with Merit Award is an excellent combo. Many coliseum opponents are vulnerable to Death attacks, which can be used through some weaponry.
=== Fighters ===
Shadow is a good character to fight with at the coliseum, as he will never use Throw during a coliseum match, and having him without any magic learned at this point is possible, since he temporarily joined the party only twice after they acquired magicite in the World of Balance: once on their way to Thamasa, and once on the Floating Continent. He has weaponry that can inflict instant death, such as Assassin's Dagger or Ichigeki, which has a 25% chance to kill an enemy in a single blow, but the player should not use these weapons when fighting an undead opponent. An alternate weapon is the Kagenui, that can randomly cast Stop on the attacked target. Shadow has 28% evasion, having the highest raw evasion out of the party, and being the second speediest character (tied with Gau). When evading an attack, there is a chance of Interceptor attacking the enemy without losing a turn, but this attack will miss floating opponents.
Setzer is another good choice, as he never uses his Slot command, but there is a good chance the player will have Setzer with more magic spells compared to Shadow, due to him having spent more time in the party. The Viper Darts can kill an enemy in one blow, much like some of Shadow's weaponry, with a 25% chance.
Gogo is another good choice, as the player can prepare them for any situation. The player can equip Gogo with nothing but Attack along with the Master's Scroll and Merit Award combo (only in versions prior to the GBA version), or with three Tools commands, where the player sells all tools except for the Drill, giving Gogo a 3/4 chance of using Drill. Six out of the eight tools can be bought back in Figaro Castle, Chainsaw can be stolen from Duel Armor, and Air Anchor from Gamma; both of these enemies are found in Kefka's Tower.
Umaro is another choice, who has 1/2 chance of either using Attack (four times in a row if equipped with Master's Scroll) or Tackle (a single unblockable attack that ignores defense) during battle. He is limited in the equipment department, being unable to equip any pieces of armor, leaving only the two relic slots to play with. Umaro can benefit from the Gauntlet relic, since he only holds a single Bone Club in his right hand and nothing in his left hand, making the Gauntlet and Master's Scroll a good combo. Umaro comes down to luck compared to the other characters mentioned above if Shadow and/or Setzer have no magic spells, and depends on who his opponent is. However, his raw strength can finish a battle quicker than most.
Another alternative is to have Gogo as an Imp, fully equipped with the Imp equipment that comes with high Defense, Magic Defense, and Water absorption. Imp characters' special command is disabled, but they can still access the Magic command, meaning they may waste turns trying to cast spells that will fail and abort. The only available spell that will not abort is the Imp spell, and for this reason, Gogo is the obvious option. Since they will only use the Attack command every turn, this makes the Master's Scroll and Genji Glove a deadly combo.
The remaining characters are poor choices, since they likely have more spells/abilities compared to the characters mentioned above, making them more of a gamble. Nevertheless, a player can use a soft reset and reenter the coliseum if the character of their choosing has lost the match.
== Betting list ==
If a wager does not appear in the following list, then typically the fight is with Typhon, and the reward is an Elixir. Typhon's first action is almost always Snort, which ejects the player from the battle without costing them their wager. If the player's character is fast and strong enough to defeat Typhon before being ejected, they will lose their wager and win the reward (in this case, an Elixir), as with the other battles. Typically, Typhon appears whenever the player bets a common or worthless item, which includes most (but not all) store-bought equipment pieces and items.
If Shadow has survived the Floating Continent and has been rescued from the Cave on the Veldt, betting the Ichigeki will result in a fight against Shadow, with the Ichigeki as the reward, after which Shadow will rejoin the party. Otherwise, betting Ichigeki will have the default Typhon/Elixir result.
In the Advance, 2014 mobile/Steam versions, betting Excalipoor will result in a fight with Onion Dasher, followed by a fight between Gilgamesh and the current party under the player's active control, with a Merit Award and the Gilgamesh esper as the reward.
The list is also available as a series of flowcharts that shows the paths of chains of consecutive bets, and their destinations.
Wager	Opponent 	Reward
 	Glasya Labolas 	Tortoise Shield
 	Primeval Dragon 	Zephyr Cloak
 	Gamma 	Stardust Rod
 	Fiend Dragon 	Save the Queen
 	Test Rider 	Swordbreaker
 	Outsider 	Snow Scarf
 	Weredragon 	Blizzard Orb
 	Weredragon 	Berserker Ring
 	Enuo 	Blood Sword
 	Test Rider 	Red Jacket
 	Duel Armor 	Dueling Mask
 	Vasegiatta 	Dagger
 	Tumbleweed 	Burning Fist
 	Slagworm 	Merit Award
 	Vector Chimera 	Dragon Horn
 	Ahriman 	Moogle Suit
 	Duel Armor 	Diamond Helm
 	Covert 	Ice Shield
 	Glasya Labolas 	Gold Hairpin
 	Glasya Labolas 	Enhancer
 	Muud Suud 	Air Anchor
 	Daedalus 	Cursed Ring
 	Aspidochelon 	Bone Club
 	Test Rider 	Sniper
 	Gorgimera 	Gold Hairpin
 	Daedalus 	Bone Wrist
 	Cactuar 	Rename Card
 	Onion Dasher 	Merit Award
 	Outsider 	Flame Shield
 	Ahriman 	Scorpion Tail
 	Clymenus 	Burning Fist
 	Metal Hitman 	Ice Shield
 	Great Malboro 	Organyx
 	Behemoth King (undead)	Force Armor
 	Dark Force 	Thornlet
 	Chaos Dragon 	Pinwheel
 	Vector Chimera 	Thunder Shield
 	Glasya Labolas 	Air Anchor
 	Demon Knight 	Thunder Shield
 	Fortis 	Crystal Helm
 	Yojimbo 	Thunder Shield
 	Shambling Corpse 	Dagger
 	Great Behemoth 	Zanmato
 	Great Malboro 	Dragon Horn
 	Muud Suud 	Tintinnabulum
 	Demon Knight 	Hero's Ring
 	Muud Suud 	Longinus
 	Tonberry 	Magus Rod
 	Gorgimera 	Guard Bracelet
 	Death Machine 	Murakumo
 	Great Malboro 	Royal Crown
 	InnoSent 	Flame Shield
 	Gamma 	Organyx
 	Weredragon 	Cat-Ear Hood
 	Test Rider 	Murakumo
 	Death Machine 	Ward Bangle
 	Gamma 	Zantetsuken
 	Prometheus 	Gungnir
 	Test Rider 	Magus Robe
 	Weredragon 	Murakumo
 	Gorgimera 	Murakumo
 	Siegfried 	Tintinnabulum
 	Typhon 	Memento Ring
 	Covert 	Rename Card
 	Tonberry 	Regal Gown
 	Tyrannosaur 	Tintinnabulum
 	Vector Chimera 	Red Jacket
 	Outsider 	Ward Bangle
 	Cherry 	Nutkin Suit
 	Galypdes 	Holy Lance
 	Glasya Labolas 	Masamune
 	Weredragon 	Crystal Orb
 	Gamma 	Radiant Lance
 	Aspidochelon 	Genji Armor
 	Outsider 	Zwill Crossblade
 	Behemoth King (undead)	Soul Sabre
 	Demon Knight 	Force Shield
 	Cactuar 	Magicite Shard
 	Aspidochelon 	Rising Sun
 	Aspidochelon 	Gravity Rod
 	Landworm 	Mutsunokami
 	Daedalus 	Lightbringer
 	Test Rider 	Gravity Rod
 	Gorgimera 	Hypno Crown
 	Vector Chimera 	Red Jacket
 	Gorgimera 	Tortoise Shield
 	Death Machine 	Minerva Bustier
 	Fiend Dragon 	Miracle Shoes
 	Dark Force 	Gold Hairpin
 	Weredragon 	Bone Club
 	Aspidochelon 	Genji Helm
 	Tonberry 	Dragon Horn
 	Face 	Murasame
 	Brachiosaur 	Cat-Ear Hood
 	Brachiosaur 	Apocalypse
 	Vector Chimera 	Final Trump
 	Glasya Labolas 	Bone Club
 	Yojimbo 	Ward Bangle
 	Behemoth King (undead)	Celestriad
 	Aspidochelon 	Falchion
 	Dark Force 	Angel Brush
 	Armored Weapon 	Stoneblade
 	Vector Lythos 	Chocobo Suit
 	Amduscias 	Brigand's Glove
 	Wartpuck 	Brigand's Glove
 	Aspidochelon 	Mirage Vest
 	Muud Suud 	Organyx
 	Outsider 	Genji Shield
 	Greater Mantis 	Burning Fist
 	Dark Force 	Growth Egg
 	Muud Suud 	Saucer
 	Great Behemoth 	Gladius
 	Baalzephon 	Assassin's Dagger
 	Weredragon 	Viper Darts
 	Yojimbo 	Dragon Horn
 	Gorgimera 	Sniper
 	Yojimbo 	Godhand
 	Covert 	Organyx
 	Tonberry 	Oborozuki
== Musical themes ==
"Johnny C. Bad" is the background theme that plays at the Dragon's Neck Coliseum. The name is likely a reference to "Johnny B. Goode", a 1958 rock and roll song written and originally performed by Chuck Berry.
"Johnny C. Bad" appears as an arranged theme on Cafe SQ album.
== Other appearances ==
=== Final Fantasy XIV ===
The Dragon's Neck Coliseum appears as the arena where the players can fight Ultros and Typhon.
=== Pictlogica Final Fantasy ===
=== Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade ===
FFAB Dragon's Neck Coliseum FFVI.png|Normal background.
FFAB Dragon's Neck Coliseum FFVI Special.png|Special background.
FFAB Coliseum FFVI Special.png|Coliseum (Special).
=== Final Fantasy Record Keeper ===
The Dragon's Neck Coliseum was the final dungeon in the Challenge Event, Assassin in Black. One battle with Siegfried was contained therein, and his defeat on the Classic track for the first time earned the player Shadow's Hero Record.
== Gallery ==
FFVI Coliseum and Opera Sprite.png|Dragon's Neck Coliseum's sprite.
Colloseum outside.PNG|The Coliseum on the World Map (SNES).
Colloseum inside.PNG|Inside the Coliseum (SNES).
FFVI_DNC_Shadow.png|Celes fighting Shadow (SNES).
Colloseum battle.PNG|A Coliseum battle (SNES).
FFVI DNC WM.png|The Coliseum on the World Map (GBA).
FFVI DNC.png|Inside the Dragon's Neck Coliseum (GBA).
FFVI DNC Character Choice.png|Choosing a character (GBA).
FFVI_DNC_Shadow_GBA.png|Celes fighting Shadow (GBA).
FFVI_Shadow_Joins.png|Shadow joins the party (GBA).
FFVI Dragon's Neck Coliseum BG.png|Battle background (GBA).
FFVI DNC WM iOS.png|The Coliseum on the World of Ruin map (2014 mobile/Steam).
FFVI Android Dragon's Neck Coliseum.png|Coliseum entrance (2014 mobile/Steam).
FFVI Android DNC Combantant Select.png|Character select (2014 mobile/Steam).
FFVI Android DNC Shadow Battle.png|Celes fighting Shadow (2014 mobile/Steam).
FFVI PC Shadow Coliseum.png|Shadow rejoins (2014 mobile/Steam).
Battleback coliseum.png|Battle background (2014 mobile/Steam).
Coliseum background.png|Battle background (Pixel Remaster).
== Etymology ==
de:Drachenhals-Kolosseum
ru:Колизей Шея Дракона
Category:Locations in Final Fantasy VI