Garuda

Garuda ( or ) is a recurring creature in the Final Fantasy series, first introduced in Final Fantasy III. Initially depicted as a strong enemy with various bird-like attributes and Lightning-elemental attacks, it has transitioned into a role as a recurring Wind-elemental summon, with its design solidifying as a female humanoid bird monster.
==Appearances==
===Final Fantasy III===
Garuda appears as a boss in Saronia. When Gigametz, the evil advisor controlling the mind of King Gorn of Saronia, attempts to command the king to kill his son Alus, the king instead stabs himself to break Gigametz's control. Gigametz then transforms into Garuda in an attempt to kill the king and prince himself, but is stopped by the Warriors of Light. Garuda is notable for its Lightning ability, which it uses frequently to deal significant damage to the player and the party, making the Dragoon's Jump ability essential for avoiding excessive damage.
===Final Fantasy VII===
The Garuda appears as an enemy encountered in the Da-chao Statue. It is capable of using Ice and Lightning-elemental attacks.
====Crisis Core -Final Fantasy VII-====
The Garuda appears as an enemy in during the mission "Only for 1st Class." It is capable of casting Tri-Thundaga.
===Final Fantasy IX===
The Garuda appears as both a regular and friendly enemy. The regular enemy appears in Esto Gaza, Oeilvert, and Popos Heights, and can cause wind damage to the entire party with Aerial Slash or reduce the party's HP to single digits with Maelstrom. The friendly Garuda appears in Popos Heights, and rewards AP when given a Lapis Lazuli
===Final Fantasy X===
The Garuda appears as an enemy in Besaid Island, Luca, and Mushroom Rock Road. During the party's scripted first encounter with a Garuda, Yuna summons Valefor for the very first time.
===Final Fantasy XI===
Garuda appears as one of the eight celestial Avatars, also known as sleeping gods, representing Wind, acting as its first appearance as a summon. As a summon, she can be acquired from the Cloister of Gales at Cape Terrigan. She can cast a number of wind-based spells and abilities in addition to using her claws to physically damage enemies. As an enemy, Garuda Prime is the creature that must be defeated for a Summoner to learn to call her forth, though that is not the only possible reward for defeating her.
Perhaps one of her more commonly used abilities is Aerial Armor, which gives every member of the party the effect of Blink, or Hastega, which grants haste to every member of the party. She also has limited abilities that allow her to heal party members. Garuda is highly respected for her Predator Claws attack, a devastatingly powerful strike that is often the Summoner's staple attack for notorious monster encounters.
===Final Fantasy XII===
The Garuda appears as a boss outside the Tomb of Raithwall. Its Enrage can make it a fearsome opponent, as it removes the Charge Time from its abilities. Players can weaken the Garuda by obtain Eksir Berries from a sidequest shortly before the encounter, which have a unique effect of lowering Attack and Defense only when used on the Garuda. The Garuda doesn't have its own entry in the Clan Primer, instead sharing the Garuda-Egi's entry.
===Final Fantasy XIII===
The Garuda Interceptor appears as a boss in Lake Bresha. The Final Fantasy XIII Ultimania Omega reveals that Garuda was conceptualized as a fal'Cie at some point during development but was ultimately scrapped in the final game.
====Final Fantasy XIII-2====
The Garuda Interceptor returns, now simply under the name Garuda . It can be encountered in the Vile Peaks -200 AF-.
===Final Fantasy XIV===
Garuda is a primal worshiped by the Ixal, and known as the Lady of the Vortex. Among the Primals summoned by the tribes of Eorzea, Garuda is one of the more capricious and volatile in her disdain for "landwalkers". Her disdain extends to other primals, and in A Realm Reborn she plots to absorb their aether before being thwarted by the Warrior of Light and the Ultima Weapon. 
Garuda first appeared as a boss in the original release in The Howling Eye and The Howling Eye (Hard). In A Realm Reborn, Garuda appears as a boss in , , and . A version of Garuda, based on the Warrior of Light's memories of the Primal, also appears as a boss in and .
Variations on Garuda can be summoned by the job, namely Garuda-Egi and Emerald Garuda, using the resultant aether of encounters with her. A simulacrum of Garuda can be summoned to instantly defeat all normal enemies within by using the Vortex Magicite.
A "Garuda" from another world appears as part of the A Nocturne for Heroes Final Fantasy XV collaboration event, faced during . Mistaken for the primal Garuda, she takes the name for herself when she returns to her home.
===Final Fantasy XV===
Two Garudas appear in Final Fantasy XV as part of the Adventurer from Another World Final Fantasy XIV collaboration event added in patch 1.27. The Garuda from Final Fantasy XIV gets summoned by a group of world displaced Ixal and functions as a boss during the event. Meanwhile, another Garuda, known as the Messenger of the Winds, is an ancient being once defeated by the Astrals in battle and sent into long slumber. Her true name lost, she takes the name of the invading Primal and aids Noctis in a similar way to the Astrals.
=== Final Fantasy XVI ===
Garuda, the Warden of the Wind, is an Eikon whose Dominant is Benedikta Harman. Clive Rosfield can utilize her power in combat, allowing him to use her talons and wind magicks in battle.
===Final Fantasy Mystic Quest===
The Garuda appears as an enemy in the Windia region.
===Final Fantasy Adventure===
The Garuda appears as a boss within the Dime Tower. It attacks by shooting feathers. When Davias is defeated, he explains that he has already given the Pendant of Mana to Garuda and that Garuda has taken it over the mountains.
===The Final Fantasy Legend===
The Garuda appears as a possible monster that the party's Monster units can transform into.
===Final Fantasy Legend II===
The Garuda appears as an enemy encountered in the Central Shrine and as aa possible transformation for monster units.
===Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia===
The Garuda from Final Fantasy X appears as a recurring Zu-type boss that is resistant to thunder-elemental damage, and weak to wind-elemental and ranged damage. It is capable of using Breath to inflict magical BRV damage to the entire player party, Sonic Boom to inflict strong magical BRV damage to the entire player party, Head Butt to inflict melee HP damage to a single party member, Lightning to inflict thunder-elemental magical BRV damage to the entire player party with a chance of inflicting Paralyze status, Howl to buff it's own ATK and max BRV points. It becomes vulnerable when afflicted with Break, which removes all buffs from it and is rendered unable to attack until their BRV points naturally recover.
===Pictlogica Final Fantasy===
PFF_Garuda_FFIII.png|Final Fantasy III Garuda
PFF Garuda.png|Final Fantasy X Garuda
PFF Garuda FFXII.png|Final Fantasy XII Garuda
The Garuda from Final Fantasy X appears as an enemy, while the Garuda from Final Fantasy III and XII appear as bosses.
===Final Fantasy Airborne Brigade===
===Final Fantasy All the Bravest===
The Garuda from Final Fantasy X appears as an enemy inside the Zanarkand Ruins. It uses Dive and drops the Brotherhood.
===Final Fantasy Dimensions II===
Garuda appears a wind-elemental summon. There are three versions of Garuda available; two versions available to Wrieg and a version available to Maina. In the original free-to-play version, all three versions of the summon could only be obtained through the summon drawing shop and equipped by any party member.
===Final Fantasy Record Keeper===
FFRK Garuda FFIII.png|Final Fantasy III Garuda
FFRK Garuda FFX.png|Final Fantasy X Garuda
FFRK Garuda FFXII.png|Final Fantasy XII Garuda
FFRK Garuda Interceptor FFXIII.png|Final Fantasy XIII Garuda Interceptor
FFRK Garuda FFXIV.png|Final Fantasy XIV Garuda
The Garudas from Final Fantasy III, X, XII, and XIV, and the Garuda Intercepter from Final Fantasy XIII appear as enemies and bosses.
===Final Fantasy Brave Exvius===
Garuda appears as a wind- and lightning- elemental esper that can be obtained by defeating it as a boss in the Raptor's Skydais. In addition, the Garuda from Final Fantasy XIV can be encountered as a boss during the "March on Garuda" crossover event.
===Mobius Final Fantasy===
The Garuda from Final Fantasy X appears as a boss during the Dream Within a Dream crossover event, where it is one of the few enemies to not have an associated ability card. The Garuda Interceptor from Final Fantasy XIII appears as wind-elemental Ranger card granting the Hellstorm Bolt ability, while Garuda from Final Fantasy XIV appears as a support card granting the Eye of the Storm ability.
===Final Fantasy Trading Card Game===
Garuda TCG.png|Final Fantasy III Garuda
Garuda FFXI TCG.png|Final Fantasy XI Garuda
PrimalGaruda TCG.png|Final Fantasy XIV Garuda
The Garudas from Final Fantasy III, Final Fantasy XI, and Final Fantasy XIV appear as cards.
===Final Fantasy Portal App===
Garuda from Final Fantasy XIV appears as a 3-star card with 7/7/6/1 values, mimicking its values in the Final Fantasy XIV version of Triple Triad.
==Non-Final Fantasy guest appearances==
===Other Square Enix titles===
====Bahamut Lagoon====
Garuda appears as the Divine Dragon of Wind. Unlike the other Divine Dragons, Garuda takes on a bird like appearance with dark coloration. It could be used as a summon in combat for the Warlock and Dragoneer jobs, unleashing powerful winds on the target.
====Lord of Vermilion series====
Garuda from Lord of Vermilion.jpg|Garuda in Lord of Vermilion.
Garuda from Lord of Vermilion II.jpg|Garuda in Lord of Vermilion II.
Garuda from Lord of Vermilion III.jpg|Garuda in Lord of Vermilion III.
Garuda appeared as a unit. Its appearance takes that of a small, bipedal bird, seemingly made out of stone, with green feathers on its back and its wings seemingly fused into a hoop.
====Guardian Cross====
GC Lady of the Vortex.png|"Lady of the Vortex" from Guardian Cross
Garuda from Guardian Cross.png|"Garuda" from Guardian Cross
Two Garudas appeared as wind-elemental summon cards for players. The default ★4 Garuda was depicted as a golden humanoid avian with a snake woman in its beak. A stronger ★5 version based on the Final Fantasy XIV summon also appeared under the name "Lady of the Vortex".
==Etymology==
 While less frequently used in the series than ガルーダ (Garūda), the Japanese カルラ (Karura) is derived from 迦楼羅, a transliteration of Garuda.
Category:Recurring enemies
Category:Recurring bosses
Category:Recurring summons
es:Garuda