Kamikaze (Final Fantasy VIII)

Kamikaze is a command ability in Final Fantasy VIII used to sacrifice a party member to deal extreme damage to one enemy, dealing upwards 60,000 HP damage at best. It is excellent for defeating bosses. Though the ability description in the menu reads the user is "KO'd", they are, in fact, removed from the battle entirely, unable to revived until after the battle is over.
==Obtained==
Kamikaze is learned by the Guardian Force Cactuar for 100 AP, obtained by defeating Jumbo Cactuar on Cactuar Island once the player has access to a flying transport.
Kamikaze can be taught to any GF with the Bomb Spirit item, rarely mugged from a high level Bomb and made from 100 Bomb Fragments with Eden's GFAbl Med-RF.
==Mechanics==
Kamikaze blows up the user, removing them from the battle, in exchange for dealing five times the user's maximum HP as fixed damage, or double that if the ability is a critical hit. If the user has a maximum HP or 9999, Kamikaze will do 49,995 HP damage, as it breaks the damage limit. Kamikaze is one of few abilities in Final Fantasy VIII able to do this. With 6000+ HP, the character can do the maximum 60,000 damage when they score a critical hit with Kamikaze. Kamikaze will never miss.
The GFs junctioned to the sacrificed party member still receive EXP and AP. The sacrificed party member will not get EXP.
If the player uses Kamikaze to induce "double KO" situation where both enemies and party members are both defeated, the player will get a Game Over.
If the character with Kamikaze equipped becomes confused, they will never attempt to use Kamikaze in this state.
==Use==
Kamikaze is best used with a character who has high maximum HP, and so HP-J and HP+% abilities are a good idea. Luck-J and Luck+50% would also help it to critical.
Kamikaze can be a good last resort ability to sacrifice the party member to win the battle for the remaining party members. Quistis's Degenerator is often the better option of instantly defeating most enemies as it does not take a command slot, though triggering it can be volatile.
Kamikaze is a good way to defeat Adel in particular without hitting Rinoa. Bosses do not yield EXP, so nothing is lost by defeating them with Kamikaze, as the GFs will still get the same AP. However, using it in the final boss gauntlet would leave the player one member short for the following phases, and the final boss will not be defeated when they reach 0 HP, requiring few more actions against them after. In the final dungeon, the player could unlock command abilities as the first seal and then use Kamikaze to defeat the other bosses easily.
As Kamikaze does not miss, it can be used to defeat Cactuars for characters who lack Hit 255%.
Kamikaze can be used on certain high level targets to leave them on low health for devouring or carding. Kamikaze can do similar damage to the GF Eden, but is much faster to use, though Eden has the benefit of targeting all enemies.
The player should have some revival means to bring the KO'd party member back after the battle.
==Etymology==
Category:Command abilities in Final Fantasy VIII