The Best Guardian Forces In Final Fantasy 8

Summary

Final Fantasy 8 introduced the innovative Junction System for customizing Guardian Forces.
Unique GFs such as Cerberus, Carbuncle, and Cactuar offer powerful abilities in battle.
GFs like Diablos, Shiva, Alexander, and the ultimate GF Eden provide essential skills and massive damage.

Over its 35-plus years of existence, Final Fantasy has done a remarkable job of re-inventing itself and its systems. When it comes to customizing what party members can do and the types of creatures they can summon, Final Fantasy 8 featured one of the most inventive ways of doing it. With the Junction System, FF8 offered a new type of summon in the form of Guardian Forces.

Guardian Forces, known as GFs, were traditional summons but could be customized and used in clever ways that the franchise still hasn't returned to. They were classic summons, including fan favorites like Shiva and Ifrit, which could be imbued with unique abilities thanks to the Junction System. It was one of FF8's most innovative systems and included some outstanding monsters for the player to call on in battle.

7 Cerberus

Three-Headed Demon Dog From Greek Mythology Casts Triple And Double

Location: Galbadia Garden or Ultimecia Castle
Summon Ability: Counter Rockets
Unique Ability: Auto-Haste
Triple Triad Card Level: 9

Cerberus can be obtained during the Battle of the Gardens, an epic confrontation between Balamb and Galbadia. He is an optional boss that, once defeated, will join the team as a Guardian Force. If the player happens to miss Cerberus, it's also possible to obtain him from a draw point from Gargantua in Ultimecia Castle.

This three-headed canine is loosely inspired by the creature of the same name from Greek mythology and learns several abilities on his own without the need to junction. He is a powerful GF to have, and comes in handy during the final run-up to Ultimecia in the game's final hours, as his Counter Rockets ability grants Double and Triple to the entire party.

6 Carbuncle

Cute GF Casts Powerful Magic Reflection Spell

Location: Deling City or Ultimecia Castle
Summon Ability: Ruby Light
Unique Ability: Recov Med-RF
Triple Triad Card Level: 9

Carbuncle is drawn from Iguion enemies at the Deiling City parade during disc 1, and also from Krysta at Ultimecia Castle if the player misses them the first time. He previously appeared in Final Fantasy 5 and 6, continuing his presence in the franchise with the 8th entry, and is one of the most adorable GFs one can find.

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When called upon, Carbuncle uses Ruby Light, which casts Reflect on the party. It's rather useful, as it can deflect some of the game's most damaging magic spells. Carbuncle is perfect for players using a lot of status effects, as he learns spells like Auto-Reflect and a unique ability called Recov Med-RF, which allows the refinement of recovery items.

5 Cactuar

Deceptively Dangerous GF Casts Powerful 1000 Needles

Location: Cactuar Island
Summon Ability: 1000 Needles
Unique Ability: Breaks the damage barrier

In order to obtain this GF, the player must find and defeat Jumbo Cactuar on an island located in the southeast region of Final Fantasy 8's world map. Jumbo Cactuar pops his head up from the sand at random locations, and tracking him down is one of FF8's most fun excursions, as it's only available once the player obtains the Ragnarok.

Cactuar is a late-game GF and an extremely powerful one at that. Its 1000 Needles ability uses the first number in Cactuar's level, then multiplies it by 100, which means at max level it will do 10,000 damage and actually break the damage limit of the game. It is a GF that is absolutely worth getting and is only available on a specific part of land, which makes grinding for it rather easy.

4 Diablos

Demonic Dragon Uses Gravity For Huge Damage

Location: Magic Lamp
Summon Ability: Dark Messenger
Triple Triad Card Level: 9

When the party is getting ready to venture off to Timber, Balamb Garden headmaster Cid Kramer gives Squall a magic lamp. This unique item triggers an optional boss fight with Diablos, a powerful GF. If the party wins, Diablos will join them, but not talking to Cid before leaving means the player will not get the lamp and completely miss it.

Diablos uses the Dark Messenger ability, which is a gravity-based attack dealing damage based on the percentage of its level and enemy HP. At level 100, Dark Messenger will deal 9,999 damage, and he also learns abilities such as Mug. He is one of the game's more unique GFs and can be missed entirely during an initial playthrough, as the game doesn't stop the player from selling the lamp.

3 Shiva

Classic Final Fantasy Summon Returns As Powerful GF

Location: Study Panel or Acquired From Quistis
Summon Ability: Diamond Dust
Unique Ability: Doom
Boost Percentage: 180
Triple Triad Card Level: 8

Shiva is obtained at the start of Final Fantasy 8, either by accessing Squall's desk or given to him by Quistis before entering the Fire Cavern. This classic summon has appeared in numerous Final Fantasy titles, debuting all the way back in the third entry.

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In Final Fantasy 8, Shiva is the player's introduction to Guardian Forces and remains one of the most useful all the way up to the final battle with Ultimecia. Her summon ability, the beautifully animated Diamond Dust, can be boosted as high as 180 percent and deals massive ice-based damage.

2 Alexander

Enormous GF Dwards Enemies In Epic Summon

Location: Galbadia Garden or Ultimecia Castle
Summon Ability: Holy
Unique Ability: Revive
Boost Percentage: 230
Triple Triad Card Level: 9

Alexander is obtained by drawing him from Sorceress Edea at the Battle of Galbadia Garden, or from Catoblepas in Ultimecia Castle. It is one of the most powerful GFs in the game, and is a must-have for the harrowing trip through Ultimecia Castle, as he comes in handy for battling the numerous creatures leading up to the final confrontation.

His summon ability, Holy, unleashes devastating damage that can easily wipe out undead enemies, and also learns the ability to refine magic. Additionally, Alexander learns important abilities, as Revive can bring a KO'd character back to life with 100 percent of their health, and can instantly kill an undead enemy.

1 Eden

Most Powerful Guardian Force In Final Fantasy 8

Location: Deep Sea Research Center or Ultimecia Castle
Summon Ability: Eternal Breath
Unique Ability: Devour
Boost Percentage: 250
Triple Triad Card Level: 9

The Deep Sea Research Center is an optional location in Final Fantasy 8 that can only be entered with the Ragnarok and is one location where players can obtain the most powerful GF in the game. Eden can be drawn from Ultima Weapon, or Tiamat in Ultimecia Castle if missed at the Research Center.

Eden lives up to its reputation, as the summon ability Eternal Breath is a fully-involved, epic animation that can break the 9,999 damage limit. At its highest boosted level, Eternal Breath can deal upwards of 60,000 damage and is easily the most powerful GF one can find in the game. Eden is worth searching for as soon as the Deep Sea Research Center becomes available, as it easily eclipses other GFs in terms of raw damage and customization.

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