Final Fantasy 5 Walkthrough With Dagger

[Dagger Dias]

BOSS BATTLE: Archeoaevis

This is by far the hardest boss in the first world. He is the last boss in the first world so a challenge would be fitting, wouldn't it? Challenge is the right word for this boss because dang are you in for a tough battle here. He has five "forms" though only the first and fifth are visible. Every 1600 Health that he loses, he goes through a "form". After losing 6400 Health he looks as if he gets defeated then "revived". At this point he is vulnerable to Level 5 Death. Now he begins to use abilities that hit the whole party for massive damage as well as use Maelstrom to reduce all four of you to critical condition at once, so one or more characters need to be healing. There are two options that can make this fight easier. You do not want to rely on Red Mages or on Summoning here since there is an elemental weakness that changes and that is a pain to try to keep up with. Blue Mages will do well here. 1000 Needles will get you though the first four "forms" after about 7 rounds, while one or two heal with White Wind. Then cast Level 5 Death when he gets to the final "form" and it's over. If you're like me and don't want to take the cheap way out with instant death spells then keep using the 1000 Needles and White Wind strategy. 3 more 1000 Needles should be enough for the last form. Without the previously mentioned Blue spells then this boss quickly becomes one of the toughest bosses in the game. You could also try four Monks that know White Magic so that you can deal non-elemental damage and heal. It's a shame that the Samurai class is not available yet since this would be a perfect time to use the Zeninage ability to throw gil at enemies for damage. If you're struggling, level up and try again. You may end up having to rely on Level 5 Death to get past that final form if you are unable to otherwise. It's one of the few fights where I can understand using it. Overall it is honestly a fun boss if you welcome the challenge though it is a horrible fight if you don't enjoy a challenge and there is absolutely no way around the difficulty.
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[Dagger Dias]

CLASS SPOTLIGHT - Dragoon

Stat Adjustments:

Strength +18
Agility +5
Stamina +15
Magic -12


Abilities:
Level 1: Jump (10 points) **** (50 points in PSX/GBA versions)
Level 2: Lance (150 points)
Level 3: Equip Lances (400 points)​

My Thoughts:
How can you not like Dragoons? An iconic class in this series. Heavily armored, fights with spears, and can use the Jump skill! As a cool tribute, Bart'z version even looks like Kain from FF4. This is a pretty fun class to use, though it's not one you really need unless you want to master everything. If you want a Mime who can use spears, then master this class. Jump is cool though it is outclassed by other fighting skills and I never use Lance (the ability) so it comes down to if you want a Mime who equips spears or not. I'd say why not. More than anything it's due to how much I like this class throughout the series. Trivial note, it is easier to master in the PC version.

 

[Dagger Dias]

CLASS SPOTLIGHT - Dancer

Stat Adjustments:

Strength +5
Agility +5
Stamina -10
Magic -5


Abilities:
Level 1: Flirt (25 points)
Level 2: Dance (50 points)
Level 3: Equip Ribbons (325)​

My Thoughts:
With the exception of making it to where your Mimes can equip Ribbons, this class is abysmal. Flirt sucks, Dance is terrible, and when it comes down to it the only worse class in the game than Dancer is Bard. Equip Ribbons is the ONLY thing stopping this from being the game's absolute worst class. If you don't want a Mime that uses Ribbon accessories, then skip this awful class. It is worth mastering if you can tolerate it long enough so your Mimes can use Ribbons....

 

[Dagger Dias]

CLASS SPOTLIGHT - Chemist

Stat Adjustments:

Strength +2
Agility +3
Stamina +6
Magic -4


Abilities:
Level 1: Pharmacology (15 points)
Level 2: Mix (30 points)
Level 3: Drink (45 points)
Level 4: Recover (135 points)
Level 5: Revive (405 points)​

My Thoughts:
I've never liked this class and I would even go as far as to say that it is my least favorite of all the classes in this game. It is worth noting though its last couple of abilities are something to take a look at. Personally, I think most of this class' abilities suck and are outclassed by White Mage anyway. Revive acts like the Life (Raise) spell without using any MP and it works on the whole party. Recover works like the Esuna spell and can remove multiple status effects without using MP. Mastering this class gets you a potential backup healer type and without using MP for the removal of status effects or the revive. Drink lets you drink some potions though I never ever use it. There's better abilities out there. Mix is idiotic. You combine two items to make another item. In all the time it would take to research what all these combinations can do, it's much simpler to use better abilities from other classes. If you want to use it, go ahead, but to me it's a massive waste of time. Pharmacology doubles the effect of recovery items. In all honesty, I prefer the White Mage class over the potential Recover or Revive may have. If you're not mastering everything I would just skip this one completely. I already covered in detail why its abilities aren't truly worth it at the end of the day and to make matters worse this class has arguably the worst equipment proficiency of any class other than the true casters.

 

[Dagger Dias]

CLASS SPOTLIGHT - Samurai

Stat Adjustments:

Strength +19
Agility +2
Stamina +19
Magic -12


Abilities:
Level 1: Mineuchi (10 points)
Level 2: Zeninage (30 points)
Level 3: Shirahadori (60 points)
Level 4: Equip Katanas (180 points)
Level 5: Ianuki (540 points)​

My Thoughts:
An interesting class. Zeninage is its best ability and it can damage enemies by throwing gil at them, for those who can afford it (see what I did there?). The downside to Zeninage is that it does in fact cost money since you're throwing gil at the enemy. The upside is it could save you from a small handful of extremely difficult fights. I like to use it against the Crystal bosses in the second world. You'll want to get this class up to Level 4 so that your Mimes can equip Katanas. If you don't need Katanas for your Mimes and don't plan on using Zeninage, then skip this class. Master it only if you're mastering everything because Ianuki sucks. Recommended for Bartz (or your primary fighter) mainly but could be good for anyone.

 

[Dagger Dias]

CATAPULT
My Party: 32 (Bartz), 30 (Lenna & Faris)

Yep, Galuf's not here right now. He went back to his home world. The remaining three decide that they should follow him and help him. At this point it is recommended that you do not obtain any more class points until the party is back together so as for Galuf to not fall behind. He'll be back soon. Head to Catapult and you will find a note from Cid that he went to return the Adamantite.


TYCOON METEOR
My Party: 32 (Bartz), 30 (Lenna & Faris)

Go to the Tycoon Meteor to look for him. Make everyone Freelancers with the Red Magic and Summon abilities equipped. At the Tycoon Meteor you find the Black Chocobo there. Odd. Go into the meteor itself. Cid and Mid are inside. You are now asked to go check the other meteors to power up a warp to Galuf's world.


WALSE METEOR
My Party: 32 (Bartz), 30 (Lenna & Faris)

You can go to the other three meteor sites in any order though for the sake of continuity let's go in the order you visited them earlier in the game, which means Walse is next. Again, Freelancers with Red Magic and Summon is your best bet. At this meteor Cid and Mid go inside to successfully power up the Adamantite but then you are attacked by a bunch of bomb monsters!

 

[Dagger Dias]

BOSS BATTLE: Purobolos (x6)

What a weird name. This boss is known for two things, one being their previously mentioned bizarre name, and the second being their clever battle tactic. This boss can be tricky. The method of winning is to defeat them all at once. If you do not, then one of the remaining ones will revive the others!!!! It gets VERY annoying VERY quickly. You can use Zeninage if you already have it (and can afford it!), or cast spells that hit all targets. Blue Mages could use Aqua Breath, Black Mages can use Thundara/Blizzara, Summoners can use Shiva/Ifrit/Ramuh. As long as you defeat them all at once as a group you will be alright.​

 

[Dagger Dias]

KARNAK METEOR
My Party: 32 (Bartz), 30 (Lenna & Faris)

You will want Float status for this boss, it is a Time spell but it appears to not be in your spellbook yet.... Well then. There is an alternative option, you can put the Control ability on one of your characters and have a Gaelicat on Northern Mountain (where you got the dragon) use Float on the party. Or simply have someone keeping you at full health for the upcoming boss fight. At the meteor Cid and Mid run out to ask for your help because it is "full of monsters" Sure enough you do get attacked, but there is only one monster. I can't help but wonder if this should have been the dialogue for before the bomb monsters instead of before Titan. Oh well. Here's the next boss.

 

[Dagger Dias]

BOSS BATTLE: Titan

So long as you're prepared this is fairly easy. At least one character has to be able to survive the Earth Shaker attack he uses right before he dies. Titan has no major weaknesses so just use your other Summons and he will become your newest summon in a matter of moments. Just make sure you don't get taken out by his final attempt at an Earth Shaker. If even one character has Float status then you'll live. If you're too weak to survive it and do not have access to the Float status then either level up and try again or use the Control ability on a Gaelicat on Northern Mountain (where you got the dragon) to make sure someone has Float before entering this fight. It's an odd strategy but it works quicker than leveling up would.
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[Dagger Dias]

GOHN METEOR
My Party: 32 (Bartz), 30 (Lenna & Faris)

Last one! By now you should know what to expect. Unfortunately this upcoming boss is regarded as the toughest of the meteor site bosses. Save first then enter the meteor from the world map. At the Meteor you find Cid and Mid, they go inside but take a long time. Go in after them. You'll get attacked. Make sure you have Red Magic (or White Magic) and Summon for this fight.

 

[Dagger Dias]

BOSS BATTLE: Manticore

This guy can surprise an unprepared party and defeat them fast. Start off strong by summoning Titan. Have one or two characters healing each round so you remain at full health. Then just repeat this. You can also try using the Blue spell Death Claw to reduce him to critical condition, but wouldn't you rather take the challenge and defeat him normally? Use Death Claw if you must. He's even tougher if you try this boss before having access to Titan.
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[Dagger Dias]

WARP POINT
My Party: 32 (Bartz), 30 (Lenna & Faris)

The map will show a spot where the energy from the four meteors intersects. This is a tribute to the original Final Fantasy where the energy from the four crystal's altars intersected at the Temple Of Fiends. Anyway, head to the warp point and enter it. You have now completed world one! There's three, so you are almost halfway through the game.


SOLITARY ISLAND
My Party: 32 (Bartz), 30 (Lenna & Faris)

In a scene that may have inspired the waking up on a solitary island in FF6, the party finds themselves on an island in a new world. Bartz wakes up Lenna, then Faris. You need a Tent in order to trigger the next event so battle a Pao on the map if you do not have any, they should drop one. A monster attacks the party's camp at night.

 

[Dagger Dias]

BOSS BATTLE: Abductor

Bartz fights this battle by himself. It is pretty easy, though you are not required to win. Have Bartz attack him until either you win or he does. You get an Ether if you win. If you lose then the story still continues. The monster takes you to X-Death's Castle either way whether he defeated you or if his trap chest knocks you unconscious.
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[Dagger Dias]

X-DEATH'S CASTLE
My Level: Galuf (30)

The monster took the party to X-Death's Castle, Galuf sees them during his attack on the Big Bridge due to a reflection shown by a magic mirror. He flies to the castle on Krile's dragon to find the others. Make Galuf a Freelancer with Red Magic and Summon. There is a recovery spring through the door to the north. The southern door and the exit door are both locked. Go downstairs. The path there is straightforward. You'll find Gilgamesh, X-Death's minion, and the rest of the party. Gilgamesh attacks you. The only thing I really hate about this quest is that Gilgamesh has the boring normal boss music. In EVERY other encounter he has the fantastic Battle On The Bridge music, why the developers did not fix this in the GBA or even the PC version is beyond me.

 

[Dagger Dias]

BOSS BATTLE: Gilgamesh

For some reason the developers did not use the Gilgamesh battle theme, Battle On The Bridge, here. Such a shame. You'd think that after multiple remakes they would have fixed this in the GBA version or at the very least in the PC version. I turned the music off and listened to the Gilgamesh battle theme in the background while the battle went on. Much better! Anyways, this is pretty easy. You only need to inflict about 1500 damage on him and then he runs away. Unlike other Gilgamesh encounters there is nothing to Steal from him. By the next encounter (which is coming up very soon!!!!) you will want to be able to Steal though.
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[Dagger Dias]

X-DEATH'S CASTLE
My Party: 32 (Bartz), 30 (everyone else)

Make everyone Red Mages with Summon. The way back is very straightforward and should not be a problem. Restore your Health at the recovery water area before exiting.


THE GOBLIN ROOM

This part has NEVER made any sense to me. There is a room upstairs from where you fought Gilgamesh where some goblins are behind what looks like a caged wall below you or next to you, and when you go back to this part with the full party they decide to "sneak" past the goblins to not be seen. Yet when Galuf was by himself he did not do this. Plus, the goblins do absolutely nothing if they do see you. This is rather stupid and I never understood why the game does it. Oh well.


When you are outside, save. At this point you can take a moment to level up your Thieves to the third class level if you'd like, or head straight to the Big Bridge for an awesome event. If you are following my path then get ready because we are about to a lengthy string of class leveling.

 

[Dagger Dias]

ABILITY SPOTLIGHT: JUMP

CLASS: DRAGOON

LEVEL: 1

AP NEEDED: 10 (PC) 50 (PSX/GBA)


My Thoughts:
The ability that is partially to thank for making this an iconic class in the Final Fantasy series. The Jump skill allows the character to literally Jump offscreen then back down onto an enemy to attack them. The downside is that it takes a while before the attack actually hits. The upside is they cannot be attacked while offscreen. The damage is twice as much when equipped with a Spear, so keep that in mind. A cool ability for anybody, recommended for Bartz.

 

[Dagger Dias]

ABILITY SPOTLIGHT: MINEUCHI

CLASS: SAMURAI

LEVEL: 1

AP NEEDED: 10


My Thoughts:
Basically a regular attack but if it hits an enemy that is asleep or confused it will not remove that status from them. I never use it. We need it first in order to get to better Samurai skills.

 

[Dagger Dias]

ABILITY SPOTLIGHT: ZENINAGE

CLASS: SAMURAI

LEVEL: 2

AP NEEDED: 30


My Thoughts:
A great skill that could potentially save you from the more difficult battles, if you can afford it. You are literally throwing your own gil at the enemy to damage them. So for those who fight many battles to level up you likely have accumulated a ton of gil. Here is where that can be used. One of the best abilities from the Samurai class and it's recommended for anyone.

 

[Dagger Dias]

ABILITY SPOTLIGHT: PHARMACOLOGY

CLASS: CHEMIST

LEVEL: 1

AP NEEDED: 15


My Thoughts:
Doubles the amount of restorative points that a potion can be used for. By this point in the game you have advanced White Magic spells so it would have been a lot more useful early on. I only get it at this point so the Chemists do not fall behind.

 

[Dagger Dias]

ABILITY SPOTLIGHT: MIX

CLASS: CHEMIST

LEVEL: 2

AP NEEDED: 30


My Thoughts:
Combine items to form other creations to use in battle. While not utterly useless, I cannot stand this ability. Having to do research for what components would be needed to create the best items is a waste of time, as would collecting them be. Stick to traditional casting for more convenient effects. Another that we are getting just for the sake of the Chemists not falling behind.

 

[Dagger Dias]

ABILITY SPOTLIGHT: FLIRT

CLASS: DANCER

LEVEL: 1

AP NEEDED: 25


My Thoughts:
Attempts to inflict the Charm status on an enemy. Nearly pointless as far as abilities go. I'm getting it now so that the Dancers do not fall behind.

 

[Dagger Dias]

JOB MASTERING CHECKPOINT

KNIGHT: Level 3

MONK: Level 3

THIEF: Level 3

WHITE MAGE: Level 3

BLACK MAGE: Level 3

BLUE MAGE: Level 2

BERSERKER: Level 0

MYSTIC KNIGHT: Level 4

TIME MAGE: Level 3

SUMMONER: Level 2

RED MAGE: Level 3

NINJA: Level 2

BEASTMASTER: Level 2

GEOMANCER: Level 1

RANGER: Level 1

BARD: Level 1

DRAGOON: Level 1

SAMURAI: Level 2

CHEMIST: Level 2

DANCER: Level 1


Other Thoughts:
Now the new classes have caught up. However, there is another class leveling string that's coming right after the next event. Realistically we could do both in one lengthier string now before the Big Bridge but that's up to you. On to the Big Bridge!

 

[Dagger Dias]

BATTLE AT THE BIG BRIDGE
My Party: 34 (Bartz), 33 (everyone else)

Time for one of the coolest events in the game. You have to get through the defensive forces of monsters guarding the Big Bridge between Galfuf's territory and X-Death's territory. The location is the first time you will hear the legendary "Battle On The Big Bridge" track at, as this event is its namesake. The same track becomes Gilgamesh's battle theme during all the other encounters with him. This event was amazing for its time in the original version of the game and is still fun today on the PC version. Anyway, make all four Red Mages with the Steal ability if you have it, or Summon could be fine too. You'll want to Steal from Gilgamesh when he shows up. Basically you just go through several enemy troop units and then face Gilgamesh, followed by more enemy units before you are blown off the bridge. Make sure you're restoring yourself back to full health between every battle. Use a Tent before entering the bridge and save then head inside. Ready? Here we go!

BATTLE: Little Chariot (x3)

They are not too tough. They use an attack called Mustard Bomb, heal up as needed. You'll be facing more of these guys.

BATTLE: Merrow (x3)

Not as dangerous as the Little Chariots. If you still have your Coral Swords they will make this even easier.

BATTLE: Flying Killer (x3)

Even weaker than the Merrows, but do not underestimate them. I took them all out in one shot each so a strong enough party will breeze through this fight.

BATTLE: Little Chariot (x2), Flying Killer (x2)

Get the Little Chariots first so they do not use the Mustard Bomb attack on you too much, then get the Flying Killers.

When you get to the indoor chamber, Gilgamesh shows up for a surprise rematch! See the Boss spotlight for more information on this battle. After Gilgamesh's room the fighting continues with more enemy units.

BATTLE: Merrow (x2), Neo Galura

The Neo Galura is like the Galura you fought back at Walse Tower only he has blue fur and orange scales instead of silver scales and red fur. He uses an attack called Rush, you'll want to defeat him first. Also, he absorbs thunder. Do NOT attack the Neo Galura with your Coral Swords!

You eventually get blown off the bridge by a barrier created by X-Death. You end up in a wilderness area on the northern central portion of the world map. Work your way east until you get to the next town.

 

[Dagger Dias]

BOSS BATTLE: Gilgamesh (Round 2)

The fight one on one with Galuf was just a warm-up. This one is much tougher. At first he relies on Wind Slash, Aera, and Goblin Punch. After you have dropped him to below half of his Health he begins to use his own version of the Dragoon's Jump ability on you. He can also cast Protect and Haste on himself in this phase of the fight. This is bad because it raises his resistance to both physical and magical attacks. There are no major elemental resistances so Thundara or Blizzara should work fine for your Red Mages either way. If you Steal from him first, you can get a Trident or a Hero Cocktail this way! Heal if you get too weak. If you're struggling then you will need to level up and try again, it will become even tougher after this.
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