Cactuars - Final Fantasy
Cacti are a recurring group of creatures that appear in the Final Fantasy series produced by Square Enix. They made their debut in Final Fantasy VI , where they were known as "Cactrots" and later renamed to Cacterus in Final Fantasy VII . They have since appeared in a number of spin-off games and derivative games . Along with the Chocobos and Moogles, they can be considered one of the most well-known mascots of the Final Fantasy franchise, due to their long history and number of appearances. They are also a popular choice among cosplay aficionados and are a popular choice for those creating Final Fantasy fan art. None
Appearance
Cacti appear as miniature green cactuses with stiff limbs that form right angles. They have black spots for eyes and a long, oblong mouth with three red spines protruding from the top of their heads. Their appearance has been compared to Haniwa, clay figurines that were part of funeral rites during the Kofun period of Japanese history.
Description
Cacti make numerous appearances in the Final Fantasy franchise, beginning with their debut in Final Fantasy VI. Cacti appear in every other major installment of the flagship series, most recently Final Fantasy XV, a more realistic game in which the developers had to carefully consider how to incorporate cute and comical characters, ultimately designing it as a more natural wild creature. Here are brief explanations of their appearances from Final Fantasy VI to Final Fantasy XII as examples.
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Final Fantasy VI - Cactuars make their debut and are found in a desert area near Miranda in the World of Ruins. They give 10,000 Gil and 10 Magicka points, which is the highest among the common enemies in the game. In the advanced version of the game, after defeating 10 normal Cactuars, the player can fight the Gigantuar and receive Cactuar Magicite.
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Final Fantasy VII - In this game, there are two types of Cactuar that can be encountered, one is the "Cactor" found in the deserts of Cactus Island and the other is called "Cactuar" found in the Corel Desert. In Final Fantasy VII, they can be transformed into tetra-elementals through polymorphing, and can then be used to absorb damage from lightning, earth, fire, and earth. They also make an appearance in the snow side minigame and serve as an additional figure for the player to race in the time trial game mode.
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Final Fantasy VIII - Cactuars are easily found in the Kashkabald Desert, but they also appear on Cactuar Island. After defeating the Jumbo Cactuar, the player can use the Cactuar as a guard force. This Cactuar guard force uses the classic 1,000 Needles move, with damage calculated by the first digit of the Cactuar's level multiplied by 100. Later, it is able to use evasion, chance junctions, support, and perform several other functions.
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Final Fantasy IX - Cacti appear in the desert of the Forgotten and Outer continents, usually hidden underground. They counterattack with 1,000 needles and are capable of causing confusion and reappearing above ground, hiding again when attacked.
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Final Fantasy X - A special type of Cactuar called the Qactuar makes its appearance. This is where they are sealed inside stones. If a player prays on three of these stones, a spirit will be summoned, which, if followed, will reveal a chest containing a Spirit Spear and Kimahri's Celestial Weapon.
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Final Fantasy XI - The Cactuar appears as a larger, more human-like monster from the Sabotender family. This is the first game in which the monster deviates from its established design.
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Final Fantasy XII - Another installment featuring Cactuars in a different design. In Final Fantasy XII, Cactuars are known to be Cactoids and Cactites, smaller, mobile cactus-like beings. They are docile creatures that will not attack unless provoked.
Creation
The name Sabotender is derived from the Japanese word for cactus and the English word "pretender." The name "Cactuer" was likely also formed from "cactus" and "pretender," while the name "Cactuar" was chosen as a similar-looking and sounding name. The name "Cactuar" may also be a portmanteau of "cactus" and "liar." According to an article in the February 15, 1997, issue of V-Jump, the cactus was designed by Tetsuya Nomura from a doodle he made in a notebook while still in high school. They resemble the Japanese "Haniwa," a type of clay figurine made for ritual and funerary purposes.
Goods
Cacti have inspired a number of merchandise pieces, including a Final Fantasy VIII version of a cactus that comes with a Siren action figure . A Catuar Conductor mini figure from the world of Final Fantasy was released in May 2017. Taito Crane Catcher games also offer the prize of a Final Fantasy XV plush cactus.
Anecdotes
In one of the English versions of the Final Fantasy games on PlayStation, the Cactuars were supposed to have a catchphrase saying "He ejaculates needles!" This issue was caused by the translator being a native Japanese speaker. The publisher, Alexander O. Smith, stopped this translation before the game's release because the phrase contained sexual references.
