1. Home
  2. Otapedia
  3. Games
  4. Final Fantasy
  5. Cactuars - Final Fantasy

OtapediaCactuars - Final Fantasy

Cactuars are a recurring group of creatures that appear in the Final Fantasy series produced by Square Enix. They made their first 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(/otapedia/games/final_fantasy/moogle) 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 making Final Fantasy fan art.

Appearance

Cactuars appear as miniature green colored cacti, and have stiff limbs that make right angles. They have black spots for their eyes and a long, oblong mouth with three red quills sticking out from the top of their heads. Their appearance has been compared to the Haniwa, clay figures that were part of burial rites during the Kofun period in Japanese history.

Description

Cactuars make many appearances in the Final Fantasy franchise series, from debut in Final Fantasy VI. Cactuars appear in every other main installment of the flagship series, most recently in Final Fantasy XV, a more realistic game where developers had to think carefully about how to incorporate cute and comical characters, ultimately designing it to appear like a more natural wild creature. Here are brief explanations of their appearances from Final Fantasy VI to Final Fantasy XII as an example.

  • Final Fantasy VI - Cactuars make their debut and are found in a desert area close to Miranda located in the world of ruin. They give 10,000 Gil and 10 magic points, which is the best among the common enemies of the game. In the advanced version of the game, after defeating 10 normal Cactuars, the player can battle the Gigantuar and receive the Cactuar magicite.

  • Final Fantasy VII - In this game there are two types of Cactuar that may be encountered, one type is the “Cacteur” found in the deserts of Cactus island and another kind is called a “Cactuar” found in the Corel Desert. In Final Fantasy VII, they may be turned into Tetra Elementals through morphing, and can then be used to absorb lightning, earth, fire, and earth damage. They also make an appearance in the snow side mini game and act as an extra figure for the player to race in the time attack game mode.

  • Final Fantasy VIII - Cactuars can be easily found in the Kashkabald desert but also show up on Cactuar Island. After the player defeats the Jumbo Cactuar, they can utilize the Cactuar as a guardian force. This Cactuar guardian force uses the classic 1,000 needles move, the damage calculated by the first digit of the Cactuars level multiplied by 100. Later on, it is able to use Evasion, Luck junctions, support, and perform a number of other functions.

  • Final Fantasy IX - Cactuars appear in the desert of the Forgotten and Outer continents, usually found hiding underground. They counterattack with 1,000 needles and are able to cast confusion and show up above ground, hiding again when they are attacked.

  • Final Fantasy X - A special type of Cactuar called the Qactuar makes an appearance. This is where they are sealed inside of stones. If a player prays at any three of these stones, a spirit will be summoned, which, if followed, will reveal a chest that contains a Spirit Lance and Kimahri's Celestial Weapon.

  • Final Fantasy XI - The Cactuar makes an appearance as a taller, more human-like monster of the Sabotender family. This is the first game that the monster has deviated from its established design.

  • Final Fantasy XII - Another installment with Cactuars in a different design. In Final Fantasy XII, Cactuars are known to be Cactoids and Cactites, smaller mobile cactus-esque beings. They are docile creatures and will not attack unless provoked.

Creation

The name Sabotender is derived from mixing the Japanese word for cactus and the English word "pretender". The name "Cactuer" was also likely formed from "cactus" and "pretender", while the name "Cactuar" 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 15th 1997 issue of V-Jump, the cactuar was designed by Tetsuya Nomura based on a doodle he drew on a notebook while he was still a high school student. They resemble Japanese "Haniwa", a type of clay figure made for ritual and funerary uses.

Merchandise

Cactuars have inspired a number of pieces of merchandise, including a Final Fantasy VIII version of a cactuar that comes with an action figure of Siren. A mini figure of the Catuar Conductor taken from the World of Final Fantasy came out in May 2017. Taito crane catcher games offer the prize of a plushie Final Fantasy XV cactuar as well.

Trivia

In one of the English versions of the Final Fantasy games on PlayStation, the Cactuars were going to be given a tag line saying "It ejaculates needles!". This issue was due to the translator who was a native Japanese speaker. The editor, Alexander O. Smith put a stop on this translation before the game’s release as the phrase made sexual references.

Links

Square Enix Official

TOM Shop

Final Fantasy