Culex 3D is the final boss of Super Mario RPG and will be hidden until you finish with the rest of the post-game content. This time around, Culex is much tougher and has more health, and the Crystals that come with him have to be taken out first. At the start of the fight, Culex will attempt to do a party wipe, and even if players survive it, they will only be left with a single point of health. The guide below goes over how to unlock Culex 3D and how to defeat him in battle.
Once you have completed all the boss rematches you can face Culex 3D in Monstro Town.
Where to Find The Culex 3D Secret Boss¶
Culex 3D is a hidden boss that you can’t fight until you reach the very end of the game. First, you must be the original Culex fight, which can be unlocked once you reach Monstro Town. Then you must beat the game and make it to the post-game. Once this is done, you will need to defeat every rematch boss for the door to Culex’s lair to reappear in Monstro Town.
Best Party for Culex 3D¶
| Icon | Party Member |
|---|---|
 |
Mario |
 |
Geno |
 |
Mallow |
These are the characters that you should start the battle with. To be honest, though, it doesn’t much matter if you swap one out for 
Bowser, as your team will be wiped on the first turn if you don’t have certain pins on. Most importantly, do not put Peach in your starting party, as you will need to use Come Back and Group Hug during the first few turns of battle. On top of having Peach in the battle, we highly recommend you also bring the following healing items.
Royal Syrup restores your FP, while Croaka Cola restores both HP and FP. Royal Syrup can be won from Crate Guy’s Casino while Croaka Cola can be bought at the Juice Bar after unlocking the Soprano Card in 
Marrymore. Pick Me Up can revive an on-field character and should be a backup in case you need to revive Peach. Party Cleanse can remove the status effects placed on you. Both of these items can be bought at an Item shop. Red Essence can block all attacks for three turns, giving you the upper hand to wail into the Crystals. It’s a rare item that can be found throughout the game.
Best Equipment For Culex 3D¶
Mario¶
| Equipment | Name |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Lazy Shell |
| Armor | Super Suit |
| Accessory | Attack Scarf |
Geno¶
| Equipment | Name |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Stella 023 |
| Armor | Star Cape |
| Accessory | Feather |
Peach¶
| Equipment | Name |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Frying Pan |
| Armor | Lazy Shell |
| Accessory | Jinx Belt |
Mallow¶
| Equipment | Name |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Sage Stick |
| Armor | Prince Pants |
| Accessory | Safety Ring |
Bowser¶
| Equipment | Name |
|---|---|
| Weapon |  Chain Chomp |
| Armor | Heal Shell |
| Accessory | Enduring Brooch |
You will want to pull out all your best gear and outfit the party with items that boost defense and help them survive powerful hits, especially in the case of Peach. Be sure to also get and equip everyone’s ultimate weapons, as you will need all the help you can get in this fight. Lastly, the best way to beat Culex 3D is to level everyone to 30 so that they have the highest stats possible.
Culex 3D - Stats and Weaknesses¶
| Enemy | HP | Weaknesses | Resistances |
|---|---|---|---|
| Culex | 9,999 | None | Status Effects |
| Fire Crystal | 3,150 | Ice | Fire |
| Water Crystal | 2,520 | Fire | Ice |
| Wind Crystal | 1,620 | Jump | Lighting |
| Earth Crystal | 3,780 | Lighting | Jump |
As you can see, the enemies you are fighting are the same. The only thing that has changed is how hard they hit and how much health they have. At 9,999 health, Culex has the most health out of any enemy you have fought in the game, and the crystals themselves are no pushovers, either.
How to Defeat Culex 3D in Monstro Town¶
Culex 3D is much harder than any other boss in the game and is more reminiscent of a final boss from the Final Fantasy series. He comes onto the field again with his four crystals, but they all have had a huge attack and health buff. At the start of the battle, Culex will use Meteor, his newest move, to kill or bring your party down to a single health, depending on your set-up. Even if you hang on by a shred, there is a high chance that a Crystal will go on the next turn. If you can’t block its attack, then you will likely have a party wipe. Switch in Peach and Bowser at this point. Use Peach’s Come Back to restore Mario. On the next turn, you will want to try and revive Mallow so that he can use Snowy on the Fire Crystal and Shocker on the Wind Crystal.
If possible, use an Energizer on Mario to give him a 50% attack boost. If you have a Party Energizer, then you can boost everyone’s attack by 50%. He can use Ultra Jump to take down the Wind Crystal and Ultra Flame to damage the Water Crystal. You should once again focus on taking the Wind and Earth Crystals out quickly. The Earth Crystal has the most unblockable moves, and the Wind Crystal can inflict status ailments. You should also be aware that Culex likes to use Shredder to remove your buffs when his counter reaches three. At this point in the fight, though, do not attack Culex. You need to take down the Crystals first, as they will continue to batter your team. Furthermore, if you beat Culex first, the Crystals can revive him. In addition, the Item Lock move is used in the battle by the Wind Crystal. Until the X block disappears, you won’t be able to use items.
(1 of 4) Culex will use Meteor at the start of battle.
At the end of every seven turns, Culex will use Meteor again as long as a single Crystal remains on the field to try and wipe your party. Be sure to switch Peach out when the counter reaches one so that you can revive everyone with ease. You can also use Spare-Us-All to protect your party. With each Crystal, you defeat, the rest, as well as Culex, will be given a buff.
| Defeated Crystal | Buff |
|---|---|
| Earth Crystal | Physical Defense Increase. |
| Fire Crystal | Attack Power Boosted. |
| Water Crystal | Magic Attack and Magic Defense Boosted. |
| Wind Crystal | Speed Increase. |
Don’t let these buffs throw you off. It’s still a much easier fight with each Crystal you take down. Once the Crystals are dealt with, you can start working on Culex and his 9,999-point health bar. At this stage, he gets a new attack called Final Claw and attacks twice in the same turn. This takes the place of Meteor at the end of the countdown and targets a single party member. It can be blocked, but if it hits, then it deals 9,999 damage. This is easy to deal with, though, as you can shuffle Peach out when the counter gets to one to ensure that you can bring back any fallen party members. Just keep this strategy up and heal often to beat Culex. Without his Crystals, the fight is much more manageable as long as you keep everyone’s health topped off.
You will know you won the fight when Culex explodes into stars and the Final Fantasy fanfare plays. At the end of the battle, he will tell you how many turns it took to beat him. You can challenge Culex 3D as many times as you like if you want to keep working on getting the best time.
Culex 3D - Attacks and Special Abilities¶
Fire Crystal Attacks¶
| Attacks and Abilities | Attack Type | Description | Blockable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flame | Fire | Shoots a ball of fire at a party member. | Yes |
| Flame Wall | Fire | Sends a wall of flames at the party. | Yes |
| Flare | Fire | Summons a rotating beam to attack the party. | Yes |
| Hot Shot | Fire | Shoots a ball of fire at a single party member. | Yes |
| Fire Saber | Fire | A saber of fire runs across the battlefield, hitting a single party member. | No |
Water Crystal Attacks¶
| Attacks and Abilities | Attack Type | Description | Blockable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blizzard | Ice | Summons a blizzard onto the field that damages all party members. | No |
| Crystal | Ice | Drops a crystal on a single party member. | Yes |
| Diamond Saw | Neutral | Sends two circular saws at a single party member. | Yes |
| Ice Rock | Ice | Drops a rock of ice on a single party member. | Yes |
| Solidify | Ice | Engulfs the entire party in ice crystals. | Yes |
Earth Crystal Attacks¶
| Attacks and Abilities | Attack Type | Description | Blockable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blast | Neutral | Sends an eruption of explosions at a single party member. | No |
| Boulder | Neutral | Drops boulders onto the entire party. | No |
| Sandstorm | Neutral | Unleashes a sandstorm onto the entire party. Has a chance to inflict Fright. | No |
| Storm | Neutral | A tornado engulfs a single player. | No |
| Water Blast | Neutral | Water rises up from the ground, attacking the whole party. | No |
Wind Crystal Attacks¶
| Attacks and Abilities | Attack Type | Description | Blockable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bolt | Thunder | Drops a bolt of lightning on a single party member. | Yes |
| Electroshock | Thunder | Summons electricity to his own party member. | No |
| Item Lock | Neutral | Locks the item button. | No |
| Light Bubble | Neutral | A bubble of light floats down onto the party. It has the possibility of causing sleep. | No |
| Lightning Orb | Thunder | Drops an orb of light onto a single party member. | Yes |
| Petal Blast | Neutral | A storm of petals attacks the entire party with a chance of turning members into mushrooms. | No |
| Static Electricity | Thunder | Targets the whole party with a surge of electricity. | Yes |
Culex 3D Attacks¶
| Attacks and Abilities | Attack Type | Description | Blockable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dark Star | Neutral | Drops a bouncing black star onto a single party member. | Yes |
| Flame Stone | Fire | Drops a fiery stone onto a single party member. | Yes |
| Meteor Blast | Neutral | Rains meteors down onto the field to attack the entire party. | No |
| Shredder | Neutral | Undos attack and defense buffs. | No |
| Meteor | Neutral | Brings the entire party down to one health at the end of the countdown. This move is only used while the crystals are on the field. | No |
| Final Claw | Neutral | This attack will activate after all the crystals have been defeated and the countdown ends. It hits a single party member for 9,999 health. | Yes |
The attacks are all the same as the first Culex battle, with the exception of Culex using Meteor and Final Claw. In addition, the Wind Crystal now has Item Lock, which keeps you from using items until the X block disappears from the field. The best course of action is to know which moves you can block and do your best to use action commands to protect your party. Each round, all four Crystals will attack, along with Culex, who can go twice, so be sure to keep healing up your party to survive.
Culex 3D - Rewards¶
There is no amazing reward for beating Culex 3D. You simply get the Crystal Shard. This is an item that only proves that you have defeated Culex before. The good news is that this does count towards 100% completion of the game, and you will finish filling out your Monster List.
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