Final Fantasy IX Walkthrough

2.6: Alexandria Castle Revisited

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1.1: The Prima Vista Visits Alexandria 1.2: Dramatic Play in Alexandria 1.3: The Evil Forest 1.4: Through the Ice Cavern 1.5: Dali and the Waltz 1.6: The Festival of the Hunt 1.7: Back on the World Map 1.8: Gizamaluke's Grotto 1.9: At the Bohden Arch 1.10: Burmecia, Realm of Eternal Rain 2.1: The South Gate 2.2: Treno, City of Eternal Night 2.3: Gargan Roo 2.4: Cleyra Trunk 2.5: Cleyra Settlement 2.6: Alexandria Castle Revisited 2.7: Pinnacle Rocks 2.8: Lindblum Revisited 2.9: Fossil Roo 2.10: Conde Petie 2.11: Black Mage Village 2.12: Conde Petie Mountain Path 2.13: Madain Sari, Village of the Lost Summoners 2.14: Iifa Tree 2.15: Back to Madain Sari 2.16: Back to the Iifa Tree 3.1: Alexandria Revisited 3.2: Treno Revisited 3.3: Defending Alexandria 3.4: A Salve for Cid 3.5: The Open Seas 3.6: Back in the Saddle Again 3.7: Oeilvert 3.8: Desert Palace 3.9: Mt. Gulug 3.10: Third Lindblum's A Charm 3.11: Daguerreo 3.12: Ipsen's Castle 3.13: The Four Shrines and Some Out-of-This-World Advice 3.14: Terra 3.15: Pandemonium 4.1: Assorted Sidequesting 4.2: Memoria 4.3: The Crystal World

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Enemies: Soldier, Tantarian, Bandersnatch, Type C, Ralvuimago, Zorn, Thorn, Beatrix (3)

Treasures: Ice Brand, Tent

Breaking out of this birdcage is as simple as rocking back and forth. When the suspended cell is moving left, lean left; when it's moving right, lean right. This builds up a momentum that will eventually crash the cage on the far walkway. If you're having trouble, just use Marcus' pointers since he will tell you if you're doing well, either by saying "The other way!" or "There you go."

When you escape, equip Steiner with new equipment (Ice Brand?). Defeat the two groups of guards (Soldier x 2 battles). Up the ladder, exit. Backup is on the way, and will join you now! A 30:00 time limit will appear, signifying the time until the Red Rose docks in, and the time you've got to find the princess.

Optional: Boss: Tantarian

In the Alexandria Castle library, by the southwest bookshelf is a question mark that can lead to a boss fight with Tantarian. It's got lots of HP and isn't any walk in the park. You can steal a Silver Fork and Demon's Mail from it, but you can also do it at a later date… without any time limit! If you want a challenge, make the date with fate. If you pass it up now, just know that you will have to do kill Tantarian next time you pass through (when it will be way, way, way easier to do so). More

You may recall the layout of the castle: you will have to return to the queen's chambers (Haagen alludes to this). You can't save in the guardhouse, though.

Walk up the stairs by the guardhouse and enter the door that was locked previously (where incognito Dagger ran out of last time). There are three chambers beyond; the middle of the three houses the queen's bedroom. Inspect the odd purple-colored nightstick to find a secret passage.

You can acquire the Ice Brand and Tent chests by moving to the opposite side of the rotating walkway, and waiting for the swing motion of the side you started on to bring it towards you. Get on, get the chests, get off, go down the stairs. At the bottom platform, enter the doorway. Equip Bandit if you have yet to do so, and see what debauchery is going on inside.




Cast Slow on both targets for an easier time.

You will notice that neither jester has any outright offensive attacks, and instead have to "give" the power to one another. Attacking the person who "got" the power "neutralizes" and prevents them from using their secret skill, so it's not too hard to get by without them getting any attack off. Whoever gets the power will use their special ability on the next turn. With that in mind, leave someone with weak attack like Vivi on constant standby to attack the applicable target while Zidane steals: Thorn has two pieces of Mythril armor if you haven't enough of the stuff yet, and Zorn has two handy weapons, the Stardust Rod and Partisan. Also know that the attacks are mostly garbage, with only Meteorite posing any kind of 'threat' (and even then, it's a threat only because it is multi-target). Damaging one of the clowns to critical ends the battle, so focus your offensive on Thorn, who is about 2000 HP short of his comical cousin.

Get Garnet nearby, watch the 'Friendship' ATE, and save at Mosh nearby. (You'll have a letter for Mosh if you've been a diligent deliverer.) Return to the queen's chambers where another fight will take place.



The last in the infamous triptych of Beatrix battles! Again, it's simply a timed battle, so try to steal her Survival Vest before time depletes and she uses Climhazzard on your face. Remember that the Slow status is your ally here.

You'll now find yourself with multiple parties. As Ziddy's party, use the rotating platform to escape the first Bandersnatch. The 2nd screen down, the party has to fend of three Type C mages - remember that Dagger can and should cast Silence on everyone. Equip Dagger with that Stardust Rod you just stole from Zorn and also an extra pair of Magician Shoes if you have them.

After the switch, kill the two Bandersnatches and consider moving Steiner's accessory to another character. Deal with the overgrown dog that attacks and the perspective switches back to the 'rebels'.

That party will have to kill the first wave of Bandersnatches on their own, but Steiner will join them for the next. This should be no sweat, since Beatrix' regular attacks are powerful on their own already; using Seiken won't be necessary to dispense with the battles.

In a little bit you will be back in charge of Zidane's party. You will want to save in the extraction room and pick up the new delivery leaving from Mosh and on the way to Monty. Downward, once everyone's saved in the 'Blank' of an eye and piled on the gargant, this hectic set piece will end with a boss.



Inflict Slow/Blind through your preferred method and definitely steal the Oak Staff. You can keep the monster at bay by having Vivi attack to make it "become compact," in which form it will wait for you to attack it and thus not originate any offensive maneuvers itself – though in this form it will use its 'Earth Power' move as a counterattack against all combatants. Zidane can steal the vest and staff at this time, and once it uncoils, Vivi can repeat as necessary. You can use Float on everyone to evade the 'Earth Power' attack if you wanna go that avenue, but know that this move heals the boss. Since Ralvuimago only coils up for physical attacks and only counters physical attacks, you can bomb it with Blizzara when uncompact (its defense skyrockets when coiled) to make it slink away with relatively little risk to your own hide.

After the battle, it's a bumpy, bumpy ride onwards.

<< First

< Previous Chapter:    Cleyra Settlement

1.1: The Prima Vista Visits Alexandria 1.2: Dramatic Play in Alexandria 1.3: The Evil Forest 1.4: Through the Ice Cavern 1.5: Dali and the Waltz 1.6: The Festival of the Hunt 1.7: Back on the World Map 1.8: Gizamaluke's Grotto 1.9: At the Bohden Arch 1.10: Burmecia, Realm of Eternal Rain 2.1: The South Gate 2.2: Treno, City of Eternal Night 2.3: Gargan Roo 2.4: Cleyra Trunk 2.5: Cleyra Settlement 2.6: Alexandria Castle Revisited 2.7: Pinnacle Rocks 2.8: Lindblum Revisited 2.9: Fossil Roo 2.10: Conde Petie 2.11: Black Mage Village 2.12: Conde Petie Mountain Path 2.13: Madain Sari, Village of the Lost Summoners 2.14: Iifa Tree 2.15: Back to Madain Sari 2.16: Back to the Iifa Tree 3.1: Alexandria Revisited 3.2: Treno Revisited 3.3: Defending Alexandria 3.4: A Salve for Cid 3.5: The Open Seas 3.6: Back in the Saddle Again 3.7: Oeilvert 3.8: Desert Palace 3.9: Mt. Gulug 3.10: Third Lindblum's A Charm 3.11: Daguerreo 3.12: Ipsen's Castle 3.13: The Four Shrines and Some Out-of-This-World Advice 3.14: Terra 3.15: Pandemonium 4.1: Assorted Sidequesting 4.2: Memoria 4.3: The Crystal World

Next Chapter: > Pinnacle Rocks

Last >>