Culex is Super Mario RPG’s hidden boss and is meant to be a challenge for players looking for more battles. You will only be able to reach Culex once you have collected the Shiny Stone and made it to Monstro Town. Once there, you can find him and his four crystals waiting for you behind the mysterious black door. The guide below goes over how to unlock Culex and how to defeat him in battle.
Kulex is a hidden boss found in Monstro Town.
Where to Find The Culex Secret Boss¶
Culex is located in Monstro Town right next to the Item Shop. He’s inside of the ominous black door that refuses to open. If you want to get inside, head to Moleville. Here, you will find a young mole hiding behind some boxes in the center of town. She tells you that she has a Shiny Stone and will trade it for fireworks. Go into the house to the left of her. Here, you will find a mole working at a counter in the corner. When you speak with him, he will sell you the fireworks for 500 coins.
(1 of 3) You can buy fireworks from 500 coins from the house on the left below the Moleville Mines.
Take these back to the girl to get the Shiny Stone. You will now want to return to the door in Monstro Town and interact with it. This time, it will let you inside to fight Culex. We do recommend you are over level 20 before taking on this fight. Culex is a secret boss with a brutal range of attacks and four helpers that will all work to take your party down.
Best Party for Culex¶
| Icon | Party Member |
|---|---|
| Mario | |
| Geno | |
| Peach |
During your fight with Culex, you will need to switch between Geno and Mallow to use attacks that the crystals are weak against. Geno is great for buffing Mario, though, using Geno Boost, especially if you can use the action command to gain the defense buff. Culex does have shredder which will remove buffs, so you will need to switch Geno back in from time to time. Peach is always needed on your team as you take a lot of damage in this fight, and your party will need to be healed and revived throughout the fight.
Best Equipment For Culex¶
Mario¶
| Equipment | Name |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Lazy Shell |
| Armor | Hero Shirt (Super Suit if you have it) |
| Accessory | Attack Scarf |
Geno¶
| Equipment | Name |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Star Gun |
| Armor | Star Cape |
| Accessory | Safety Ring |
Peach¶
| Equipment | Name |
|---|---|
| Weapon | Frying Pan |
| Armor | Lazy Shell (Armor) |
| Accessory | Jinx Belt |
You will want to pick items that ensure you stay alive, especially in the case of Peach who is your healer. Mario can use the Attack Scarf to give him an extra boost, as he will need it to deal with the two crystals who are weak to his Jump and Fireball attack.
Culex - Stats and Weaknesses¶
| Enemy | HP | Weaknesses | Resistances |
|---|---|---|---|
| Culex | 4,096 | None | Status Effects |
| Fire Crystal | 2,500 | Ice | Fire |
| Water Crystal | 1,800 | Fire | Ice |
| Wind Crystal | 800 | Jump | Lighting |
| Earth Crystal | 3,200 | Lighting | Jump |
Since the Crystals have different weaknesses, you will need to swap in and out party members. Mallow should be used to help mop up the Wind and Water Crystal once you have buffed Mario using Geno. As for the Fire and Earth Crystal, Mario can take them on with his Jump and Fireball moves. Culex, on the other hand, has no weaknesses, so you will need to throw everything your party has at defeating him.
How to Defeat Culex in Monstro Town¶
Culex is a secret boss that takes a page out of Final Fantasy games. He comes to fight you along with four elemental crystals. These crystals aren’t just for show, and each one of them, along with Culex, will take a turn attacking your party. This can be rather devastating, so having Peach to top up your party is a must. There are two different strategies to use. If the crystals are doing a large amount of damage, then you can just focus on topping up your health with Peach and unleashing a flurry of attacks directly on Culex.
The Crystals will disappear a round after he does, so you won’t have to defeat them to win the fight. If the Crystals are causing you trouble, then target them first. Since the Wind Crystal is able to put your party to sleep and turn them into Mushrooms, this should be your first priority. Mallow’s Shocker and Thunderbolt attacks are weaknesses. For your next target, focus on the Earth Crystal, as it has the most unblockable attacks. The Earth Crystal can be taken down quickly by using Mario’s Ultra Jump.
(1 of 3) All four of the Crystals have their own set of attacks.
The Water Crystal is weak to Fire, so use Mario’s Ultra Flame, and the Fire Crystal is weak to ice, so use Mallow’s Snowy. Once you are down to Culex himself, unleash everything you have, but ensure you can still heal yourself with Peach, as Culex can do quite a bit of damage on his own. Once you win the fight, you will know as Culex shudders and then disappears as the Final Fantasy fanfare begins to play.
Culex - 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 and has a possibility of causing fear. | 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 |
| 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 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 | Removes attack and defense buffs. | No |
As you can likely see, there are a lot of attacks to contend with. Each crystal has its own list of different attacks, as does Culex. What’s important here is picking up on the attacks that can be blocked and which ones you will need to suffer through. There are also a couple of attacks that cause status effects and debuffs. These are Culex’s Shredder, the Winder Crystal’s Light Bubble, the Earth Crystal’s Sandstorm, and the Wind Crystal’s Petal Blast. Shredder will take off any buffs you have, while Light Bubble can put party members to sleep. Petal Blast is a very common move that’s often seen in the early turns of the fight, and it can turn party members into a mushroom. Be sure to use Peach’s Therapy or Group Hug to heal these afflictions.
Culex - Rewards¶
For defeating Culex, you will receive the Quartz Charm. This is an accessory that will give you a 50% attack buff on the character who equips it. Additionally, once you reach the post-game and complete all boss rematches, Culex 3D, the game’s ultimate boss, will unlock.
