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An enclosure for Crystal Pillar made by Esthar. 3 miles tall and 1.5 miles wide, the enormous enclosure boasts a high-tech facility. It floats by causing a reaction with the Crystal Pillar. A stone from the moon is sealed inside. It was probably built to cause the Lunar Cry through artificial means.
Lunatic Pandora - FFVIII Info Corner
Lunatic Pandora.
The Lunatic Pandora (ルナティックパンドラ, Runatikku Pandora?) is a colossal structure in Final Fantasy VIII that can induce Lunar Cry. Lunatic Pandora encompasses the Crystal Pillar and the casing built around it to make it mobile.
The structure is first introduced in a Laguna dream sequence where Laguna, Kiros and Ward pass through the Centra Excavation Site, which would later become the Lunatic Pandora. Depending on the things the player does as Laguna, different items become available for the later visit with Squall.
The Lunatic Pandora consists of two parts: the Crystal Pillar interior, with labyrinthine tunnels that run throughout; and the surrounding case, a large, semi-rectangular structure built around the pillar made of a dark material, most likely a type of metal. It can be assumed that Esthar constructed the case, since the nation's emblem is prominent on the structure's side.
Story
Lunatic Pandora interior during Laguna's time.
According to the Final Fantasy VIII Ultimania, the Crystal Pillar fell on earth from the moon during the Lunar Cry that destroyed Centra decades ago and left behind the massive crater that makes up most of the modern Centra continent. The pillar lay buried beneath the soil to be discovered by Esthar during the Sorceress War. During the time Esthar was excavating the pillar Laguna and his party were sent to investigate, though they couldn't fathom its purpose or origin.
Lunatic Pandora was designed by Dr. Odine under Sorceress Adel's rule, who wanted to use it as a weapon in the ongoing Sorceress War. The casing was built around the pillar to move it to Esthar, and the structure became known as the Lunatic Pandora. During his time in the Vienne Mountains filming a movie, Laguna glimpsed the Lunatic Pandora hovering in the distance, musing of its significance. When Squall Leonhart's SeeD party gains access to the mobile Balamb Garden, they can discover a crater on the mountain preventing access to Esthar. The Ultimania confirms the crater was formed by a Lunar Cry Esthar induced by bringing the Lunatic Pandora to the region, perhaps to test its power.
Laguna, after being captured on his way to Esthar, was forced to work in the Lunatic Pandora Laboratory. To complement the pillar Tears' Point was constructed; when the Lunatic Pandora and the Crystal Pillar it houses couple with Tears' Point, it forces a reaction with the moon leading to a Lunar Cry. After the Laguna-led Estharian resistance deposed and sealed Sorceress Adel, Laguna became Esthar's president. Lunatic Pandora was deemed too dangerous and sunk in the ocean.
Squall's party inside Lunatic Pandora.
Seventeen years later Seifer, under the instruction of Ultimecia, raises the Lunatic Pandora with the aid of the G-Army and moves it to Tears' Point, initiating the Lunar Cry, which brings down Adel's Tomb from space and monsters destroy Esthar City. The tomb is kept within the Lunatic Pandora while Adel awakens from her frozen state. Squall and his comrades infiltrate the Lunatic Pandora and dispatch Adel, while the G-Army abandons Seifer. After being released from Adel Ultimecia possesses Rinoa. Ellone, who has a power similar to Ultimecia's to send a person's consciousness to inhabit another in the past, sends both Rinoa and Ultimecia within her back in time to allow the latter to cast time compression. The Lunatic Pandora fades as Squall, Rinoa and their allies fall through time, and its ultimate fate is never revealed; if the party leaves Ultimecia Castle and returns to the world map, the Lunatic Pandora is no longer there.
Layout
The layout of the Lunatic Pandora corresponds to the layout of Centra Excavation Site visited as Laguna, with the difference that during Laguna's time the Crystal Pillar lies on its side and during the present timeline it stands erected in an upright position. The interior is of an otherworldly aquamarine rock with pathways carved out to navigate the enormous structure.
Entrance.
- Main Entrance
The main entrance to the Lunatic Pandora is one of the contact points during the time the Pandora flies over Esthar City.
- Draw points: Meteor
Elevators.
- Elevators
Zell's party will be ejected by Mobile Type 8 if they board the Pandora in the 2nd and 3rd access points. The three elevators take to different parts of the Pandora.
- Draw points: Curaga
Elevator 1.
In the proximity of Elevator 1 the player may find a draw point in the corner of the screen.
- Draw points: Holy (never refills)
Interior Walkways.
- Interior Walkways
If the player pushed a rock on a wall in Laguna's time, they can find an item in a small cavity within a wall along the oath leading from the Elevator 1.
- Items: Spd-J Scroll
Elevator 3.
- Elevator 3
The area down from where Elevator 3 leads has an item if the player found some old keys as Laguna. The player may find the item in the tube on the right after having taken the ladder down from Elevator 3.
- Items: LuvLuvG
- Draw points: Confuse (room where LuvLuvG is found)
Trapdoors.
- Trapdoors
Going left twice from the area where the LuvLuvG is, the player can find the trapdoors. If the player opened all trapdoors in the Laguna scenario the hatches remain open and contain a draw point and items. Going left from this screen leads to an area with a Combat King magazine if the player used the detonator as Laguna earlier. Past the Combat King magazine the player also finds a draw point.
- Items: Phoenix Pinion, Power Generator, Combat King 005
- Draw points: Silence, Ultima (follow the path after finding Combat King 005 and turn left)
Ragnarok's Landing Site.
- Ragnarok's Landing Site
After the attack on Lunatic Pandora, Ragnarok penetrates the tower's defenses and busts in through the wall.
Hallway.
- Hallway
If the player reaches this screen as Zell, they will be ejected by Mobile Type 8. Later, the main doors lead to the room where the Lunatic Pandora's flight is controlled, and the structure on the right leads to the room Adel's tomb is stored.
- Draw points: Break (on the structure that leads to Adel's chamber, never refills)
Flightdeck.
- Flightdeck
This appears to be the room where the Lunatic Pandora's flight is controlled. Seifer is found and fought here.
- Guardian Forces: Gilgamesh*Only obtained if the player has Odin when they fight Seifer
Adel's Chamber.
- Adel's Chamber
The room where Adel's tomb rests waiting for the sorceress awaken is at the top of the Lunatic Pandora.
Location
Lunatic Pandora over Tears' Point.
The Lunatic Pandora/Crystal Pillar is seen in different locations throughout the game. First it was being excavated in the Centra Excavation Site then moved to be studied by Esthar at the Lunatic Pandora Laboratory. Years later, after being abandoned and then re-activated from its watery grave in the ocean, it is brought to Tears' Point where it stands until time has been compressed in Disc 4; along with the mobile Balamb Garden, Lunatic Pandora vanishes from view.
Quests
Laguna's Actions in the Past
Laguna's actions at the Centra Excavation Site affect which items are available in the Lunatic Pandora when visited in the present time.
| Laguna's Actions in the Past | Items Found in Present Time |
|---|---|
| Pick up a key near the Confuse draw point. | Unlock doorway to an Ultima draw point. |
| Open the middle trap door. | Reveals a Silence draw point. |
| Open the left trapdoor. | Reveals a Phoenix Pinion. |
| Open the right trapdoor. | Reveals a Power Generator. |
| Find the Old Key at first intersection behind a door. | Reveals a LuvLuvG. |
| Use the detonator (red + blue). | Opens a pathway in the present time and clears the way to Combat King 005. |
| Push a rock from a left tunnel wall. | Reveals a Spd-J Scroll. |
Enemies
First visit
Second visit
With the exception of bosses, all enemies fought during this visit are fixed at Level 1.
- Behemoth
- Imp
- Iron Giant
- Torama
- Turtapod
- Raijin, Fujin (Boss)
- Mobile Type 8, Left Probe, Right Probe (Boss)
- Seifer (Boss)
- Adel, Rinoa (Boss)
Other appearances
Pictlogica Final Fantasy
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This section about a location in Final Fantasy Record Keeper is empty or needs to be expanded. You can help the Final Fantasy Wiki by expanding it.Musical themes
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The musical theme "Lunatic Pandora" plays whenever the player enters the gargantuan structure.
Gallery
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Etymology
Luna means "moon" in Latin, Italian, Romanian, Russian, and Spanish. In Greek mythology, Pandora was the first woman created by the gods. According to the myth, Pandora opened a jar, in modern accounts sometimes mistranslated as "Pandora's box", releasing the evils of humanity leaving only Hope inside once she had closed it again. The myth is a kind of theodicy, addressing the question of why there is evil in the world.
"Lunatic Pandora" refers to the Crystal Pillar being a gateway for monsters to be released on the planet, an analogy of the Pandora myth. "Lunatic", aside from meaning "a reckless impetuous irresponsible person", is also the adjective corresponding to the Latin word Luna, "Moon". "Lunatic Pandora" could therefore mean a box filled with evils from the moon.
Trivia
- A running gag involves most of the game's main cast being unable to pronounce Lunatic Pandora's name properly on their first attempt.
- Lunatic Pandora may at first glance appear to be the main tower dungeon of Final Fantasy VIII, however this is not so as it lacks the many floors of the usual tower dungeons throughout the Final Fantasy series.
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