The Four Shrines

Learn how to defeat the Earth Guardian in Final Fantasy IX, including strategies and item drops. Also, discover crucial missable items and locations before heading to Shimmering Island.

Alright, so you've made it to Disc 3 and it's time to face the Earth Guardian. Don't sweat it too much, though! This fight can actually be a total breeze if Quina's learned a good chunk of Blue Magic. Seriously, if Quina's got Bad Breath, you're golden. It can hit the Earth Guardian with status effects like Mini, Blind, and Slow. Mini cuts his physical attacks, like Double Slash, in half and makes them miss more often. Plus, if you listened to the warnings earlier and equipped earth protection, his Earthquake attack won't even tickle you.

With Bad Breath doing its thing, Quina can focus on dishing out damage. Meanwhile, Zidane should be busy trying to steal the Avenger and the Rubber Suit. Once he's got those, he can join the offensive. Oh, and a cool little trick: Quina can actually eat the Earth Guardian! If you haven't learned Earthquake yet, this is your chance to snag it.

After that battle, you'll get a few cutscenes and regroup on the airship. Your next destination is Shimmering Island, but hold up! Before you blast off, there are some super important things you need to know. Certain areas on the world map are going to lock down, meaning you'll miss out on some side quests and items forever. For example, the Rare Coffees side quest becomes permanently missable, and you won't be able to defeat the Amdusias in Treno's weapon shop anymore. Plus, a whole bunch of locations will become inaccessible, including:

• Conde Petie
• Conde Petie Mountain Path (Don't forget to grab the Moonstone if you haven't!)
• Desert Palace
• Esto Gaza
• Fossil Roo
• North and South Gates
• Ice Cavern
• Iifa Tree
• Mount Gulug
• Observatory Mountain
• Oeilvert
• Pinnacle Rocks

This also applies to some equipment you can buy. You'll want to pay special attention to gear that teaches abilities you can't get anywhere else. Once you head to Shimmering Island, you won't be able to go back to these places. Here's a look at the gear that becomes unavailable:

This table is your last chance to grab some really useful gear, including the easy Cotton Robe trick for making some quick Gil. When you're all set and have snagged everything you need, hop on the airship and head south of Esto Gaza to find the Shimmering Island.