Gau (Final Fantasy VI)

Gau is a fictional character in the video game Final Fantasy VI. He is a feral child who lives among the animals on the Veldt.

Gau joins the player's party when he is fed Dried Meat from the item shop at Mobliz. He guides the player to an underwater helmet which can be used to breathe while riding the currents in the underwater Serpent Trench to Nikeah.

In the World of Ruin he can once again be found on the Veldt, but only if the player brings three or fewer characters there to obtain him. Gau is the son of the "aged man" who lives in the house near where Sabin ends up after falling in Lete River.

"Draped in monster hides, eyes shining with intelligence. A youth surviving against all odds . . . "

Gau was born on April 5th, making him an Aries.

Rages

Gau is one of the most powerful players in the game thanks in part to his rages. When he encounters monsters on the Veldt, he can use Leap to jump out of the party into the monster formation and end the battle. The next time he is encountered on the Veldt, he will rejoin the party with the ability to use those monsters' rages. When he uses a monster's rage, he will use its two rage attacks until the battle ends or he is wounded.

Some of the most powerful rages give him the ability to cast certain spells, or analogues of those spells, before they can be learnt from Espers or equipment.

• Templar and Hazer, which can be obtained as soon as Gau joins the party, allow him to cast Fire 2 and Bolt 2, respectively.
• Aspik, which can be obtained after the multi-party battle with Kefka, allows him to cast Giga Volt, which is similar to Bolt 3.
• Rhinox, which can be obtained after the escape from Vector, allows him to cast Life 3.

Others give him the ability to use certain powerful attacks it is impossible to learn.

• Stray Cat, Rhodox, Marshal, and Over-Mind, all of which can be obtained as soon as Gau joins the party, allow him to use the following attacks, respectively:
  • Catscratch, for quadruple attack damage.
  • Snare, an instant-death attack especially useful against the Intangirs of Triangle Island.
  • Wind Slash, a powerful attack that targets all opponents.
  • Elf-Fire, an unblockable fire-elemental spell

Although not as powerful as some other rages, the Retainer rage allows Gau to use General Leo's Shock command.

Other uses

Gau can be especially useful in a low-level game. When the party is forced to gain experience, the player can wound the other characters and force Gau to take all the experience. Subsequently, the player can make Gau leave the party by leaping at the Veldt. When another character joins the party, Gau's level will not be averaged with everyone else's to determine the new character's level.

Gau can also use a particularly strong combination late in the game: He can equip a Merit Award, allowing him to equip a Tempest. This sword randomly replaces its users' attacks with Wind Slash. This effect can be added on to the effects of rages. If Gau uses it in combination with the Stray Cat rage, for example, he can hit all the enemies on the screen with Wind Slash at quadruple damage.

External link

• Gau's Best Rages

Music

In "Final Fantasy VI: Original Sound Version," Gau's theme is called "Gau" — disc 1, track 18. His leitmotif is also found in the track:

• Ending Theme [Character Medley] — 3, 15

Locke —