Culex

“	Greetings. I am Culex, Dark Knight of Vanda. I've crossed into this dimension to fight for the Dark Mage. You who stand before me... Where does your depth come from? Why are you rendered so three-dimensionally? The evil power that gave me life mapped out this flat plane as my form. You are formed from a power unknown to me. I wish to gain the secret of your three-dimensional world! You will enter combat against me?	„
	~ Culex

“	I am matter... I am antimatter... I can see your past... I can see your future... I consume time... And I will consume you!	„
	~ Culex

“	I am formed from the supreme power. None in this world surpass me. Across time, from this world’s beginning to its end, I am the inheritor of the ultimate of Two. Now you will realize my strength!! Come forth, o power that rules over all creation!!	„
	~ Culex

“	Denizens of the three-dimensional world... Our paths cross once more. You have used your great strength to grant the wishes of powerful people. The force of your strength resonated with my own wishes, enabling me to attain greater evil power and return to this plane. You shall see this power firsthand!	„
	~ Culex

“	Heh heh... Feast your eyes! This new form is worthy of your three-dimensional world! I return to this world remade. I am matter and antimatter. I am past, present, and future. I will consume all time and space! My evil power is in harmony with this three-dimensional world. And now, it will crush you!	„
	~ Culex

Culex Boss Battle theme

Background

Culex is an optional hidden boss who appears in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. Culex is a being from a different dimension (the second dimension) who desires to do battle with warriors from Mario's world. He appears to be a type of demon, having dark purple skin, red twisted horns and wings, a red mark along his torso, a jagged tail, and several crystals surrounding his waist. He also emanates what appears to be dark energy.

Alongside the Crystals, Culex is an even more powerful boss than the main story's antagonist, Smithy, as he has 4,096 HP, the second most of any encounter in the game (behind only Smithy's second phase). Culex, combined with the Crystals, has 12,396 HP, which exceeds both of Smithy's phases combined.

Codex Statistics

Key: 2D | 3D

Tier: Varies. 6-C, up to 2-C | Varies. 6-C, up to 2-C. Far Higher with Final Claw

Name: Culex, Crystaller

Origin: Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

Sex: Male

Age: Unknown

Classification: Ruler of all evil in his world, Dark Knight of Vanda, Master of Time and Space

Status: Alive

Alignment: Neutral Evil (Stated to be the evil ruler of his world and is formed of an evil power)

Dimensionality: 2-D (Surprised by 3-D beings such as Mario having thickness and solidity. He also notes his form is depicted on a flat surface) | 3-D (Gained a three dimensional body after his wish came true)

Attack Potency: Varies (Mario and his friends are noted to be akin to a troupe of actors, taking on different roles depending on the game, with his gimmick being attributed to the same as Mickey Mouse,with their strength and skills even being shown to vary with it being shown with Mario being unable to take on Wario in his pixelated form due to the Wario using a different physiology to make him be unable to interact requiring him to turn to a similar physiology to beat him). Island level (Far superior to Exor, who destroyed Star Road). Up to Universe level (Stated to be able to consume time, and later that he will consume all time and space overtime. Can fight Mario, Princess Peach, & Bowser who have feats on this level) | Varies. Island level. Up to Universe level (After gaining his three dimensional body, Culex has become far more powerful than before. Is stated by the development team to be the toughest fight in the game, which would include all other post-game boss battles that can one-shot the party), Far Higher with Final Claw (Final Claw is Culex's strongest attack and will deal 9999 damage to any member regardless of their defense stat, unless blocked)

Durability: Varies. Island level. Up to Universe level (Can take several attacks from Mario, Mallow, Geno, Princess Peach, & Bowser) | Varies. Island level. Up to Universe level

Striking Strength: Varies. Island Class. Up to Universe Class | Varies. Island Class. Up to Universe Class

Lifting Strength: Unknown | Unknown

Travel Speed: Unknown | Unknown

Combat Speed: Varies. Massively Hypersonic (Can harm Mario, Mallow, Geno, Bowser, and Princess Peach who can all react to lightning based attacks such as Bolt). Up to Faster Than Light (Can be comparable to Mario, Bowser, and Princess Peach), Higher with Nimble Force

Reaction Speed: Varies. Massively Hypersonic. Up to Faster Than Light, Higher with Nimble Force

Stamina: Unknown

Range: Tens of Meters, Universal with abilities (Has the power of creation that rules over everything in the universe) | Tens of Meters, Universal with abilities

Intelligence: Cosmic (Culex is formed from the supreme power, with Culex being the inheritor of the ultimate of Two (this world’s beginning to its end) and knowledge over the space-time continuum and power that rules over all of creation. Stated to be able to see the past and present. Stated to be a master of time and space)

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Powers and Techniques

Superhuman Physical Characteristics, Cosmic Intelligence, Intangibility (Spatial; As he is a 2-D being), Magic, Reality Warping & Space-Time Manipulation (Has power that rules over all of creation within the universe, controlling both the beginning and the end. Stated to be a master of time and space), Dimensional Travel & Extrasensory Perception (Traveled across a dimensional flux due to having a feeling and resonation with it), Summoning (With Dark Star, summons a dark version of a Star to crush a character), Power Nullification & Statistics Reduction (With Shredder, the attack envelops the player's party with a bright pink light and eliminates all beneficial status effects on the team such as ATTACK UP! or DEFENSE UP!. It will also degrade the boosts of the Troopa Pin, Ghost Medal, and Quartz Charm), Energy Manipulation (With Meteor Blast, it unleashes a massive non-elemental energy attack), Fire Manipulation (With Flame Stone, a fire-based attack that has a fiery stone falling like a meteor from the top of the screen, onto the opponent), Precognition (Destiny Perception, Stated to be able to see one's past and future), Curtain Fire (With Meteor Storm, which summons dozens of meteors to fall down), Unblockable Attack & Forcefield Negation (Several of Culex's attacks cannot be blocked), Breaking the Fourth Wall (Is aware of being a post-game boss battle), Wish Granting & Truth Manipulation (Culex is able to make a wish from Star Road, which is what gave him a 3D form).

Resistance to Fear Manipulation, Poison Manipulation, Sleep Manipulation, Power Nullification, & Damage Boost (Culex is strong (resistant) against Fear, Poison, Sleep, Mute, & Critical), Conceptual Manipulation (Can survive attacks from Mario which every one of his attacks are conceptual attacks that take away paint)

Same as before except Intangibility, Durability Negation (With Meteor, which always reduces the party's maximum health to 1. If the party isn't at max health, then it will automatically defeat them), Creation (Can create crystals to attack with)

Intangibility (Spatial. As he is a 2-D being), Magic, Elemental Manipulation (Of Fire, Water, Earth, and Wind Crystals), Explosion Manipulation (With Blast, can cause explosions), Electricity Manipulation (With Bolt, can cause a massive strike of lightning. With Electroshock, sparks will fall onto a party member. A lightning bolt will then strike the target, surrounding the hero in a damaging ball of electricity), Fire Manipulation (With Drain, which shoots out a fireball. With Flame Wall, it creates a massive wall of flames), Ice Manipulation & Weather Manipulation (With Blizzard, causes a massive ice blizzard, with Ice Rock, it shoots an ice rock. With Diamond Saw, creates ice diamonds that cut through the opponent. With Storm, can cause a massive storm. With Solidify, induces the party in ice), Light Manipulation (With Corona, can cause a massive yellow light beam), Earth Manipulation (With Boulder, causes a massive amount of boulders to hit all party members), Sand Manipulation, Fear Manipulation, and Statistics Reduction (With Sand Storm, an attack that creates a massive sandstorm attack that induces the fear status effect, which cuts both attack and defense in half), Sleep Manipulation (With Light Beam, a status-changing magic attack will shoot a big, bright rainbow-colored bubble that floats toward the party, as it approaches, the bubble pops, causing all party members to fall asleep), Transmutation & Plant Manipulation (With Petal Blast, a magic attack that launches a large amount of petals at the opponent turning all opponents stricken by it into a mushroom).

Resistance to Physical Attacks, Fear Manipulation, Poison Manipulation, Sleep Manipulation, Power Nullification, Damage Boost, Fire Manipulation, Ice Manipulation, & Electricity Manipulation (All the crystals have a resistance to Fear, Poison, Sleep, Mute, & Critical. The Earth Crystal in specific resists jump. The Fire Crystal resists fire. The Water Crystal resists ice. The Wind Crystal resists thunder)

Same as before except Intangibility, Power Nullification (All four crystals can block a certain action to prevent the party from fighting. Can use Item Lock, which negates the party's ability to use any items. Can use Attack Lock, which prevents the party's ability to use basic attacks. Can use Special Lock, which negates the party's ability to use any special moves), Statistics Amplification (Upon any of the crystals being broken, they will all give Culex or any of the remaining crystals a boost. Upon the Wind Crystal being broken, it will use Nimble Force, which increases everyone's speed. Upon the Water Crystal being broken, it will use Magic Force, which increases everyone's magic power and magic defense. Upon the Fire Crystal being broken, it will use Vigor Force, which increases everyone's attack power. Upon the Earth Crystal being broken, it will use Valor Force, which increases everyone's defense)

Paint Manipulation which includes: Conceptual Manipulation (Paint makes up everything, anyone in Mario can remove paint by attacking), Life Manipulation & Death Manipulation (Paint is all of life, and removal of it can cause a person or object to have no life within, having their concept of life be removed), Blood Manipulation (Paint makes up all of blood within someone, removing it is the same as removing their blood), Mind Manipulation & Memory Manipulation (Paint makes up the mind, as paint beings can directly speak to your mind by coloring your thoughts. Loss of paint can also remove your mind and memories), Spatial Manipulation (Paint makes up all of space. Removing it makes space as if it was solid), Metaphysics Manipulation (Soul Manipulation; Paint makes up souls and ghosts. Removing it is the equivalent of destroying your soul), Empathic Manipulation (Paint makes up all emotions. Removing it would mean the removal of emotion), Power Nullification (Paint makes up the ability to use powers. Removing it would mean the removal of using powers)

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Equipment

• Earth Crystal: The Earth Crystal has the highest amount of HP out of all of the four crystals, but balances out with a dismal defense of 70. Despite being the crystal of earth, it only has two earth-based attacks, Boulder and Sand Storm. It also wields Storm and Water Blast. It finishes up with the move Blast. It is weak against Thunder-based attacks.

• Fire Crystal: True to its name, the Fire Crystal uses largely fire-based attacks, including Corona, Flame, and Flame Wall. It rounds these attacks out with the moves Drain and Mega Drain. It is weak against Ice-based attacks. It has greater Magic Defense than the next-in-line Water Crystal. Combined with its exceptional Magic Attack, it can be considered an even more difficult opponent than even the Earth Crystal.

• Water Crystal: The Water Crystal is the second weakest crystal. While wielding decent Defense, its Magic Attack and Magic Defense are still lower than that of the Fire Crystal. It uses mostly ice-based moves, namely Ice Rock, Blizzard, Crystal and Solidify, as well as the non-elemental Diamond Saw. Its only weakness are Fire-based attacks.

• Wind Crystal: The Wind Crystal is the weakest of all the crystals, but has massive physical defense, making it take far longer to defeat than the others. The Wind Crystal has mainly electrical-based attacks, such as Bolt, Electroshock, Lightning Orb and Static E!. It also has two attacks that may inflict status effects on Mario and his party. Petal Blast causes the entire party to transform into mushrooms, which prevents any party member from attacking or using an item, but heals a small amount of HP each turn. The Wind Crystal is also armed with the Light Beam attack, which leaves the party under the sleep status. Once defeated, the Wind Crystal will disappear like the other three crystals until the battle ends. It is weak against Jumping attacks, making it the only crystal susceptible to physical rather than special attacks.

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Notable Techniques

• Shedder: Removes and negates any boost in statistics his opponent gains.
• Flame Stone: Flame Stone is a fire-based attack from the game, it targets a single party member and does minor damage. Animation is noted as a fiery stone falling like a meteor from the top of the screen, onto the opponent.
• Dark Star: A massive dark star smashes all of Culex's opponents. It's the strongest spell in the game.
• Meteor Blast: Culex summons multiple shining star-shaped meteors towards his foes.

Elemental Crystals: Culex creates 4 elemental crystals. These crystals are all used to manipulate elements on extremely dangerous levels. (The elements that are being manipulated are created out of thin air by the crystals.)

• Earth Crystal: The earth crystal is used to manipulate the earth but it is also able to cause explosions and summon large blasts of lightning.
  • Blast: Blast is a common attack that deals average damage. The animation for Blast is a series of orange and yellow explosions that appear over the target.
  • Storm: The Earth Crystal summons a large devastating blast of lightning out of the sky.
  • Sandstorm: Sand Storm is a special move that inflicts moderate damage on all party members and causes the status effect Fear. The animation for Sand Storm is a wave of small, white sand grains flying across the screen.
  • Water Blast: Water Blast, is an attack that deals medium or high damage to all party members. When used, Water Blast causes spouts of water to appear everywhere on screen with steam rising upwards, followed by a giant explosion.
  • Boulder: The Earth Crystal will summon a large amount of rocks and mud that will rain down on Culex's enemies at high speeds.

Fire Crystal: This crystal will manipulate fire and summon large walls of fire and it will even manipulate light using a powerful blinding beam

• Drain: The Fire Crystal throws a fireball at an enemy that will drain life force out of them if it hits.
• Mega Drain: A larger and more powerful version of Drain. It will summon a large beam of light to his target.
• Flame Wall: The Fire Crystal summons a large wall of fire that can cover a large distance to incinerate multiple enemies at once.
• Corona: Corona is an attack that will summon a large, yellow orb that will attack all opponents, doing significant damage.

Water Crystal: This crystal manipulates snow and ice based based attacks instead of water based attacks.

• Ice Rock: The Water Crystal will summon a large boulder of ice above the opponent's head and slam it down on them.
• Blizzard: The Water Crystal's only wind based attack. The crystal will call out a large snowstorm out of nowhere, the temperature of the storm is low enough to freeze things caught in it instantly.
• Solidify: The Crystal will choose multiple targets and encase them in ice.
• Crystal: Crystal is an attack that will summon three large blue ice crystals to fall on the opponent.
• Diamond Saw: Diamond Saw is an attack that will create a Blizzard and summon two razor-edged snowflakes to fly at an opponent, damaging them.

Wind Crystal: The weakest of the crystals, but it has the best defense, The Wind Crystal has the best durability out of all the crystals and has multiple lightning based attacks.

• Electroshock: This attack will rain down sparks on an enemy, encasing them in a ball of electricity. Then a large bolt of lightning will come down and the victim will be electrocuted. (The ball increases the damage of the lightning bolt)
• Petal Blast: The Wind Crystal's only wind based attack; The Wind Crystal summons a large amount of flower petals that will fly over the battlefield. This attack will end by turning people into mushrooms.
• Light Beam: The crystal flashes of light towards the enemies and it puts the victims to sleep.
• Static E!: Static E! causes a blue, shimmering wave to cover the screen and, along with an interesting sound effect, deals minor electrical damage to all targets.
• Bolt: Bolt consists of a single bolt of blue lightning that strikes a single opponent.
• Lightning Orb: Lightning Orb attacks one opponent, when the attack is used, a small whitish-blue orb floats toward its target and engulfs it in an electric dome before disappearing, after which point the target takes damage.

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Other

Standard Tactics: Culex and his crystals will attack in tandem attempting many different status effect attacks along with powerful regular attacks.

Weaknesses: Nothing notable.

Note: The English version of the Culex originally had massive mistranslations that are not present anywhere in the Japanese version of the fight. However, the remake for the Nintendo Switch has decided to mix both English and Japanese lines into one, having both stories as connected into the boss fight. As such, both translations are used.

Battle Records

None.

None.

None.