Lavos is a huge alien parasite and the primary antagonist of the Squaresoft RPG Chrono Trigger. This creature is described as the "Destroyer of All Life", a title it lives up to as it is responsible for destroying the Earth.
History
Lavos first arrived on Earth in the year 65,000,000 BC after falling from the sky like a shooting star. It was named "Lavos" by Ayla, a word she made up from the root words "La" meaning "fire" and "Vos" "big" in the Iokan language. Lavos' true name (if it even had one) is unknown. Lavos came to Earth with the intention of draining its energy so that it could produce genetically enhanced spawn, which would then continue the cycle on other planets.
Lavos slept beneath the Earth for millenia, emerging in the year 1999 AD. When it awoke, it unleashed its awesome destructive power, turning the planet into a desolate wasteland. This event is referred to by survivors as the "Day of Lavos". A small portion of humanity would survive this apocalypse and last for at least a further 300 years, though the emergence of hostile machines, mutant life-forms and the utter annihilation of the ecosystem would all but ensure mankind's extinction.
Throughout the course of Chrono Trigger, the main characters of the game travel across time, entering numerous different time periods and interfering with events that lead to Lavos' emergence. Because of these interferences, Lavos is weakened, leaving it in a vulnerable state by the time it awakes in 1999 AD, allowing the heroes to confront and defeat it before it can lay waste to the planet.
Forms
Lavos Shell
Lavos' outer shell is enormous and covered with spikes. At its front is a rounded maw that splits open into three mandibles. During the final battle, Lavos tests the players by imitating other bosses, then attacks with its true powers once its imitations have all been bested. It uses the following techniques:-
- Rain Destruction - Lavos Shell's most powerful tech causes destructive fire to rain down from the heavens.
- Lavos Needle - If the player attacks the Lavos Shell without directly targetting its mouth, the player suffers damage from the many spikes adorning the shell.
- Chaos Zone - A technique that leaves players confused, causing them to attack one another.
- Earthquake - A violent tremor that inflicts damage to all party members.
Lavos Body
After defeating the Lavos Shell, the party ventures inside the shell where they confront Lavos' main body. The body appears bio-mechanical and is roughly humanoid, though it has no visible legs. Multiple tubes and conduits connect the body to the interior of the shell. To defeat this form, the player must attack Lavos' body and its arms seperately. It uses the following techniques:-
- Umbral Embrace - An attack that inflicts poison on the party.
- Flames of War - A fire-based attack.
- Evil Emanation - Raises Lavos' attack stat.
- Immobilize - Prevents a party member from moving.
- Curse - Cancels out party immunities to stat reductions and impediments such as poison or paralysis.
- Life Grip - The arms can regenerate the body's health.
- Laser Beams - A devastating combo attack.
Lavos Core
With its body destroyed, Lavos' core form emerges. It resembles a smaller version of its body with almost wing-like arms and webbed feet. Floating on either side of it are pods that aid in its defence. In actuality, the humanoid form is a decoy and the true Lavos Core is hiding in one of the pods, which becomes apparent during the battle as the pod has much more HP than the central body and the other pod. The Core's techniques include:-
- Curse
- Evil Touch - Absorbs a party member's MP, preventing them from using techniques.
- Heavenly Tears - A magical lightning strike that inflicts heavy damage to a single party member.
- Diabolic Whisper - A technique that inflicts a random detremental status upon a party member.
- Demon Star - An attack that cuts the entire party's HP in half.
- Unholy Light - An attack that slows down party actions.
- Resurrect - Lavos can revive its lesser components should they be destroyed.
- Grandstone - Lavos' most powerful physical attack.
- Dreamreaver - Lavos' most powerful magical attack.