You’re standing outside a pile of brown rocks in the middle of a peninsula, wondering why on earth a military academy would send teenagers into a haunted cave just to find a student ID number. It’s classic Final Fantasy. The Final Fantasy 8 Tomb of the Unknown King side quest is one of those early-game hurdles that either makes you feel like a genius or leaves you running in circles until you’re tempted to chuck your controller. Honestly, the first time I played this back on the original PlayStation, I didn't even realize there was a map. I just turned right until I hit a wall.
That doesn't work here.
The Tomb is located northeast of Deling City. Most players end up here because General Caraway is being a gatekeeper, demanding proof of "valor" before he'll let Squall’s team in to discuss the assassination plot against Edea. It feels like busywork. In reality, it’s your first real chance to nab a powerful Guardian Force (GF) that isn't just handed to you by a computer desk or a magical lamp.
What You’re Actually Doing There
The goal is simple: find the lost student's ID number. It’s usually 042, but wait—don't just type that in. The game randomly generates the number for every playthrough. You have to physically find the sword dropped on the ground inside the tomb to see the code. If you just guess, Caraway will know you're a fraud.
But the real prize isn't the ID. It’s the Brothers. Minotaur and Sacred. These two are the "Secret" and "Minotaur" GFs that provide huge HP boosts and a devastating ground-based attack. If you’re trying to build a tanky party early on, you basically need them.
Navigating the Maze (The Trick Everyone Misses)
The Final Fantasy 8 Tomb of the Unknown King is designed to mess with your internal compass. The camera angle shifts every time you move to a new screen. If you go "up" into a new room, the camera flips 180 degrees. If you try to go back the way you came, you’ll likely end up deeper in the maze.
💡 You might also like: Why the GTA San Andreas Motorcycle is Still the Best Way to Get Around Los Santos
It’s frustrating.
Here is the secret: Always turn right. Seriously. When you enter the tomb, every time you reach an intersection, take a right. You’ll eventually hit three distinct "outer" chambers where the bosses and the mechanics are located.
- The first right-turn loop leads you to Sacred. He’s standing there looking tough. You fight him, he runs away.
- The next chamber (continuing the right-turn strategy) contains a water dam. You have to open the floodgates.
- The third chamber has a gear mechanism. You have to pull the lever to let the water flow.
Only after you’ve hit those three spots can you go to the very center of the tomb to finish the job. If you try to go to the center first, the drawbridge will be up, and you’ll just be staring at a moat like a loser.
Using the Map Function
Square Enix actually gave us a map, but it costs 5,000 Gil from the guard outside. If you’re cheap like me, you probably skipped it. Even if you bought it, using it is weird. You have to press the Select button (or whatever your platform's equivalent is) to pull it up. Look for the "X" marks. They show your current location, but only if you bought the map "location" upgrade.
If you get hopelessly lost, there’s an escape. Pressing the "Select" button while on the map screen allows you to give up and warp back to the entrance. The catch? It lowers your SeeD rank. It’s a blow to the ego and your paycheck, but sometimes it’s better than wandering in the dark for forty minutes.
📖 Related: Dandys World Ship Chart: What Most People Get Wrong
Beating Sacred and Minotaur
The boss fight at the end of the Final Fantasy 8 Tomb of the Unknown King quest is a two-on-one scrap. It’s Sacred and his big brother, Minotaur. They have a gimmick: they regenerate health because they’re standing on the ground.
How do you stop it? Float.
If you cast Float on them, they lose their connection to the earth and stop healing. It makes the fight significantly shorter. You can draw Float directly from them during the battle, so you don't even need to have it in your inventory beforehand. Just make sure you cast it on your own party members too. Why? Because their signature move, "Mad Cow Special," is an earth-based attack. If your characters are floating, the damage becomes zero. It’s the ultimate "I win" button for this encounter.
Don't forget to draw the GFs. Actually, that's a lie—you don't "draw" the Brothers like you do Siren or Leviathan. You get them automatically as an item/GF soul after the fight ends. Just make sure you have enough inventory space, though that's rarely an issue in FF8.
The Lore You Probably Skipped
Why is there a tomb in the middle of a desert for an "Unknown King"? The game is surprisingly vague about this. Fans have speculated for decades that it’s a remnant of the Centra Civilization, the same folks who built the Orphans and the mobile Gardens. The architecture matches. The fact that the "King" is never named suggests that whoever he was, his legacy was erased during the Centra Cry—that moment when the moon literally threw monsters at the planet and wiped out most of the continent.
👉 See also: Amy Rose Sex Doll: What Most People Get Wrong
It adds a layer of melancholy to the quest. You’re there for a grade, but you’re walking through the ruins of a dead empire.
Maximizing Your Rewards
Beyond the Brothers GF, this area is a goldmine for early-game magic. You can find Draw points for Protect and Life. If you’re playing the Remastered version with the 3x speed boost, you can stock up 100 of each in about three minutes.
- Sacred Card: Once you beat them, you get the Sacred card. This is essential for the Triple Triad side quest.
- Minotaur Card: You get this one too. Both are high-level cards that can help you win the "Rare Card" trades later in Deling City or back at Garden.
- HP Junctioning: Once you have the Brothers, teach them the HP+80% ability immediately. It’s one of the best early-game boosts Squall can get, making him almost impossible to kill in Disc 1.
Real Talk: Is It Worth It?
If you're just trying to beat the game quickly, you could technically just run in, grab the ID number from the sword, and leave. You don't have to fight the Brothers.
But you’d be making a mistake. Final Fantasy 8 is a game about "Junctioning." Without the Brothers, your party’s HP pools will be pathetic compared to the bosses coming up in the Galbadia stretch. Plus, the summon animation for the Brothers is hilarious—they play rock-paper-scissors to decide who gets to throw the enemy. It’s the kind of charm that the newer, more "serious" Final Fantasy games sometimes lack.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Forgetting to check the sword: You walk all the way to the first room, see the sword, and think "cool sword" and walk away. You have to examine it to get the ID.
- Getting trapped in the corners: The map isn't a grid; it’s a circle with spokes. If you try to move diagonally, you’ll get stuck in transition animations. Stick to the cardinal directions.
- Ignoring the levers: If you don't hit the water levers in the side chambers, the bridge to the center will never fall. You can't skip this.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Playthrough
To finish the Final Fantasy 8 Tomb of the Unknown King quest efficiently, follow this exact sequence:
- Enter the Tomb and walk straight until you see the sword on the ground. Examine it and write down the number shown.
- Turn right at every junction. This will take you to the East chamber. Fight Sacred.
- Continue right until you reach the North chamber. Open the dam by interacting with the chain on the right side.
- Continue right until you reach the West chamber. Interact with the gears on the left wall to start the water flow.
- Leave that room and go straight across to the center of the map. The bridge will be down.
- Fight both brothers. Use Float on them to stop their healing and on yourself to negate damage.
- Head back to Deling City. Give the ID number to the guard. If you forgot it, you’ll have to walk all the way back, so double-check your notes.
Once you’ve handed that ID over, you’re ready for the parade. Make sure you've junctioned the Brothers to someone who needs the HP boost—usually Selphie or Quistis since they start with lower base stats than Squall or Zell. This sets you up perfectly for the Edea fight at the end of the disc.