You’ve seen the lion's head everywhere. It’s on Squall Leonhart’s ring, etched into the side of his Revolver gunblade, and dangling from a chain around his neck. To a casual player, it's just a cool logo. A bit of 1999 edgy aesthetic. But Griever Final Fantasy VIII is actually one of the most psychologically messed-up bosses in the history of the franchise. It isn't just a monster. Honestly, it’s a manifestation of Squall’s own insecurities and his desperate need to be perceived as "strong."
What Most People Get Wrong About Griever
A lot of players think Griever is just another Guardian Force (GF) like Ifrit or Bahamut that Ultimecia happened to find in a dusty corner of the future. That’s not it at all.
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Griever doesn't exist in the physical world. Not until the final battle. During the climax, Ultimecia dives deep into Squall’s mind. She’s looking for his specific concept of the "ultimate power." She finds the lion. She finds the entity Squall named—the one you, the player, literally named during that quiet scene with Rinoa outside Galbadia Garden.
Ultimecia brings it to life. She uses Squall's own imagination against him. If you named the ring something stupid like "Pooch," you’re fighting a legendary beast named "Pooch." It’s hilarious, but also deeply symbolic. Squall spent the whole game trying to be like the lion: solitary, proud, and untouchable. By making him fight Griever, Ultimecia is forcing Squall to kill the very ideal he used as a crutch to avoid emotional intimacy.
The Battle: Surviving the Shockwave Pulsar
Let's talk mechanics. If you aren't prepared, Griever will absolutely wreck your day. He appears in the second phase of the final gauntlet, and he doesn't play fair.
Shockwave Pulsar is the move that ends runs. It’s an ultimate attack that can easily hit for over 7,000 damage if your Spirit (SPR) stat is low. You’ve got to have Shell up, or better yet, high-tier magic like Reflect or Curaga junctioned to your SPR.
Griever also has a nasty habit of "blowing away" your magic stock. He can literally delete entire stacks of spells you’ve spent hours Drawing.
Why "Maybe I'm Lion" Matters
The music that plays during this fight is titled Maybe I'm Lion. Fans have debated the pun for decades. Is it "Maybe I'm Lying" to myself about being strong? Or "Maybe I am a Lion"? The Japanese title implies the latter. It’s the moment Squall realizes he doesn't need to be a cold, solitary beast to have power.
The Hybrid Forms: When It Gets Weird
After you beat the "pure" Griever, things get body-horror real fast. Ultimecia junctions herself to Griever.
Imagine a massive, winged lion with a sorceress growing out of its forehead like a fleshy ornament. That is the third phase. In this form, she can use Great Attractor, an attack that involves summoning "Helixes" to boost her power.
- Phase 1: Griever alone. Watch out for Doom and Gravija.
- Phase 2: Ultimecia-Griever. Focus on the Helixes first. If two are out, Great Attractor is coming, and it hurts.
- Phase 3: The "Tail" drops off. She starts casting Holy and Meteor.
The stats scale with your level, but Griever usually caps around Level 65. If you’ve been grinding to Level 100, he’s actually harder because his HP pools swell to massive proportions.
Design and Origin: The Nomura Touch
Tetsuya Nomura, the lead character designer, wanted Squall to have a motif that screamed "lone wolf" but used a lion instead. The name Griever itself is interesting. In the French version, he's called Cronos. But in English, it’s a play on the word "grieve."
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It reflects Squall’s internal world—a boy who lost his "sister" (Ellone) and his parents, and grew up in a world of grief that he masked with a tough exterior. The design—purple fur, white mane, and those massive wings—is meant to look like a "fallen" version of a noble creature.
Actionable Tips for Your Next Playthrough
If you’re heading into the final castle, do these three things to make Griever a pushover:
- Junction for Spirit: Don't just focus on Strength. If your SPR is below 100, Shockwave Pulsar will wipe you. Use Life or Full-Life on your SPR-J slot.
- Meltdown is King: Cast Meltdown on Griever immediately. It reduces his Vitality and Spirit to zero. Your physical attacks (and Squall's Renzokuken) will do massive damage.
- The Aura Trick: Keep your HP in the yellow or use the spell Aura. This allows you to spam Limit Breaks. A single Lion Heart finisher from Squall can potentially bypass several of Griever's mechanics by pushing him into the next phase instantly.
Griever is more than just a boss. He’s the physical manifestation of Squall Leonhart’s childhood trauma and his "tough guy" persona. Beating him isn't just about winning a video game; it's about Squall finally growing up.
Next Steps for FFVIII Fans:
Check your inventory for the Solomon Ring if you haven't summoned Doomtrain yet; having a GF that inflicts Vit 0 naturally makes the Ultimecia Castle bosses significantly easier. Also, take a close look at the Lion Heart gunblade model in the Remaster—the Griever etching is significantly more detailed than in the 1999 original.