Chimera enemy line

Chimera, Chimera Mage, and Grand Chimera are species of monsters found in Golden Sun and Golden Sun: The Lost Age. These monsters, resembling a combination of a goat, lion and eagle, are palette swaps of each other and have differing levels of power and defense. This is a monster line that was introduced in Golden Sun and expanded upon in The Lost Age. They are associated with the Mars element.

Chimera
A Chimera is a beige member. Only two appear in the game; both serve as one of the "sub-bosses" on Crossbone Isle, where they guard the entrance to the sixth floor. This means they're exclusive to the first Golden Sun. Being boss-like, each Chimera has better statuses than their later counterparts, with 1350 HP, 48 PP, 294 Attack, 90 Defense, 121 Agility, and 18 Luck. It is very resistant to Mars-based attacks, evenly resistant to Jupiter and Venus, and weak against Mercury attacks.

The Chimera have wide arsenals of skills: They can attack with a physical attack and use the monster skills Fire Blessing, for Mars damage to multiple targets, Mad Dash for enhanced damage and Rabid Fang to inflict heavy damage on one target, with the possiblity of inflicting Deadly Poison. Psynergies include Flare Storm for Mars damage, Bind to seal someone's Psynergy, Guard to boost their defense and Impair to lower yours. Thier PP meter limits their psynergy usage, although they're likely to be slain before it's completly drained.

Felling each Chimera yield 465 EXP, 800 coins, and a guaranteed Potion. As a sub-boss for Crossbone Isle, they're some of the tougher minor enemies in the first Golden Sun, but should succumb to Djinn Summons, especially those of the Mercury element.

Chimera Mage
A Chimera Mage is a pink member. Chimera Mage has 413 HP, 28 PP, 326 Attack, 119 Defense, 145 Agility, and 16 Luck; it's HP, PP and luck are lower than Chimera's. It is very resistant to Mars-based attacks, evenly resistant to Jupiter and Venus, and weak against Mercury attacks.

Chimera Mage retains Chimera's physical attack and monster skills, but now use the Psynergy Eruption for moderate Mars damage to multiple targets and the monster skill Recovery, which restores some of its HP. Their PP meter limits Eruption's usage.

Felling a Chimera Mage yields 362 EXP, 300 coins, and in very rare cases, some Spike Armor - kill it with Mercury Djinn to increase the chance it will drop this item by four times. Chimera Mages are battled in Babi Lighthouse, Tunnel Ruins and the later part of Venus Lighthouse. This means they are also exclusive to the first Golden Sun and are some of the final enemies fought in that game.

Grand Chimera
A Grand Chimera is a blue member. Grand Chimera has 313 HP, 48 PP, 336 Attack, 109 Defense, 168 Agility, and 27 Luck. This gives it oddly less HP and defense than the Chimera Mage but higher PP, attack, agility, and luck. It is very resistant to Mars-based attacks, evenly resistant to Jupiter and Venus, and weak against Mercury attacks.

Grand Chimera retains all of Mage's attack options: physical attacks, the monster skills Rabid Fang, Recovery, and Mad Dash and the psynergy Eruption. It also gains the monster skill Fire Breath (the same as Fire Blessing, only properly named).

Felling a Grand Chimera yields 487 EXP, 320 coins, and in uncommon cases, a Mist Potion. Grand Chimeras are battled in Magma Rock and the Northern Reaches area where the Lemurian Ship sails through the ice floes.

Cultural Allusions
Origin: Greece

In Greek mythology a Chimera is a monstrous creature, which was made of the parts of different animals, usually a lion's head, a goat's body and a snake tail. It breathes terrible flames of bright fire, which probably explains why Golden Sun's Chimera is fire element.