Ghost enemy line

The Ghost, Ghost Mage, Lich, and Horned Ghost are species of monsters randomly battled in Golden Sun and Golden Sun: The Lost Age. These monsters, resembling decidedly corporeal, hooded humanoid entities, are palette-swapped variants of each other that have differing levels of power and defense and are fought in different locations in the games. This is the only monster line in the Golden Sun series that has four distinctively titled and designed variants featuring in the gameplay of a game cart; to compare, the Cuttle monster line features four variants as well, but different variants are fought between different installments. Also worth noting is that "Lich" is the name of another monster belonging to a different line; see Doomsayer monster line for full details.

Ghost
A Ghost is an orange-eyed variant in a vaguely purplish hood with a red underside, and having a somewhat turquoise chestpiece as well. Statistically, this monster has 56 HP, 6 PP, 38 Attack, 12 Defense, 12 Agility, and 2 Luck. In terms of resistance, it has a Mercury Resistance rating of 100, a Mars Resistance rating of 72, a Venus Resistance rating of 48, and a Jupiter Resistance rating of 7, and it regards to its abilities it uses its available Venus-based attacks with a Venus power rating of 100.

The Ghost uses the following battle commands: However, this monster is also carrying the following consumable items which it may use in place of a move from its normal move list each time it acts:
 * Attack: Used 4 out of 8 times, this is this monster's standard physical attack.
 * Rumble: Used 2 out of 8 times, this is a Monster Skill where the monster summons a small wave of orange undulating skull-faced energy that hits into a targeted Adept, dealing a Venus-based attack with a power rating of 9.
 * Impair: Used 2 out of 8 times, this is a Psynergy Spell that attempts to lower a targeted Adept's current Defense rating by 25%. This ability consumes 4 of its user's PP, meaning that this monster can only use this spell once in a battle
 * 1 Herb: An item that restores 50 HP to either itself or another monster on its side of the field.

Felling a Ghost yields 9 Experience Points and 9 Coins, and there is a 1/16 chance that the monster will randomly drop an Oil Drop. If it is felled by the attack effect of an offensive Jupiter Djinni, its rewards increase to 11 EXP and 11 Coins, and the chance to drop its item becomes 1/4. In Golden Sun, the Ghost is first battled throughout Goma Cave early on in the game, and subsequently throughout the overworld region of Angara encompassing Bilibin and Kolima. In The Lost Age it is first battled in the earlier part of Shrine of the Sea God, and then throughout Dehkan Plateau.

The Ghost, when fought in Goma Cave, is about as strong as the Will Head and a little less strong as the Skeleton, but its limited healing ability is notable whenever it happens. It quickly becomes a "kindergarten" enemy when fought in subsequent areas. In the second game, it is the most sturdy monster in Shrine of the Sea God, but the slowest, and is likely the least threatening enemy in Dehkan Plateau.

Ghost Mage
A Ghost Mage is a light-blue-eyed variant in a vaguely purplish hood with a dark purplish-blueunderside, and having a somewhat greenish chestpiece as well. Statistically, this monster has 161 HP, 19 PP, 168 Attack, 43 Defense, 86 Agility, and 9 Luck. In terms of resistance, it has a Mercury Resistance rating of 100, a Mars Resistance rating of 72, a Venus Resistance rating of 48, and a Jupiter Resistance rating of 7, and it regards to its abilities it uses its available Venus-based attacks with a Venus power rating of 100 and its available Jupiter-based attacks with a Jupiter power rating of 95.

The Ghost Mage uses the following battle commands:
 * Attack: Used 2 out of 8 times, this is this monster's standard physical attack.
 * Spire: Used 2 out of 8 times, this is a Psynergy spell that causes a large stalactite to fall down from above onto a targeted Adept and shatter, dealing a Venus-based attack with a power rating of 40. This ability consumes 5 of its user's PP.
 * Whirlwind: Used 2 out of 8 times, this is a Psynergy spell that causes a single, tall, electricity-laden tornado to whirl through the party of Adepts, dealing a Jupiter-based attack with a power rating of 20 and a range of 3. This ability consumes 5 of its user's PP.
 * Haunting: Used 2 out of 8 times, this is a Monster Skill that summons an array of glowing blue wispy skull-faced spirit energy that hits into a targeted Adept, and the struck Adept has a chance to be afflicted with Haunt.

Felling a Ghost Mage yields 80 Experience Points and 110 Coins, and there is a 1/16 chance that the monster will randomly drop a Bramble Seed. If it is felled by the attack effect of an offensive Jupiter Djinni, its rewards increase to 104 EXP and 143 Coins, and the chance to drop its item becomes 1/4. In Golden Sun, the Ghost Mage is battled throughout Vale Cave and Vault Cave. In The Lost Age it is one of the "stock" monsters fought throughout the land-based overworld areas accessible from the Great Eastern Sea, as well as within Taopo Swamp.

The Ghost Mage's forms of offense are generally not quite as damaging as the Ravagers in the cave locations in the first game it is fought throughout. However, in both cave locations it has almost as much agility as the Death Cap. In the second game it is entirely outperformed by enemies such as the Dire Wolf.

Lich
The Lich is a violet-eyed variant in a hazel-colored hood with a dark orange-ish underside, and having a somewhat light-blue chestpiece as well. Statistically, this is a "boss"-style monster that has 900 HP, 52 PP, 192 Attack, 48 Defense, 106 Agility, and 15 Luck. In terms of resistance, it has the same proportions as its counterparts but stronger, having a Mercury Resistance rating of 152, a Mars Resistance rating of 100, a Venus Resistance rating of 72, and a Jupiter Resistance rating of 25, and it regards to its abilities it uses its available Mercury-based attacks with a Mercury power rating of 95.

The Lich uses the following battle commands:
 * Glacier: Used 53 out of 256 times, this is a Psynergy spell that drops a mass of ice shards into the opposition, dealing a Mercury-based attack with a power rating of 100 and a range of 3. This ability consumes 15 of its user's PP, which means it can use this strong offensive skill a maximum of three times in a battle if it hardly uses any of its below Psynergy spells at all:
 * Revive: Used 47 out of 256 times, this is a Psynergy spell that this monster may use once one or both of the two Fiendish Ghoul enemies accompanying it has been felled; it completely revives that monster to full health.
 * Curse: Used 41 out of 256 times, this is a Psynergy spell that briefly generates a candle icon at the target Adept's position, and the target has a chance to get inflicted with a 7-turn Death Curse status ailment. This ability consumes 6 of the monster's PP. Being used a "boss"-style encounter that technically lasts more turns than a normal battle, this ability just might end up downing an Adept if cast first thing in the battle and the battle lasts over 7 turns.
 * Attack: Used 35 out of 256 times, this is this monster's standard physical attack.
 * Enfeeble: Used 29 out of 256 times, this Psynergy spell that targets up to 3 Adepts, for each one attempting to temporarily lower all of that Adept's Resistances by 20 points, increasing the damage the party takes from any attack involving an element. This ability consumes 6 of its user's PP.
 * Haunt: Used 23 out of 256 times, this is a Psynergy spell that causes a mass of purple skull symbols to swirl into each party member, and each affected party member has a chance to get inflicted with the Haunt status ailment. This ability consumes 5 of the monster's PP and has a range of 3.
 * Debilitate: Used 17 out of 256 times, this is a Psynergy spell that targets up to 3 Adepts, for each one attempting to temporarily lower that Adept's current Defense rating by 12.5%. It consumes 6 of its user's PP.
 * Bind: Used 11 out of 256 times, this is a Psynergy spell that displays a holographic symbol onto a targeted Adept, attempting to Seal that Adept's Psynergy capabilities. It consumes 4 of its user's PP.

Felling the Lich yields 263 Experience Points and 1200 Coins. If it is somehow felled by the attack effect of an offensive Jupiter Djinni, its rewards increase to 341 EXP and 1560 Coins. In Golden Sun only one is fought throughout the entire game, together with two Fiendish Ghouls as one scripted boss encounter that occurs on the third "dungeon floor" of the optional Crossbone Isle as soon as you try to enter the door to that floor's puzzle room. Therefore, the minimum rewards of the battle are 437 EXP, 1418 Coins, and a single guaranteed Psy Crystal.

As part of a team of three monsters that is one special encounter, the Lich is the more "special" of the monsters, with more HP and more supportive abilities, while the Fiendish Ghouls are rather less durable monsters that serve more as the muscle. Most would not find this battle to be overly difficult, however, even if Crossbone Isle is visited and this battle is fought earlier in the game through the hidden method at Tolbi-bound Ship. This is definitely a battle that can be won in one turn by having everyone use full-powered summonings at the start, but if you decide to battle these the typical way, you should hold off on felling the Fiendish Ghouls until you have either felled the Lich or are reasonably certain that it has used up enough of its PP meter that it wouldn't be able to cast Revive to bring back a Fiendish Ghoul.

Horned Ghost
A Horned Ghost is a purple-eyed variant in a a somewhat turquoise hood with a blue underside, and having a somewhat yellowish chestpiece as well. Statistically, this monster has 236 HP, 32 PP, 268 Attack, 78 Defense, 116 Agility, and 5 Luck. In terms of resistance, it has a Mercury Resistance rating of 100, a Mars Resistance rating of 72, a Venus Resistance rating of 48, and a Jupiter Resistance rating of 7, and it regards to its abilities it uses its available Venus-based attacks with a Venus power rating of 100 and its available Mercury-based attacks with a Mercury power rating of 95.

The Horned Ghost uses the following battle commands:
 * Attack: Used 4 out of 8 times, this is this monster's standard physical attack.
 * Haunting: Used 2 out of 8 times, this is a Monster Skill that summons an array of glowing blue wispy skull-faced spirit energy that hits into a targeted Adept, and the struck Adept has a chance to be afflicted with Haunt.
 * Ice Horn: Used 1 out of 8 times, this is a Psynergy spell that shoots a mass of ice spikes down onto multiple Adepts, dealing a Mercury-based attack with a power rating of 70 and a range of 3. This ability consumes 11 of its user's PP.
 * Hail Prism: Used 1 out of 8 times, this is a Psynergy spell that causes four large ice spheres to slam into the party of Adepts and shatter in quick succession, dealing a Mercury-based attack with a power rating of 90 and a range of 5. This ability consumes 16 of its user's PP, meaning that this monster can use this strongest of its skills twice in a battle if it doesn't use the weaker Ice Horn (it is rare for it to use Hail Prism twice in the same battle though).

Felling a Horned Ghost yields 199 Experience Points and 166 Coins, and there is a 1/32 chance that the monster will randomly drop an Elixir. If it is felled by the attack effect of an offensive Jupiter Djinni, its rewards increase to 258 EXP and 215 Coins, and the chance to drop its item becomes 1/8. In Golden Sun it is first fought in Suhalla Gate, and subsequently in the frontal "exit" portion of Venus Lighthouse.

Horned Ghosts are moderately damaging among the monsters it is battled alongside, essentially being as magic-oriented as the Gnome Wizard, but not as statistically high as the Earth Golem.