Enemy Abilities (GBA)

Monster Skills are various abilities available only to Monsters in the Golden Sun games, which have a variety of effects. Monster skills range from the relatively weak "Rumble", to the incredibly dangerous "Djinn Storm" and "Formina Sage".

Monster Skills do not cause the monster the loss of PP, and therefore are available to the monster at any time other than when it is asleep or stunned. In addition, like Psynergy, they will generally not miss.

The Monster Skills in the Golden Sun games are as follows in alphabetical order, with a list of the monsters that can use them underneath:

Acid Bite
Inflicts enhanced damage to a single target, and may poison them.
 * Acid Maggot

Angry Mine
User self-destructs to cause moderate damage to the opposing party.
 * Anger Ball

Armor Crush
User attacks, causing a massive explosion that does strong damage and will likely lower Defense.
 * Sentinel

Bacteria Rush

 * Fiendish Ghouls

Bear Claw
Does enhanced damage to one target.
 * Mauler monster line

Berserk
Increases the user's Attack power.
 * Brutal Troll
 * Grisly

Black Ice
Adepts are hit by a barrage of black dust. Resembles the Dark Blessing monster skill. Since the damage is Venus-based, it is likely that the name is actually supposed to be "Black Earth".
 * Serpent

Bone Charge
User suffuses itself with an aura of blue energy and charges a target to inflict moderate Venus damage.
 * Skeleton

Breath/Blessing series
Blessing, in this case, is actually a mistranslation of katakana for "breath"; the mistake was corrected in The Lost Age.

Acid Blessing (Acid Breath)
Causes a pink blast of poisonous gases to come from the monster and damage up to three targets for Venus damage and potentially lower their defences.
 * Earth Lizard
 * Poison Toad
 * Devil Frog

Blast Breath
A stream of fire that causes Mars damage and lowers the target's defence.
 * Doom Dragon (first head)

Dark Blessing (Dark Breath)
Causes a wave of sepia to come from the monster and damage the targets for Venus damage and potentially inflict delusion upon them.
 * Kraken
 * Toadonpa

Evil Blessing (Evil Breath)
Causes a huge swarm of evil spirits to come from the monster to damage the targets for high Mars damage, and may cause them to become Haunted.
 * Fusion Dragon

Fire Blessing/Fire Breath
Causes a blast of fiery air to come from the monster and damage up to three targets for Mars damage.
 * Salamander
 * Dread Hound
 * Pyrodra

Ice Blessing/Ice Breath
Causes a blast of ice to come from the monster and damage two targets for Mercury damage.
 * Ice Gargoyle
 * Fenrir
 * Lizard King
 * Blue Dragon monster line

Sand Breath
Causes a blast of sand to come from the monster and damage up to three targets for Venus damage.
 * Serpent

Storm Blessing (Storm Breath)
Causes a stream of purple lightning to come from the monster and damage the targets for Jupiter damage and potentially inflict stun upon them.
 * Thunder Lizard
 * Sky Dragon

Water Blessing/Water Breath
Causes a blast of water to come from the monster and damage up to three targets with Mercury damage.
 * Statue Monster Line
 * Fenrir
 * Lizard King

Brute Force
User suffuses itself with an aura of gold energy and charges the target to inflict moderate Venus damage.
 * Troll

Cage
If successful, stuns a single target for one turn.
 * Agatio
 * Flame Dragon (large)

Crazy Voice
Causes a single target to lose some PP.
 * Harridan

Crucible
Selects a random Summon that can be performed using the party's available Standby Djinn, apparently weighted towards Summons that require more Djinn, and performs it with the hapless party as the targets (except with Coatlicue, in which case Valukar will be the one receiving regeneration).
 * Valukar

Cruel Ruin
An ability that lets the user fly to the heavens and from there, breathe down lashing beams of Venus energy that engulf all targets in a blazing light. In terms of animation, it's similar to a Summon sequence.
 * Doom Dragon (second and third heads)

Deadly Gas
User breathes a white-hot cloud of red gas that strikes multiple targets and may inflict each one with deadly poison.
 * Fusion Dragon

Death Size/Death Scythe
User attacks with a huge slash that causes strong damage and may instantly down the target.
 * Menardi
 * Karst

Demon Eye
May affect all Adepts currently battling with the effects of Haunt.
 * Aka Manah monster line

Desert Gasp
Strong Venus damage.
 * Doom Dragon (second and third heads)

Divide
The monster divides into two separate monsters, effectively creating a new monster in-battle.
 * Slime monster line (Ooze or higher)

Djinn Blast
Completely drains (puts in Recovery) the Djinn of one member of your currently battling party.
 * Doom Dragon (first head)

Djinnfest
Forces one random Djinn of each member of the currently battling party to enter Recovery.
 * Karst
 * Flame Dragon (Small)

Djinn Storm
A powerful ability that puts all Djinn in Recovery for the currently battling party (front row).
 * Doom Dragon (third/last head)
 * Dullahan

Djinn Stun
Places one of each Adept's Djinn on Standby.
 * Valukar

Double Step
Strikes a single target for enhanced damage.
 * Kobold (Wargold) monster line (Wargold or higher)

Dragon Driver
Causes high Mars Damage to a wide range of targets by scattering several persistent dark flames around, then breathing a great plume of dark fire onto the victims. This is essentially the Fusion Dragon acting like Tiamat.
 * Fusion Dragon

Dynamite
User leaps towards the opposing party and self-destructs in mid-air, generating a powerful explosion causing heavy damage to all the party members.
 * Stone Soldier and Boulder Beast

Earth Force
A sphere of gravitic energy that renders one adept unable to move for the turn.
 * Doom Dragon

Eat some worms
User recovers some HP.
 * Mole monster line

Element Swap
Has no in-battle effect, but is always used before Dullahan summons Charon.
 * Dullahan

Cannibal Fang
User bites the target repeatedly, absorbing the damage dealt to recover its own HP.
 * Ghoul monster line

Double Fang
Ethereal blue jaws bite the target twice, doing enhanced damage.
 * Dread Hound monster line

Drain Fang
A pair of ethereal red jaws bites the foe and siphons red energy orbs out of it. If successful, it heals the user by the amount of damage done.
 * Fusion Dragon

Poison Fang
Ethereal green jaws chomp at one target, going damage and possibly inflicting them with standard poison.
 * Tarantula

Rabid Fang
Etheral red jaws chomp at one target, doing damage and possibly inflicting them with deadly poison.
 * Recluse
 * Chimera monster line

Vampiric Fang
User bites the foe and siphons red energy orbs out of it, and restoring its own HP by the amount of damage done.
 * Rabid Bat

Formina Sage
A large purple lightning-sword smashes into the the target, doing damage so high that the target is often downed outright. It is probably supposed to be called Fulminous (i.e. lightning) Edge.
 * Dullahan

Freebite Rush

 * Dirty Ape

Glower miserably
Lowers the Attack power of multiple targets.
 * Siren monster line

Bone Chiller
A lob of blue slime or water thrown onto targets feet. Causes Mercury damage.
 * Slime (Overworld)

Rising Venom
Identical to Sticky Poison.
 * Aqua Hydra

Smell of decay
A lob of yellowish goo thrown onto the target's feet. Lowers each target's Attack power.
 * Zombie monster line (Undead onwards)

Rotten Blood
A lob of pinkish slime thrown onto the target's feet. Causes low damage and may lower the target's Defense.
 * Wight
 * Toadonpa

Sticky Goo
A lob of brown slime or water thrown onto the targets feet. Causes Mercury damage.
 * Ooze

Sticky Poison
A lob of green slime or water thrown onto the target's feet. Causes Mercury damage and may poison the target.
 * Slime Beast

Gravel Blow
Moderate Venus damage.
 * Doom Dragon (first head)

Guard Aura
Negates almost all damage done to the most powerful ally of the user.
 * Guardian Ball
 * Doom Dragon

Haunting
User attempts to inflict one target with the Haunt status condition. Its effect is pretty much identical to the Haunt Psynergy.
 * Willowisp
 * Horned Ghost

Heat Flash
The user leaps into the air and slashes at a single target, causing a burst of fire. Inflicts moderate Mars damage and may delude the target.
 * Saturos

Human Hunt
May either do one point of damage to an Adept or instantly down them.
 * Aka Manah monster line

Hydro Slash
Strong Mercury damage to one target, resembles many bubbles shooting through the target, coming from off screen.
 * Merman monster line

Lucid Prophecy
Inflicts one target with a Death Curse.
 * Manticore King

Mad Dash
User lunges forward and slashes the target repeatedly, causing enhanced damage. Its visual effect is identical to that of Ransack.
 * Chimera monster line

Maneater
User chomps a single target, siphoning red energy orbs back to itself, restoring the user's HP by the amount of damage done.
 * Mad Plant

Mighty Press
The user crushes a single target, inflicting heavy damage.
 * Serpent

Mine Ball
User hurls a ball of light blue energy at the party, which then explodes to do moderate damage to three or four targets.
 * Star Magician

Mystic Call
Only usable if user has fewer than four allies; summons a random one of Refresh Ball, Anger Ball, Guardian Ball, or Thunder Ball as one of the user's allies.
 * Star Magician

Mystic Flame
A cluster of fiery wisps converge on the target, inflicting moderate Mars damage.
 * Will Head

Beast Needle
Long purple shots fire at one adept causing strong damage.
 * Urchin Beast

Poison Sting
Long green shots fire at one adept, causing high damage and having a chance to poison the adept.
 * Needle Egg

Stun Sting
Long blue needles fire at one adept, causing high damage and having a chance to Stun the target.
 * Sea Hedgehog

Numbing Sting
Damage to one target, has a chance of stunning the target.
 * Drone Bee monster line

Ocean Fist
Moderate Mercury damage to one target, may reduce their HP to 1.
 * Poseidon

Onslaught
User surrounds itself with an aura of yellow energy and rams the target, inflicting moderate Venus damage.
 * Mad Vermin

Outer Space
The user leaps into orbit before plummeting back down to earth on top of its enemies in a blinding explosion of purple fire. Causes high Mars damage to a wide range of targets. This is the Fusion Dragon's version of the Meteor Summoning, and its animation is a purple palette swap of the Meteor summon's animation.
 * Fusion Dragon

Poison Beat
User slaps a single target with a poisonous tentacle, causing moderate damage and possibly inflicting poison.
 * Kraken

Press
Leaps up and lands on one foe, crushing them. Does moderate/heavy damage, and has a chance of reducing the victim to one HP.
 * Toadonpa

Psy Boost
User recoves some PP.
 * Doom Dragon (First head)

Ransack
User charges the target at high speed and rapidly slashes them with its claws, inflicting moderate/high damage.
 * Ape
 * Wild Gorilla

Recovery
User recovers some HP.
 * Chimera monster line (Chimera Mage or higher)

Regen Dance
User scatters some mystic feathers, completely restoring one felled ally; only usable if an ally has been felled. The name is short for Regeneration Dance.
 * Phoenix monster line

Rolling Flame
Fires a blast of flame which creates several rings of fire on impact
 * Agatio
 * Flame Dragon (Large)

Rumble
Several evil spirits come from the monster and inflict moderate Venus damage.
 * Amaze and Creeper
 * Ghost

Search for Allies
The monster summons another monster of the same species into the enemy party.
 * Warrior Bee

Severe Blow
The user charges into a single target, causing a massive explosion. It will either inflict heavy damage or reduce them to one HP.
 * Fusion Dragon

Slaver
Lowers the defence of the monster's enemy.
 * Hydra

Sleep Star
Scatters violet dust to attempt to inflict sleep on two or three targets.
 * Tret
 * Death Cap

Slice
Does enhanced damage to one target.
 * Thief monster line

Soothing Star
Scatters gold spores to regenerate a small amount of HP to self or one ally.
 * Wild Mushroom

Banshee Howl
Damage to a single target, may stun them.
 * Harpy monster line (Virago onwards)

Ultrasonic waves

 * Bat monster line
 * Ant Lion monster line
 * Clay Gargoyle

War Cry

 * Killer Ape and Dirty Ape

Wicked Howl
Inflicts moderate damage to one target, and may stun them for one turn.
 * Dread Hound monster line

Spasm
User recovers HP.
 * Orc monster line

Spider Web
Lowers a the Defense of a single target.
 * Spider monster line

Spinning Beat
User strikes a single target with spinning tentacles, causing strong damage.
 * Kraken

Stun Jip
Inflicts strong damage to a single target, possibly stunning them.
 * Valukar

Stun Muscle
Damages one target, may stun them.
 * Flame Dragon (large)

Triple Chomp
Causes Moderate damage.
 * Hydra monster line

True Collide
The user siphons large masses of dark energy from up to three targets, inflicting moderate damage and likely restoring the user's health by the same amount.
 * Dullahan

Truncheon Fist
The monster launches a powerful punch straight into one target, causing high levels of Venus damage, if it doesn't succeed in reducing the victim to one HP outright.
 * Golem monster line (Earth Golem onwards)

Twin Beaks
Heavy damage to a single adept.
 * Gryphon monster line

Typhoon Blow
Strong Mercury damage to multiple targets.
 * Poseidon

Undead Sword
A large, jagged sword comes out of the ground and impales one target, doing enhanced damage.
 * Bone Fighter

Ur Flash
User leaps forward to perform a fast, powerful claw slash for moderate damage.
 * Wolfkin monster line

Watery Grave
Does strong Mercury damage to multiple targets, and has a small chance of instantly downing them.
 * Poseidon

Wing Flutter
Moderate Jupiter damage to three targets.
 * Tornado Lizard
 * Gryphon

Wing Stroke
Strong Jupiter damage to three targets.
 * Storm Lizard
 * Tempest Lizard
 * Gryphon monster line (Wild Gryphon or higher)