Version 2.10, Nintendo SNES, Sony Playstation, and Nintendo DS versions
When Chrono Trigger came out for the Super NES, I made a list of the various endings and put it on my web site. When the game was released for the Playstation, I couldn't find my original list, so I searched the web. I found my list on a bunch of sites, but mostly without my name on it. Worse yet, some of them made it look like they found the endings!
Please, if you use this information, give me credit!
I have reformatted the page, updated the descriptions in certain places, and changed the names of the endings to agree with what they are called in the Extras section. If you find any typos, or you think I missed something important, send e-mail to [email protected]. Make sure that you include "Chrono Trigger" in the subject. I get a lot of spam, and an e-mail with a subject of "A question" might get deleted without being opened.
The most recent version of this file appears in two formats: an HTML file on my home page at http://BillPringle.com/games/ct_end.html, and in text form at http://www.gamefaqs.com/. I recommend that you use the HTML format, since you will be able to take advantage of the HTML links. It might also be more current than the text version.
The text version of this page is created by FireFox, which is the browser I use instead of Internet Explorer. At the end of each link in the web page, FireFox inserts the target address surrounded by angle brackets.
For example, the link to the top of the page
you see after each section is created with
the following HTML code:
<a href="#top">Top of Page</a>
which FireFox will change to:
Top of Page <#top>
in the text file.
To let those of you who are using the text file take advantage
of these links, I have inserted the link target within square brackets
at the end of the line.
Links within the same page all start with a pound sign (#).
So, if you see something like:
Introduction <#intro>
you can use the search feature of your text viewer
(or browser) to search for
[intro]
to find the section of the page that the link
is pointing to.
(This is one of the reasons I suggest using the HTML version of this FAQ. You just clck on the link and you are there.)
Chrono Trigger was first released in 1995 for the Super Nintendo (Super Famicon) 16-bit game system. It was the result of a collaboration between some people who worked on Square's "Final Fantasy" and others from Enix's "Dragon Quest" (two of the most popular RPGs of the time.) Sony called this group "The Dream Team."
The original SNES version of this game had a long delay at the start of each battle. Being a 16-bit game, the graphics were pretty limited. Nevertheless, the game remained interesting, and was expressive enough to keep players connected to the game.
The Playstation added some FMV cut scenes. Frankly, I don't care for them, and would like to be able to turn them off. They interrupt the flow of the game, and the characters in the cut scenes look totally different than the ones in the game. Fortunately, they kept the SNES graphics effects also, so at least you can see what the original game looked like. The DS version keeps these changes. The Playstation version also created an "Endings Log" and gave official names to each ending. (I had simply made up my own names to the SNES endings.)
The PS version allowed you to save your game on a PS memory card, which could store 15 game saves. This allowed me to dedicate an entire card for the game, saving just before each of the endings, as well as some minor variations, along with room for the current game. However, the DS version has only three save areas, so you have to think out which saves you want to keep. You will need one save area for the game you are playing. You might want to keep one save area for when you have the option to fight Magus so you can choose to fight him and let him join your party. The main difference is that if you defeat Magus, Frog becomes Glen during the endings. (Lucca comments that Glen is cute.)
The DS version reduced the time delay at the start of the battles. It keeps all the features of the PS version. It also provides the option of using the touch screen with a modified UI that allows the top screen to be the main screen, and the bottom (touch) screen to enter commands and see stats. (I like the new interface, since it makes it easier to keep track of which enemies you have charmed with Ayla.) It also added some new dungeons and new features, including a new ending, which you can get by defeating a new final boss that is controlling Schala. There is also an arena, where you can raise and train your own monsters.
Another difference with the DS version is that after "The End", click the "A" button and more credits will roll up the bottom screen, with some of the original concept art work on the top screen. When that is done, you will be asked if you want to save the completion data, and then if you want to overwrite the save area. Answer yes to both, and then yes that you want to go to the title screen. You can then load that save area to continue the game and get the next ending, or you can do a "Game Plus" using that save area to start the game from the beginning, but keeping character stats, money, and (almost) all the items.
While it is great that the DS version has a number of additions over the original SNES version, the fact remains that the basic 15-year old game is just as much fun now as it was when it first came out. This confirms what I have always said: it is the game that is important - not the graphics or the sound or anything else. Good graphics and good sound can make a good game better, but they can't make up for a bad game. Square has a long history of making great games, and Chrono Trigger is no exception.
Here are the endings that I have found for Chrono Trigger. I include the soonest that you can get each ending. If you find anything else out, get an ending sooner, or get a different ending, please send e-mail to [email protected].. Contrary to what the original Dream Team ending tells you (in the SNES version - see ending 3), there are more than 10 endings (not counting minor variations). The numbers and names in bold match the ending titles on the PlayStation; the names in italics are the chapter headers (which would be the names in the save areas.) You can see slight variations, depending on various things you have done in the game.
You can see slight variations, depending on various things you have done in the game. Where the changes are significant, they are listed with the appropriate ending. However, certain minor variations happen across multiple endings depending on certain things you do or don't do in the game.
The start of the final battle changes slightly, depending on how you decide to fight Lavos. If you use Epoch and fly to 1999, there is a flight scene where you crash into Lavos. If you use the bucket, you first fight the Lavos Spawn shaped monster. Once you beat this monster, it stays beaten. If you leave at this point and come back later, it will just be a shell.
The endings can be slightly different, depending on if you crash into Lavos with Epoch or not. If you don't crash into Lavos, there will often be a reference to using Epoch now that the gates are gone, and you can see it streak across the sky in the background of several scenes. If you crash into Lavos with Epoch, then the characters usually ride up and away using the balloons that were used to mount Leene's Bell.
Sometimes, the endings are radically different. For example, you will see Frog or Glenn, depending on whether you killed Magus or not. If you let Magus join your party, then he will appear in the closing scenes where the characters are returning to their own time periods. Another variation depends on whether you save Lucca's mother after completing Fiona's quest. If you do, she walks during the ending, but if you don't, then she remains sitting.
The first step to see all the endings is to complete the entire game and get the first ending. Take your time so that you can build your levels up for all the characters. (Playing an RPG is like eating at a fine restaurant; you are supposed to enjoy the experience, not see how fast you can finish.)
Once you get Ayla, try doing Charm on all the enemies. There are a number of enemies that have magic, speed, or power tabs. Many of these will reappear if you leave and come back. That is an easy way to increase your stats.
Once you have beaten the game, you can start a "New Game Plus", which will start the game over with whatever levels, equipment, and items you ended up with (except for a few key items). This means you will be able to breeze through the game the next time around. The first ending you should be able to get during this second time through is Ending 3, the Dream Team ending. Save just before you go into the back of the Millenial Fair, then hop on the right transport. (If you don't speak to anyone, Marle will be with you; it is possible to beat Lavos with just Crono, but it will take you a lot longer and you had better fight a bit more conservative than if you have somebody else in the party.) If you have problems winning this battle, then you probably didn't level up enough. Skip that ending for now, and try for Ending 4, "The Successor of Guardia", and then work your way through the rest of the endings. When you get all the other endings, you should be much stronger. Start a new Game-Plus, and then try for the Dream Team ending again.
After you beat Lavos, restart the game, starting from where you last saved. Then continue through the game until the next ending. You should be able to get all the remaining endings during this second time through the game. If you feel lucky, beat Lavos at the Ocean Palace and get Ending 3 the second way. Once Crono is gone, and you get out of the Blackbird and Epoch, and meet with Magus, you can then beat Lavos again to get Ending 2.
If you want to be able to see any of the endings whenever you want, you will have to set aside an entire memory card. (This doesn't work with the DS, which has only 3 save slots, but it will work with either SNES or Playstation.) There are 12 endings, each one would require one block. You also need one for the System File. There is room for 15 blocks on a memory card, which means you only have two blocks to work with for saving during the game. One of those you probably want to use just before you meet Magus at the Northern Cape. This will let you recruit or kill Magus and then go for whatever ending you want to see.
The endings are slightly different if you fight Magus or if you let him join you, so you probably want to save just before you meet him to see all the variations. Another variation depends on whether you save Lucca's mother, so you might want to save Fiona's side quest until the end, so you can see the two endings without having to redo too much of the game. So, that's endings 1 through 12 in slots 1 through 12, the save before beating Magus in slot 13, and a save before Fiona's quest in 14 (where Magus has joined you). Finally, the system file goes into slot 15. Now you can see any ending you want within a half hour by selecting the save just before the ending you want to see. After you see the ending, you can load from a different save slot to see a different ending.
Unfortunately, since the DS version only has three save areas, you can't do the above. In that case, I would suggest that you save at the very start of the game (or when you are ready to see Lucca at the back area of the fair), and just before you meet Magus and decide to fight or let him join. You can then use the third area to save your progress as you play. This means it might take you a little longer to see the ending you want, but at this point you should be strong enough to get to the desired ending quickly. Don't bother doing any side quests, and you probably don't care about opening any chests, which can save you some time. Also, remember that you can often avoid battles. Walk around the enemies to avoid fights. That will save considerable time.
There are plenty of ways to beat Lavos. You should experiment with the characters you have and how hard they hit with their double combos. Much depends on the stats of your characters. Everytime I get a Magic Tab, I usually feed it to Lucca. She is the best offensive magic user; her Flare is very powerful. Marle, on the other hand, is pretty useless, IMHO. Her cure spells don't really do that well, and they are mostly single spells. Frog and Robo, on the other hand, have better multiple character cures.
The best combination depends on the levels of the characters, as well as your own personal fighting style. I usually have all my characters maxed out, equipped with items that prevent status ailments, and a Gold Stud to reduce MP use. I tend to cast powerful spells that damage all enemies, like Luminaire and Frog Flare. I have found that my best team is Lucca and Frog, who can do Frog Flare, and then Robo, who can either do Uzzi Punch or Heal Beam, depending on everybody's status. Before you send me an e-mail telling me of a "better" combination, remember that your best team might vary, depending on your fighting style and the level of your characters. Eventually, you should be able to beat Lavos with just about any combination of characters.
Start by doing your strongest spells that attack all the enemies. Your goal, of course, it to finish off the right bit. However, as long as all the characters are alive, the right bit has high defense. As soon as one of the other bits is killed off, concentrate on the right bit with your hardest attacks. Usually, those are single enemy attacks, but can be multiple instead. For me, Frog Flare was stronger than any single spell, so I tended to use that all the time. The third character healed when necessary, and attacked otherwise. You can safely ignore the left bit using this approach (but check out the alternative approach below).
When the center character is gone, concentrate all your efforts in doing as much damage as possible to the right bit. After the center character is resurrected, you still have a couple of turns to beat up the right bit before the defense gets restored. Take adavantage of every chance you get. Even if some of your characters are somewhat low, keep hitting the right bit. If needed, use a MegaElixer to restore everybody's HP and MP at the same time. Remember, you have saved your game before you started, and you will restart the game using that save. That means no matter how many items you use to beat Lavos, they will all be there when you restart the game. (This is even true for the DS version - you will save over the previous save area, but that doesn't affect the items - only the completion log.)
An alternate approach is to take out the left bit instead of the center character. The left bit absorbs elemental attacks, so that means you want to use physical attacks on the left bit, like Ayla's Drill Kick, Crono's Frenzy, Robo's Uzi-Punch, etc. Taking out the left bit also causes the defense of the right bit to go down. As soon as the left bit is gone, you can use strong magic spells (including those that hit all enemies) or use physical attacks on the right bit. Experiment with various approaches and see what kinds of attacks work best for you.
The advantage of taking out the left bit is that you aren't hit with the X-Strike counter attack after each attack when the center character is gone. (If you do a combo, only one character will be attacked.) The disadvantage is that the center character can still cause some serious damage, even when the left bit is gone. Experiment with the two approaches and see which one best fits your fighting style.
To repeat, there are many ways to beat Lavos. One of the great things about this game is that you can create many different combinations for your battle party. Even with the same characters, you can use different combo attacks to change the nature of the battles. The approach that works best for you and the one that works best for me can be totally different.
The following people have helped with suggestions, finding typos, asking questions, etc. This list covers everyone that helped on this list since 1995. I list their real names if they used them (in the early days of the Internet, people usually used their real names), otherwise the user name (but not their e-mail address.)
© 1991, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009 Bill Pringle, all rights reserved.
Permission to use for personal use. May be placed on web sites provided no
fee is charged for access, and this copyright statement is kept intact.