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CrossboneIsleOverworld

Crossbone Isle, located somewhere within the Karagol Sea, "doesn't seem to be on the map" because it is not yet charted by the ferries that sail across that sea. The ferry on the far right arrived completely by accident.

Crossbone Isle is an optional and secret dungeon-style location in Golden Sun and is that game's super-dungeon, much like how many Role-Playing Games feature one or more dungeons more challenging than the normal "final dungeon" that game features. It is filled with powerful and unique enemies and equipment within its ordered series of 10 floors of puzzles, and is most notable for having the most powerful monster in the game that aspiring players can fight, Deadbeard.

Background and story[]

Crossbone Isle, being the optional dungeon that it is, is not the site of much plot development at all, and a player can play through both games without ever hearing of this place. In spite of that, it is one of a few dungeon-style locations that people in various parts of Weyard know of and make mention of in both games in the Golden Sun series, because it is a location steeped in legends. People in fact know that Crossbone Isle is a "rumored" island located somewhere within the Karagol Sea, rumored to have buried treasure and rumored to have a terrifying and deadly "ancient pirate ghost" guarding it. Pirates across Weyard know of the isle's existence and hope to retrieve treasure from it while escaping with their lives; judging from the seemingly undisturbed state of the isle's interior caverns and puzzle-based rooms, if there have been attempts from the outside to make it into the interior of the island, the pirate ghost protecting it has done its job very, very well thus far.

CrossboneIsleSurface

The surface level of Crossbone Isle features minor puzzle elements and collectibles that are a mere taste of what's to come underground.

Tangible facts provided by the games about the isle's background are scarce, and fans can only speculate as to what the isle really is. The puzzle and treasure-filled island dungeon, while its exact location in the Karagol is uncertain, is apparently within the sea's northwestern sector. The island is also filled with rare and powerful monsters, and its most feared resident is a giant, supernatural entity resembling a giant red bony skeleton clad in a thick suit of medieval-looking armor, and the only distinguishable features on its apparently non-corporeal face underneath its helmet are its pair of glowing yellow eyes. This ancient wraith is identified in-game as "Deadbeard" and has very powerful offensive abilities based on Jupiter and Mercury Psynergy. Pirate lore claims that whosoever may be able to slay Deadbeard in battle will have proven himself worthy of the title of Leader of all Pirates, and therefore will command the respect of buccaneers the world over. While Crossbone Isle can effectively be labeled Deadbeard's domain, the origins of both the island and Deadbeard are impossible to explain.

The first appearance of Crossbone Isle can occur during the Tolbi-bound Ship episode in Golden Sun, where Isaac's traveling party is taking a ferry west across the sea to Tolbi, but constant attacks from sea monsters such as the Kraken injure several of the ship's oarsmen and Isaac must ask the reluctant passengers of the ship to take up rowing the oars as substitutes. By the end of their journey, if Isaac's four choices for makeshift rowers are unbalanced enough so that the rowers on the left side of the ship are strong and the rowers on the right side are weak, the ship will veer off course to the northwest and land on Crossbone Isle rather than Tolbi Port. The ship's captain temporarily lands the ship there to regain his bearings, during which Isaac is asked by the warriors Sean and Ouranos to investigate the isle for them to see if there are any monsters. Isaac's party conducts their investigation and can complete the first several floors of the isle's dungeon, defeating the powerful monsters within, but eventually they will be forced to turn back because their Psynergy skills are not strong enough. As soon as Isaac rejoins the ship, the ship is ready to resume its voyage.

DeadbeardBattle

The intense confrontation with the ancient pirate ghost, Deadbeard, can be a shining moment for Isaac's career.

The second time Isaac's party can come upon Crossbone Isle would be through a method theoretically even more unorthodox. The upper left sandy region of Crossbone Isle is apparently a favorite haunt of a powerful wind-based monster called the Tempest Lizard, and it routinely flies between that beach and the gusty Suhalla Desert below in Gondowan. If Isaac's party is in Suhalla Desert and encounter the telltale pink tornado that the Tempest Lizard uses to disguise itself, and if they step inside the tornado without battling the creature within, the creature will fly over to Crossbone Isle with the four Adepts along for the apparently wild ride. The Adepts will land safely on Crossbone Isle while the Tempest Lizard remains on the beach, and the party can then fully explore and loot the dungeon and bypass its obstacles depending on how developed their Psynergy spell collections are. At the depths of the isle, Isaac's party will come across an underground lake where a dilapidated and worn-down pirate ship presumably belonging to Deadbeard is shored up. If they climb aboard it, Deadbeard will attack, and Isaac's fiercest battle yet will ensue. Through strength and tactics Isaac and his friends will fell the wraith, a seemingly miraculous achievement.

After Isaac leaves the isle by riding the Tempest Lizard's whirlwind back to the area down south nearby Suhalla and he resumes his normal quest, pirates across the world will somehow find out that Deadbeard has been defeated in battle, and that the identity of the one who defeated it and pillaged the isle clean is Isaac. Recalling the stories that the one who defeats Deadbeard will gain the honorific of leader of all pirates, buccaneers will start seeking out this apparently tough and reliable man to join his pirate crew.

If the game file where Deadbeard is defeated is used for data transfer into Golden Sun: The Lost Age, then in the town of Alhafra, after the pirate Briggs flees the town on a ship and departs back for Champa, a pair of swashbucklers will appear in the second floor of Alhafra's inn as the town updates. The moment Felix's party comes in, an optional cutscene will occur where the two talk about how Crossbone Isle was picked clean and its feared ancient ghost pirate guardian was defeated by Isaac, which effectively means Isaac is their leader now, and that is why they are now looking for him so that they can join his crew. Then they will pass by Felix's group as they leave the inn on their search. It should be noted that this cutscene can occur anytime after when it can first occur, meaning that it can be triggered late in the game when Isaac's party has joined Felix's. In that case, though, the cutscene will play out exactly as it would otherwise, and the pirate pair will not realize they just passed by their new "leader" as they leave the inn in search of him.

Accessing Crossbone Isle[]

CrossboneIsleTornado

Riding the tornado of a Tempest Lizard found in Suhalla Desert is the "typical" method of accessing the Isle.

There are two methods for reaching Crossbone Isle. The first method, chronologically, is available while taking the Tolbi-bound Ship across the Karagol Sea as part of the tour group to Colosso. Far fewer players have pulled off this method than the later one because it does not present itself in obvious fashion. Over the course of the voyage to Tolbi, the ship will be attacked four times, including the one boss battle with the Kraken, and after each attack the player is required to select replacements among the passengers for the four oarsmen who pass out. If the four selected rowers have been specifically selected properly so that the strongest rowers are on the left and the weakest are on the right (1st the Swordsman, 2nd the Balding Man, 3rd the Chef, and the 4th the Elderly Man is one of the possible valid setups), the ship will sail off-course northward and it will land on Crossbone Isle (which is actually a separate overworld map that is not physically located within the Karagol Sea area of the overworld map, in terms of the game code). At this stage of the game, the party has the utility Psynergies necessary to complete the first three levels, but will get stuck on the fourth and must turn back to return to the ship to resume the normal quest.

The second method is the one most players are familiar with: In Suhalla Desert, a unique pink tornado generated by a monster is hidden away. Like the other whirlwinds at the desert, stepping into it and immediately casting the Douse Psynergy would initiate an optional boss battle with the Tempest Lizard. Defeating the boss makes the tornado disappear, but the boss in its tornado respawns if you leave the desert and return again, making that the only boss in Golden Sun that can be fought infinitely. More importantly, though, is what happens if you don't cast Douse; The Tempest Lizard will fly all the way to Crossbone Isle with you on it and you will harmlessly arrive on the Crossbone Isle mini-overworld map. The tornado will then remain nearby on the beach, and riding it again will land you on the overworld map near the town Suhalla. The Tempest Lizard inside can also be fought as a boss, then afterwards it can respawn for an infinite number of times for whenever you enter and exit the Crossbone Isle dungeon, whose entrance is at the center of the island. It is best to attempt Crossbone Isle once all utility Psynergy items have been collected.

Crossbone Isle Cave[]

The actual dungeon on the island is known as Crossbone Isle Cave (宝島どうくつ Treasure Island Cave). Crossbone Isle's interior dungeon is a linear series of nine floors of puzzle-based dungeons that, unlike other dungeons in Golden Sun games, is completely free of randomized monster encounters. Rather, the entrance to each floor's dungeon room is guarded by a scripted encounter with a group of powerful enemies that can be labeled "sub-bosses", and the most powerful boss in the game resides at the very end of the dungeon. Any of these battles can be initiated at any time.

Upon entering the surface area containing the entrance to the dungeon, you will need to give yourself the Growth Psynergy, the quickest way of doing so being to swap the Venus and Mars Djinn of Isaac and Garet. Cast Growth on two plants in a row, and cast it on a third while ignoring a nearby bush to create a ladder to the top area. At the top area is a tree with a dangling Nut, which can be retrieved with the Catch Psynergy. Three slides on the top portion of the area allow you to slide down to specific points of the ground level, and you can use the plant ladder to try them all. The rightmost slide drops you next to a chest containing a Mint. The central slide drops you near a chest containing one coin, and the left slide leads to the closed-off area where a bush blocks the entrance into the interior dungeon of Crossbone Isle. Cast Whirlwind or Gale on the bush to open the way in, and follow the path until you are standing in front of the first floor's door.

Floor 1[]

CrossboneIsleFloorOne

You will effectively have to choose your "path" by Moving earth pillars in specific directions.

Guarded at the entrance door is the Hobgoblin and a pair of Viragos. This is an easy fight even if you're here earlier in the game by means of the Tolbi-bound Ship. After defeating the boss and winning a Lucky Medal, enter the door to attempt the first of the dungeon's nine puzzle-based floors.

This room emphasizes hopping on platforms and requires only the Move Psynergy. First, as soon as you enter the room, head right and counterclockwise along the room's perimeter to reach a chest containing an Antidote. Head back down and hop onto the platform below the earth pillar, and cast Move to move the pillar left one space, which allows you to get the chest to the right containing the Nut. Exit and reenter the room, and cast Move on the now-reset pillar to move it one space right. After hopping to and retrieving the left chest's 111 coins easily, hop to below the second earth pillar and Move it right so that you can hop your way to the upper left chest containing the Hard Nut. Exit and reenter the room, and after retracing your progress by moving the lower earth pillar right, move the second earth pillar left this time so you can then hop to the third earth pillar. Moving it one space right is the only logical choice, so now you can hop onto the same platform as where the last earth pillar is found. Position yourself right of the earth pillar so that you can Move that earth pillar from the left to the platform to the center, then hop across a lot of platforms in a seemingly clockwise fashion and return to the small platform below the big one where the earth pillar you just moved is now in the center at. Move that earth pillar again one space to the right, and you can now reach the dungeon's exit at the bottom of its left perimeter.

Upon exiting the room, there will be a chest in front of you, which is actually a Mimic. You can avoid battling it if you like, but it is the sort of battle you can complete just by having everyone physically attack repeatedly, and you will gain a Potion and some EXP from it. The earth pillar to your right you can push down to bridge a gap that allows you to bypass having to go through the room ever again, and the next eight floors features exactly the same thing.

Floor 2[]

CrossboneIsleFloorTwo

Roll the stone pillars to effectively make it to the area on the far left.

It should become apparent at this point that all floors are exactly the same setup in terms of the hallways outside each room. The door to the second floor's puzzle room is guarded by a scripted boss encounter with two Grislys and one Succubus. While this is a somewhat more respectable battle than the one with the Hobgoblin, it can still be completed in one turn by having everyone use 4-Djinn summons. Otherwise, area-of-effect Psynergies like Quake Sphere and Flare Storm are effective. Defeat the bosses to gain access to the second mini-dungeon.

This room requires no Psynergy, and three of its four chests can instantly be opened right away. They contain an Elixer, 222 Coins, and a Lucky Pepper. To solve the room, push the rolling pillar to the left of the upper right chest left, then go to the center right chest and push up the rolling pillar near it. Then go to the bottom chest, push up the rolling pillar behind that, then go around to the rolling pillar just above that chest to the left and push it right. The upper-left-most pillar can now be rolled up, and after getting the unique Mystery Blade weapon from the last chest, exit the room off the bottom left. The Mystery Blade, though not powerful at all if this dungeon is played late in the game, is actually a strong artifact for the party to equip if this dungeon is being played earlier during the Tolbi-bound ship portion, and the blade is good for use against the bosses guarding the third and fourth floors.

Floor 3[]

CrossboneIsleFloorThree

Retrieve all four visible Blue Keys, along with a concealed Red Key, in this room with the Catch Psynergy.

The sub-bosses guarding the entrance to room number 3 are the Lich and two Fiendish Ghouls. This encounter should only be marginally tougher than the last one, with area-of-effect Psynergy such as Flare Storm and Tornado being very effective. Defeating the bosses earns you a Psy Crystal and an Antidote.

The room is somewhat similar to Floor 1's room because it involves a lot of hopping, but the emphasis is now on using the Catch Psynergy to retrieve and make use of four Blue Keys and one Red Key. Immediately stand below the clearly visible blue key and cast Catch to get it. Then hop right three times to where the platform "road" forks. Hop down, right three times, up, and left so you will be in Catching distance of the second Blue Key to your left, and after retracing your steps to the "fork" hop up twice so you can catch a third Blue Key above you. Hop back to the entrance ledge and hop up thrice, hop left once, hop up once, and hop right three times so you can get the final Blue Key. Hop back twice, down once, and back once, and then hop up three times to get to where there are a series of four doors. You will automatically use each of your Blue Keys to open up each door and the chest behind it. From left to right, the chests contain 333 coins, the Fairy Ring, a Cookie, and a Smoke Bomb. From the chest with the Smoke Bomb, hop downward once onto a lighter platform, cast the Reveal Psynergy to reveal the Red Key in the abyss in front of you below, and retrieve it with Catch. With that in your possession, hop back up, run left, and hop down the leftmost linear "path" four times and hop left one time to reach the red door that will open up automatically when you use the Red Key. The red door leads to the room's exit to the lower left.

Floor 4[]

CrossboneIsleFloorFour

Isaac can conceal himself in any shadowy area with the Cloak Psynergy, and escape detection by the statues. Here he just has to walk upwards to get to the chest with the Storm Gear safely.

The bosses guarding the fourth floor are a pair of Gryphons. If you're playing Crossbone Isle through the Tolbi-bound ship method, this will be the toughest encounter yet, and the last one you will be able to do. Both Gryphons are stronger and more durable than the previous sub-bosses and have rather damaging Jupiter Psynergy spells. While one character heals using Wish, have one of the fighters use his single-target weapon Psynergy and the others use their strongest area-of-effect Psynergy, and focus on defeating one Gryphon before the other. You will get a Potion as a reward.

The puzzle room here is the one where Isaac's earlier investigation of Crossbone Isle during the Tolbi-bound ship episode will hit a roadblock, as Isaac will not have the Cloak Ball necessary to complete the room. He may have the Halt Psynergy the room also requires, though, and that will allow him to at least get one chest. The room features several statues that move to impede your progress. The two visible statues below will shift positions to block your path, but casting Halt on the left one while it's shifted either to the left or right will keep it from blocking your path to a chest containing a Sleep Bomb. Here is where you must turn back and return to the Tolbi-bound ship to resume your normal quest.

If you return or arrive here later in the game with all the utility Psynergy collected, then this room can be completed: Cast Halt on the lower right statue, then go past it along a path through a dark area where a statue will move to push you back. Cast Cloak to move past that statue without it noticing you. Walk along the path left and up to get to a chest containing 444 coins, then head down to the right where a statue that is illuminated by the light awaits, with a portion of the area it guards being dark and you're near it. Walk up left past the statue so that as you materialize, it's too late for the statue to do anything. The chest it guards is one of the best pieces of armor in the entire Golden Sun series, the Storm Gear. Retrace your steps back to the room entrance, head up the shrouded left path and cast Cloak to get past the guarding statue. The path leads to the exit, and near its end is a chest containing a Psy Crystal.

Floor 5[]

CrossboneIsleFloorFive

The lake here is filled up by a closed floodgate, and the logs have been arranged by Isaac beforehand to allow him to reach this chest which contains the Ninja Garb.

The enemies guarding floors 5, 6, and 7 are much tougher than for floors 1-4, because this point of Crossbone Isle and beyond can only be reached later on in the game using the Tempest Lizard method of accessing the isle (since floor 4 required the Cloak Psynergy which was unavailable at the time of the the Tolbi-bound ship method). The boss encounter guarding the entrance to floor five is the Lizard King, who has a Harridan and two Stone Soldiers as lesser minions. Since Isaac's party at this point can have almost all of the game's Djinn, rush-summoning will be useful in removing the minions and severely weakening the Lizard King. If you're not using summons to win battles, then after removing the minions the Lizard King can be dealt with by repeated physical attacks while Mia uses Wish Well to heal the party. Defeating the battle nets you a Psy Crystal.

The puzzle here is reminiscent of a puzzle found in Kolima Forest, where raising and lowering water levels while logs are positioned properly is key. There are six logs in the area, but two of them are permanently fastened in place, so only the four logs between them are to be moved. There are essentially two horizontal logs roll-able up-and-down and two vertical logs roll-able left-and-right. First, head counter-clockwise around the room's perimeter to a chest with 555 coins. Then go down to where the rolling logs are. To get to the lower left-most chest, roll the lower vertical log left, then roll the left horizontal log down, then the right horizontal log down, then the lower vertical log right, and finally the right horizontal log back up, creating an effective path to one particular chest that will be traversal once the floodgate switch at the elevated bottom of the room is flipped. The chest contains the Ninja Garb, a moderately defensive armor with a huge agility boost and some Jupiter resistance.

Exit and reenter the room so that the logs will have reset into place. Now, roll the upper vertical log left, the left horizontal log up, and the upper vertical log back right, and the hop-able path created when the floodgate switch is flipped allows access to the northernmost chest in the room, containing a Lucky Medal. Empty the water by opening the floodgate, push the left horizontal log down one space, and fill the room up with water once again, and this time the path will lead to the floor's exit along with a chest containing a Potion.

Floor 6[]

CrossboneIsleFloorSix

This puzzle-based room is one of the more elaborate mazes in the overall game. The chest elevated on the pillar contains the Demon Axe.

The boss battle guarding the floor this time is a pair of Chimeras. It is plausible to merely focus on attacking one at a time with your warriors while Ivan casts Jupiter Psynergy attacks and Mia casts Wish Well. If you have the Crystal Rod equipped, it is possible that that weapon's Drown unleash effect will instantly kill a Chimera. You will gain a Potion as a reward.

The next room is one giant puzzle that can be fully completed through a single specific linear path of progression. First, go up and you'll see an earth pillar with a chest on it (the only instance in either game when this happens). Push that up three times. Then go down and cast Move on the earth pillars so they form a hop-able path that can be used with a nearby ladder. Shortly above is a chest containing an Elixir. Then after climbing your way around, you will approach a Venus Djinni named Bane, who will hop down one level to remain out of your grasp. Now, you can actually exit the room at this point and continue on, but it is absolutely worth it to collect everything in this room, so head along the room's perimeter counter-clockwise to an earth pillar that is to be pushed one space right and two spaces down so it falls down, and slide down onto it. Cast Frost on the puddle, and hop across it to where Bane now is, opening up a chest with 666 coins along the way. Bane will jump back up and run and crash into the right of the room. Move the nearby earth pillar right two spaces so it falls, then move it two more spaces right. Then climb up two ladders and climb down the ladder that lands you on the earth pillar you just moved, and you can now get the chest on the earth pillar you moved earlier. It contains the Demon Axe.

Climb back up and go to where Bane is, and it will run away once more. Follow it to the elevated portion where it is, and it will move around a barrier of blocks in relation to you so that you cannot get to it without casting the Halt Psynergy on it. You will gain the Venus Djinni without a fight. With this accomplished, make your way all the way back to where the ice pillar is. Move the earth pillar near it one space down and three spaces right. Then position yourself so you're above the earth pillar facing down, and use Move to remotely move the earth pillar right and then up. This creates a hop-able path to the final chest in the area, containing a Water of Life. With the room now fully looted, it should not be hard to get to the exit.

Floor 7[]

CrossboneIsleFloorSeven

Cast the Carry Psynergy on the stone cubes to allow access to areas such as bridging the elevated gap above.

This room's door is blocked by a pair of sub-bosses called Earth Lizards. It is very similar to the Chimeras in terms of difficulty, as well as the fact they are susceptible to One-hit KO moves, and launching straight attacks at one and then defeating the other is not a bad plan. You gain a Water of Life upon defeating it.

In the puzzle floor beyond, this stage can potentially be a roadblock because it requires the use of the Carry Psynergy that is only found near the end of the game at Venus Lighthouse. The floor itself is certainly one of the more tedious puzzles. First, run up over to where the stone cube that one can normally Carry is on the ground level in the general vicinity of three independent chests. Push it two spaces right and one space up, and use Carry to place it one space up beyond that. This lets you get the upper right chest which has a Lucky Medal. Exit and reenter the room so that the cube is reset in its original position. Now push it left two spaces and Carry it over left one space, then get over to where the cube now is by climbing up and down ladders and use Move to move the cube three spaces left so it falls off the other side of the elevated portion. Move it one space left more and one space down, and it will now construct a hop-able path to the chest in the bottom of the general vicinity. This chest contains the Wicked Mace, perhaps the best of the cursed weapons found at Crossbone Isle. As for the chest in the top central area of the vicinity, move the cube back up and right, Carry it onto the elevated portion right, and from there move it two spaces right and one space up, and Carry it one space up so that it allows Isaac to hop onto the cube to grab the chest in front of him, containing a Psy Crystal.

With the top three chests collected, head downward in the direction of the room's exit. A second Carry cube is there, and it is to be pushed down two spaces and left five spaces (don't push it more than that as it will fall into the pit), and then Carried over up one space. This bridges an elevated gap and allows you to head toward the exit. But you will notice an unopened chest to your right. While the bottom wall obscures the platform it is on somewhat, you can easily hop to an empty space in front of the chest and claim 777 coins before leaving for the exit.

Floor 8[]

CrossboneIsleFloorEight

Another elaborate maze, based on removing all the obstacles below the center chest containing the Cleric's Ring and a dragon statue that breathes hot steam if Frost is cast on the puddle under the white platform.

The boss of this floor is the Poison Toad, assisted by two Thunder Lizards. Its statistics are markedly higher than anything before because there's only one of it and it's very late in the overall dungeon. It is good at poisoning your party. Defeating it earns a Water of Life.

The puzzle room behind it is similar to floor 6 in that it is one giant puzzle that can be fully completed through a single specific linear path of progression. First, hop upward over the puddle and cast Frost on it, and use to cross into the top central area where there are two chests bordering each other. Opening the top chest obtains 888 coins, then slide down the nearby slide, go to where the two logs are bordering each other, and push a rock on the ground two spaces right. While you could exit at this point, the loot in this room is extremely useful, so continue by hopping over the left puddle and casting Frost on that as well, and that will allow you to the leftmost chest with a Potion inside it. Hop back right to where the dragon statue is, slide down, and cast Frost on the puddle underneath the white tile. The dragon statue will blow steam to melt the first frost pillar you froze while the tile on the third frost pillar rises up to allow access to the chest to the right of the statue, which contains a Smoke Bomb. Then roll the lower horizontal log downward one space. Hop back over the first puddle and cast Frost on it again to make it a pillar again, and make your way to the ground level of the left half of the room, and push the upper horizontal log downward one space. You will finally access the chest above the ladder, which contains the Cleric's Ring, a very important (the only one in both the first and second games) piece of equipment that allows one Adept to safely equip cursed items. Exit the room afterwards.

Floor 9[]

CrossboneIsleFloorNine

Two lakes filled with log-riding puzzles star in this floor of the dungeon. Off the top of the screen is a chest containing Muramasa.

The last normal floor of Crossbone Isle is guarded by a pair of sub-bosses stronger and more durable than any of the others: Cerebuses. With strong ice-based attacks, using a Meteor summon is very prudent here, as well as focusing on slaying one Cerebus over the other. Win the battle and you get a Psy Crystal.

In the last puzzle room of Crossbone Isle, roll the immediately visible left horizontal log up, roll the vertical log you arrive at right. Go down to where the lower right horizontal log is and roll it up, hop over to one of the two adjacent vertical logs and roll it left one space, hop down to the central vertical log below and roll that right, and rolling the lower right vertical log left will allow access to the small island with a chest containing 999 coins. Roll that log back right, roll the central vertical log left, and roll the above horizontal log up to be able to hop onto the area where there is a chest with a Sleep Bomb. Roll that log back down and arrive at the chest in the center of the room and the two lakes, the chest containing a Water of Life.

The second lake in this room has three horizontal logs neatly arranged along its bottom perimeter and three vertical logs arranged along its right perimeter. To reach the chest far up, roll up each of the horizontal logs on the bottom perimeter. Then roll the lower vertical log left, roll the central horizontal log down, roll the central vertical log left, roll the right horizontal log down, and roll the upper vertical log left one space. The chest contains the cursed sword Muramasa, and whether this weapon is better than the Wicked Mace or not depends on the player's taste. Exit the room now and all the puzzles on Crossbone Isle are now complete.

Pirate Ship[]

CrossboneIslePirateShip

Save your game before even thinking of climbing those stairs.

Pirate Ship

Full body shot of the ship.

Crossbone Isle's greatest challenge awaits as you follow the stairs down to the bottommost level, where there is an underground lake, and you will board a damaged ship called the Pirate Ship. A treasure chest at the base of the broken mast is the strongest Mimic in the game; compared to the battle that is coming up, this battle will be trivially easy, and defeating it nets some extra EXP and a Potion. As you explore the ship, when you climb up the upper left flight of the stairs on the boat's deck, the scripted boss encounter with Deadbeard will ensue. To put it bluntly, the enemy has more power, endurance, and ferocity than the game's final boss and serves as the game's ultimate opponent for aspiring players to take down. While long and difficult as an opponent to defeat, defeating Deadbeard in normal combat without summons is possible with a "typical" party setup, but using Djinn effects and then using 1-Djinn summons rampantly is very effective at piling up damage because of Deadbeard's huge HP meter. Slaying Deadbeard earns huge EXP and Coin rewards as well as a Water of Life, and at the north edge of the ship a chest materializes containing the Demon Mail, which has physically the highest defense rating of any armor in the game but is probably not the actual best armor because it lowers Jupiter resistance rather than increasing any resistances. Also, Isaac's party will gain the credit and distinction of having defeated Deadbeard, which will influence an event if the game file is used for data transfer into Golden Sun: The Lost Age.

Enemies[]

Bestiary of Crossbone Isle (Surface)
Monster Name LVL HP ATK DEF AGI EXP Coins Weakness Drop Drop Rate
Tempest Lizard (boss) 28 3000 295 94 114 1360 6400 Star venus Potion Potion 1/1
Bestiary of Crossbone Isle (Level 1)
Monster Name LVL HP ATK DEF AGI EXP Coins Weakness Drop Drop Rate
Hobgoblin (unique) 23 650 203 54 65 223 800 Star jupiter Lucky Medal Lucky Medal 1/1
Virago (2) 17 185 199 47 89 87 120 Star jupiter Elixir Elixir 1/16
Mimic (unique) 23 729 214 59 97 347 386 Star mars Potion Potion 1/1
Bestiary of Crossbone Isle (Level 2)
Monster Name LVL HP ATK DEF AGI EXP Coins Weakness Drop Drop Rate
Grisly (2) (unique) 23 800 208 63 78 243 700 Star mars Potion Potion 1/1
Succubus (unique) 17 529 195 49 101 101 143 Star mars Crystal Powder Crystal Powder 1/16
Bestiary of Crossbone Isle (Level 3)
Monster Name LVL HP ATK DEF AGI EXP Coins Weakness Drop Drop Rate
Fiendish Ghoul (2) (unique) 17 609 199 45 69 87 109 Star mars Antidote Antidote 1/16
Lich (unique) 23 900 192 48 106 263 1200 Star mars Psy Crystal Psy Crystal 1/1
Bestiary of Crossbone Isle (Level 4)
Monster Name LVL HP ATK DEF AGI EXP Coins Weakness Drop Drop Rate
Gryphon (2) (unique) 23 1100 213 56 98 303 1900 Star jupiter Potion Potion 1/1
Bestiary of Crossbone Isle (Level 5)
Monster Name LVL HP ATK DEF AGI EXP Coins Weakness Drop Drop Rate
Lizard King (unique) 28 2000 285 93 92 535 1200 Star mars Psy Crystal Psy Crystal 1/1
Harridan 22 231 261 66 118 150 164 Star jupiter Nut Nut 1/32
Stone Soldier (2) 22 179 241 105 104 98 98 Star mercury Elixir Elixir 1/32
Bestiary of Crossbone Isle (Level 6)
Monster Name LVL HP ATK DEF AGI EXP Coins Weakness Drop Drop Rate
Chimera (2) (unique) 28 1350 294 90 121 465 800 Star mercury Potion Potion 1/1
Bestiary of Crossbone Isle (Level 7)
Monster Name LVL HP ATK DEF AGI EXP Coins Weakness Drop Drop Rate
Earth Lizard (2) (unique) 28 1550 278 97 102 545 920 Star jupiter Water of Life Water of Life 1/1
Bestiary of Crossbone Isle (Level 8)
Monster Name LVL HP ATK DEF AGI EXP Coins Weakness Drop Drop Rate
Poison Toad (unique) 34 2250 363 97 93 1732 2200 Star mars Water of Life Water of Life 1/1
Thunder Lizard (2) 28 456 347 133 134 422 221 Star venus Blessed Mace Blessed Mace 1/128
Bestiary of Crossbone Isle (Level 9)
Monster Name LVL HP ATK DEF AGI EXP Coins Weakness Drop Drop Rate
Cerebus (2) (unique) 35 2200 369 130 151 1863 3200 Star mars Psy Crystal Psy Crystal 1/1
Bestiary of Crossbone Isle (Pirate Ship)
Monster Name LVL HP ATK DEF AGI EXP Coins Weakness Drop Drop Rate
Mimic (unique) 30 1206 367 126 167 1009 643 Star mars Potion Potion 1/1
Deadbeard (boss) 43 6000 468 178 180 8000 9000 Star venus Water of Life Water of Life 1/1

Note: The Tempest Lizard will not appear the time you reach Crossbone Isle by the Tolbi-Bound Ship.

Items[]

Surface
Coin 1 Coin: Found by climbing to the top of the cliff and taking the middle dirt slide.
Mint Mint: Found by climbing to the top of the cliff and taking the rightmost dirt slide.
Nut Nut: Dangling off an elevated tree. Use Catch to get it.

Level 1
Antidote Antidote: The easiest item to get on this floor. To reach it, simply take the path to the right upon entering the room.
Coin 111 Coins: These coins can easily be reached while progressing through the room normally.
Hard Nut Hard Nut: This item can only be obtained by making the rest of the room inaccessible. Cast Move on the second stone and move it to the right.
Nut Nut: To reach this item, cast Move on the first stone in the room and move it to the left. However, doing so will render the rest of the room inaccessible.

Level 2
Coin 222 Coins: Found in the second treasure chest from the right.
Elixir Elixir: Found in the treasure chest directly in front of the entrance.
Lucky Pepper Lucky Pepper: Held within a treasure chest in the top right corner of the room.
Mystery Blade Mystery Blade: Found in the treasure chest blocked by the final rolling pillar.

Level 3
Blue Key 4 Blue Keys: Found in various locations throughout the room. The only way to obtain them is by using Catch.
Coin 333 Coins: Found behind the leftmost blue door.
Cookie Cookie: Found behind the middle-right blue door.
Fairy Ring Fairy Ring: Found behind the middle-left blue door.
Red Key Red Key: Located in the center of a ring of platforms on the right side of the room. Cast Reveal to see the key, and cast Catch from the top platform in the ring to obtain it.
Smoke Bomb Smoke Bomb: Found behind the leftmost blue door.

Level 4
Coin 444 Coins: Found near the top of the room, on the right side. This chest requires players to pass only two moving statues.
Psy Crystal Psy Crystal: Waiting in a treasure chest by the room's exit.
Sleep Bomb Sleep Bomb: Cast Halt on the first moving statue to the right of the entrance.
Storm Gear Storm Gear: Found near the top of the room, on the right side. This chest requires players to pass all three moving statues.

Level 5
Coin 555 Coins: Located in the only chest on the right side of the room, conveniently located near the stairs.
Lucky Medal Lucky Medal: Located on the left side of the room, parallel to the chest containing the 555 coins.
Ninja Garb Ninja Garb: Located on the left side of the room, near the bottom of the room. Players cannot reach this chest and get to the exit of the room at the same time.
Potion Potion: Held within the only treasure chest on the left side of the room that can be opened on the way to the exit.

Level 6
Coin 666 Coins: Located in the chest on the left side of the room. This chest can be opened while trying to obtain Bane.
Demon Axe Demon Axe: Located in the chest resting on a movable earth pillar in the center of the room. The earth pillar must first be moved further up before the chest can be accessed.
Elixir Elixir: Held in the chest on the right side of the room. The chest can easily be opened while progressing through the room normally.
Water of Life Water of Life: Held in the chest near the bottom of the room.

Level 7
Coin 777 Coins: Found near the entrance, but can only be reached from the exit.
Lucky Medal Lucky Medal: Held in the rightmost chest in the Carry stone puzzle at the top of the room.
Psy Crystal Psy Crystal: Held in the top left chest in the Carry stone puzzle at the top of the room.
Wicked Mace Wicked Mace: Held in the bottom left chest in the Carry stone puzzle at the top of the room.

Level 8
Clerics Ring Cleric's Ring: Located in the bottom chest of the two chests in the center of the room.
Coin 888 Coins: Located in the top chest of the two chests in the center of the room.
Potion Potion: Located in the chest on the left side of the room.
Smoke Bomb Smoke Bomb: Found near the dragon statue. To reach it, cast Frost on the puddle of water beneath the risible platform, triggering the dragon statue.

Level 9
Coin 999 Coins: Stranded on the island in the center of the right lake.
Muramasa Muramasa: Waiting above the left lake.
Sleep Bomb Sleep Bomb: Resting above the right lake.
Water of Life Water of Life: Nestled between the two lakes.

Pirate Ship
Demon Mail Demon Mail: Found in a treasure chest that materializes after defeating Deadbeard.

Djinn[]

Venus djinn Bane is a Venus Djinni found on the sixth level.

Trivia[]

  • The music that plays on the Pirate Ship is the standard "villainous" theme most often heard associated with Saturos and Menardi.
  • A slight glitch can occur on the world map portion of Crossbone Isle while the pink tornado of the Tempest Lizard remains on the northwest beach. It is ordinarily transparent, and remains so when you go into the Psynergy menu and then come back out. However, if you go to the Djinn, Item, or Status menus, it will lose its transparency to become fully "solid". It returns to its typical opaqueness once you enter Crossbone Isle and come back out to the world map area.
  • Even though the location of Crossbone Isle is in the Karagol Sea, its physical location as far as the game's coding is concerned is far to the west of Imil. If you have a GameShark or similar hacking device, you can cross the ocean using "Go Through Walls" Code.
    • Bringing up the location, after successfully landing at Tolbi Docks, go around the top of the sea like you would normally would to get Ground. Positioning yourself just right in the middle, and zooming out will show the two docks on both ends without the isle's overworld land, thus proving that there is no legitimate way to get there from sailing the Kargoal Sea.
  • Most of the sub-bosses in Crossbone Isle Cave are some of the Greek mythical creatures. Examples are the Gryphon, Chimera, and Cerebus. (Lamakan Desert also harbors the great Manticore.)
  • Excluding the sub-bosses, Deadbeard is one of the few bosses that don't have an overworld sprite; The others being Fusion Dragon, Storm Lizard, Ice Queen, Sand Prince, and Tempest Lizard.
  • The overworld island for Crossbone Isle exists in The Lost Age, though far to the west of the entire world map, and can be accessed through usage of the Collision Detection Glitch right as you leave Atteka for the first time with the Wings of Anemos attached to your ship - sail right up to the rocks blocking the exit from the inlet, then point your ship to the right and jump out onto the landmass there. Walk past the point needed to trigger the cutscene, and this will trigger the glitch.

In Other Languages[]

Japanese 宝島 Treasure Island
French Ile aux Pirates "Pirate Island"
Spanish Isla Pirata "Pirate Island"
German Schatzinsel "Treasure Island"
Italian Isola del Teschio "Skull Island"
Dungeons in Golden Sun
Sol SanctumGoma CaveKolima ForestTret TreeBilibin CaveMercury LighthouseFuchin Falls CaveMogall ForestAltin PeakLamakan DesertVale CaveVault CaveAltmiller CaveGondowan CaveLunpa FortressSuhalla DesertSuhalla GateBabi LighthouseTunnel RuinsVenus LighthouseCrossbone Isle
Dungeons in Golden Sun: The Lost Age
Kandorean TempleDehkan PlateauYampi DesertAlhafran CaveAir's RockMadra CatacombsGondowan CliffsKibombo MountainsGabomba StatueGabomba CatacombsLemurian ShipShrine of the Sea GodTaopo SwampAqua RockGaia RockIzumo RuinsAnkohl RuinsTundaria TowerShaman Village CaveJupiter LighthouseMagma RockMars LighthouseTreasure IsleYampi Desert CaveIslet CaveAnemos Inner Sanctum
Dungeons in Golden Sun: Dark Dawn
Goma Plateau / Tanglewood / Abandoned MinePsynergy Training GroundsKonpa Ruins / Konpa CavePassaj Mountain ClimbBarai TempleThe OuroborosHarapa RuinsCraggy Peak RuinsTeppe RuinsPhantasmal BogKolima ForestTalon PeakBelinsk RuinsWarrior's HillYamata RuinsBurning Island CaveLonely Island RuinsGaia Falls IsletSnowdrift ShrineApollo Ascent / Apollo SanctumLost ShipOtka IslandCrossbone Isle
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