Previous Chapter: At the End of the Planet's Dream

Gunning for Lavos

The Black Dream is hardly the only way to reach Lavos. Here are the others, in order of availability.

The Bucket

As the old man at the Farthest Reaches of Time mentioned so long ago, the bucket in the corner contains a Gate connecting to the Day of Lavos. Unlike normal Gates, it always leads to the same time: moments before Lavos erupts from beneath the surface. To add to the ominous feel, the Gate pulsates in and out of visibility while traveling through it, and makes a loud heartbeat sound instead of the usual Gate noise. It opens on a barren plain, and the heartbeat noise continues in place of music. Nothing happens immediately, and the Gate even considerately remains in place to allow a hasty retreat, but if the party advances a short distance, the heartbeat stops to be replaced with a quaking noise.

The lead character reacts by changing poses.

Crono grips his sword hilt. He knows what's coming.

Marle looks pensive.

Lucca shows surprise.

Robo shakes his head continuously.

Frog reaches for his sword.

Ayla leaps into a battle stance.

The Magus wraps his cape around himself.

The second character performs the action listed above, and, if not Crono, also says a line:

マール「何！？ Marle: What!? Marle: What!?
ルッカ「こ、これって…… Lucca: Th-this is... Lucca: This is...
　　　２００……！　まだ上がり続けマス！

Robo: Energy readings at 100!
200...! Still CONTINUING to rise!

Robo: Energy value at 100!
And increasing!

カエル「な、何だってんだ！？ Frog: Wh-what the!? Frog: What be happening!?
エイラ「！！ Ayla: !! Ayla: !!
魔王「来る……。 Magus: It comes... Magus: It's coming...

The third character performs the action listed above, and, if not Crono, also says a line:

マール「で、出てくるの！？ Marle: It-it's coming out!? Marle: It's coming out?!
ルッカ「まさか！？ Lucca: It could't be!? Lucca: No way!

Robo: A.D. 1999!
There IS no doubt!

Robo: A.D. 1999!
At 1:24!
Data confirmed!

カエル「ラヴォス……！？ Frog: Lavos...!? Frog: Lavos...!?
　　　　いっぱい　いっぱい　強いヤツ！！

Ayla: Strong one!
Really really strong one!!

Ayla: Strong guy!
Much, MUCH strong guy!!

魔王「さ、出て来い……！ Magus: Come on out, now...! Magus: Come on out, now...!

"Lavos's Theme" begins playing as Lavos bursts from the ground, but does not yet rain destruction across the land.

someone reacts, not sure of priority

マール「こ、これが……！ Marle: Th-this is...! Marle: This is...
ルッカ「あ、あわわ……。 Lucca: Wh-whoa... Lucca: Oh, my...

Generic panicking noise.

ロボ「戦闘能力値、計測不可能！？ Robo: Combat ability level immeasurable!?

Robo: Unable to calculate attack
level value!?

カエル「で、でけえ……。 Frog: H-huge... Frog: Stunning...it's HUGE!
エイラ「ウ～～～ッ……！ Ayla: Grrrrrr...! Ayla: Uoooo...
魔王「待ちわびたぞ……！ Magus: How long I have awaited this...! Magus: I've been waiting for this!
「ラヴォス……！ Lavos...! Lavos...

The second character prompts for action.

マール「どうしよう？　{char1}！ Marle: {char1}! What do we do? Marle: {char1}! What do we do?
ルッカ「ま、まさか行かないわよね？ Lucca: D-don't tell me we're going in? Lucca: Are we REALLY going on?
ロボ「行きマスカ？　{char1}！ Robo: {char1}! SHALL we go in? Robo: {char1}, shall we go on?
カエル「マ、マジか？　{char1}！ Frog: {char1}! A-are you serious? Frog: {char1}! Be thee certain?
エイラ「戦うか！？ Ayla: Fight!? Ayla: Fight now?
魔王「フッ、おじけづいたか？ Magus: Hmph, lost your nerve? Magus: Hm, how frightened are we?

The player has a choice of:

Run away for now!
Let's run for now!

Choosing to leave simply reverts the music to the ambient heartbeat and makes the party back off a few steps.

If choosing to fight, the music stops. All characters present then respond in party order by readying for battle, and all but Crono also have a line. Additionally, "Chrono Trigger" starts playing after the lead character finishes.


Marle: You're right!
For Don and the others, too!

Marle: You're right!
For Doan and the others too!

Lucca: It... it was a short youth! Lucca: Ours...was a short youth!
ロボ「行きマショウッ！！ Robo: LET us go!! Robo: Let us go!!
カエル「行くぞグランドリオン！ Frog: Here we go, Grandleon! Frog: Cometh, Masamune!
エイラ「エイラ　逃げない！
　　　エイラ　戦う！！

Ayla: Ayla not run!
Ayla fight!!

Ayla: Ayla not run!
Ayla fight!!


Magus: This time, I swear,
I will obliterate you...!

Magus: Finally, I shall destroy you!

From this point, the battle proceeds just like when arriving from the Black Dream, including the save point and escape Gate inside the shell. The only difference is that "Chrono Trigger" continues playing during the battle up until Lavos stops imitating previous bosses, at which point "Lavos's Theme" replaces it.

The Wingless Sylbird

As long as the Sylbird is incapable of flight, bringing it to A.D. 1999 results in the same dialog as taking the bucket, except that the characters stay inside the Sylbird until jumping out to fight Lavos if you choose not to leave. However, the save point and escape Gate inside the shell will not appear, presumably because it would leave the Sylbird stranded on the A.D. 1999 map (though you could always take the bucket to get it back, but that would complicate the event scripts).

The Abyssal Temple

Defeat the overpowered version of Lavos fought at the Abyssal Temple, which you're normally expected to lose against. There's no special dialog; you just continue into the shell and the rest proceeds as usual. Unsurprisingly, the save point and escape Gate do not appear this way, since you've basically broken the storyline.

Beating Lavos this way leads to the alternate ending "The Dream Project".

Syblird at Ramming Speed

Take the Sylbird to A.D. 1999 once it can fly for this option. Dialog and reactions start out the same as when bringing the flightless Sylbird, but it goes differently after choosing to fight.

The second character makes a suggestion (unless Crono; the party leader takes this line in that case).


Marle: Let's just go ahead and
ram the Sylbird through Lavos!

Marle: Let's just burst through
Lavos with the Epoch!


Lucca: ...I wonder if we couldn't break
through Lavos's outer shell with the
Sylbird to get inside?

Lucca: Think we can burst through
Lavos with the Epoch?


Robo: Going on to fight like this WOULD
NOT cause damage to Lavos.
WHY do we NOT attempt to take the Sylbird
deep inside to strike at the main body?

Robo: This will have no effect on
How about invading the interior with
the Epoch?


Frog: Going on to fight like this
won't get us anywhere!
Why don't we take the Sylbird and
push through to what's inside...?

Frog: This battle leadeth nowhere.
We must use the Epoch
to break through!

エイラ「よし　このまま行け！

Ayla: Okay, keep go like this!

Ayla: Okay, carry on!


Magus: We'll keep on like this and pierce
into IT...

Magus: We'll break our way

The third character protests (unless Crono; the party leader takes this line in that case).


Marle: Whaaat!?
If we do that, the Sylbird, and us too...

Marle: What?!
That means we'll ALL perish...


Lucca: That might wreck the Sylbird!
And with us on the inside, there's no telling
whether we'll make it in the first place...

Lucca: We might wreck the
But...we really don't have a choice...


Robo: Lavos's outer shell and the Sylbird
HAVE roughly equal strength, BUT as far
whether WE will be able to withstand the
shock of entry OR NOT...

Robo: The Epoch's
strong enough to penetrate Lavos's
armor...but we may not be strong
enough to survive the shock...


Frog: We'll be doing ourselves in
if anything goes wrong...

Frog: If we err, we're done for...

　　　シルバード　死なないか！？

Ayla: He be okay!?
Sylbird not die!?

Ayla: It Okay?!
Epoch not die!


Magus: Any guarantee it's going to hold up...?

Magus: You really think this is
going to work?

The second character insists (unless Crono; the party leader takes this line in that case).

マール「シルバードを信じようよ！ Marle: Let's believe in the Sylbird!

Marle: Let's put our trust in the


Lucca: I'm sure the Sylbird...
will get the job done...!

Lucca: The Epoch'll get
us through...


Robo: The probability IS exceedingly low...
BUT perhaps if the Sylbird's energy and
OUR spiritual energy became one...

Robo: The odds are not good... Perhaps if Epoch's energy and our own vitality are combined...


Frog: I doubt there's any way to beat that
monster but to hit it from the inside......!

Frog: We haveth no choice!
We must break through...!

エイラ「シルバード　負けない！

Ayla: Sylbird not lose!
Ayla not lose either!

Ayla: Epoch win!
Ayla win!


Magus: We don't have much chance
in a fair fight, either...

Magus: This is a losing proposition...

The leader agrees.

Crono nods.

マール「たのむよ、シルバード！ Marle: We're counting on you, Sylbird!

Marle: Countin' on ya,

Lucca: Sorry, Sylbird... Lucca: Sorry, Epoch...

Robo: Certainly there ARE no other
probabilities for success either.

Robo: We're fresh out of options.
カエル「いちかばちか……だな。 Frog: All or nothing... I guess. Frog: It's either one or the other...
　　　エイラ　がんばる！
　　　シルバードも　がんばれ！！

Ayla: Okay!
Ayla try hard!
Sylbird try hard too!!

Ayla: All right!
Ayla try!
Epoch try hard too!!

魔王「よかろう……。 Magus: Very well... Magus: Very well...

3-12 決意 (Resolve) begins playing.

Between how certain the characters seem that a frontal assault will be useless and the fact that this track is used nowhere else in the game, I wonder if this wasn't originally meant to be the only way to confront Lavos.

The second and third characters (if not Crono) each speak in turn.

マール「みんな、しっかりつかまって！ Marle: Everyone, hang on tight! Marle: Everyone, hold on!

Lucca: We believe in you...

Lucca: We believe in you,


Robo: EVERYONE, PLEASE prepare
for the shock of entry!

Robo: Everyone, get ready for the
initial impact!


Frog: Protect us...

Frog: Cyrus!
Please protect us...

エイラ「エイラ　負けない！
　　　シルバードも　負けるな！！

Ayla: Ayla not lose!
Sylbird, you not lose either!!

Ayla: Ayla not give up!
Epoch not give up too!!

魔王「……待っていろ、ラヴォス。 Magus: ...just you wait, Lavos. Magus: I'm waiting for you, Lavos.

The Sylbird starts making charging noises and vibrating, before the background turns to a fiery stream.

If not Crono, the leader adds:

マール「行くよ！　みんな！！ Marle: Here we go, everyone!! Marle: C'mon, everyone!
ルッカ「たのんだわよ、シルバード！ Lucca: We're counting on you, Sylbird!

Lucca: Epoch, don't let
us down!


Robo: Sylbird moving out!

Robo: The Epoch's

カエル「ハイヨー！　シルバード！

Frog: Hi-Yo, Sylbird!

Frog: Go forth, Epoch!

エイラ「行く！　シルバード！！ Ayla: We go! Sylbird!!

Ayla: Go!


Magus: I'm coming for you now...

Magus: Here we come, Lavos!

The Sylbird flies off the screen. The rest of the scene switches between a first-person view from the shuddering cockpit and a side view of the Sylbird speeding, increasingly unsteadily, through what looks like a rocky tunnel mixed with magma. After an apparent crash, the party regains consciousness inside the usual cavelike structure. The Magus, if present, stands with his cape billowing in the wind, while everyone else lies on the ground.

Everyone gets up (if not standing already) and speaks (if not Crono) in party order.

マール「う、ううん…… Marle: U-urrgh... Marle: Hmmmmm...
ルッカ「み、みんな無事……？ Lucca: Is e-everyone okay......? Lucca: Everyone OK?...
ロボ「…… Robo: ...... Robo: ......
カエル「イ、イテテテ…… Frog: Ow, ow ow ow... Frog: Owwww......
エイラ「エイラ　生きてる……！ Ayla: Ayla alive...! Ayla: Ayla...alive...!

Magus: Wake up, already.
We're inside IT...!

Magus: You can open your eyes.
We're inside!

Everyone (except Crono) speaks in the order given below:


Frog: ...it's remarkable that we
made it this far.

Frog: We beat the odds...

Robo: The Sylbird...
WAS severely damaged.

Robo: Epoch is...in

マール「ありがとう、シルバード…… Marle: Thanks, Sylbird...

Marle: Thank you,

ルッカ「ゴメンね、シルバード…… Lucca: Sorry, Sylbird...

Lucca: I'm sorry,

　　　お前　よく戦ったぞ！

Ayla: Sylbird...
You fought well!

Ayla: Epoch...
Me proud!

魔王「……もう後もどりは出来んぞ。 Magus: ...can't turn back now. Magus: ...No turning back now.

And the dialog ends. With the Sylbird wrecked, there's unsurprisingly no save point or escape Gate.

Wrecking the Sylbird causes significant variations in the "Resumption" and "To Beyond Time" endings.

The Mystery Gate

After clearing the game with certain requirements met, the option to start a new game with data carried over from a previous save is added to the title menu. Playing a game started in this fashion adds a subtle change: an intermittent sparkle appears on the right-hand pad of Lucca's teleporter at the Millennial Festival. Examining this sparkle reveals an oddly green-tinted Gate that leads directly to the battle with Lavos's shell, skipping not only the introductory chatter and option to leave that appear when using the bucket, but also the phases where the shell imitates other enemies. Just fight Lavos as Lavos, and the hole appears.

When accessing Lavos this way, the save point and escape Gate do not appear. However, since this special method is available from the very beginning of the game, even before the bucket, and since the party retains their strength from the previous playthrough(s), this makes it possible to beat Lavos at all sorts of unusual points in the storyline, and most of them lead to strange and unusual endings (which are not to be taken as canonical, of course).

Previous Chapter: At the End of the Planet's Dream

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