Culex 3D is the final boss of the post-game boss rematches in Super Mario RPG Remake. Read on to learn how to fight Culex 3D, how to beat him, his stats, rewards, location, and weaknesses, as well as the recommended level and party setup!

How to Fight Culex 3D

Unlocking Culex 3D
Unlocked in Post-Game Defeat the Original Culex Defeat All Post-Game Rematch Bosses

Unlocked in Post-Game

The first step in unlocking the fight for Culex 3D is to reach the post-game of Super Mario RPG Remake by completing the main story, which requires defeating Smithy, the final boss found in his Weapon World.

All Post-Game Boss Rematches

Defeat the Original Culex

You won't be able to reach Culex 3D if you still haven't fought and beaten his original form. If you haven't fought and beaten the original Culex after completing all other Post-Game Boss Rematches, the Frog Sage at Tadpole Pond will direct you towards obtaining the Shiny Stone at Moleville.

To unlock the original Culex, obtain the Shiny Stone from the girl mole in Moleville by trading the Fireworks with her (obtainable for 500 Coins from the Fireworks shop within the same town.)

Head to Monstro Town and use the Shiny Stone on the Sealed Door to initiate the fight with the original Culex!

Culex Secret Boss Location and Guide

Defeat All Post-Game Rematch Bosses

Rematch Boss	Location	Rewards
Mario-Style Jinx	Monstro Town	Teamwork Band
Scratchy-Throat Belome	Land's End (Belome Temple)	Sage Stick
Leveled-Up Punchinello	Moleville (Mole Mines)	Wonder Chomp
Engine 023 Booster	Booster Tower	Stella 023
Extra Fancy Bundt & Raspberry	Marrymore	Enduring Brooch
Duel-Ready Johnny	Sunken Ship	Extra-Shiny Stone

Unlocking the Sealed Door leading to Culex 3D requires the Extra-Shiny Stone, which is obtained by defeating Duel-Ready Johnny.

Once you obtain the Extra-Shiny Stone, return to Monstro Town and interact with the Sealed Door to begin the battle with the true final boss!

All Post-Game Boss Rematches

Best Party for Culex 3D

Recommended Party Setup

Beginning Active Party
Character	Role
Mario	・Use Super Jump and Ultra Fireball to deal damage throughout the fight
Peach	・Main healer ・Recovers HP/FP with Group Hug, Come Back, and recovery items ・Use Party Energizer and Party Bracer to power up the team ・Use Rock Candy and Bomb items after getting an Attack boost
Geno	・Increases everyone's attack and defense with Geno Boost ・Deal damage to all enemies with Geno Flash ・Switch to regular attacks when Culex 3D is alone
Standby Party
Mallow	・Use elemental specials on 3D Crystals
Bowser	・Revive the other characters when they are down

Recommended Equipment and Level

Active Party
Character/Level	Equipment
Mario Level: 24	Weapon: Lazy Shell (Weapon) Armor: Hero Shirt Accessory: Attack Scarf
Geno Level: 24	Weapon: Stella 023 Armor: Star Cape Accessory: Booster's Charm
Peach Level: 24	Weapon: Frying Pan Armor: Lazy Shell (Armor) Accessory: Safety Ring
Standby Party
Mallow Level: 24	Weapon: Sage Stick Armor: Prince Pants Accessory: Jinx Belt
Bowser Level: 24	Weapon: Wonder Chomp Armor: Heel Shell Accessory: Enduring Brooch

Best Equipment for Each Character

How to Prepare for Culex 3D

Culex 3D Battle Preparations
Level Up Your Party Members Equip the Best Accessories Prepare to Use Attack Boosts Regularly Have Red Essence for Peach Bring Rock Candy for Peach to Use Stock Up On Essentials

Culex 3D will be the most difficult boss fight in the game, so take time to prepare and level up your party members!

Level Up Your Party Members

While Culex 3D can be defeated with a high level party, feel free to level up your party members to the max level of 30 to maximize each character's stats and make it easier to manage the boss fight.

If you are looking for a way to level up fast, you can obtain the Exp. Booster from the Frog Sage's Student in Seaside Town for 22 Frog Coins, then equip it to a party member and farm Machine-Made enemies in the Weapon World.

How to Farm EXP and Level Up Fast

Equip the Best Accessories

Best Accessories for Culex 3D
Accessories	Effect
Enduring Brooch	・Prevents you from going down once per battle.
Safety Ring	・Protects from elemental attacks ・Protects from status abnormalities. ・Protects from instant death
Booster's Charm	・Halves damage taken from elemental attacks ・+7 to all stats except Speed
Jinx Belt	・+27 to both Attack and Defense, and +12 to Speed ・Protects from instant death
Attack Scarf (Mario Exclusive)	・+30 to all stats ・Protects from instant death.

Culex 3D and his 3D crystals still maintain their original elemental attacks, so be sure to have equipment that can protect you from them.

While the Quartz Charm is a common go-to, it should be noted that the boosts this accessory gives are lost when its wielder faints during the fight, so it is not sustainable to have in the long run. Consider alternatives such as the Enduring Brooch instead.

Look out for the status ailments! Both the Earth Crystal and Wind Crystal have attacks that cause status ailments. But they should not give you too much trouble if you prioritize defeating them first.

Best Accessories

Prepare to Use Attack Boosts Regularly

Ways to Boost Your Party
Party Bracer	Party Energizer
Yoshi-Ade	Geno Boost (Geno's Special)

It is recommended reapply your boosts regularly since they can be lost due to Culex 3D's Shredder or by them falling in battle. Above are some suggested items to keep your party charged up and ready.

You can get the Party Bracer and Party Energizer from the Frog Coin Emporium, and the Yoshi-Ade from the Fat Yoshi in Yo'ster Isle.

Have Red Essence for Peach

Item	Where to Get
Red Essence	・Obtained as rewards from Fat Yoshi in Yo'ster Isle, and can be obtained from Hidden Chests and as a reward from NPCs.

In case you do not have the Action Gauge ready to use Spare-Us-All in time for Culex 3D's ultimate attack, use Red Essence on Peach to protect her from attacks for at least 3 turns (may extend randomly up to 5).

Peach is important to keep alive in this fight since she is your party's most valuable healer, and one of the only members capable of large-scale heals and revives.

How to Farm Red Essence

Bring Rock Candy for Peach to Use

Item	Where to Get
Rock Candy	・Can be sometimes obtained by trading Mushrooms to Mushroom Boy in Seaside Town. ・Rarely drops from Jawfuls, Tub-O-Troopas, Puppoxes, and Machine Made Speardovich.

It is recommended that you bring at least 3 pieces of Rock Candy to this fight and have Peach use them when she is has an Attack Boost.

This will deal 300 damage to Culex 3D and each one of his crystals, 100 more than the fixed 200 damage without the attack boost.

Stock Up On Essentials

Now's not the time to skimp on supplies! Be sure you have 3 or more of the following:

• Croaka Cola: Buy for 200 coins from the Juice Bar
• Finless Cola: Buy for 60 coins from the Juice Bar
• Max Mushroom: Buy for 39 coins from the Weapon World Vendor Toad
• Royal Syrup: Reward from the Casino Memory Game
• Party Cleanse: Buy for 50 coins from most shops
• Fire Bomb: Buy from the Swap Shop in Moleville
• Ice Bomb: Buy from the Swap Shop in Moleville

All Shops and Locations

How to Beat Culex 3D

Culex 3D Battle Tips
Block His Ultimates with Spare-Us-All Triple Move Culex 3D Disables Buffs with Shredder on the 3 Count Target Culex 3D's Crystals Defeating a Crystal Buffs Other Enemies Use Multi-Target Attacks When Crystals are Active Use Super Jump When Crystals Have Fallen

Block His Ultimates with Spare-Us-All Triple Move

Triple Move	Effect and Active Members
Spare-Us-All	A shining veil protects the whole party from any one attack. Mario + Peach + Geno

Culex 3D will start a countdown early on, and when it reaches 0, he will use either Meteor (KOs all active party members; used when at least 1 Crystal is alive) or Final Claw (KOs one party member; used when all Crystals are down), so it's best that you come prepared with a 100% Action Gauge to use Spare-Us-All when the times come to face an unblockable attack.

This will protect you any one attack (including unblockable attacks). Make sure to use it after he has done the “1” count, as this will allow you to fully block his ultimate attack!

Culex 3D Disables Buffs with Shredder on the “3” Count

Culex 3D still has Shredder to regularly remove your whole party's positive status boosts. Reapply buffs after losing them when needed!

Note that Culex 3D will always use Shredder right after he counts to 3 as part of his countdown to an ultimate attack, so don't use a buff right before this or it will be wasted! If he's already done the 4 count, wait until after 3 count to use any more buffs.

Be warned that this move will also remove the buffs given by the Quartz Charm, Troopa Medal, and the Ghost Medal, so be sure to equip different accessories.

Target Culex 3D's Crystals

Priority & Name	Weakness	Features
① Wind Crystal 3D (HP: 1620)	Jump	・Causes status ailments ・Lowest HP
② Earth Crystal 3D (HP: 3780)	Lightning	・Inflicts fear ・Strong magic attacks ・Various non-elemental attacks
③ Water Crystal 3D (HP: 2520)	Fire	・Strong magic attacks ・Various non-elemental attacks
④ Fire Crystal 3D (HP: 3150)	Ice	・All elemental attacks deal fire

Just like the original Culex, he is still supported by four crystals, this time stronger and with more HP. All crystals use magical attacks matching their element and are generally stronger together than Culex himself. Dealing with the Wind Crystal first is recommended since it has the least HP!

Both the Fire Crystal 3D and Water Crystal 3D deal elemental attacks, so it is advisable to use equipment that gives a party member protection from elemental damage.

Each crystal is an independent enemy, and can be defeated before Culex is dealt with. Target the crystals first, since they deal very strong attacks. If Culex is defeated before the crystals fall, each remaining crystal will shatter one by one on every turn.

Defeating a Crystal Buffs Other Enemies

Defeated Enemy	Buff Upon Defeat
Fire Crystal 3D (HP: 3150)	Increases other members' attack power.
Water Crystal 3D (HP: 2520)	Increases other members' magic attack and magic defense.
Earth Crystal 3D (HP: 3780)	Increases other members' physical defense.
Wind Crystal 3D	Increases other members' speed.

Defeating one of Culex 3D's crystals will boost the his and other of his crystals' stats. You will want to pay more attention carefully to managing your health when you defeat both the Fire Crystal 3D and Water Crystal 3D.

Use Multi-Target Attacks When Crystals are Active

After applying Attack boosts, It is best to use multi-target attacks like Geno Flash, as well as Ultra Jump, Ultra Fireball, and Snowy for focusing damage on individual Crystals with weaknesses while also hitting other targets.

Best Special Moves for Each Character

Use Super Jump When Crystals Have Fallen

After the crystals have fallen, it is recommended to continously use the Super Jump on Culex since it's the strongest source of single-target damage available.

With no crystals to back him up now, you are free to become aggressive in taking him on! Still, pay mind to your party's overall health.

Culex 3D Low Turn Strategy

Culex 3D Low Turn Battle Tips
Max Out Your Party's Level Max Out Your FP Start the Fight with a Full Action Gauge Bring Party Energizers Raise Magic Attack as High as You Can Get the Super Suit Spam Powerful Special Moves Aim for 100 Ultra Jumps or Super Jumps

Max Out Your Party's Level

To beat Culex 3D with the lowest number of turns possible, you must reach the max level of 30 first. The recommended level for this fight is 24, but the additional stat points for the following levels will make the fight significantly easier.

What is the Max Level?

Max Out Your FP

Your party will deal the most damage using Special Moves, which consume FP. They will also need it in case an ally needs to be healed or revived. Try to get the maximum Flower Points of 99 first and start the fight with a full FP so you can use Specials right away.

What is the Max Flower Points (FP) Total?

Start the Fight with a Full Action Gauge

Starting the fight against Culex 3D with a 100% Action Gauge allows you to unleash the Triple Move you need as soon as possible. This can either be Clown Car Barrage to target the crystals' weaknesses or Healing Rainbow to get the party back up after a Meteor hit.

How to Fill the Action Gauge Fast

Bring Party Energizers

Using a Party Energizer boosts the Attack and Magic Attack of the active party members by 50%. This buffs the party faster and cheaper than using Geno Boost.

Party Energizers can be bought from the Frog Coin Emporium for 5 Frog Coins each.

Frog Coin Emporium Items

Raise Magic Attack as High as You Can

The key to defeating Culex 3D fast is by bombarding him and his crystals with Special Moves. These moves' damage scales with the user's Magic Attack stat, so getting the Magic bonus stat on level ups and wearing Magic Attack-boosting equipment will make them more powerful.

Though it is not recommended to have all your characters built around Magic while playing through the story, try to have at least two characters geared as a "mage" for this fight.

Get the Super Suit

Needless to say, your party must be equipped with their best post-game gear to make this attempt more doable. This includes the Super Suit, the best armor in the game that negates status ailments and elemental attacks on top of the massive stat boosts.

You can get this from the Chow in Monstro Town after performing 100 Super Jumps.

How to Get the Super Suit

Spam Powerful Special Moves

As mentioned above, using Special Moves instead of normal attacks will make fights end faster. Use area attacks first to target both Culex 3D and his crystals before using the single-target moves once he is by himself.

Character	Recommended Moves
Mario	Super Jump Ultra Jump Ultra Fireball
Mallow	Shocker Star Rain
Geno	Geno Flash
Bowser	Mechakoopa Stomp
Peach	Psych Bomb

Aim for 100 Ultra Jumps or Super Jumps

Lastly, use Mario's Super Jumps (for single-target) or Ultra Jumps (for multi-target) and aim for a hundred hits to take a huge chunk of Culex 3D's health in a single move. This can be difficult to achieve, but do your best to reach the maximum hits to make the most out of your turn!

Culex 3D and Crystal 3D Attacks

Culex 3D Attacks

Attack	Attack Type/Effect
Dark Star	Blockable?: Yes Additional Effect: N/A
Flame Stone	Blockable?: Yes Additional Effect: N/A
Meteor Blast	Blockable?: No Additional Effect: N/A
Shredder	Blockable?: No Additional Effect: Nullifies Attack Up and Defense Up

Crystal 3D Attacks

Culex 3D Weaknesses and Recommended Level

Overview

Culex 3D

Culex 3D
Recommended Level		HP
30		9999
Attacks
Shredder, Meteor Blast, Flame Stone, Dark Star
Weaknesses and Resistances = Weak / = OK / = Resist
Jump	Fire	Lightning	Ice
Fear	Poison	Sleep	Mute

This is a post-game rematch version of the original Culex. Post-game bosses are stronger variants of the main story, and may have significant changes to stats.

Secret Boss Culex: How to Unlock and Beat

Crystal Enemies

Rewards

Defeating Culex 3D will reward you with the special item Crystal Shard, a symbol of ultimate strength which does nothing but is cool to have!

Super Mario RPG Remake Related Guides

All Bosses and Secret Bosses

All Bosses

1st Star Piece Bosses
Bowser	Hammer Bros.	Croco (1st Fight)
Claymorton	-	-
2nd Star Piece Bosses
Belome (1st Fight)	Bowyer	-
3rd Star Piece Bosses
Croco (2nd Fight)	Punchinello	-
4th Star Piece Bosses
Booster	Knife Guy and Grate Guy	Bundt and Raspberry
5th Star Piece Bosses
King Calamari	Johnny	-
6th Star Piece Bosses
Speardovich	Belome (2nd Fight)	Megasmilax
Birdo	Dodo	Valentina
Czar Dragon	Zombone	Axem Rangers
7th Star Piece Bosses
Wizakoopa	Boomer	Exor
Count Down and Ding-a-Ling	Cloaker and Domino	Clerk
Manager	Director	Gunyolk and Factory Chief
Smithy (Final Boss)	-	-

Non-Story Bosses

Non-Story Bosses
Jinx	Jagger	Culex

Post-Game Rematch Bosses

Post-Game Rematch Bosses
Mario-Style Jinx	Scratchy-Throat Belome	Leveled-Up Punchinello
Engine 023 Booster	Extra Fancy Bundt & Raspberry	Duel-Ready Johnny
Culex 3D	-	-