Final Fantasy VI Coliseum guide: Bets & Item Rewards for the Colosseum

In the early hours of Final Fantasy VI, you might chance upon an NPC who claims that he wishes to make a grand colosseum for fighters the world over to battle in. Later in the game, this comes to pass - opening up the Dragon's Neck Colosseum for your perusal.

Final Fantasy VI Coliseum guide

This isn't just a piece of handy story detail; players will find that this is an essential method of getting your hands on especially powerful items and equipment. Additionally, it's tied to the recruitment of a potential party member for the latter half of FF6. 

You'll only be able to access the Colosseum once you reach the second half of the game, heading into the famed 'World of Ruin' section of FF6. If you're unsure of when this is, you can consult our in-depth FF6 Walkthrough, which is suitable for all versions of the game including the new Pixel Remaster. Once you reach the correct point, the Coliseum will be available regardless of your earlier choices - but to recruit the associated party member, you'll need to take a specific action before the colosseum opens.

The Coliseum isn't just a way to pass time - it's actually one of the ways to get many of the best items in FF6.

How the FF6 Coliseum works

The concept of the Coliseum is pretty simple once unlocked. You have to choose an item from your inventory to bet. Based on the item you submit, you'll face off against a particular opponent.

You'll always lose the item that you bet, but if you successfully win the battle, you'll obtain a new reward in its place - which is often better. The only way to can retain the item you bet is if a character exits battle by casting Teleport.

In coliseum battles, characters act on their own, without your input. This injects a thrilling (and sometimes frustrating) risk into proceedings. 

Some items are more worth betting in the coliseum than others. Later in this guide, we cover some of the best wagers to place.

Recruiting Shadow via the Coliseum

Right before the ending of the first half of the game, players might have waited for Shadow before taking off on the airship while escaping the Floating Continent. If you didn’t abandon him, he’ll still be alive during the events of the World of Ruin, and you can even recruit him as a permanent party member.

How? Through the Colosseum! Specifically, you'll need to make one particular bet there.

Assuming Shadow is still alive, the events in the Cave on the Veldt will lead to you finding him injured, alongside the Ichigeki that he was searching for. After a boss fight with the Behemoth King and sending him off to recover Thamasa, Shadow will return to the Colosseum. If you bet the Ichigeki, instead of fighting a monster you’ll find yourself face-to-face with Shadow once again.

After the fight, he’ll join the party permanently for the rest of the game. From here on in, the colosseum is purely for fun - and getting great items.

Each battle in the FF6 Dragon's Neck Coliseum has its own rewards - but you won't be in direct control of your combatant.

Coliseum Battle Tips

Unlike the rest of the game, players do not control whichever character they enter into the colosseum; instead, each character will act on their own based on the move pool they’ve acquired. This means that characters with access to many skills and spells can be incredibly unpredictable; and if you’re going up against tougher enemies, it’s much less likely that things will turn out how you’d like or even expect them to.

Put another way; if you’ve taught a character any sort of move that has a chance of killing themselves, consider them off-limits for the Colosseum. So, leave Sabin and Strago on the bench; alongside Gau.

Only slightly better options are any spellcasters, such as Terra, Realm or Celes; with more spells at your disposal comes a much higher chance of whatever they end up casting specifically being something you wouldn’t them to cast.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, seeing as you’ll recruit him here, Shadow is a strong candidate for the Colosseum. While others - such as Mog, Setzer and especially Gogo if you bother to recruit him - can do just as well or better, he’s easy enough to get going and can be highly predictable.

Regardless of who you end up using, you’ll want to make sure their defense stats are as high as possible; it’s also worth considering which monsters you’re facing are vulnerable to instant death attacks, and equip your character accordingly.

Coliseum Bets: Best Items & Bet Rewards & Full Betting Table

If you choose to bet an item, there's a chance you'll lose it. However, win the FF6 Coliseum battle and you'll get an even better item most of the time.

Best Coliseum Bets & Items

  • If you opt to choose Ragnarok as a weapon rather than a magicite, betting it in the Coliseum will net you the best weapon in the game - Lightbringer. It goes without saying that you should do this if you went with the sword over the esper - the pros and cons of which are outlined in our guide to the FF6 Esper locations & skills.
  • Similarly, the Minerva is the best armor for both Terra and Celes in the game. Bet any Czarina Gown/Regal Gown to grab the straight upgrade; all you'll need to do to win the fight is equip your fighter with a Reflect Ring and force them to run.
  • Bet a Cat Hood and you'll be able to win a Merit Award, which has the lovely little effect of greatly increasing the available equipment for your party.
  • Dragon Horn is an incredibly useful item for anyone fulfilling a Dragoon role on your team; it ensures that you will always hit multiple times out of a Jump command. At least twice for sure, but occasionally up to a number of 4 separate ticks of damage!
  • It will be a tough fight for sure, but if you can win against the Chaos Dragon it's more than worth betting a Ninja Star/Fuma Shuriken, as the Tack Star/Pinwheel you'll receive is a straight upgrade to its damage.

Full Coliseum Bet Table List

Now this is a long one, but here’s a list of every combination of bet item, monster challenged, and potential reward in the game:

  • Bet Aegis Shield to fight a Borras, in order to win a Tortoise Shield
  • Bet Air Ancho to fight a Brontaur in order to win a Zephyr Cape
  • Bet Assassin to fight a Test Rider and win a Sword Breaker
  • Bet Atma Weapon to fight a Gt Behemoth and win a Graedus
  • Bet Aura to fight a Rhyos and win a Strato
  • Bet Aura Lance to fight a Land Worm and win a Sky Render
  • Bet Behemoth Suit to fight an Outsider and win a Snow Muffler
  • Bet Blizzard to fight a Scullion and win an Ogre Nix
  • Bet Blizzard Orb to fight an Allosaurus and win a Rage Ring
  • Bet Bone Club to fight a Test Rider and win a Red Jacket
  • Bet Break Blade to fight a Lethal Wpn and win your Break Blade right back
  • Bet Cat Hood to fight a Hoover and win a Merit Award
  • Bet Charm Bangle to fight a Retainer and win a Dragon Horn
  • Bet Chocobo Suit to fight a Veteran and win a Moogle Suit
  • Bet Coronet to fight an Evil Oscar and win a Regal Crown
  • Bet Crystal to fight a Borras and win an Enhancer
  • Bet Crystal Helmet to fight a Dueller and win a Diamond Helmet
  • Bet Crystal Mail to fight a Covert and win an Ice Shield
  • Bet Crystal Orb to fight a Borras and win a Gold Hairpin
  • Bet Cursed Ring to fight a Steroidite and win an Air Anchor
  • Bet Cursed Shield to fight a Didelous and win a Cursed Ring
  • Bet Czarina Gown to fight a Sky Base and win a Minerva
  • Bet Doom Darts to fight an Opinicus and win a Bone Club
  • Bet Dragon Claw to fight a Test Rider and win a Sniper
  • Bet Dragon Horn to fight an Ogre and win a Gold Hairpin
  • Bet Drainer to fight an Enuo and win your Drainer right back
  • Bet Economizer to fight a Vectagoyle and win a Dragon Horn
  • Bet Elixir to fight a Cactrot and win a Rename Card
  • Bet Exp. Egg to fight a Steroidite and win a Tintinabar
  • Bet Falchion to fight an Outsider and win a Flame Shield
  • Bet Phoenix Down to fight a Cactrot and win a Magicite
  • Bet Fire Knuckle to fight a Tumbleweed and win your Fire Knuckle right back
  • Bet Fixed Dice to fight a Trixter and win a Fire Knuckle
  • Bet Flame Saver to fight an Evil Oscar and win an Ogre Nix
  • Bet Flame Shield to fight an Iron Hitman and win an Ice Shield
  • Bet Force Shield to fight a Dark Force and win a Thornlet
  • Bet Force Armor to fight a Sr Behemoth and win your Force Armor right back
  • Bet Gauntlet to fight a Vectagoyle and win a Thunder Shield
  • Bet Gem Box to fight a Sr Behemoth and win an Economizer
  • Bet Genji Armor to fight a Borras and win an Air Anchor
  • Bet Genji Glove to fight an Hemophyte and win a Thunder Shield
  • Bet Genji Helmet to fight a Fortis and win a Crystal Helmet
  • Bet Genji Shield to fight a Retainer and win a Thunder shield
  • Bet Gold Hairpin to fight an Evil Oscar and win a Dragon Horn
  • Bet Graedus to fight a Karkass and win a Dirk
  • Bet Hardened to fight a Phase and win a Murasame
  • Bet Heal Rod to fight a Pug and win a Magus Rod
  • Bet Hero Ring to fight a Rhyos and win a Pod Bracelet
  • Bet Ice Shield to fight an Innoc and win a Flame Shield
  • Bet Illumina to fight a Scullion and win a Schimitar
  • Bet Imp Armor to fight a Rhyos and win a Tortoise Shield
  • Bet Imp Halberd to fight an Allosaurus and win a Cat Hood
  • Bet Magus Rod to fight an Allosaurus and win a Strato
  • Bet Marvel Shoes to fight a Tyranosaur and win a Tintinabar
  • Bet Megalixir to fight Siegfried and win a Tintinabar
  • Bet Memento Ring to fight a Chupon and win your Memento Ring right back
  • Bet Merit Award to fight a Rhyos and win a Rename Card
  • Bet Minerva to fight a Pug and win a Czarina Gown
  • Bet Mirage Vest to fight a Vectagoyle and win a Red Jacket
  • Bet Moogle Charm to fight an Outsider and win a Charm Bangle
  • Bet Moogle Suit to fight a Madam and win a Nutkin Suit
  • Bet Murasame to fight a Borras and win an Aura
  • Bet Muscle Belt to fight an Allosaurus and win a Crystal Orb
  • Bet Ninja Star to fight a Chaos Dragon and win a Tack Star
  • Bet Nutkin Suit to fight an Opinicus and win a Genji Armor
  • Bet Ogre Nix to fight a Sr Behemoth and win a Soul Sabre
  • Bet Paladin Ring to fight a Borras and win a Gold Hairpin
  • Bet Paladin Shield to fight a Hemophyte and win a Force Shield
  • Bet Pearl Lance to fight a Sky Base and win a Strato
  • Bet Pod Bracelet to fight a Hemophyte and win a Hero Ring
  • Bet Punisher to fight an Opinicus and win a Gravity Rod
  • Bet Rage Ring to fight an Allosaurus and win a Blizzard Orb
  • Bet Ragnarok to fight a Didalos and win a Lightbringer
  • Bet Rainbow Brush to fight a Test Rider and win a Gravity Rod
  • Bet Red Cap to fight a Rhyos and win a Coronet
  • Bet Red Jacket to fight a Vectagoyle and win your Red Jacket right back
  • Bet Regal Crown to fight an Opinicus and win a Genji Helmet
  • Bet Relic Ring to fight a Sky Base and win a Charm Bangle
  • Bet Rename Card to fight a Doom Dragon and win a Marvel Shoes
  • Bet Ribbon to fight a Rhyos and win a Gold Hairpin
  • Bet Rising Sun to fight an Allosaurus and win a Bone Club
  • Bet Safety Bit to fight a Pug and win a Dragon Horn
  • Bet Schimitar to fight a Covert and win an Ogre Nix
  • Bet Sky Render to fight a Scullion and win an Aura Lance
  • Bet Sneak Ring to fight a Tap Dance and win a Thief Glove
  • Bet Sniper to fight a Borras and win a Bone Club
  • Bet Snow Muffler to fight a Retainer and win a Charm Bangle
  • Bet Soul Sabre to fight an Opinicus and win a Falchion
  • Bet Strato to fight an Aquila and win a Pearl Lance
  • Bet Stunner to fight a Test Rider and win a Strato
  • Bet Tabby Suit to fight a Vectaur and win a Chocobo Suit
  • Bet Tack Star to fight an Opinicus and win a Rising Sun
  • Bet Tao Robe to fight a Test Rider and win your Tao Robe right back
  • Bet Thief Glove to fight a Harpy and win a Dirk
  • Bet Thief Knife to fight a Wart Puck and win your Thief Knife right back
  • Bet Thornlet to fight an Opinicus and win a Mirage Vest
  • Bet Thunder Blade to fight a Steroidite and win an Ogre Nix
  • Bet Thunder Shield to fight an Outsider and win a Genji Shield
  • Bet Tiger Fangs to fight a Mantodea and win a Fire Knuckle
  • Bet Titanium to fight a Brachosaur and win a Cat Hood
  • Bet Tintinabar to fight a Dark Force and win an Exp. Egg
  • Bet Tortoise Shell to fight a Steroidite and win a Titanium
  • Bet Trump to fight an Allosaurus and win your Trump right back
  • Bet Valiant Knife to fight a Wooly and win an Assassin
  • Bet Wing Edge to fight a Rhyos and win a Sniper