Golden Sun is a classic RPG for the Game Boy Advance that features a robust Psynergy (magic) system. One of the most useful Psynergies in the game is Growth, which allows you to manipulate plants to help solve puzzles and progress through dungeons. However, Growth can be tricky to obtain if you don’t know where to look. In this article, we’ll walk through the different methods of acquiring Growth in Golden Sun so you can make the most of this versatile Psynergy.
Overview of Growth Psynergy
In Golden Sun, the Brute, Scrapper, Miko, and Seer classes can use the Venus Psynergy Growth. This ability lets them cast a spell that makes vines, flowers, and other plants grow quickly and take over an area. This can be useful for changing the environment to make bridges, find hidden items, and open up new paths.
Growth has 20 power in its base Level 1 form, and it costs 2 Psynergy Points (PP) to cast. As you gain experience, Growth gets stronger and better at what it does. The strongest and most useful version of Growth is Level 4, which has a power rating of 180 and only costs 7 PP.
Here is a quick overview of when each class gains access to Growth
- Brute: Learns Growth at Level 1
- Scrapper: Learns Growth at Level 1
- Miko: Learns Growth at Level 2
- Seer: Learns Growth at Level 3
All classes learn the powered-up version Mad Growth at Level 12. The final upgrade Wild Growth is learned by Brute at Level 28 and all other classes at Level 29.
Let’s look at how to get this useful Psynergy in the game now that you know what Growth does and when each class gets it.
Getting Growth as a Starting Psynergy
The easiest way to get Growth is to choose a class that starts with it naturally. As mentioned above, both the Brute and Scrapper classes begin with Growth learned at Level 1.
So if you want early access to Growth, simply select Brute or Scrapper when choosing your character’s class at the start of the game. You’ll be able to start using Growth right away to manipulate plants and proceed through puzzles and dungeons that require it.
The Brute and Scrapper classes are well-suited for heavy physical combat, so combining early Growth access with strong battle skills is a great way to breeze through Golden Sun’s early-game content.
Learning Growth by Leveling Up
If you chose the Miko or Seer classes, Growth won’t be available right away. You can get it by leveling up your experience.
As your characters defeat enemies and complete quests, they will earn EXP that increases their level. Miko characters will learn Growth once they reach Level 2, while Seers must achieve Level 3 first.
The levels come quickly in the early stages of Golden Sun, so you won’t need to grind for long before your Miko or Seer characters unlock Growth. Just be sure to choose Venus-aligned Djinn during battles to boost your Venus experience gains.
Also keep in mind that using Growth frequently once unlocked will help it level up in power and efficiency.
Teaching Growth Via Transfer
Another way to obtain Growth is by transferring it from a character who already knows the Psynergy to one who does not. This requires having at least one party member with access to Growth.
To transfer Growth, open the Psynergy menu and select Growth. Choose the “Transfer” option, then pick the character you want to teach Growth to. There are no restrictions on Transfer – any Psynergy can be taught to any party member this way.
Transfer makes obtaining Growth easy regardless of your initial class choices. As soon as one character learns it, you can pass Growth to the entire party.
Finding Growth Tablets
Throughout the lands of Weyard in Golden Sun, you can sometimes stumble across colored tablets engraved with the icon of a particular Psynergy. Interacting with these tablets permanently teaches that Psynergy to the lead party member.
Keep an eye out for light-green tablets engraved with plant icons – these Growth Tablets will instantly grant the Growth Psynergy regardless of the character’s class or level. Finding just one of these tablets is all you need to obtain Growth.
The tablets are often hidden in out-of-the-way nooks and treasure chests, so be diligent in exploring the world to discover them. With a Growth Tablet, even characters who normally learn Growth late can acquire it much sooner.
Making Use of Growth Psynergy
Once you’ve obtained the Growth Psynergy through any of the methods described above, you’ll be able to make use of its unique properties. Here are some ways Growth can be useful as you journey across Weyard:
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Manipulate vines, flowers, and bushes to open new paths and find hidden items. Growth can provide access to treasure chests or secret caves blocked off by thick vegetation.
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Form bridges of vines and plants across gaps and chasms to reach new areas that would otherwise be inaccessible. Growth offers navigation options that even the Lift Psynergy can’t match.
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Solve puzzles in dungeons by growing plants in strategic locations marked with Vine Symbols. This is often necessary to unlock sealed doors and proceed deeper into dungeons.
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During battle, Growth can be used to ensnare enemies in thick vines, preventing them from moving or attacking for a short time. This can buy you valuable time to heal or set up a more powerful attack.
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As Growth levels up, it gains increased range, duration, and power. Maxed-out Growth can manipulate entire rooms full of plants for extended periods.
Exploring Weyard to the fullest means keeping Growth handy. Whenever you see vines blocking a path or puzzles that involve manipulating plants, Growth is the Psynergy you’ll want access to. Follow the acquisition methods outlined in this guide, and you’ll have Growth available to overcome nearly any plant-based obstacle the game throws at you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can’t I get Growth Psynergy?
If you can’t seem to get Growth on a character, make sure you have met one of the acquisition requirements:
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Choose the Brute or Scrapper class which starts with Growth learned.
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Reach Level 2 for Miko or Level 3 for Seer so Growth unlocks automatically.
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Teach it via Transfer from a character who already knows it.
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Find and interact with a Growth Tablet in the world.
Do I need a Venus Adept to use Growth?
No, Growth can be used by any party member once acquired. The initial availability depends on having Venus as one of your Djinn alignments, but any class can equip Growth.
Can I get Growth on Isaac?
Yes, as the main protagonist, Isaac has access to any Psynergy in the game. Choose Brute or Scrapper class for him to start with Growth, or use Transfer or a Tablet later on.
Does using Growth a lot help it level up?
Yes, frequently using Psynergies like Growth in battle will power them up faster. Make sure to cast Growth often once acquired so it evolves into stronger versions.
Where can I find Growth Tablets?
Growth Tablets are often hidden in treasure chests or side areas off the main path. Explore every possible nook and cranny; a Growth Tablet can appear in any map where plant manipulation is needed.
Conclusion
With its ability to manipulate plants and bridge obstacles, Growth is one of the most useful Psynergies in Golden Sun. By choosing the right starting class, leveling up wisely, teaching it via Transfer, or finding hidden tablets, you can obtain Growth on any character. Use this guide to acquire Growth as early as possible and make the most of its environment-altering powers as you journey across Weyard and uncover its secrets. The versatile Growth should be a staple Psynergy in any RPG fan’s arsenal.
Optional Lunpa Sidequest[]
- Now that you have the Cloak Psynergy, you can do a side quest on Angara that requires a lot of work. To get back to Angara, go east along the bottom of the Karagol Sea and enter the cave called Gondowan Cave. The short dungeon-like area with chests containing an Apple and a Lucky Medal can be used as a “bridge” between continents from now on once you’re done solving the puzzle. Once you’re back on Angara, go all the way north to get to the town of Lunpa through the nearby cave.
- Use the Cloak Psynergy in the shadows of the left-hand walls at the guarded entrance to the Lunpa Fortress dungeon to sneak past the guards without being seen. Once inside the fortress’s huge complexes, keep using Cloak to stay invisible in the shadowy areas so that patrolling brigands don’t find you (some of them make their own light sources that you need to stay out of). If brigands with red caps find you, you can safely fight them. But if brigands with green caps find you, you’ll be sent back outside of Lunpa Fortress right away and have to start over. To get the Cell Key, you must first use Catch on it from above, which will open green cell doors. After that, you’ll have to go back a long way to reach one of the cell doors that leads to a room with a cache that contains the Mythril Circlet gear and a Lucky Medal. Inside one of the three rooms with green cell doors on the basement level of the floor, there is a Power Bread in a chest. Once you use reveal to get to the last room, there is a cutscene that leads to the boss fight with Toadonpa. Once you beat it, there is another long cutscene that leads you back out of Lunpa Fortress. If this game file is used to transfer data, this side quest will reward you in Golden Sun: The Lost Age.
- Back outside in Lunpa, the shops are open again, and you can buy powerful late-game items like the War Gloves. There is a long cutscene that happens when you try to leave Lunpa through the cave. Eventually, you are given the option to stay in Lunpa or go back to Kalay. It doesn’t matter which you choose because there are valuable rewards in both places for completing Lunpa Fortress. There is no difference between staying in Lunpa or going to Kalay and then coming back to Lunpa. You will be able to sneak through Lunpa Fortress again. The point is that when you talk to the old Donpa in his room, he will give you the sixth Mercury Djinni, Tonic.
- Whether you choose to be taken to Kalay or go there on your own, there is a cutscene in the throne room of Kalay’s palace. Once you finish Lunpa Fortress, the gates that blocked off some routes through Kalay Tunnel have been taken down. This lets you reach a spot where four chests contain a Lucky Medal and other items. You need to move the statue to the left and up in front of these chests to block the waterfall and get to a chest with the Spirit Gloves gear. Finally, you can go up a flight of stairs to a cave-like area with a waterfall and a chest that holds an apple. Now that you have all of these valuables, you can go back to Gondowan through Gondowan Cave and continue on your main journey.
Trip to Gondowan[]
- You can get to the next dungeon-style area, Lamakan Desert, by going southwest of Lama Temple. The circular stones there hide many secrets that can be seen with the Reveal Psynergy. The most valuable of these are the Vulcan Axe, a Lucky Pepper, a Mint, and the fourth Jupiter Djinni, Smog, which you don’t have to fight. Get to the big sandfall at the end and use Reveal to see the Manticore, the final boss. Then, beat it. Then pass through its cave to leave Lamakan Desert. To get to the overworld, take the higher of the two bridges that you can see right away. Then, fight in the enclosed “island” space until you beat the fourth Venus Djinni, Vine. Travel west to the town of Kalay.
- You can shop in Kalay and then talk to the innkeeper. This will set off a long cutscene with a tour group when you leave town again. Move the statue in the upper right corner of the main town area out of the way, then go into Kalay Tunnel. At this point, it only lets you get the fourth Mars Djinni, Scorch, which is nearby. When you go back outside and to Kalays Palace, a long series of cutscenes will start. After that, in the palace, find the Water Jacket in one of the chests. In a strict sense, your next stop after Kalay should be Kalay Docks in the southwest. But before you go there, you should head up north to visit Vale and Vault again.
- Return to Vale, where you grew up, and take part in cutscenes with Isaac and Garet’s families. To get to the optional dungeon Vale Cave, go to the left screen and use Lift on the rock to the left of Kraden’s cottage. This is a pretty small dungeon. The only collectibles that are worth mentioning are the Halt Gem and the Halt Psynergy. You must use the Halt Psynergy on the Djinni that you can’t find any other way to get it: Kite, your fifth Jupiter Djinni.
- When you go back to Vault and talk to the town mayor, you’ll find out that the thieves from before have left. If this game file is used to transfer data, you’ll get a reward in Golden Sun: The Lost Age. To get to the top of the wooden tower in the upper right corner, climb around the town wall counterclockwise and ring the bell. This will make a Venus Djinni jump to a higher cave exit. You can then go to the cemetery and use Reveal to get into the optional dungeon Vault Cave. There is an average-sized dungeon that only gives the Vambrace gear and the fifth Venus Djinni, Sap, which you scared earlier.
- You can use the Frost Psynergy on the puddle under the half-open gate to get into the town itself from the cave to the left of the locked town of Lunpa. The shops are closed, so there isn’t much you can do in this town right now. Also, you can’t really sneak into and explore the dungeon north of town until a later side quest. You can get to a room with goodies, including a Lucky Medal, in a small cliff face in the lower left part of town by using the Reveal and Frost Psynergies together in the upper right part of town. There is also another Lucky Medal in the only box in the upper-right house. Leave the town through the cave. At this point, you can technically go back to Bilibin Cave and use Reveal on a cave wall to get to a room with a Psy Crystal and Water of Life through an elevated path, but most people don’t think this is necessary.
- Go to Kalay Docks, pay 600 coins for a Boat Ticket, and then use it to get on the ship going to Tolbi. A Lucky Medal can be found in a barrel at the end of the storage room below the mast. There is a very long series of cutscenes where you have to climb the mast, find the Anchor Charm, and give it to the boat captain. The trip across the Karagol Sea will then begin by going below decks to where the rowers are. There will be four scripted battles during this time. The fourth is a tough boss battle against the Kraken. If you want to be an oarsman again after each of the four battles, you will have to pick one of the passengers. Choosing the right oarsmen will determine where the ship goes on its journey. Usually, the player will end up at Tolbi Docks as planned. The ship will go off course to the north and stop at the secret island dungeon Crossbone Isle if the rowers on the right are weaker than the rowers on the left. One possible order for this is the bald man, then the blonde lady, then the purple merchant/tour guide, and finally the old, senile man.
- If you get to Crossbone Isle on your way across the Karagol Sea, you must agree to walk around the island by yourself. Your party can now access the first four floors of the ten-floor dungeon. This means that the first four scripted “mini-boss encounters” at the doors of each floor can be fought, including the Hobgoblin, two Grislys and one Succubus, two Fiendish Ghouls and one Lich, and two Gryphons. You don’t have the Cloak Psynergy to solve the fourth floor yet, but you can get a Mint, a Hard Nut, a Lucky Pepper, a Cookie, the Mystery Blade weapon, and the Fairy Ring up to this point. If you go back to the ship, the trip will continue until you reach Tolbi Docks on the continent of Gondowan.