Auto-Protect

In Final Fantasy VIII, "Auto-Protect" (オートプロテス) is a crucial support ability that grants a permanent "Protect" status to the user, halving physical damage taken. Unlike the "Protect" spell, which has a limited duration, Auto-Protect is continuous, persisting even after a character is KO'd and revived. There are two primary ways to obtain this ability. First, the Guardian Force (GF) Bahamut learns Auto-Protect for 250 AP. Second, any GF can learn it through the use of the Steel Curtain item, which can be crafted with 20 Adamantines via the GF Eden's GFAbl Med-RF ability. Adamantines are typically obtained from high-level Adamantoises. Auto-Protect is particularly beneficial for characters that need to endure physical attacks. While many late-game enemies rely on magic attacks, Auto-Protect remains a valuable defensive skill, especially against opponents that focus on physical damage. It's worth noting that the Protect status it provides has no visual indicator, only becoming apparent when the character is hit by a physical attack, displaying a light barrier.