Counter

In Final Fantasy VIII, "Counter" is a support ability that allows a character to retaliate when targeted by a physical attack. This ability is learned by the Guardian Force Carbuncle and can be taught to other Guardian Forces (GF) using the item "Monk's Code." Counter activates without using up a turn, even if the attack misses or is a party-wide attack. It works well with actions like Defend and Cover, making it suitable for characters positioned in the middle of the party to counter enemy physical attacks effectively. Additionally, Counter can be combined with other status effects such as Berserk and Angel Wing. While Counter itself doesn't trigger enemy counters, it can counter enemy counterattacks and will still activate the enemy's final attack. Though it uses a valuable support ability slot, Counter is highly effective if the enemy mainly uses physical attacks.