The 10 HARDEST Bosses In Final Fantasy 16

The White Dragon

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The HARDEST Boss In Every Final Fantasy Game

Walking into a giant open area in a game is never a good sign and as soon as the White Dragon swoops into view you just know you’re in for a bad time. At this point in the game Clive and Jill have already faced down the Akashic Dragon but that winged monstrosity is a pushover compared to its cousin. Routinely taking flight to lay waste to everything in its path, the battle is just as much about defense and endurance as it is about unleashing your most damaging attacks to bring the dragon down. The White Dragon’s ice attacks can be difficult to dodge and have incredible range, leaving Clive vulnerable for a quick follow-up with the dragon’s tail swipes and body rolls.

As if the gauntlet to reach the inner sanctum of Phoenix Gate wasn’t daunting enough, Clive will need to face his inner demons both figuratively and literally. Taking on enemies twice his size might be nothing new for Clive, but Ifrit’s ground pounds and arena filling fire blasts can be insanely difficult to dodge and given his size, Clive doesn’t have many options besides swiping at his ankles for most of the fight. And we’re just getting started. After defeating Ifrit, Clive’s inner demons manifest into a shadow version of himself, complete with Clive’s most powerful attacks and then some. And even then, we’re STILL not done as Clive and his shadow call on their dominants to finish the fight, but thankfully this one is mostly only quick time events, but the struggle to even reach this point is sure to leave most players' palms sweaty.

After spending most of the previous entry slashing at ankles, we turn to an Eikon vs Eikon battle in which Clive.. slashes at an Eikon’s ankles. To be fair though, Titan is enormous but don’t think that makes him any slower than Ifrit. His massive ground pounds will decimate Clive if he doesn’t get clear in time. Ever the defiant Dominant. Kupka refuses to let the battle end and instead completely loses himself in the sauce and absorbs a titanic amount of aether to become a literal mountain of a man, one capable of hurling enormous shards of Earth and tendrils at Clive. Titan Lost has an enormous amount of health and while large portions of the fight are quick time events, the speed at which they come at you can be overwhelming coupled with the spectacle unraveling all around you. Did we mention the part about having to fight Titan a second time while you’re freefalling inside Titan Lost?

Another boss standing between Clive and Bahamut, the Necrophobe is a significant challenge at the end of an already daunting trial filled with Wraiths and Revenants. The Necrophobe has an arsenal of elemental attacks and he’s not shy about using all of them and oftentimes will chain them together in rapid succession leaving very little time for a counterattack. This fight will be one of many that poses a true challenge to players’ dodge abilities, and can quickly deplete your stash of potions if overly aggressive. Even bringing the Necrophobe to Stagger is a challenge that will only increase his frequency and speed of attacks as well as charging up “Death” which will need to be halted should you want to avoid starting the entire battle over from scratch.

In terms of spectacle, it doesn’t get much more spectacular than this. Starting the fight with arguably one of Clive’s most badass moments in the entire game, players will be switching back and forth between Ifrit and Phoenix for most of the fight attempting to simply survive Bahamut’s onslaught. You’re going to be making the most out of the dodge trigger with this one. Bahamut is insanely powerful, and his attacks are fast and furious, making simply staying one step ahead of them a challenge in itself. Even the combined powers of Clive and Joshua with Ifrit Risen is only narrowly enough to bring the mighty Bahamut back down to Earth as the gameplay shifts from a brawler to a bullet hell shooter and back again, never once letting up.

Final Fantasy 16 takes the concept of over-the-top boss fights to all new levels so it's only appropriate that one of the most challenging is a simple 1v1 battle between two “mostly” human opponents. Sleipnir’s teleportation ability can make him hard to track but even without it, his speed is unmatched by any other opponent Clive has faced up to this point. Halfway through the fight. Sleipnir will offer Clive an even greater challenge and introduce a new weapon Gungnir, utilizing many of the same room clearing attacks as Barnabas. Many of these new attacks, in particular Dead Man’s Bier, will coat the arena in a near endless stream of elemental flames and leave Clive no choice but to remain on the run until the attack is over.

As the game progresses, Clive will be offered the chance to hunt down legendary beasts throughout Valisthea and these encounters can prove to be even more challenging than the many main bosses themselves. The Behemoth King is one such hunt and even though Clive and company have dealt with a challenging Behemoth fight already by this point, the King is a step above. Seriously, nothing this big should be this fast. The King has a wealth of elemental attacks he’ll often chain together with physical assaults like his deadly charge and swipe attacks. His incredible defense and health bar means even getting him to stagger can be an exercise in frustration. Did we mention the meteors? There are so many meteors!!!

Odin and his dominant Barnabas are built up throughout the game as the stuff of legend and standing face to face with the king, it’s easy to see where the tales began. While most of the fight is like the battle against Sleipnir, Barnabas’ attacks are even faster and fiercer. Most of the clash is between Clive and the King, with Odin stepping in on occasion for some arena-sweeping sword slices. Monologuing throughout as well as unleashing one of the creepiest laughs this side of Kefka, Barnabas will hold nothing back, charging his Darkness spell all while continuing his assault with a flurry of slashes like he’s channeling his inner Vergil. Just because the mad king wishes to fulfill his master’s destiny doesn’t mean he’s going to make it easy.

As we mentioned, Clive has battled his share of dragons, but had he encountered Svarog early on instead of the Akashic Dragon or even the White Dragon, Ultima might not have had any trouble wiping out all humanity. Another S-Rank Notorious Mark, Svarog lives up the title with some of not only the most powerful attacks in game but also the most difficult to avoid. He’ll routinely attack from the air as well as arena filling elemental attacks. He also has the nasty habit of interrupting Clive’s attacks with his own, meaning the player needs to constantly be aware of Svarog’s movements even in the middle of an assault. At level 50, Svarog is by far one of the most difficult encounters in the game and more than just Valisthea will be breathing a sigh of relief once this dragon is slain.

Appropriately, the final boss is the most difficult boss. This one is a true gauntlet as Ultima has multiple forms as well as numerous attacks that can result in instant death if not avoided, sending you back to the start of one of the longest, but also most rewarding boss fights in the entire game. Ultima will use every elemental attack in the realm as well as all the same Eikon abilities as Clive. While at least two of the phases of the fight are mostly cinematic clashes, the bouts in between are relentless as Ultima unleashes his fury against Clive, growing stronger and more aggressive with each new form. The final fight comes down to a battle of wills and thankfully ours is stronger. Say the line Clive!