Most ofFinal Fantasy 16’s boss fights have been undeniably cinematic from start to end. These visually appealing fights might’ve even gotten you spacing out in admiration. But even a game full of breathtaking battles has some that are more memorable than others.
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These skirmishes against giants might remind you ofAttack on Titan. If they don’t spark memories of titans, they may bring back memories of the MCU fights that were buried in your head. Among the greatest fights here are those that have stunning effects and shocking transformation scenes that are sure to leave you in awe and speechless.
This article contains heavy spoilers for Final Fantasy 16.
10Barnabas – The Last King
Confronting King Barnabasis also a clash between philosophies. The King of Waloed is largely mysterious, and this confrontation finally made sense of his goal. He’s a parallel to Clive, but had taken the path of being fate’s slave. Just as good as the battle itself were the philosophical questions and snappy lines dropped before it.
Before proceeding to draw blades with Barnabas, Clive tells the king that he should worry about the weakness of his will. The fight had its twists, and just when you think it’s done, another phase begins. It’s a long battle, but by no means boring — especially when Clive comes to the conclusion that the world is fighting for, even if it means killing a god.
9Eikon Of Fire - Flight Of The Fledgling
The fight between Joshua’s Phoenix and Ifrit was as beautiful as it was tragic. In the cutscene, you’ll witness the gruesome scene of Lord Rosfield dying before his youngest son, which prompted him to prime the Phoenix. Joshua’s rage killed many soldiers that day, but that’s just half the surprise.
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Another Eikon of Fire appeared to stop Joshua, but ended up overdoing it. The showdown between the Phoenix and Ifrit leaves you on the edge of your seat, but it also gets you lurching in pain by the end of it all. In Clive’s memory, he was unable to stop Ifrit from killing Joshua, which led to thesubsequent downfall of Rosaria. It’s the stuff of nightmares for anybody who loves their siblings.
8Infernal Eikon - Buried Memories
He fought his own brother, then he had to fight himself. Clive has it rough, but it’s better than not knowing the truth of his brother’s death. He was able to make peace with his past and accept who he is, which is the Dominant ofThe Second Eikon of Fire, Ifrit.
It’s only by fighting his own shadow that he’s able to accept that he was the monster he’s been hunting down all these years, which makes this battle baffling to watch. But seeing the great action sequences that feature Clive fighting himself makes it all worth going through.
7Typhon - The Crystal’s Curse
Cid and Clive are both full of surprises, but so is the world of Valisthea. Typhon appears after they shatter Drake’s Head, and Cid throws his staff straight to the titan’s heart. But instead of dying immediately, Typhon gives you a hell of a boss fight with amazing CGI.
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It’s a twist to see titans exist in the world of Valisthea, but another to see them looking uncannily similar to the Attack Titan. Nevertheless, this fight is a great showdown between a smaller Ifrit and the gigantic Typhon. But this fight doesn’t end with a bang, but with a whimper — and Cid dies not too long after protecting Clive.
6Liquid Flame – Fire and Ice
Jill is a constant figure in Clive’s life after they reunite, but she has demons to face back in Ironholm. Her demon being a man called The Patriarch. This twisted priest was happily slaughtering bearers of all ages all in worship of Drake’s Fang, the Mothercrystal of Dhalmekia.
Nothing proved to be more satisfying than seeingJill and her magnificent Shivain this fight, where fire and ice rains on the molten battleground. But the best part of this fight is the Patriarch’s death, who met his end by Jill’s blade.
5Garuda - Awakening
Clive thought he had Garuda subdued, but she rose from the cliff and had him in her clutches. Benedikta had a strong will, but Clive was able to summon Ifrit in a shaking turn of events. At the time, he was unaware that he was Ifrit, and that he was able to finally crush Garuda.
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But another part that makes this battle intriguing was the appearance of the Eikon of Thunder. Cid had to stop Ifrit by knocking him out, but not before Benedikta could be saved from death. The fight isn’t the only thing that’s pure cinema here. The way Cid has to muster up the courage to walk away from Benedikta’s dead body is a bittersweet scene at the end.
4Hugo - Capital Punishment
Hugo Kupka is a big man with big ambitions. When the head of the person he thought would rule the world beside him was sent to his doorstep, he was simply furious and decided that cruelty to those affiliated with Cid was justified. This hatred extended to Rosaria, when Hugo found out that Clive decided to take Cid’s legacy.
The skirmish that happens on and below Rosaria’s throne room isn’t something you’d want to miss with a blink. There’s a lot of anger from Clive when Hugo crushes Lord Rosfield’s throne, and there’s fury when Hugo learns the truth of Benedikta’s death. This fight is earth-shaking — literally — and that’s just the first part of it.
3Titan – Into The Darkness
The final boss fight between Ifrit and the Titan brings two climactic moments in Final Fantasy 16’s story. In this chapter, Clive is able to finally summon Ifrit at will, instead of relying on the Eikon to come and go whenever. An epic transformation scene at Clive’s will was long due anyway.
Related:Final Fantasy 16: Drake’s Fang Walkthrough
But, from a cinematic perspective, the Titan’s final form after drinking aether commands full attention. You practically get the Attack on Titan experience while fighting this Titan, except you’ll have to do more than just cut its head off. This fight has a great number of explosions where time freezes, and it ends with a crystal rain. Barnabas is awed to the point that he has to comment how beautiful the death of a crystal was.
2Bahamut – Fire In The Sky
This fight is arguably one of the most breathtaking and gut-wrenching. Clive is reunited with the person who sold him for dead — his own mother, Annabella. The castle’s wall is strikingly shattered by the fight taking place outside, and leads to the heartwarming reunion between Clive and Joshua.
The fight is literally out of this world, and explosive in all its draconic proportions. The appearance of the Zettaflare is shocking — especially for every Final Fantasy fan out there who’s deep into the series' lore. The confrontation between the brothers is breathtaking to watch, even if it isespecially difficult to fight Bahamut.
1Ultima Prime – Back To Their Origin
You’ve reached the point of killing the God of their world, so it’s no surprise that this battle is the most climactic one among the rest. Clive proves the strength of his will yet again when he chooses to fight Ultima, even if Joshua died giving the Phoenix to Clive. The battle is multiphased, and it keeps your hands busy for sure.
All the flying, the transformations, and the explosions likely have you gasping during this last fight. But ultimately, Clive’s admirable decision to push through and fight for his world and its freedom, Clive’s memories of Joshua, and the death of Ultima and Clive’s eventual demise by magic are what make the fight painfully memorable.
