Final Fantasy XVI is the latest entry in the long-running Final Fantasy franchise, and one of the selling points of this entry is its monumental boss battles. Square Enix set a new benchmark for these fights, increasing the scale and splendor of each battle to levels never before seen in a game. While there are dozens of bosses to tackle in Final Fantasy XVI, some stand above the others. Here are the five boss fights that left me cheering, screaming, and speechless during my playthrough.
Important Note: This list contains spoilers for Final Fantasy XVI. If you haven’t finished the game, we suggest hopping off the page and returning once you have.
Related: All of the Eikon Abilities in Final Fantasy XVI
5. Infernal Eikon
Final Fantasy XVI’s first Eikon battle is also one of its best. During the opening hours of XVI, players take control of Joshua Rosfield as he battles the mysterious Infernal Icon underneath Phoenix gate. This Panzer Dragoon-inspired fight sees the Phoenix peppering his foe with flaming missiles in a battle of attrition.
With one of the most incredible songs in Final Fantasy XVI accompanying the action, it’s hard not to feel emotional. I knew I was in for the long haul with Final Fantasy XVI when this fight ended. The Infernal Eikon is easily the best opening boss I’ve ever played in a game and sets the tone for what players can expect going forward, both thematically and in terms of scale.
4. Barnabas Tharmr/Odin
Next up is the deranged king of Waloed, Barnabas Tharmr. The Eikon of Odin is the most experienced Dominant Clive faces on his journey, and it shows. Odin is fierce, calculated, and calm, a far cry from the other Eikons thus far.
Barnabus is a perfect example of a boss that’s beatable but makes the encounter feel hopeless. His attacks span the entire stage, deal significant damage, and he can easily alternate between his Eikon and Semi-Prime form while canceling Clive’s transformations. Clive has to chip away at his health across multiple phases and get his ass kicked repeatedly (in cutscenes) before he finally comes out on top in their final confrontation.
3. Ultima (Final Fight)
The last rendition of the mad god that threatens Valisthea is a formidable one. The original Ifrit boasts powers of all the Eikons before him and then some. Whether the two are duking it out as titans or fighting Semi-Primed, it’s an excellent mirror match, with both parties using every tool in their arsenal to outdo the other.
Seeing all the moves from other fights return for the big finale between two all-powerful combatants is a real treat and got me grinning on more than one occasion. Pairing it with well-placed cinematics, gorgeous setpieces, and that trademark Soken score only amplifies the spectacle.
2. Titan/Titan Lost
There are few characters in Final Fantasy XVI as loathsome and irredeemable as Hugo Kupka, the Dominant of Titan. The atrocities he commits make the buildup to his battle one of the most anticipated moments in the game. When it’s finally time to challenge Dhalmekia’s champion, the wait is more than worth it.
The seven-phase battle between Ifrit and Titan continues to ramp up in scale until its conclusion, with each phase topping the last. One moment, you’re taking on the rock monsters in a David vs. Goliath-style slugfest. Then you’re running Sonic the Hedgehog style through a crater towards a mountain-sized, tendril-filled version of the boss with callbacks to Asura’s Wrath and Attack on Titan.
Later, you’re chopping the monster into bits and using those parts to impale him. There’s even a segment where Ifrit and Titan barrel down a crater while falling from the sky. Even then, the fight keeps rolling, with the two swinging on one another whenever they soar within reach.
It’s as fun as it is ridiculous, and everything I love about Japanese games rolled into a single continent-spanning fight, one I saw myself applauding when the final blow was thrown. I haven’t hollered loud enough to hurt my throat while playing a game since the first fight with Thor in God of War: Ragnarok, but damn, did Final Fantasy XVI earn that level of hype. If it weren’t for the final entry on this list, Titan would hold the top spot for my favorite boss fight this generation.
1. Bahamut
The Bahamut fight is the peak of Final Fantasy XVI and one of the most incredible moments I’ve ever played in a game. Bahamut gets one of, if not the best, showing in franchise history during his battle. Here, Dion, his Eikon, loses control in a blind rage after killing his father.
Clive and Joshua tackle this fight together, with players taking control of Ifrit and Phoenix at different points. Ifrit crushes Bahamut from the ground with his savage and visceral melee combat accented by several fire abilities. Later, Phoenix takes to the skies raining fire from above in Starfox-like shooter segments, each with its own mechanics and obstacles to overcome.
What makes the fight an unrivaled spectacle is what happens when the two finally break Bahamut down. Unwilling to yield, he drinks the aether from the Mothercrystal, going berserk and leaving the planet’s atmosphere. The Eikon of light gains planetary destruction level attacks with moves like Zettaflare falling from the heavens. Only after fusing to become Ifrit Risen can Clive and Joshua hope to match their foe, gaining new and incredible powers.
Climbing into space to stop this wild wyvern with an orchestra cheering Ifrit on as light spears pain the night sky is one of the most incredible moments in boss battle history. You’ll spend almost 40 minutes fighting through waves of attacks that make even the final boss look like a joke. This is what it takes to subdue Bahamut, not kill him.
I’m still reeling from this fight almost a week later. It’s just that damn good. I suspect it’ll be years until we see a boss battle of this magnitude again, and honestly, that’s fine with me. I’m not sure my heart could take another Bahamut-level fight this decade.
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