Summary
- Final Fantasy 16's boss fights are a combination of mechanics, narrative value, and spectacle, setting them apart in the RPG genre.
- The game features over 40 bosses, with S-Tier fights like Ultima and Benedikta offering emotional and challenging experiences.
- Bosses are categorized into S, A, B, C, and D tiers based on factors like challenge, mechanics, story impact, and visual quality.
When ranking Final Fantasy 16's boss fights, it's important to consider not only the uniqueness of their mechanics and difficulty but also their narrative value and spectacle — something this particular Final Fantasy installment takes very seriously. Many of Final Fantasy 16's boss fights are cinematic wonders to behold, and this is a significant part of what sets them apart in the RPG genre and the Final Fantasy franchise.
While there are plenty of difficult enemies in Final Fantasy 16, its bosses are technically those who are given a special health bar that appears in the top right corner of the screen. As such, there are over 40 bosses in Final Fantasy 16, some of which are arguably better than others when taking note of their challenge, innovative mechanics, impact on the story, and visual quality.
This Tier List includes bosses from Final Fantasy 16's two DLC expansions, Echoes of the Fallen and The Rising Tide.
S-Tier Boss Fights in Final Fantasy 16
- Ultima
- Ultimalius
- Titan Lost
- Typhon
- Typhon the Transgressor
- Benedikta
- Leviathan (The Rising Tide)
There are plenty of boss fights in Final Fantasy 16 worth writing home about, but the game's S-Tier boss fights are the best of the best. Not every game's final boss fight could be considered S-Tier, but Final Fantasy 16's epic Ultima fight is a different story. Furthermore, the battle with Benedikta is one of Final Fantasy 16's most emotional fights, simply due to her tragic backstory. Finally, the battle with Leviathan in The Rising Tide DLC is challenging, to say the least, and almost impossible with any mistakes made in Final Fantasy Mode.
A-Tier Boss Fights in Final Fantasy 16
- Eikon of Fire
- Infernal Eikon
- Bahamut
- Behemoth
- Barnabas
- Titan
- Omega (Echoes of the Fallen)
- Timekeeper (The Rising Tide)
Final Fantasy 16's A-Tier boss fights consist of battles with some of Final Fantasy 16's largest and most memorable foes, including the Eikon of Fire and the Infernal Eikon. Barnabas puts up quite a fight and is one of the game's more distinctive foes due to his persistently evasive nature. Also, Final Fantasy 16's Rising Tide DLC introduced the Timekeeper as a boss, who uses unique time-altering mechanics unlike any other boss in the base game.
B-Tier Boss Fights in Final Fantasy 16
- Garuda
- Akashic Dragon
- White Dragon
- Imperial Cannoneer
- Hugo Kupka
- Coeurl
- Morbol
- Akashic Morbol
- Angra Mainyu (Echoes of the Fallen)
- Hreidmar (The Rising Tide)
Final Fantasy 16's B-Tier boss fights are those that land somewhere in the middle of being entertaining and mundane, original and familiar, and captivating and uninteresting. That being said, the battle with FF16's Garuda can be tough to follow through on, as a tormented Benedikta loses control of herself. The fight with the Coeurl is also a fast-paced, action-packed fight not easily forgotten.
C-Tier Boss Fights in Final Fantasy 16
- Knight of the Blinding Dawn
- Knight of the Dying Sun
- Shiva's Dominant
- Sleipnir
- Republican War Panther
- Control Node
- Sigma (Echoes of the Fallen)
- Omicron (Echoes of the Fallen)
As Final Fantasy 16's boss fights venture toward C-Tier, bosses like Shiva's Dominant and the Control Node are easy to include. The fight with Shiva's Dominant simply feels a bit awkward, especially as players already know who she is, even if Clive seems like he doesn't. Additionally, other bosses like the Control Node, the Republican War Panther, the Knight of the Blinding Dawn, and the Knight of the Dying Sun are all fairly underwhelming fights.
D-Tier Boss Fights in Final Fantasy 16
- Tiamat
- Gigas
- Midnight Raven
- Suparna and Chirada
- Fafnir
- Flame Lizard
- Iron Giant
- Aurum Giant
- Undertaker
- Liquid Flame
- Necrophobe
Finally, Final Fantasy 16's D-Tier boss fights, though they are not necessarily bad by any means, are the worst of the bunch. Tiamat, especially, is one of Final Fantasy 16's least interesting boss battles, along with Fafnir and the Flame Lizard, who both have very simple mechanics and provide very little challenge.
Final Fantasy 16
- Released
- June 22, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
An epic dark fantasy world where the fate of the land is decided by the mighty Eikons and the Dominants who wield them.
This is the tale of Clive Rosfield, a warrior granted the title “First Shield of Rosaria” and sworn to protect his younger brother Joshua, the dominant of the Phoenix. Before long, Clive will be caught up in a great tragedy and swear revenge on the Dark Eikon Ifrit, a mysterious entity that brings calamity in its wake.
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Franchise
- Final Fantasy
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- How Long To Beat
- 36 Hours
- Metascore
- 88
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
