Summary
When rankingFinal 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 particularFinal Fantasyinstallment takes very seriously. Many ofFinal 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 theFinal Fantasyfranchise.
While there are plenty of difficult enemies inFinal 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 inFinal 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 fromFinal Fantasy 16’s two DLC expansions, Echoes of the Fallen and The Rising Tide.
S-Tier Boss Fights in Final Fantasy 16
There are plenty of boss fights inFinal Fantasy 16worth 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, butFinal Fantasy 16’s epic Ultima fight is a different story. Furthermore, the battle with Benedikta is one ofFinal 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
Final Fantasy 16’s A-Tier boss fights consist of battles with some ofFinal Fantasy 16’s largest and most memorable foes, including theEikon of Fireand 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
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 withFF16’s Garudacan 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
AsFinal 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 Dominantsimply 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
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 ofFinal 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
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.
