How to Beat Time Devourer (True Form) and Element Color Order for True Ending

The Time Devourer (True Form) is the final boss in Chrono Cross Remaster: The Radical Dreamers Edition. Read on to learn the strategy behind beating the Time Devourer (True Form), know its Element color order, and unlock the True Ending using the Chrono Cross!

How to Beat Time Devourer (True Ending)

How to Get the True Ending
Equip the Chrono Cross on Serge Allocate All Elements to Your Party Start Fight and Use Elements in Order Unleash the Power of the Chrono Cross Alternative Strategy (Requires Vigora)

Equip the Chrono Cross on Serge

Defeating the Time Devourer (True Form) and getting the True Ending is impossible without having the Chrono Cross.

Be sure you have acquired it before facing the final boss and have equipped it on Serge. The Chrono Cross is a Level 8 Element, but it is recommended to place it at the lowest level of the grid, so you have easy access to it when the time comes.

It is worth noting that you are to defeat the Time Devourer (True Form) not by whittling down its health, but by doing all these steps without interruption from the final boss.

How to Get the Chrono Cross Key Item

Allocate All Elements to Your Party

Be sure to allocate Elements of every color to your Element grid.

It doesn't have to be high-level Elements, what matters is that you have access to Elements of each color throughout the fight. This even works wonders if all of them are level 1 elements as it will be easier to use the Chrono Cross' element sequence without gathering high amounts of grid levels.

However, it is recommended to use Healing skills for White, Green, and Blue Elements in case any member of the party is at the risk of falling.

Begin Battle and Use Elements in Order

Before casting the series of Elements, be sure to have your party reach a grid level of 8. Afterwards, we want to make the Time Devourer use a Yellow Element so we can follow up with the rest of the elements with a head start. There are two ways to make the Time Devourer use a Yellow Element.

Deal Enough Damage to Time Devourer

From our testing, you need to deal a significant amount of damage to the Time Devourer for it to switch from casting green elements to casting the Chrono Cross sequence itself. However, on Phase 2, it will only use strong element attacks and will also not use the white element. To finish the fight, you'll want to keep everyone's HP up so you can finish the sequence by surviving its attacks.

Use the Chrono Cross Sequence

The Time Devourer will try to disrupt your element sequence by casting its own. You can't simply cast everything then pause at Green to make the Time Devourer help you. To manipulate its AI, you'll have to cast a yellow element then a red element. Afterwards, you'll want to defend to make them regain some grid levels. On its next turn, the TD will cast a yellow element which you can now easily follow up to end the game.

Unleash the Chrono Cross

Once you have accomplished the Element order, switch back to Serge and have him cast the Chrono Cross, which is hopefully placed on the lower level side of the grid in order to lessen having to increase your grid level to execute it.

After Serge uses the Chrono Cross, watch the True Ending unfold in all its glory!

Alternate Strategy (Requires Vigora)

If you obtained the Vigora element from Vita Unus, there is an alternative and much easier strategy to employ to easily use the Chrono Cross.

Assign a Vigora User, an Element Bot, and Serge's Chrono Cross

First thing is you must have a Blue element character. This can be anyone as their only purpose is to use Vigora. You'll then want an element bot, this can be Serge as well provided you put each of the element's color on Serge's first Grid. Then lastly, make sure to equip the Chrono Cross.

Vigora Strategy

Once in the battle, your first goal is to have Serge have enough element level to use the Chrono Cross (1 grid level as you can put the Chrono Cross on the first grid) then the element user to have at least 6 elements so it can cast each element then have your Vigora user get level 6.

Defend then once the Time Devourer attacks, use Vigora on your Element User then cast the Chrono Cross Sequence. Follow it up with Serge's Chrono Cross to end the game.

How to Beat Time Devourer (Bad Ending)

Exploit its Weakness to Black Elements

Unlike your first encounter with the Time Devourer, its True Form will stay a White-innate all throughout the battle, allowing you to focus on one Elemental weakness.

Consider bringing Grobyc to the battle for his hard-hitting physical attacks as well as his Black-innate Tech Skills!

As for the others, be sure to allocate high-level Black Elements like Free Fall and Mother Ship to their grid!

List of All Black Elemental Abilities

Cut Down its Damage with Debuffs and Equips

Given that the Time Devourer (True Form) has access to the Elemental weakness of your party, it would be a great idea to equip the Dragon Plates for each of their weaknesses to prevent increased damage from its respective Omega attacks.

To account for the other Elements it will throw at you, consider using debuffs against the Time Devourer (True Form) like Diminish in order to cut down any Elemental damage.

This will also make it easier if you brought party members of the same Element, with only one character able to wear their corresponding Dragon Plate.

List of All Plates

Bring Green Innate Characters

At the start of the fight, the Time Devourer will only use green elements. Bringing fellow green innate characters will easily make them more likely to survive against the Time Devourer's attacks.

If you managed to recruit Glenn in your playthrough, he will be a huge asset for this fight - especially if he has the Dual Einlanzer swords!

How to Recruit Glenn and Unlock Level 7 Tech Skill

Equip Element Plates and Control Time Devourer's AI

Alternatively, the Time Devourer can also be exploited by using its anti Chrono Cross counter mechanism. You can equip each character a specific element plate then manipulate Time Devourer's attacks by using the Chrono Cross sequence to make it “break” the sequence by using a specific element attack. Below are its counters to every element order used.

You won't likely go past 3 elements so to use this mechanic, you'll want to equip the Yellow, Green, and Red plates to your characters. If your character with a Red Plate has a low HP, you can cast Yellow, Red, then Blue to make it cast a red element and heal your wounded character.

Of course, you can also use your own heal spell but if you want to maximize your damage, this will be vital especially as the Time Devourer has a lot of HP.

Time Devourer (True Form) Boss Information

Stats and Item Drops

Time Devourer (True Form)
Element	White	HP	????
Attack	120	Defense	93
Mag Atk	30	Mag Def	45
Drops (Common)	Earring of Hope
Steal (Common)	Holy Light
Location	Darkness at the End of Time

A Star Level (★) is earned from this battle.

Time Devourer (True Form) Abilities

Elemental Attacks

Tech Skills

General Tips

How You Fight Determines the Ending

You can get one of two endings from this battle based on how you approach the Final battle.

If you just take down the Time Devourer, the events that follow will lead you to the Bad Ending.

However, equipping and unleashing the Chrono Cross with Serge after following the required Element order will bring you to a different ending entirely with extra scenes. This ending is referred to as Chrono Cross' True Ending.

However, Chrono Cross is a game with more than two endings, so be sure to check our endings guide to know how to unlock them all!

Endings Guide: How to Get All Endings

Chrono Cross Remaster Related Guides

List of All Bosses

Story Bosses

Optional Bosses