Final Boss Guide: How to Beat Ultimalius

Ultimalius, Ultima's true form, is the final boss of Final Fantasy 16 (FF16) which appears during the Of Gods and Men quest. See the best strategies for how to beat all four forms of Ultimalius, how to counter its attacks and abilities, spoils, and drops.

Ultimalius Final Boss Overview

Ultimalius Location and Drops

Ultimalius
Quest	Of Gods and Men
Rewards	・0 EXP ・0 AP ・0 Gil
Abilities	・Flare ・Holy ・Ultima ・Meteor ・Smite ・Aureola ・Stellar Xyston ・Antistrophe ・The Rapture ・Pulsar ・Fulmen and Fulgur ・Divine Embrace ・Euroclydon ・Cataclysm ・Boreal Rhapsody ・Severance ・Exaflare ・Limit Break ・Empyrosis ・Ashes to Ashes ・Flames of Creation

All Ultimalius Forms

Ultimalius Form	Main Strategy
Ultima Prime	・Around four minutes of Quick Time Events
Ultima	・Combos are slow, so you'll find openings frequently ・Attacks can be dodged normally
Ultima Risen	・Eikon battle ・Focus on attacking especially during the countdown
Ultimalius	・Same strategy as with Ultima

How to Beat Ultima Prime (1st Phase)

Keep Following the On-Screen Prompts

The first phase of the final boss fight consists entirely of Quick Time Events so you just have to follow the prompts and let the rest of the scenes play. You'll inevitably take damage in some parts, but it's all part of the phase.

How to Beat Ultima (2nd Phase)

Step-by-Step Guide
Attack between Ultima's combos Dodge and counter the magic bullets Named attacks are easier to dodge

Attack Between Ultima's Combos

Ultima's melee attacks are a bit slow and can be easily telegraphed. Execute Precision Dodges and Precision Strikes on each strike to chip his health little by little.

Dodge and Counter the Magic Bullets

The magic bullets can be Precision-Dodged and countered with a melee or ranged attack all as you close in. Just be careful as Ultima can immediately follow up with a rush attack, making a ranged counter a safer choice.

Named Attacks are Easier to Dodge

Unlike the first battle against Ultima where dodging attacks like Neutron Flare and Eternal Darkness takes extra steps, dodging this version of Ultima's attacks won't need that much effort.

The named attacks Flare, Holy, Ultima, and Meteor can be avoided by simply walking away from their AoE. Markers will appear on the ground to indicate the red zone where you should be out of. Quickly get away by dodging or using Cold Snap.

How to Beat Ultima Risen (3rd Phase)

Step-by-Step Guide
Focus on attacking Get ready to dodge thrice during Antistrophe Break the barrier to stop Purgatory

Focus on Attacking

The third phase against Ultima—who is now Ultima Risen—is another Eikon fight. You can focus more on attacking than evading since Risen won't really deal much damage and you can easily get back lost health with Firelight.

Get Ready to Dodge Thrice During Antistrophe

Antistrophe consists of three consecutive blasts so prepare to dodge all these before resuming your attack.

Break the Barrier to Stop Purgatory

Once down to about 50% health, Ultima Risen will start casting Purgatory. Press attack and quickly deplete the barrier's health bar before the countdown ends or it's game over.

Ultima Risen will still attack with magic spheres and beams while casting so pay attention to these and time your dodge right.

How to Beat Ultimalius (4th Phase)

Step-by-Step Guide
Focus on dodging during the Eikon attacks Uses new attacks after dropping below 50% health

Focus on Dodging During the Eikon Attacks

Ultimalius has access to abilities of the other Eikons in this final phase. These named attacks cover wide areas so you should focus on dodging until Ultimalius stops.

In the latter parts of the fight, Ultimalius can use these in quick succession so be in your guard.

Uses New Attacks After Dropping Below 50% Health

After Ultimalius' health drops below 50%, he will ditch the Eikon abilities listed above and will start using Phoenix-based ones.

Final Fantasy XVI (FF16) Related Guides

List of Bosses and Formidable Foes

All Formidable Foes

All Formidable Foes
Gigas	Morbol	Knight of the Blinding Dawn
Eikon of Fire	Shiva's Dominant	Tiamat
Dragon Aevis	Fafnir	Midnight Raven
Chirada	Suparna and Chirada	Benedikta
Garuda	Knight of the Dying Sun	Iron Giant
Infernal Eikon	Infernal Shadow	Imperial Cannonier
Akashic Dragon	Typhon	Republican War Panther
Akashic Morbol	Flame Lizard	Liquid Flame
Coeurl	Hugo	Undertaker
Titan	White Dragon	Necrophobe
Bahamut	Sleipnir	Barnabas (First Encounter)
Control Node	Aurum Giant	Barnabas (Second Encounter)
Behemoth	Ultima (First Encounter)	Ultimalius