Of all the boss battles up to this point, the Akashic Dragon boss fight in Final Fantasy 16 is unique as it marks Clive’s first proper encounter against a dragon. This fight occurs during The Crystals’ Curse main quest inside Drake’s Head in the Kingdom of Sanbreque.
During their journey through Sanbreque, Clive, Jill, Torgal, and Cid come across a dragon who is inflicted by the blight. The Akashic Dragon gets violent in the presence of dominants in its domain and attacks the party without prior warnings in FF16. This is a tough boss fight; the recommended level to attempt it is 22+.
We recommend equipping and upgrading the most potent sword you can use. Equip charms to increase attack damage and defense. Keep Steelskin tonic handy and equipped on the shortcut to increase defense.
Below is a detailed guide on how to defeat this monster. This guide covers all the basic and named attacks Akashic Dragon uses against the party in FFXVI.
How to defeat Akashic Dragon in Final Fantasy 16
Akashic Dragon always starts the fight with a forward dive trying to hit Clive with its massive head. This attack can be dodged, allowing Clive to deliver some hits to the back of the dragon. Akashic Dragon’s body is reinforced and doesn’t take enough damage from the hits to its body.
These attacks prompt Akashic Dragon to use the swipe attack to hit Clive with its wings. Dodge this attack and use Garuda’s Death’s Embrace passive skill to gain altitude. Target the dragon’s head and try to dish out as much damage as possible.
Beware of the bite attack by Akashic Dragon once you are in front of it in Final Fantasy 16. This strategy allows Clive to stagger the dragon’s half. Once again, use Death’s Embrace to slam the dragon’s head on the floor, making it vulnerable for a few seconds.
Akashic Dragon recovers from this temporary stun by sweeping the area with its massive tail. Use Precision Dodge to avoid this attack. Also, make sure to move away if the dragon gets airborne, as it uses the tail as a whip to attack party members in front of it. Akashic Dragon also tries to smash Clive with its right paw in FF16.
Stagger the Akashic Dragon
At this point, with constant attacks, Clive and the party should be able to stagger the Akashic Dragon. This is your best chance to deal as much damage as possible. Use all the skills that are cooled down from both Eikons. Mix and match your attacks for maximum stagger damage.
Akashic Dragon recovers using Cauterize skill, allowing it to spray flames in a stream continuously. The dragon follows Clive during this attack. Ensure to dodge forward to get beneath the flying dragon and avoid this high-damage attack. This attack has a long wind-up, so use this time to your advantage.
Repeat the strategy mentioned above until the next stagger happens. Now trigger Limit Break and combine its additional attack power with the eikonic skills. Make sure to take down the Akashic Dragon in this phase if possible. If you fail, the dragon recovers, this time with Dragon’s Dance ability.
This ability allows the Akashic dragon in Final Fantasy XVI to shoot fireballs toward Clive that blast on impact. Run in a curve to avoid these blasting fireballs. This attack is immediately followed by multiple laser attacks on the ground that create walls of fire with massive AoE damage.
This is one of the most challenging attacks to dodge and survive. Use potions and tonics to restore your health and increase defense. You can’t do anything at this point unless the attack stops. Akashic Dragon dashes toward Clive and slams into the ground to finish the Dragon’s Dance in FF16.
This massive attack takes everything out of the Akashic Dragon and takes a lot of time to recover. Finish the fight now by using every powerful attack in your arsenal.
Akashic Dragon Rewards in FFXVI
Defeating the Akashic Dragon rewards Clive with 90 exp points, 120 ability points, 3000 gil, Meteorite, Bloody Hide, and Black Blood (unique crafting item). Clive and the party are now free to journey toward the Kingdom of Sanbreque.
