Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII Boss and Monster Walkthrough Guide

The following game guide includes information that could be considered spoilers. Please exercise caution.

Lightning may be a savior, but she can't guard you from the ferocious creatures that hound you in Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII. But take heart: if you're getting chomped by Earth Eaters and slashed up by skeletons, the following videos shall set you free from the chaos. This guide will offer tips for every boss, including The Last Ones.

Zaltys is a whole lot of nothing here, though the first time you deal with him, you only have default schemata. Stagger him with Thunder and Blizzard, and then whale on him with melee attacks while he's knocked out. If you want to feel really powerful, activate overclock while he's staggered. Zaltys signals his attacks with enough time to let you block, but don't worry too much about guarding: this fire-breathing foe is not a menace to society.

How appropriate that Lightning would put lightning to such good use against Noel. However, lightning is not your best bet in this instance. Rather, anything you've got that deals ice damage is helpful. Of course, which schemata you have available to you might change, and be warned: if you fight him on the final day, he'll be a lot tougher.

Blocking is key, so be on the lookout for Noel's tells. Stagger him with Blizzard, Thunder, and any variations thereof; Icespark is a lovely spell if you've got it. When he's down, physical attacks whittle Noel's health down nicely. Heavy Slash is one of my favorites, but if you don't have it available to you, standard attacks (and Froststrike, if possible) will do the job. Deprotect, Deshell, and Curse will also soften him up if you're having trouble.

Fire melts snow, so get yourself ready to burn your way through this battle. Snow will try to put your plans on ice, so if you've got an accessory to help shield you from ice damage--the Frostshield Choker, for instance--then equip it. Be ready for Snow's Counter-Drive: when you see the warning and time slows for just that instant, block. Impact Driver and Brutal Bash don't give you as much time to react, so guard the moment the announcement text appears. His Sanctify attack gives you a little more time, but if you've got a schemata with Heavy Guard equipped, that's a good place to use it.

Ooh Caius--he's a tricky one. You need to pay close attention to the modes he uses. When he's in Ravager mode, throw fire, ice, lightning, and wind at him. When he switches to Commando, lambast him with your melee weapon. But here's the thing: you can't just rely on one type of magic, because if you stagger him with one type, he'll gain a resistance to it. Caius will throw a number of attacks at you, but many of them charge up in the air before blasting you. The split-second timing required can be grueling. If you get caught up in a series of them, it's curtains.

Ride the wind to victory against Grendel. Everything you do should be aimed at getting this meanie caught up in one gust after another. Equip a wind attack like Aero or Aerora to every schema, and assign Deshell and Deprotect somewhere as well. Persistence is key: don't let your guard down after the first stagger but keep blowing wind on poor Grendel. Once he's down a second time, debuff him and slash away.

Bhunivelze

I wish I'd known how handy Ethers would be in the fight against God himself, and so now I pass on this wisdom: Before you tell Mog you're ready for your final showdown--indeed, as the final day approaches--take stock and make sure you have some Ethers. You'll want as much EP as you can, since Overclock is vital in this boss's fourth form. Also, clear out the four optional challenges near the door to the last boss before you enter. Doing so will reward you with the Ultimate Weapon and Ultimate Shield, which are truly wonderful to have. Too bad you don't get to keep them for New Game Plus.

Form One

Dooooooooooooom. Bhunivelze casts it on you at the start of battle, thus ensuring you have a sense of urgency about the whole thing. Whatever staggers and damages the fastest is your friend. Soldier of Peace is a great choice because it converts Heavy Slash to Artemis's Arrow, but you'll want to choose equipment that mitigates the slow-ish ATB regeneration. I ended up going with Nocturne, Equilibrium, and Carnaval Crusher, however. In any case, you want a varied list of spells, especially wind, along with Heavy Slash for the deep damage. My selection included Aerora, Aero, Icespark, Flamespark, Fira, and Blizzara. Element and Elementa are also handy if you use them wisely. For accessories, stick with ones that guard against Defaith and Debrave. (Serenity Sachet, Mage's Gloves.) When God flings his scythe at you, make sure to guard as it comes towards you and again as it swings back. Fling as many spells as you can, sticking with wind when possible, and slash him to bits when he's staggered. Guard as precisely as you can against Almagest, Giga-Graviton, and Ruinga, but the first form shouldn't give you too much trouble.

Form Two

Now come the elemental attacks. Dealing with things like Aerora and Thundara isn't so bad, but you'll need to prepare to guard precisely against attacks like Wings of Destruction. Watch for Bhunivelze's elemental forms. For instance, when he transforms with Wind Spirit, shoot electricity his way. (Wind/Lightning, Fire/Ice are your paired elements.) Hammer him hard with magic when when he casts Genethliac Hymn, and don't be sad if you don't stagger him before he explodes with Dancing Mad, though you can effectively block much of the damage if you are really really really really good.

Form Three

Hang in there! This form is in some ways like the first, though Bhunivelze is much more powerful here. Again, spell him to death; Aero and Aerora are my favorites, staggering him with some sense of expediency. This is where your guarding abilities receive their final test, given God's willingness to throw his weapon around all willy-nilly. As for his Hypernova, well, best to have some X-Potions on you. That attack is a real doozy.

Form Four

This is where you'll be glad you came with a full EP meter and any leftover ethers. You will want to block attacks like Divine Efflux, which Bhunivelze signals fairly obviously before shooting eye lasers at you. And he may not just do one pass of lasers, but maybe even a trio, so don't get complacent after a lone shot. With Heartless Angel, he summons forth two, well, angels that will take away almost all of your health, leaving a single hit point; guard as soon as the camera focuses on Lightning to block the attack. You do almost no damage to Bhunivelze in this form, which is why having a lot of EP is so important: Overclock. Don't accidentally activate Army of One if you can avoid it, since staggering is more important than damage. Use Overclock again and again, bombarding God with magic, until he's staggered. (Easier said than done.) Once he's down, slash away with Heavy Slash and the like until you have vanquished the divine creator for good.

The Last Ones

The Last Ones are the last of each specific creature in Nova Chrysalia. You fight them either by fighting every creature of a certain type until the species goes extinct, or by completing 100 side and Chocolina quests by the final day, at which time a multi-floor dungeon housing each Last One becomes available. Each monster is a more challenging version of its standard counterpart, so the hints below also apply to those typical enemies as well.

Lesser Chaos Beasts

Niblet	HP: 115,200
Vulnerabilities: Fire	Resistances: Physical
	Don't bother blocking Glutton attack: just hammer Fira and Fire. If you want to feel ultrapowerful, have the Coldflame Droplet equipped. Click here for full video.

Goblot	HP: 195,000
Vulnerabilities: None	Resistances: Lightning
	All wind, all the time. If you have the Windwalker Bracelet, make sure to put it on if you really want to blow Goblot into next Tuesday. And throw on the poison-resistant Star Bracelet while you're at it. Click here for full video.

Standard Chaos Beasts

Anubys
Coming Soon

Set
Coming Soon

Meonekton	HP: 108,000
Vulnerabilities: Elemental Magic	Resistances: Physical Attacks
	Wind is always a great go-to for its high stagger ratings, but debuffs are even more helpful here. Throw off a Curse, a Deprotect, and a Deshell, at the start of battle and you'll be flying high. When he's staggered, slash him with Heavy Slash or just normal attacks. Click here for full video.

Skeleton	HP: 175,000
Vulnerabilities: None	Resistances: Lightning
	Oh, wind--do you ever let us down? Well, it might when this sucker casts slow on you. Make sure you have the Pretty Orb on you if you've got it. Oh--and his Blood Sword attack? You need to be very last minute to get the most out of that block. Click here for full video.

Gaunt	HP: 120,000
Vulnerabilities: Lightning	Resistances: General Magic
	So much lightning. It's the name of the game, and the core of the strategy here. Just be careful of his Aeroga attack. It's a doozy, so equip the Stormshield Choker if you've got it. To avoid the attack completely, activate Overclock at the very beginning of battle, cast Thunder, then take him down with Electric Blitz. Click here for full video.

Dryad	HP: 48,000
Vulnerabilities: Fire	Resistances: Wind
	Do not use any wind! This sucker will absorb it all and take nourishment from it. Instead, burn it alive. He's a pushover, really. Click here for full video.

Arcangeli
Coming Soon

Greater Chaos Beasts

It's just best to hammer on this guy until he's hammered into the ground. Normal attacks, Heavy Slash, and the such will do the trick. Try activating Overclock after you've worn him down a bit, and then use Heavy Slash a few times while he's staggered. With luck, you can use a normal attack to then fling him into the air. Another helpful trick: using Heavy Slash on him will interrupt him knock him backwards as he gears up to perform certain attacks.

Coming Soon

Coming Soon

Lesser Feral Creatures

Gremlin	HP: 22,400
Vulnerabilities: None	Resistances: Physical
	Well, the game says Mr. Gremlin is resistant to physical attacks, but Heavy Slash does immense wonders. (Heavy Slash can often be your best friend in Lightning Returns.) Block when you need to: this little guy can catch you off guard with Aerora and other elemental attacks. But whatever. This battle is easy mode, and if you're far enough along to be seeing the last ones, you're far enough along to crush this one in a few seconds. Click here for full video.

Miniflan	HP: 21,840
Vulnerabilities: Lightning	Resistances: Physical
	Electrify this living pudding with Thundara and Thunder. It's as easy as sticking your finger in a light socket. Mmm. Pudding. Click here for full video.

Rafflesia	HP: 10,000
Vulnerabilities: Fire	Resistances: None
	Remember when Donald Trump was a lovable bald mogul and not a weird political crackpot? Well, it's time to do your best Trump impression and scream "You're fired!" at the Rafflesia. Or, you know, just cast Fira and Fire at it. The battle is over before you know it. Click here for full video.

Goblin	HP: 35,588
Vulnerabilities: Ice, Lightning	Resistances: None
	Lightning returns… in your battle tactics! Icespark and Icesparka are lovely things in this battle, but you can always make do with Blizzara and Thundara if you must. Click here for full video.

Vali
Coming Soon

Neela
Coming Soon

Wendigo
Coming Soon

No ice, you hear me? Unless, of course, you want to hel the ever-awkward voguing cactus. Go with fire, instead, but don't let the low-ish HP fool you: Cactuar wants you dead. When he casts Elementa, block quickly three times in a row; when you see 1000 Needles about to land, guard! I wouldn't want to be pulling those things out of you later. There is no shame in activating Overlock: this sucker won't let up.And don't let the first stagger make you complacent, since he'll keep coming after you. Click here for full video.

Cactair
Coming Soon

Standard Feral Creatures

Gorgonopsid	HP: 36,000
Vulnerabilities: Ice	Resistances: None
	Ice to see you, Gorgonopsid. I hear you have a fierce Megabite, but that's OK, since if I guard at exactly the right moment, I'll stagger the bejeezus out of you. You also don't like ice, though some normal attacks and Heavy Slashes are good tricks for when you're down for the count. I also hear that you can poison me, so maybe putting on the Star Bracelet is a good idea. Click here for full video.

Skata'ne
Coming Soon

Schrodinger	HP: 45,756
Vulnerabilities: None	Resistances: Physical
	Stagger him with magic. I like Blizzara, but it isn't the only option. Then when he staggers, attack him with all your might. Just ignore his meows of anguish, you heartless SOB. Click here for full video.

Desert Sahagin	HP: 55,000
Vulnerabilities: Wind	Resistances: None
	It's the windy city up in here when Sahagin comes to visit. I have more fun, however, when I wait for this weird fellow to rush at me, and then guard at the last moment. He staggers, I slash him up, and all is right in the desert once more. Click here for full video.

Ectopudding	HP: 76,260
Vulnerabilities: Ice	Resistances: Fire, Physical
	Don't heal your gooey enemy with fire, for Bhunivelze's sake! Instead, Blizzara and Blizzard are the way to go, from top to bottom. If you need a bit of help, the Flameshield Choker and Flameward Bangle will help fend of his fiery attacks. Click here for full video.

Triffid	HP: 75,000
Vulnerabilities: Fire	Resistances: Ice
	Kill it with fire! Kill it with fire! Kill it with fire! Kill it with fire! Kill it with fire! Kill it with fire! Kill it with fire! Kill it with fire! Kill it with fire! Click here for full video.

Sugriva	HP: 105,000
Vulnerabilities: None	Resistances: None
	This last one is one of Lightning Returns' elemental chameleons, changing resistances and weaknesses as he sees fit. Each element has a counter: wind / lightning, and ice / fire. Sugriva chains his attacks together quickly, so be prepared for a trio of slashes at once, and cast the right spells based on what opposes the creature. If he casts Fire Eater, use Blizzard; if he casts Ice Eater, use Fira. When he's staggered, pound on him mercilessly in that way only you know how to do. Click here for full video.

Hanuman	HP: 180,000
Vulnerabilities: Wind	Resistances: Ice, Fire
	It's OK to be old-fashioned about this one. Just lambast him with your melee weapon with attacks and Heavy Attack, and equip the Windwalker Bracelet to give you a windy boost. Sir Hanuman will also charge up his attacks with electricity, so the Sparkbane Choker can be handy. Click here for full video.

Greater Feral Creatures

Oh, Zaltys, how you fooled us in the tutorial battle. You seemed like such a pussycat before. What happened? Well here's what's happening now: cold, frigid ice. One effective tactic: Soften Zaltys up with Curse, Imperil, and Slow. Then, cast Blizzara and Icesparka over and over until Zaltys is staggered. When he's down, use Heavy Slash for a second stagger and then wail away on his head until the chocobos come home. As soon as he gets up, use Overclock and throw more ice on him. Repeat until successful!

Coming soon.

This is a fun one. Really. Icespark, Thundara, and Blizzara are great tools to have in your arsenal, along with any accessories that enhance those skills. The first stagger shouldn’t take too long, but Reaver will recover and fully heal, making you do it all over again. My favorite technique: cast my old friends Curse, Slow, and Deprotect, and then hammer with spells until he’s staggered. Once he’s staggered, slash him up until your attack turns into a Launch prompt. Launch him into the air, then switch to a schema with Heavy Slash, which will hopefully have transformed into Smite. That Smite move will take off a huge chunk of Reaver’s health. Just be prepared, as always, to guard his attacks. Diving Strike looks mean, but gives you lots of time to prepare a precise guard. Spinning Slice does more damage, and be ready to guard twice--but the stagger potential is huge.