Early into Final Fantasy 16, we are introduced to Torgal when he is just a pup. Torgal may seem small and unthreatening, but after being reunited post-time skip, Torgal shows Clive just how deadly he is.
Torgal cannot be directly controlled in combat, but you can issue him different commands on which targets to attack and what abilities to use. On top of his already deadly fangs and claws, Torgal can also heal Clive to some degree in combat, making him incredibly useful to use.
Updated by Joshua Leeds on June 30, 2023: Torgal is Clive's loyal companion who will be by his side for almost the entire game. Unlike other companions, he can get stronger the more you use him, making using him properly important from the beginning. Later in the game Torgal gets a massive power up, making him even more useful for those who power him up.
Giving Torgal Commands & Powering Him Up
Torgal can only be given commands while in combat, and when not given commands, he will act independently, attacking random enemies with his basic attack. To directly give Torgal commands, press left on the d-pad to switch your items menu to the Torgal menu. This will link the other three buttons on your d-pad to Torgals' three abilities.
In the attributes menu of your main menu, you can shift over to Torgal's stats to see where his upgrades are currently. Torgal's overall attack and effectiveness in battle are related to his Pedigree stat. This is raised simply by fighting with Torgal and will gradually level up as time goes on without needing to focus on it. As for his Sic and Ravage abilities, these are powered up by commanding him to use them in battle, so start commanding him often to rank these skills up early. While it won't give any real benefits, Clive can also pet Torgal, and doing so four times can give players an easy trophy.
Torgal's Abilities
Torgal is given a total of three commands to use in combat, with the first two being combat focused. His Sic command is mostly a basic attack and can be used to help Torgal focus on whichever enemy you need him to. His other combat ability is Ravage, which will launch small and medium-sized enemies into the air for Clive to further combo. Players are able to equip the Ring of Timely Assistance, which will automatically give him commands in combat, making it easy to level up his abilities without micromanaging him.
Torgal's final ability is his healing, which is incredibly useful when used correctly. This healing ability can be used as often as players need it but can only be used to heal a small amount of health. As Clive takes damage, a portion of his health bar will be a grayed-out green instead of fully empty. Using Torgal's healing will slowly heal only the grayed-out section of Clive's health. This grayed-out section only represents a small percentage of damage taken but can be healed back for free if you command Torgal often and efficiently enough.
Later in the game Torgal will gain an additional power up form. He won't always be in this powered up form but can transform into it when he feels it's necessary. When in this form, Torgal will be able to use ice magic much like Jill. These additional abilities will be used at random by Torgal, and their overall effectiveness is determined by Torgal's pedigree rank.