The first major battle in Final Fantasy 16, Benedikta's two-phase fight, is a challenging encounter filled with techniques that require careful study and pattern recognition.
Benedikta has a keen awareness of both your movements and her own vulnerabilities. At first glance, her first phase may make her seem like a typical AI-controlled opponent with scripted moves, but her transformed second phase addresses many of the openings and weaknesses in her first phase techniques. In addition, she significantly enhances and alters these abilities to increase the challenge she poses tenfold.
Benedikta's First Phase
Benedikta's Moveset
- Wind Style: Benedikta initiates the technique by performing a backflip, then swiftly strikes with two diagonal slashes that form an X shape at close range, followed by an Aero ball at point blank. It is worth noting that Benedikta can also cast the Aero magic ball independently from a distance, without preceding it with any of the other physical techniques
- Wind Rapier: Benedikta levitates momentarily and supsends herself in mid-air, before lunging towards you with the tip of her rapier.
- Aero Festival: Benedikta begins this technique by releasing five Aero wind balls in a horizontally expanding line, followed by casting the powerful Aerora spell (which sends a single powerful wind ball directly at you). Afterward, she conjures Aeroga, a significantly larger wind ball that can create a massive whirlwind when it hits the ground before dissipating completely. It should be noted that Benedikta can cast Aeroga without the need to first cast Aerora, although she usually uses Aerora first.
- Wind Blade: Inspired by Chirada and Suprana, this technique involves the projection of wind-like blades from Benedikta's sword swings. There are two variations, both of which are visually identified as Wind Blade by the name displayed on the screen upon activation. The first version has Benedikta using her sword to release large horizontal wind arcs at various heights, requiring the use of the jump button in addition to the dodge button. The second version involves releasing three vertical wind pillars that slide along the ground towards you, with the possibility of releasing another set of three wind pillars after the three starting ones.
How To Defeat Benedikta's First Phase
The physical moves Wind Style and Wind Rapier are your best bet if you want to go full Devil May Cry on her. These two moves are accompanied by visual cues that Benedikta is initiating them and leave her vulnerable for a good few seconds after casting. Benedikta only has one sword move (not part of a combo) that she uses to retaliate at close range, but most of the time she would just cast Aeroga at close range or retreat and focus on her long-range Wind spells, so closing the distance between you and her actually works in your favor here.
The Aero Festival is also easy to avoid because the names Aerora and Aeroga appear on the screen. The techniques that are hard to avoid are the two Wind Blades. Don't Phoenix Shift to get past them, instead dodge left and right until they're over, then approach her. There's a cinematic action scene that comes up when her health is at critical levels (no need to actually bring it down to zero), and whether you succeed or fail, you'll unfortunately lose the ability to use Torgal for a good chunk of the second phase.
Benedikta's Second Phase (Garuda-Fused)
Garuda-Benedikta's Moveset
- Garuda Claws: This move, which you inherit after defeating Benedikta, allows her to summon two magical claws that slash diagonally at you while propelling herself forward with each attack.
- Nose Dive: Benedikta's signature named move. As the name suggests, she quickly ascends into the sky when the skill name appears on screen, and then quickly descends on your position, using her eagle claws to deal a substantial amount of damage.
- Aero: Previously not troublesome, Benedikta now possesses the ability to cast multiple Aero balls while moving swiftly. This allows her to throw them at more advantageous angles and make sure they hit their target.
- Aerora: The wind balls produced in this technique have increased in size. Additionally, she can now cast two Aeroras simultaneously.
- Aeroga: Already a powerful technique, Benedikta has gained the ability to throw three Aeroga balls at once.
- Garuda Style: A combination of three attacks, starting with two Garuda Claws, followed by a backflip and a dash similar to Chirada's Wind Dash while wielding a large magical Garuda Claw. Finally, she summons an oversized Garuda Claw to execute a direct attack at you.
- Aerial Slash: A named attack that is an evolved version of the horizontal Wind Blade technique. Benedikta now throws three horizontal slashes at you: two at the bottom and one at the top. You'll need to jump, stay in place, and then jump again to avoid them. After losing half of her health, she incorporates vertical Wind Blades into this technique and concludes with a bonus Aeroga ball.
- Aero Rain: This uninterruptable move involves Benedikta temporarily leaving the battle zone while casting multiple Aero balls as she flies around. Each shot consists of numerous Aero balls converging on your location, requiring you to evade her continously. She wraps up the flight trip with a Nose Dive.
- Ramellfall: A cinematic two-step action attack that requires precise timing. Benedikta breaks down the stone towers and combines them into a ball, which she then hurls the ball at you with great zeal.
- Tornado: This eponymous technique manifests when a significant portion of Benedikta's health is depleted. She creates a large moving tornado in front of the battlefield. At lower health, she will create multiple stationary tornadoes at different locations on the field.
- Gathering Clouds: The outcome of this technique differs depending on whether or not you become trapped within the cloud field she creates. If caught, Benedikta ensnares you in a combined Rumellfall stone structure. If you avoid it, she simply throws the structure at you.
- Deadly Embrace: A cinematic action technique that inflicts no damage but reintroduces Torgal into the fight when Benedikta's health drops below half. This move unlocks several new aggressive attacks for Benedikta, all predominantly utilizing her Garuda Claw. She may unleash a barrage of Garuda Claws or trap you in her 'deadly-embrace' claw to overwhelm you in mid-air with a move called Twister. She can also employ Deadly Embrace separately to ensnare you and use other moves more effectively, such as Tornado or Aeroga.
How To Defeat Benedikta's Second Phase
There are an awful lot of techniques at Benedikta's disposal here, so you need to discern which ones are safe to approach and do the good damage. Nose Dive is your best safe bet as it is easy to avoid. The rest you have to avoid completely until she finishes casting them. Don't interrupt any of her Gardua style attacks, as the Gardua Claw can hit hard. Always make sure there's a safe distance between you and her as well so you don't get caught in her Gathering Clouds or Deadly Embrace.
You can interrupt Benedikta's Tornado attack with your magic and skills, so when her name appears on the screen, it's actually a suggestion that you go and interrupt her, not the other way around.
Her Deadly Embrace phase is one of the most ferocious phases you will face in the game up to that point. The good thing is that Benedikta is much less likely to attack with anything other than Deadly Embrace (and its variants) and Tornado, so if you want to, you can just step away and charge at her with Fire Magic without having to deal with all that Garuda Claw stuff.
The rewards for this fight are: 60 Experience Points, 150 Ability Points, 2200 Gil, The Will of Fire (Rising Flames) accessory, 50 Wyrrite, and 2 Meteorite.