Highlights
- Eikon abilities in Final Fantasy 16 draw on the power of mystical entities, enhancing Clive's attacks and causing destruction on the battlefield.
- Dancing Steel may not have high damage, but its flurry of quick attacks fills up the Zantetsuken bar, making it useful.
- Gigaflare is the best ability in the game due to its high power and ability to damage multiple targets, while also stopping time.
You will have a very large arsenal at your disposal throughout your time in Final Fantasy 16, and this includes a lot of abilities that draw upon some mystical and supernatural entities. These kinds of things have been in the series for a long, long time and this newest entry has its own spin on it.
These take the form of Eikon abilities, which draw on the power of magical entities to bring Clive's attacks to new heights and bring some destruction to the battlefield. There are a lot of Eikon abilities that you can unlock during the game, and there are a select few that are better than the rest.
Updated by Shane Black on July 24, 2023: This list was updated to provide more Eikon abilities that can be useful in the game, describing their damage output, animations, and possible weaknesses. It also added more in-text links to relevant guides and articles to further help players as they play through the game.
24 Dancing Steel
Channeling Odin will give you access to Dancing Steel, which has Clive whipping out another blade and launching into a flurry of quick attacks. With each hit landed, it will also build up the bar for the Zantetusken ability that comes with Odin as well.
While its damage isn't spectacular, its filling of the bar and the fact that you land a lot of hits makes it useful.
23 Deadly Embrace
This ability sees Clive sending out a claw that grabs an enemy and pulls them to him. If you grapple with a larger enemy, it will launch Clive into the air as well. This can be great for closing the distance between you and certain enemies.
There may be some pesky enemy that is peppering you with attacks from range, and you can bring them right up to you with this ability. It can turn the tide of a battle when used properly and doesn't take much to unlock.
22 Diamond Dust
Diamond Dust can dish out some mega damage to a lot of enemies at once by Clive sending out two blankets of ice that send spikes up from underneath enemies. It does a ton of Stagger damage and also even stops time when it is activated which can be a lifesaver if you are getting overwhelmed.
And given that it will cover almost the entire battlefield, it's going to damage just about every single enemy in a battle.
21 Flames Of Rebirth
The Super Ability for the Phoenix has Clive summoning a massive storm of fire that covers pretty much the entire battlefield. And while it damages every enemy around you, it will also heal Clive as it rages on.
Its range is huge and can damage every enemy in any given battle, and will even do some good Stagger damage to them as it continues on. And while the healing aspect of it isn't as prominent as the damage you do, it's still a cherry on top for an ability that can do so much damage.
20 Gigaflare
Gigaflare could quite possibly be the best ability in the game simply because of its power. While other entries on this list might do more damage to single targets, Gigaflare is great because it can do a ton of damage to multiple targets at once.
When used, it will fire off a giant laser beam in a player-controlled direction and can damage all enemies in that line. Smaller enemies will be locked in place and it even stops time when activated.
19 Gouge
You will automatically unlock Gouge when you unlock Garuda in the game. This ability has Clive summon claws that he uses to tear into an enemy. You can also hit multiple enemies at the same time, and when all your hits land, the damage it does is pretty significant.
The staggering that it commits to enemies is also a huge benefit, leaving them far weaker than before you used the attack.
18 Heatwave
Summon a giant wave of fire that will then send out a batch of projectiles towards enemies. On its own, the ability isn't anything to write home about, but when it's used to counter projectiles, Clive will send out more slashes that will deal more damage and also decrease the cooldown.
This makes it a great option to have in your arsenal when fighting off enemies of any kind.
17 Heaven's Cloud
What makes Heaven's Cloud so useful is that you can use it repeatedly in quick succession if you land your first hit with it. The base move is simple: you lunge forward at an enemy to deliver a strike to them.
And if you hit that strike, you can use the ability again, with each hit also filling up the Zantetsuken meter. This is what sets this ability apart from others, including the others from Odin.
16 Ignition
One of the best abilities for dealing with the smaller enemies in the game, Ignition has Clive charge across the battlefield, covered in flames. It carries smaller enemies with you and then ends with a massive sword slash to damage them even more.
The only downside is that it will leave you open for attacks while it's happening as it doesn't stop any incoming damage. However, when used right and when it hits all the attacks, it is a must-have ability in your arsenal.
15 Impulse
Impulse is a handy ability to have as it keeps enemies stuck in the spot they're hit in. It summons a group of light orbs that will strike an enemy and blind them to their spot, all while doing continuous damage.
While the damage that the orbs will do is not anything extraordinary, the fact that the ability will hold them in place is what makes this ability so useful.
14 Judgment Bolt
Judgment Bolt might do the single-most amount of pure damage to a single target out of all these abilities. Its description tells you that it aims to do "massive damage" to a single target, and it certainly does just that.
It doesn't matter what kind of enemy you are going up against; you can summon this bolt to deplete their health bar in a matter of seconds, making it useful late into the game. It's a great ability to have during boss fights when it's just you and them.
13 Phoenix Shift
This is one of the best Eikon abilities that you could have at your disposal for the entire game, from beginning to end. Using this ability will have Clive warp to an enemy and deliver a Shift Strike, and if the enemy you attack is already knocked over, then you will initiate a finisher combo to dish out even more damage.
It's great for moving around the battlefield quickly and dealing damage as you do, and its cooldown isn't too bad either. It's the first ability you will have unlocked when you begin the game, and you will likely find yourself carrying it with you for longer than you expect.
12 Pile Drive
While it may be too early to officially claim, many players are claiming that Pile Drive is the best ability in the game, hands down. This attack has Clive releasing a giant, spherical charge of electricity that will damage enemies in front, behind, and above him, even knocking the smaller ones to the ground.
Further, it increases the enemies' recovery time, meaning they will stay on the ground longer, opening them up to more attacks or a Strike Shift.
11 Raging Fists
Clive summoning the power of Titan to pummel his enemies and counter any attacks coming his way sounds like a great Ability to have, and it certainly is. When you use Raging Fists at the right time, you can negate any attack coming at you and then repeatedly hit the attack button to bring a flurry of punches against your enemies.
The damage done by Raging Fists is pretty dang good, and when you use it to counter an attack, the Stagger damage it does is wild. You can even greatly reduce the cooldown if you successfully counter an attack with it.
10 Rising Flames
This use of the Phoenix Eikon will have a giant Phoenix wing come out to hit multiple enemies, and even launch smaller ones into the air. While this ability isn't going to do as much raw damage as some of the other ones available, its cooldown is so quick that you can spam it consistently to make up for that fact.
And its damage output is still pretty good, making it an essential tool for Clive to use. You can never go wrong with doing damage to multiple enemies at the same time.
9 Rook's Gambit
You can nab Rook's Gambit pretty early on in the game, and it proves to be an incredibly useful counterattack to use throughout your playthrough. Using this ability at the right time sees Clive jumping backward, out of harm's way, and then going in for two claw attacks.
You can even time it perfectly, you will slow down time and Clive will do another attack to deal some good damage. This can be a great way to slow things down and get your bearings in the middle of a frantic battle when you are unsure of what is going on.
8 Scarlet Cyclone
While the damage of Scarlet Cyclone is not very high, its usefulness comes from the fact that it is excellent for crowd control. There are going to be more than a few battles where enemies are swarming you, and you can easily get overwhelmed.
This is why Scarlet Cyclone is so useful as it has Clive summon Phoenix wings and spin around, damaging everything around him. Used at the right time, this ability can be the difference between life and death.
7 Thunderstorm
As the name suggests, this move from Ramuh has Clive summon a storm of lightning to strike at enemies in front of him, and as he raises the staff to cast the spell, he can also hit an enemy right above him. The animation is cool to look at and the damage it does is pretty solid.
Plus, you can keep moving when you are using the ability as movement does not stop the casting.
6 Titanic Block
If you are looking for something to give you a little more defense in battle, then the Titanic Block is an ability to look for. This ability has Clive summoning a giant fist to block any incoming attacks, while also filling his Limit Gauge.
You can even time it so that it will block even the strongest attacks, making it a must-have. While most of the abilities on this list are centered around doing more damage to your enemies, this ability makes the list for its defensive prowess, protecting Clive at crucial moments to keep him alive.
5 Upheaval
Another solid area-of-effect Ability, Upheaval has Clive slamming a Titan fist into the ground, sending out a shockwave to damage all the surrounding enemies. You can also time the release of the button to increase the damage to up your numbers even more.
When done properly, Upheaval can give you some of the best damage numbers in the game. It will take some practice, but it is definitely worth learning. And if you use it in the air, you can do some fantastic Stagger damage as well, bringing this Ability to one of the best to use.