Benedikta Harman is one of the hardest bosses you must face in the early parts of Final Fantasy 16. She will give new players a taste of future encounters with other Dominants, and she’s not an easy opponent to defeat. For those of you who need tips to beat this boss, we have created this guide to help you.
How to Beat Benedikta in Final Fantasy 16
Benedikta has two phases in her boss battle. In the first half, the woman will fight you as a regular human, but she will grow frustrated in the second phase and enter the semi-priming mode, where she channels Garuda’s power.
First Phase
Benedikta loves to use ranged attacks, the most common being Aeroga. As long as you keep moving, you should be able to evade those projectiles with ease. However, she’s not afraid of getting close either and will try to stab you using fast lunge attacks.
Generally, you want to let Benedikta end her combos before you close in and land some hits. She won’t stay still, though, and will try to keep her distance from you. Luckily, you can use Phoenix Shift to close the gap quickly.
When Benedikta’s health bar reaches half, she will begin casting Wind Blade. This move either consists of two massive horizontal blades or two sets of three vertical blades. You can dodge both types of attacks by constantly moving sideways.
Second Phase
Once you remove the first half of Benedikta’s health bar, a cutscene will play where she enters the semi-priming mode. In the second phase, the boss will retain many of her moves from the previous phase, but she will also dish out some new attacks.
Unless you have quick reflexes and can dodge or parry her fast attacks, you want to be patient and wait until she’s done performing her moves. At the end of her combos, she usually has two to three seconds of cooldown time where you can safely close in and attack her.
Although all of Benedikta’s attacks are dangerous, you may want to pay extra attention to Aerial Slash. This move is the upgraded version of Wind Blade, and you must dodge four sets of magical blades that will advance on you in milliseconds. I found that moving in a circle around Benedikta is the easiest way to evade this attack.
Another dangerous move is called Tornado, where the Dominant will create a massive whirlwind that will chase you around the arena. You definitely want to create a lot of distance from the casting spot, or you will get thrown into the air like a sack of potatoes.
When you reduce Benedikta’s health to a quarter, another cutscene will play where Torgal will rejoin the fight. Although the boss will get staggered after the cutscene is done, it is impossible to finish her immediately. You will likely need to enter another confrontation to remove the Dominant’s remaining HP.
At this point, Benedikta will be really peeved off and create several pillars of Tornadoes that fill up the arena. She will also get extremely aggressive and attempt to grab you with Garuda’s claws. Don’t get too impatient and rush in, or you will get hurt.
The best moment to attack is when Benedikta is done performing her fast Garuda’s claws attacks. You must be quick, though, because you will only get one second before she flies away.
Another great time to land some damage is after the boss performs Nosedive. Benedikta will slam herself to the ground at a fast speed and remain there for several seconds. You should get two to three seconds to hit her before the woman takes flight again.
Defeating Benedikta will grant you 50 pieces of Wyrrite, two Meteorites, and The Will of Fire equipment. The last is a special accessory that grants you an extra 10 percent of Rising Flames damage.
Once you beat Benedikta, you must face her for the second time in her Eikon form in Final Fantasy 16. Garuda will provide significantly more challenge, and you must enter an Eikon fight as Ifrit, where you cannot access the timely accessories.
