15 Best Eikon Abilities, Ranked
Throughout your journey in Final Fantasy 16, you will have access to an extensive array of powerful weapons and abilities that tap into the mystical and supernatural realms. These elements have been a staple of the series for a long time, and the latest installment brings its own unique twist to the table.
One of the standout features in the game is the introduction of Eikon abilities, which allow Clive to harness the power of magical entities to unleash devastating attacks on the battlefield. As you progress, you’ll have the opportunity to unlock various Eikon abilities, but there are a select few that truly stand out among the rest.
Here, we’ve compiled a list of the top Eikon abilities in Final Fantasy 16, updated with additional entries based on player experiences:
15. Deadly Embrace:
Clive deploys a claw that grabs hold of an enemy, pulling them towards him. This ability is particularly effective for closing the distance between you and ranged attackers, turning the tide of battle in your favor.
14. Diamond Dust:
By sending out two blankets of ice that erupt with spikes from beneath enemies, Clive inflicts massive damage and even stops time momentarily. This ability is a game-changer when facing multiple foes, as it covers nearly the entire battlefield.
13. Gigaflare:
Considered one of the most powerful abilities in the game, Gigaflare unleashes a colossal laser beam in a direction of your choosing, damaging all enemies in its path. Smaller enemies are immobilized, and time momentarily freezes upon activation.
12. Gouge:
Unlocked when you obtain Garuda, Gouge allows Clive to summon claws and tear into enemies, dealing significant damage. It also inflicts staggering effects, leaving enemies vulnerable and weakened.
11. Heatwave:
Summon a massive wave of fire that launches projectiles at enemies. When used to counter enemy projectiles, Clive releases additional slashes that deal extra damage and reduce cooldown time. This ability is invaluable in any battle situation.
10. Ignition:
Ideal for dispatching smaller enemies, Ignition sees Clive engulfed in flames as he charges across the battlefield, carrying smaller foes with him. The ability concludes with a powerful sword slash, dealing substantial damage. Beware, as Clive is vulnerable to incoming attacks during the execution.
9. Judgment Bolt:
This ability boasts the highest damage potential against a single target. It unleashes a bolt of lightning that decimates enemy health bars within seconds. Judgment Bolt is especially effective during boss fights, where it can turn the tide in your favor.
8. Phoenix Shift:
From the beginning to the end of the game, Phoenix Shift proves to be an essential Eikon ability. It allows Clive to warp to an enemy, delivering a Shift Strike. If the target is already knocked over, a finisher combo follows, inflicting even more damage. This ability provides swift battlefield mobility and has a reasonable cooldown.
7. Pile Drive:
Considered by many players as the ultimate ability in the game, Pile Drive releases a massive charge of electricity, damaging enemies in front, behind, and above Clive. It also increases enemy recovery time, leaving them vulnerable to further attacks or a Strike Shift.
6. Rising Flames:
Utilizing the power of the Phoenix Eikon, Clive summons a giant Phoenix wing that strikes multiple enemies and launches smaller foes into the air. While it may not deal as much raw damage as other abilities, its quick cooldown allows for consistent spamming, making it a versatile tool in Clive’s arsenal.
5. Rook’s Gambit:
Acquire Rook’s Gambit early in the game for a powerful counterattack option. When activated at the right moment, Clive jumps backward, evading harm, and launches two claw attacks. Perfect timing slows down time, granting Clive an opportunity for an additional damaging strike. This ability is excellent for regaining control in chaotic battles.
4. Scarlet Cyclone:
Although Scarlet Cyclone doesn’t deal significant damage, its true strength lies in crowd control. When overwhelmed by swarms of enemies, Clive summons Phoenix wings and spins, damaging everything around him. Proper timing and execution can be a lifesaver in dire situations.
3. Titanic Block:
For those seeking additional defense in battle, Titanic Block is a valuable ability. Clive summons a giant fist to block incoming attacks while filling his Limit Gauge. With precise timing, even the most powerful enemy strikes can be blocked, making this ability a must-have for survival.
2. Wicked Wheel:
Wicked Wheel…
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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 abilitieswhich 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 June 28, 2023: This guide was updated to add five more entries to the list now that the game has been out for enough time to have some more experience in using all of them. It also added more links to any and all relevant guides to help further explain the game’s mechanics.
15 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.
14 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.
13 Gigaflare
Gigaflare is 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.
12 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 timeand 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.
11 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.
10 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.
9 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.
8 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 gameand you will likely find yourself carrying it with you for longer than you expect.
7 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.
6 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.
5 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.
4 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.
3 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.
2 Wicked Wheel
Wicked Wheel is one of the best abilities for crowd control in Final Fantasy 16 as it has Clive bring out two claws and spin in a circle to damage all the surrounding enemies. It launches smaller foes into the air to open them up for even more attacks once this one is finished.
While it doesn’t have the best raw damage, its ability to take back control when you are surrounded is incredibly useful.
1 Will-O’-The-Wykes
Summoning a swarm of fireballs that circle around Clive and will damage any enemies that they touch, and they can even negate some attacks that come your way.
It’s a great defensive ability that can help in a bind, especially when maneuvering to a different position in the middle of a battle. It also lasts a good amount of time, so the fireballs won’t leave you too early.
