Barnabas is one of the final central antagonists in Final Fantasy 16 and the first time that players fight him during the Through the Maelstrom main quest mission, they’ll be introduced to just a small taste of how powerful he can be. While the fight isn’t a long one, players will still need to be familiar with his attacks in order to deal enough damage to him to trigger the cutscene that interrupts the fight.
Here’s everything you need to know about how to beat the Barnabas boss fight during the Through the Maelstrom mission in Final Fantasy 16.
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How to Beat the Barnabas Boss Fight (Through the Maelstrom Encounter)
The first Barnabas boss fight is relatively simple: he’ll primarily use basic attacks, but because he teleports around the arena so quickly, he can be difficult to get a beat on. Watch for his lunges and swipes since if you can dodge through them, they’ll be the easiest attacks to get some counterattacks of your own in on.
Additionally, as you get your attacks in, listen for the sound of your sword clashing with his as this is a queue that Barnabas is countering you. When you hear it, get ready for an additional attack to come your way.
Take note that this is a “supposed to lose” fight, but if you’re killed before a certain point, you’ll have to start the fight over, so you will need to be able to learn his basic moveset otherwise you’ll be stuck on the fight.
Various Melee Attacks: In the fight, Barnabas will use a wide variety of melee attacks with his sword. They’ll usually come pretty quickly after he teleports around the arena a few times, so once he starts teleporting, be ready to start evading. The two most common attacks Barnabas will use are sword swipes and lunges. You’ll be able to identify each based on how he winds up before attacking, so dodge through the attack and then get your own attacks in as he recovers.
Overhead Swipe: When at medium to long range, Barnabas will put his sword over his head and swing it down to the ground. When he does, he’ll send a fast-moving projectile at you. This attack comes very quickly, so be ready to dodge as soon as Barnabas gets his sword over his head. Barnabas will usually teleport immediately after attacking, so you may not be able to get any counterattacks in before he teleports away to get another attack in.
The Lord’s Measure: When Barnabas leaps back to the far side of the arena, he’ll use The Lord’s Measure. It’s an attack that’s pretty easy to avoid. When he jumps back, you’ll see two lines cross on the battlefield–as long as you stay out of their path, you won’t be hit by the attack. Take note, however, that once the attack goes off, Barnabas will start teleporting and attacking you again, so you’ll need to stay out of the blast while avoiding his next attacks.
Gungir: When Barnabas floats above the arena, he’ll use Gungir, an attack that has him stab into the ground and create an AoE wave. It’s a pretty standard AoE attack so either dodge through the shockwave or jump over it to avoid taking damage.
Iron Flash: As the fight goes on, Barnabas will eventually get ready to cast Iron Flash. While this may look like one of the other charge-up moves that other bosses you’ve fought have used, it’s a bit unique. Unlike the other bosses, you won’t be able to interrupt the move. Instead, Barnabas will successfully use the attack after charging it up and the fight will be over.
This is a “supposed to lose” fight, so once Barnabas uses Iron Flash, you’ll see a cutscene and then the encounter will be over. Don’t worry, however, you’ll fight Barnabas again before Final Fantasy 16 is over.
