Learn how to defeat Hades and Kraken in Final Fantasy IX. This guide covers their attacks, weaknesses, strategies, and stealable items to help you conquer these challenging bosses.
Walkthrough
- 1Hades Fight:
- Hades uses status ailments like Freeze and Mustard Bomb (countered by Body Temp).
- 2Judgment Sword reduces a character's HP to 1; heal immediately.
- 3Hades may cast Reflect on himself, making magic difficult.
- 4Beware of Cleave, a powerful physical attack.
- 5When Hades powers his sword, he will use either Curse (inflicts random ailments including Confuse, Mini, Darkness, Slow, Poison) or Doomsday (shadow-elemental attack that hits everyone, including the caster). Hades absorbs Doomsday.
- 6Steal from Hades: Reflect Ring, Running Shoes, Battle Boots, Robe of Lords.
- 7Upon defeat, Hades offers a synthesis shop. Synthesize the Tin Armor (Steiner's best) using the Hammer from the Stellazzios quest. Other synthesizable items include Robe of Lords and Pumice. Save the Queen is not usable.
- 8Kraken Fight:
- Kraken has two tentacles that use Water Gun (left) and Ink (right, inflicts Darkness).
- 9The main body uses Freeze and Waterga.
- 10Waterga will heal Kraken if Return Magic is active; remove it.
- 11Kraken is weak to lightning (use Thundaga with Vivi or Ramuh with Dagger).
- 12Equip Ribbons and Body Temp for protection against water and ailments.
- 13Concentrate on destroying the tentacles first to avoid prolonged battles.
- 14When tentacles are gone, Kraken uses Leg (physical attack) as a counter and normal move.
- 15Steal from Kraken: Genji Helmet, Wizard Rod, Glutton’s Robe.
- 16After the Fights:
- Save your game after defeating Kraken.
- 17Prepare for the next boss by equipping protection against water, Body Temp, and Bright Eyes for melee characters.
- 18Proceed past Hades' location, a scene will play on some stairs, leading to the next boss battle.
Tips
- For Hades, Body Temp is crucial for resisting Freeze and Mustard Bomb.
- For Curse, use Remedies to cure ailments, especially Mini.
- For Kraken, Ribbons and Body Temp are highly recommended.
- If you haven't defeated Ozma yet, hold onto Pumice Pieces until you do, as Ozma also drops a Pumice.
- The Tin Armor synthesized from Hades' shop is Steiner's best armor.
- Hades offers a synthesis shop upon defeat, with Tin Armor being a notable item.
- Stealable items from Hades: Reflect Ring, Running Shoes, Battle Boots, Robe of Lords.
- Stealable items from Kraken: Genji Helmet, Wizard Rod, Glutton’s Robe.
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