How to defeat the Chimera in Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin

The Chimera is a tough boss, even for those who are skilled with their weapons. The key to defeating the beast lies in exploiting one of its weaknesses: fire magic. Find out how it’s done right here!

After a long climb through the Crystal Tower, you’ll come face to face with the stage’s guardian, the Chimera. Chimera has always been a tough enemy to deal with in Final Fantasy, because to its multi-attack abilities and massively destructive AoE strikes. The Chimera in Stranger of Paradise is no exception: with a punishing Phase 2 meant to put your parrying skills to the test, Chimera can be a vexing fight for many. In Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, here’s how you slay the Chimera.

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The Chimera possesses a variety of attacks with good wind-up and telegraphing, yet failing to respect them will result in significant damage. Its ability to attack twice at once is noteworthy, with the Snake tail working as a support/status nuisance and the Lion head focusing on damage. All of the assaults in Phase 1 are listed below:

• Basic Attacks: The Chimera may turn on a dime and crush a target behind or to its flanks, in addition to a three-hit combination. Because the counter-attack telegraphs aren’t very long, it’s advisable to assault a few times at most and prepare for a counter-attack. Finally, the Snake Tail may sneak in a hit every now and then during a standard three-hit combination, significantly decreasing your Break Gauge.
• The Chimera will jump up and smash in a selected place after a rather long animation. This is an assault that can be deflected.
• The Chimera will crash down into the ground after soaring up into the air and hovering, inflicting Earth damage in the region surrounding it. This assault can’t be parried, so you’ll have to evade it.
• Dark Breath and Silencing Stare: The monster will breathe darkness forward, doing damage and increasing your Elemental Vulnerability to darkness. Furthermore, the Snake Tail will try to Silence you, prohibiting you from using actions or spells. Silencing Stare may be used independently of Dark Breath by the Snake Tail at any time.
• Divebomb: After soaring into the air, the Chimera spins towards a target, slamming into them for enormous damage. This assault is unavoidable.
• Chimera will blast waves of electricity in a cross pattern around itself after roaring. This is an assault that can be deflected.
• Snake Breath: The Snake Tail will release a wave of poison in a cone behind the Chimera, which may be utilized alone or in combination with Dark Breath or Thunder Roar.
• The Chimera’s Dark Cannon may be used in the air or on the ground to hurl an orb at a target. This assault may be parried, and it can also be Stolen as a command.
• The Snake Tail will try to petrify opponents immediately behind the Chimera with its Stone Gaze. This will halt all movement and activities for a defined amount of time, or until an attack is received.
• Thunderous Deluge: The Chimera will release huge waves of lightning in all directions after a brief animation. This is an assault that can be deflected.

Chimera, like many other bosses, requires you to recognize when it is your time to strike. Many of Chimera’s breath and wave strikes feature lengthy recovery periods, enabling you and your allies to string together many combinations. To survive this combat, you must be able to recognize when your turn has finished and back off. You’d think that after pulling the Chimera’s wings off, he’d be easier in Phase 2 – but you’d be incorrect. Multiple heads emerge in its place, boosting to the Chimera’s already powerful arsenal:

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• Flame Breath: One of the new heads, either Goat or Dragon, will fire a burst of flame at a target that is unrelated to any other attack. This assault is parried and may be Stolen as an immediate order.
• Aqua Breath: The Chimera will be surrounded by a wave of water emitted from the Dragon head. This assault may be parried, but since it lasts a few seconds, many parries may be required.
• Dragon Bite: The dragon head will lash out at a target on its own, delivering strike damage. This assault is unavoidable.
• Thundara: Chimera summons three waves of lightning at the position of a victim. As an immediate action, this assault may be parried and stolen.
• Chimera and its many heads will all attack at the same time, launching random breath attacks in a 360-degree radius around it. This strike lasts many seconds and covers a large portion of the arena, although it may be parried if timed correctly.
• The Chimera will perform a Regen-like effect on itself after receiving considerable damage. This assault may be stopped if enough damage is delivered.
• Sorcerous Torrent: Chimera and its many heads will unleash a barrage of strikes at simultaneously, including Aqua Breath in a 360-degree radius, Meteor in a diagonal pattern, and Thunder Roar in a cross pattern. Because the Meteors are tiny, parrying or standing diagonally away from the monster is the best strategy to dodge them.

In Phase 2, Chimera’s assault pace soars, with the numerous heads often attacking in between combinations to link them together. All of the Phase 1 moves are present, with the exception of aerial assaults. Chimera, thankfully, still staggers as easily as he did in Phase 1, thus heavy weapons and continuous hits will cause him to crumple for a brief period of time. Deadly Chorus and Sorcerous Torrent are often employed, so be prepared to parry – don’t blindly chain together combinations and hope to escape punishment.