Of the eight Eikons that players unlock through Final Fantasy 16's main story, Bahamut, the King of Dragons and the Eikon of Light, is easily one of the best for raw damage output. Some, like Odin, offer benefits to playstyles that focus on increased agility, while Bahamut helps aggressive, tactical players become a supernatural force of Light. They unlock his Eikonic abilities after defeating it in the Fire in the Sky quest. Let’s take a look at the abilities on offer and rank them from worst to best in Final Fantasy 16.
5 Satellite
Easily the most skippable from this set, activating Satellite brings up two orbs of light that attack enemies Clive uses magic against. This Eikonic ability comes with 1 point in Attack and 3 in Stagger and a cooldown of 55s that is unjustified for a move as unimpactful as this one. It only comes in handy when players integrate magic extensively in their playstyle. While it does Stagger enemies and leaves them open for extra damage, it can easily be substituted with better moves that have a higher impact and are less picky in Final Fantasy 16.
If players choose to go for Satellite, they can acquire it for 100 Ability Points (AB). They can later upgrade it for 700 AB, which adds more orbs to the attack. Finally, they can spend 1,000 AB to master it and make it available for other Eikons as well.
4 Flare Breath
Flare Breath is a decent crowd-control move from Bahamut in Final Fantasy 16. When triggered, Clive spews aesthetically pleasing and damaging flames, like the Eikon itself. It reduces a decent chunk of HP and even binds lighter enemies to their spots, making sure they can’t dodge the move.
Another useful point is that FF16 players can move around while the Eikonic ability is active and can also control its direction with the right analog stick. As such, they get flexibility in aiming it at the more irritating monsters present.
However, there are a couple of points that reduce Flare Breath’s impact. The damage itself, while decent, isn’t a lot. Further, the movement during the ability is slow and leaves Clive vulnerable to being attacked. This is especially emphasized against stronger bosses, as using it without proper opportunity can cause the strategy to backfire.
If gamers wish to increase its range, they’ll have to spend 600 AB to upgrade it. The mastery acquired by spending 1,000 AB will allow them to assign it to any Eikon they wish.
3 Impulse
Impulse is one of the better Eikonic abilities that Bahamut offers in Final Fantasy 16. It summons a bunch of orbs that hit enemies repeatedly, causing a pretty good amount of damage over time. Since it freezes them in place and delivers great Stagger damage, players can launch into devastating combos and reduce an increased amount of HP. But there’s more to it.
The orbs garner energy as the attack continues, and pressing the button again causes them to explode and cause great damage. This is increased with the number of hits, and “detonating” at their brightest glow causes the greatest impact.
Although players can’t manually select a target and are susceptible to attacks when launching it, it is a pick that can come in quite handy. Since players only need to pay attention to the detonation and are otherwise free to engage in other combos, this ability requires some skill. However, it can fit right in with many playstyles, aggressive or defensive, counter-attack based. Players can add more orbs by upgrading it with 450 AB and make it available to other Eikons via a mastery with 1,000 AB.
2 Wings of Light
Wings of Light is the core ability/feat that players can access from Eikon of Light. When activated, Clive sprouts Bahamut’s wings and hovers off the ground, charging up Megaflare. As such, players need to hold the required button, building up the bar and causing more damage when they leave it at a higher level.
The move rains down orbs of light, dealing a great amount of damage to multiple enemies simultaneously. No upgrade is available, but players can earn mastery by spending 750 AB. This takes Megaflare to the maximum level possible, 4. However, it requires some skill training to use effectively in Final Fantasy 16.
Some drawbacks exist with any ability, though they are more potent with Wings of Light. Players can’t trigger any moves or attack otherwise while they are charging up Megaflare. The most they can do is dodge, which, as a silver lining, does fill up the bar quite quickly when timed just right.
Further, the spell gets canceled altogether if they are unsuccessful and any enemy attack lands. Hence, not only does it require a good length of time when Clive is not being spammed with attacks, but also great reflexes to dodge those that do come in.
1 Gigaflare - The Best Bahamut Eikonic Abilitiy
Gigaflare is easily the most damaging and demanding move from Bahamut in Final Fantasy 16. This Eikonic ability has Clive shoot a devastating beam, essentially a focused and more intense version of Flare Breath/Impulse. Its direction can be controlled with the right analog stick, and players can easily target the monsters they want to take down with this offered flexibility. Further, if used upon Staggered enemies, the already phenomenal damage is multiplied several times over.
Although it has a cooldown of 60 seconds, it can bring a stark change in battle when it comes in use. Like other super abilities of this caliber, players will need to ensure they rack up Ability Points for Gigaflare. The base unlock comes in at a steep 2,730 AB. The costs are driven home by an upgrade that costs 3,250 AB but significantly increases its potency.
If players wish to assign it to other Eikons, they will have to cough up a sky-high price of 6,000 AB. It can take a very long time to drum up the total cost, even when using certain locations to farm Ability Points. However, if they do manage to do so, the overall price does reflect the clear dominance Gigaflare has on the battlefield.
Final Fantasy 16 is available exclusively for the PlayStation 5.