How to beat the Tonberry King in Final Fantasy XVI: The Rising Tide

A year and two DLC releases later, Tonberries have finally arrived in Final Fantasy XVI. These Final Fantasy staples have grown in notoriety over the years, and those in the know are aware they serve a dark King. Here’s how to challenge the monarchy and topple the Tonberry King.

Where to find the Tonberry King in Final Fantasy 16

After reaching the hidden town of Haven in Mysidia, Clive and crew will be tasked with unraveling the mystery surrounding Leviathan. As such, that quest line will take priority until you complete your first interaction with the sea serpent. Upon returning to the town and getting some more exposition, you’ll be able to pick up the short chain of side quests leading to the Tonberry King.

Quest – What Ails You

Speak with Fanet in town to obtain the “What Ails You” quest. After getting some clues from another local, you’ll be tasked with tracking down a Tonberry site in Father’s Fell. After slaying the little cultists and recovering the necklace, you’ll need to return to Fanet.

Quest – Reign of Pain

After surviving the gauntlet that is the final Leviathan encounter you’ll head back to Haven, where the second Tonberry quest will now be available. Our ailing resident’s pain is only getting worse, which suggests to Fanet that Clive will need to take down the Tonberry King to break the curse.

As you head up to the Cloak, there will be several groups of Tonberries to be dispatched. Along the way, the land rumbles and shakes as if a Kaiju has emerged. Sadly, after finding the Tonberry King, you’ll realize that he isn’t Ifrit-sized, but is nonetheless imposing with his gigantic kitchen knife.

General tips

• Stock up on potions before seeking out the Tonberry King. He’s a surprisingly fast foe and packs a punch.
• Much like the Timekeeper fight, using the Serpent’s Cry ability from the Leviathan kit is extremely useful, as it makes Clive equally nimble and able to attack at a distance.
• While Everyone’s Grudge is active, prioritize the elimination of the minions or you’ll be quickly overrun.

General attacks

• Unlike the other Tonberries, the King moves quite quickly and will frequently teleport around the arena.
• After teleporting, the Tonberry King will make several swipes with his kitchen knife before teleporting away like a reptilian Nightcrawler.
• The Tonberry King’s lantern can be used to summon several spots of dark energy on the ground that will explode. Keep moving to avoid being hit.
• Another move used after teleporting is the King impaling the ground with his kitchen knife, unleashing a large AoE of dark energy.
• While swinging his kitchen knife, the Tonberry King will rarely unleash an attack not unlike Guile’s Sonic Boom.

Everyone’s Grudge

The Tonberry King summons several allies called Tonberry Shadowers. Individually they’re not a threat, but the King will quickly summon a veritable army if you don’t cull them quickly enough. These little guys will brandish their knives and dash towards Clive, dealing a moderate amount of damage.

Desoul

At about 20% life, the Tonberry King will trigger Desoul. This chain of attacks has the regal reptilian glowing red as he teleports about the arena, swinging his kitchen knife, before plunging it into the ground and summoning several dark energy AoE spots.

Reward – Tonberry Knife

As you complete the various quests in Mysidia, you’ll gather the materials necessary for crafting the Tonberry Knife weapon. These are:

• 1x Notched Tang
• 1x Aqueous Membrane
• 2x Orichalcum
• 2x Fool’s Gold

While the attack power isn’t the best at 350, it’s the absolutely bonkers 700 Stagger that makes this weapon shine. It’s nearly 300 Stagger higher than the Omega Weapon and is like a cheat code for melting stamina bars and then doing tremendous amounts of damage.