The Undying is the final boss of Final Fantasy XII. It is the final form that Vayne takes by merging with Venat and assimilating components of the Sky Fortress Bahamut into his body. This form is draconic, as the Sky Fortress's namesake is the recurring dragon summon Bahamut.
Entering the Bahamut is the point of no return, and so the player cannot leave without beating the game. However, in The Zodiac Age, the game will auto-save before presenting the cutscene leading into the final battle with The Undying, meaning that the player can retry should they lose, exit for later if desired, or retry the battle after defeating the boss and beating the game, should they so choose.
Defeating The Undying in The Zodiac Age awards the "Wings of My Own" trophy/achievement.
Stats[]
AI script[]
| Abilities | ||
|---|---|---|
| Type | Name | Condition |
| Bravery | Use once after Enrage (100%) | |
| Faith | Use once after Chain Magick (100%) | |
| Piercing Dispelga | Use after Chain Magick when HP >40% on opponent with most buffs (25%) HP <20%; use on opponent with most buffs (5%) | |
| Piercing Holy | Use after Magick Shield when HP >40% on opponent that doesn't absorb Holy (25%) HP <20%; use on opponent that doesn't absorb Holy (5%) | |
| Piercing Firaga | HP >60% (5%) Use after Magick Shield when conditions for Holy/Dispelga are not met and HP >40% (100%) HP <20% when conditions for Holy/Dispelga are not met (5%) | |
| Piercing Thundaga | HP >60% (5%) Use after Magick Shield when conditions for Holy/Dispelga are not met and HP >40% (100%) HP <20% when conditions for Holy/Dispelga are not met (5%) | |
| Piercing Blizzaga | HP >60% (5%) Use after Magick Shield when conditions for Holy/Dispelga are not met and HP >40% (100%) HP <20% when conditions for Holy/Dispelga are not met (5%) | |
| Enrage[note 1] | HP <40%; use once (100%) | |
| Ascension | Use after Magick Barrier (100%) 60% > HP > 40% repeat after next 32 commands (100%) 40% > HP > 20% repeat after next 52 commands (100%) | |
| Force Barrier[note 2] | Use once after using Bravery (100%) | |
| Gigaflare Sword | Use after Force Barrier (100%) Before Perfect Defense and repeat after next 52 commands (100%) Use once after Perfect Defense (100%) | |
| Perfect Defense[note 3] | HP <20%; use once (100%) | |
| Divine Sword | HP >60% (25%) | |
| Teraflare | HP <20% after Gigaflare Sword has been used and after next 8 commands (100%) Repeat after next 32 commands (100%) | |
| Magick Barrier[note 4] | Use once after Faith (100%) | |
| Megaflare | HP <80% (100%) 80% > HP > 60% repeat after next 12 commands (100%) 60% > HP > 40% repeat after next 32 commands (100%) | |
| Chain Magick[note 5] | HP <60%; use once (100%) | |
| Properties | ||
| Type | Property | |
| Targeting | Attacks nearest opponent. | |
| Linking | ||
| Attacks | ||
| Pursuit | ||
Battle[]
Battle with The Undying.
The Undying lacks a life bar, leaving its attack pattern as the main way to observe roughly how much HP it has is, as well as when it starts flashing red at Critical HP. There is also no indicator line to whom the boss is targeting, though The Undying tends to attack those near to it.
In its first form, The Undying mostly casts Piercing Firaga, Piercing Blizzaga, and Piercing Thundaga. Its strongest magick, Megaflare, hits over 3,000 damage. When it uses its first special attack, Ascension, it will change its strategy and focus on using its "arm cannon", which hits about 2,000 and above per hit. The "arm cannon" is a gun-type attack, which means it ignores Defense. If the characters buff in its firing range, The Undying will cast Piercing Dispelga on the party member with the most buffs.
The Undying will build a Magick Barrier, which negates all magick thrown at it. At low health, it will use Perfect Defense, negating all physical and magickal attacks. The Undying will buff itself and use Gigaflare Sword, which can cause up to 5,800 damage. Just as its defenses fade, The Undying readies its last special attack, Tera Flare, which hits upward of 4,000 damage.
Strategy[]
Piercing Dispelga.
Because of The Undying's Piercing Dispelga, only the most important buffs, such as Haste, should be used. During The Undying's first form Shell is useful. The party may be unable to do anything to it when The Undying has a paling (e.g. the ones who cannot cast Balance); their time can be used to heal or buff the party with Shell, Haste, Regen and Bubble, but one must be out of range of Piercing Dispelga when casting the buffs.
When its HP is depleted 75%, The Undying will heal, giving the player the chance to deal massive damage by attacking it head on. When he is flashing red, its Defense increases. The Gil Toss Technick is useful, for if the player has 10,000+ gil, it will deal 9,999 damage per hit.
The party can also summon their best Espers to help out, as enemies tend to focus on Espers when they are out.
The player can prepare the party for the final battle in locations with challenging enemies, however, there is no need to specifically level-grind; having high level equipment matters more.
Musical theme[]
The final boss theme is "Struggle for Freedom". It features a medley of the other boss themes, as well as a continuous riff of "The Archadian Empire" and the main theme of Final Fantasy XII, representing the two motifs struggling against each other. The theme was composed by Hitoshi Sakimoto.
The tension-building opening portion of the theme begins playing during the cutscene in which Vayne Solidor morphs into The Undying, running from 0:00-3:10. The remainder of the theme begins as the boss fight opens and loops from this portion, should the battle run long enough. Should the player choose to skip the cutscene, the theme will begin immediately from this latter portion.
Other appearances[]
Theatrhythm Final Fantasy Curtain Call[]
The Undying appears as a boss-type enemy in Battle Music Sequences.
Final Fantasy Brave Exvius[]
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Final Fantasy Trading Card Game[]
The Undying appears as an Ice-elemental card.
Behind the scenes[]
Teraflare.
The Undying's special moves—Megaflare, Gigaflare (Sword) and Teraflare—are signature moves of Bahamut's different forms from the Final Fantasy series: Megaflare is used by Bahamut, Gigaflare is used by Neo Bahamut, and Teraflare is used by Bahamut ZERO.
The orbiting or "strafing" of his winged form around the edge of the circular platform is a tribute to the final boss battle with Romeo Guildenstern's final form in Vagrant Story, another tale by Yasumi Matsuno.
Gallery[]
Etymology[]
Undying is a term the Occuria use for themselves, beings who deem themselves immortal and thus the rightful rulers of Ivalice. Vayne becomes The Undying after merging with Venat, the rogue Occuria, who pledges to share his fate. It is implied that, despite this name, their deaths were inevitable.
The Japanese name, Fumetsunaru mono, roughly translates to "immortal one".
Related enemies[]
- Imperial Swordsman
- Imperial Marksman
- Imperial Hoplite
- Imperial Magus
- Mastiff
- Judge
- Imperial Gunner
- Imperial Pilot
- Imperial Beastmaster
- Rook
- Sphere-Rook
- Spinner-Rook
- Helm-Rook
- Air Cutter Remora (Boss)
- Judge Ghis (Boss)
- Judge Bergan (Boss)
- Gabranth (Boss)
- Doctor Cid (Boss)
- Vayne (Boss)
- Vayne Novus (Boss)
- Sephira (Boss)