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Final Fantasy XVI

The Meaning of Life Main Quest Walkthrough

By
Nathan Garvin

After coming to terms with what transpired at "Phoenix Gate" iconPhoenix Gate and the destructive power tied to him, Clive returns to "Eastpool" iconEastpool. While Clive’s internal struggles are violent enough, he’s got more consistently tangible enemies, too, ones that are no less dangerous to those around him than the fire "Eikon" iconEikon that’s bound to him. This page will cover the main quest "The Meaning of Life" iconThe Meaning of Life in Final Fantasy XVI, including the locations of every item you can find and lists of all the enemies you’ll encounter. This page will also provide information about Clive’s new "Ifrit" iconIfrit abilities - including the "Limit Break" iconLimit Break mechanic - and a guide for defeating the Imperial Champion.

After the ordeal in the catacombs under !Phoenix Gate you’ll unlock limit breaks and !Ifrit’s Eikonic Abilities.

Ifrit Abilities and Limit Breaks

Following the harrowing ordeal in the catacombs under Phoenix Gate, Clive now has access to three new Eikonic Abilities tied to Ifrit. Just navigate to the Abilities tab in the main menu and you’ll see them appear in the center of Clive’s general abilities ring. These include "Will-o'-the-Wykes" iconWill-o’-the-Wykes, Limit Break and "Ignition" iconIgnition, all of which are pretty good at this point in the game.

Will-o’-the-Wykes surrounds Clive with fire orbs that orbit him, protecting him from damage by outright absorbing two attacks (four if upgraded), making encounters much, much easier. At this point your cooldown is too long to give you 100% uptime and enemies who land multiple hits in succession can still tear through it, but it does facilitate your ability to fight more aggressively and mix it up in melee with more reckless abandon - it also deals damage and stagger against nearby enemies! Ignition is a multi-hit charge attack that can wipe out trash mobs in a single use, although against bigger foes it does have something of a commit bonus in that it requires you to make sustained contact - something sturdier enemies might not be inclined to let go unpunished.

Limit Break on the other hand is a passive ability that consumes Limit Gauge to buff Clive for a time, giving him the following boons:

  • Changes attack style.
  • Doubles spells
  • Increases Charged Magic, Magic Burst and Precision Shot potency by 10%.
  • Increase Eikonic Ability potency by 10%.
  • Slowly restores HP.
  • Increases Defense by 10%.
  • Prevents stagger when taking damage.

Your limit gauge(s) fill as you deal or take damage, and upgrading this ability gives you a second limit gauge and mastering it yields a third. Best used when you’ve staggered an enemy and are looking to punish, or when you’re near death or caught in a combo.

Invest in these new skills or not as you see fit.

Enemies in this Area
Imperial "Astrologer" iconAstrologer
Imperial Captain
Imperial Champion
Imperial Legionnaire
Imperial War Wyrm
Items in This Area
"High Potion" iconHigh Potion
"Potion" iconPotion

Fight through the Imperials sacking !Eastpool - what they lack in strength they make up for in numbers and diversity.

Defeat the Imperials in Eastpool - FF16 The Meaning of Life Main Quest Walkthrough

When you’re ready to move on, follow the linear path ahead. You should be in the northern edge of this area, near The Dim obelisk, and your goal is to head southeast towards Eastpool. On the way you’ll hit two item pickups (High Potion and Potion), and if this makes you suspicious, your paranoia will be rewarded when you reach Eastpool. Nab a third Potion and open the gate to find out that Imperial forces are running amok.

What follows is a protracted single battle against a veritable horde of imperials that’s nonetheless split into somewhat distinct phases. You’ll start out fighting humble Imperial Legionnaires, but these will be joined by the odd Imperial Astrologer and Imperial War Wyrms as you advance through the sacked village. The number of ranged opponents will increase the further you progress, and Imperial Legionnaires will be joined by Imperial Captains, who are sturdier and capable of guarding against frontal attacks (break their guard with Burning Blade).

Kill all the lesser foes and a bigger challenge will appear in the form of an Imperial Champion.

After you slog through hordes of imperials, you’ll be challenged by an Imperial Champion, who can use a variety of attacks with his massive hammer, including Divine Hammer.

How to Defeat the Imperial Champion - FF16 The Meaning of Life Main Quest Walkthrough

Who needs an Eikon when you’re massive? Well, in the case of "Hugo Kupka" iconHugo Kupka you can have both, but being burly still counts for something on its own. In the case of an Imperial Champion, it allows them to bear the heft of a massive maul, which they’ll use surprisingly similarly to the "Minotaurs" iconMinotaurs and their clubs from The Hunter and the Hunted. They can perform two swings and an overhead slam, one swing being a backhanded number and the second being two full sweeps. All of their hammer attacks are well-telegraphed and should be fairly easy to dodge, and even if you fail to dodge them, the damage this foe deals is surprisingly tame.

Other than the two Imperial Astrologers that accompany the Imperial Champion, the only real threat in this fight is the Imperial Champion’s Divine Hammer attack. After a somewhat lengthy warm up animation the Imperial Champion will slam the ground with his hammer and cause pillars of light to erupt from the ground. These pillars form a line and have minor tracking, and while getting hit by it will hurt, you can just run sideways to avoid damage. If you have a pulse, you shouldn’t have much trouble with this foe, and after he’s defeated you’ll be treated to many scenes before you’ll need to travel back to "The Hideaway" iconThe Hideaway. Once there, the next quest Righting Wrongs will begin.

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Guide Information
  • Publisher
    Square Enix
  • Platforms,
    PS5
  • Genre
    Action RPG
  • Guide Release
    21 June 2023
  • Last Updated
    2 August 2023
    Version History
  • Guide Author

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This is the tale of Clive Rosfield, a warrior granted the title “First Shield of Rosaria” and sworn to protect his younger brother Joshua, the dominant of the Phoenix. This guide for Final Fantasy XVI contains the following:

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