Final Fantasy 16 uses a real-time action combat system, requiring quick thinking and even quicker reactions to master properly. Though you'll start off with a reason to use every button in a battle, the Final Fantasy 16 abilities list is padded out over time with additional skills you unlock as you play, level up, and gain new powers.
Though you'll see all of these in-game at one point or another, knowing them ahead of time can give you a reason to keep pushing ahead for the unlocks or teach you how to weave them into your combos before you even get them.
We'll break down the base skills you'll start with and the manual actions you can unlock and upgrade before moving on to the abilities each unlockable Eikon can offer to Clive's arsenal in no particular order to avoid spoilers.
Final Fantasy 16 abilities list - All basic and Eikon skills
Base skills
These are the skills Clive will be able to access regardless of the Eikons he has access to:
| Precision Dodge | Enables the use of counterattacks after dodging an incoming attack. |
|---|---|
| Lunge | Allows Clive to speed toward a distant enemy with a melee attack. |
| Downthrust | Allows Clive to return to the ground by thrusting his blade into an enemy. |
| Burning Blade | Imbues Clive's blade with fire, increasing the damage of the next melee attack. |
| Swift Recovery | Allows Clive to bounce back quickly after taking a heavy hit by using the Dodge button. |
| Stomp | Allows Clive to kick off an enemy to gain additional height after a jump. |
| Charged Magic | Charges a magic attack, increasing the potency of the next cast. |
| Magic Burst | Executed at the end of a melee combo, Magic Burst delivers a potent blast with a knock-back. |
| Taunt | Forces the enemy to focus its attacks on Clive. |
click to enlarge
+ 3Ifrit skills
Once you unlock the Ifrit Eikon, you'll gain the ability to learn and equip the following abilities:
| Ignition | Charge toward the enemy to deliver a series of knocking blows either on the ground or in mid-air. |
|---|---|
| Will-o'-the-Wykes | Fireballs surround Clive, damaging enemies in melee range and absorbing incoming damage. |
Garuda skills
Once you unlock Garuda, you'll gain the ability to learn and equip the following abilities:
| Aerial Blast | Calls forth a homing tornado that slowly approaches enemies, hitting multiple times and trapping them in the vortex. |
|---|---|
| Rook's Gambit | Jump backward and deliver a powerful counter, dealing more damage if the jump evaded an attack. |
| Gouge | Two large claws deal multiple hits to the target. |
| Wicked Wheel | Launches nearby targets, dealing damage and opening them up to aerial attack combos. |
| Deadly Embrace | Uses a large claw to pull a target toward Clive, launching him instead if the target is too big. |
Shiva skills
With the Shiva Eikon, you'll gain the ability to learn and equip the following abilities:
| Diamond Dust | Freezes enemies around Clive, dealing heavy damage and knocking them back. |
|---|---|
| Rime | Traps enemies in a pillar of ice, dealing consistent damage. |
| Ice Age | A stream of icicles knock targets back, dealing damage. Hold cast to deal more damage. |
| Mesmerize | Multiple ice shards pull lighter targets toward Clive. |
| Cold Snap | Allows Clive to slide along a fresh sheet of ice, freezing enemies he attacks in the process. |
click to enlarge + 3Odin skills
Once you unlock the Odin Eikon, you'll gain the ability to learn and equip the following abilities:
| Dancing Steel | Deal consistent combo damage with a second blade, rapidly filling the Zentetsuken gauge. |
|---|---|
| Rift Slip | Immediately recover from any ability or action to chain another. |
| Gungnir | Use the Gungnir spear to rapidly attack the target, filling the Zentetsuken with each hit. |
| Heaven's Cloud | Lunges toward the target, resetting the cooldown immediately if the previous attack lands, filling the Zentetsuken gauge. |
| Arm of Darkness | Wield Odin's Blade for a time, filling the Zentetsuken guage with each attack that lands, and gaining the ability to execute it by holding Square. |
Titan skills
With Titan under control, you'll gain the ability to learn and equip the following abilities:
| Earthen Fury | Launch enemies with a powerful earthy explosion. |
|---|---|
| Raging Fists | Lunge forward to deal rapid attacks that increase in damage if the advance blocks an attack. |
| Windup | Deliver a forward punch, dealing more damage he longer the attack is charged. |
| Upheaval | Hold the execute button to charge a damaging fist slam that increases in range. |
| Titanic Block | Block attacks, unleashing counterattacks with Square if timed perfectly. |
Bahamut skills
Once you've wrestled control of the monolithic Bahamut, you'll gain the ability to learn and equip the following abilities:
| Gigaflare | Use a large beam of light to burn enemies. |
|---|---|
| Satellite | Summons familiars that attack targets hit by Clive's Magic cast. |
| Impulse | Sends multiple balls of light to root enemies in place, dealing continuous damage. |
| Flare Breath | Deals continuous damage to enemies caught in the flames. |
| Wings of Light | Conjure Megaflare, dealing more damage the longer it's charged. |
click to enlarge + 3Ramuh skills
Controlling Ramuh will unlock the ability to learn and equip the following abilities:
| Judgement Bolt | Deals massive damage to a single target. |
|---|---|
| Lightning Rod | Summons a ball of electricity that chains along enemies when hit. |
| Pile Drive | Deals damage to those around the centre of the ability. |
| Thunderstorm | Causes lightning strikes to rain down on the target. |
| Blind Justice | Lock onto a target to launch balls of lightning at them, discharging for additional damage if struck. |
Phoenix skills
As you unlock more powers of the Phoenix Eikon, you'll gain access to the following abilities:
| Flames of Rebirth | Burns enemies caught in the pillar of flame, dealing damage and healing Clive. |
|---|---|
| Heatwave | Reflects incoming ranged attacks to deal additional damage with an erupting wave. |
| Rising Flames | Launches enemies in front of Clive, dealing damage. |
| Scarlet Cyclone | Deals damage to all nearby enemies. |
| Phoenix Shift | Quickly rush in the target direction, attacking with Magic or Melee as usual. |
For more wise words about Final Fantasy 16, consider reading up on the wholesome stories of fans sharing how they got into the series. And if you need more tips and tricks, the FF16 trophies and achievements list is another good one to have on hand. Lastly, knowing how to get Darksteel and Orichalcum can help you through some tough challenges.
For more articles like this, take a look at our Guides and Final Fantasy 16 page.