Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin Marilith Boss Guide

Restoring the light of the crystals is your ultimate goal in Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin. Jack, a warrior dedicated to destroying Chaos, and his allies must find a way to do this before it's too late. You are the last hope for the kingdom of Cornelia as the darkness threatens to consume everything.

On your quest to restore the Fire Crystal, you must beat a fierce boss. This boss is Marilith, the Fiend of Fire, and they are most unhappy that you've woken them up. Marilith is a deceptive boss as the first half of the fight seems to be easier than it should be. This is because they unleash their full fury in the second half. Do not let yourself get complacent or you'll get burned.

In this guide, we are going to show you how to beat Marilith.

How to Beat Marilith

Marilith saves its strongest attacks for the second half of the battle, so we recommend reserving your health potions (as much as possible) for that half. Also, we found that Neon and Sophia are the best companions for this fight. However, Ash and Sophia would also be useful if you prefer them. Additionally, most Jobs are useful against this boss but we strongly recommend having a Mage Job equipped. This can be any of the Mage variations.

One thing that you must remember throughout this fight is to avoid Marilith's Stone Gaze attack. The easiest way to do this is to simply keep moving!

Stand Back, Charge Your Attacks - Part One

Marilith's attacks in the first half are mainly melee-based ones with their multiple swords, which can make them easy to dodge. The biggest issue in this stage is how fast Marilith is and how long their body is. This means that it's very easy for them to close the gap between you and them, or they can simply swipe you with their tail. You need to be ready to dodge quickly or to block incoming attacks to stand a chance here. It's hard to get through the fight without doing this.

This may sound cruel, but you should activate the resonance state for Neon and Sophia (or your chosen allies). This will keep Marilith's attention on them, which is exactly what you need. While Marilith is distracted, attack their back or tail when they're exposed to you. Any long weapon is extremely effective here as you can attack them without getting too close. Alternatively, you can use Duelist quick attacks on them, but you do run the risk of Marilith turning around to get you.

Also, one of the best ways to wear down Marilith's health bar and break gauge is to use Mage attacks. The area for this boss fight is quite generous in terms of space, so there are plenty of places where you can stand back while they're fighting your allies. While Marilith is battling your allies, charge up your Mage attacks to their maximum level before unleashing them. The Blizzaga and Aeroga attacks work particularly well against Marilith, but any fire-based attacks are less effective.

You must be patient in this fight. If Marilith turns their attention to you, then you need to focus on blocking and dodging. Tackling this boss head-on can result in instant death. If you're patient enough, you can re-activate the resonance states for your chosen allies and start the attack cycle again. However, if this isn't possible, then use your Lightbringer ability to push Marilith away. This will damage them slightly and it will give you a chance to briefly escape.

Eventually, you will wear Marilith's break gauge down. When this happens, unleash everything you have on them while they are vulnerable. Heavy attacks and charged magic attacks should swiftly reduce their health bar. Once their health has been reduced by half, rush up to them and use Jack's Soul Burst to end the first half of the battle.

Hot, Hot, Hot! - Part Two

In this half of the fight, Marilith's attacks are more aggressive and they have flaming swords. However, they will become easier to dodge and predict (but don't try to block them, it's not worth the damage). For their "Inferno" attack, Marilith will stand up straight and circular areas on the ground will turn orange. Once you spot this, or you spot the ground bubbling, get away from there. Lava will spew up in these circular areas and it will rapidly reduce your health if you are caught.

Also, in this half, Marilith will whip their tail around to try to catch you with it. If that fails, they will try to crush you with it. If you watch them carefully, you will be able to tell which way their tail will go and you can dodge in the opposite direction. The key to doing this is to keep moving. If you stay still, you're an easy target.

As you did in the first half of the fight, use your allies to distract Marilith. While they are distracting them, charge your Mage attacks. These are the best attacks to use against Marilith as you can use them from a distance. However, you must still pay attention to Marilith while you are charging an attack. If they pull their arms into themselves while looking at you, they are going to launch at you with their Flaming Fury attack. Once you see them start to prepare for this move, dodge out of the way.

Again, one of the best attacks to use against this boss is Blizzaga and Aeroga. You can use long-weapon attacks against them if you are brave enough, but you do run the risk of being caught in Marilith's rapid attacks.

Eventually, you will wear their break gauge down again. Once their health bar has been reduced to zero, rush up to them and use Jack's Soul Burst to bring the fight to an end.

• Protect your Progress: Read our Saving Guide for Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin.

Marilith is one of the big bosses in Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, and they can be quite tricky to defeat. If you're struggling to beat them, then you might find it easier to alter your difficulty settings. You can find out more about each setting and the effects of each one in our difficulty settings guide. Also, some bosses are easier to defeat with friends. Take a look at our multiplayer co-op guide to find out how to do this.