Theatrhythm Final Bar Line, if you haven’t heard, is the follow-up to the excellent 3DS rhythm-RPG game Theatrhythm Final Fantasy from Square Enix and indieszero. Featuring the storied 35-year history of Final Fantasy music, the game is immensely fun, addictive, and will bring you back to the golden years of Final Fantasy nostalgia.

If there’s one thing that presents a massive challenge in Theatrhythm Final Bar Line, it’s the boss fights. They’re usually at the end of the music stage, they pack quite a lot of HP, and they love dishing out the most annoying status ailments. Then you ask yourself, “How do we take down these bosses and claim the promised loot at the end of each music stage?”

What if I told you that the bosses in Theatrhythm Final Bar Line are quite easy to beat? This guide has been written to that effect, and it’ll show you how to defeat difficult bosses as fast as you can and also take out the many creeps that precede them.

Now strap on those dancing shoes and equip that summonstone, we’re going boss-hunting, Theatrhythm Final Bar Line style!

Theatrhythm Final Bar Line – How to create a Boss-dominating Party

First, the basics: Get your main party characters to level 99. That way, you can find out the maximum stats and also their primary attributes. The two main stats you have to watch for when dealing damage are strength for physical characters and magic for magical characters. If they are at an A rank (200 level), boost them to S rank (300 level). That way, you can do some substantial damage.

Also, attempt to increase their secondary stat, such as additional strength or magic for hybrid characters. Once three main stats have been increased to an S-rank, you have hit the minimum requirement for board clearing and getting to the boss. You can use your stat-increasing potions such as Guard Plus, Power Plus, and Magic Plus to do so.

Another attribute to consider is your Summonstone. While there are Summonstones that increase physical and magical damage, you would have to forego that. What you will need is the 15% Trigger Damage increase to make it count. Find a summonstone that deals the most damage when summoned (Knights of the Round, Bahamut, Alexander) because they’re usually the ones with a neutral damage parameter that cuts through most resistances with this Trigger Damage attribute.

Related – How To Farm Summonstones in Theatrhythm Final Bar Line

Poison is your best friend. Have one character that casts it, and your first two rounds will be over within 20 to 40 seconds of the music stage. Battle Music Stages usually drop the boss around the 4th or 5th encounter, while Field Music Stages usually appear around the 3rd or 4th. The first two encounters are usually packed with HP sponge enemies, so poison will help you power through that.

Also, equip entry-level attacks such as Fire or Fire Blade for your characters to help clear the first two encounters. Equip a secondary attack as well, such as Fira or Fira Blade, to clear the mid-stage creeps. Don’t fill your skills with endgame attacks like Firaga or Firaga Blade, as they take a substantial amount of notes to activate, and you’ll still find yourself stuck with the earlier enemies.

Finally, for bosses, have skills for 3 of the 4 party members with boss-specific damage abilities. Final Fantasy VI characters are the best for that. Kefka has Heartless One, which greatly reduces defense and inflicts massive neutral magic damage; Terra has Ultima, which inflicts massive neutral magic damage; and Locke has Mirage Dive, which inflicts massive slashing damage.

The timing will be perfect, so when the boss arrives, your summon has activated as well as three boss-killing skills, dealing a massive preemptive strike before they can even lift a finger. This tactic usually works for most regular BMS stage bosses except for final bosses with unusually high HP preceded by similarly tanky boss mobs.

Take into consideration elemental weaknesses and stage-specific effects as well. If a boss is weak against certain elements, bring a few characters with endgame attacks that fit those elements. If the stage-specific effect doubles physical damage, then bring all your heavy-hitting physical characters to play. Taking advantage of every little thing is key.

The real clincher are bosses with double or triple their base HP. At this point, consider pushing your raiding party over level 99. With that, you’ll get a considerable stat increase to really do a lot of damage. Maybe even consider pushing those Strength and Magic attributes over 500 levels, pushing them to SS or even SSS rank using your stat-increasing potions.

In certain final boss stages, consider putting a support character that buffs your party members and cures status ailments such as Stone and Toad, as they take time away from completing these stages. Also, remember to keep those hits Rainbow Critical and always try to push for a Perfect Chain (no pressure) for the best results.

There you have it. Happy hunting, and always remember to have fun. It’s Theatrhythm Final Bar Line after all, and not Elden Ring!

Theatrhythm Final Bar Line is now available on PS4 and Nintendo Switch.