FF1 Pixel Remaster Boss Guides
18 bosses from Garland at the Chaos Shrine to Chaos himself with 20,000 HP.
Each guide covers full stats, recommended level, step-by-step strategy, and rewards. The Four Fiends appear twice -- once guarding each Crystal and again as stronger versions in the final dungeon.
Early Game
Garland
Chaos Shrine, 1F
The first boss in the game and the simplest fight you will face. Physical attacker only-no spells, no status effects. Beat him to rescue Princess Sarah, unlock the bridge to Pravoka, and begin the journey.
Easy
Pravoka Pirates
Pravoka
Nine pirates blocking the Pravoka docks. Each has 24 HP and zero Defense, making them the weakest boss encounter in the game. Beat them and the Ship is yours-opening sea travel and the rest of the world map.
Easy
Piscodemons
Marsh Cave B3
Four Piscodemons ambush your party the moment you pick up the Crown from the chest on Marsh Cave's lowest floor. They are the first boss where magic becomes unreliable-their 98 Magic Defense and resistance to Fire, Ice, and Spirit make most offensive spells nearly useless. Physical damage is the path to victory.
Medium
Astos
Western Keep
The fake king of Western Keep. Astos has been posing as royalty while cursing the Elf Prince into an endless sleep. When you hand over the Crown, he drops the disguise and attacks. He has no elemental weakness, near-impenetrable Magic Defense, and casts Death-an instant-kill spell-every few turns. Keep your healer alive and end the fight fast.
Medium
Mid Game -- The Four Fiends
Vampire
Cavern of Earth B3
The Vampire guards the Star Ruby on B3 of the Cavern of Earth, disguised as a bat blocking the path forward. Interact with him and he reveals his true form. He is undead and weak to Fire and Dia-two or three rounds of focused magic ends this fight quickly. The Star Ruby you earn is needed to pass through Giant's Cave and reach the sage Sarda.
Easy
Fire, Dia
Lich
Cavern of Earth B5
The first of the Four Fiends. Lich guards the Earth Crystal on the deepest floor of the Cavern of Earth. You need the Earth Rod from the sage Sarda to reach him-it breaks through a sealed door on B3. He is undead and weak to Fire and Dia, but his 1,200 HP and party-wide Blizzara spell make this the hardest fight in the game so far. Cast NulFrost before anything else.
Hard
Fire, Dia
Marilith
Mount Gulg B5
The second of the Four Fiends. Marilith is a six-armed serpent guarding the Fire Crystal at the bottom of Mount Gulg. No elemental weakness. 183 Magic Defense. Six physical attacks per turn. Offensive spells are nearly useless-this fight is won entirely through buffed physical damage and the right defensive setup. Cast NulBlaze on turn one or her Fira will eat through your party fast.
Hard
Evil Eye
Cavern of Ice B2
Ambushes you the moment you pick up the Levistone from the chest on B2. Only 162 HP-but it carries three instant-kill spells: Death, Glare, and Rub. Any one of them erases a party member with no save. The entire strategy is to kill it in one turn before it acts. At level 28, this is completely doable.
Hard
Post-Class-Change
Dragon Zombie
Citadel of Trials 3F
Two undead dragons ambush your party the moment you pick up the Rat's Tail from the chest beside the throne on 3F. The Rat's Tail is the key item needed to reach Bahamut and receive your class upgrades-there is no skipping this fight. Both Dragon Zombies are weak to Fire and Dia, the same tools that cleared the Citadel's undead enemies throughout the dungeon.
Medium
Fire, Dia
Blue Dragon
Mirage Tower 3F
Guards the teleporter on Mirage Tower 3F connecting to the Flying Fortress. 200 Magic Defense makes every offensive spell worthless. 96 Evasion means unbuffed attacks miss constantly. The entire fight is physical-stack defensive buffs, boost accuracy, and hit hard enough to push through 454 HP before your resources drain.
Hard
Warmech
Flying Fortress 5F bridge
The hardest fight in the game. Warmech spawns as a random encounter on the long bridge of Flying Fortress 5F-every step has a 4.7% chance of triggering it. It opens with Nuke, a fire-based party-wide attack that can instantly wipe an unprepared party. Warmech is entirely optional but required for 100% bestiary completion and the Superboss Slayer trophy.
Very Hard
Kraken
Sunken Shrine 1F
The third of the Four Fiends. Kraken guards the Water Crystal at the bottom of the Sunken Shrine's five floors. Eight physical hits per turn, can inflict Blind, and weak to Thunder-the most exploitable of the Fiend fights if your Black Wizard has Thundaga charges ready. Stack defensive buffs and hit it with Thunder every single turn.
Hard
Lightning
Tiamat
Flying Fortress 5F
The last of the Four Fiends. Tiamat guards the Wind Crystal at the top of the Flying Fortress. She resists all four elements-Fire, Ice, Lightning, and Earth-making every elemental spell worthless. No weaknesses, no exploits. NulAll on turn one, then Flare and Holy from your casters, physical attacks from your fighters, every turn until she falls.
Hard
Final Dungeon -- The Fiends Reborn
Lich (Past)
Chaos Shrine (Past) B1
The rematch with the Earth Fiend at the bottom of the first basement floor. Stronger in every stat compared to the original fight-and critically, the Fire weakness is completely gone. Diaja is your only exploitable spell. This fight also comes first in a sequence of four past Fiends across five floors, so MP conservation matters. Hit hard with Dia, save spell charges for B2 through B5.
Hard
Dia
Marilith (Past)
Chaos Shrine (Past) B2
The second Fiend rematch on the way to Chaos. Marilith's HP has more than doubled to 3,200, her Attack is up to 60, and she now resists Ice in addition to Fire and Lightning. She has also traded Fira for Firaga and added the instant-kill Death spell to her moveset. Ribbons on every party member before entering this floor. No exceptions.
Hard
Kraken (Past)
Chaos Shrine (Past) B3
The third Fiend rematch on the way to Chaos. Kraken's HP has doubled from 1,800 to 3,600, Attack is up to 60, and Defense has climbed to 80. The biggest change: the Thunder weakness is completely gone. Thundaga is worthless here. No exploitable weakness, 200 Magic Defense making spells useless, and the same 8-hit physical combo from the Sunken Shrine-this fight is a pure physical endurance test.
Hard
Tiamat (Past)
Chaos Shrine (Past) B4
The fourth and final Fiend rematch-the last obstacle before Chaos himself. Tiamat's HP has more than doubled from 2,400 to 5,500, Attack is up to 75, and Defense has climbed to 90. She still resists all four elements and has no weakness. The same breath attack rotation from the Flying Fortress-Blaze, Icestorm, Thunderbolt-hits the full party, except now it hits harder and you need to sustain NulAll for a much longer fight.
Extreme
Chaos
Chaos Shrine (Past) B5
Garland reborn as his ultimate form. Chaos has 20,000 HP, resists every element in the game, and has 200 Magic Defense-offensive spells do almost nothing. He can cast Haste on himself to accelerate his already devastating physical attacks, and he can heal himself with Curaja. Every elemental spell charge you have saved is worthless here. This fight is about buffed physical damage, layered defensive spells, and sustaining NulAll for as long as it takes.
Extreme