Final Fantasy X: Nemesis

Nemesis is one of the superbosses in Final Fantasy X. It is also the final challenge in the Monster Arena side quest, and one of the longest boss fights in the game.

Location

Nemesis can be found in the Monster Arena, and you must complete a side quest there to unlock it. The side quest requires you to capture 10 of every capturable fiend, and defeat every monster in the Arena Conquest, Species Conquest, and Original categories. Nemesis is the last monster in the Original category, and costs 25,000 gil to fight. This is also one of the only bosses that you can fight again after defeating it, as it is a Monster Arena enemy.

Prep

You will want to have your stats at least close to maxed out on your party members for this fight. You will also want everyone in your party equipped with their Celestial Weapons, because between its 10,000,000 HP and high defensive stats, you will not be able to do much damage to it otherwise. For status effects, it is capable of inflicting Poison, Curse, Slow, and Power Break (all at once) on your party, so having at least Auto-Haste on your armor will help a lot. Nemesis is immune to all negative status effects, and will absorb all elemental damage.

Strategy

Nemesis has an attack pattern that it mostly follows. It will usually use Ethereal Cannon, a magic attack on one character, then Ultra Spark, an attack that inflicts Poison, Curse, Slow, and Power Break to the party, and then a physical attack. It can however use a physical attack in the middle of this rotation at any point. It will also counter any special damage (including Overdrives and items) with Ultima.

The boss’s ultimate attack is Armageddon. When used, it will automatically deal 99,999 damage to the party. There is a hidden counter that determines when this will be used, which goes up by 3 when it uses a physical attack, and by 2 when it uses any other attack. Once the counter reaches 21, Nemesis will cast it on its next turn.

Protect and Shell will guard you from most of its attacks, and Defense boosting abilities (such as Cheer) will reduce the damage from Ultra Spark. You will need to have Auto-Life on at least one party member to live through Armageddon. Alternatively, if you can keep track of its counter for the move, you can summon an Aeon just before it’s cast so they can take the damage instead.

The best way to deal damage to Nemesis is using Quick Hit with your Celestial Weapons equipped. If Anima or the Magus Sisters have their Overdrives ready (or you use Grand Summon on them), they can deal a lot of damage to the boss as well.

Rewards

• When defeating Nemesis, you will earn 55,000 AP (Overkill gives the same amount), but no gil.
• This is one of two bosses that Kimahri can learn Nova from if he uses Lancet on it.
• Defeating Nemesis will grant you the Mark of Conquest. The item doesn’t do anything, but acts as a trophy to prove you’ve completed the fight
• Defeating Nemesis will also earn you the achievement ‘Overcoming The Nemesis.’