Final Fantasy 16: How to Unlock and Use Your Limit Break

Limit Breaks are a stable of the Final Fantasy series, and they make a triumphant return in Final Fantasy XVI. However, unlike in previous games, you have to earn the right to use them as part of the main story. The process isn’t easy, but the benefits far outweigh the initial costs. We’ll cover how to unlock your Limit and how and when to use it in this guide.

How to Unlock Your Limit Break in Final Fantasy XVI

You earn your Limit Break about ten hours into the story campaign during a fight against Ifrit deep inside Clive’s subconscious. You’ll know you’re getting close when Jill awakens, and you start making your way back to the Phoenix Gate keep Clive destroyed during the game’s prologue. You’ll also travel through a Fallen ruin and take down the Iron Giant boss before you enter an antechamber where Clive goes unconscious, and the fight against Ifrit begins.

Moreover, you’ll need to take down both Ifrit (called the Infernal Eikon) and most of the health from the second boss of the fight, Infernal Shadow. At that point, Clive will accept the truth of his past, and you can press both L3 and R3 at the same time to enter your Limit.

You’ll have infinite Limit bar during this first fight, but using it at any other point will drain the meter, and you’ll leave Limit. While Limit Break is active, you’ll deal increased damage and have constant health regeneration, so using it effectively is paramount.

How to Use Limit Break in Final Fantasy XVI

Your Limit Break is a valuable resource that you need to use intelligently to get the most usefulness out of it. If the bar isn’t full, it will be blue, and you earn additional gauge for both attacking and defending — every sword swing that hits, every successful Precision Dodge, and other such actions all give you more Limit gauge.

Mainly, I recommend using your Limit Break against bosses, as it can easily take the place of several Potions, saving you from needing to expend any consumable resources while also shortening the fight thanks to the increased damage. That said, if you’re just exploring the world or you’ve forgotten to stock up on healing items, there’s no shame in popping Limit during a mini-boss or even against rank-and-file mobs.

You’ll also want to invest your Ability Points into upgrading your Limit Break sooner than later, as the additional buffs provided can be a huge help early on and a possible difference between victory and defeat in the later game.

Beyond the bonuses your Limit Break provides, it shouldn’t change your combat strategy all that much, though you can afford to be more aggressive with it active. The enhancements it provides might apply across your combos and Eikon abilities, but it doesn’t give them any additional utility. Even so, if you have your Limit and want to use it, don’t let anything in this or any guide stop you.