Iron Imprisoner



The Iron Imprisoner is an Unversed that is found in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. It is one of the bosses at Mirage Arena. When it is first fought, it is chained and imprisoned in a gibbet, but it gradually releases itself over the course of its battles.

Design
The Iron Imprisoner is a large, armored Unversed with four different forms. In its first form, the Iron Imprisoner I's lower body is locked in a black gibbet with silver highlights and several black, diamond-shaped gems set in it. Its arms, which are covered in black armor with two blue gauntlets, are bound by four red chains. Only its head, encased in a helmet that is light grey on its right half and grey on its left half, is free to move. It has jagged, black horns on either side of its helmet, though they are not of the same shape. The right horn is somewhat straighter and more horizontal, while the left horn hooks upward sharply. Its eyes are red, set in an angry expression, and slightly uneven.

The Iron Imprisoner II is identical to its first form, save for two significant changes. The Iron Imprisoner's chains are gone and its arms are free, making its gauntlets and red collar clearer. It is also now wielding a large, red and black hammer with spikes on its head. The handle of this hammer is tan and the pommel is a black spike. The head of the hammer can conjure fire.

The Iron Imprisoner III is now free of its gibbet, exposing its grey legs. Both of its feet sport black bands with blue highlights on them. Its collar is much smaller and the grey breastplate it wears is now clearly visible.

The Iron Imprisoner IV sports a radically different coloration than its previous incarnations. Its armor is now much darker, mostly colored in shades of black and dark grey. Its lower legs are light grey and the tips of its feet are red. Its gauntlets are now red and black, and its breastplate sports blue highlights. The Iron Imprisoner’s helmet is now uniformly colored black and its eyes have changed shape, though they are still set in an angry expression. On each form, the Unversed insignia is on its back.

The former part of the Iron Imprisoner's name resembles its metallic appearance, while the latter part represents its ability to imprison players in cages. It may also reference the Unversed's own imprisonment in its chains and gibbet.

Strategy
The Iron Imprisoner is one of the more powerful bosses in the game. Therefore, it is recommended the player be at a high level, have the Ultima Weapon Keyblade, and have the strongest Shotlock available: Ultima Cannon for Terra, Light Bloom for Aqua, and Multi Vortex for Ventus. For all four forms, the Once More and Second Chance abilities are almost a necessity, particularly the latter two forms, which tend to chain their attacks. The strategies for each form are below.

Iron Imprisoner I
In its first form, it's chained and trapped in a gibbet. It attacks mainly by swinging the gibbet at you or spinning around like a fiery tornado. It can also entrap you in a cage or erupt out of the ground like a volcano. The best way to start the battle is to use your Shotlock to shave away at its HP bar, then attack normally. Beware when its HP is low. It shoots lasers from the bottom of its gibbet, dealing fire damage on impact. But overall, it is the easiest of the four forms. Merely dodge the lasers and attack.

Iron Imprisoner II
In its second form, nothing much has changed except for the fact it now uses its massive hammer to deal large damage. It can also spin with the hammer outstretched, dealing fire damage on contact. otherwise, it retains all of its attacks from its first form. so simply dodge, attack and use Shotlocks when possible.

Iron Imprisoner III
Its third form is the same as its previous two incarnations. With the only obvious difference that its legs are no longer bound in a gibbet. It is now faster than the other two forms, but it cannot shoot lasers. It retains its other moves so the strategy is the same. Shotlocks are the most effective way to damage the Iron Imprisoner, and as a result the Damage Syphon ability is very useful. While it will pause periodically, the window of attack is very small, and it is safer to use the time to heal or use a Shotlock. The only safe time to attack normally is after the Unversed summons its cage. Evading the cage is difficult unless the player is executing a finishing command or a Shotlock, so it is preferable to simply attack and not attempt to dodge it.

Iron Imprisoner IV
The boss's final form, and its most powerful one yet. It retains its old moves with some new ones. The cage it traps you with is now on fire and will damage you on contact. It also has an attack where it sucks you in close before releasing a large explosion. When its HP is low it will possess the room, turning it red and causing the tiles to fly off and attack. The strategy for the third form is also effective here, though because of the Iron Imprisoner IV's increased strength and ferocity, the player should be more cautious. When the boss possesses the stage, the player can either choose to stay in one place and block constantly to defend against the flying debris, or simply Dodge Roll, Cartwheel, or Slide around to evade damage.