Game:Hector Barbossa

Captain Barbossa is a boss in Kingdom Hearts II, located in Port Royal. He must be fought alongside the Illuminators. If Jack Sparrow is defeated during this fight, the battle is automatically lost.

Kingdom Hearts II
Barbossa will be either a near-impossible or easy boss depending on the player's strategy. The game will end immediately if Jack perishes, which is why it is imperative that the player equip his abilities—No Mercy, Rain Storm, Bone Smash and the limit Treasure Isle—before the battle begins.

Barbossa is assisted by a special Heartless called the Illuminator. It creates darkness in the room, and must be eliminated first so that the cursed Barbossa can be damaged. Be careful, as the room will be very dark and Barbossa can attack from anywhere without warning. Look out for a pair of glowing eyes in the gloom, then run towards them and attack the Heartless until its slain. Barbossa can now be fought normally. After a while a new Illuminator will appear and, once again, it must be dispatched so that the fight can continue. It must be noted that the shaded parts of the cave do act as areas where Barbossa is protected from the moonlight, meaning that the player must be conscious of where they take the fight.

There are two sets of Reaction Commands available in this battle. The first, Twin Counter, is used in conjunction with Jack. It becomes available when Barbossa says "Once again Jack!" while he targets Jack. It launches a powerful launching attack against Barbossa, and leads into Sonic Dive, which Jack assists Sora in making a high leap toward the now airborne Barbossa, attacking upwards as Barbossa is sent falling. Barbossa will always land in the center of the room, by the treasure chest, after this attack. The second, Land, can be activated during Barbossa's most extensive combo in which he says "Here, try a taste o' this!", available when he is low on health. Sora steps on Barbossa's blade, effectively disarming him. After this reaction, a short battle cinematic shows Barbossa reaching for his pistol, and the follow-up Reverse Blade command becomes available, which causes Sora to grab his Keyblade in a reverse grip and smack Barbossa backwards before he can fire. The second Reaction Command has some risk, and if Land is not used quickly enough, Barbossa lunges at either Jack or Sora. If Reverse Blade is failed, Sora will be shot in the head for massive damage. Use the Reaction Commands at all times, as they give time to use Cure, or allow the player to use a Potion.

Wisdom Form is extremely effective against Barbossa, due to his stark weakness against magic and the form's long-ranged capabilities. Stay a good distance away from Barbossa, and cast Blizzard. This should freeze him for about five seconds where he can be pelted by Wisdom Form's shots safely. When Sora reverts, Ether(s) should be used if MP Charge is active, then activate Jack's Limit command 'Bluff'. This should be enough to completely finish Barbossa off, and if done quickly enough, will not give him enough time to summon another Illuminator. Keep this strategy up and it is possible to achieve victory in under a minute. It is recommended that Sora equips the Blizzard Boost ability if he has it. Anti-Form is also unavailable, as Jack cannot leave the party.

Alternately, once the Illuminator is defeated, immediately activate Valor Form with your two most powerful Keyblades (including the Hero's Crest) and unleash a flurry of aerial combos for maximum damage. If you're good enough, you can stop him from actually attacking you with his sword, and with the Air Combo Boost from Hero's Crest, your aerial combos will inflict more damage than your normal ones. Once you revert, use Cure at once to replenish any lost HP. Keep this strategy up and you'll win before too long. You can also use Thunder on Barbossa, as it will send him in the air, stunned, looking like he has been electrocuted. Now is a good time to use an air combo.

Weaknesses aside, Barbossa is still dangerous nonetheless. His most basic attack where he lunges forward slashing can knock Sora into the air, and is often followed by a pistol shot that is unblockable, so close quarters combat is not a particularly good idea. At medium range he can throw bombs on the ground; at longer range he’ll often shoot his pistol. If the player cannot stop him from attacking at all, then his attention should be directed away from Jack as much as possible to lower the possibility of failure. On the other hand, Barbossa is one of the only bosses in the game that can be prevented from attacking, with the right timing of Magic casts, making him humorously easy with the right strategy. Upon victory, Sora receives the Follow the Wind Keyblade.