Game:Terra-Xehanort

Terra-Xehanort is a boss in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, serving as the final boss for Terra, who fights in the form of the Lingering Will, and then for Aqua in the game's Final Episode.

In Kingdom Hearts III, Terra-Xehanort appears alongside Vanitas as a boss battle in the Keyblade Graveyard. He appears as a solo boss in Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind. A data replica of him is also a optional boss in Kingdom Hearts III Re Mind.

Terra's Scenario
For the final boss fight of Terra's scenario, the player takes control of the Lingering Will in order to battle Terra-Xehanort. It will have access to any abilities Terra had equipped before the battle, with its Keyblade replaced with the Ends of the Earth. No Dimension Links can be used during this battle, and the D-Link Gauge is empty and cannot be filled, but Command Styles and Shotlocks are still available.

Normally in the early stages, Terra-Xehanort will be the same as Master Xehanort, being very patient in accordance to the player's moves; however his offense is arguably more punishing with increased mobility due to Dark Haze, dashing around the battlefield, surrounded in darkness and invulnerable to damage. This normally is used whenever the player tries to attack him recklessly or when traps (e.g. Mine Square) are laid in front of him, and would often cause confusion due to his varying dashing patterns.

Often after two or three Dark Haze dashes, Terra-Xehanort often performs one of his attacks at random as a counter-finisher, otherwise, if a specific attack or damage-area is ongoing, then Terra-Xehanort will continue to dash-dodge in random directions for the whole duration. Terra-Xehanort also has access to the Block and Counter Hammer combo, thus he should be physically attacked mainly from behind to avoid retaliation whenever possible.

Aside from this, Terra-Xehanort would normally choose to make the first move with his own version of Terra's Ars Solum or Dark Impluse abilities when enough time passes. Regardless, the best move to make against his dashing tactic and any of his normal combo attacks is to use Block and immediately follow with a Counter Hammer. This will do great amounts of damage to Terra-Xehanort, causing him to Dark Haze away from the player. However, it should be noted that Dark Haze (and Dark Impulse) will not be interrupted when blocked, and Terra-Xehanort may use an unexpected attack after a Dark Haze that can't be blocked normally. Unlike Dark Haze however, Terra-Xehanort can still be damaged during Dark Impulse but still cannot be interrupted from either direct damage or blocking.

However, the boss can make use of the aforementioned Dark Impulse to instead warp away somewhere through a grounded-pool of darkness and when he reappears, he may attempt to unleash a surrounding surge of darkness that must be dodged; he may also attempt to followup with other combo attacks from Dark Impulse once more, inflicting massive damage. This should also be Blocked to open the boss to damage once more from Counter Hammer, while once again, he may not be flinched (requiring the timing of Counter Hammer's invincibility to avoid damage altogether).

He may also utilize the Dark Volley Shotlock, but the dark projectiles he fires can be deflected back at him with Block for damage.

As Terra-Xehanort's HP starts to dwindle, his true power is unleashed. He may use a variation of the Meteor spell, causing several large rocks to erupt from the ground and bombard the player. While this attack can potentially deal heavy damage, it can be defended against with a well-timed Block. Don't try to go for Terra-Xehanort at this time as he will escape by teleporting. He may also summon a large meteor if the player is at close range. Usually when the player is at close range, Terra-Xehanort may cause large pillars of rock to shoot out from the ground around him, in a similar fashion to the Quake spell.

He will continue to use the Darkness-based attacks from earlier stages of the battle, which can be defended against in the same ways mentioned above. Terra-Xehanort may also use the Dark Impulse Command Style, which involves him landing several hits with his Keyblade and then striking the player with an immense hand of dark energy (which can break through Block, so dodging is advisable). Terra-Xehanort will then vanish into the ground, visible only as a pool of darkness on the ground. This pool will travel underneath the player, during which time the boss will attempt another dark hand attack. This attack requires precise timing to dodge, the player needing to wait for the pool of darkness to travel beneath them and then using the Slide ability, which can also be used to avoid many of Terra-Xehanort's attacks or get the Lingering Will out of attack range. As Terra-Xehanort's HP lowers even further, he will chain the close-range rock pillar attack with the Meteor spell.

He lastly will have access to the deadliest attack in his arsenal, Terra's Ultima Cannon Shotlock. Similar to when the Lingering Will is fought as a boss in Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix, Terra-Xehanort will Formchange his Keyblade and charge its power, firing a single, large orb of energy to hit the Lingering Will. This attack will deal a great amount of damage, and cannot be defended against with Block like in Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix. Instead, the player should use Aerial Slam to deflect it back at him so he takes the damage back, or else they must do whatever they can to stay as far away from the boss as possible or use a Shotlock to gain invincibility. Also, beware when Terra-Xehanort's HP is low as he starts teleporting more frequently.

In short, this battle against Terra-Xehanort is all about an equal balance of defense and offense. Defensive abilities should be used which then link to an offensive attack, such as the Block and Counter Hammer combo. This way, most damage is avoided while the player can still deal heavy damage to the boss. One should also be careful when executing the Curaga spell. Using Renewal Block to restore HP from successful blocking is an alternative to restoring HP and can help reduce dependency on Curaga. While this will fully restore the player's HP, Terra-Xehanort can heal as well, increasing the length of the battle. So long as the correct strategies are followed and the player uses patience, Terra-Xehanort will fall and Terra's scenario will have been completed.

First Battle
Aqua travels to Radiant Garden in search of Terra only to be faced with the possessed version of her old friend last faced in Terra's scenario at the Keyblade Graveyard. Terra-Xehanort will use a moveset very similar to that battle, but since Aqua's fighting style is different than Terra's, a slightly different strategy should be followed. Aqua has access to both D-Links and Command Styles, as well as Shotlocks. The player should make full use of these special abilities whenever possible.

It is recommended that the player Cartwheel away from the boss and use the Mine Square ability. Terra-Xehanort will most likely Dark Haze dash in the player's direction surrounded in darkness as he did in his battle with the Lingering Will, but he will be damaged by the mines, his attack interrupted and opening him to more damage. However just like before, there is a chance he'll most likely dash around any attack that would be landed on him in the open, with trap-based attacks being no exception if Terra-Xehanort happens to dash somewhere else towards a possible blind-spot. Because of this, commands like the aforementioned Mine Square should be used more to limit and control his movement instead of outright trying to damage him.

Once Terra-Xehanort is back on his feet, however, the player should follow a hit-and-run strategy, bombarding the boss with magic rather than physical attacks and either running or Cartwheeling away immediately afterwards. The player can also use Barrier to defend against Dark Volley, also using a Barrier and Counter Blast combo to prevent damage from most attacks and still deal damage. It is recommended to use Renewal Barrier as it can be a big help with restoring HP from successfully blocking attacks in case any Cure spell is unavailable and also make sure to pack at least two of them in your Command List to help make healing easier, preferably Cura or Curaga, but also be ready to move quickly after healing to avoid damage if possible if you are too close to Terra-Xehanort. Terra-Xehanort will summon rock pillars around him if the player is at close range, so use caution when attempting a combo that involves linking defense to a physical attack that only works at close range. As Terra-Xehanort's HP starts to dwindle, he will gain access to the Dark Impulse Command Style. He also may use Curaga to restore health, thus increasing the length of the battle.

In terms of fighting Terra-Xehanort as Aqua, the player should favor magic, as her physical attacks are relatively weak, but be careful as he can dodge your magic attacks. While it is quite possible to go through the entire battle without using a D-Link, Command Style, or Shotlock, they will certainly make the battle easier, mostly Shotlock attacks since they can be used at a distance. Also use counters if you need to fill up your Focus gage (as long as he is not using Dark Volley), as close range attacks are too risky to use if this fight, and should not be used too often. So long as the player uses patience when fighting this boss, he should not be a challenge.

Second Battle
Terra-Xehanort's great rage summons the Dark Figure, which he uses to do much of the fighting during his second battle with Aqua for him. The Dark Figure will use many powerful attacks, and Terra-Xehanort can still use Ars Solum as with previous battles, so use caution. As with the last battle, Aqua can use Command Styles, Shotlocks, and D-Links, and having the Renewal Barrier to heal from successful blocking will also be a big help.

In early stages of the battle, the Dark Figure will vanish from behind Terra-Xehanort and begin to strike from underneath Aqua. This can be avoided with timed Cartwheels or parried using Barrier and Counter Blast; however, Aqua should time the Counter Blast correctly by using it after one strike has been blocked and done to take advantage of its invincibility frames to avoid the incoming next strike. If the Dark Figure's attack lands, it will grab Aqua and slam her into the ground to deal heavy damage. Once it returns to Terra-Xehanort, strike the boss with the most powerful attacks possible and continue with a hit-and-run strategy. Terra-Xehanort may avoid Magic or Shotlock attacks by going from side to side when he isn't attacking. The Dark Figure may sometimes attempt to shoot twin energy balls at Aqua. Use Barrier to block these projectiles, as they can blind Aqua. Cartwheel should be used to dodge when the Dark Figure sends dual waves of energy in Aqua's direction, as this attack is unblockable. If Terra-Xehanort ever attempts dashing towards Aqua, to use his Ars Solum combo, Block him and knock him away with a Barrier and Counter Blast combo. This combo can also be used if the Dark Figure ever attempts to punch Aqua with its mighty fist. The boss and his symbiote will repeat these attacks until much of their HP is depleted.

Once enough HP has been depleted from Terra-Xehanort, the Dark Figure will try to approach to grab Aqua. If it succeeds, immediately break away by mashing, while Terra-Xehanort slowly approaches her as well, and if he is close enough, he will use his Ars Solum combo on Aqua. Either way after that, Aqua will be transported to a realm of light, and Terra will stand in the middle of the area, stunned, while the Dark Figure continues to attack by firing twin energy spheres and dark punches. Cartwheel over to Terra's location, and enter the pool of light surrounding him by pressing to activate a special Deck Command called "Dual Limit". At the right moment, press to team up with Terra to strike the Dark Figure with light. This attack will deal three quarters of a bar of health if you get an "Excellent", and half if "Good". Aqua is then transported back to the main battlefield and the attack process beginning from square one. For this reason, it may be beneficial to be grabbed by the Dark Figure to use this Dual Limit and deal some extra damage, instead of blocking it. It is important to know that if one strikes Terra rather than using the finishing command, then Aqua will be transported to the normal battlefield again, as well.

This incarnation of Terra-Xehanort is not difficult to defeat. So long as the player makes full use of the Cartwheel ability to dodge attacks, they should take very little damage. The player must remember to keep at a constant hit-and-run strategy, utilizing physical attacks rather than magic, and only using the Barrier and Counter Blast combo when a physical attack from the opponent must be defended against. The player should also try their best to activate the Dual-Limit command in the light realm. If this strategy is followed, then defeating Terra-Xehanort will be child's play. Terra-Xehanort's fall will also represent the completion of the Final Episode, unlocking more rewards in the game.

Kingdom Hearts III
Terra-Xehanort is one of the bosses at the Keyblade Graveyard, fought alongside Vanitas. Sora has Aqua and Ventus as allies.

Terra-Xehanort has five attacks during this battle. He can dash at Sora a couple times, perform Ars Solum, and fire Dark Volley; the latter of which he fires more projectiles as his health dwindles. He often makes use of the Dark Figure, having it burst out of the ground to attack or occasionally having it slam the ground to generate dark spikes. His ultimate attack has him create a whirlwind around the arena to suck the party in as the Dark Figure swipes at the party, before eventually finishing with a dark slam.

While it is recommended to defeat Vanitas first since his desperation move is the easiest to deal with, it does not mean that Sora should only occupy himself with one opponent at all times. Vanitas and Terra-Xehanort will attempt to blindside Sora while occupied with either opponent so keeping both of them within view is crucial. Should Terra-Xehanort attempt to attack Sora, that is the moment where Sora should stop going after Vanitas and fend him off while Aqua and/or Ventus keep Vanitas occupied. Terra-Xehanort will either dash at Sora or teleport to him for an Ars Solum. Countering his attacks and following up with an air combo is the best way to deal with him when this happens. He may also attempt to shoot at Sora from a distance with Dark Volley. If Aqua and Ventus manage to catch Vanitas in an air combo, Sora should stop attacking Terra-Xehanort and turn his attention to him instead. Switching between the two opponents when to opportunity arises is key to winning the fight, but it is important to make sure that Terra-Xehanort's HP does not reach 20% because that will be the period when he starts performing his desperation move, Dark Rush, and it will be difficult to deal with while Vanitas is attacking during it. It is also important to keep in mind that Terra-Xehanort will begin using Aerial Combo and Sledgehammer upon reaching 50% HP, as well as increasing the frequency of his warps.

Once Vanitas is defeated, Terra-Xehanort will begin using Dark Rush regardless of where his HP stands, but now Sora and friends will have enough breathing room to deal with him accordingly. With patience, Terra-Xehanort should fall with ease.

First battle
In this fight, Sora battles Terra-Xehanort alone. Terra-Xehanort retains most of his attacks, such as Ars Solum and Dark Volley. He notably lacks his ultimate attack from the base game, so he should be fairly straightforward.

Second battle
This second fight is a revisit of the base game's battle. For the first part of the fight, the player plays as Aqua with Ventus as a party member. Once Sora joins the battle, the player can choose to play as Aqua with or Sora with. While playing as Aqua, she cannot switch Keyblades nor use Links, but she does have access to Spellweaver and Grand Magic. She and Ven also have access to the Icy Slider Team Attack.

Data Rematch
Terra-Xehanort is a boss in the Limitcut Episode, where his moveset has been upgraded and he has gained a few new attacks. Terra-Xehanort is relentless and he will follow an attack with another attack immediately if he is not interrupted. During his first phase, Terra-Xehanort has three moves:
 * Ars Solum: Terra-Xehanort teleports in front of Sora, with his Keyblade glowing red, and performs three sets of slashes. For any hit in this combo where his Keyblade is red, the hit will be unblockable. The combo will start with 1 red slash and 2 normal slashes, then 1 red slash and 2 normal slashes again, followed by 1 red slash and 6 normal slashes, and finishes with 1 red slash overhead. Terra-Xehanort is vulnerable right before the finishing overhead strike, so Sora can time a reprisal while blocking the 6 blockable slashes of the third set. A good visual cue is the spinning portion of the third set, which indicates hits 4 and 5 - triggering a reprisal here will usually have the right timing, with Counter Kick having the safest window of opportunity. Alternatively, steer clear of the inital barrages of attacks using Dodge Roll or Glide, and cast a Water spell right as he teleports for the overhead strike. The surrounding barrier will damage Terra-Xehanort, interrupt his attack, and leave him vulnerable. Even if mistimed, the barrier will prevent damage.
 * Dark Volley: Terra-Xehanort teleports far from Sora and fires purple shots in three sets. He will fire two sets of curved shots, then finish with one set of straight shots. All of these shots can be blocked, and guarding the final set will reflect the shots back at him to stagger. Block each set, and prepare to Airstep while guarding the third set to attack.
 * Dash combo: Terra-Xehanort starts rushing at Sora in a straight line about 2-5 times on the ground or in the air, based on Sora's position. Sora can guard each dash, however guarding while on the ground will only redirect Terra-Xehanort backwards, and will not stop the combo. Guarding in the air will instead push Terra-Xehanort onto the ground, where Sora can reprisal to start attacking him. If Sora is on the ground when this attack starts, dodge roll to avoid the first hit, then jump, block, and reprisal. If Sora is in the air already, block quickly and reprisal. Alternatively, it is also possible to stay close to the edge of the arena and dodge out of the way of one of his dashes, then attack.

Terra-Xehanort will always start the fight with either Ars Solum or his dashing combo.

When Terra-Xehanort's revenge value is triggered, he will float away and summon the Dark Figure to perform one of three attacks:
 * Ground slam: If the Dark Figure raises its fist with a red aura, it will slam the ground once, making spikes rise up from the ground. This is unblockable, so dodge roll it accordingly.
 * One-two punch: If the Dark Figure raises its fist with a white aura, it will punch once before teleporting and doing an uppercut with both hands. Both of these hits are blockable. Guard, wait a brief moment, then guard again.
 * Upward rushes: A black pool appears below Sora with a dim white ray of light. The ray will flash wider just before the Dark Figure performs an upward attack, so use this cue to block or dodge. Air sliding away is also possible, however Sora landing on the ground may throw off the air slide/dodge timing, so it is safer to block when in the air.

If Terra-Xehanort performs his reprisal while on the ground, the Dark Figure will usually perform the ground slam. If he reprisals while in the air, the Dark Figure will do the upward rush.

If the Dark Figure starts attacking without provocation, then it is performing one of two combos that combine the above moves.
 * Dark Figure combo 1: The Dark Figure will do a ground slam, followed by a one-two punch, followed by a second ground slam, and a one-two punch. Be prepared to Airstep immediately after blocking the last strike for a chance to attack. When punishing, be careful as Terra-Xehanort tends to retaliate one attack sooner than usual.
 * Dark Figure combo 3: The Dark Figure will do a ground slam, followed by two upward rushes, and finishing with a ground slam. Dodge the first slam, block the upward rushes, and dodge toward Terra-Xehanort during the second slam to get a chance to attack.

Terra-Xehanort will be vulnerable to attack immediately after either Dark Figure combo, indicated by him re-summoning his Keyblade into his hand.

For his ultimate attack, Terra-Xehanort summons a pool of darkness that pulls Sora towards the center, and two trails of rays slowly spiral around the area. Terra-Xehanort also summons a fence of red lightning around the arena, forcing Sora to stay around the center of the arena, and instead of swiping at Sora, the Dark Figure will periodically appear and throw two ground fissures at Sora. The rays as well as the fissures are unblockable. After the fourth set of fissures, the Dark Figure will reappear, charge up its fists and slam down on the ground, dispelling the dark pool, indicated by Terra-Xehanort saying "Join the shadows!". Carefully walk around or dodge roll the circling rays, dodge roll the Dark Figure's ground fissures, and dodge roll right before the Dark Figure slams the ground at the end - a slight moment after Terra-Xehanort finishes his voice line. The first two sets of rays will both go outward, so be careful of standing in the middle near the start. Afterwards, the rays will alternate between moving inward or outward. It is generally safe to move around the bottom-middle of the arena to see the rays coming.

When Terra-Xehanort has about six bars of HP left, he will enter his second phase - note that there is no clear indication of this unlike other bosses, so watch his HP carefully. He will continue using attacks from his first phase, but will also add additional attacks and variations:
 * Ars Solum variation: If Terra-Xehanort gathers red energy into his Keyblade, he will perform a mostly-unblockable version of Ars Solum. He will do 3 slashes, 3 slashes, 1 slash, 1 overhead slash, and a second overhead slash. He will pause to gather energy a second time, then do 3 unblockable slashes, 2 unblockable slashes and 1 blockable slash, then 1 unblockable overhead slash. Dodge roll once for each set of slashes, then during the second round, block and reprisal the one blockable slash to get a chance to attack. The timing can be tight even if the one slash is blocked and reprisaled correctly, so dodging the entire move can also work. Water spells can interrupt this variant of Ars Solum as well, and are safer to execute than a Reprisal, so avoiding the move until his very last slam and then casting Water is also an option.
 * Dash into Ars Solum: He will start a dash from the air, but direct himself at the ground, land right in front of Sora, and then perform the last 6 hits of his normal Ars Solum, followed by an overhead slash. It is possible to block the dash and reprisal for a chance to attack. Alternatively, dodge roll the dash and prepare to dodge roll the initial red strike of Ars Solum, then block the blockable hits and reprisal when he spins, as before. If Sora is caught the air when the initial dash occurs, then most of Ars Solum will not connect, though the finisher can. Turn the camera toward Terra-Xehanort and glide until he is about to do the overhead strike, then air slide to avoid it.
 * Dark Volley variation: The attack can now consist of three sets of curved shots, or three sets of straight shots. He is vulnerable after the third set of straight shots, so Airstep to him after guarding the third set to attack. Note that the timing to Airstep is tighter this time, however - Sora will need to Airstep immediately after guarding, as Terra-Xehanort will not stand in place long enough for the reflected shots to stagger him. Airstepping after the curved shots is much trickier - alternatively, note that any of the curved shots will miss if Sora runs directly towards Terra-Xehanort.

The Dark Figure will also gain one more combo in the second phase:
 * Dark Figure combo 3: The Dark Figure performs two upward rushes, followed by a one-two punch, followed by two upward rushes, a ground slam, and a one-two punch. Prepare to Airstep after blocking the last hit, but again be cautious as Terra-Xehanort may retaliate a hit sooner than normal.

Terra-Xehanort will be vulnerable right after the Dark Figure combo as before, indicated by him re-summoning his Keyblade into his hand.

At about three health bars remaining, Terra-Xehanort will perform an alternate version of his ultimate attack. The attack starts the same as before, with the pool of darkness, swirling rays, and fissures from the Dark Figure. Now, after the third set of fissures, Terra-Xehanort will appear at the center of the arena and fire a straight set of Dark Volley shots at Sora, followed by another set of fissures from the Dark Figure. Terra-Xehanort will reappear one more time with Dark Volley shots in a circular motion instead, and the Dark Figure will throw another set of fissures. The move will finally end with the ground slam, as before. It's possible to block the Dark Volley shots, however the knockback can push Sora into the unblockable rays - so be prepared to dodge out of guard, or time it such that no rays are behind Sora when he is pushed back. Blocking the shots point-blank tends to neutralize them quickly.

For PRO code players, a good opportunity to heal via Wizard's Ruse is after finishing a 2-full-combo punish on Terra-Xehanort. Switch Keyblades to Grand Chef and cast one or two Thunder spells from the ground, but be prepared to dodge roll the Dark Figure's retaliation just in case. Don't attempt more than two magic casts, as this will likely lock Sora in place for the Dark Figure to strike him, or Terra-Xehanort will have started his next move by then.