Ruler of the Sky

The Ruler of the Sky is an Emblem Heartless that is found in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days. It is one of the bosses at Neverland.

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days
On Day 301, Organization XIII detects a powerful Heartless at Neverland, and sends Roxas to slay it. After Tinker Bell appears and refreshes his ability to fly with a sprinkle of pixie dust, Roxas discovers Captain Hook and Mr. Smee digging near Skull Rock, where their last map has finally lead them to buried treasure, in the form of a bulging treasure chest, a giant avian skull, and a jewel-encrusted sword. However, the darkness of Hook's greed possesses the treasure and takes the form of the Ruler of the Sky, so the terrified pirates flee.

As Roxas prepares to battle the gigantic Heartless, Pete confronts him, having realized that Roxas is the one who has been eliminating the Heartless he had been tricking Hook into summoning, and cheers the Ruler of the Sky on. Despite this, the Ruler of the Sky is defeated by Roxas in an aerial battle and collides with Hook's ship as it disintegrates, crushing its masts. Having been thwarted once again, Pete flees swearing vengeance.

Design
The Ruler of the Sky resembles a large, skeletal parrot. Its body is covered in violet plumage and it has a jeweled, gold collar around its neck. Its tail is comprised of several skulls linked together, while its wings are comprised of four gold cutlasses with alternating violet and red gems set in their guards. The topmost cutlass in each wing ends in a hook, and none of the cutlasses are actually connected to each other. The Ruler of the Sky's head sports yellow eyes and a jeweled, violet and gold crown. Its mouth is comprised by a brown treasure chest filled with gold coins with gold lining, and black spikes acting as teeth that the Heartless has clenched in its beak. Its Heartless emblem is on the top of its crown. The Ruler of the Sky incorporates many traits that are homages to stereotypical pirates, such as parrots, skulls, cutlasses, and treasure.

The Ruler of the Sky's name reflects its unmatched power and flight.

Strategy
The Ruler of the Sky is an airborne moving target. For this battle, equip a leveled-up Glide ability, a good midair weapon, and Fire magic.

At the start of the battle, Lock-On to the Ruler and follow it. It flies as quickly as Roxas does, so strike while the Ruler is turning. Dodge its Water Bullets and Icicles by not staying directly behind the Ruler.

After the Ruler sustains about half a bar of damage, a segment of its tail breaks, triggering a berserk state. The Ruler of the Sky rushes back and forth 3, 5 or 7 times, depending on how many tail segments have been destroyed, and occasionally releases a homing ball of energy when it begins its rush. Dodge by flying downwards and to the side. Be cautious of flying too close to the water, which causes the Ruler to fire homing Water Bullets. If this happens, use the terrain to avoid the Water Bullets.

After rushing several times, the Ruler of the Sky dives into the ocean unless you land Fires during its charging phase. Wait for it to resurface, and watch the mini-map. Once the Ruler resurfaces, it executes Coin Machine Gun. (Interestingly enough, if Roxas is hit, he collects the munny that hit him.) Dodge low or to the side. The Ruler moves away from if Roxas tries to approach it, so try not to push it outside the area boundary. When it stops firing, use the opening before it resumes flying to attack the tail. Repeat the above until all tail segments are destroyed.

When its tail is destroyed, the Ruler of the Sky enters a new, second berserk state. It begins flying around the area, circling Roxas with Icicles and Water Bullets. Fly up and down repeatedly to dodge, Alternatively, stand in the hole dug by Smee, avoiding the Water Bullets and Icicles entirely.

Once the berserk state ends, the Ruler of the Sky stops circling and executes Coin Machine Gun. This time, the Ruler of the Sky stays stationary if approached. Fly up to it from below and target its red core.

After Coin Machine Gun, the Ruler of the Sky transforms its wings into claws and starts swiping at Roxas. Avoid this attack by flying away. The Ruler of the Sky pauses for a few seconds after it finishes this attack, giving an extra opportunity to deal damage. It then returns to its second berserk state. Repeat the second part of the strategy until the Heartless falls.

Be sure to equip items and multiple casts of Fire magic. Make use of the Limit Break, and equip a weapon with powerful strikes, as the Ruler does not stay still long enough for combo-based weapons to be effective.

A possible strategy to follow is to bring a large number of high-level Fire and Firaga casts, as well as Hi-Ethers and Elixirs to replenish magic. During the first phase of the battle, use Fire to inflict damage on the tail segments, as its homing capability will make it easier to connect with the target. After the tail is destroyed, use Firaga at close range to inflict a great deal of damage to the Boss's core.