Kefka's Tower

Kefka's Tower is a location in Final Fantasy VI, created as a monument to destruction, and stands as a symbol of Kefka Palazzo's power. In his tower Kefka exercises his reign of terror over the World of Ruin, using the Light of Judgment to smite anyone who opposes him. The tower serves as the game's final dungeon and should not be confused with the Cultists' Tower.

Although Celes can walk up to the tower right after sailing to the mainland, the tower cannot be entered on foot. Kefka's Tower can be reached after obtaining the Falcon and, as such, it is possible to go through the ruins, and fight and possibly beat Kefka using only Celes, Setzer and Edgar, as they are the only characters the player is required to obtain to progress in the World of Ruin.

Story
When the party first enters the tower, they question the fate of magic, espers, and Terra if they destroy the Warring Triad—since the three deities are the source of magic, their destruction would cause it to vanish from the world.

When the party confronts Kefka at the tower's summit, he declares all life is meaningless and expresses his desire to continue destroying the world until humans have no hope or dreams. The party engages Kefka's final minions before battling Kefka himself. With Kefka dead, the tower begins to collapse, and Terra transforms into her esper form for the final time, leading the party out of the tower. The party races to the airship as Terra flies into the air to lead them to safety, her powers fading.

As the party escapes, the magicites they have collected vanish. Maduin comforts Terra with the knowledge she can survive if her human side has a strong emotional attachment to the world. Terra loses her powers and falls through the air, narrowly landing on the deck of the Falcon. Due to her love for the children of Mobliz, Terra awakens as a human.

Locations
Kefka's Tower is a tower formed of rubble and its outside is a mash-up of dirt, metal, and machinery. Formed in the approximate location of Vector, most of the tower's building material originate from the city, including the Imperial Palace, the Magitek Research Facility, as well as the remnants of the Floating Continent. The magic used to twist the land into the tower is reflected in the area, as the grass and smaller islands form a swirl with the tower standing in the center. The tower's interior varies, but each passage follows one of three designs.

The tower must be completed using the teamwork of three parties. Each party has its own path, and each path is lined with powerful bosses. The parties can change paths at a complex switch puzzle, requiring all three parties to cooperate to trigger several switches at once to open the path to the Warring Triad, which stand as the tower's final guardians. The parties assemble at the top where they confront Kefka in the final battle and fight the Statue of the Gods leading up to Kefka himself. Due to using several parties, the player can exploit the save point glitch.

Outside
The outside of the tower is where the three individual parties begin, and consists of various short passageways with doorways and ventilation ducts that lead into the tower's interior. Cranes from the Falcon periodically swoop by the starting points of the three parties, giving the player the chance to return to the airship. The peak of the tower, in the center of the outside area, is where Demon is fought.

The first party finds a Coronet here before entering the first Cave area. After exiting the first Factory area and before entering the second, a Pinwheel is found. A blocked path in this area must be opened by Party 3 via a red star on a chest found in their path.

The second party exits back to the outside from Factory Area 1, where they can find a Force Shield, Force Armor, and entrances to the Factory 1 area of Party 1 and their own Cave 2 area.

The third party finds a Red Cap here and two entrances to separate parts of their Factory Area 1. They later exit back to the outside after Cave Area 1, where chests containing a Megalixir and Rainbow Brush are found. A chest with a glowing red star here must also be examined to open a path for Party 1 that is otherwise obstructed.

After navigating the switch puzzle areas, the party in the middle path moves to the final outside area to find Demon. A save point appears when it is defeated. A Ribbon is hidden at the bottom of the path here, found by examining the wall.

Cave
These areas continue the exterior's design aesthetic. Metal beams span the ceiling with blinking lights, and ventilation ducts act as doorways between areas. These areas hold no bosses, but it is a cave where the three parties open the path to the gauntlet of final bosses.

Cave 1 (Party 1)
This is a small area accessed through a ventilation duct below the chest with a Hypno Crown. It has two conveyor belts and a door leading to Palace Area 1.

Cave 2 (Party 1)
This is a small hook-shaped hallway leading from the second Factory area to the outside. This is the hallway in which Fiend Dragons are encountered.

Cave 3 (Party 2)
This is a a forked hallway containing a chest with a Minerva Bustier. It is the first area entered by Party 2 and connects to Palace Area 2. A small side room contains a chest with a Pinwheel and a one-way duct exiting from Factory Area 2.

Cave 4 (Party 2)
This area is a long hallway connecting the outside to Palace Area 3 where the Gold Dragon is fought.

Cave 5 (Party 3)
This area consists of a pair of hallways that connect the outside to Factory Area 3. The first hallway leads to a catwalk in Factory Area 3, and the second hallway opens back to the outside from Factory Area 3 after the party defeats Inferno, Ketu, and Rahu.

Cave 6 (Party 3)
This is a long hallway connecting the outside to Palace Area 4 where the Skull Dragon is fought.

Palace
These areas are built from the rubble of the Imperial Palace, and feature imperial banners, carpets, and statues. The prison cells hold the Ultima Buster in Kefka's cell. The palace areas hold the final two of the eight legendary dragons, and the fights with the Guardian and Goddess.

Palace 1 (Party 1)
A curved hallway accessed from Cave Area 1 and connecting back to the outside, it contains a treasure chest holding the Fixed Dice.

Palace 2 (Party 2)
This area recreates the Prison Cells of Vector, and is accessed from Cave Area 3. The Ultima Buster is fought here, and a save point appears when it is defeated. A door provides a one-way entrance to Factory Area 2.

Palace 3 (Party 2)
This is a small stepped chamber where Gold Dragon is fought. After this, the party progresses to the Switch Area.

Palace 4 (Party 3)
This is a small stepped chamber where Skull Dragon is fought. After this the party progresses to the Switch Area.

Factory
The factory areas are primarily constructed out of pieces of the Magitek Research Facility, including a hallway that was in the facility originally. Esper capsules, conveyor belts, and catwalks mark these areas. Inferno, Ketu, and Rahu are fought in a factory area.

Factory 1 (Party 1, Party 2)
Accessed from the second outside area and connecting to Cave Area 2, it is a two-section area that includes a hallway from the Magitek Research Facility. A platform here must be moved by Party 2 to open the path for Party 1 to progress. A chest containing a Ribbon can be found by Party 2 here.

Factory 2 (Party 2)
After exiting from Palace Area 2, the second party drops into Factory Area 2. This is the only room where Movers and Muud Suuds are found. Stairs lead up to a second area where two pipes lead to separate areas. The left pipe leads back to the outside, the right pipe deposits the party back in Cave Area 3 through a ventilation duct.

Factory 3 (Party 3)
A three-screen area, it is the first area accessed by Party 3. A catwalk connecting to Cave Area 5 contains chests with a Nutkin Suit and a Gauntlet. The lower area of the factory includes a chest with a Hero Ring a hidden passage in the southern area leading to a room with an Aegis Shield. After this the party rides a roller belt to the second part of the area where Inferno, Ketu, and Rahu are fought. After this the party exists to Cave Area 5 leading to the outside. The lower area includes a save point. A pipe in the second part of the lower area allows the party to move back to the first part of the area.

Switch Area
The factory areas hold a complex switch palace deep inside the tower that requires all three parties to work together to open the path forward. The choices the player makes at this switch puzzle determine which bosses each party faces. First, Party 2 and Part 3 must hold down switches to open the door for Party 1 to progress to the next area. Here, Party 1 must climb stairs to either the left or right, the path behind them closing when they do so.

Exiting to the south puts them on a ledge in the first area, where they must push a weight onto the switch the party below is standing on. This allows that party to step onto the center catwalk and take the other path Party 1 did not, pushing down another weight to let the last party into the second area. All parties must now move to the second area and hold down three switches, creating a new path to the south for the middle party along with a stairwell forward. The south path leads to another ledge where a final switch creates doors for the other two parties to progress.

The switch puzzle and its influences on the paths the three parties take can be simplified if Party 1 takes the left or right staircase in the second screen. If they choose the left stairs, the first party will fight Fiend, the second will fight Goddess, and the third will fight Guardian and Demon. If they choose the right stairs, the first party will fight Goddess, the third will fight Fiend, and the second will fight Guardian and Demon. It is impossible for the first party to fight Guardian or Demon, the second to fight Fiend, or the third to fight Goddess.

Switch Area, Cave 1
The middle party enters this small cave after defeating Guardian. It connects to the outside where Demon is fought and contains a one-way exit from the final Cave area.

Switch Area, Cave 2
This area is the final destination of the dungeon, where all parties exit to immediately after defeating the member of the Warring Triad in their path. Moving the three parties onto their respective switches here teleports them to the summit of the tower to face Kefka.

Switch Area, Palace 1
A small area with hallways leading upward, the middle party resulting from the switch puzzle fights Guardian here. A save point appears once it is defeated.

Switch Area, Palace 2
A stepped area where Goddess is fought. A save point appears when she is defeated.

Switch Area, Factory 1
A small area where Fiend is fought. A save point appears when it is defeated.

Eight legendary dragons
The Gold Dragon and Skull Dragon are encountered in the tower as two of the eight legendary dragons that need to be defeated to receive the Crusader magicite.

Lores
The most notable enemy in the tower for learning Lores is the Dark Force. The Dark Force uses almost every Lore in the game, save for Transfusion, Mighty Guard, Force Field and Grand Delta, the latter two of which are only learned from specific bosses. Should the party encounter the Dark Force, which can attack in pairs, waiting and letting them attack will allow Strago to learn most of his Lores. On their seventh turn, the Dark Force will use Quasar, a very rare Lore only used by Goddess and Gilgamesh otherwise. This makes the Dark Force the only non-boss enemy to use Quasar.

The second notable enemy is the boss Fiend. Fiend uses the Force Field Lore and is the only enemy in the game to use it. If the player does not bring Strago to the fight with Fiend, the only way for him to learn Force Field is to bring him to the Soul Shrine in the Advance and mobile releases, where Fiend can be fought again.

The Vector Lythos allows access to White Wind by Sketching or controlling it.

Great Malboros use Bad Breath when alone, or can be sketched to have Relm use it.

Vector Chimeras use Aqua Breath normally, and can be Sketched to have Relm use it.

The Duel Armor opens every battle by using Lv.5 Death or Lv.4 Flare. Death Machines also use Lv.5 Death.

The InnoSent has a chance to use Lv.? Holy on its fifth turn, but can be Sketched for a more likely chance of using it.

The Metal Hitman has a chance to use Dischord every turn, and can be sketched to learn it as well.

Movers use Mighty Guard or 1000 Needles every turn, but only when alone.

Junk enemies usually use Transfusion or Self-Destruct on their first turn.

Rages
The Great Behemoth rage uses Meteor, an effective spell for Gau.

The Vector Lythos uses White Wind.

The Primeval Dragon uses Firaga as a Rage, and is the only enemy aside from the Behemoth King that has Firaga as its Rage.

The Vector Chimera uses Aqua Breath.

The Landworm uses Magnitude 8.

Death Machines use Death as a Rage.

Metal Hitmen and Gamma use Dischord.

The Mover allows Gau to use the very powerful Meltdown spell as a Rage.

The Yojimbo can uniquely be learned as a Rage to allow Gau to use General Leo's Shock command.

Dark Force uses Tsunami.

The Cherry and Outsider use Holy.

Item farming
In the Advance and mobile releases, the final battle with Kefka allows the player to farm two of the best weapons in the game, the Ragnarok and Ultima Weapon. The final two enemies in the Statue of the Gods, Rest and Lady, each have one of the swords as a common Steal. The player can steal the swords to use when the game is reloaded for access to the Dragons' Den and Soul Shrine. The final battle can be fought again in such circumstances if the player wishes to acquire multiple copies of the weapons.

Tigerfangs, one of the best claws in the game, can be stolen from Great Behemoths. The weapon is otherwise unique and the Great Behemoth is the only way to get more.

Fiend Dragons rarely have Guard Bracelets to steal. These are very rare items and can only be alternatively farmed in a handful of ways.

Vector Chimeras have Thunder Shields via Metamorph, but only have a 25% chance of turning into them. Muud Suuds have Thunder Shields as rare steals and no common steal, making them more effective for farming Thunder Shields. Muud Suuds can also be Metamorphed into Organyx swords, the most powerful non-unique sword in the game.

X-Potions can be stolen from Landworms.

Movers drop Magicite, one of the few ways to acquire the item and the best way to farm them, since the Movers are located in a single room and are fought in groups, while other enemies that allow access to Magicite are harder to find or need it to be stolen or Metamorphed.

Yojimbos can be Metamorphed into Genji Gloves.

The Ahriman and Daedalus can variably be morphed into the Lich Ring, Cursed Ring, or Thornlet, all very rare equipment pieces that can otherwise only be acquired once or from bosses. While the practical use of the former two items is dubious, the Thornlet is the most powerful Hat in the game that can be equipped by all party members save Umaro, a point worth consideration in spite of its drawback of inflicting Sap on the wearer.

In addition to the mentioned specific items, every single weapon used with the Tools command can be stolen from the various machine-type enemies found in the factory areas.

Navigating the tower
The first party is the only party that does not face any bosses up to the Switch Puzzle area. The path is linear leading up to a small factory area where the path is broken. The second party must enter this area and hit a switch to move a platform for the first party to progress. Following this the party encounters an obstruction on a staircase outside that is removed by the third party investigating an open treasure chest marked with a red star found on their path. After this the first party is in the Switch Puzzle area.

The second party's path quickly leads them to a palace area where Ultima Buster is fought. The exit from this room is one-way, the party dropping into the next area after passing through the door. Shortly after two pipes are encountered, the left pipe leads deeper into the tower, the right pipe drops the party off in an earlier cave area before the palace area via a ventilation duct, providing a path back to the starting point. Upon exiting to the outside the party is in a larger area with two treasure chests and a ventilation duct leading to a factory area where the party must step on a switch to open a path for the first party. The path forward near the duct leads to a room where Gold Dragon is fought. After this the party enters the Switch Puzzle area.

The third party's path immediately splits between two doors. The upper door leads to a catwalk over a factory area where two chests are found, but is a dead end. The lower door leads into the lower area of the same factory area where Inferno, Ketu, and Rahu are fought as a boss. The save point in the room is the only one in the tower that can be accessed without having to fight a boss first. Exiting the factory area back to the outside places the party in an area where to conveyor belts block off a treasure chest, forcing them to go around to access it. There is an open chest in this area marked by a red star, the party must inspect it to open an obstructed staircase in the first party's path. The door here leads to a palace area where Skull Dragon is fought, after which the party advanced to the Switch Puzzle area.

Enemies
Kefka's Tower is host to several palette swaps of earlier bosses: Inferno is based on Number 128, Ultima Buster is based on Ultima Weapon, and the Prometheus, Fiend Dragon, Daedelus, and Muud Suud are palette swaps of Tunnel Armor, Blue Dragon, Dullahan, and Humbaba, respectively. Though palette swaps of enemies are frequent in Final Fantasy games, these enemies in particular were originally the only palette swaps of these specific bosses, were only encountered in the tower, and furthermore are each only found in a single room. This changed in the Advance release, where new enemies and bosses were added, leaving Tunnel Armor and Number 128 as the only aforementioned enemies with a single palette swap.


 * Outside
 * Great Behemoth, Great Malboro, Vector Lythos
 * Vector Lythos x4
 * Demon (Boss, 2nd/3rd party)
 * Cave
 * Great Behemoth, Vector Lythos x2
 * Great Malboro x3
 * Great Malboro, Primeval Dragon
 * Primeval Dragon X2
 * Fiend Dragon
 * Fiend Dragon x2
 * Vector Chimera x2
 * Landworm
 * Factory
 * Duel Armor, Fortis
 * Duel Armor x2, Death Machine
 * InnoSent x3
 * InnoSent, Fortis
 * Fortis x2
 * Death Machine, Metal Hitman x4
 * Metal Hitman x3
 * Mover x3
 * Junk x3
 * Muud Suud
 * Prometheus
 * Gamma
 * Inferno, Ketu, and Rahu (Boss, 3rd party)
 * Fiend (Boss, 1st/3rd party)
 * Palace
 * Demon Knight, Yojimbo
 * Yojimbo x2, Dark Force
 * Dark Force x2
 * Ahriman x3
 * Daedalus x2
 * Daedalus, Ahriman
 * Cherry, Ahriman x2
 * Cherry, Outsider x2
 * Ultima Buster (Boss, 2nd party)
 * Gold Dragon (Boss, 2nd party)
 * Skull Dragon (Boss, 3rd party)
 * Guardian (Boss, 2nd/3rd party)
 * Goddess (Boss, 1st/2nd party)
 * Final Bosses - Statue of the Gods
 * Tier I: Visage, Long Arm, Short Arm
 * Tier II: Machine, Magic, Tiger, Power
 * Tier III: Lady, Rest
 * Tier IV: Kefka

Musical themes
Kefka's Tower background theme is fittingly called "Last Dungeon." When the party arrives at the top of the tower and confronts Kefka, "The Fanatics" is played, followed by "Kefka." "Balance Is Restored" is played after the final battle as the party flees the tower.

Dissidia Final Fantasy
Kefka's Tower is the representative arena for Final Fantasy VI and is where Firion begins his storyline, and Cecil splits up from Tidus and Firion. Zidane and Terra battle Kefka in their respective storylines in the tower, and in Shade Impulse is it the site of the final battle with Kefka. The tower is host to a handful of confrontations between villains, such as when Kefka advises Kuja to kidnap Squall.

The portion of the tower shown is a multi-layered factory-like area. The top section features catwalks and esper-retaining capsules in small alcoves, while the lower section contains several closed-in areas with pipes running between walls. The upper portion of the tower is wider than the lower areas, and has railings the character can grind on. The Ω form of the stage features vents of magical steam that explode from walls whenever part of the stage is destroyed or a character is wall rushed, knocking characters through the air and bouncing them between walls. The steam damages their Bravery, adding it to the Bravery pool.

The Magicite shard is the battlegen item obtained through stage destruction in this area. There is a minor graphical glitch in the area involving the capsule tops.

Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy
Kefka's Tower returns as an arena. Vaan and Terra stop here while fleeing from Kefka, and it is where Kain meets with the Warrior of Light to tell him the truth of the cycles of war.

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy
The location of the final battle with Kefka appears as the Battle Music Sequence for "Dancing Mad."

Theatrhythm Curtain Call
The top floor of Kefka's Tower returns as the BMS for "Dancing Mad," while the lower areas appear as the Field Music Sequence for it's eponymous theme.

Trivia

 * An area resembling Kefka's Tower appears in Final Fantasy XIV, serving as the second battlefield during the encounter with Zurvan, the Demon inside the Containment Bay Z1T9.

Kefkas Turm Башня Кефки