Angra Mainyu (Final Fantasy X-2)

Angra Mainyu is an optional boss in Final Fantasy X-2 found wandering around during the excavation minigame in the Bikanel Desert. Angra Mainyu was a fiend the Cactuars of Cactuar Nation sealed away long ago, but was released after the Al Bhed began their excavation. In Chapter 5, it attacks the excavation camp and the Gullwings must fight it, but for this to happen, they must find the Ten Cactuar Gatekeepers.

Angra Mainyu is one of the few monsters in Final Fantasy X-2 with a unique design and not identical with or a palette swap of a monster from Final Fantasy X.

Battles Before Chapter 5
Angra Mainyu can be encountered before Chapter 5, flying around randomly during digs in the desert. Picket will warn the player of unidentified object when it appears in the field. It travels quickly and is not visible in the field but only on the map. Despite not being visible it can still get stuck behind objects, such as the Hover.

The party can encounter it and steal items and gil and attack it, but it will always eject the party, even if its HP were to be technically reduced to 0. It is still a useful encounter for the gil and items that can be stolen, and if the party attack it, it will have less HP when attacked full on in Chapter 5. The arms cannot be targeted during this instance. This is useless for unprepared players since Angra Mainyu recovers his HP by a large amount making their efforts go to waste, it is currently unknown as to what triggers this.

When the Ten Gatekeepers are found, they ward away Angra Mainyu from their home, but Angra Mainyu attacks the Al Bhed excavation site instead, which prompts the Gullwings to stop the menace.

Battle in Chapter 5
Angra Mainyu is the last boss of the Bikanel episode, and is one of the most difficult bosses of the game with 333,444 HP and 9,999 MP. Angra Mainyu uses the devastating Perdition's Flame attack, which deals major non-elemental physical damage. It is accompanied by Tawrich, which is immune to magical attacks and uses physical attacks and the Status Effect-inducing Bloody Breath, and Zarich, which is immune to physical attacks and uses magical attacks as well as Glimmer of Despair, which lowers stats and deals MP damage. Angra Mainyu never casts Flare on anyone with Reflect.

Strategy
The best strategy is to have two Dark Knights casting Darkness, as it is neither a physical or magical attack, and have an Alchemist using a Mega-Potion from her Stash command.

Although it is a difficult opponent to overcome normally, the Angra Mainyu can be defeated in under one minute with a Gunner in HP Critical health with the Cat Nip accessory using Trigger Happy. This method is not available in the International and HD Remaster versions due to Cat Nip now having Auto-Berserk. Defeating it gets the player the Ribbon.

Trivia

 * Angra Mainyu, along with Humbaba and Anything Eater, are the only enemies in the game to use the aeon-battle exclusive music piece known in Final Fantasy X-2 as "Summoned Beasts" or "Aeons".

Related Enemies

 * Tawrich
 * Zarich

Angra Mainu