Cerberus (Final Fantasy XV boss)

Cerberus is a boss in the Windows and Royal Editions of Final Fantasy XV. It replaces Behemoth King as the boss fought before entering the Citadel. The player gets story scenes with Cor Leonis during this battle if they did the sidequests offered at the Kingsglaive Base Camp before defeating it. The player can pick up Trihead Heart from the ground after felling it.

Cerberus is a "guard dog" belonging to Ardyn Izunia who has set it to guard the entrance to the Citadel. The party finds it sleeping outside the Citadel, and it attacks as it rouses.

Battle
Unlike most boss battles, the player can flee from cerberus's first battle phase. It is a colossal fire-breathing beast that runs around the battlefield at speed, pounces on the party, and climbs the gates of the Citadel to dive upon its prey. It ejects balls of magma that hit long distance targets. It can shoot the magma balls when midair.

The player can point-warp to the gate posts and the crane around the junction.

After depleting his HP the first time, the player gets a cut scene and the second phase of the battle begins, Cerberus again at full HP, its body now aflame. The battle arena is now surrounded by flames and the player can no longer flee. If the player completed the sidequests at the base camp, Cor will join the party as a guest for the second phase.

If the player warp-strikes it when cerberus is about to climb the gate, Noctis grabs onto one of the beast's heads, and a scripted sequence plays out where Noctis the heads until cerberus shakes the player into the air, from where the player can warp to avoid falling. Parrying its bite gives a sequence where Noctis uses the cerberus's snout to leap into the air and descend upon it.

When Vulnerable, it falls onto its side and is unable to attack for a time.

Strategy
The party can call upon Umbra in a break room and return to the open world to replenish food buffs if the buffs from the "last supper" have run out. Foods that give Flameproof protect against fire attacks, and Resistant makes the party immune to all elements (obtained from eating at Galdin Quay). The Thermal Suit attire makes the wearer invulnerable to fire, but is only available after the player has defeated the final boss.

Ignis advises the player to attack cerberus while it is in midair to stop it from pouncing about. Attacking its hindlegs triggers blindstrike-strikes and link-strikes with party members. As the battle arena is full of warp-points the player can repeatedly warp-strike the cerberus, and then warp away to avoid damage and to restore MP. Ignis's Enhancement can bestow Noctis's weapon with an element Cerberus is weak to. Prompto's Piercer can be used to debuff cerberus.

Musical themes
The boss battle is accompanied by unique boss music. The boss music has two phases, corresponding to cerberus's two battle phases.