Template:Sideicon Template:FFX Enemy Dark Ixion is an optional boss in the International, PAL and the HD Remaster versions of Final Fantasy X. Available after viewing the arrival cutscene of Calm Lands. He is encountered twice, the first time by talking to a Yevon soldier on the Thunder Plains, and after that, by finding him after a lightning strike, both in the northern section.
Battle
In the first battle, Dark Ixion counters every attack, and inflicts Sleep (by 99 turns), Armor Break, and Mental Break. His non-elemental Thundaja spell may be dangerous, dealing damage as well as Delay (strong). In the first battle, Dark Ixion uses Aerospark when his Overdrive is full, which removes several beneficial status effects: Auto-Life, Haste, NulAll, Protect, Reflect, Regen and Shell.
During the second battle Dark Ixion can no longer counter, and his attack now inflict Confuse instead of Sleep, in addition to Armor Break and Mental Break as before. He uses his normal Overdrive, but Thor's Hammer is quite weak — 17,100 to 19,308 damage — but inflicts Full Break and its damage cannot be reduced by anything but another aeon's Shield. Also, Evade & Counter allows one to evade his physical move.
Out of all the Original Creations, Dark Aeons and Penance combined, the only evadable attacks are Dark Ixion's physical attacks. Also, Dark Ixion is the most accurate enemy in the game, so requires a combined total of 290 to ensure dodge any evadable attack in the game; it does not matter whether this is 255 Evasion and 35 Luck, or 35 Evasion and 255 Luck, or anywhere in between.
Dark Ixion is unique in that the party can escape from the battle with Flee. This can be done in both encounters.
Strategy
As in the other Dark Aeon battles, it is best to use Auto-Life or call an aeon when the enemy's Overdrive gauge is full, although the Full Break effect from Ixion's Overdrive can be cured with Dispel.
Dark Ixion has low HP, so it can be defeated quickly by using the strongest Overdrives several times. The party should have extremely high Agility and Luck. Very high Strength, Defense, and Magic Defense are also useful.
If the player has a relatively weak party that would die after one hit of any of Dark Ixion's moves, two characters can be equipped with Auto-Phoenix. If the player brings out an aeon when Dark Ixion's Overdrive gauge is full in the second battle, they will be fine as Dark Ixion has no other attack that attacks more than one opponent. Dark Ixion can be taken down by simply using strong physical attacks, although Dark Ixion will counter. The second battle is easier as Ixion will no longer counterattack, and most of the original strategy applies, but his Thor's Hammer can slay the party.
As with any other enemy, both times it can be killed instantly by Yojimbo's Zanmato.
AP Farming
Dark Ixion is considered the best AP farming. The player should set up the party with Overdrive → AP, and if possible Triple AP and Triple Overdrive, and have all characters with Stoic Overdrive Mode. If Triple AP and Triple Overdrive are not possible, then Double may be substituted instead, but Double/Triple of the same type do not stack.
It is recommended that this be done in the first battle, since in that battle Dark Ixion does not have attacks that cause damage to all opponents at once. During battle the party should have First Strike on its weapon and Auto-Phoenix on an armor. After Dark Ixion attacks, the party should keep healing. If attacked, Dark Ixion will counter for more damage. His Thundaja will likely deal 99999 damage since the party is under Mental Break condition. Also, while less HP Max has the character (Rikku is the character with lowest HP Max with 360) and it receive more damage, it will get more AP.
In this same case, if the player equips the Comrade Overdrive Mode with the other two characters accompanying Rikku (carrying Overdrive → AP in their weapons), when she takes damage, these characters also will gain many amount of AP will take depending on the Rikku's HP Max.
After a while the player can swap to a party member with Flee and run. The damage taken, when linked with Overdrive to AP, will gain many S-levels, and with more extra abilities, such as Double AP or Triple AP, this boosts further.
If the player has already defeated the first form of Dark Ixion, then the trick can still be worked fairly easily by simply fleeing before he can execute his ovedrive, which is still his only attack that hits more than one character. By the time his overdrive bar has filled, a group of three characters should have gained numerous sphere levels and the trick can be easily repeated.
Gallery
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Related Enemies
- Ixion
- Dark Anima
- Dark Bahamut
- Dark Cindy
- Dark Ifrit
- Dark Mindy
- Dark Sandy
- Dark Shiva
- Dark Valefor
- Dark Yojimbo