An Uneasy Feeling
Hollow Bastion is a scary looking place, and upon arrival, Sora has the strangest feeling that he’s been to this castle before, or at least remembers it somehow. The Rising Falls is home to all kinds of Treasure Chests, most of which are found underneath the water. You can use the floating bubbles in the area to get at them. Climb the floating rock platforms until you reach a large rock with what looks like a small fountain on it. A rather lengthy cutscene will play here, and Sora will be left with no Donald and Goofy, and worst of all, no Keyblade!
Armed with a Wooden Sword, Sora’s attacks are hardly effective. Fortunately, you’ve got the Beast on your side, who can charge and bash through the swarms of Heartless you’ll encounter throughout the castle. When you reach the top of the Rising Falls, use the machine nearby to summon the lift that will take you up to the castle. Upon arriving, take an immediate right and go through the gates to locate another set of machines. The one closest to the edge will summon another lift that will take you down below the castle.
The Base Level is full of Heartless, but Beast can handle them easily. Just keep on the outskirts of the skirmish to avoid taking damage. With the Wooden Sword, you won’t really be able to fight back much, so you’ll need to rely on Beast to do all of the fighting for you. Once the room is cleared, head into the bubble floating near the back wall. This will take you down to the Waterway.
A Puzzling Dungeon
The Waterway is blocked off when you first arrive. You can use the Call Command while Beast is in your Party to bash through certain walls, like the one at the end of the hall. Jump through and take a right to locate another bubble that will take you to the next room.
This section of the Waterway features a bit of a puzzle in order to progress to the final chamber. There are gems located on various walls throughout the maze, and you’ll need to press them in the right order to reach the bubble at the end of the room. Start by touching the gem to your left when you first enter the room. As the gate opens, you’ll see the second gem you need to touch. After the second gate moves, round the corner to the right, and you’ll locate the third gem. Touch it, and another gate will fall, revealing the fourth and final gem on the floor.
Head into the bubble to access the last section of the Waterway. Hop on the elevating platform in this room to reach one last gem. Unfortunately, Defenders will be waiting for you, but Beast can handle them for the most part. Once they’ve been cleared activate the final gem to unlock the large double doors back up at the Castle Gates.
A cutscene will play at this point, but after it’s finished, head all the way back up to the Castle Gates. You’ll have to undo the gem puzzle to get back, but if you follow the above steps in reverse, it should be easy. Once you’re back at the Castle Gates, make your way up to the giant double doors and head inside.
Boss: Riku
HP: 500 / EXP: 2000
Riku is no pushover, but you’ve got the Keyblade, Donald, and Goofy back on your side. He’s quick and relentless with his attacks, and his fast dodging maneuvers can sometimes make it very difficult to land a hit of your own. You should constantly have the Aerora spell equipped. In addition to lessening the damage you take, the Aerora spell will damage your enemies simply by bumping into them with the wind shield. It’s not much, but this added damage adds up faster than you might think.
For the most part, the best way to attack Riku is to nail him with a Sonic Blade or Ars Arcanum assault. This will ensure that you can attack uninterrupted while dealing some very significant damage. The best strategy is to keep moving. Riku will spend more time chasing you than he will attacking you, and if you can land a few hits before he manages to initiate a combo, you can beat him back with ease.
Victory Reward: White Trinity
Books and Puzzles
After putting Riku in his place, proceed into the Library, which is up the stairs and down the hall to the left. The books here are all out of order, and putting the right ones back on the right shelf will open some new areas for you to explore. Follow the steps below to completely rearrange the Library to open up all of the new areas.
- Pick up Khama vol. 8 on the floor right by the entrance to the Library. Place it in the empty spot on the nearby bookcase in the middle of the row or red books.
- Make your way through the rest of the bookcases and head up the stairs. Activate the Green Trinity at the foot of a nearby bookcase to reach Azal vol. 3.
- Pick up Theon vol. 6 on the desk near the Save Point.
- Locate the single green book in a row of brown books. Examine it to obtain Mava vol. 6. Examine the same spot again to replace it with Theon vol. 6.
- Press the switch that appears behind the bookcase after it slides to the side.
- Jump on top of the rows of bookcases to locate a square, closed-in gap. Jump down into it and locate the one blue book in a row of green books. This is Salegg vol. 6, which you can place in the nearby row of blue books on a different bookcase to reveal an exit to the enclosed space.
- Return to the entrance of the Library and place Azal vol. 3 in the row of yellow books.
- Make your way to the back of the bookcase you just moved and locate Nahara vol. 5. Head back upstairs and place it in the row of orange books to reveal a hidden bookcase.
- Pick up Mava vol. 3 off of this bookcase and head back downstairs. Locate the row of green books with two gaps in it and place Mava vol. 3 and Mava vol. 6 into the right spots. This bookcase will slide out of the way, revealing a small study area.
- Grab Hafet vol. 4 off of the desk and return it to the row of purple books on the previously hidden bookcase. The bookcase will swing open, revealing a hidden passage to the Lift Stop.
This door to the Lift Stop inevitably leads to a dead end, but there are a few Treasure Chests down that way that make it worth exploring. The next important thing to do lies beyond the door in the upstairs Library, so head through to access the upper level of the Entrance Hall.
This upper level has a few neat features that you’ll need to examine if you want to open the sealed door at the top of the stairs in the lower Entrance Hall. Heading clockwise around the outer circle, cast a Thundara spell on the stone with a lightning bolt engraved on it. Two platforms will appear and begin to hover up and down. This makes it easier to access this upper level from the lower Entrance Hall without having to go through the Library.
Keep heading clockwise around the outer circle until you come to a statue. There is a spot marked next to it on the floor. Push the statue onto that spot to reveal a Treasure Chest in the lower Entrance Hall. Locate another stone further clockwise and activate the Red Trinity on the floor to push it over the edge. The stone will smash when it hits the floor below, revealing an item you’ll need to collect in a moment.
Coming back around to the Library door, there’s another statue with two pots on either side of it. Smash both of the pots to start up the fountain in the lower Entrance Hall. It’ll spit out another item that you’ll need to grab when you return to the Entrance Hall. Lastly, ignite all of the candles in the upper Entrance Hall with a Fira spell. This will extinguish the flame in the center urn.
Now that all of the puzzle solving is done, all that’s left is to go around collecting all of the pieces. The first Emblem Piece is located in the center urn once you’ve extinguished the flame. Hop down to the lower Entrance Hall and grab the Emblem Piece on the floor that came out of the smashed stone. Grab the next Emblem Piece from the fountain. Lastly, open the Treasure Chest that was revealed early to obtain the fourth and final Emblem Piece. When you’ve collected all four, examine the door at the top of the stairs a few times to insert all of the pieces and open up the path to the Lift Stop.
A Long Way to the Top
The Lift Stop is a recurring area that features many sections that all lead to different parts of the enormous castle. Head straight through this first section and into the next area, which is another section of the Castle Gates. While out here, it is very important to fight off the Heartless that appear without falling off of the edge. If you do, you’ll be dropped down to the Base Level and you’ll have to climb all the way back up to this area. When you’ve cleared the area, examine the nearby machine to be brought to the next level. From there, head up the small flight of steps and examine the next machine to be transported into the large lift.
The lift will start slowly passing in front of the castle. When it gets halfway, it will stop and Heartless will appear. Defeat them all and a machine will appear in the center of the lift. Examine it to activate the lift for the rest of the ride. When you land on the other side, head up the steps and activate the Blue Trinity on the ground to obtain two Cottages, a Megalixir, and a bunch of MP Orbs. The Treasure Chest on the back wall can be reached by casting a Gravira spell on it. Head down the stairs on the left and enter the door to be brought to a new section of the Lift Stop.
Use the machine to be brought to the level directly above you and head through to door to reach the Great Crest area. Grab the nearby Treasure Chest and then examine the machine to be brought up to the High Tower. Defeat the enemies that appear here and examine the machine nearby. Use a Gravira spell on the nearby Treasure Chest to bring it down, then head in through the available door to access another part of the Lift Stop. Defeat the Heartless that appear and head straight through to the other side of the High Tower. Defeat the Heartless that appear here as well, then examine the nearby machine to drop a section of the castle, forming a set of steps up to a new area. Before you head up there though, use a Gravira spell to reach the nearby Treasure Chest. Head up the newly formed steps and around the corner into the Castle Chapel.
Puppets of Darkness
As soon as you enter the Castle Chapel, you’d best be prepared. After a brief cutscene, Maleficent unleashes her powers of darkness!
Boss: Maleficent
Maleficent – HP: 900 / EXP: 6000
Platform – HP: 120 / EXP: 0
Maleficent is not to be taken lightly. Despite the fact that she hardly ever attacks, when she does, it hits hard and it’s pretty near impossible to avoid. In addition to taking her out, you’ll need to worry about the steady stream of Heartless she summons (usually two Defenders or two Darkballs at a time). Plus, in order to even hope to reach her, you must first take out the platform she rides around the room.
The platform is easy to take out with a few combo attacks (using a Gravira spell is even faster), but the Heartless and Maleficent are not just going to sit there and let you destroy it. Maleficent will sporadically rain lightning bolts down from the ceiling, which won’t hit you if you are under the platform. If you ever hear her say “Meteors of Heaven, unleash thy fury”, run for dear life to the large circular part of the room and tuck yourself off to the side. This will allow you to complete avoid this assault, and it’s imperative that you do! Getting nailed by her Dark Meteor attack even once can leave your HP in the red in a matter of seconds.
When you manage to knock out the platform, it’ll crash to the ground, allowing you to jump up and attack Maleficent with a few combos. She’ll swat you away with her staff, but just jump right back up and keep wailing on her. Eventually the platform will rise again and you’ll have to take it down again. This pattern continues until Maleficent is down for the count.
Victory Reward: Cheer Ability for Donald, Ansem’s Report 5
After putting Maleficent in her place, a dark portal appears at the back of the room. Use the Save Point nearby to replenish any lost HP and MP, as well as save your game (after all, you’ve come along way since the Save Point in the Library). When you’re ready, head through the dark portal for a final clash with Maleficent.
Boss: Dragon
HP: 1200 / EXP: 6000
The Dragon is a much more formidable opponent now that she’s transformed into her Dragon form. This is an extremely chaotic fight, and her attacks can cause some serious damage if you don’t keep up with them. The key to surviving this battle is agility and a steady stream of Aerora magic to protect Sora from attacks.
There’s really no easy way about it: the best strategy is to simply fight it head on … literally. The Dragon’s head is your target for this fight, so you’ll be dealing with a steady stream of attacks as you try to hack the Dragon down to size. The Dragon’s fire is hazardous if you stay in it for too long, and can sometimes sap HP from you even after you’ve gotten out of it. A steady stream of aerial combos will start to take the Dragon’s rather impressive HP down, but you’ll be healing yourself constantly in order to survive the Dragon’s relentless offensive. If you ever need to get away to heal, use the Glide ability to reach the outer edges of the room, where the Dragon can’t reach you. The Dragon will turn to face you, creating massive shockwaves with every step, but if you are close enough to the walls, you should be safe enough to quickly cast a Cura spell and then jump back in the fight.
Making use of the Tinker Bell summon is also extremely helpful during this battle, as she’ll provide you with a steady stream of healing to compensate for the Dragon’s rather relentless assault.
Victory Reward: Fireglow Summon Gem
Light and Darkness
Return to the Castle Chapel to discover that a new path has opened up just beyond the Save Point. Before heading through this new door though, you should be completely prepared for what lies ahead. For starters, you should make sure you have the Olympia equipped to Sora, as this is easily the strongest Keyblade you have at the moment. Fill Sora’s Item Slots with as many Elixirs as you can. If you still have empty slots, place some Ethers in there as well. Lastly, make sure that the Guard, Counterattack, Glide, Dodge Roll, Sonic Blade, and Ars Arcanum abilities are equipped. Adjust your Magic Shortcut Menu to contain Cura and Aerora. The third slot doesn’t matter.
When you’re ready, head through the door to reach a new part of the Lift Stop. Heartless will appear, but you need to be in top condition for the next room, so simply ignore them and head into the Grand Hall. Keep walking forward until a cutscene occurs, after which you’ll be left to fight Riku all alone in what is quite possibly the most difficult Boss battle in the entire game!
Boss: Riku
HP: 900 / EXP: 8500
Riku is not kidding around anymore. Any punches he may have pulled before are a thing of the past. His attacks are quick, relentless, and deadly. With Keyblade in hand, he is ready and willing to take you out!
At the beginning of the battle, you should start by casting Aerora. This will give you those extra small hits that you used against him in the last fight back in the Entrance Hall while shielding you from his attacks. Riku starts with pretty basic combos, which you can Guard and Counterattack against to interrupt him and nail him with a few hits of your own. Riku will recover pretty quickly, so it’s almost better if you don’t commit to a full combo. Be sure to replenish your Aerora shield and use your Items to keep Sora’s MP high. Don’t rely on Sonic Blade or Ars Arcanum just yet. You’ll need them more when Riku starts to get serious.
When his HP reaches about half way, Riku calls on the powers of darkness to aid him (as if he wasn’t bad enough already). This is when things really start to get interesting. Most of the time, Riku will hardly let you move, let alone attack or heal. If you do manage to get a break, use a Cura spell if you need to, then jump back in the fight. Stick to standard combos to hit him for now, and when his HP starts really getting low, start using Sonic Blade or Ars Arcanum to take down almost an entire bar of HP in a single assault.
Be cautious of the tremendously powerful and devastating Dark Aura attack! The entire room will go dark and Riku will rise up in the middle, becoming invulnerable to everything. At this point, jump high up and use Glide to circle the arena until Riku returns to normal. If you get hit by this attack, it will most likely end the battle for you, as a single hit causes you to be hit by every subsequent attack, which can drain your HP like clockwork! Be very careful of this attack, as it could very well be a game changer.
An important thing to keep in mind while fighting Riku is that he gets harder as the fight goes on, giving you fewer openings to heal or recast Aerora or use an Item to regain some MP. If you rely heavily on Sonic Blade or Ars Arcanum to deal damage, you can easily take down his HP in no time, but it will also eat through your MP like it’s nothing. You don’t want to get down to brass tacks and suddenly have no MP left. This will very likely cost you the battle.
Victory Reward: Ragnarok Ability for Sora
After the rather long cutscene, Sora is left in the form of a Shadow Heartless. You now have to make your way all the way back down to the Entrance Hall, which is actually a lot easier than it sounds. Because you are a Heartless, no enemies will appear on your way down, and to get down, all you really have to do is return to the High Tower and literally jump off the edge. This will land you in the Great Crest area, where you can jump off the edge again to land at the Castle Gates. From there, head into the Entrance Hall through the large double doors. Approach Donald, Goofy, and Kairi for a cutscene in which Sora is returned to his normal self. The gang is forced to leave Hollow Bastion and seek refuge back in Traverse Town.
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