Vanitas Remnant

• Vanitas Remnant

Oh no! The water! I'm in big trouble if I don't fetch it!
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Template:Enemy The Vanitas Remnant makes its first and only appearance as a secret, optional boss in Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. After the player clears the Final Episode, a crest similar to an Absent Silhouette portal will appear in the Badlands area of the Keyblade Graveyard. Simply approach the portal and select the "That's a danger I'm willing to face" option to initiate the battle. Defeating the Vanitas Remnant earns the player a Secret Gem in the Japanese version of Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, and the Void Gear in the North American, PAL, and Final Mix versions. The Vanitas Remnant also must be challenged if the player wishes to challenge the even more powerful Unknown. However, the player can simply unlock, and not defeat the Vanitas Remnant, and still be able to challenge the Unknown.

Story

Terra, Ventus, and Aqua separately return to the Badlands to find a mysterious sphere of dark energy hovering in the air. They each accept the challenge it presents, and the Vanitas Remnant then takes shape before them from another sphere of dark energy, much like the true Vanitas did during his creation, before drawing its Void Gear and attacking. After the Remnant's defeat, it transforms back into the dark energy sphere from which it originally spawned and vanishes.

Design

The Vanitas Remnant, true to its name, is a palette swap of the helmeted Vanitas. Its smooth helmet is completely black with an Unversed insignia emblazoned on it. Its torso and legs are covered by a black bodysuit reminiscent of Riku's Dark Mode, with faintly glowing white highlights on the chest. The material over its arms shifts in color from black to grey to white, before shifting to black again on the palms of its hands. Its boots are white with black soles. It also wears a white, skirt-like garment with black tips around its waist, held up by several grey straps.

The crest that must be approached by the player to begin the battle has a very similar appearance to an Absent Silhouette portal, varying shades of purple in coloration with shards of black, rock-like material floating around it. The symbol appearing on the crest displays two halves of a gear which join to form an "S", the Keychain of the Void Gear Keyblade, both Vanitas and his Remnant's primary weapon.

Strategy

Attacks

• Shadow Clone: Usually the first attack. The Remnant will encase itself in an impenetrable barrier while sending various shadow clones to slash at the player or slam down at the player before charging straight through the barrier. Inflicts Blind on contact
• Dark Spiral: Speedy dashes in the air around the area while encased in dark energy. Will occur more often has the Remnant's HP dwindles
• Dark Splicer: Slashes at the player while teleporting. Extends combo as HP dwindles
• Dark Cannon: Shotlock passed down from Vanitas. Consists of firing an energy beam from three dark blue crystals. Remnant can rotate while using it
• Shadow Dash + Dark Spikes: Dashes quickly in a circle around the player and summons spikes on each side of the player, which closes upon the player immediately. Will instantly kill the player, or leave them in critical condition while Blinded
• Afterimage: Will leave an afterimage when caught in a combo or in mid-combo, and usually teleports above the player to retaliate
• Χ-Blade combo: Charges Keyblade, then slashes at the player, and follows up with releasing an X-shaped crescent of energy which homes on the player. May leave an afterimage halfway through the combo
• Strike: Simultaneously dashes and slashes at the player, and follows up with an upward somersault slash that releases a crescent of dark energy, which homes on the player and inflicts Confuse status upon contact.
• Jumping Blizzaga: Downward strike on the player upon teleporting above them, and simultaneously casting Blizzaga
• Erupt + Firaga: Dives straight into the ground, and homes in on the player in a pool of dark energy. Upon reaching the player, the Remnant will erupt from the ground while casting multiple Firagas to rain down on the player
• Flame Burst: Charges up and fires a fireball at the player, which then splits into three and homes in on the player.
• Dark Thundaga:- Simultaneously initiating a downward strike at the player and casting Thundaga
• Cure: Will be cast if the Remnant witnesses the player casting the same spell.

The player cannot use D-Links, but has access to Command Styles and Shotlocks. However, Shotlocks have little effect on the Remnant, as it will constantly use Jumping Blizzaga and Afterimage to avoid it. Therefore, Shotlocks may be used to escape the Remnant's attacks, making them most useful when maxed. The Keyblade choice is dependent on which commands are being used to defeat the Remnant—a high strength Keyblade if the protagonist is focusing on Aerial Slam, or a high magic Keyblade if they are focusing on Tornado or Seeker Mine. Use the basic form of the protagonist's dodging commands, as the offensive forms do not offer the needed periods of invincibility. As using Cure or Friend Cure spells will allow the Remnant to heal, the protagonist should rely on Heal Strike, Renewal Block or Renewal Barrier, and Potions for rejuvenation.

Terra

While Terra receives a boost in strength, he is hampered by his slow speed and poor dodging ability. The player should have Once More, Second Chance, and HP Boost equipped. It's recommended that the player evolve Terra's Finish Command to Demolition, as it makes Terra invulnerable and can damage the Remnant. Since Terra is a master of using earth-related magic, it's recommended that the player use Mine Square or Mine Shield. The player can also use Brutal Blast or Quake, but should be careful when casting them as it takes time, and the Remnant can potentially defeat you. Sonic Impact for Terra may be useful for disrupting the Remnant's attacks, but leaves Terra vulnerable while using it, so the player should only use it to disrupt attacks instead of dodging. So long as the player remembers that Terra prefers strength over speed, the Remnant will be defeated.

Ventus

While Ven has low strength, his speed allows him to compensate for that, and is key for winning the battle against the Remnant. Since he is very experienced with casting Aero-based magic, attacks like Tornado Strike and Tornado should be used. However, the Tornado spell has the disadvantage of immobilizing Ven while casting it, making it very difficult to predict the timing of the spell. Another attack that can damage the Remnant is Ven's Wind Raid, which can score multiple hits before returning to Ven's hand. Like the Tornado spell however, it can immobilize Ven for a few seconds. The Remnant is also vulnerable to Ven's Counter Rush, and some of his charged attacks can be avoided with Reversal, and countered with Reversal Slash. It's recommended that Ventus's Finish Command should be Air Flair 4, which is a series of quick strikes while casting Aero with each strike, or evolve their Finisher to the more powerful Stratosphere, which allows Ven to jump in the air to avoid attacks. Should the player remember that Ven favors speed, and maintains the proper hit-and-run strategy, as well as healing when necessary, the Remnant should fall in due time.

Aqua

As Aqua, deactivate any advanced forms of Cartwheel before the battle, since they lack the invulnerability that the basic Cartwheel has. Also be sure to replace all advanced Commands in your Command Deck with at least three sets of Potions (taking up three of the available eight slots). Fill four of the remaining open slots with Fabracadabra items, and fill the last slot with Seeker Mine. The Vanitas Remnant is beatable at any level. It is also advised that the player equip all three levels of HP Boost, as well. The player's choice of Keyblade does not matter, but the Ultima Weapon is recommended for use if the player wishes to deal the most damage possible in both physical and magical attacks. If the player has yet to obtain the Ultima Weapon, Stormfall can be used as a good alternative due to its even boosts to Aqua's stats.

The first thing the player should do at the start of the battle is attempt to attack the Vanitas Remnant in order to prevent him from using his shadow attack. If the player lands an unlikely hit, immediately Cartwheel away to prevent taking damage from the possible counterattack. If the player misses, then the Remnant will either use a two-hit combo that sends a homing crescent-shaped wave of energy at Aqua (use Aqua's Payback ability to damage Vanitas, and then avoid the energy wave with Cartwheel if possible. Note that failure to do so has a 100% chance of giving Aqua the Confused status effect), begin the true Vanitas's χ-blade combo (a forward lunge followed by a downward surge of energy ended by a combo finisher which causes the boss to launch an X-shaped energy wave at the player. Use a chain of Cartwheels to avoid this attack), or it may leap back and sink into the ground to perform Vanitas's upward lunge from the pool of darkness that represents it, granted this time the attack adds the spawning of numerous fireballs to the mix (this attack can be avoided through a chain of Cartwheels and leaves the boss temporarily vulnerable to an attack of the player's).

The Vanitas Remnant will mainly use these three attacks (as well as the shadow attack, which can be avoided through chaining multiple Cartwheels together so long as the player traverses away from the boss to avoid his lunging combo finisher) for a majority of the battle. If it shouts "Darkness waits!" and lunges at Aqua while airborne, be prepared to Cartwheel numerous times to avoid each of the following lunges (only a single Cartwheel is necessary to avoid each lunge). The boss also may rush at Aqua, causing several dark crystals to appear behind him that will then rush at Aqua as the screen blackens (a well-timed Cartwheel during this attack's execution can prevent taking damage). The Vanitas Remnant will remain stationary for a time after this attack is used, so use this opening to lay a trap of Seeker Mines. The boss may blunder into them during a simple run to reach Aqua, his X-blade combo, or even his teleporting slash attacks. The homing Mines will deplete a great deal of HP from the boss's single HP bar (granted all if not most of the Mines hit). If the boss attempts to hit Aqua with a downward counterattack that spawns three large pillars of ice (a common side-effect of being hit with Seeker Mine), Cartwheel to avoid it. Should the Vanitas Remnant continue the offensive and interrupt a slashing combo to launch a fireball, immediately chain together Cartwheels to avoid the three smaller, homing fireballs that follow.

Once about three quarters of the boss's HP has been depleted through the laying of Seeker Mines (a time-consuming strategy since the player must wait for an opening after the boss's upward rush attack or dark crystal attack to lay them and spend the rest of the time dodging in hopes that the boss comes in contact with the Mines), the player may activate the Spellweaver Command Style through the usage of a Fabracadabra. Immediately use a second if an opening is present to instantly gain access to the Command Style's finisher. While not particularly powerful, the "Spellweaver" Deck Command makes Aqua invincible, has a great range, and can hit the Vanitas Remnant multiple times. The usage of "Spellweaver" can easily deplete a large portion of HP if the player's Attack stat is high enough. Otherwise, the player can continue to combine Spellweaver with Seeker Mines until the Vanitas Remnant is defeated. Granted this is a time-consuming strategy, it almost always has a chance of being successful, so long as the player finds openings in which a Potion can be used if Aqua is low on HP. Do not get discouraged if Aqua is defeated, as repeated attempts will help the player learn good strategies to use in terms of avoiding the Vanitas Remnant's attacks. Correct methods of dodging, when combined with this Command Deck, will ensure victory eventually if it is not obtained on the first playthrough.

Another strategy the player may wish to attempt that involves less item consumption still makes use of and relies on Seeker Mine as the main source of offense. Only two to three of the eight slots in Aqua's Command Deck need to be filled with items. The others should only be filled with the fastest of attacks, such as Thunder Surge (be advised that the Remnant will attempt its downward counterattack after being hit). There is little need, in actuality, for any Commands other than items to be used. It is also highly recommended that the player fully level up the Magic Pulse combo finisher in order to unlock Teleport Spike before attempting this strategy. Use Seeker Mine until at least three quarters of the boss's HP has been depleted, and be sure to use Potions if Aqua's Cartwheel fails to protect against an attack. Once the Vanitas Remnant has taken enough damage through Seeker Mine, the player may begin to block its teleporting or two-hit slash attacks with Barrier and follow with a damaging Counter Blast (granted the boss will often counter, which is avoidable through a Cartwheel or two). Consecutive Counter Blasts or even the occasional Keyblade strike will fill the Command Gauge (as would any Command). Instead of a Command Style being activated as a result of filling the Gauge, however, Aqua's Teleport Spike finisher will become available. Once Teleport Spike is used, it will allow the player to strike the boss multiple times while Aqua is completely immune to damage. The player simply must continue to dodge and counter the boss's attacks, using Teleport Spike whenever it is available in order to be victorious in this battle. Heal if necessary using a Potion, and the Vanitas Remnant will fall.

All

A glitch in the Remnant's A.I. can provide an easy victory to those experiencing difficulty in taking victory. A column of rock in the battlefield's corner is shaped such that luring the Remnant to it and retreating to the opposite side will cause it to consistently run straight towards the player without attacking. By filling the Command Deck completely with Strike Raid attacks, or similar variants, and ensuring the player is Locked-On to the Remnant, the attack will pass through the column of stone and connect with the Remnant.

Terra's strength is the strongest of the three, and as such he can easily do twice as much damage with a basic Strike Raid than Ventus or Aqua. Ventus' variant Wind Raid can land multiple hits per throw, and can be used more efficiently than other Raid commands. As Aqua's stats are heavily inclined towards magic, it is best to save this particular strategy as a last resort.

The prize for defeating the Vanitas Remnant, regardless of character used, is a Secret Gem in the original Japanese release of Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep. The Void Gear Keyblade is rewarded to the player in the North American and Final Mix versions.

Gallery

• 

  The crest which initiates to the battle with the Vanitas Remnant.

• 

  The Vanitas Remnant's version of the Void Gear.

Video

Vanitas Remnant (Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep—Terra)	Vanitas Remnant (Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep—Ventus)	Vanitas Remnant (Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep - Aqua)
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