Ahriman (Final Fantasy III)

Ahriman is a boss from Final Fantasy III located in the final area of the game, the World of Darkness, at the southeast portal. Ahriman is one of the four guardians of the Dark Crystals the Cloud of Darkness orders to kill the Warriors of Light. It guards the Earth Crystal of the Dark World. Ahriman is the only one of the guardians of the Dark Crystals not to have a recolor.
This is Ahriman's first appearance in the Final Fantasy series.
==Stats==
== Battle ==
In the 2D version, Ahriman casts spells in a repeating pattern:
:Meteo -> Flame -> Quake -> Blizzard -> Meteo -> Thunder -> Cure2
:
In the 3D version, Ahriman mainly uses the spells Meteor, Quake, Firaga, Blizzaga, Thundaga, and Curaja, along with its physical attack. Quake is its most powerful attack, but it is nothing to worry about as the party can easily heal from its spells. Ahriman becomes a longer boss battle in comparison to the NES version, due to much higher HP.
=== Strategy ===
One of the easiest ways to defeat this boss is to have at least one Dragoon in the party, leaving room for a White Mage or a Devout. Use the ability Jump continuously (the player should wield two Wind Spears if they have them to exploit the Ahriman's weakness) and heal when necessary. A Viking in the party can draw attacks from the Ahriman, allowing the party to take less damage.
== Other appearances ==
=== Final Fantasy Record Keeper ===
The Ahriman appears as the boss of the "World of Darkness - Part 4" Core Dungeon. It can use Firaga, Blizzaga, Thundaga, and Quake, to deal fire, ice, lightning, and earth-elemental damage to the entire party, while its physical attacks can inflict Petrify, and it may attack two targets on the same turn. When weakened it will use Curaja to heal itself and gains access to the Meteor spell. It is weak to wind-elemental attacks and is vulnerable to Slow.
===Other media===
In the Yūkyū no Kaze Densetsu: Final Fantasy III Yori manga, several Ahriman-type enemies appear, however only the Ahriman ejected from Echidna's mouth has its crown and striped legs, and is specifically referred to as Ahriman. During the battle, Ahriman summons the lesser stripeless crownless variants by ejecting eyeballs from its mouth that then transform. Ahriman-type enemies also appear during the party's first battle at the Temple of Wind, and final battle against Xande.
Ahriman reappears as a cameo, along with the other guardians of the Dark Crystals, in the remakes of the original Final Fantasy and the 2D versions of Final Fantasy IV: The After Years. In the latter, upon its defeat, many characters will comment on how this Ahriman was much more powerful than the regular Ahriman of their world.
== Gallery ==
Ahriman (Final Fantasy III).jpg|Artwork by Yoshitaka Amano.
Ahriman2 TCG.png|Final Fantasy Trading Card Game card.
== Etymology ==
== Related enemies ==
* Cerberus (Boss)
* Echidna (Boss)
* Two Headed Dragon (Boss)
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Category:Bosses in Final Fantasy III