Larxene/Gameplay



Larxene appears as a boss in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, its remake, and Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix. While she is first fought by Sora because she is merely "playing with him", Larxene faces him a second time with a goal of elimination in mind after she learns of Axel's betrayal. Fading away after the second battle with Sora, Larxene appears to him a year later as both an Absent Silhouette and a Data Replica.

First Battle
For the first battle against Larxene, the player should make sure they have a relatively even amount of HP and CP. This should be done to make sure that Sora will not only have a decent amount of cards in his deck, thus shortening the time spent reloading and worrying about an eventual lack of cards, but also that he will not be defeated by Larxene's first few attacks. So long as one knows when to heal and takes the necessary precautions, they will defeat Larxene with only moderate difficulty.

At the start of the battle, the player can begin to attack Larxene with Sleights and either Magic or Attack Cards. Two HP bars must be depleted, so be wise when carrying out these attacks, especially when Sora's cards are being used in Sleights. Larxene will mainly use cards of a relatively low value, so her slashing attacks can be easily Card Broken. They will hit multiple times if they are not stopped, however, Sora needing to use a Donald card (in the hopes that he uses Cure or one of its upgrades) or a Cure card to heal himself immediately afterwards. Larxene may also use an Attack Card to throw her Foudre Knives at Sora, but this tactic can be avoided by simply running out of the way. Larxene's Magic Cards cause her to cast a Thundaga spell at Sora, something easily avoided through Dodge Roll or a Card Break. Larxene will only use one Sleight to counter the many that Sora can know at this point, Lightning Bolt, which causes her to shoot lightning from the tips of her Foudre at Sora, drawing him closer to her and stunning him for a time, thus opening him to attack. When Larxene's HP dwindles, her Magic Card will change so that she can bombard Sora with slashes and then a Thunder spell, something best avoided through a Card Break.

While the battle with Larxene will be tedious, Enemy Cards such as Oogie Boogie and Jafar can certainly make the battle a lot easier. Make full use of the special bonuses these Enemy Cards grant. Through an even usage of offense and defense, Larxene will fall in due time.

Second Battle
Larxene takes a final stand against Sora, her HP now at three bars. This not only means the battle will be a lot longer, but that Larxene will be much more powerful. Donald and Goofy return to aid Sora during the battle, meaning Friend Cards can be used again. Sora's arsenal of Sleights will most likely have expanded, so be sure to use them. Enemy Cards like Jafar, Captain Hook, Maleficent, and Oogie Boogie will also be useful, and before the player activates the cutscene that leads to the battle by talking to a defeated Riku Replica, be sure to head back to the Destiny Islands and save the game. This will restore Sora's HP and give the player the ability to restart the battle with Larxene from after the very difficult battle with the Riku Replica, rather than before it. Donald will also restore Sora's HP before the second battle with Larxene, regardless of whether the player chose to save or not.

In this rematch, Larxene's attacks will be the same as those used in the first battle. She only has access to one new Sleight, Teleport Rush, a deadly attack comprised of multiple slash attacks. This can easily deplete Sora's HP to zero or at least the Alarm Zone if one is not careful, so be sure to Card Break this Sleight once Larxene activates it. Use offensive attacks and defense abilities such as Curaga evenly, and Larxene will fall with relative ease.

First Battle
The first battle against Larxene in this version of Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories should not be that much of a challenge to a player who knows what they are doing. Friend Cards will be available during the battle, so the player should either save them for Sleights or individual use as Sora starts to run out of cards (only if they are of a high value). The Oogie Boogie and Jafar Enemy Cards will come in handy during this battle, so make sure Sora has enough CP to equip at least one, if not both, of them. Otherwise, he should have a wide value range of Attack and Magic Cards within his deck, one or two cards with a value of zero, an Item Card such as a Potion with a high value needed to fully restore all used cards to Sora's deck if necessary. The player also will need to make sure they have at least one Cure Card with a high value in Sora's deck, as well.

At the start of the battle, immediately Lock-On to Larxene. This will be necessary if one wishes to keep track of her fast movements. She may attempt to slash Sora, but this attack can be avoided with either a Dodge Roll or a Card Break. Her Magic Cards still will cause a barrage of lightning to rain down on Sora, this avoidable only through a Card Break as in the original game. If Larxene stocks two Magic Cards and one Attack Card into a Sleight, prepare for her to use the powerful Mega Volt ability as a result. This Sleight, when executed, will cause Larxene to throw her Foudre Knives to the ground, bombarding Sora with lightning. A Card Break or Sleight of a higher value is the best way to avoid this attack. As Card Breaks will lower Larxene's defenses, this will be the time to attack her with physical combos, magic, or Sleights. Larxene also use another attack, one that involves her simply throwing her Foudre at the player. These projectiles can either be jumped over, dodged with Dodge Roll, or even stopped with a Card Break.

As Larxene's HP starts to dwindle, she will gain access to a new, potentially deadly Sleight, Teleport Rush. During Teleport Rush's execution, Larxene will, as the Sleight's name suggests, teleport rapidly to Sora's location and slash him several times. Each combo can be dodged with Dodge Roll if one has good timing, but it is best that one Card Break this attack before Sora's HP hits the Alarm Zone (often the consequence if one is reckless and attempts to avoid every attack by simply dodging). Her HP now near zero, Larxene's Attack Cards will allow her to slash Sora and then hit him with lightning. Dodge Roll can be used to avoid the combo, but again, it is best if it is Card Broken. Larxene lastly may activate the Yellow Opera Enemy Card, which will increase the damage dealt by her lightning-based attacks a great deal. By attacking when Larxene is either reloading her deck or recovering from a Card Break, knowing when to dodge and use Enemy Cards, as well as not abusing Sleights, the player will be victorious.

Second Battle
Larxene is back with not only more HP, but also a new Enemy Card (she now has both the Larxene and Yellow Opera Enemy Cards) and a new Sleight. The boss will use many attacks from the first battle, including her slashing combo, the lightning barrage, and the Foudre throwing technique. Her Mega Volt and Teleport Rush Sleights also make a return. Each of these attacks can be avoided with the same strategies used during the first battle. Added to Larxene's arsenal, however, is the Blade Storm Sleight, a powerful combo with some deadly consequences for being hit. During Blade Storm's execution, Larxene will throw her Foudre to all areas of the battlefield, the weapons then firing several beams of lightning in all directions. The beams will move slowly, and if they come in contact with Sora, they will damage him as they lift him off the ground, stunning him when he lands, thus opening him to more punishment from Larxene's attacks. Blade Rush cannot be avoided, so it is best that it is Card Broken immediately.

In short, the second battle against Larxene should not be any different for the player. It will just be longer, if not slightly easier because of Sora's possibly increased HP, CP, and amount of available Sleights. It is important, as with the last battle, that the player attack only when Larxene is reloading her deck or recovering from a Card Break. This way, Sora will not take damage from an immediate counterattack. The also player should use Curaga if necessary, as well as make full use of the Oogie Boogie, Jafar, Maleficent, or even Vexen Enemy Cards. Lastly, the player should make sure that they don't abuse Sleights, thus allowing Sora a greater number of cards to use throughout the battle. Should Larxene activate her Enemy Card, her speed will greatly increase, something that will be a great annoyance, but bearable. So long as the player uses the correct strategies to dodge Larxene's attacks and is not reckless, Larxene will fall in due time.

Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix
In Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix, the absence of cards completely changes Larxene's attack style. Fought as an Absent Silhouette, Sora must conquer the phantom version of this Nobody with Donald and Goofy at his side. While she now favors the new ability to replicate herself as her main form of offense, Larxene is still just as, if not more, deadly.

At the start of the battle, Larxene's Absent Silhouette will begin charging power, surrounding herself with damaging lightning. The player will then have to dodge three copies of the enemy as they rush in Sora's direction. Utilize High Jump Lv. 5, Reflega, or a well-timed Guard to avoid taking damage. When the Larxene copies have vanished, the player can then proceed to bombard Larxene with physical attacks. One should be careful if using an aerial combo, however, as several clones will rain down from the sky directly above Sora, hitting him with lightning and interrupting any combos the player was using to attack the true boss. If successfully attacks Larxene or one of her body clones, however, a Reaction Command can take place if body clones are present known as Other Break. If Other Break is activated, Sora will grab Larxene by the wrist and throw her into the air. He then will grab her body clone, also by the wrist, and spin her around, lifting her up off the floor. He lastly will hurl the the body clone at the original as she falls back down, causing them to forcibly merge, stunning Larxene for a short time. This consequently will open the boss up for more damage, but the player must remain cautious, as Larxene my come back to her senses and bombard Sora with lightning. Reflega, a chain of Dodge Rolls, or even Quick Run Lv. 5 can be used to avoid this lightning attack, as well as any Thunder spells the boss attempts to hit Sora with.

After about two bars have been depleted from Larxene's total HP, her body clones will begin to attempt a ground assault. Several will rush at Sora either in a straight line or from all directions. Guard or Reflega should be used to avoid the incoming Larxene copies. They also may attempt to slash Sora, his only chance of avoiding damage being Reflega. Not only will the spell prevent damage, but it also will deal a great deal of damage to the boss once the barrier it casts around Sora has been penetrated. If Larxene vanishes and the screen blackens, the player must prepare for a rather deadly desperation attack. During this tactic's execution, the Larxene copies will surround Sora, slashing him before encircling and rushing at him. The true Larxene will then attack Sora from above with a downward slam and a lightning strike. Reflega is a good way to avoid this powerful combo, but should one get caught in it, immediately cast Curaga or use an item such as an Elixir or Megalixir. Larxene's Absent Silhouette will then proceed to reuse previously seen attacks until her HP starts to dwindle.

When Larxene's HP has been depleted to its second-to-last bar, she will charge power, surrounding herself with lightning as she usually does. However, instead of teleporting away to perform a rush attack with her body clones, Larxene will levitate, shining with lightning energy. She then will begin to spin in place as she executes her most devastating attack, one that involves her firing long columns of lightning spheres from her arms in a straight line. These spheres damage whenever touched, so the best way to avoid them is to either stay airborne or remain within the gaps between the two lightning orb columns. This attack has a strong chance of dropping Sora's HP into the Alarm Zone, and if Donald and Goofy either have no items or have been knocked out, immediately use an item on Sora or the Curaga spell. Larxene often will rush at Sora with her copies immediately after this destructive desperation attack, so be prepared to Guard or cast Reflega. From this point forward, Larxene will use all previously seen attacks (including the lightning sphere columns) until her eventual defeat.

In terms of things to remember during the battle with Larxene's Absent Silhouette and how to best prepare for it, it is important that the player not cast any Thunder spells during the battle, as Larxene is immune to them and will just absorb the attack. One should utilize Other Break if possible, as this will not only open the Absent Silhouette to more damage, but it also will cause her body clones to vanish for a time. Equip Sora with plenty of Elixirs and Megalixirs, and also ensure that he has the Curaga and Reflega spells in his magic shortcut menu for easy defensive and recovery use. The player should make sure Sora is of a relatively high level and that they have maxed out the levels of his Drive Forms, equipping their unique abilities so he may dodge Larxene's attacks with greater success. Sora, Donald, and Goofy should lastly be equipped with armor such as the Thunder Trinket or the Petit Ribbon and Highest Ribbon to minimize the damage caused by Larxene's lightning-based attacks. So long as one knows the correct time to be both offensive and defensive, heals when necessary, and uses special techniques such as Limits wisely, Larxene's Absent Silhouette should fall with relatively moderate ease.

Data Rematch
The battle against Larxene's Data Replica will flow quite similarly to the battle against her Absent Silhouette. The only differences will be the amount of HP the boss has and the pattern in which she uses her attacks. In short and aside from these minor differences, the battle against this Data Replica should not be difficult. All the player must do is recall the strategy used in the Absent Silhouette battle and use the Other Break Reaction Command if necessary. Sora also should be of a relatively high level, using spells such as Curaga and Reflega, as well as Drive Forms and a powerful Keyblade such as the Ultima Weapon. Defeat Larxene's Data Replica, and a Vanished Vision will be obtained.