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| Frédéric François Chopin | ||||||||||
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Frédéric François Chopin (フレデリック・フランソワ・ショパン Furederikku Furansowa Shopan?) is the final boss of Eternal Sonata. After the party steps through the vortex at the apex of the Double Reed Tower of Sand in the World of Eternal Sonata and finds themselves in a ruined wasteland that was once the field of flowers in Tenuto Village, he challenges them to battle, stating that he can no longer travel with them and must free the world from the tangle of his and Polka's twisted destinies.
Story[]
Frederic challenges the party to battle.
- Main article: Frédéric François Chopin
- "I must make my choice now. Whatever happens, I'll face the challenge before me. Don't you understand? You're nothing more than imaginary characters I've created in my mind!"
- —Frederic confronts the party regarding his belief that they are nothing more than an element in his dream.
After stepping through the vortex, the party is shocked to find that what was once a flower field is now a ruined wasteland. Frederic says that as the place where he first met Polka, where the dream first began, it is the perfect place for it to come to an end. He confronts the party with his belief that they are nothing more than imaginary characters in his own dream and states that an undeniable truth will be revealed when he is defeated in battle. He says that they'll see if he's truly such a weak human being and initiates a battle set to a variation of his own "Revolutionary Etude."
Attacks[]
- "Don't you all understand? This entire world is my dream!"
- —Frederic begins a battle with the party.
Eternal Sonata PS3 - Final Boss (Encore)
Boss battle with Frederic Chopin (PlayStation 3, Encore Mode, HD)
Frederic's normal physical attack is a swift strike with his baton that can hit multiple targets grouped together. He has a roster of three main Special Attacks and three secondary ones that he tends to use less often. Applaudisement Sonique is a powerful magical energy attack that can hit multiple targets and carries a chance of knockdown. Nimbostratus is a piercing attack that can hit multiple targets and carries a great distance, with a chance of a weak knockdown. He retains his Orzel Bialy, but it does not work as it does when he is a playable character. Instead, he uses it as a twirling attack from a slight distance for a single hit that can attack any targets grouped together and it also carries a chance of knockdown. His secondary roster is a group of Special Attacks that can cause status ailments. It is not unusual for him to use these rarely if at all in any given battle against him and he will generally run up behind a single character to strike them from behind with his baton in order to use these. Pala inflicts Burst status, but will have no effect if the character is already wearing equipment that causes Burst anyway. Truc places a target in Poison status. The most dangerous is Zamrazac, which inflicts Stop status. Since he always attacks from behind when using these, none of them can be Guarded against, but they can be prevented by equipping protective equipment prior to the battle. It may also be advisable to take in a couple of items that can heal these ailments.
Strategy[]
Frederic poses prior to unleashing a charged-up Applaudissement Sonique
As the final boss of the game, Frederic has the potential to prove a great challenge to the player, but there are a number of elements that can come together to make this battle less challenging than it might be otherwise. If playing the PlayStation 3 version, the player is already at an immediate advantage, as the battle against Count Waltz and Ruined Body is generally considered more challenging than this fight. Despite his powers, Frederic is ultimately only one target and he does not possess the fierce multi-striking attacks or wide-area power of a boss like Waltz. If the player has even at least defeated the first boss of the Mysterious Unison dungeon, then they will be seriously overpowered if they are at all familiar with using moving commands when building up lengthy Harmony Chains, thanks to the incredible power available in Party Level 6.
If the player is at all worried about being underleveled, a party of Beat, Polka and Viola may be a good strategic choice. Beat and Viola can be placed at opposite positions on the field and attack from a distance, while Polka does healing. If additional healing is needed, Viola can use Heal Arrow, or Night Arrow if she ends up in one of the small floating patches of darkness on the field and has the ability in her skillset. If Polka is at a high enough level, she can use Blossom Shower, or Earth Heal if her level is not high enough. If in darkness, Beat can also siphon HP with Vital Drain. If playing on PlayStation 3, Serenade is also a good alternative for both healing and powerful damage with her Special Attacks.
Another valid option is to use March in this battle. Frederic is vulnerable to both Slow and Stop status, so March can use New Moon Bind and Full Moon Bind to inflict them. At lower levels, however, Frederic may resist these ailments, so it may take several attempts to place them on him. They will also wear off eventually if the battle drags on too long. If Frederic does not have these status ailments, watch out for his speed. He can easily take turns in a row against characters in a lower level party or against slower characters such as Jazz or Viola. He will also likely get the first turn unless the party is very high-level.
Frederic's attacks can be difficult to Guard against due to changing attack animations. If he inflicts a character with status ailments, then move that character away and heal if possible. If that character is KOed, then that can be revived with any ailments no longer in effect. Counterattack will also sometimes be offered, but this should not even be attempted unless the player is extremely skilled at it. The item set should be mostly reviving items like Angel Trumpet and Goddess Bouquet. If a Saint's Mirror item is still available, then this is the time to place it in the item set, as it will not be retained following the battle. A Very Odd Chocolate item is also a good choice to reduce his attack power.
If levels are beyond 50 or so, then strategies and party choice generally no longer matter. Simply wail away at Frederic with strong attacks, Specials and Harmony Chains and he will likely fall before he even has much of a chance to attempt to do damage to the party. At the highest levels, a party of the strongest attackers can defeat Frederic in less than two full rounds.
Battle Quotes[]
Battle Opening[]
- This entire world is my dream. I will not let you destroy it! (Xbox 360)
- Don't you all understand? This entire world is my dream! (PS3)
Character Responses[]
- Allegretto: You want a fight, huh? Then I won't hold back! (PS3)
- Polka: Is that your magic? (PS3)
- Polka: Is... is that your magic? (Xbox 360)
Special Attacks[]
- Applaudisement Sonique
- There is no one else. I am the only one here!
- Thunder is in the heavens; lightning illuminates the fields. (Xbox 360)
- Nimbostratus
- Carry them away to the riverside, to the water's edge.
- Thunder is in the heavens; lightning illuminates the fields. (Xbox 360)
- Orzel Bialy
- Ye who walks above the winds of the sky and travel by riding the clouds, appear!
- It takes but a moment, don't worry.
Following Special Attacks[]
- How pitiful. You soulless creatures. (Applaudissement Sonique)
- You foolish creatures. (Nimbostratus, Orzel Bialy)
- You do not understand. (Orzel Bialy)
- Hmm! (Nimbostratus)
Victorious Against Party[]
- There is no way for you to stop... my relentless advance.
Musical theme[]
- The musical theme used for the battle against Frederic is "Rebuilding Ourselves." Originally titled "Scrap and build ourselves -from Revolution-," it is an intense battle theme remix of Chopin's "Revolutionary Etude," a piece he composed in tribute to the November Uprising in his home country of Poland. It is Track 10 on the final disc of the game's original score.
Listen to a sample of "Rebuilding Ourselves"
Special Attacks Gallery[]
Special Attacks Audio[]
Applaudissement Sonique
Trivia[]
- "When I am defeated in this battle, an undeniable truth will be revealed. And this fleeting dream will slowly fill with color and light. Only when this ordeal has finally come to an end, will my soul at last be permitted to leave my physical body."
- —Frederic to the party
Screen shown following defeat at Frederic's hands
- If Frederic is in the active party prior to entering the vortex, he will be replaced with whichever character is in position four.
- As with many bosses in the PlayStation 3 version, Frederic's HP was significantly decreased from the Xbox 360 version. This may also have been intentional to shift the focus to Waltz as being more of the true final boss.
- In the Xbox 360 version, the sequence prior to engaging Frederic in battle is much shorter and the party members don't really ask questions or protest. There are also general changes to the wording.
- In the PlayStation 3 version, the line "Thunder is in the heavens; lightning illuminates the fields" is transferred to Frederic's Crimson Blaze Special Attack that he can use in battle as a party member.
- Despite having many powerful healing skills as a party member, Frederic carries none of them into this battle. This may be intended to symbolize his desire to end things, one way or the other.
- It is actually possible to take photos of Frederic using Beat's Vivid Shot or Night Shot skills, but photos are not retained in Encore Mode, making this utterly pointless.
- If the party is defeated by Frederic, he briefly wakes up in the real world, then appears to die, with the light fading from his eyes and then him closing them. This is followed by a message on a black screen - "The dream vanished like smoke. I was left cold and alone. Is it ever possible to change fate?" The player is then returned to the load screen.
- In the real world, Chopin was a frail and often sickly individual who regretted not being able to fight for his home country's freedom, hence his line to the party, "We'll see if I'm truly such a weak human being!"
Listen to Frederic's scream upon defeat