Final Fantasy 14 has tons of fights in varying difficulties, including extreme trials, which are easier than savage raids, but harder than the story trials players will encounter.
Below, we explain everything you need to know about extreme trials in FFXIV, as well as where to unlock each extreme trial in each expansion.
Extreme trials in FFXIV, explained
Extreme trials are harder versions of existing trials that reward high-level gear (at the time of its launch) and other rewards like mounts, crafting materials, and orchestrions.
At the time of their respective releases, extreme trials are difficult and require a party that’s willing to communicate positions and patterns to complete (unlike a normal trial, which you can just queue into and defeat). Rather than using the duty finder to find a group to clear extreme fights with, you’ll need to revert to using party finder.
Once a new expansion drops, you can unsync the trials from the previous expansion, so you can fight it without your gear being synced down to the level of the boss. For example, after Shadowbringers launched, you could then unsync Byakko, beating him down quickly with a higher level and better gear. This allows you to farm out a mount or gear without having to pay too much attention to the usually complex mechanics.
Clearing the extreme trial will reward one of the boss’ weapons as well as a chance to drop the other aforementioned loot. Each clear will also reward you with a totem for that boss (except for the extreme trials in A Realm Reborn, which do not utilize totems). Some lengthier fights will even reward two totems, like Hades or Barbariccia. You can trade totems to merchants to get specific weapons you may want at a 10:1 ratio or the mount at a 99:1 ratio, if you’ve been unlucky with your loot rolls.
All extreme trials require you to complete the normal version of the trial first before you can unlock it, so if you haven’t unlocked all the trials yet (especially since some are optional), you should do that first.
Where to unlock A Realm Reborn extreme trials
ARR’s extreme trials are the only ones that have a somewhat convoluted method to unlock them. Most of the trials (Garuda, Titan, Ifrit, Good King Moggle Mog XII, Leviathan, Ramuh, and Shiva) are unlocked via talking to Urianger in the Waking Sands (in Western Thanalan):
He’ll give you a quest chain starting with “Primal Nature,” and as you complete each quest, you’ll move along in the story, unlocking the next quest to unlock the next extreme.
Unfortunately, you have to unlock them in order, as they are part of an actual quest chain. Luckily, these fights can be completed quickly with unsynced settings, if you’re at about level 70 and above (with appropriately leveled gear). If not, you can always make a party finder group and say it’s for a first clear — veteran players will come help you, as they get Poetics and Wondrous Tails retries as a reward.
The extreme version of Ultimate Weapon, titled “The Minstrel’s Ballad: Ultima’s Bane,’’ is actually unlocked from a different NPC. Talk to Alys in Mor Dhona to start the quest “The Ultimate Ballad” and unlock it:
The mounts dropped as a reward for A Realm Reborn extreme trials are based off of horses, with each trial giving a unique colored glowing horse. Garuda, Titan, and Ifrit also have a chance to drop a special black unicorn mount, called the Nightmare. Good King Moggle Mog XII doesn’t drop a mount whistle. Collecting all six horse mounts (not including Nightmare) allows you to unlock the Kirin mount through the quest “A Legend for a Legend.”
Where to unlock Heavensward extreme trials
Again, most trials are unlocked from the same person: Unukalhai in the Rising Stones (Mor Dhona):
Unlike the ARR quests, you can accept any of the Heavensward quests in any order, allowing you to unlock the extreme trials in whatever order you want. The quests and their respective unlock are as follows:
- “The Diabolical Bismarck” — “The Limitless Blue (Extreme)” (Bismarck)
- “Thok Around the Clock” — “Thok ast Thok (Extreme)” (Ravana)
- “A Fiendish Likeness” — “Containment Bay S1T7 (Extreme)” (Sephirot)
- “A Deific Simulacrum” — “Containment Bay P1T6 (Extreme)” (Sophia)
- “A Demonic Duplicate” — “Containment Bay Z1T9 (Extreme)” (Zurvan)
Two of the Heavensward extremes are locked behind quests given by Alys in Mor Dhona again:
- “Thordan’s Reign” — “The Minstrel’s Ballad: Thordan’s Reign” (King Thordan)
- “Nidhogg’s Rage” — “The Minstrel’s Ballad: Nidhogg’s Rage” (Nidhogg)
You can trade your Heavensward totems to Bertana in Idyllshire or the Rowena’s Representative in Ishgard for loot.
The mounts in Heavensward are colorful glowing birds called lanners. Getting all seven lanners will allow you to unlock the Firebird mount via the quest “Fiery Wings, Fiery Hearts.”
Where to unlock Stormblood extreme trials
To unlock most of the Stormblood extreme fights (Susano, Lakshmi, Shinryu, Byakko, Tsukuyomi, Suzaku, and Seiryu), talk to the Wandering Minstrel in Kugane to complete the quest “Songs in the Key of Kugane:”
You’ll have to actually pick options from a list to tell him about your different feats (beating the normal trials) to unlock the extreme version.
You can trade in your totems to Eschina in Rhalgr’s Reach or to the Rowena’s Representative in Kugane for loot.
The mounts in Stormblood are foxes called kamuy. Getting all seven kamuy mounts allows you to get the Kamuy of the Nine Tails mount via the quest “A Lone Wolf no More.”
The extreme version of Rathalos, called “The Great Hunt (Extreme)” is unlocked from the same guy who unlocks the normal version: the Hearty Hunter NPC in Kugane.
The extreme version of Rathalos does drop a Rathalos mount and rather than totems, it rewards “Rathalos Scale+.” You can trade in the Rathalos Scale+ for armor, a Poogie minion, a Monster Hunter orchestrion roll, or the Rathalos mount to the Smithy in Kugane (next to the Hearty Hunter). You’ll need 50 Rathalos Scale+ to get the mount.
Where to unlock Shadowbringers extreme trials
Most of the Shadowbringers extreme trials (Titania, Innocence, Hades, and the Warrior of Light) are unlocked from the Minstrelling Wanderer in the Crystarium:
Just like his SB counterpart, you will need to talk to him about your feats to unlock that specific fight.
The Sorrows of Werlyt extreme fights (Ruby Weapon, Emerald Weapon, and Diamond Weapon) unlock from a different NPC, the Warmachina Fanatic in The Lochs:
You can trade in Shadowbringers totems to Fathard in Eulmore or Mowen’s Merchant in the Crystarium for loot.
The mounts in Shadowbringers are dragons referred to as gwibers. Collecting all seven gwibers allows you to unlock the Landerwaffe mount, which is effectively a huge robot dragon, by completing the quest “The Dragon Made.”
There’s actually another extreme fight to do but there’s no normal version of this trial: “Memoria Misera (Extreme),” which pits you against Varis yae Galvus. This is just a ramped-up eight-person version of the instanced duty where you have to fight Varis as part of the Bozja questline (the same quests you do to make your Shadowbringers relic weapon). After clearing the quest “The Bozja Incident,” you can unlock the extreme fight by talking to the Wandering Dramaturge in Gangos:
You can trade the totems to C’intana in Mor Dhona in exchange for coffers that give you special armor: dyeable versions of the level 80 artifact armor. At this point, this is only worth farming for glamour. You can’t get a mount from Varis, but he does drop a Triple Triad card that is required for the Triple Triad mount.
Where to unlock Endwalker extreme trials
Thank god for some simplicity. All of the Endwalker extreme trials unlock from one guy: the Wandering Minstrel in Old Sharlayan:
Again, you’ll just have to talk to him about your exploits to unlock the respective extreme fight.
You can trade your Endwalker totems in for gear to Nesvaaz in Radz-at-Han.
The mounts for Endwalker are big kitties also referred to as lynxes. Getting all seven lynx mounts will allow you to unlock the Apocryphal Bahamut mount via the “Wings of Hope” quest.
If you’re just starting out in the massive world of Final Fantasy 14, we have tons of guides to help you. We have a beginner’s guide to get you started, along with guides detailing when you’ll get your mount and which Grand Company you should join.
If you’re starting but are feeling overwhelmed, we have guides to help with picking a job and a guide that explains how long it may take to catch up to current content in FFXIV.
We also have guides on side content, like ocean fishing, relic weapons, and Island Sanctuary, for those who want to take a break from it all.
