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Lingering Will
Japanese	留まりし思念
Rōmaji	Tomarishi Shinen
Type	Construct
Game	Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix
KHII tracks Battle theme -Rage Awakened

Location		HP	Strength		Defense	EXP
Keyblade Graveyard		3400[1]	86		51	0
Physical	Fire			Blizzard
×1.0	×0.5			×0.5
Thunder	Dark			Neutral
×0.5	×0.5			×1.0
Rewards
First Sora: Drive gauge +1 Donald: Max HP +3 Goofy: Max HP +4 Second and after Manifest Illusion (100%) If a blue seal core is… …damaged: HP prize (1) ×1 …destroyed: HP prize (5) ×10 If an orange seal core is… …damaged: MP prize (1) ×2 …destroyed: MP prize (3) ×10
World(s)
Keyblade Graveyard

TheLingering Will is an unlockable secret boss featured inKingdom Hearts II Final Mix. It can be fought after unlockingThe Gathering, then returning toDisney Castle'sHall of the Cornerstone, where a portal to theKeyblade Graveyard has appeared. Defeating the Lingering Will grants theProof of Connection, and the Lingering Will can be fought again by leaving the Keyblade Graveyard and returning.

Strategy[edit]

The Lingering Will prepares to battle Sora, Donald, and Goofy within the Keyblade Graveyard.

Sora should haveHigh Jump,Dodge Roll,Aerial Dodge, andGlide all atLevel 3, as well as some actionabilities likeRetaliating Slash andHorizontal Slash and supportabilities such asOnce More, andSecond Chance. He should pack as manyEthers as he can, and have at least oneCombo Plus. Sora should also haveDecisive Pumpkin equipped for itsCombo Boost.

The Lingering Will has a very high forced retaliation point/Revenge Value, meaning that it is especially vulnerable to multiple combo attacks, but this can easily cause an inattentive player to be too combo-happy and not notice when its Revenge Value has been reached, making its counterattacks quite harsh and/or near-fatal.Combo Boost,Air Combo Boost,Combo Pluses and/orAir Combo Pluses are recommended to equip (especially the former 2) due to such a long Revenge Value, but the key point is that in most normal circumstances, the player should be careful to back off before dealing a 5th normal combo finisher in a row to manage its Revenge Value via an estimate.

Furthermore, it has a unique armor mechanic where the more combos landed on it (including finishers), the more overall damage starts to build up on it, completely independent of either Combo Boost or Air Combo Boost damage formulas. The first combo landed on it each time it is left open will always do very little damage, until the subsequent ones increase in output.

One safe and effective setup would be for Sora to have only 2 ground Combo Pluses equipped, along withGuard Break andExplosion. This allows him to fit exactly 2 Guard Break finishers and 1 Explosion finisher before the Will forcefully retaliates. The combo portion ofArs Arcanum, without theReaction Command finisher, is also quite useful for racking up damage without triggering any increase in Revenge Value, albeit Elixirs should be stocked for MP recovery +Damage Drive or any other Drive-enhancing abilities to ensureLimit Form can be used as often as possible or to last long in one-go or two.

However, if trying to intentionally trigger its Revenge Value to properly punish it, then Guard Break SHOULD NOT be equipped and only Explosion should be since the latter finisher creates some distance between Sora and the Will to avoid some of its Revenge moves. Using Thunder combos from a distance to safely trigger a retaliation is also a viable strategy.

The Lingering Will canFormchange itsKeyblade into a variety of weapons to assault Sora. Its most basic attack is when it leaps in the air, and dashes at Sora three times. The timing of the dashes are easy to predict, so avoid being hit by Dodge Rolling orGuarding. Anticipate where its third dash will end, and attack during its third dash. If hit by the first or second dashes, use Retaliating Slash to block the next dash, and time successive Horizontal Slashes to deflect further dashes. The Lingering Will can sprint towards Sora and perform a three-hit combo, Formchanging its Keyblade into a drill and thrusting it at Sora for the finisher. It isn't easy to predict when the Lingering Will is going to actually use this move after running, but Sora can easily defend himself using Guard, orReflega. If Guard is used to block the attack, Sora must wait before attacking. If Sora starts the attack right after guarding, the Lingering Will's drill will take most of his health, and he will be knocked far away from the Lingering Will. However, if Sora guards the first two attacks, the drill will miss, creating an opening. The Lingering Will can Formchange its Keyblade into a whip and swing it around itself, dealing massive damage. Unfortunately, when it is going to use this attack is unpredictable, but it tends to use this move after dashing though Sora three times, or when receiving massive damage. Sora can defend himself with Guard or Reflega, but it is a lot better to just run away and quickly get close to the Lingering Will as soon as it is landing and attack it with a new combo. However, if Sora does get hit, it will very likely reduce hisHP to 1 if Once More and Second Chance are equipped, so do not try to resist withAerial Recovery orRetaliating Slash, or else Sora will fall. To get out of the attack and save HP, activating aDrive Form, or usingTrinity Limit withDonald Duck andGoofy are the only ways for getting some invulnerability.

The Lingering Will can Formchange its Keyblade into a cannon similar to the one used in Terra'sUltima Cannon fromKingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep and fire a giant sphere of energy that can home in on Sora. The explosion is huge, but Sora can deflect the sphere back at the Lingering Will by guarding, hitting it, or casting Reflega. If it is charging the cannon and Sora is too far away, then Dodge Roll, or Quick Run against it to nullify the explosion. If you are close enough to the cannon and guard against it, it will launch the Will leaving it vulnerable. The Lingering Will can Formchange its Keyblade into a bow-like weapon and shoots three deadly projectiles trying to catch Sora, but keep in mind that it shoots up five when low on HP. If any of the projectiles hits Sora, his health begins to drain and the command bar changes in a manner reminiscent ofXemnas's curse fromKingdom Hearts Final Mix, only showingRelease andFall. To break free of the curse, simply pressRelease; ifFall is pressed, Sora's health drops considerably. The projectiles can be evaded with the right timing of Dodge Roll, or Reflega, and when it turns its Keyblade back to normal form, that is the time to attack. However, if the Lingering Will's projectile hits Sora, the best way to break free from the curse is to glide away while waiting for the "Release" command. Due to the timing of Dodge Roll, equipping Quick Run might be counterproductive in case one uses it by mistake.

The Lingering Will can also Formchange its Keyblade into Terra'sKeyblade Glider and move around the map extremely fast. Using Guard is the best way to defend, and if Sora is inFinal Form just Glide, as his Keyblades will protect him. Sora can attack when the Lingering Will lands, though it's hard to predict when and where. In addition to its Keyblade, the Lingering Will has some magical abilities as well, such as creating an strange looking seal that either creates a blue or orange orb above Sora's head. The orange orb prevents Sora from attacking, while the blue orb prevents Sora from usingMagic orItems. To break free from the curse, Sora needs to deplete a new, smaller HP bar. If a blue orb in seen, attack to deplete the bar, if an orange orb is seen, use Magic,Valor Form's abilities, orLimits inLimit Form. Either way, Drive Forms are still usable. Sora can evade this move by using Dodge Roll, Quick Run, or Reflega if timed right. It is unexpected when the Lingering Will is going to use this move, but when if it teleports suddenly behind Sora, then be prepared. Another clue for Sora to dodge this attack is when the Lingering Will begins flying at high speeds and repeatedly landing right behind Sora.

The Lingering Will can conjure drone-like objects which fire beams of plasma at Sora, Donald, and Goofy. When it is low on health (usually six or seven bars left), it automatically launches them and disappears from Sora's sight for a few seconds, signifying the beginning of the second phase. Sora can react to this attack using Guard, Reflega, or simply gliding away. Sometimes though, even when the Lingering Will is full on HP, it can combine its other moves especially its Keyblade Glider attack, with the drones. This can make the battle more difficult as not even a correctly-timed Guard or Reflega can always protect Sora from several angles, although with some luck Sora may be able to deflect against the Lingering Will itself. They can be destroyed with Aerial Dodge but it's not worth it, but they can be destroyed if they run into a rock spire.

When the Lingering Will uses its desperation move, it enters a berserk state similar to Terra'sArs Solum. Its arm gauntlets and helmet will emit a bright red aura, and it then splits its Keyblade into two weapons. The first part of the attack is quite easy. Sora can either use Guard or Glide and no particular time is needed for blocking. In the second phase of the attack, Sora cannot physically block anything. Just Glide away, and land as soon the Lingering Will prepares the third and final phase of the attack. The third part is probably the most difficult move to block/evade in the entire battle. It is all about having perfect timing with Guard, Dodge Roll, and Quick Run. The Lingering Will starts by swinging its Keyblade in midair. Then the Will disappears, and reappears behind Sora and utilizes several teleporting dashes similar to Terra'sChaos Blade. To defend Sora from this attack, lock-on to the Will and Guard. Keep guarding until it uses the move similar toThunder Surge and lands. The Will is then left vulnerable. Just like every other move, however, there are various ways to evade this one as well. If Sora happens to get hit, make sure to use Aerial Recovery at the right time to nullify its last spinning move. This way, Sora can still quickly reach the Lingering Will and start a new combo.

Thundaga is best for distracting the Will if Sora is too far away, giving him the time to reach it. A very useful trick is gliding and reaching a specific point on the edge of the map. This way, the Will is forced to always teleport in front of Sora, making it easier to block all of its attacks. In the second phase of the battle, while low on HP, the Lingering Will also makes use of Magic. There is a low chance that it may castMagnega, that will put Sora into its path, andBlizzaga, both in some lethal combinations.

In the first phase of the battle, the Will usually executes its abilities in a predictable pattern, which corresponds to the first attack it used at the beginning of the battle. Remember to keep track of the Lingering Will's forced retaliation point to prevent being attacked unawares. In this phase, deflecting the Will's Ultima Cannon back at it will also count as a finisher that can fill up its hidden value towards the said point. When it is left with six or seven HP bars, however, it will use its desperation move for the first time, marking the end of the first phase.

During the final phase, the Lingering Will's AI can be exploited by always stopping your combos just short enough, causing it to whenever it lands back on the ground, repeatedly retaliate-normally with its desperation move in a predictable manner when manipulating its Revenge Value. Otherwise, the Lingering Will will instead generally retaliate with its devastating triple dash attack and whip attack in sequence if the forced-point/Revenge Value is reached, often choosing randomly between which of the two to start with; even then the player can watch out for those in order to punish it accordingly regardless.

Overall, learning to manage the Lingering Will's (long) Revenge Value can be considered quite hard since the Will's chosen Revenge moves are among some of the hardest to see coming once triggered and within enough range to barely escape; this can also apply to hitting its specific HP ranges when trying to get a grasp on its usual retaliation points since hitting said ranges to enter another phase will ALWAYS cause a Revenge move to come out regardless. Unlike in other similar fights where chaining Reflect can build up a lot of damage, the Will also bypasses this by being invincible while in the middle of attacking.

Video[edit]

Notes and references[edit]

• Construct
• Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix bosses
• Optional bosses
• Kingdom Hearts II Final Mix
• Gameplay