One of many iconic Disney villains in Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain of Memories, Jafar is a boss that can prove tricky against those still learning the card system, but the unique Boss card he drops is arguably the best in the game. This guide will outline how to defeat Jafar early on to get this valuable card.
Some Quick Tips for those who want to beat this nefarious vizier:
- Counters: Jafar’s attacks tend to be slow, but for his high level cards, a few 0 cards will save you trouble.
- Fire: Homing magical attacks will make defeating this boss much easier.
Preparing for Jafar
As with many of the bosses in Re:Chain of Memories, Jafar is fought in the Key to Truth room at the end of your journey in Agrabah. Of course, there are plenty of valuable and worthwhile stops to make on your way out of this world.
Since Jafar’s boss fight involves attacking his parrot Iago rather than his giant Genie form, being able to attack the flying target from a range will make the boss fight much easier. For this reason, this guide will recommend that you have a healthy supply of Fire cards, either to be used in a string with Attack cards or to cast Fira (Fire+Fire) or Firaga (Fire+Fire+Fire).
Additionally, the spell Gravity can first be unlocked by synthesizing a Calm Bounty room in Agrabah. While you might not have powerful Sleights that involve Gravity at this point, there is value in stopping by to pick up Gravity now and avoid backtracking.
Once you’re ready, head into the Key to Truth room and get ready to face off against the evil Genie.
Defeating Jafar
Enemy Attacks:
- Lava Ball
- Fist Slam
- Laser
Rather than fighting the massive Genie himself, your objective with the Jafar fight is to defeat the flying parrot Iago, who holds the black lamp that Jafar is now bound to.
The arena for this fight consists of a grid of platforms that will raise and lower, boxed in by a pit of lava. These platforms are equal parts helpful and harmful, sometimes blocking Sora from being hit by Jafar’s Laser, his fastest and most dangerous move, but also liable to trap Sora with Jafar and leave him with little room to dodge around.
Luckily, the Gimmick Card on this stage, along with being a strong Counter, will reset the platforms to be perfectly flat for a while, giving you ample time to attack Iago.
Iago, of course, is quite defenseless himself, save for the fact that he can fly and will, because of the aforementioned arena, occasionally leave your attack range. The best way to deal with this is with ranged magic. Early in the game, your best bet is to lay down the heat with Fire and its evolved forms Fira and Firaga.
Aside from the damage output, another reason to focus on Fire spells in this fight is because of the card’s homing property, something the shorter and wider Blizzard does not seem to do.
Aside from knowing how best to take Iago out, there isn’t too much complexity to the fight itself. Unless you are trapped by raised platforms, Jafar’s moves are slow and readable enough that you will be able to dodge past them for the most part.
Should you find yourself on the receiving end of a Laser attack with a high card value, try to get out a 0 card or build up a Sleight that will break his attack.
In terms of support, aside from the obvious Cure spell to have in your deck, it is worth investing in an Ether to help you reload your Fire cards quickly to keep, well, firing on Iago.
After defeating the wicked sorcerer turned Genie, you’ll be rewarded with the Jafar-Genie Boss card. Calling this card powerful and necessary is somewhat of an understatement, as the strategy to defeat almost every difficult boss going forward, as well as expedite normal combat, is contingent on this card’s Ability:
Attack Bracer: Stops enemies from breaking Attack cards you use (65 CP, Limit 20 Attacks).
What this means in simple terms is that while the Jafar card is active, enemies cannot break your attacks or Sleights. This is going to be critical in crafting decks that chain powerful Sleights to shred a Boss’ HP while they are staggered, minimizing the opportunity they have to fight back.
In short, keep this card in your pocket at all times once you get it, you’ll need it.
