This page provides an overview of how Eidolons are used in Final Fantasy XIII. For a listing of each of the different Eidolons you can unlock during a playthrough, navigate back to the Eidolon Index.

Eidolons function as the “summon” in Final Fantasy XIII, similar to Summon Materia in Final Fantasy VII, Guardian Forces in Final Fantasy VIII, Aeons in Final Fantasy X or Espers in Final Fantasy XII. The name changes with each new entry in the series but the general mechanics remain the same, although unlike some of the summons you can use in earlier games, Eidolons in Final Fantasy XIII give you a few more options that you can control in battle. So how do they work?

Summoning an Eidolon

The process of summoning an Eidolon is fairly straightforward, but throughout most of the game your characters will not have the ability to summon their Eidolon; at least, not until they have been challenged by their Eidolon in battle. Snow’s Eidolon is the first one you gain access to towards the end of Chapter 3 - Lake Bresha (Part 2). You can learn more about each character’s Eidolon back on the index page as noted above.

To start, your character will need to have three Technical Points (TP) in order to use the summon option in battle. TP is earned at the end of each battle with more TP being earned if you earn a higher battle rank. Alternatively, you can use an Ethersol or an Elixir to fully restore your character’s TP Gauge.

Other options for earning Technical Points include:

• Using Librascopes instead of wasting TP on the Libra Technique
• Making use of the Energy Sash or Champions’s Badge items

An explanation of the battle mechanics of summoning an Eidolon is presented in the game (Primer: Summoning Eidolons), but a more comprehensive guide is included below.

Summoning Modes

Eidolons have two “summoning modes” that they will go through after you summon them. They will start off in “Normal Mode” but they can eventually move into “Gestalt Mode”.

Normal Mode

Once summoned, your Eidolon will start off in “Normal Mode”. Much like the characters that battle along with your leader that are controlled by AI, in this mode, the Eidolon will behave like a character in the battlefield controlled by AI. It will pick and choose which attacks to use as it deems appropriate.

You can change the Paradigm of your leader character but this will have no impact on the Eidolon. However, you can swap to a Paradigm that places your character into their Synergist role and apply buffs to your Eidolon to increase its effectiveness in battle.

In this mode, there will be an “SP Gauge” on the screen that counts down slowly and acts as a timer. Once the timer reaches zero, the Eidolon’s Gestalt Gauge will start draining and your Eidolon will be dismissed shortly afterwards, and the SP Gauge cannot be replenished. In fact, it will count down even faster if your Eidolon is attacked in battle, so keep an eye on it!

The goal in while your Eidolon is in “Normal Mode” is to continue to fill the Gestalt Gauge as high as you can so that your Eidolon can spend as much time in “Gestalt Mode” as possible (outlined below).

How do you fill the Gestalt Gauge? It can be filled using the exact same method you used to fill it during the actual Eidolon battle itself (i.e. for Snow it can be filled by using defensive abilities in his Sentinel role). You can find more information about how to fill Gestalt Gauges on each Eidolon’s individual page by navigating back to the Eidolon index.

Gestalt Mode

While “Normal Mode” allows the battle to continue, with your character continuing its attacks and Paradigm transitions, and with enemies attacking as normal, Gestalt Mode will effectively pause the battle and prevent any other actions from occurring.

You have three options available to you while in Gestalt Mode:

1. Select an attack from the list in the bottom right corner by pressing the corresponding buttons and then selecting a target.
2. Pressing Button and allowing the game to automatically select an appropriate move. This is the recommended approach for most play throughs unless you plan to spend some time learning the different Eidolon moves and how to use them effectively.
3. Pressing the Button once the “Gestalt Mode” timer gets low so that your Eidolon can use its finishing move.

Make sure you save the finishing move (Button) until the Gestalt Gauge is running low as the finishing move will use all of the remaining Gestalt Gauge available, no matter how much is left, and if it runs out entirely, your Eidolon will not get the chance to use its finishing move. It should go without saying, but your Eidolon’s finishing move is its most powerful and highest damaging attack, and should therefore be prioritized.

Departure

It’s worth noting that there are a number of effects that the Eidolon has on battle even after it has left:

• Any KO’d characters will be revived and all characters will have full HP
• All characters will have a full ATB Gauge
• All status ailments will have been removed
• Enemy Chain Gauges will have been fully reset
• Staggered enemies will no longer be Staggered
• Enemy ATB Gauges will be reset which will delay their first attack after Gestalt Mode has ended

Eidolon Tips

There are a few important strategies and tips you can utilize to get the most out of your Eidolons, though using them is entirely optional and you definitely don’t need to make use of summoning them in order to successfully complete any battle. If you do use them though, make sure to follow these recommendations:

1. Take time during “Normal Mode” to inflict some damage on enemies and build up Chain Gauges, but your number one priority should be to build up your Eidolon’s Chain Gauge by doing whatever that Eidolon requires. As mentioned above, check each Eidolon section for more details on the steps you can take.
2. Activate “Gestalt Mode” just before the SP Gauge is about to reach zero. This means you will have to anticipate any incoming damage to make sure you don’t accidentally miss it and that you don’t switch modes too early, as this will make the summon less optimal.
3. Only use your Eidolon’s finishing move (Button) when the Gestalt Gauge is as close to zero as you can get it (1 or 2 points remaining).
4. You can use Eidolons as a method to slow down incoming damage. Summon your Eidolon to take the brunt of the assault as more of a defensive option when needed. You can also use the Eidolon summon to heal your party members and remove status effects rather than for their offensive capabilities.

Check out the index section for a full write up for each of the Eidolons: