Birth by Sleep Aqua Neverland World Difficulty Spike

Overview:

Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep is set during the Keyblade wars. It is a prequel to the first Kingdom Hearts in which three characters, Ventus, Aqua, and Terra are chosen for their mastery exams. However, as they go from world to world they find themselves torn apart and misguided. This immerse story of these three individuals sets the story for the Kingdom Hearts series.

Now you will be given a choice on who you want to start first in Birth By Sleep starting from Terra. Depending on your choice you will have different views of each world. Note: [ The order you choose the characters doesn't affect the game in any way ] but will spoil a lot of the story if it is not done in the right order. You have to choose either Terra, Ventus, or Aqua in the beginning and fully complete their stories in order to move on to the next. I highly recommend you do

Terra -> Ventus -> Aqua

to get the best overall experience for the game.

(Thanks to Fubzy regarding the order)

You will probably die quite a lot on Critical mode, but do not worry as there are no trophies associated for being able to not continue this time around. My advice is to train and to further your abilities, but to also enjoy the story of Birth By Sleep if you are new to the series.

Melding lets you make brand new moves for Terra, Ventus, and Aqua while you play Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep HD. Veterans of the PSP version are well aware on what Melding is, however, for the new players let me explain. During Melding you have two slots to fill with either Attack or Magic battle commands. Note that these commands must be at their max level before they can be Melded again. Once you pick the two battle commands you will then can place a synthesis material to add a bonus to the newly created Battle Command if you wish to do so.

Depending on what synthesis material you add grants you a different bonus. For a complete breakdown of the abilities and how to obtain them, refer to this wiki: Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep - Melding Guide - Destiny Islands it provides the name of the ability and what it takes to make them. Be sure to experiment around as there are a ton of abilities to learn.

In order to get the second and third versions for spells(Cure->Cura->Curaga) you will first have to completely max out two of the first level to get the second. There are exceptions for making certain spells with lower level abilities, but also require certain abilities.

Example of Melding:
Triple Blizzaga - Level 3
+
Deep Freeze - Level 3
+
Shimmering Crystal (optional, but highly recommended) = ??? + new ability(???) (if a material is used)

If you get an ability with that new command, you have a chance to keep it permanently if you max it out. Once you max it out, it is yours to keep. This is called, an Auto-Ability and will stay active even if you do not have them installed directly in your deck.

Note : Be sure to make five (5) individual saves for each character; those saves being: New Game + Terra, New Game + Ventus, New Game + Aqua, Final Episode, and the Secret Episode.

During this step, you will be playing as Terra. Terra is the tank and is very limited on abilities, thus making him a difficult character to use in certain situations.

During this step, we are going to cover a lot of ground to get some things out of the way. That being said, let us get started.

You will earn the following trophies on this step:

The Journey Begins
The Warrior: Terra
Pursuit Of Truth
Savage Slayer
Musclehead
The Vessel
Perfect Shot
Command Board Conqueror
Fantasista
Keepers of the Arena
Defying Darkness
D.J.
Maestro
Rapid Racer
Entrusting Power
Pâtissier
Knight of the Arena
Queen of the Arena

During this playthrough you will play as Ventus. He is a lot faster than Terra, but seeing as your progress does not carry over, you will have to redo all the mini-games and challenges again.

However, you do not need to get a fantastic rating on all the songs for Ice Cream Beat except for Dessert Paradise for the command style, Frozen Fortune. You do of course need to play all the songs for the report entry. You will also need to beat Pete during the Fruitball mini-game to acquire the Chaos Snake Shotlock for the Command Collection section of the Report.

For following this step you will unlock the following trophies:

Encounters
A Moment Of Rest
A Friend In Need
The Dormant
B-Boy
The Warrior: Ventus

Aqua is a magic user, unlike Ventus and Terra. She will naturally have the highest starting magic of the three characters. Once you get the Mirage Arena available, you will notice their is a new one-star mission available. You'll see some familiar faces as well when you play through Aqua's story and learn why the worlds are scattered.

Once you finish Aqua's story it will have earned the following trophies:

Pawn Of The Arena
Drifting Apart
Hopeful Hearts
Profiler
The Seeker

If you have been playing on and finished Critical mode for all three characters, you will be prompted with the Final Episode after completing your third characters story. This is closure for fans as we uncover the events after the initial game. In these episodes, you will be playing as Aqua and her stats will carry over to the new save.

For following this step, you will earn the following trophies:

Connected Hearts
The Lost Chapter
Critical Competitor

[PST Would Like to Thank x410xDragon for this Roadmap]

Further Resources:

Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep - Report Guide

In order to get this trophy, you need to start and finish Terra, Ventus, Aqua, the Final Episode, and the Secret Episode on Critical difficulty. This difficulty can be really unforgiving in the beginning, but as you progress through you will get better equipment and understand how the game works. One thing I would advise is to get
Second Chance
,
Once More
, and
Leaf Bracer
as fast as possible.

Having these abilities at your disposal will save your life during boss fights.

Tips for Critical difficulty:
- Be sure to keep a distance when in boss fights.
- Buy the Cure spell as fast as possible if not already available.
- By fighting groups of enemies you level up your abilities faster!
- Use the mirage arena to level up, as you can right off the bat.
- Be sure level up spells by melding them, it will make Critical much easier.
- Get the Magnet Spell as soon as you can, as this will make fighting groups a lot easier.
  Abilities to look out for:
- Once More = Fira + Fira + Wellspring Crystal (get this asap)
- Second Chance = Blizzara+Blizzara+Pulsing Crystal (get this asap)
Note : While this trophy is not glitched, there have been instances where players have finished all three characters, the final episode, and even the secret episode on Critical, but the trophy does not unlock.

If you experience this issue:
- Check and make sure you have a New Game + file for Terra, Ventus, Aqua, the Final Episode, and finally the Secret Episode on Critical difficulty.
- If you previously played the game on a lower difficulty such as Beginner, Standard, or Proud modes, delete the file, then proceed to fight the Final Boss again during the Secret Episode. The trophy should unlock afterwards for completing Critical Difficulty.
Complete all Unversed battle missions with the highest rank.
The highest rank is 3 stars, but some missions can present a challenge, while others are easy to complete. This is for Terra, Aqua, and Ventus as they either have similar or different locations for these missions.

T = Terra
A = Aqua
V = Ventus
Mission 1
:

World: Enchanted Dominion

Where to find it:Waterside (T/V/A)
- Battle: Hit the ball of fire before it hits the ground.
How to obtain 3 stars
: Having Aero or Aerora by standing next to the Unversed and casting Aero(or Aerora) next to it every time it attacks. Do this until you have 50 or more and then end it for your score. Great job!
Mission 2
:

World: Dream Castle

Where to find it:Ballroom (T/A)
Where to find it:Wardrobe Room (V)
- Battle: Kill as many enemies as you can before time runs out.
How to obtain 3 stars
: You can use Magnega to get them close enough for you to hit without you having to run after them. You could also use Mega Flare, but that takes a while to make. The choice is yours though as both methods work effectively.
Mission 3
World: Dwarf Woodlands

Where to find it: Sewers (T/A)
Where to find it: Mine (V)
- Battle: The room is poisoned, to recover HP hit the unversed to recover.
Easiest way to obtain 3 stars
: This is very annoying while on Critical difficulty. However, it is doable if you have cures in your command decks. Be sure to also have potions and hi-potions ready too.
Mission 4
World: Radiant Garden

Where to find it: Outer Gardens (T/V)
Where to find it: Central Plaza (A)
- Battle: Deflate the Unversed.
How to obtain 3 stars
: The fastest way is to do this is a little luck-based, but you can get this if you max out the ground and air combos. Once you beat it within 30 seconds, the challenge will end.
Mission 5
World: Disney Town

Where to find it: the Raceway (T/V/A)
- Battle: Find and defeat as many Ringer Pots as you can before time runs out.
How to obtain 3 stars
: The higher you get in score, the more Ringer Pot Unversed copies will appear next time you locate it on the map. The Ringer Pot will teleport to distinct locations around the Raceway after each successful hit, without penalty. However, if you hit the wrong Ringer Pot you will be penalized and 5 seconds will be deducted from your timer. The goal for this mission is to hit the correct Ringer Pot Unversed 40 or more times before the timer runs out.
Mission 6
World: Olympus Coliseum

Where to find it: Town Near Thebes (T/V/A)
How to obtain 3 stars
:

Terra Deck setup:
1. Thunder Surge
2. Thunder Surge
3. Thunder Surge
4. Thunder Surge
5. Thunder Surge
6. Thunder Surge
7. Magnega
8. Magnega
Time completion: 19 seconds

Ventus Deck setup:
1. Thunder Surge
2. Thunder Surge
3. Thunder Surge
4. Thunder Surge
5. Thunder Surge
6. Thunder Surge
7. Salvation
8. Magnega
Time completion: 18 seconds

Aqua Deck setup:
1. Seeker Mines
2. Seeker Mines
3. Thundaga Shot
4. Ice Barrage - Takes up 2 slots
5. Magnega
6. Raging Storm - Takes up 2 slots
Time completion: 14 seconds
Mission 7
World: Deep Space

Where to find it: Machinery Bay Access (T/V/A)
- Battle: Steal as many balls as you can, in two minutes.
How to obtain 3 stars
: What I found helpful was to spam Firaga(or Fira)/ Blizzaga(or Blizzara) and once you do, dash towards the area where the balls will fall, then rinse and repeat. Another method is to block, then counter and to make sure your Treasure Magnet ability is high.
Mission 8
World: NeverLand

Where to find it: Camp (T/V/A)
- Battle: Hit the totem pole with the exact element, in a one minute and 30 seconds.
How to obtain 3 stars
:

Fire = Darkish Totem/ Blizzard = Blue Totem/ Thunder = Yellow Totem.

The goal to this Unversed Mission is to hit either the Red Totem, Blue Totem, or the Yellow Totem with its respective element. The easiest way to get three (3) stars, is to have a full command deck filled with fire-based spells, such as Fire, Fira, or even Firaga. To make things simple, try and aim for one totem instead of all three (3). Once you have over 70 points and the mission ends, you will have or should have three (3) stars.

If what I suggested above does not help, try out StarlightDoll's method below:

The strategy involves using a Shotlock to cover an element not in your command deck.

My loadout looked like this:

1. Fire Surge
2. Fire Surge
3. Fire
4. Fira
5. Firaga
6. Firaga
7. Firaga
8. Curaga

Shotlock: Absolute Zero

Mission 9
World: Keyblade Graveyard

Where to find it: Seat Of War (T/V/A)
- Battle: Hit the Unversed into the air and hit them while in the air to collect the orbs they drop.
How to obtain 3 stars: You can use the Mine Square attack command to knock them into the air, then follow up with any Surge abilities to hurt them causing them to drop tons of orbs. Once you have over 400-420+ and the mission ends, you should have three (3) stars.
Stickers are Crown-shaped icons that can found throughout the story modes of each character; there are 20 stickers total for each character.

To check how many stickers you have, you can go into the menu by hitting the button then hitting the Reports icon at the bottom. Once you are there you should see a full picture of the character you're playing. From there you want to go to the very bottom and click on Sticker Album then on Sticker Collection.

Here it will list how many
total stickers
you have on the top-left hand corner while rows of the worlds underneath; on the right of the worlds, shows how many stickers are in each world.
Complete Reports with Terra.

As you naturally play through Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep , your progress will be tracked accordingly based on several factors. These include: Game Records, Mini-games, Hit Counts, Unversed Missions, Character Files, The Unversed, Ice Cream Guide, and finally a Command Collection. For this trophy, you will need to acquire a Golden Mickey Symbol on each of these to complete each character's respective reports, 100%.

For more information on all three characters, look at the
Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep Reports Guide
.
Complete Reports with Ventus.

Look at The Adventurer: Terra for more information.
Complete Reports with Aqua.

Look at The Adventurer: Terra for more information.
Shotlock is a new ability in the Kingdom Hearts series. Shotlock is like another attack, but will make battles a little bit more complex to enemies. To activate it, just hold the lock-on button and hold the cursor on an enemy until the D-gauge is empty or for the amount you want to target. Each move has a different output, so experiment around for which one fits your style. You do not have to keep using it to level it up, but just have it equipped. The higher the level, the faster the charge and more enemies you can target. Just do this 50 times and the trophy will pop.
Use the Pete D-Link 10 times.

As the description says, you have to D-Link with Pete 10 times. However, in order to earn Pete you have to play on any Command Board and land on a purple panel that says "Captain Dark" or "Captain Justice" in the description. It is a matter of luck if anything as they can be anything that pertains to what board is being used. Once you land on a purple panel and it reads on of those two listed above, you will have Pete as a D-Link. The A.I. can activate the panel for Captain Dark or Justice and will grant you the D-link also.

You cannot earn Pete's D-link in the Mirage Arena Command Board mini-game, it has to be done from the menu() while on a save point, then selecting Command Board.

Here is another helpful tip (Credit to Jyrakos):

Pete will only have a chance of showing up on a command board after you have cleared Disney Town.
Use the Rhythm Mixer Command Style 20 times.

In order to obtain the Rhythm Mixer Command Style, you have to complete the sticker collection for one character. Once you arrange the stickers in their proper place in the Sticker Album, the total should come out to be 140p. Once you obtain 140p, the command style will unlock to be used. Here's a tip (Thanks again to Jyrakos):

You can use the Daisy Sorbet ice cream to instantly enter the Rhythm Mixer command style. Then you enter the menu to cancel the command style and repeat.

You could just do Jyrakos' method, but note that you still need the stickers for the Reports section.
Learn all of Terra's Finish Commands.

You can earn Finish Commands by just naturally playing the game, but some do however require you to fight a certain amount of enemies, move a certain amount of times, and other tasks. Thankfully the mirage arena provides endless combat and helps tremendously to level up these commands. Some require prerequisites from previous (finishers) levels in order to activate the next.

For a complete list of every finisher and how to obtain them, look here.
Learn all of Ventus's Finish Commands.

Look at The Warrior: Terra for more information.
Learn all of Aqua's Finish Commands.

Look at The Warrior: Terra for more information.
Unleash Break Time with Terra.

Break Time can be found in Disney Town. Once you get it from Pete's Rec Room, activate it once and you will be taken into an animation. You do not have to be successful, just perform it once and the trophy should unlock.
Unleash Break Time with Ventus.

Look at Musclehead for more information.
Unleash Break Time with Aqua.

Look at Musclehead for more information.
Create all flavors of ice cream.

This varies on the character you are playing in Birth By Sleep, as Terra, Ventus and Aqua all have different flavors of ice cream and ingredients.

I found an excellent list that provides all the ingredients for each flavor of Ice Cream for each world and each location it can be found it. In order to obtain ingredients, you have to find special Unversed called "Prize Pods" essentially they are Chilly Unversed, but with the exception that they disappear after 30 seconds of appearing and will drop ingredients with each strike inflicted.

To conquer this, I found out you can use the Magnet spell to lure them all in, then strike them. One spell that is extremely helpful is Magnega(magnet level 3), as it damages them while they are stuck in the vortex, allowing you to obtain ingredients without you lifting a finger. You can strike them also to obtain more, but that is up to you.

Here is a great guide for the list of ingredients and where to find them: https://www.khwiki.com/Prize_Pod

There you will find which part of each world holds Prize Pods and for which character you are currently playing.

Note: once you have activated the Prize Pods, you have to leave the world for them to re-spawn in that area.

You also obtain the "Sweetstack" Keyblade which deals critical strikes with every blow.
Win each playable Command Board.

For this trophy you have to win all the Command Board mini-games either at the Mirage Arena or through the menu by selecting Command Boards.

Basically you play against the computer on a board that is represented on a particular board earned through story mode. Each character has to at least play on each board in order to complete his or her journal. To earn the Command Board Conqueror trophy, you must
win
on each board listed below. I would advise playing with 2 players as it makes it a little less time-consuming and a lot less stressful to you in particular.

How to win:

Each board is different and has a different layout naturally. However, depending on the board chosen the A.I. may or may not use their hand to use Two Dice or Three Dice. Two boards, Skull and Hunny Pot's A.I. will use Two Dice, Three Dice or both given the chance at the very beginning.

Now, in order to get the most amount of points you must touch all Pads which are coded Yellow,Blue,Red , or Green in diamond-shaped panels across each board. Once you have stepped on all four, head back to the Keyhole starting point, for a bonus; the bonus depends on how many panels you have created at which you will be given a hefty amount of GP.
Note
: Each diamond-oriented panel will give you GP or Currency to make more panel traps and always gives you one card.

Be sure to pick the lowest GP score possible, as you can easily win if you understand the game enough. After the first two boards, you should be able to grasp the general idea of how to play the game. If you feel the A.I. is getting too much of an advantage, once your turn starts just quit and start over. Lastly, be sure to find the quickest route for each board as you can roll a bad set, and it cost you your win.

Note: that you cannot change the amount of players in the menu command board mini-game.

Command Boards:

Below I will list what you should aim for on each board.

Keyblade Board

GP Goal: 5000 (lowest you can go)
Players: 2

Royal Board

GP Goal: 6000 (lowest you can go)
Players: 2

Spaceship Board

GP Goal: 10,000 (lowest you can go)
Players: 2

Toon Board

GP Goal: 6000 (lowest you can go)
Players: 2

Skull Board -Hardest one-

GP Goal: 12,000 (lowest you can go)
Players 2

Hunny Pot Board

GP Goal: 5000 (lowest you can go)
Players: 2

Upon clearing all the boards up to this point, a new board unlocks.

Secret Board

GP Goal: 20,000
Players: 2

Once you win on the secret board, Command Board Conqueror will unlock.
Obtain a Fantastic rating for each song in Ice Cream Beat Master Mode.
This is located in Disney Land. This is a mini-game where you have to listen to the Rhythm of Huey, Dewey, and Louie while you hear familiar songs from previous Kingdom Hearts games such as the Destiny Islands theme.

What to expect:
- This is probably the most difficult mini-game trophy the game has to offer.
- This may come easy for some, but for others extremely difficult as it is a rhythm-based game.
- Practice, practice, practice. It will and very may well take you awhile to get the songs memorized to a point of it being second nature.
- Do not lose hope as this is a difficult trophy for some.
- It is vital you keep a high combo for the beginning of each song, to obtain a high score early on; that will allow yourself to have a few mess-ups when the songs pick up speed.
Here is a good guide by Stark regarding the mini-games as well. Credit to Stars for providing the guides.

GameFAQs: Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep (PSP) FAQ/Walkthrough by starrk
Also on Neoseeker: Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep FAQ/Walkthrough v1.03 - starrk - hosted by Neoseeker

Here are some tips directly by Stars about Ice Cream Beat:

- What gets you the most points, is a good combo. After 20 hits, you'll get much more points if you can keep up the combo, so focus on that. Just forget about the good or excellent rating for each button press, that isn't too relevant for getting points.

- This could probably be more of a motivational thing, but it helped me to try to make my first combo as long as possible. The first few beats tend to be easier to do, so if you can get a long combo going there, you can still make up for any mistakes you'd make later in the song.

- My personal rule was to avoid more than five mistakes, although I extended that to eight - ten for the more complex master level songs. Don't get too discouraged if you barely got a combo going before making another mistake, you didn't lose much.

Now, the scores in order to obtain a "Fantastic" rating are different amongst the Japanese versions and American versions of the game. I will list the scores below of what you should aim for by version of the game.

Note: You only need a cool rating to advance to the Master version of each song.

American version:
It's a Small World
Beginner: 1300
Master: 2600
Blast Away! -Gummi Ship II-
Beginner: 1060
Master: 3500

Dessert Paradise

Beginner: 1400
Master: 2600
Destiny Islands
Beginner: 2000
Master: 3159
Hand in Hand
Beginner: 1000
Master: 3400

Japanese version:

It's a Small World:
Beginner: 1383
Master: 2683

Blast-Off 2:
Beginner: 1424
Master: 3900

Dessert Paradise:
Beginner: 1693
Master: 2685

Destiny Islands:
Beginner: 2955
Master: 3840

Hand in Hand:
Beginner: 1282
Master: 3596
Finish first in all Rumble Racing courses.
Probably one of the easiest of the mini-games, but can present some challenges in the end.

There are a total of 4 races:
1. Country Chase
2. Disney Drive
3. Grand Spree
4. Castle Circuit
The hardest of the four is the Castle Circuit which has a lot of sharp turns. My advice is to abuse any and all speed ramps as they take you to short-cuts. For Castle Circuit, upon taking the first jump ramp, stick to the left as that is the shortcut path as the main path may cause you to lose first place. Once you turn left after the ramp, stick to the right and nail the ramp leading underground, be sure to also brake while underground to build speed around corners.

Once you finish, you earn the Keyblade "Victory Lane" which adds four strength and two magic.
Beat all opponents in Fruitball.

You will find Fruitball in Disney Town.

For this you have to go up against 3 opponents: The Bruisers, Chip & Dale, and Captain Dark.
The game is rather simple, but can be easily missable. To get the best results, use + to almost guarantee a goal. The hardest of the three is Captain Dark(or Justice) and the easiest is Chip & Dale. It may take a few tries, but it should come naturally once you learn their patterns.
Clear the prologue, "The Land of Departure."

You will get this after you select a character for the first time and go through the Mastery Exams. Once you leave, the trophy will pop.
Clear the Mysterious Tower episode of Terra's story.

After clearing Enchanted Dominion, Castle Of Dreams, and Dwarf Woods, a new world will appear. Once you clear the Mysterious Tower, the trophy will pop.
Clear the Disney Town episode of Terra's story.

Once you clear the Radiant Gardens, you will have three new worlds to explore. Disney Town is the one featuring the Castle. Once you clear the race against Pete, you will have beaten the level and the trophy will pop.
Clear the Destiny Islands episode of Terra's story.

After you clear Neverland, you will be sent to Destiny Islands for a cutscene. After the cutscene you the trophy will pop.
Clear the Badlands episode of Ventus's story.

After you finish the fight against Vanitus, the trophy will unlock. At your current level at this point, Vanitus is very powerful so be sure to keep your distance. It also will be helpful if you have Cures or Curas since you will be needing to heal quite often for this fight. Stay on your toes and keep your distance and you should come out fine.
Clear the Disney Town episode of Ventus's story.

Once you start Disney Town, you will be taken into a cutscene. After the cutscene you will play one round of Ice Cream Beat. Upon completing your first song on Beginner you will leave Disney Town followed up with the trophy unlocking.
Clear the Mysterious Tower episode of Ventus's story.

After you clear Neverland, you will warp to the Mysterious Tower and be spotted by some new friends, Donald and Goofy. Once you clear the cutscene, the trophy will unlock.
Clear the Radiant Garden episode of Aqua's story.

You will have to fight two bosses at Radiant Garden, Spectral Armor and Vanitus. When you get to Vanitus, you will need to have at least one cure in your deck. A move that I found really helpful was Mine Square. After you beat Vanitus, you will leave Radiant Gardens and the trophy will unlock.
Clear the Destiny Islands episode of Aqua's story.

Once you clear Never Land and defeat Vanitus, you will travel to Destiny Islands. After the cutscene, the trophy will unlock.
Complete all one-star missions in the Mirage Arena.
The following are required to be beaten to unlock this trophy:
1. Day of Reckoning
2. Risky Riches - Note that you can buy a Risky Ticket from the Moogle for 150 medals and gain access to this event regardless of Arena level.
3. Wheels of Misfortune
Complete all two-star missions in the Mirage Arena.
This is a little tougher than Pawn of the Arena, but nothing too difficult if you have been training. You will want to be in the high 20's before tackling this arena. This can be done with any character of choice, but can be done with Terra.
1. Weaver Fever
2. Sinister Sentinel
3. Dead Ringer
Complete all three-star missions in the Mirage Arena.
This is a tough set of missions, but very doable. What I found the most helpful was Mine Square, Zero Gravira, and lastly Magnega. You will want to also keep some Ethers on hand for the bosses. One boss in particular is on the Harsh Punishment mission, and will not give you breathing room once the round starts.

Be sure your Shotlock commands are at their max levels, as it will lessen the time needed, plus will not consume your gauge as fast. Keep using it until empty, then replenish it with an Ether.

The missions are:
1. Combined Threat
2. Treasure Tussle
3. Harsh Punishment
Complete all four-star missions in the Mirage Arena.
These are a lot tougher missions, but not as much of a big deal when you get into the upper 40's. The missions are composed of mainly bosses at the end based on worlds visited. You cannot however get this trophy until after completing Aqua's story mode 100%.

The missions are:
1. A Time to Chill
2. Copycat Crisis
3. Keepers Of The Arena
4. Monster of the Sea
Win the Keepers of the Arena battle in the Mirage Arena.

Advised Level before attempting: 45

Abilities to have:
Second Chance
,
Once More
, and
Leaf Bracer
.

The Keepers of the Arena is a four-stared Mirage Arena challenge. It will unlock once you reach an Arena level of 20 which can be obtained after completing the Command Board and Ridge Racer mini-games with the prerequisites met for those challenges.

The Iron Imprisoner III will make his return in this challenge, so the Shotlock tactic is highly advised. A new enemy, The Iron Imprisoner IV, is ruthless and will do whatever it can to kill you. What is advised is to spam your Shotlock to max or enough to do damage to him. It is also advised you bring your best abilities to this challenge, as well as a lot of Ethers to restore your Focus Gauge.

For winning, you get the
Ultima Cannon
Shotlock for Terra, the
Multivortex
for Venus, and the
Lightbloom
for Aqua.

Best Shotlock for Terra: Dark Volley
Best Shotlock for Ventus: Absolute Shot
Best Shotlock for Aqua: Prism Shot
Win the Villains' Vendetta battle in the Mirage Arena.

In order to play this battle in the mirage arena, you have to achieve a rank of 25 in the arena. To obtain a rank of 25, you have to meet the requirements for the Mirage Arena which can be located in your Reports section.

Secret trophies

Just as the description says, collect all the trophies in the game. Great job!
Complete the secret episode.

During the secret episode, you play as Aqua through the Realm of Darkness. All of your stats will carry over from the Final Episode, so you do not have worry about re-acquiring everything again. Once you reach the end you will be engaged in a boss fight. Like all bosses, be sure to keep your distance and dodge frequently as this boss is very aggressive.

Unlock Requirements :

Standard: Complete the Reports 100% with all three protagonists.

Proud: Complete the Sticker Album with all three protagonists.

Critical: Complete the Final Episode
Clear Terra's story mode.

For this fight you will most likely want to be within the level 40 range. This upcoming fight is located within the Keyblade Graveyard, as Terra. This is a three part boss battle against Xehanort and Vanitis in the beginning, fighting Xehanort alone, then against Terranort.

During the first phase of battle, you face-off against both Xehanort and Vanitis. Once you get either of them to a certain amount of health, Vanitis will leave and you'll be left with Xehanort for the second phase. During the second phase, continue with Mine Square and get up in his face only when he is not attacking.

If he stops and you are not within range, back off and wait for him to pause again. You can use your Shotlock here, but make sure it is at is maximum. I found the Dark Volley Shotlock really helpful here as you can hit him multiple times in succession and cause some serious damage. Be careful about standing still, as Xehanort will attack you if you are not careful.

During the third phase, you fight in Terra's armor against the Young Xehanort. He is extremely fast here, so be careful. Be sure to have Second Chance, Once More, and Leaf Bracer equipped as he is relentless if he gets close. Second Chance combined with Once More will allow you to live through what would normally kill you as long as you are in combo with 1HP, while Leaf Bracer gives you invincibility frames while healing.

There will be checkpoints between each actual fight.
Clear Ventus's story mode.

Advised level for this fight: 40

Once you get to the end of the Keyblade graveyard, you will fight Vanitas for the final time.

For the first phase, he will use a lot of fire spells similar to your first encounter along with a few new moves. As with Terra, you want to have at least two Curaga's and Mine Square for your damage, as you will be dodge rolling most of the time.

When you get to the second phase, you are taken to an arena from what looks like the beginning of Kingdom Hearts 1. For this fight Vanitus has the half-broken x-blade as a weapon. He will dash towards you mainly, but so often use air attacks, ground attacks, and attack from underground. You can counter his dashes with a strategically-placed Mine Square, and rinse and repeat until the battle is over. Be sure to dodge his attacks and heal with Curaga if needed.

After getting Vanitus's health to zero, you will be taken into the third phase. Your command menu will be changed to Vanitus' and have Dark Splicer and Dark Spiral instead of your own moves. With Spiral you will have to rotate the left stick counter-clockwise to win. However with Splicer, you will have to hit a series inputs including: , , or even to win. Once the meter is full, unleash the final blow against Vanitus which will end the fight upon landing.
For the first phase of the fight, you will be facing Braig. Be sure you are around level 30 or higher before you attempt this fight in the Keyblade Graveyard. You are going to be dodging a lot in the fight. Watch Braig's attack patterns as if you remember Terra's fight with him, he has one new attack with Aqua. He reload his gun for more ammunition after x amount of shots. Take this opportunity to use a Shotlock, or a high damaging ability against him while he is immobilized.

For the second phase, you will fight Vanitus who has possessed Ventus's body. He is a lot faster and has a dash attack that can be devastating if it hits you. His tactics are similar to when you fought him in NeverLand. Just be sure to dodge constantly as if you do not, you'll get hit most definitely. The main move and Shotlock I used were Seeker Mines and the Prism Shot. If you keep on your toes and heal when needed, you should win the battle.
Complete the final episode.
Recommended level: 40-45

Upon beating all three stories and obtaining all the Xehanort Reports for Terra, Ventus, and Aqua, you will unlock the Final Episode. The Final Episode is a battle between Aqua and Xehanort-Terra. This is a really difficult fight as he does not give you many openings to move if you get in close. However, Surge abilities will do him justice as it will hurt him quite a lot.
Load out
1. Curaga
2. Curaga
3. Curaga
4. Thunder Surge
5. Thunder Surge
6. Thunder Surge
7. Thunder Surge
8. Thunder Surge
Once he gets to his second phase, he will summon Dark side. This phase is not as hard as the last one, but it can still be difficult. When Dark side begins charging Red Orbs to throw at you, begin charging your Prism Shot Shot-Lock on him, and once fully locked on release for massive damage.
Defeat the Vanitas Remnant.
Vanitus Remnant is a secret boss in Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep. He is extremely fast and on Critical will kill you in a matter of two hits, even with Second Chance and Once More on. What I would advise is taking any offensive gear like Thunder Dodge(Ventus), Fire wheel(Aqua), and Ice Dash(Terra)off for any of the three characters. The offensive maneuvering gear gives you very little invincibility frames, unlike the normal Dodge Roll, Dash, or Cartwheel.

Do not equip any Cure Spells, as Vanitus will copy this and heal himself.

Just remember, you must beat him
individually
as Terra, Ventus, and Aqua in order to fully complete all three reports. You will have to fight Vanitus Remnant three times.

(Credit to Miggy for the video)

It is a cheap way, but using Strike Raids while hiding behind the rocks is the best method to damage him with both Terra and Ventus. For Aqua, you can use Seeker Mines for seven slots, Fabracadabra Ice cream in to activate SpellWeaver for the last slot, double jump, then spam all your Seeker Mines. Once you get your finisher, use it to finish off Vanitus.

Terra has a bad dodge and will more than likely not last long in a legitimate battle. Ventus' dodge roll and Aqua's cartwheel have huge invincibility frames so long as you are moving away from danger. For this fight be prepared to hit the button a lot.
Recommend Setup(Terra/Aqua[optional])
:
1. Strike Raid
2. Strike Raid
3. Strike Raid
4. Strike Raid
5. Strike Raid
6. Strike Raid
7. Hi-Potion
8. Hi-Potion
(Credit to KHIIFMForums for the video)

Recommend Setup(for Ventus - only):
1. Tornado
2. Tornado
3. Strike Raid }- any move from here and below except cure spells is fine.
4. Strike Raid
5. Strike Raid
6. Strike Raid
7. Hi-Potion
8. Hi-Potion
This video is for Ventus only and does not apply to Terra or Aqua. At the beginning, you will cast Tornado, but you will keep it close enough to you and Vanitus. After two successful Tornadoes, strike Vantius once with your Key-blade to end the battle.
The Unknown is a secret boss in Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep. You must complete the Final Episode and defeat Venitus Remnant in order make the Unknown appear at The Land Of Departure. The Unknown is required for the Reports section of each character, to earn his or her 100% completion.

Before even thinking about attempting this fight, you will need to know a few things first:

The fight against the Unknown is extremely fast-paced and be prepared to dodge a lot with the button. Even if you have Leaf Bracer, Second Chance, and Once More on, one hit will drop you to 1HP. Thus, getting hit will cause immediate death, if any other button is pressed. You will also want to get the maximum amount of Thunder Boosts to increase the damage with Thunder Surge and Cure Boost to get the most out of Cure.
Recommended Setup
:
1. Thunder Surge
2. Cure
3. Thunder Surge
4. Cure
5. Thunder Surge
6. Cure
7. Thunder Surge
8. Cure
His Attacks:

The Unknown has an attack similar to Sonic Blade, which he will rush to each side at a fast speed. To avoid this attack, you will want to dodge with in a circular motion. If the attack hits you, you will be knocked into the air. Do not press anything, as if you do it will result in an immediate death. As long as you have Second Chance and Once More on, you cannot die from this. After you hit the ground, cycle to one of your Cures and do not stop dodging.

He has an attack that is similar to your Fire Surge. This attack is easily avoidable, but can be just as devastating if you do not dodge it. Though you cannot die, it can harm you in a way to catch you off balance. He does five rounds with this flame attack, so if you take damage and have space between you and him, use a Curaga on yourself.

The one attack that will give you an opening, is when he casts Aero at you. Once you see that move being used, go on the offensive and use Thunder Surge on him. If he hits you with the whirlwind attack, it will scatter your battle commands across the battlefield.

He will also be open after he finishes his combo as he chases you. He will from time to time, use a move similar to collision magnet to toss you into the air and hit you. If he manages to pick you up while dodging, quickly air dash out of his reach. Take warning as he may go in for a grab that casts "Doom" on you at which you have 5 seconds to tap the button as fast as you can to escape.

Once you get the Unknown's health down to two bars, he will cast a spell that will turn himself invisible, which takes the target icon off of him. Just keep moving and dodging in a 360 motion around the area to avoid taking damage. If you get hurt, cycle to Curaga, cast it, then keep moving. After a while you can target him again, just wait for an opening and use Thunder Surge. He will repeat the same process, until he is finally defeated.

If you are still having some trouble with the Unknown, I made a
discussion thread
just for the Unknown. If you have any comments, suggestions, or struggling feel free to use it.
No Heart will appear after reaching an arena level of 30. The challenge "Peering into Darkness" will then be available. No Heart will use his Keyblade to attack you during the first phase of the fight. My advice is to abuse your Shotlock ability while standing on the sides to prevent yourself from taking any additional damage. Once you have dealt with his Keyblade, the real fight between you and No Heart begins.

He is extremely fast and can hit you multiple times in a matter of a few seconds. Be sure to dodge at all times to avoid taking any damage. You can use your Shotlock against him however to deal massive damage, but it is not advised since he moves ridiculously fast. When you play as Terra, be sure you have the Chaos Ripper equipped as you will be abusing the Ultimate Shotlock a lot in the fight. Terra has the worst dodge of the characters, so it is a matter of luck if you get stunned, or not. Once No Heart takes a certain amount of damage he will use an attack similar to Mega Flare causing all your commands to reload.
Recommended Setup
:
1. Mine Square(Seeker Mines if Aqua/Curaga if Ventus or Terra)
2. Mine Square(Seeker Mines if Aqua/Curaga if Ventus or Terra)
3. Mine Square(Seeker Mines if Aqua/Curaga if Ventus or Terra)
4. Curaga
5. Curaga
6. Cure
7. Cure
8. Hi-Potion
(Credit to Cetra for the video)

Upon defeating No Heart, you will be awarded with Royal Radiance, which is the most powerful Key-blade in the entire game.
To face the Armor of Eraqus, you must have an Arena Rank of 28. Once you have an arena rank of 28, Light's Lessons will be available to choose from the Arena Mode menu.

Not much to say about this guy, other than watch his attack patterns. You can use your Ultimate Shotlock on him if he does one of three moves: One being he throws orbs of light at you, another if he casts a beam that circles the entire battlefield, and if he uses his desperation move to grab you up close, 3 times.

Another thing I found helpful is Focus Block, as there is one attack he will spam which you can block easily with Be sure if you're using Ventus to take off Reversal and Reversal Slash, as you will dodge the attack, rather than guard, but instead take damage. Be aware that Mine Sqaure helps when he activates one of his forms, depending on how much health he has left.
Collect all Secret Reports.
Terra
- Xehanort Report # 2 - Clear Radiant Gardens
- Xehanort Report # 5 - Clear Arena Mission Level 10 in the Mirage Arena
- Xehanort Report # 8 - Land Of Departure ( Second Visit after the fight Master Eraqus)
- Xehanort Report # 11 - Beat the last boss / clear terra's chapter
Ventus
- Xehanort Report # 1 - In a chest in the Sortie Deck at Deep Space
- Xehanort Report # 9 - After Destiny Islands
- Xehanort Report # 10 - Defeat the last boss/ clear Ventus's chapter
- Xehanort Report # 12 - Ancient Battlegrounds in the starting area
- Letter: After the events at the Land of Departure
Aqua
- Xehanort Report # 3 - Radiant Gardens (in Merlin's house)
- Xehanort Report # 4 - Clear Mysterious Tower
- Xehanort Report # 6 - Clear Enchanted Dominion
- Xehanort Report # 7 - Defeat the last boss/ clear Aqua's chapter