You're scrolling through the Hunt Board in the Hideaway and see it. Usher to the Underworld. It sounds ominous. Dark. It also sounds like a massive pain to find if you don't know where the game is trying to hide its big, mechanical secrets.
Basically, this isn't just a random monster. It's the Notorious Mark Thanatos. If you're trying to craft the Gotterdammerung—which is arguably the best sword for a huge chunk of the endgame—you need to kill this thing. It drops Darksteel. You need Darksteel. It's a whole thing.
Honestly, the hardest part for most players isn't even the fight. It's the map. Final Fantasy 16 loves to give you vague names for locations that you haven't looked at in ten hours of gameplay.
Where the Hell is the Usher to the Underworld in FF16?
Stop wandering around Rosaria. You won't find him there.
To track down the Usher to the Underworld FF16 hunt, you need to head to the Dhalmekian Republic. Specifically, you're looking for an area called Titan's Wake. If you've been following the main story, this is the massive, scarred landscape left behind after Clive and Hugo Kupka had their... well, their very loud disagreement.
The easiest way to get there is to fast-travel to the Gilded Path Obelisk.
Once you land, hop on your Chocobo and head west. You're following the main path into the canyon area. Don't worry about looking for a giant glowing bird or a dragon in the sky. Thanatos is a Fallen construct, so he’s hunkered down on the ground. He actually won't even spawn until you get pretty close. You'll be riding along, thinking you're in the wrong place, and then—boom—a cutscene triggers.
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The Quick Travel Cheat Sheet
If the Gilded Path feels too far, some people prefer the Kretov waypoint. It’s also nearby. Just head east from Kretov towards the center of the "Wake" on your map. You're looking for the narrow neck of the path.
When Does This Hunt Actually Show Up?
You can't just go find Thanatos at the start of the game. He's an A-Rank hunt for a reason.
The Usher to the Underworld bounty only appears on the board once you’ve reached the main story quest called Brotherhood. If you aren't that far yet, the board will just look empty or have lower-tier marks.
Thanatos is Level 42. If you're level 35 and feeling cocky, you can try it, but his lasers do not care about your feelings.
Beating Thanatos Without Losing Your Mind
Thanatos is a "Ruin" type enemy. If you’ve fought the bosses in the Fallen ruins earlier in the game, his moveset will feel familiar. But he’s faster. And he hits like a truck.
The move you need to watch for is Spirits Without.
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It sounds like a bad indie band name. In reality, it's a giant, tracking energy beam fired from his chest. He’ll aim at the sky, lock onto you, and then fire. The trick? Don't just dodge once. The beam follows you. You need to keep moving or time a precision dodge to get behind him.
Once you're behind him, he’s a sitting duck. He keeps firing the laser in a straight line for a few seconds. This is your window to dump every Eikonic Ability you have.
Dealing with Destrudo
Then there’s Destrudo. This is his "get off me" move. He’ll light up the floor with small explosions while simultaneously trying to ram you.
- Tip: Don't get greedy. If you see the circles on the ground, stop your combo and just focus on positioning.
- The Shockwaves: He likes to jump. When he lands, he sends out a circular shockwave. Jump over it. Don't dodge through it unless your timing is perfect; jumping is much safer.
Why You Actually Care: The Rewards
You aren't doing this for the 17,000 Gil. Okay, maybe a little bit for the Gil. But the real prize is the Darksteel.
Thanatos is one of the very few sources of Darksteel in the entire game. Without it, your dreams of wielding the Gotterdammerung stay dreams.
The Full Loot Table:
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- 1x Darksteel
- 17,000 Gil
- 45 Renown
- 9,000 EXP (roughly)
Strategy Tweaks for New Game+
If you're playing on Final Fantasy Mode, Thanatos is Level 85.
At this point, you should have Shiva's Permafrost. It's honestly broken. If you time a dodge with Circle, you can freeze Thanatos in place for several seconds. Since he has long wind-ups for his laser attacks, he is incredibly easy to "cold-snap."
Pair this with Odin’s Zantetsuken. Build up your gauge to Level 5 while he’s frozen, then unleash it. You can skip half the fight's mechanics if your damage output is high enough.
What Most People Get Wrong
A lot of players think they've missed the hunt because they go to Titan's Wake and the area looks empty.
Remember: Thanatos is an ambush-style spawn. He is a mechanical construct that "activates." If you are just looking at the horizon, you'll see nothing. You have to physically walk into the specific "bowl" or cul-de-sac of the map for the game to trigger his arrival.
Also, don't confuse him with the S-Rank hunts. Those don't give you a name on the board—just a description. Since Thanatos is A-Rank, his name is right there on the paper. If he's not on your board, you just haven't progressed the story far enough.
Go check your quest log. If it doesn't say "Brotherhood" or later, go back to the main path.
Next Steps for Your Build:
After you've secured the Darksteel from the Usher to the Underworld, check the Hunt Board for The Prince of Death. You'll need the materials from that hunt as well to finish your endgame gear. Head back to Blackthorne at the Hideaway once you have both pieces of Darksteel to finally forge your legendary blade.