Key Takeaway
This Notorious Mark—the Grimalkin—spends its time in the Dhalmekian Republic. It’s hiding south of the Sickle region in a dead end. To get here quickly, start from the obelisk in the Jaw and head northeast to the nearby crossroads before turning southeast. At the next fork in the road, head south and keep going until you can’t proceed any further.
You’ll want to complete the Grimalkin hunt in Final Fantasy 16 so that you can get an important crafting material—a Grimalkin Hide. With it (and a few other materials), you can create the legendary sword Excalibur! It’s time to tread into Dhalmekia to face a fierce feline.
Table Of Contents
Where to Find the Grimalkin
You can start the Grimalkin hunt shortly after beginning the main quest Out of the Shadow. This leads you to the Dhalmekian Republic: a desert nation full of fierce monsters.
To track down the Grimalkin, you can start either from Dalimil or the Jaw—the latter being a bit closer to this hunt location. From the Jaw, head northeast to the crossroads and then turn southeast into the Sickle. Then, travel south down the winding path of the Sickle until you reach a dead end—this is where the level 32 Grimalkin hangs out. For an easier time finding this spot, check the red circle on the image above.
How to Beat the Grimalkin
Before you can bag this cat, you first need to deal with its underlings. The Grimalkin observes from a nearby ledge as a pack of Wild Nakks attacks you. Thankfully, this pack is whack—you’ll take it out easily. Once the area is free of lesser foes, the Notorious Mark leaps down to engage you in combat!
In terms of attacks, the Grimalkin doesn’t have too many major maneuvers. Stay on the move and it won’t be able to hit you often.
- Claw Swipe: As you’d expect from a big cat, this Notorious Mark frequently slashes at you with formidable claws. Such slashes have a noticeable windup. To avoid this attack, dodge away from the front of the beast.
- Pounce: Before the furry fiend leaps at you, it’ll jump back and tense its muscles. When you see the Grimalkin do so, get ready to dodge to either the left or right to get out of harm’s way.
- Savage: This ability’s name appears on-screen right before it’s unleashed—so keep your eyes peeled for it! During this attack, the Notorious Mark slashes at you thrice in quick succession. The best way to evade this maneuver is to dodge to the left or right.
- Double Kick: Not unlike a Pokémon, this monster can swing around and hit you with both of its rear paws. This unexpected attack can be avoided by dodging backward.
- Biting Lunge: On occasion, the Grimalkin rushes forward with fangs bared. Dodge to the left or right to not get chomped.
NoteWhen considering a combat strategy for this hunt, we recommend using abilities that are designed to stagger enemies. The Grimalkin has a somewhat small Will Gauge, so you’ll be able to stagger it fairly often with the right abilities. We found that Garuda’s Aerial Blast and Gouge were particularly useful here.
On top of that, abilities that temporarily stop time while they are being unleashed are a great way to get some guaranteed damage on this nimble foe. Such abilities include Flames of Rebirth (Phoenix) and Earthen Fury (Titan).
The Grimalkin Hunt Rewards
After completing the Grimalkin hunt, some solid rewards drop onto your eager lap.
- 575 Experience
- 45 Ability Points
- 6,100 Gil
- 10 Renown
- 1 Grimalkin Hide
As we mentioned before: you’ll need the Grimalkin Hide if you want to craft Excalibur. This hide isn’t the only item you need; however, you can’t get such a skin anywhere else! Consider hunting down the Bomb King next for more materials that’ll let you craft Excalibur. What’s more, the Experience and Gil from this fight fill your wallet nicely. Use all you’ve gained to become even stronger! You’ll need it for future hunts…
