Final Fantasy XIV is packed to the brim with collectibles for Warriors of Light to get their hands on, and one of the most sought-after is minions. There are hundreds of them to be found throughout Eorzea, though a select few are notoriously elusive and challenging to get. If you're wondering which ones fall in this category, here is our handy guide for the top 10 toughest minions to get in FFXIV.
Rarest minions in Final Fantasy 14
Below we've provided a detailed list of the minions in Final Fantasy XIV that are currently the most rare and difficult to get. These choices are factored by the tasks involved in getting these minions and how many players have them.
10. Hellpup
- Owned: 8% of player population (61,000+)
- How to Obtain: PVP
The Hellpup is one of the cooler-looking minions in FFXIV that takes the first spot on our list as arguably the toughest to earn via PVP gameplay. To get it, you need to complete at least 300 KOs against enemy players in Crystalline Conflict. This can be done in Casual or Ranked, and the 'Mama Said Knock You Out III' achievement will unlock once you get that final knockout.
Depending on your prowess with PVP in FFXIV, this can take a good bit of time to do, so make sure to set aside some time to hit up the Crystal Conflict queue.
This minion is also a miniature version of a similar mount (Lone Hellhound) that could be earned during Season 3 of The Feast, a PVP mode that was discontinued at the release of the Endwalker expansion.
9. Exciting Dynamite
- Owned: 1% of player population (7,800+ players)
- How to Obtain: The Excitatron 6000
Treasure Maps are one of the best ways to acquire piles of Gil as well as some rare treasures in the form of crafting items, minions, orchestrions, and more. The Exciting Dynamite is one of the newer, and very rare minions that drops in The Excitatron 6000, which is accessed via the portal from Level 90 Timeworn Kumbhiraskin maps.
Items such as minions typically drop on the deeper floors of map portals, usually from floor 3 onward. However, the RNG of those drops is still exceptionally rare, and it can be dozens upon dozens of maps until you manage to come across one. Even then, you'll need extra luck to roll high enough on it, unless you have some very generous friends in your group.
Timeworn Kumbhiraskin maps can be acquired either by purchasing them from the Market Board (price fluctuates with demand), or by gathering them with a Level 90 Miner, Botanist, or Fisher from all open Endwalker areas such as Elpis, Labyrinthos, or Ultima Thule. Keep in mind that you can only gather one map (of any type) per area every 18 real-world hours.
If you're weary of waiting to get lucky with maps, however, Exciting Dynamite can also be purchased via the Market Board. It is still a little pricey at around one million Gil or higher (per Aether servers).
8. Shiromaru
- Owned: 2.5% of player population (19,000+ players)
- How to Obtain: Mount Rokkon
The unique Variant and Criterion dungeons in Final Fantasy 14 are home to some special treasures that can drop if you happen to get (very) lucky. One of those items is the adorable Shiromaru minion, a Shiba Inu dog dressed as a ninja that can be found as a reward in the Mount Rokkon Variant Dungeon. If you're going for this prize in particular, it can be found in the "normal" version of the dungeon, rather than Another Mount Rokkon or Criterion.
Specifically, Shiromaru can drop from treasure chests that spawn throughout the dungeon on any given path you take (left, middle, right), regardless of the choices you make throughout. The drop rate for Variant/Criterion minions is around 2%, the same rate as regular dungeon minions. This means it can take several tries or more to see Shiromaru pop up, and if you're looking to complete every single path in Mount Rokkon, it's a great opportunity that won't be wasted.
While it's not confirmed, Shiromaru may have a higher tendency to spawn in the treasure chest after Yozakura the Fleeting boss, where the same dog is featured in the battle's mechanics.
Alternatively, if you'd rather not deal with the drop rate of Mount Rokkon and have some serious Gil to throw around, the Market Board is another option for Shiromaru. Just be aware that prices for this minion still aren't cheap, running close to two million Gil, give or take (per Aether servers).
7. Penguin Prince
- Owned: 2% of player population (9,000+ players)
- How to Obtain: Lord of Verminion
Another minion that's notoriously elusive to get is the Penguin Prince, an adorable baby penguin that is locked behind one of the game's most infamous challenges - Lord of Verminion. Out of all the games offered via the Gold Saucer, Lord of Verminion can be one of the toughest due to its learning curve, skewed player pool, and the need for players to have a decent assortment of minions already unlocked.
To get this minion in particular, you need to complete 4 different Lord of Verminion tournaments. To be able to register for tournaments, you need to first complete at least stage two of the Verminion Challenge. Once you've done so, you can speak to the Tournament Recordkeeper (X:7.7, Y:7.1) at Minion Square in the Gold Saucer.
Once you've completed the requisite tournaments, the achievement 'The Road of Verminion I' will unlock, allowing you to claim the Penguin Prince minion.
6. Chimpanzee (Faux Leaves Minions)
- Owned: 0.8% of player population (6,500+ players)
- How to Obtain: Faux Leaves currency from Unreal Trials
The Chimpanzee is the latest minion that can be obtained by exchanging a unique currency called 'Faux Leaves' with the Faux Commander NPC (X:5.7, Y:6.1) in Idyllshire, directly to the right of Khloe Aliapoh. To unlock this side content, you need to first complete the Level 80 'Fantastic Mr. Faux' quest, which starts by speaking with the Painfully Ishgardian Man NPC (X:7.0, 5.9), also in Idyllshire.
What makes the Chimpanzee and other 'Faux Leaves' minions like it so challenging to get is that the Faux Leaves themselves are difficult and time-consuming to acquire. The Chimpanzee costs a total of 400 Faux Leaves, which means even with decent luck, it will take a few weeks on average to unlock it.
To get Faux Leaves, you have to complete the current Unreal Trial offered via the Raid Finder. These are unique primal trials that strongly resemble their original counterparts (e.g. Titan, Shiva, Sephirot, Thordan) in terms of mechanics, but the item level cap is synced down significantly.
Upon completion of the Unreal Trial, you'll be able to relay your experience to the Faux Commander, who will then offer the Faux Hollows mini-game for you to complete. If you manage to uncover the correct symbols when flipping tiles, you can get one extra attempt (or 'retell') at the Unreal Trial for the week, along with various sums of Faux Leaves.
You can complete the Unreal Trial up to twice per week until the traditional reset every Tuesday morning, which gives you two weekly attempts at the Faux Hollows mini-game. However, if you don't want to deal with collecting Faux Leaves and would rather just spend the Gil, these minions can all be purchased on the Market Board as well, though usually for huge sums.
5. Golden Beaver
- Owned: 0.9% of player population (6,900+ players)
- How to Obtain: Shifting Oubliettes of Lyhe Ghiah
The Golden Beaver, a ridiculously cute and shiny beaver, is another elusively rare minion that drops inside the Shifting Oubliettes of Lyhe Ghiah, a special instance that is accessed via portal from Level 80 Timeworn Zonureskin maps.
This instance functions differently than the traditional multi-floored ones with pairs of locked doors. Instead, you initiate multiple "convocations" on a single floor which triggers a roulette-style spin to a potential boss fight that yields treasure after defeating it. There's also the chance to land on a special 'golden' placard, which leads to a unique boss that can drop rare items such as the Golden Beaver minion.
Similar to other Treasure Maps, Timeworn Zonureskin maps can be gathered with a Level 80 Miner, Botanist, or Fisher in any of the open-world Shadowbringers areas (e.g. Amh Araeng, Lakeland, Kholusia). A reminder, however, that you can only gather one of any type of map from an area every 18 real-world hours. Alternatively, you can purchase maps via the Market Board as well.
Likewise, if you have mountains of Gil to spend and can't be bothered with running hours and days of maps, you can purchase the Golden Beaver off the Market Board, if it's available. Be prepared to spend, though, as this minion often goes for tens of millions of Gil (per Aether servers).
4. Wind-Up Philos & Aidoneus
- Owned: 0.9% of player population (6,800+ players)
- How to Obtain: The Shifting Gymnasion Agonon
We've paired these minions together on our list, as they often drop together or in close succession when the opportunity arises in the Shifting Gymnasion Agonon. This a special instance that can be accessed via a portal from Level 90 Timeworn Ophiotauroskin maps. As mentioned before, they can be gathered with a Level 90 DoL job from any open-world Endwalker area or purchased via the Market Board.
As with the Shifting Oubliettes of Lyhe Ghiah from Shadowbringers, the Shifting Gymnasion Agonon functions much the same way, with groups of players performing "convocations" on a single floor inside the instance to battle bosses and win rewards. If you happen to get lucky by landing on a golden placard, the corresponding treasure chests have a chance of containing one or both the Wind-Up Philos and Aidoneus minions.
If you prefer not to spend your time troving through Treasure Maps, again these minions can be purchased from the Market Board as well, but they do cost a hefty bundle, typically going for 20 million Gil or higher (per Aether servers).
Even now, Treasure Map minions remain one of the rarest in Final Fantasy 14, and these minions are no exception. For those familiar with the lore of Shadowbringers and Endwalker (spoiler!), these are miniature versions of both Hades and Hythlodaeus, Amaurotine guardians who reside on Elpis and assist the Warrior of Light in their quest during Endwalker's main story.
3. Copycat Bulb
- Owned: 1.2% of player population (9,800+ players)
- How to Obtain: Gold Happy Bunny Lockbox in Eureka Pagos
High up on our list, the Copycat Bulb is not only one of the hardest minions to get in the game but it's also one of the hardest rewards to obtain from Eureka itself. To seek out this minion, players must advance to the second island of Eureka known as 'Pagos', which is known around the community as the most grueling area to level in.
Once there, you'll need to complete an Elemental Conflict FATE with a sufficient rating to then summon a Happy Bunny and trigger a 'Down the Rabbit Hole' buff that lasts for 15 minutes after the FATE ends. The Happy Bunny will follow you around Pagos and these help you uncover hidden Treasure Coffers, provided you have Lucky Carrots to give them. After using one, if there's a Treasure Coffer in proximity you'll be given a hint as to where it is.
Upon finding one, if it's a Gold Treasure Coffer, it will have 100,000 Gil inside and potentially the Copycat Bulb minion. Alternatively, the minion can also be purchased on the Market Board if you have the funds. However, given its sheer rarity, there are few often available and they tend to go for tens of millions of Gil (per Aether servers).
For those unfamiliar, The Forbidden Land Eureka is a field operations-style, instanced open-world area that was added during the Stormblood expansion. With a separate leveling system, players work together to complete a variety of activities in each area and earn a multitude of rewards as well as level unique Eureka gear and weapons that can be used as glamour in the rest of the game.
2. Much-coveted Mora
- Owned: 0.7% of player population (6,000+ players)
- How to Obtain: Ocean Fishing
While many of the rare minions on our list require some degree of combat finesse to acquire, the Much-coveted Mora requires a more unique skill - ocean fishing. For this minion, you'll need the best fishing rod and gear you can get your hands on, and also have Ocean Fishing unlocked.
If you don't have it unlocked, simply seek out the Level 1 'All the Fish in the Sea' quest by talking to Fhilsnoe (X:7.8, 14.5) in the Limsa Lominsa Lower Decks area. As long as you've unlocked Fishing by completing the 'My First Fishing Rod' quest, also in Limsa Lominsa, this quest will be available.
Once you've done all that, head to the docks in the Limsa Lominsa Lower Decks to embark on an instanced Ocean Fishing adventure with up to 24 players. The boat will set sail every other real-world hour, and you need to register at the docks no later than 15 minutes prior. Similar to a duty queue, this ensures that you'll have a spot on the boat.
Each time you complete an Ocean Fishing adventure, you'll acquire points depending on what you catch from the water and how much. To obtain the Much-coveted Mora minion, you'll need to accumulate a grand total of 1,000,000 points, which of course can be done over time. However, it's still a time-consuming grind that often goes to only the most dedicated Eorzean fisherfolk.
Once you've accomplished that, the 'On a Boat IV' achievement will unlock, allowing you to claim the minion.
1. Shalloweye
- Owned: 0.3% of player population (2,500+ players)
- How to Obtain: Lord of Verminion
The rarest minion in all of FFXIV, at the very least going by the sub-percentile of players that have it, is none other than the Shalloweye. A mysterious little one-eyed minion, the Shalloweye can only be obtained by winning a total of 50 Lord of Verminion player battle (RP) matches.
Lord of Verminion is an infamously challenging game mode found in the Gold Saucer, due to its learning curve, gatekeeping issues, and the necessity for the player to have a sufficient variety of unlocked minions at their disposal. As such, Verminion has unfortunately become one of the more neglected games in the Gold Saucer and FFXIV overall, leaving the Shalloweye locked behind one of the most elusive achievements.
However, there is a decent workaround to acquiring this minion, if you have the patience and someone willing to help. Similar to PVP, you cannot queue into Lord of Verminion with party members. However, if you queue into a match with a friend at the same time, odds are you'll get paired together and then can work toward stacking up victories by, as the gamer lexicon lovingly calls it, "throwing".
It may not be as noble as learning the game itself and overcoming "gatekeeping" players who tend to mow down newcomers, but it's certainly more efficient. Once you've gotten your final victory, the 'A Load of Verminion II' achievement will unlock, allowing you to claim the rarest minion in the game.
That concludes our guide to the top 10 toughest minions to get in Final Fantasy XIV. We hope you enjoyed reading, and let us know which of these minions was the toughest for you to acquire, and any handy tricks that helped you!
Be sure to check out all of our guides and news for Final Fantasy XIV at Pro Game Guides, such as How to unlock the Findingway minion.
