Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin: How to Parry

Parrying is one of the most vital skills you have in your defensive repertoire in Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin. Developed by Team Ninja of Ninja Gaiden and Nioh fame, the game’s action combat is tight but may take some getting used to.

How to Parry in Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin

There’s a universal parry system that applies to every weapon and job in Stranger of Paradise. In order to parry, all you need to do is press L1(LB) right as an enemy attack lands. Doing so will see Jack knock the attack back, and you launch right into a combo of your own.

You can also parry using your Soul Shield ability, although the risk is much higher. Normal enemy attacks can be parried with Soul Shield by pressing circle(B), but you’ll need to time the move right. Soul Shield drains your break gauge. If you don’t time the shield just right you’ll be left with a broken gauge, and open to attack. 

While universal parries can be used with any weapon, there are a few jobs that have more specific parrying abilities. The first, and easiest to use, is the Swordfighter’s interception ability. Interception is mapped to R2 and when used you’ll instantly block and counter any enemy attack, although it does use MP. 

The mace weapon also has a special attack that is used by pressing the attack button while pulling back on the left stick. During the charge up for this move there’s a brief window of opportunity where you’ll parry an enemy attack. 

Katanas also have a parry built-in, but the timing is incredibly hard to use. By holding down R1 with a Katana you’ll enter Senshin Stance, where you can use extra abilities and unleash a flurry of attacks.

If you time Shenshin Stance exactly right at the same time as an enemy attack you’ll be able to parry and launch into a lengthy combo with invulnerable frames. You’ll absolutely want to practice this move, however, as the timing can be incredibly tricky to get down. 

That covers all the different ways to parry in Stranger of Paradise, take a look at our other Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin guides here on GameSkinny.