New Game + / Post-Game Content

While Final Fantasy VI doesn't feature a traditional "New Game +" mode that carries over stats or items to a fresh playthrough, the post-game content in the World of Ruin offers a substantial amount of challenges and hidden secrets to uncover after defeating Kefka. This section details how to maximize your experience, find every character, conquer optional bosses, and acquire the most powerful equipment.

World of Ruin: Character Recruitment & Side Quests

Your primary objective in the post-game is to reassemble your full party and complete their individual stories. Many characters are scattered across the World of Ruin, often requiring specific actions or mini-quests to rejoin your cause.

Celes and Cid/Imperial Soldier: This is where you begin. Ensure you save Cid if you wish to recruit him later; otherwise, the Imperial Soldier will join.
Edgar: Head to Figaro Castle. Navigate the underground passage to reach the castle, then speak with Edgar.
Setzer: Travel to the Darill's Tomb area. After exploring the tomb and defeating the Dullahan, Setzer will rejoin with his airship, the Falcon.
Sabin: Locate the Phantom Forest (south of the Veldt). Sabin is found there, often involved in a small event.
Cyan: Journey to Mt. Zozo. You'll need to deliver a letter from Lola to Cyan to convince him to rejoin. Be prepared for a boss fight against the Storm Dragon.
Gau: Visit the Veldt. Bring Sabin and Celes (or another character with the "Leap" command) into a battle on the Veldt, and Gau will eventually appear and rejoin.
Shadow: This is a crucial and easily missed character. After obtaining the Falcon, land near the Cave on the Veldt. You must enter the cave and find Shadow there. If you wait too long (e.g., recruit too many other characters first), Shadow will be gone permanently.
Relm: Go to the Jidoor Auction House. You'll hear about a ghost in Owzer's Mansion. Investigate the mansion, defeat the Poltergeist, and Relm will be saved.
Strago: After recruiting Relm, take her to the Thamasa village. Strago will be there, mourning the loss of his home, and will rejoin.
Mog: Return to Narshe. Mog is found in the deepest part of the mines, near the spot where you first met him.
Gogo: Fly the Falcon to Triangle Island (northeast of the main continent). Enter the cave and fall into the monster's stomach. Defeat the Zone Eater, and Gogo will join.
Umaro: After recruiting Mog, take him to the Narshe mines. Mog can communicate with Umaro, who will then join your party. You'll need the Ragnarok esper or a powerful ice spell to open the path to Umaro.

Ultimate Weapons and Espers

The World of Ruin is home to the game's most powerful gear and several optional Espers that can significantly boost your party's capabilities.

Powerful Equipment

Ragnarok (Esper/Sword): Found in Narshe, in the Weapon Shop. You have a choice: acquire it as an Esper (teaches Ultima) or as a powerful sword. The Esper is generally recommended for its invaluable Ultima spell.
Crusader (Esper): Obtained after defeating the eight legendary dragons scattered across the World of Ruin. This Esper teaches the powerful Meltdown spell.
Paladin's Shield: Found in the Ancient Castle. This shield starts cursed but can be uncursed by winning 256 battles with it equipped, transforming it into the mighty Paladin's Shield.
Lightbringer: The ultimate sword for Locke. Found in the Ancient Castle after solving the statue puzzle.
Valiant Knife: Terra's ultimate weapon. Found in the Ancient Castle.
Fixed Dice: Setzer's ultimate weapon. Found in the Phoenix Cave.
Master's Scroll: Found in the Cultist's Tower. Doubles the number of physical attacks.
Economizer/Celestriad: Found in the Cultist's Tower. Reduces MP cost to 1.

Optional Espers

Bahamut: Encountered as a boss on the Floating Continent (revisited via the Falcon). Defeat him to acquire his Esper.
Odin/Raiden: Found in the Ancient Castle. Odin is initially found as an Esper. By interacting with a specific statue in the castle, Odin can be transformed into the more powerful Raiden Esper. Be aware that once transformed, Odin is gone.
Phoenix: Found in the Phoenix Cave.
Leviathan: Acquired after defeating the Leviathan boss in the Serpent Trench (revisited via the Falcon).
Zone Eater: Defeat it in its cave on Triangle Island to acquire Gogo.

Optional Dungeons & Bosses

Beyond character recruitment, several challenging dungeons and bosses await, offering unique rewards and testing your party's strength.

Phoenix Cave: Located on a small island southwest of the main continent. This dungeon requires two parties to navigate simultaneously. It houses the Phoenix Esper and Fixed Dice.
Ancient Castle: Found by using the Falcon to fly over the desert south of Figaro Castle. This dungeon contains Odin/Raiden, the Paladin's Shield, Lightbringer, and Valiant Knife.
Cultist's Tower: Located on an isolated island northeast of the main continent. Only magic can be used here. Ascend the tower to find the Master's Scroll and Economizer. The final boss, Magic Master, is a formidable magic user.
Dragon's Den (GBA/Pixel Remaster Exclusive): This extremely challenging dungeon is accessed after defeating the eight legendary dragons. It features enhanced versions of existing enemies and culminates in a fight against Kaiser Dragon and Omega Weapon (GBA only). This is the ultimate test of your party's power.

Grinding and Optimization

To prepare for the toughest challenges, consider these strategies:

Level Grinding: The Dino Forest (south of the Veldt) is excellent for experience. The enemies here give good EXP and AP.
Magicite Grinding: Equip Espers that grant stat bonuses on level up (e.g., Odin for Speed, Bahamut for HP, Tritoch for Magic Power) to optimize your characters' growth.
Coliseum: Located near the Dragon's Neck Coliseum. Bet rare items to win even rarer ones. Be cautious, as some battles are very difficult, and you lose your item if you fail.
Rage/Lore Collection: For Gau and Strago, ensure you've collected all possible Rages and Lores from the World of Balance. Many powerful abilities are found there.