Final Fantasy X 100% Guide: Celestial Weapons & Aeons

Final Fantasy X

Square's first Final Fantasy on PlayStation 2, and the first with voice acting and a fully three-dimensional world. It replaced the series' random-timing battle system with the Conditional Turn-Based Battle system, where a visible turn order tells you exactly who acts next and lets you swap any party member in mid-fight for free. Character growth moved off experience levels and onto the Sphere Grid, a board you walk one node at a time using the spheres you collect.

This guide is written against the HD Remaster, which is the International build: it includes the Expert Sphere Grid, the eight Dark Aeons, Penance, and the Eternal Calm bonus video. Where the original North American PlayStation 2 release behaves differently, the guide says so on the spot.

Read this before you start. Five things decide whether a save file can still reach 100% by the end: the four Al Bhed Primers inside Home and Bevelle, the Magic Counter Bucklers sold only on your first pass through the Calm Lands, talking to Wantz on Mt. Gagazet, and Geosgaeno's first-kill drop. None of them announce themselves, and none can be recovered later.

The two big systemswhat actually drives the game

System	How it works
CTB battles	A turn list on the right shows the order of upcoming actions. Slow actions push you further down that list, fast ones bring you back sooner, and Haste physically reorders it. Swapping a character in costs nothing and does not skip the turn, so every fight is meant to be answered with the right specialist rather than a fixed party.
Sphere Grid	Killing something awards AP; enough AP gives a Sphere Level, and a Sphere Level lets you step one node. Stepping onto a node does nothing until you activate it with the matching sphere. Locked nodes need Key Spheres of the right tier. Because the board is shared, anyone can eventually learn anything.

Party roles at a glancewho to send in against what

Character	Best against	Why
Tidus	Fast, evasive enemies	High Agility, and Haste plus the Cheer/Slow support line. His Swordplay Overdrives unlock by simply using Overdrives.
Yuna	Anything, indirectly	White magic and the aeons. An aeon takes the hit for the party, so summoning is the cheapest way to survive a telegraphed one-shot.
Wakka	Flying enemies	The only reliable ranged physical early on, plus the status line (Dark Attack, Silence Attack, Sleep Attack).
Lulu	Elemental and flan-type enemies	Black magic. Elemental weaknesses in this game are worth roughly double damage, so she deletes anything that has one.
Auron	Armoured enemies	Piercing damage that ignores heavy armour, plus Power Break, Armor Break and Mental Break — the three commands that make hard fights easy.
Kimahri	Whatever you build him for	Starts at the centre of the grid with nothing decided. Lancet steals HP/MP and learns Ronso Rages from specific fiends.
Rikku	Machina enemies	Steal and Use. Grenades and elemental Gems carry the early game, and her Mix Overdrive is the strongest single ability in the game once you have items to burn.

Story Walkthrough — 8 Parts

Pick a part below, then use the Previous / Next buttons at the bottom of each one to move through the game.

How to read the tags. Every pickup in the walkthrough carries a coloured tag, and the number inside a tag is a permanent ID — click it and it takes you straight to that entry.

Tag	What it marks	Number
ITEM	A consumable, sphere or piece of equipment	Numbered in walkthrough order
KEY ITEM	A crest, sigil or quest object	Numbered in walkthrough order
PRIMER	An Al Bhed Primer, numbered as the game numbers it	I–XXVI · opens Al Bhed Primers
SPHERE	A Jecht Sphere — each one unlocks an Auron Overdrive	1–10 · opens the Jecht Sphere list
CELESTIAL	A Celestial Weapon or one of its upgrade parts	Celestial Weapons tab — no ID
AEON	A new aeon for Yuna	1–8 · opens Aeons
BOSS	A named fight	1–29, in walkthrough order
MISSABLE	Gone for good if you walk past it	Warning flag — no ID
SIDE QUEST	Optional, but part of the 100% route	1–15, in walkthrough order
SAVE	A Save Sphere worth stopping at	Numbered in walkthrough order

PART 1Zanarkand, Baaj and Besaidthe prologue and the first temple

Everything before Besaid is on rails. None of it can be revisited, and only one Primer is at stake, so play it straight and save your attention for the island.

Dream Zanarkandnever revisitable

Walk to the stadium and sign autographs, then take the tutorial fights on the ruined expressway as Sin tears the city apart.

Pick your Sphere Grid. You choose Standard or Expert once, at the start. Take Standard on a first run: its built-in roles teach the battle system. Take Expert if you already know the game or plan to stat-max, since both grids reach the same caps.

BOSS 1 Sinspawn Ammes. Scripted. Auron hands you a sword and tells you to use it; his Overdrive clears the Sinscales in one go. Ammes only casts Demi, which can never kill you, so there is no way to lose.

Baaj — Submerged Ruinsnever revisitable

Tidus wakes in flooded ruins. Swim through, light the brazier for warmth, and sleep. BOSS 2 Geosgaeno is unwinnable here — survive a few turns and the scene ends. You come back for a real rematch much later.

Rikku's salvage crew fishes you out. BOSS 3 Klikk: have Rikku steal Grenades from it and throw them straight back while Tidus attacks.

On the salvage ship, dive to the sunken airship. PRIMER I is on the deck at the rear — a duplicate exists in the Sanubia Desert later, so this one is not a true loss. BOSS 4 Tros: throw Grenades, and when it charges use the Pincer Attack trigger command that appears.

Besaid Islandthe first Cloister of Trials

Sin dumps Tidus off Besaid. Swim to shore, join the Aurochs, and follow Wakka to the village. KEY ITEM 1 Moon Crest sits in a small alcove on the beach, reachable by walking along the sand to the right of the landing point — it is Yuna's Nirvana upgrade and there is no reason not to grab it now.

PRIMER II is in the Crusaders Lodge in Besaid Village. In the HD version Dark Valefor blocks the village entrance if you come back late, so take it on the way through. SPHERE 3 A Jecht Sphere sits in Besaid Village, to the right of the temple entrance — you cannot view it until Macalania Woods, but you can note it now.

Enter the temple and clear the Besaid Cloister of Trials — the full solution, including the Destruction Sphere you must not skip, is on the Cloister of Trials tab. MISSABLE The Destruction Sphere chest here is one of the six you need for Anima.

Yuna emerges with AEON 1 Valefor. Sleep at the lodge, then take the road out of the valley. Wakka gives you a tutorial fight; Yuna's first summon is here.

SIDE QUEST 1 Valefor's second Overdrive, Energy Blast, comes from a small errand in Besaid Village: speak to the woman in the item-shop tent about her missing dog, then find the dog further along the row of tents and talk to it. You can do this on any later visit.

PART 2Kilika, the sea and Lucathe second temple and the blitzball tournament

Two ships and a tournament. The Jecht Shot minigame on the first crossing is the only reason to pay attention on a boat, and Luca is where the party finally comes together.

S.S. Likinever revisitable, but the route can be retaken

PRIMER III is in the engine room below deck. A duplicate exists in the Sanubia Desert. SPHERE 4 A Jecht Sphere sits on the bridge — you cannot view it until Macalania Woods, but you can note it now.

SIDE QUEST 2 The Jecht Shot. Talk to Wakka on the deck and take the practice. Press the direction shown plus X as each prompt appears and clear all of them before the final swing. Learning it removes two blockers when Tidus shoots in blitzball. If you miss it, you can retake the Luca–Kilika ferry later, so it is not a permanent loss.

BOSS 5 Sin's Fin. Stack Cheer two or three times, keep Sinscales cleared with Wakka and Lulu, and hit the fin itself when it is the only target.

Kilika Port and WoodsYuna's first sending

Sin has flattened the port. Watch the sending, then rest. PRIMER IV is in one of the huts on the walkways — this one has no duplicate, so take it before you leave.

Blitzball recruit. Larbeight, the best forward, is at the Kilika docks. Sign him for the blitzball side quest.

In the woods, BOSS 6 Sinspawn Echuilles blocks the path. Use Dark Attack on it: blinded, its Blender attack misses, and the fight becomes trivial. Valefor's Energy Ray finishes it.

Kimahri Rage. Use Lancet on a Ragora in Kilika Woods to learn Seed Cannon.

SIDE QUEST 3 Lord Ochu guards a side path in the woods. Optional, and a real fight this early. Fire magic hurts it, NulTide blocks its water attacks, and Esuna clears the poison. It falls asleep and regenerates, so burst it rather than grinding it down. Beating it early is good AP.

At the temple steps, BOSS 7 Sinspawn Geneaux. Kill the two tentacles with physical attacks first, then Fire the exposed body once the shell opens.

Clear the Kilika Cloister of Trials and take the Destruction Sphere chest. Yuna gains AEON 2 Ifrit.

ITEM 1 The Kilika shop sells weapons with the Capture ability. You need Capture weapons for every character to fill the Monster Arena later, so buy a set the first time you can afford one — Capture cannot be added through customisation.

S.S. Winno and Lucathe tournament

PRIMER V is on the bridge of the S.S. Winno. A duplicate exists in the Sanubia Desert.

In Luca, PRIMER VI is in the basement locker room of the stadium and PRIMER VII is near the stairs by the Sphere Theater reception.

KEY ITEM 2 Jupiter Crest is in a locker in the Aurochs' locker room. SPHERE 5 A Jecht Sphere is in the hallway just outside the same room.

SIDE QUEST 4 Win the blitzball tournament. You are not required to, but winning is the cleanest way to start the blitzball chain that eventually gives Wakka's Attack Reels and the Jupiter Sigil. Play Manual A, pass to whoever is unmarked, and shoot from close range. Losing here is recoverable — the league runs for the rest of the game.

Blitzball rewards. Wakka's World Champion Celestial Weapon comes from the Luca cafe bartender once you place in a blitzball tournament. Attack Reels, Status Reels, Aurochs Reels and the Jupiter Sigil are random prizes: meeting the condition only puts the prize in the pool, and the Jupiter Sigil enters the pool only once Wakka has all four Slots reels. If a prize does not drop, reset the blitzball data from the menu to reroll the pool and play the tournament again. Speed is the stat that wins games, so build the roster around fast players.

Fiends storm the stadium. BOSS 8 Oblitzerator: use the Pull Back trigger command, hit the crane with three Thunder spells to charge it, then Pull Back again — the crane strips most of its health in one drop.

Auron joins the party for good. On the way out of Luca he tells Tidus that Jecht is Sin.

PART 3Mi'ihen Highroad to DjoseOperation Mi'ihen

A long stretch of road with several one-way sub-areas. Mushroom Rock's ridge and beach close permanently once the operation ends, so sweep them before you commit to the battle.

Mi'ihen Highroadand the Oldroad detour

Rin hands you PRIMER VIII automatically at his Travel Agency. PRIMER IX is on the side trail near the agency.

KEY ITEM 3 Mars Crest is at the far southern end of the Oldroad, the overgrown branch off the main highroad. SPHERE 6 A Jecht Sphere sits beside it. Both are easy to walk past because the Oldroad looks like a dead end.

SIDE QUEST 5 Belgemine appears on the highroad and challenges Yuna to an aeon duel. Beat her and she gives you spheres; her full set of eight duels at Remiem Temple is what eventually yields Yuna's Moon Sigil.

Belgemine duels. Counter each of her aeons with your own.

BOSS 9 Ifrit in an aeon duel against Belgemine, then BOSS 10 Chocobo Eater further up the road. Fire does double damage to the Chocobo Eater, and every hit of roughly 1,200 or more staggers it, which pushes it back toward the cliff instead of you. Push it off and you get a Lv.1 Key Sphere.

Mushroom Rock Roadthe ridge and beach close after this

PRIMER X is along the Precipice, on the narrow valley path. SPHERE 7 Auron's Jecht Sphere is on an outcrop southwest of the large lift — the single easiest Jecht Sphere to miss on this stretch.

KEY ITEM 4 Note the Lord Mi'ihen statue here. Much later you bring the Rusty Sword up from the Calm Lands gorge and use it on this statue to get Auron's Masamune.

Operation Mi'ihen begins. BOSS 11 Sinspawn Gui, fought in stages. Kill the arms first — a single Fira or Thundara removes each one. Cast NulShock before the head's Demi, and let aeons take the body's Venom attack.

Sin annihilates the Crusaders. Everything on the ridge and beach is sealed from here.

Djose Highroad and Templethe third Cloister

PRIMER XI is tucked behind a pillar on the Djose Highroad.

Clear the Djose Cloister of Trials, take the Destruction Sphere chest, and Yuna gains AEON 3 Ixion.

PART 4Moonflow, Guadosalam and MacalaniaSeymour, and the first real superboss window

This is where the game opens up. Macalania Woods hosts the Butterfly Hunt and the Jecht Sphere trail, and the Thunder Plains hold both a Primer and the 200-dodge grind for Lulu's Venus Sigil.

The Moonflowshoopuf crossing

PRIMER XII is at the North Wharf. SPHERE 8 A Jecht Sphere is in front of the rest area at the South Wharf.

BOSS 12 Extractor, underwater. Deal around 500 damage while it hovers to force it down where you can reach it. Slow it to space out Depth Charges, and use lightning damage.

Rikku openly joins the party on the far bank.

Blitzball recruit. Miyu on the Moonflow north bank is a free early keeper.

Guadosalam and the FarplaneSeymour's proposal

PRIMER XIII is inside one of the houses in Guadosalam.

Visit the Farplane, watch Jyscal's sphere, and learn that Seymour murdered his own father. KEY ITEM 5 The Venus Crest is in a Farplane chest, but only on a later visit — note it and come back.

Thunder Plainsthe lightning-dodge grind lives here

PRIMER XIV is at Rin's Agency on the plains. A duplicate exists in the Sanubia Desert. SPHERE 9 A Jecht Sphere is by the northernmost lightning tower on the east side of the southern half.

SIDE QUEST 6 Qactuar Stones. Praying at the three Qactuar Stones on the plains starts the chain that leads to Kimahri's Spirit Lance, found at the ruined tower near the Guadosalam entrance once a spectral Qactuar shows you the way.

SIDE QUEST 7 Lightning dodging. Full method on the Minigames tab. You can do it now or in the endgame; doing it now means walking the plains with much weaker gear, so most players come back later with No Encounters equipped.

Lightning dodging rules. Equip No Encounters. Stand on the slope just north of the fork toward Rin's Travel Agency, where strikes land every three to four seconds. React to the white screen flash, not the sound, and press X once; you have roughly a second. Rest by opening the pause menu, not by walking away. Rewards: 5 dodges give two X-Potions, 50 three Strength Spheres, 100 three HP Spheres, 150 four Megalixirs, and 200 in a row the Venus Sigil.

Macalania WoodsButterfly Hunt and the Jecht Sphere trail

PRIMER XV is on the Lake Road near the Save Sphere.

SIDE QUEST 8 Butterfly Hunt. Do this before you fight Spherimorph. The version available before that fight has a longer timer and fewer red butterflies than the endgame version. Clearing the first map gives a Teleport Sphere; the second gives Kimahri's Saturn Sigil.

Butterfly Hunt rules. Equip No Encounters first, because a random battle in the middle of a run ends it. Touch every blue butterfly before the timer runs out; red butterflies cost seconds and start a fight with a strengthened fiend. Leaving the screen resets the run, even a finished one you have not cashed in, so walk straight to the reward. Take the butterfly nearest your exit last so you never double back.

BOSS 13 Spherimorph. Hit it with a physical attack, read the element of the spell it counters with, then hit it with the opposite element. It rotates elements after each cycle, so re-check every round. Beating it starts the Jecht Sphere trail and hands you the first sphere automatically.

SPHERE 2 A second Jecht Sphere is in Macalania Woods South near the Save Sphere fork.

SIDE QUEST 9 Later in the game, the Macalania Woods spring is where the Cloudy Mirror becomes the Celestial Mirror: bring the mirror here and reunite the wandering family, one member at a time.

Lake Macalania and the templethe ice breaks after this

PRIMER XVI is just left of Rin's Agency at the lake.

BOSS 14 Crawler and Negator. The Negator shuts off magic and aeons — kill it first with Wakka or a Grenade, then flood the Crawler with Thundara. Summon an aeon to eat the Mana Beam.

Clear the Macalania Cloister of Trials and take the Destruction Sphere chest. Yuna gains AEON 4 Shiva.

Heartstrings trophy. The underwater scene at Macalania needs the right dialogue choices.

BOSS 15 Seymour, with two Guado Guardians and then Anima. Remove the Guardians first, use aeon Overdrives on Seymour, and bring Shiva out against Anima — Blizzara heals her, so she can outlast Pain.

BOSS 16 Wendigo on the frozen lake. Kill the Guado Guardians first and steal from them to stop their Auto-Potion. Esuna the Berserk it inflicts, then Sleep Attack it and hit it with black magic while it is down.

MISSABLE The ice collapses and Sin swallows the party. Anything you left under the ice, and the Macalania Travel Agency stock, is gone.

PART 5Bikanel Desert and Homethe most dangerous part of the game for a 100% run

Do not leave without: Primers XIX, XX and XXI. Home is destroyed at the end of this part and never reopens. If you walk out without them, the Al Bhed Primer set — and the trophy attached to it — is gone for that save file.

Sanubia Desertthe duplicate Primers live here

PRIMER XVII and PRIMER XVIII are both in Sanubia Central. The desert also holds spare copies of Primers I, III, V and XIV, so any of those four you missed earlier can be recovered here — and only here.

KEY ITEM 6 Mercury Crest is in the shifting-sand pit in the western Sanubia Sands, near Home. Walk into the sinkhole rather than around it.

SIDE QUEST 10 The Cactuar Gatekeepers start here. Nine of the ten are scattered across the desert screens and the Oasis; the tenth boards the airship. Completing all ten gives Rikku's Mercury Sigil. Full list and the trick for each on the Minigames tab.

Gatekeeper rules. Each Cactuar is a red-light game: move only while it looks away and freeze the moment it turns. You get three approaches, and failing gives a lesser sphere instead of a fight. For Isrra at the Sanubia West antlion pits, drop into the pit nearest your start and run straight ahead; a hidden tunnel puts you out behind him. Elio starts at the Oasis, then boards the airship, where you find him on the deck.

Homedestroyed at the end of this section

PRIMER XIX MISSABLE is outside the entrance to Home. Take it before you step inside — advancing past the first corridor seals it.

PRIMER XX MISSABLE is on the bed in the southern Living Quarters, in the room with the forced fight.

PRIMER XXI MISSABLE is at the end of the northeast fork of the Main Corridor.

Fight through the Guado assault, reach the summoners' sanctum, and escape as Cid detonates Home. BOSS 17 Evrae waits on the airship exterior: use Power Break and Dark Attack on it, use the Pull Back trigger to dodge Poison Breath, and let Wakka and Lulu work at range while Cid's missiles chip in.

PART 6Bevelle and the Calm Landsone more missable Primer, then the game opens up

Do not leave without: Primer XXII in the Priests' Passage — it is lost the instant you start the Bevelle Cloister of Trials. And in the Calm Lands, buy several Magic Counter Bucklers from the travelling merchant on your first arrival; that merchant never returns, and it is the only source of the Magic Counter ability in the game.

Bevellethe palace and Priests' Passage close permanently

Crash the wedding. PRIMER XXII MISSABLE is in the Priests' Passage, before the Save Sphere. Once the Cloister starts, that corridor is sealed for good.

Clear the Bevelle Cloister of Trials. This is the only Cloister where the Destruction Sphere is required to finish, so you cannot miss that particular chest. Yuna gains AEON 5 Bahamut.

The party is condemned and thrown into the Via Purifico. You are split up: Yuna faces Isaaru's aeons alone (counter each with your own), while the others face BOSS 18 Evrae Altana — it is Zombie, so two Phoenix Downs kill it instantly.

BOSS 19 Seymour Natus on the Highbridge. Cast the Nul spells before he opens, keep Bio ticking, and remove Petrify from Shattering Claw immediately. Kill the Mortibody only when it is about to drain the party.

Calm Landsthe sidequest hub

PRIMER XXIII is in the northwest corner of the Calm Lands.

ITEM 2 MISSABLE Buy Magic Counter Bucklers from the travelling merchant in the Calm Lands now. Buy more than you think you need.

SIDE QUEST 11 Open the Monster Arena by capturing one of every fiend in the Calm Lands with Capture weapons. The owner sells Capture weapons if you did not buy any in Kilika.

Capture rules. Capture cannot be added through customisation, so keep a full set of seven Capture weapons. A capture counts only if the fiend is killed with a Capture weapon. Yuna's Nirvana comes from the arena owner once you have captured one of every Calm Lands fiend. Auron's Mars Sigil needs ten Area or Species creations unlocked, not all of them.

SIDE QUEST 12 Start chocobo training at the Calm Lands trainer. The four courses run from Wobbly Chocobo up to the Catcher Chocobo race — a time of 0:0:0 in that last one is Tidus's Sun Sigil.

Chocobo training method. Use the D-pad, never the analog stick, which moves noticeably slower. Avoid birds before collecting balloons: one hit costs three seconds plus a stun. Run practice laps to learn where the birds spawn, hug the top or bottom edge on the clear side, and detour only for balloons already on your line. Tidus's Caladbolg is at the northwest glyph of the Calm Lands, and only appears after you beat the chocobo trainer.

KEY ITEM 7 The Rusty Sword is at the bottom of the northern gorge, near the entrance to the Cavern of the Stolen Fayth. Take it back to the Lord Mi'ihen statue on Mushroom Rock Road for Auron's Masamune.

SIDE QUEST 13 Cavern of the Stolen Fayth, off the gorge. Clear it, beat the guardian, and pay for AEON 6 Yojimbo. PRIMER XXV is inside the cavern.

Yojimbo's price. Answer his question about your motive with the third option to set the base at 250,000 gil, then pay 250,001. Paying generously raises his compatibility, which is what makes him use Zanmato. Bring aeons with full Overdrive gauges for the guardian fight.

SIDE QUEST 14 Remiem Temple, reachable only by chocobo from the Calm Lands. Win the chocobo race for the Cloudy Mirror and the chest prizes, beat Belgemine's eight aeons for Yuna's Moon Sigil, and pick up PRIMER XXIV in the northwest corner.

Remiem prizes. The chests you touch during the race set the prize, and each prize is given only once: one chest gives an Elixir, two a Megalixir, three thirty Wings to Discovery, four thirty Pendulums, five sixty Three Stars. Go for five chests first and work downward. Clipping the coloured poles is survivable, so do not panic-steer. Beating Belgemine's Bahamut also gives the Flower Sceptre, one of the two keys to the Magus Sisters.

BOSS 20 Defender X guards the northern gate. Armor Break and Mental Break, then Hastega and a Bahamut Overdrive.

PART 7Mt. Gagazet and ZanarkandWantz, the Ronso Rages, and Yunalesca

Do not leave without: talking to Wantz on the Mt. Gagazet mountain trail. If you skip him he never sets up shop in Macalania Woods later, and you permanently lose the only shop that sells four-slotted weapons and armour — the base equipment every endgame build is made from.

Mt. Gagazetthe Ronso trial

MISSABLE Speak to Wantz on the mountain trail. He is an ordinary-looking NPC with no quest marker.

SPHERE 10 Braska's Jecht Sphere is in an alcove up a narrow path leading north off the mountain trail.

BOSS 21 Biran and Yenke Ronso. Before you win, use Kimahri's Lancet on both of them repeatedly — this is the single convenient window to learn Self-Destruct, Thrust Kick, Fire Breath, Stone Breath, Aqua Breath, Doom, White Wind and Mighty Guard in one sitting. They buff each other, so kill whichever one is casting.

KEY ITEM 8 Saturn Crest is in a chest between the pillars at the Gagazet Prominence, reachable after Seymour Flux.

BOSS 22 Seymour Flux and Mortiorchis. Attack the Mortiorchis rather than Seymour, keep Holy Water ready for the Zombie he inflicts, and never let anyone sit at low HP because Total Annihilation hits the whole party.

BOSS 23 Sanctuary Keeper in the Gagazet cave. Armor Break and Mental Break it, Dispel the Haste and Regen it gives itself, and Auron's Threaten will hold it still.

SIDE QUEST 15 The underwater section of the Gagazet cavern holds Achelous, Splasher and Maelspike — capture two of each for the Monster Arena creation Shinryu.

Magus Sisters. Capturing one of every Mt. Gagazet fiend at the Monster Arena earns the Blossom Crown, the second key to the Magus Sisters. Take it with the Flower Sceptre to the door at the back of Remiem Temple, after you own Yojimbo and Anima.

Zanarkand Ruinsthe last Cloister

Clear the Zanarkand Cloister of Trials — the longest one in the game, and the one whose Destruction Sphere you cannot get on the first pass. You must return by airship later to finish the extra floor patterns and claim it. It is the sixth of the six chests Anima needs.

BOSS 24 Spectral Keeper. It plants Glyph Mines on the floor tiles; keep your party members off tiles adjacent to each other and use the rotate command to shuffle positions. Mental Break, then Flare.

BOSS 25 Yunalesca, in three forms. In the last form her Mega Death kills anyone who is alive — so keep the entire party Zombie and it fails outright. Remove Zombie only long enough to heal with items, and put it straight back on.

KEY ITEM 9 Sun Crest is in a chest in The Beyond, the room past Yunalesca, and it appears only after she is beaten. Grab it before you leave the dome.

PART 8The airship and Inside Sinfree roam, then the end

From here the airship takes you anywhere, and every remaining sidequest is open. Everything on this site's other tabs — Celestial Weapons, the Monster Arena, Dark Aeons, Penance — is meant to be done in this window, before you commit to the last stretch.

Airship destinationstype these into the search screen

Destination	How to reach it
Baaj Temple	Search coordinates around x=14, y=57. Holds Geosgaeno, Lulu's Onion Knight, and Anima behind the six statues.
Omega Ruins	Search coordinates around x=72, y=35. Ultima Weapon and Omega Weapon live here, plus Primer XXVI.
Godhand	Enter the password GODHAND on the input screen, then fly there and use the Celestial Mirror for Rikku's weapon.

Do not skip: MISSABLE Geosgaeno at Baaj Temple drops the No Encounters weapon on its first kill only, and it is the only in-game source of that ability. Save before the fight and reload if it does not drop. Equip Stoneproof or Stone Ward first: its gaze petrifies, and a petrified character can be shattered.

Baaj Temple. Lulu's Onion Knight is in the crevasse south of the pool, with a Megalixir and Mega Phoenixes. The six statues in the antechamber light only for Destruction Sphere chests you claimed, and all six open the seal on Anima. Zanarkand's is the one most players miss.

Omega Ruins. PRIMER XXVI is here. Ultima Weapon is vulnerable to Silence and Doom. Omega Weapon absorbs elements, so use aeon Overdrives, Celestial Weapon attacks or Yojimbo's Zanmato, and Lancet it for Kimahri's Nova. For blitzball, recruit Brother, the best all-round player, and Nimrook, the best keeper, in the airship cargo hold.

Dark Aeons and Penance. Each Dark Aeon blocks its area until it dies: Dark Valefor at the Besaid Village entrance, Dark Ifrit in the ruins of Home, Dark Ixion on the Thunder Plains (fought twice), Dark Shiva at the Macalania Temple entrance, Dark Magus Sisters on Mushroom Rock Road, Dark Yojimbo in the Cavern of the Stolen Fayth (five fights), Dark Bahamut in the Zanarkand Dome, Dark Anima on Mt. Gagazet. Bring Break Damage Limit, Break HP Limit, Auto-Haste, Auto-Protect, Auto-Phoenix, finished Celestial Weapons and near-maximum stats, with Ribbon in the fourth armour slot for Anima and Bahamut. Penance appears on the airship list once all eight are dead: keep at least one arm dead at all times, because both arms alive allows Judgement Day. Nemesis needs ten captures of every fiend in Spira plus a win over every other arena creation.

Sinthe approach

BOSS 26 Sin's Left Fin and Right Fin, then Sinspawn Genais and Sin's Core, then Overdrive Sin. Armor Break and Mental Break carry all of them; use ranged attacks and aeons so Gravija hurts less. Kill Overdrive Sin before its gauge fills.

Inside Sin: City of Dying Dreams, then the Garden of Pain. BOSS 27 Seymour Omnis — the floating wheels around him set his element. Attack a wheel to force the element you want, Nul it or absorb it, and Dispel his shell.

SAVE 1 The Save Sphere in the Tower of the Dead is the last one before the point of no return. Everything up to here still lets you fly back out. Once you head north into The Nucleus, you are committed.

BOSS 28 Braska's Final Aeon, in two forms. The Yu Pagoda beside it heals it and charges its Overdrive — kill the Pagoda every time it appears. Tidus's Talk command resets the Overdrive gauge, and it works twice. The second form applies Zombie and then heals you to death, so keep Holy Water on hand.

BOSS 29 Yu Yevon. Unloseable: every aeon enters with Auto-Life. You fight it once per aeon you own, killing your own summons in turn. Its Pagodas heal it, so clear them first.

Cloister of Trials

Six temple puzzles, plus two special locations that have no Cloister at all. Every Cloister hides a Destruction Sphere in a side route, and each Destruction Sphere opens one chest. Those six chests are the only thing standing between you and Anima, so treat them as mandatory rather than optional.

The rule that matters. Each of the six statues in the Baaj antechamber lights up only if you claimed that temple's Destruction Sphere treasure. Five out of six leaves the seal shut. Zanarkand's is the one most players miss, because it cannot be taken on the first visit at all.

Besaidtreasure: Rod of Wisdom

Touch the glyph on the door to open it. Take the Glyph Sphere from its recess and use it on the next door.

In the corridor, put the Glyph Sphere into the recess on the left-hand wall, then touch the glyphs beside the pedestal.

Take the Besaid Sphere and place it in the pedestal to open the way forward. That also opens the side room.

DESTRUCTION SPHERE It is in that side room. Put it back into the recess the Besaid Sphere came out of, then push the pedestal onto the glowing tile. The chest holds the Rod of Wisdom for Yuna.

Kilikatreasure: Red Armlet

Pull the Kilika Sphere out of its holder and insert it into the recess to open the door.

Move the same sphere to the recess on the north wall, then use the two side recesses in turn.

Push the pedestal onto the glowing tile; it teleports. Collect the Glyph Sphere it reveals.

DESTRUCTION SPHERE The Glyph Sphere opens a small side room holding the Destruction Sphere. Take it and insert it into the wall recess there and the chest blows open: Red Armlet.

Djosetreasure: Magic Sphere

Take the two Djose Spheres from the side walls and put them into the recesses flanking the double doors.

Inside, push the pedestal into the lightning field to charge a sphere, then insert the Charged Djose Sphere and ride the pedestal through the field.

Upstairs, push all five pedestals into the wall recesses to open the staircase, but do not climb it yet. Ride the lift back down.

DESTRUCTION SPHERE Next to the reset glyph, touch the faintly flickering glyph on the wall to reveal the Destruction Sphere. Carry it up and set it on the pedestal there for the Magic Sphere chest, then take the stairs to the inner chamber.

Macalaniatreasure: Luck Sphere

Push the pedestal into the ice formation, then place the Macalania Sphere in the pedestal.

Rebuild the broken ice bridge by inserting spheres into the pillars in order, working from the lower level upward.

DESTRUCTION SPHERE Once the Cloister is solved, climb to the restored ice walkway and step on the glyph there. A pedestal appears at the side entrance — push it down the ramp and its sphere turns into the Destruction Sphere. Bring it back with the glyph below the walkway, then set it in the unused recess on the lower level nearest the ramp. Chest: Luck Sphere. Afterwards return the sphere to the pedestal and push it down from the top again to change it back, and avoid that upper glyph on your way out.

Bevelletreasures: HP Sphere and Knight Lance

This one is a rail ride. Stand on the pedestal and press X on the directional glyphs as you pass them to switch tracks.

Grab a Bevelle Sphere at the first stop and insert it to restore the missing section of track.

Take a second Bevelle Sphere further along, cross, and insert it into the left-hand wall to light the path.

Collect the Glyph Sphere and put it in the recess on the far wall. The wall disappears, exposing the Destruction Sphere.

DESTRUCTION SPHERE Bevelle is the one Cloister where using it is required to finish, so this chest cannot be missed. Return it to activate the next glyph, then insert the first Bevelle Sphere and step on the glyph beneath the chest to bring the pedestal across. Chests: HP Sphere and the Knight Lance for Kimahri.

Zanarkand Dometreasure: Magistral Rod — and you cannot get it on the first visit

Step on the switch at the front of the room, then on the remaining white-dot switches in this order: the one straight ahead, the one to its right, the one north of that, the one southwest between them, and the one in the far northwest.

Push each of the four corner pedestals back. Each one reveals a pattern in the adjoining room; go in and reproduce the pattern by stepping on the white squares.

Put the Kilika Sphere in the left-centre pedestal and the Besaid Sphere in the right-centre pedestal to repair the lift. Spectral Keeper is next.

DESTRUCTION SPHERE EASY TO MISS Come back by airship after the story moves on. Complete the extra white-square patterns in both puzzle rooms and the Destruction Sphere appears from the niche in the monitor. Insert it into the recess to the right of the front screen for the Magistral Rod.

Baaj Templeno Cloister — this is where the six chests pay off

Search the airship map around x=14, y=57. Dive into the flooded ruin and fight BOSS Geosgaeno. Equip Stoneproof or Stone Ward — its gaze petrifies, and a petrified character can be shattered.

MISSABLE Geosgaeno drops the No Encounters weapon on its first kill only. Save before the fight and reload if it does not drop — this is the only in-game source of that ability.

CELESTIAL Onion Knight, Lulu's Celestial Weapon, is in a crevasse south of the pool. There is also a Megalixir and Mega Phoenixes down there.

Inside the antechamber, six statues stand for the six temples. All six lit means all six Destruction Sphere chests were claimed — and the seal opens on AEON Anima.

Remiem Templeno Cloister — a race and eight duels

Reachable only on a Calm Lands chocobo. Win the chocobo race for the Cloudy Mirror; the number of chests you touch on the way sets the prize tier.

Beat all eight of Belgemine's aeons, then send her, for Yuna's Moon Sigil. Beating her Bahamut also gives the Flower Sceptre, one of the two keys to the Magus Sisters.

PRIMER XXIV is in the northwest corner of the temple grounds.

Celestial Weapons

Seven weapons, one per character, and each needs three separate things: the weapon itself, its Crest, and its Sigil. The weapon alone is weak — it ignores the target's Defence but does almost no damage. The Crest lifts the 9,999 damage cap. The Sigil turns on the full ability set and the special damage formula.

Start with the mirror. Nothing here works without the Celestial Mirror. Win the Remiem Temple chocobo race for the Cloudy Mirror, then take it to Macalania Woods and reunite the wandering family — speak to each member in turn until the mirror clears.

Character	Weapon	Weapon location	Crest
Tidus	Caladbolg	Calm Lands, northwest glyph — only after beating the chocobo trainer	Sun Crest — Zanarkand Dome, The Beyond, after Yunalesca
Yuna	Nirvana	Monster Arena owner, after capturing one of every Calm Lands fiend	Moon Crest — alcove on Besaid beach
Wakka	World Champion	Luca cafe bartender, after placing in a blitzball tournament	Jupiter Crest — locker in the Aurochs' locker room, Luca
Kimahri	Spirit Lance	Thunder Plains — pray at all three Qactuar Stones, then follow the spectral Qactuar to the ruined tower near the Guadosalam entrance	Saturn Crest — chest between the pillars at Mt. Gagazet Prominence
Lulu	Onion Knight	Baaj Temple, underwater crevasse south of the pool	Venus Crest — Farplane chest on a later visit
Auron	Masamune	Take the Rusty Sword from the Calm Lands gorge to the Lord Mi'ihen statue on Mushroom Rock Road	Mars Crest — far southern end of the Mi'ihen Oldroad
Rikku	Godhand	Enter the airship password GODHAND, fly there, use the mirror	Mercury Crest — sinking-sand pit in western Sanubia Sands

The seven Sigilsthis is the part that takes the time

Sigil	What you have to do	What the finished weapon does
Sun Sigil Tidus	Finish the Catcher Chocobo race with a time of 0:0:0. Balloons subtract three seconds, bird hits add three and stun you. In practice you need roughly thirteen balloons and no more than one hit.	Damage rises as his current HP rises. Adds Evade & Counter and Magic Counter.
Moon Sigil Yuna	Beat all eight of Belgemine's aeons at Remiem Temple, then send her.	Damage rises with her current MP percentage. Adds Double AP and One MP Cost.
Jupiter Sigil Wakka	A blitzball league prize. It only enters the prize pool once Wakka has all four Slots reels, and the draw is random — reset the blitzball data to reroll the prize list if it does not appear.	Damage rises with his current HP. Adds Double AP and Evade & Counter.
Saturn Sigil Kimahri	Clear the second map of the Butterfly Hunt in Macalania Woods. Do it before Spherimorph for the longer timer.	Damage rises with his current HP. Adds Double AP and Evade & Counter.
Venus Sigil Lulu	Dodge 200 lightning bolts in a row on the Thunder Plains.	Damage rises with her current MP. Adds Magic Booster and One MP Cost.
Mars Sigil Auron	Unlock ten Area or Species Conquest creations at the Monster Arena.	Damage rises as his HP falls — the only inverted formula. Adds First Strike and Counterattack.
Mercury Sigil Rikku	Find all ten Cactuar Gatekeepers in Bikanel and finish the hunt at Cactuar Village.	Damage rises with her current HP. Adds Double AP and Gillionaire.

Every finished Celestial Weapon carries Break Damage Limit and Triple Overdrive on top of its two listed extras. That is why they are worth the work: Break Damage Limit is otherwise sixty Dark Matter per weapon.

Aeons & Overdrives

The aeonsfive come to you, three you have to earn

Aeon	How you get it
Valefor	Besaid Temple, story. Her second Overdrive, Energy Blast, comes from the Besaid dog errand: ask the item-shop woman about her missing dog, then go and talk to the dog.
Ifrit	Kilika Temple, story.
Ixion	Djose Temple, story.
Shiva	Macalania Temple, story.
Bahamut	Bevelle Temple, story.
Yojimbo	Cavern of the Stolen Fayth, off the northern Calm Lands gorge. Beat the guardian, reach the Chamber of the Fayth, and negotiate a price. Answer his question about your motive with the third option to set the base at 250,000 gil, then either haggle down or simply pay 250,001 — paying generously raises his compatibility, which is what makes him actually use Zanmato.
Anima	All six Destruction Sphere chests, then Baaj Temple by airship. Kill Geosgaeno, light all six statues, open the seal.
Magus Sisters	Needs Yojimbo and Anima first. Bring the Flower Sceptre (beat Belgemine's Bahamut at Remiem) and the Blossom Crown (Monster Arena reward for capturing one of every Mt. Gagazet fiend) to the door at the back of Remiem Temple.

Character Overdriveswhat unlocks what

Character	Unlock condition
Tidus Swordplay	Counts the number of Overdrives you have used. Spiral Cut from the start, Slice & Dice at 10, Energy Rain at 30, Blitz Ace at 80.
Auron Bushido	Counts Jecht Spheres viewed. Dragon Fang from the start, Shooting Star after 1, Banishing Blade after 3, Tornado after 10.
Wakka Slots	Element Reels from the start. Attack Reels is a tournament prize. Status Reels needs Attack Reels plus a few hundred battles fought, then a league win. Aurochs Reels needs Status Reels plus more battles, then a tournament win. All three are random draws from the prize pool — reset the blitzball data to reroll.
Lulu Fury	Built in. Pick a spell and rotate the stick to cast it over and over.
Yuna Grand Summon	Built in. Summons any aeon you own with its own Overdrive gauge already full.
Rikku Mix	Built in. Combine two items for an effect neither has alone — the strongest ability in the game once you have stock.
Kimahri Ronso Rage	Learned by using Lancet on the right fiend. Twelve in total, listed below.

Ronso RagesLancet these fiends

Rage	Lancet this
Jump	Known from the start.
Seed Cannon	Ragora, Kilika Woods.
Self-Destruct	Bomb, Grenade, Puroboros — or Biran Ronso.
Thrust Kick	YKT-63 or YKT-11 — or Biran Ronso.
Fire Breath	Dual Horn, Valaha, Grendel — or Yenke Ronso.
Stone Breath	Basilisk or Anacondaur — or Yenke Ronso.
Aqua Breath	Chimera or Chimera Brain — or Yenke Ronso.
Doom	Ghost or Wraith — or Biran Ronso.
White Wind	Dark Flan or Spirit — or Yenke Ronso.
Bad Breath	Malboro or Great Malboro, Calm Lands.
Mighty Guard	Behemoth or Behemoth King — or Biran Ronso.
Nova	Omega Weapon or Nemesis.

Why the Gagazet fight matters. Biran and Yenke between them carry eight of these Rages, and learning one instantly fills Kimahri's Overdrive gauge. Every ability is available from ordinary fiends later, but that fight is the only place you can collect eight in a row.

Mixes worth rememberingmost have several valid recipes; these are the common ones

Mix	Ingredients	Effect
Trio of 9999	Wings to Discovery x2	Every party hit deals 9,999 for the rest of the fight.
Sunburst	Shining Gem + Supreme Gem	19,998 fixed damage to everything.
Final Elixir	Hi-Potion + any non-basic sphere	Full HP and MP to the party, and revives.
Ultra NulAll	Healing Spring x2	All four Nul spells plus stat buffs.
Hyper Mighty G	Healing Spring + Wings to Discovery	Protect, Shell, Haste, Regen and Auto-Life on the party.
Mega Phoenix	Phoenix Down x2	Revives the whole party.
Freedom X	Ether + Musk	Zero MP cost for the rest of the fight.
Eccentrick	Amulet x2	Doubles the Overdrive charge rate.
Hyper Vitality	Potion + Stamina Tonic	Doubles maximum HP.
Nega Burst	Shadow Gem + Ability Distiller	Cuts the enemy's current HP by roughly three quarters.

Al Bhed Primers & Jecht Spheres

Twenty-six Primers translate the Al Bhed language a letter at a time. Four of them — XIX to XXII — sit in areas that close permanently, and those four are the reason most 100% runs fail.

The four that end runs: XIX, XX and XXI are all inside Home, which self-destructs. XXII is in the Priests' Passage at Bevelle and is sealed the moment the Cloister of Trials starts. Nothing recovers them.

#	Where	Notes
I	Salvage Ship, rear deck	Spare copy in the Sanubia Desert
II	Besaid Village, Crusaders Lodge	Dark Valefor blocks the village on late visits in the HD version
III	S.S. Liki, engine room	Spare copy in the Sanubia Desert
IV	Kilika Port, in one of the huts	No spare — take it on the way through
V	S.S. Winno, bridge	Spare copy in the Sanubia Desert
VI	Luca Stadium, basement locker room
VII	Luca, by the Sphere Theater reception stairs
VIII	Mi'ihen Highroad	Rin hands it to you automatically
IX	Mi'ihen Highroad, side trail near the Agency
X	Mushroom Rock Road, the Precipice	On the narrow valley path
XI	Djose Highroad, behind a pillar
XII	Moonflow, North Wharf
XIII	Guadosalam, inside a house
XIV	Thunder Plains, Rin's Agency	Spare copy in the Sanubia Desert
XV	Macalania Woods, Lake Road near the Save Sphere
XVI	Lake Macalania, left of Rin's Agency
XVII	Sanubia Desert, Central
XVIII	Sanubia Desert, Central
XIX	Home, outside the entrance	MISSABLE lost once you move past the first corridor
XX	Home, southern Living Quarters	MISSABLE on the bed in the forced-fight room
XXI	Home, northeast fork of the Main Corridor	MISSABLE
XXII	Bevelle, Priests' Passage	MISSABLE lost the moment the Cloister starts
XXIII	Calm Lands, northwest corner
XXIV	Remiem Temple, northwest corner	Needs a chocobo to reach
XXV	Cavern of the Stolen Fayth
XXVI	Omega Ruins	Airship destination, around x=72 y=35

Jecht Spheresten of them — each viewing upgrades Auron

None of them can be viewed until you beat Spherimorph in Macalania Woods, which hands you the first one on the spot. After that, every sphere you find and watch counts toward Auron's Bushido Overdrives.

#	Where
1	Macalania Woods — given automatically after Spherimorph
2	Macalania Woods South, near the Save Sphere fork
3	Besaid Village, to the right of the temple entrance
4	S.S. Liki, on the bridge
5	Luca, hallway outside the Aurochs' locker room
6	Mi'ihen Oldroad South, at the far southern end beside the Mars Crest
7	Mushroom Rock Precipice, on the outcrop southwest of the large lift
8	Moonflow South Wharf, in front of the rest area
9	Thunder Plains South, by the northernmost lightning tower on the east side
10	Mt. Gagazet Mountain Trail, in an alcove up a narrow northward path

Minigames

Five of the seven Sigils come out of a minigame, so none of this is optional if you want the Celestial Weapons. Each one below is written as the method that actually works rather than the rules the game gives you.

BlitzballAttack Reels and the Jupiter Sigil

Switch the control mode to Manual A. Auto plays itself badly and Manual B is unnecessary.

Speed is the stat that wins games. A fast player swims around defenders instead of triggering a breakthrough check, so the ball never gets taken. Build the roster around it.

Recruits worth signing: Brother (airship — the best all-round player in the game), Nimrook (airship cargo hold — far and away the best keeper, though you may have to wait out his current contract), Larbeight (Kilika docks — best forward), Ropp and Nedus for defence, and Miyu on the Moonflow north bank as a free early keeper.

The reliable scoring pattern: draw two defenders onto a fast midfielder, pass out to an unmarked forward, and shoot from close range with energy left over. Learn techniques by playing near opponents who use them, then buy them with Techcopy.

Wakka's reels are random prizes. Meeting the condition only puts the reel into the prize pool. If it does not drop, reset the blitzball data from the menu to reroll the pool and play the tournament again.

Chocobo trainingfour courses, Calm Lands

Course	What it asks	Reward
Wobbly Chocobo	Reach the goal inside about 12.8 seconds while the bird veers off line. Tap left and right to correct rather than holding a direction.	Elixir, plus the ability to ride in the Calm Lands
Dodger Chocobo	Under about 16.8 seconds while dodging blitzballs.	Lv.1 Key Sphere
Hyper Dodger Chocobo	Under about 18.5 seconds with blitzballs and homing birds. Wide sweeping curves beat small corrections.	Lv.2 Key Sphere
Catcher Chocobo	Beat the trainer in a race. Balloons take three seconds off, bird hits add three and briefly stun you.	Lv.3 Key Sphere — and Sun Sigil at 0:0:0

The 0:0:0 method. Use the D-pad, never the analog stick — the analog stick moves noticeably slower. Avoiding birds matters far more than collecting balloons: one hit costs three seconds plus the stun, which is worth more than a balloon. Run several practice laps to memorise where the birds spawn, hug the top or bottom edge on whichever side is clear, and only detour for balloons that are already on your line.

Butterfly HuntMacalania Woods — Saturn Sigil

Two separate maps: the Central and South woods, then the North woods. Touch every blue butterfly before the timer runs out. Red butterflies cost you seconds and drop you into a fight with a strengthened local fiend.

Equip No Encounters before you start. A random battle in the middle of a run ends it.

Leaving the screen resets the run, including a finished one you have not cashed in yet. Walk to the reward, do not run out and back.

Do the first map before beating Spherimorph if you can — that version has a longer timer and fewer reds. The version you get in the endgame is the hard one.

Practical routing: run the trail a few times without chasing anything to learn where the butterflies sit, then take the one nearest your exit direction last so you never have to double back.

Lightning dodgingThunder Plains — Venus Sigil

Stand on the slope just north of the fork toward Rin's Travel Agency, near the entrance crater. Strikes land every three to four seconds there, which is as fast as the plains get.

Equip No Encounters. A random battle does not break the chain, but it wastes minutes and breaks your rhythm.

The cue is the white screen flash, not the sound. You have roughly a second after it to press X — far more slack than it feels like. Press once; mashing is what gets people hit.

Take breaks by opening the pause menu, not by walking away — walking risks an untimed strike. Some players find it easier with the sound muted.

Milestones along the way: 5 dodges gives two X-Potions, 50 gives three Strength Spheres, 100 gives three HP Spheres, 150 gives four Megalixirs, and 200 gives the Venus Sigil.

Cactuar GatekeepersBikanel — Mercury Sigil

Each Cactuar is a red-light game: move only while it is looking away, freeze the moment it turns. You get three approaches; failing gives a lesser sphere instead of a fight.

#	Name	Where and what to do
1	Flaile	Sanubia West, right after you examine the first stone. Straightforward rhythm — watch him, not the scenery.
2	Tomay	The Oasis. The easiest of the set.
3	Rovivea	Sanubia East, in the western alcove. Start from behind him and work toward the front.
4	Chava	Sanubia West, by the discount signpost. Same rear-to-front approach.
5	Alek	Sanubia Central, in the northeast ruins.
6	Aloja	Same ruins as Alek. The two turn at the same time, so treat them as one timer rather than two.
7	Vachella	Sanubia East, near the Save Sphere. He turns three more times in quick succession — the hardest reaction test of the ten.
8	Robeya	Sanubia Central, in the treasure-chest area. Open the chests first; his timing is forgiving.
9	Isrra	Sanubia West, at the antlion pits. The trick: drop into the pit nearest your start and run straight ahead — a hidden tunnel links the two pits and puts you out behind him.
10	Elio	Starts at the Oasis, then boards the airship. Find him on the deck — no chase, no fight.

Remiem Temple chocobo racethe prize tiers

You need a Calm Lands chocobo to get here at all. Ride the platform maze and beat the rival bird; the chests you touch on the way set which prize you are offered, and each prize is given only once.

Prizes: one chest gives an Elixir, two a Megalixir, three thirty Wings to Discovery, four thirty Pendulums, five sixty Three Stars. Go for five chests first and work downward — fewer chests gets easier with practice, not harder.

Winning the first time also gives the Cloudy Mirror. Clipping the coloured poles is survivable, so do not panic-steer around them.

Monster Arena

Open the arena by capturing one of every non-machina fiend in the Calm Lands using Capture weapons. From that point any fiend you capture anywhere is added, and the captures themselves drive three tiers of custom monsters.

Capture cannot be customised. It only comes on weapons bought in Kilika or from the arena owner. Buy a full set of seven so you never have to swap gear mid-hunt, and note that a capture only counts if the fiend is killed with a Capture weapon.

Area Conquestcapture one of every fiend in that region

Creation	Region
Stratoavis	Besaid
Malboro Menace	Kilika
Kottos	Mi'ihen Highroad — the standard farming target for red spheres
Coeurlregina	Mushroom Rock Road
Jormungand	Djose Highroad
Cactuar King	Thunder Plains
Espada	Macalania
Abyss Worm	Bikanel
Chimerageist	Calm Lands — unlocking this one also gives Yuna's Nirvana
Don Tonberry	Cavern of the Stolen Fayth — the AP-farming target
Catoblepas	Mt. Gagazet — its reward is the Blossom Crown for the Magus Sisters
Abaddon	Inside Sin
Vorban	Omega Ruins

Species Conquestcapture several of every fiend in that family

Creation	Family	Reward
Fenrir	Canines	Chocobo Feather ×99
Ornitholestes	Reptiles	Stamina Spring ×99
Pteryx	Birds	Mega Phoenix ×99
Hornet	Wasps and insects	Mana Tonic ×60
Vidatu	Imps and mages	Mana Spring ×99
One-Eye	Evil eyes	Stamina Tablet ×60
Jumbo Flan	Flans	Twin Stars ×60
Nega Elemental	Elementals	Star Curtain ×99
Tanket	Helms	Gold Hourglass ×99
Fafnir	Drakes	Purifying Salt ×99
Sleep Sprout	Plants	Healing Spring ×99
Bomb King	Bombs	Turbo Ether ×60
Juggernaut	Ruminants	Light Curtain ×99
Ironclad	Iron giants — needs ten of each type	Mana Tablet ×60

Original creationsthe end of the road

Creation	Requirement
Earth Eater	Unlock two Area Conquest fiends. Drops Fortune Spheres — the only source.
Greater Sphere	Unlock two Species Conquest fiends
Catastrophe	Unlock six Area Conquest fiends
Th'uban	Unlock six Species Conquest fiends
Neslug	Capture at least one of every fiend in Spira
Ultima Buster	Capture at least five of every fiend in Spira
Shinryu	Capture two each of Achelous, Splasher and Maelspike in the Gagazet cavern
Nemesis	Capture ten of every fiend in Spira and beat every other Area, Species and Original creation. Ten million HP.

Ten of everything is the real grind. Nemesis is the longest task in the game by a wide margin. If you only want the Mars Sigil for Auron, you need ten Area or Species creations unlocked, not all of them — that is a far shorter job.

Sphere Grid & Customisation

Standard or Expertyou choose once, at the start

Grid	What it is like
Standard	860 nodes. Everyone starts on their own clearly defined path, so roles stay distinct for a long time. More total nodes, which matters only if you never stat-max.
Expert	805 nodes, and everybody starts clustered near the centre with almost no path forced on them. Lets you put Haste on Tidus or magic on Auron very early. Only in the International and HD versions.

Which to pick. First time through, take Standard — the built-in roles teach you the battle system. If you already know the game or you intend to stat-max anyway, take Expert: once you are farming Clear Spheres and stat spheres at the Monster Arena, both grids reach identical caps and Expert gets you there with fewer wasted steps.

The spheres that move you aroundeach is single-use and costs no Sphere Level

Sphere	What it does	Also customises
Return Sphere	Jump to any node that character has already activated	First Strike (one weapon)
Teleport Sphere	Jump to any node anyone has activated	Evade & Counter (one weapon)
Friend Sphere	Jump to another party member's current position	Counterattack (one weapon)
Warp Sphere	Jump to any node at all, activated or not	—
Master Sphere	Activates any node regardless of type	—
Clear Sphere	Wipes a node back to empty so you can replace it	—

Stat-maxing in outlinethe endgame loop

Build Triple AP weapons with Overdrive to AP, then farm AP against Don Tonberry at the Monster Arena.

Use Clear Spheres on every low-value node — the plus-one HP and plus-one Accuracy nodes — to turn them into empty slots.

Fill the empties with the purple stat spheres that Species Conquest creations drop: Juggernaut for Strength, Tanket for Defence, Jumbo Flan for Magic, Fenrir for Agility.

Activate them with red spheres farmed from Kottos, steering the drops with Power, Mana, Speed and Ability Distillers.

Luck is optional and slow: Fortune Spheres come only from Earth Eater and there is no distiller for them. The caps are 9,999 HP and 999 MP normally, 99,999 and 9,999 with the Break Limit abilities, and 255 for everything else.

Weapon abilities worth the itemscost per ability

Ability	Cost	Why
Break Damage Limit	Dark Matter x60	The single most valuable ability in the game — and free on every finished Celestial Weapon
Triple Overdrive	Winning Formula x30	Charges Overdrives three times as fast
Triple AP	Wings to Discovery x50	The levelling ability
Overdrive to AP	Door to Tomorrow x10	Pairs with Triple AP for the Don Tonberry loop
One MP Cost	Three Stars x20	Makes Doublecast Ultima sustainable
Magic Booster	Turbo Ether x30	More magic damage for more MP
Gillionaire	Designer Wallet x30	Double gil, which funds bribing
Strength +20%	Supreme Gem x4	Cheap and worth stacking early

Armour abilities and the standard buildwhat to put in four slots

Ability	Cost	Why
Auto-Haste	Chocobo Wing x80	Non-negotiable
Auto-Protect	Light Curtain x70	Halves physical damage all fight
Auto-Phoenix	Mega Phoenix x20	Revives automatically — turns most superboss fights into a damage race
Break HP Limit	Wings to Discovery x30	Only needed for Penance and Nemesis
Ribbon	Dark Matter x99	Blocks nearly every status — expensive, and the fourth slot for Dark Aeons
Auto-Regen	Healing Spring x80	The general-play fourth slot
Stoneproof	Petrify Grenade x20	The cheap stand-in for Ribbon
No Encounters	Purifying Salt x30	Essential for the Butterfly Hunt and lightning dodging
Master Thief	Pendulum x30	Always steal the rare item

The standard armour. Take a blank four-slot armour — bought from Wantz in Macalania Woods, which is why missing him on Mt. Gagazet hurts so much — and fit Auto-Haste, Auto-Protect, Auto-Phoenix plus one situational ability. Build several sets and swap the fourth slot per fight rather than trying to make one armour do everything.

Bosses & Superbosses

Story bosses are listed in the walkthrough where you meet them. This page collects the optional fights — the ones you go looking for.

Optional fights along the wayworth doing when you reach them

Fight	Where	How to beat it
Lord Ochu	Kilika Woods	Fire magic, NulTide against its water attacks, Esuna for poison. It sleeps and regenerates, so burst it down rather than trading.
Belgemine's aeons	Highroad, Calm Lands, Remiem	Counter each aeon with your own. All eight at Remiem gives Yuna's Moon Sigil; her Bahamut also gives the Flower Sceptre.
Yojimbo	Cavern of the Stolen Fayth	Bring aeons with full Overdrive gauges. Survive the Zanmato risk and the aeon is yours afterwards.
Geosgaeno	Baaj Temple	Equip Stoneproof or Stone Ward. Its first-kill drop is the only No Encounters weapon in the game — save beforehand.

Omega Ruinsairship destination, around x=72 y=35

Fight	How to beat it
Ultima Weapon	99,999 HP. It is vulnerable to Silence and to Doom, which makes an otherwise long fight short. Break Damage Limit turns it into a two-turn kill.
Omega Weapon	999,999 HP and it absorbs elements, so no elemental damage. Aeon Overdrives, Celestial Weapon attacks, or Yojimbo's Zanmato. Lancet it for Kimahri's Nova.

Dark AeonsInternational and HD only — not in the original North American release

Each Dark Aeon physically blocks the way into its area, which means shops, chests and sidequests behind it are closed until it dies. Fight them in the order below; it is the easiest route, though the health figures do not strictly rise.

#	Dark Aeon	Where it stands	Health
1	Dark Valefor	Besaid Village entrance	about 800,000
2	Dark Ifrit	Bikanel, the ruins of Home	about 1,400,000
3	Dark Ixion	Thunder Plains — fought twice	about 1,200,000
4	Dark Shiva	Macalania Temple entrance	about 1,100,000
5	Dark Magus Sisters	Mushroom Rock Road	about 2 to 3 million each
6	Dark Yojimbo	Cavern of the Stolen Fayth — five consecutive fights	about 1,600,000 each
7	Dark Bahamut	Zanarkand Dome	about 4,000,000
8	Dark Anima	Mt. Gagazet	about 8,000,000

The kit you need for all eight. Break Damage Limit and Break HP Limit, Auto-Haste, Auto-Protect and Auto-Phoenix, finished Celestial Weapons, and Strength, Defence, Agility and Luck at or near maximum. Ribbon in the fourth armour slot for Anima and Bahamut. Anything less and the fight is decided by their first Overdrive.

Penanceappears on the airship list once all eight Dark Aeons are dead

Twelve million HP on the body, plus a left and right arm at 500,000 each. The arms revive, and while both are alive Penance can use Judgement Day, which deals 99,999 damage and drains all MP from the whole party. Keeping at least one arm dead at all times is the whole fight.

For roughly the first nine million, the body has permanent Protect and uses Obliteration on the party along with Slow. Kill the left arm, keep it down, and work the body.

In the last three million it switches to Immolation: heavy single-target damage that also drains MP and applies Armor Break, which you should Dispel immediately.

Damage comes from Doublecast Ultima with One MP Cost, or Celestial Weapon attacks and Overdrives. Auto-Potion and Rikku's Mixes cover the incoming damage; Counterattack pays off heavily in the second half.

Nemesisthe last thing in the game

Ten million HP, and unlocking it needs ten captures of every fiend in Spira plus a win over every other arena creation. It is the longest single task in Final Fantasy X.

Fight it with maxed stats, Auto-Phoenix, and Quick Hit from finished Celestial Weapons. Lancet it for Kimahri's Nova if you did not get it from Omega Weapon.

Trophies

The HD Remaster adds a full trophy set. Most come naturally from the story; the list below flags the ones that need planning.

Story and easythese unlock as you play

Trophy	How
Speaking in Tongues	Find a single Al Bhed Primer
Teamwork!	Win a blitzball match
The Right Thing	Clear the Besaid Cloister of Trials
All Together	Assemble the full party
Heartstrings	See the underwater scene — it needs the right dialogue choices at Macalania
Overcoming the Past	Beat Yunalesca
The Destination of Hatred	Beat Seymour Omnis
The Eternal Calm	Beat Yu Yevon
A Journey's Catalyst	Watch the Eternal Calm bonus video
Power Strike	Deal 9,999 or more in one hit
Mega Strike	Deal 99,999 in one hit — needs Break Damage Limit

The aeon setall three optional aeons plus the full collection

Trophy	How
Feel The Pain	Obtain Anima — needs all six Destruction Sphere chests
It's All About The Money	Obtain Yojimbo
Delta Attack!	Obtain the Magus Sisters
Summon Master	Obtain every aeon

The long onesplan for these from the start

Trophy	How — and the catch
Master Linguist	All 26 Primers. MISSABLE — four of them are behind doors that close permanently.
Messenger from the Past	All ten Jecht Spheres. Several sit in areas you pass through once.
Theater Enthusiast	Buy every sphere at the Luca Theater — which requires having found all the Jecht Spheres first.
Weapon Master	Every Celestial Weapon, fully powered. This is the whole Crest and Sigil chain.
Blitzball Master	Unlock Attack Reels, Status Reels and Aurochs Reels.
Striker	Land the Jecht Shot on the S.S. Liki. Recoverable by retaking the ferry, but easy to forget.
Chocobo License / Chocobo Rider	Complete all chocobo training, and finish the Catcher race at 0:0:0.
Lightning Dancer	Dodge 200 bolts in a row.
A Talent for Acquisition	200 successful steals with Rikku.
Under The Table	Spend 100,000 gil or more on bribes.
Learning!	Learn every Lancet ability.
Sphere Master / Perfect Sphere Master	Complete one character's grid, then all seven.
Overcoming The Nemesis	Unlock and beat Nemesis. The longest task in the game.
Perseverance	Beat Penance — which means all eight Dark Aeons first.
Completion	Platinum: every other trophy.

100% Checklist

The five things that can end a 100% run. Everything else in this game is recoverable. These are not.

MISSABLE Primer XIX, XX and XXI — all inside Home, which is destroyed.
MISSABLE Primer XXII — Bevelle Priests' Passage, sealed when the Cloister starts.
MISSABLE Magic Counter Buckler — the travelling merchant on your first Calm Lands visit, and nowhere else. Buy several.
MISSABLE Talk to Wantz on the Mt. Gagazet mountain trail — otherwise no four-slot equipment shop later.
MISSABLE Geosgaeno's No Encounters weapon — first kill only. Save before the fight.

Collectionstick these off

PRIMERS 26 Al Bhed Primers
SPHERES 10 Jecht Spheres, all viewed — unlocks Auron's Tornado
DESTRUCTION 6 Destruction Sphere chests — Besaid, Kilika, Djose, Macalania, Bevelle, Zanarkand
CELESTIAL 7 weapons, 7 Crests, 7 Sigils
AEONS All aeons including Yojimbo, Anima and the Magus Sisters
OVERDRIVES Every character Overdrive — including all four Slots reels and all twelve Ronso Rages

Sidequeststhe ones with rewards attached

SIDE QUEST Blitzball — win a tournament and a league for Wakka's reels and the Jupiter Sigil
SIDE QUEST Chocobo training — all four courses, and 0:0:0 in the Catcher race
SIDE QUEST Butterfly Hunt — both maps
SIDE QUEST Lightning dodging — 200 in a row
SIDE QUEST Cactuar Gatekeepers — all ten
SIDE QUEST Remiem Temple — the race, all chest tiers, and Belgemine's eight aeons
SIDE QUEST Monster Arena — Area, Species and Original creations

EndgameInternational and HD content

BOSS Ultima Weapon and Omega Weapon in the Omega Ruins
BOSS All eight Dark Aeons
BOSS Penance
BOSS Nemesis — ten captures of every fiend in Spira
STATS All seven Sphere Grids completed

FINAL FANTASY X

Final Fantasy X

Story Walkthrough — 8 Parts

Cloister of Trials

Celestial Weapons

Aeons & Overdrives

Al Bhed Primers & Jecht Spheres

Minigames

Monster Arena

Sphere Grid & Customisation

Bosses & Superbosses

Trophies

100% Checklist