Walkthrough¶

Chapter 1 from the opening concert to the YSLS-Zero fight, in an order that keeps 100% Story Completion on track. It also covers the Creature Creator from the moment it opens, so you can start on the Fiend Arena whenever you like.

• 100%: marks a scene or choice that counts toward 100% Story Completion. Most of these can be missed for good.
• Checkpoint: the game rounds your percentage down, so it only proves you're on track when the total lands on a whole number. These are the spots where it does. Check it on your save file or the NavMap.
• Steal: and Drop: lines list the items worth taking. See the Bestiary for every enemy.
• Creatures: lines say what's worth trapping at that location. Pods are set from the Creature Creator menu on the Celsius, so you don't have to be there. See Creatures and Building the Team.

Visit every Hotspot. Only Gagazet and Zanarkand are required, but every area in Chapter 1 has scenes that count toward 100%, and most play just by arriving or walking through. The sections below follow the order that keeps the percent on track.

Order matters. Each chapter ends when you finish its last Hotspot, and anything you skipped stays skipped. Zanarkand sends you straight into the Kilika finale, so finish everything else first.

Luca¶

Boss: ???? and two Goons¶

• Steal: Hi-Potion (????)
• The concert fight. Plain attacks win it.

The docks¶

• Chase the impostor through the docks. Goons keep spawning, so don't hang around.
• 100%: on Dock 2, talk to the person in the Moogle suit before you go on. It restores HP and MP and unlocks a scene when you return to Luca later in the chapter.

Boss: Logos and Ormi¶

• HP: Logos 86, Ormi 97
• Steal: Silver Glasses (Logos), Iron Bangle (Ormi)

Boss: Leblanc¶

• HP: 130
• Steal: Silver Bracer
• Yuna is stuck in Songstress. Keep Darkness Dance up and Leblanc barely lands a hit. Yuna gets the First Steps Garment Grid.

Aboard the Celsius¶

• Brother and Buddy: talk to both for Al Bhed Primers. Brother also gives you the Festivalist Dressphere (new in the HD Remaster).
• 100%: talk to Rikku, Paine and Shinra, and watch the "Journey's Start" Treasure Sphere at Shinra. Each is worth 0.2%.
• Checkpoint: 3% once you've watched "Journey's Start".
• Shinra's Garment Grid tutorial gives the Vanguard Garment Grid.
• Shinra's Creature Creator tutorial gives a Trap Pod S, M and L. Brother joins as your first creature whether you watch it or not.
• 100%: in the cabin, talk to Barkeep and rest upstairs. Buddy's next scene won't trigger until you've rested.
• Rest in the cabin once every chapter. Each rest counts toward a scene in Chapter 5 that's worth 100%. In Chapters 2 to 4 nothing happens when you rest, so it's easy to forget.
• Engine room: four chests with 4 Potions, 3 Remedies, 4 Phoenix Downs and an Ether. They refill every chapter.
• Equip the Silver Glasses, Iron Bangle and Silver Bracer. Save, then talk to Buddy. The only destination is Mt. Gagazet.

Mt. Gagazet: Floating Ruins¶

Save first. Part of this mission is timed and you only get one try.

• Upper Tier: hold the jump button at gaps rather than tapping it. At the second jump, drop to the lower ledge for a Yellow Ring.
• Checkpoint: 4% at the Save Sphere at the bottom of the stairs.
• Ride the elevator down. Go left at the bottom for an Elixir, then climb the ledge on the right.
• Steal: Divebeaks sometimes give an Ether.

Boss: Leblanc, Logos and Ormi¶

• HP: Leblanc 120, Logos 100, Ormi 130
• Steal: Tiara (Leblanc), White Cape (Logos), Gauntlets (Ormi)
• Take Leblanc out first once you've stolen everything; her Love Tap hastes an ally.

Mission: Outrun the Leblanc Syndicate¶

• 100%: you have to win the race. You have six minutes, and the timer stops in battle, in the menu and while paused.
• Grab the Mega Phoenix past the pillar on the north side, then climb the fallen pillar.
• At the next fallen pillar, drop to the platform on its left instead. Jump the gap south; Logos leaves you two Goons and two Recoils.
• Inside: press the switches at the end of the left and right corridors. Drop into the pit ahead for a White Ring.
• After the stone platforms, the path on the right leads outside to a Red Ring. It costs a little time but there's room for it.
• Ormi stops you for a fight on the main path. At the end of the next fallen column, jump right onto the stone path. It circles south to a Star Pendant.
• Jump across at the front of the ruins to finish. Save, then climb for a Muscle Belt, which is only there if you won.

Boss: Boris¶

• HP: 480
• Weak: fire, ice
• Steal: Remedy
• Drop: Star Pendant and Faerie Earrings, both from one fight
• Sticky End hits everyone for about 50 and causes Stop. Power Break and Armor Break make it short. The Red and White Rings cast Fire and Blizzard.

Back on the Celsius¶

• 100%: talk to Brother on the bridge floor before Shinra, and choose "Comfort him". Talk to Shinra first and the scene is gone.
• Shinra gives you the Black Mage Dressphere.
• Two Hotspots open: Besaid Island and the Zanarkand Ruins. Do Besaid now and leave Zanarkand for last.

Your first catches¶

Open the Creature Creator at Shinra and pick Trap Creature. Choose a location and a pod, then Round Up to see what you caught. A Shinra face in the pod means nothing was caught and the pod is gone.

Luca can give the first three as well, but it has nearly every creature in its list, so the odds are worse there.

• More pods: every Fiend Arena tournament gives one, win or lose. Releasing a creature whose story is finished gives one. Finishing Chapters 1 to 4 gives three SP pods each time.
• Out of pods: with zero pods, back out of Trap Creature and the game hands you a free Trap Pod S or M, so you can keep rolling until the ones you want turn up.
• Wrong catch: you can hold eight creatures. Release the ones you don't want.
• A creature joins at about your party's average level. Its Fiend Tale moves forward when it levels, and the end of Chapters 1 to 4 gives each creature a free Fiend Tale level. Catch early.

Give each creature a Garment Grid and a Dressphere before it fights.

Besaid Island¶

• 100%: walk north from the Save Sphere into the village for the reunion with Wakka, then talk to Lulu in her hut (middle door, east side). Yuna and Lulu go up to the Promontory in a scene. When you're back, talk to Lulu again and answer "Yes, I'd love to" to stay the night. Talk to her outside in the morning to start the mission.
• The shop offers the Besaid Key for 900,000 gil. Skip it; the door it opens waits until Chapter 3.

Mission: Where's Wakka?¶

Find four ciphers to open the cave. They're random each game, marked on the minimap, and shown on the door panel once you have all four.

• Cipher 1, Promontory: the stone structure on the right.
• Cipher 2, next area: climb onto the structure on the right before you pass under it.
• Waterfall Way: no cipher here. Drop off the back of the wooden bridge to the riverbed for 2 Chocobo Wings. The cave door is on the left of the next path; pass it for now.
• Cipher 3, Beach: follow the child left and climb the ruins; it's at the top. Around the back of the ruins are chests with a Hi-Potion and 1,000 gil.
• Cipher 4, Beach: up the cliff in the far southwest of the beach.
• Achievement: change each girl's Dressphere once in any battle here for Dressed for the Occasion.
• Cave: talk to Wakka. Ignore the second locked door until Chapter 3. The west chest has 2 Potions. Equip the Red Ring, save, then touch the sphere on the pedestal.

Boss: Flame Dragon¶

• HP: 980
• Weak: ice. Absorbs: fire.
• Steal: Hi-Potion
• Drop: Red Ring
• Flame Breath hits everyone for 150 to 200, so keep the Red Ring on. Its normal attack always goes for whoever has the most HP. Blizzard from a Black Mage is your best damage.
• You get the White Mage Dressphere, then the Besaid Sphere and the Protection Halo Garment Grid when you show Wakka.
• Creatures: Besaid Island is where to set your Trap Pod L for a Flame Dragon.
• Steal: Sallets sometimes give a Light Curtain, Purpureas a Remedy.

Kilika Island¶

• Checkpoint: 9% when you land.
• Port chests: Ether, Mana Tablet, 2 Antidotes, 2 Eye Drops, Phoenix Down. Two are on the boats near the Save Sphere.
• Squatter Monkeys: talk to the woman with the child and monkey across the bridge to start this side quest. It isn't needed for 100%.
• 100%: go to Dona's hut. You see Barthello thrown out, then talk to Dona inside. Both scenes are only in this chapter.
• Roof of Dona's hut: 1,500 gil.
• Camera operator on the east docks: say "Okay, thanks!" to his offer to look. Doing this in Chapters 1, 3 and 5 leads to the Invincible (Break Damage Limit).
• North port chests: Light Curtain, 2 Holy Waters, Star Curtain, Lunar Curtain.
• Creatures: Red Elemental (Trap Pod S).

Luca, second visit¶

Mission: Behind the Scenes¶

• Yuna is in the Moogle suit. Talk to the worker by the vendor booth in the Square and hand his ten balloons to everyone in the plaza except the running kid and the patrolling soldier. Two are behind the glass in the northwest. You get the Healing Wind Garment Grid.
• 100%: Rikku's scene on the docks only plays if you talked to the Moogle on Dock 2 in the opening.

After the mission¶

• Dock 5: chest at the end with the Thunder Spawn Garment Grid. Chapters 1 and 2 only.
• Near the Square: jump to a chest for 2 Lunar Curtains.
• 100%: talk to Rin in the stadium's Basement A. He also gives an Al Bhed Primer. Missed it? Rin's entry in Shinra's Dossiers plays the same line.
• Shinra in the other stadium basement explains Sphere Break and gives you some coins to start.
• Creatures: Luca can trap almost anything, but the odds are spread thin.

Mi'ihen Highroad¶

• 100%: the short scene as you arrive is all you need here.
• Talk to the Al Bhed along the road. It sets up an event in Chapter 4.
• Chests:
  • Oldroad South End: 2 Phoenix Downs, 500 gil, Circlet
  • Oldroad South: 2 Antidotes
  • Oldroad Central: Iron Bangle, 2 Potions, 2 Holy Waters
  • Travel Agency: 2 Eye Drops
  • Newroad: Potion, 2 Phoenix Downs, 2 Budget Grenades, Mana Spring, 2 Echo Screens, 2 Softs
• The Travel Agency sells a Silver Bracer, Tiara, Iron Bangle and Gauntlets.
• Steal: Shantak, Remedy or a rare Black Choker; Divebeak, rare Ether; Bully Cap and Purpurea, rare Remedy.
• Drop: Fly Eye, rare Black Choker.
• Creatures: Chocobo (Trap Pod S).

Mushroom Rock Road¶

• Alcove near the start: 1,000 gil and a Hi-Potion. Grab them before you talk to Yaibal.
• 100%: Yaibal asks you to run the gauntlet. Answer "Sure, we're game." Saying "Not right now" loses the scene for good.
• 100%: talk to Clasko next to Yaibal until he sighs.
• Checkpoint: 12% after Clasko.

Mission: Foggy Fiend Frenzy¶

• Cross the road, fighting through the fog. Tonberries here have 9,999 HP; just escape.
• Steal: a Tonberry always has an Ether, which is worth one steal before you run. Agamas and Bully Caps sometimes give a Remedy.
• Take the path down to the lower level and into the Ravine: Turbo Ether, Phoenix Down, Hi-Potion. Keep the Turbo Ether; three teach a creature Vigor.
• 100%: go into the tunnel north of the Save Sphere to the Den of Woe. A scene plays at the entrance. Examine the door, then answer the person behind you with "Of course I do!" for a second scene.
• Crimson Sphere 9: Ormi drops it here. It's lost for good if you skip the Den of Woe now.
• Back up on the road, take the lift at the end. Elma gives a Glass Buckle and the Heart of Flame Garment Grid.
• Chest south of the lift: Favorite Outfit.

Youth League Headquarters¶

• Chest off the cliff edge (look for the nub on the minimap): Restless Sleep Garment Grid. Chapter 1 only.
• 100%: talk to Lucil twice.
• 100%: talk to Maechen by the entrance. Say "By all means", then don't press anything until his story ends. Any choice mid-story costs you the percent. Shake his hand at the end ("Of course."). This one conversation is worth 1.8%.

Back to the Celsius and down again¶

• 100%: at Shinra, watch "Crimson Report 1" under Treasure Spheres.
• 100%: talk to Buddy, go back down, find Clasko by the Save Sphere and answer "The more the merrier!"
• 100%: talk to Clasko in the Celsius cabin.
• Creatures: Tonberry (Trap Pod S). Red Elemental also turns up here in Chapters 1 and 2.

Djose Temple¶

• 100%: Djose's scenes all play on their own: the arrival, the scene inside the temple, and Gippal. Just walk through them.
• Wait for the line outside the tent to clear, then tell the receptionist "I want to dig!"
• Chest outside: Phoenix Down. Inside the temple: an Al Bhed Primer on the floor of the Great Hall and an Echo Screen in the Living Quarters.
• Talk to Gippal on the Pilgrimage Road and tell him you're sure. You get the Letter of Introduction. A chest further south has 2 Potions.

Moonflow¶

Warp in from the Celsius. If you walk in from Djose you can start the mission without meeting Tobli and lose his scene.

• 100%: go east to the South Bank and talk to Tobli first.

Mission: Shave the Hypello?¶

• Talk to the Hypello on the South Bank Road and escort the wagon. Three bandit ambushes: one bandit, then two from the front, then one from the front and one from the back.
• Don't let a bandit get away with a box. If one does, reload and redo it. A clean run changes Tobli's later scenes and rewards.
• 100%: finishing the mission counts, perfect run or not.
• Tobli gives the Gun Mage Dressphere, plus a Circlet and the Helios Guard Garment Grid for a perfect run.
• Start the Gun Mage on Mech Destroyer for the Kilika boss.
• Steal: Shell Shocker, Iron Bangle (rare Mythril Gloves); Protochimera, rare Yellow Ring.
• Drop: Shell Shocker, Black Ring (rare Titanium Bangle).

Guadosalam¶

• 100%: a short scene plays as you arrive. Then go to the top level and try to enter the Farplane for another.
• Walk down the hall from the Save Sphere to the Thunder Plains.

Thunder Plains¶

• 100%: the arrival scene is all you need.
• Checkpoint: 18% after it.
• South chests: 3 Echo Screens, 2 Potions, Black Choker.
• North chests: Phoenix Down, 2 Grenades, Ether.
• Steal: Ochu, rare Twist Headband; Stalwart, rare Gauntlets.
• Drop: Ochu, rare Twist Headband.
• Walk on north to Macalania Woods.

Macalania Woods¶

The Amorphous Gels here can drop one girl to 1 HP and hit everyone with magic. Escaping is fine.

• 100%: Bayra's scene plays as you enter.
• 100%: at the Spring (east, then east, then south), talk to Donga.
• 100%: on the regular (non-sparkling) path through Central and North, talk to Pukutak.
• Chests: White Ring (Central), Turbo Ether (Central, on the sparkling path), Hi-Potion (Lake Macalania).
• Steal: Amorphous Gel, White Ring (and it drops a Blue Ring); Deep Haizhe, Gold Anklet (rare Dragonfly Orb); Haizhe, rare Pretty Orb.
• 100%: at the Spring off the Lake Road, talk to Tromell four times. He gives Paine's Full Throttle Special Dressphere and the Unerring Path Garment Grid. Full Throttle can still be had in Chapter 2, but the percent can't.

Mission: Follow That O'aka!¶

• Go north to the Agency Front for the O'aka scene and an Al Bhed Primer.
• Follow him back to the Save Sphere, where he runs again. Go east, east again, then north. He's up in the trees.
• 100%: find O'aka.
• Checkpoint: 20% once you've found him.
• Let him hide aboard the Celsius. Later 100% scenes depend on it. You get the Ice Queen Garment Grid.
• 100%: open O'aka's shop in the Celsius cabin. Buy from him to chip away at his 100,000 gil debt, which you want paid off before Chapter 3.

Bikanel Desert¶

• Follow Rikku until the team collapses. You wake up in the Al Bhed camp with an Al Bhed Primer.
• Talk to the people around camp until Nhadala arrives, then give her the Letter of Introduction.
• Take the hover to the Western Expanse.

Mission: Can You Dig It?¶

• Dig up the Scrap Metal and get back to the hover. You get the Still of Night Garment Grid.
• Steal: Bolt Drake, rare Yellow Ring. Drop: Bolt Drake, rare NulShock Ring; Fly Eye, rare Black Choker.
• 100%: the Bikanel scenes play on their own as you go.
• Checkpoint: 21% once the mission is done.
• Don't do extra digging yet. Dig treasure powers up a later boss, and for 100% you'll want to beat it at a low level first.

Bevelle¶

• 100%: walk the Highbridge for the scenes with a priest and then Baralai.
• Ride the elevator in New Yevon HQ to the second floor and talk to Baralai again for a Tiara.

Calm Lands¶

• 100%: a short scene plays the first time you enter.
• Talk to the Open Air, Inc. or Argent, Inc. worker by the hover, open the Publicity menu and sign up. Either company is fine.
• The man in the middle starts the Marriage Campaign. Say "Why not!?"
• Both campaigns run on pressing the talk-about button with people around Spira. They're side quests, not 100%.
• Chests: 2 Chocobo Feathers, Phoenix Down, Ether, 2 Potions (Calm Lands Bridge), Phoenix Down (Gorge Bottom).
• Steal: Amorphous Gel, White Ring (drop Blue Ring); Divebeak, rare Ether.
• Creatures: Chocobo (Trap Pod S).

Mt. Gagazet¶

• 100%: a short scene plays as you arrive.
• There are eight Ronso to talk to, Kimahri included. To Garik's "Ronso not saved yet", answer "We'll take care of Lian and Ayde."
• Talk to Kimahri (more than once if needed) and answer "You have to learn to deal with these things!"

• Answer the other Ronso this way. None of it is 100% yet, but it decides scenes in later chapters:

  Ronso says	Answer
  Find Lian and Ayde	"Leave it to the Gullwings!"
  Many Ronso died to defend Yuna	"I will never forget their sacrifice."
  The Guado are scheming	"I'm sure you're right."
  Ronso grief is deep	"I can imagine how you must feel…"
  Never forgive Seymour or the Guado	"I wouldn't forgive them either."
  The fayth's power is fading (in the Fayth Scar, by the teleporter)	"A change for the better, I hope."

• Creatures: this is the last chance before the chapter ends to put creatures in your roster for the Chapter 1 Fiend Tale bonus.

Zanarkand Ruins¶

• 100%: Zanarkand's scenes play on their own as you go through.
• Talk to Isaaru up the hill; your answer doesn't matter.
• Dome chests: Mega Phoenix, Phoenix Down.
• Drop: Behemoth, Circlet (rare Yellow Ring).
• In the Chamber of the Fayth, Cid asks if you have a bone to pick. Neither answer counts now. Answer "You bet I do!" anyway: it gives you two chances later (Thunder Plains, Chapters 2 and 3) at a 100% scene instead of one.
• Talk to the researcher by Cid to free the monkeys. In the Great Hall, don't touch the monkeys (they steal gil), but open the chests: Hi-Potion, Phoenix Down, Elixir, 3 Remedies, Ether.
• The Beyond: to "What is the meaning of life?" answer "Is that you, Isaaru?" for the Heart Reborn Garment Grid.

Boss: Guardian Beast¶

• HP: 2,886
• Weak: most elements, so Black Magic works well
• Steal: Defense Veil
• Drop: Amulet
• Three swipes, then Curse. Below about 960 HP it swaps Curse for Damocles Photon, which halves everyone's HP. A White Mage spamming Pray keeps up.

Kilika: the Awesome Sphere¶

The game takes you straight here and the chapter ends after the boss.

• The Squatter Monkey quest is easiest now. The woods close again until Chapter 3.
• Kilika Woods: climb the second of the two trees leaning over the water in the east for a Megalixir.
• Steal: Stalwart, rare Gauntlets; Protochimera, rare Yellow Ring.
• At the north end, answer "Just a little peek" and then "More, more!" to hear both passwords.

Mission: Awesome Sphere Heist!¶

Odd number of guards: "Carved Monkey". Even number: "Craven Monkey". Each correct answer gives a reward.

1. Four guards across the bridge: "Craven Monkey"
2. Three guards (one starts behind a pillar): "Carved Monkey"
3. Four guards: "Craven Monkey"
4. Three guards, then two more join: "Carved Monkey" both times

Getting every one right gives the Menace of the Deep Garment Grid.

Boss: YSLS-Zero¶

• HP: 1,935
• Steal: Mythril Gloves
• Drop: Wristband
• Gun Mage's Mech Destroyer does heavy damage. Blast Punch halves a target's HP, so keep healing. Power Break blunts its punches.

Chapter 1 ends¶

• You get the Chapter 1 Fiend Tale bonus (every creature you hold gains a Fiend Tale level) and three Trap Pod SP. Accept them.
• 100%: the end-of-chapter scenes play on their own.
• Checkpoint: you should be at 25% (25.2% exactly; the game rounds down).

Sources¶

• Story order, 100% scenes, chests and boss data: Jegged's FFX-2 walkthrough, checked against the Gamer Guides walkthrough.
• Creature Creator tutorial pods: checked in game.