Unlike most JRPGs, Final Fantasy 10 gives the players a different take on leveling up via the Sphere Grid. Instead of improving your stats automatically, you use your levels to open pathways on each character’s Sphere Grid. In this article, we’ll give tips on the best places to grind.
The journey across Spira can be highly challenging if the players don’t take time to level up their characters and don’t understand the importance of specific abilities. Most enemies you find on the road won’t give you trouble, but Final Fantasy 10 has numerous tough bosses that require you to strategize and have your characters ready for battle.
As such, grinding becomes part of the process to reduce your raging against scary bosses.. And for that, nothing is better than this article to show you where to grind and which enemies allow you to level up faster.
You will notice that most grinding areas are essential because they precede a challenging boss, such as the different versions of Seymour or Yunalesca.
5. Cavern of the Stolen Fayth/ Calm Lands
The Cavern of the Stolen Fayth provides you with enemies that allows you to prepare to for one of the most challenging bosses in Final Fantasy 10.
Final Fantasy 10 offers different challenges along the way. Still, with suitable options for all the characters' Sphere Grid and without fleeing every enemy on the road, you can defeat them without grinding.
However, in the game's later stages, you will encounter the most challenging bosses in Final Fantasy 10, and it all starts with Seymour Flux in Mount Gagazet. By then, you should focus on grinding levels to boost your stats and acquire essential abilities for the boss battles.
In this battle, every character contributes if used properly. Prioritize obtaining these abilities:
- Hastega;
- Cheer (besides Tidus);
- Bio;
- Silence Buster.
Some players prioritize their main party while neglecting the remaining characters, so you can use this opportunity to catch up with them. Please, don’t underestimate Rikku, she is the best.
There are multiple enemies within these two areas where you can one shot with different characters and gain enough AP to level up your party before the difficulty ramps up in Mount Gagazet.
You can find the Cavern of the Stolen Fayth underneath the bridge when you fight the Defender boss right before the Calm Lands.
Why Cavern of the Stolen Fayth and Calm Lands Are Great Grinding Spots:
- It precedes the endgame in Final Fantasy 10, where you need your characters ready;
- You can find enemies that provide a generous amount of AP;
- You can find different enemies that fit your character strengths.
4. Bevelle Highbridge
You should take advantage of your only opportunity to grind in the Bevelle Highbridge because the rewards are above the standard level in Final Fantasy 10.
In Final Fantasy 10, you can return to most places you previously visited, but there are a few exceptions, such as Bevelle. We aren’t well received there…who knows why.
Unfortunately, the Highbridge is one of the best spots you can grind, so you must take the opportunity to level up your characters there. Also, it precedes a battle against Seymour, consistently the most challenging fights in the game.
In the Highbridge, you will rack up AP at a fast rate, and you will level up tremendously without grinding endlessly. On the downside, you can’t use Kimahri.
Fortunately, Kimahri is, arguably, the least essential member of your party unless you love him and make him a priority in your team.
This area ranks this low because you can only visit it once, and Kimahri won’t level up. Otherwise, it would be one of the best spots for leveling up during the story.
Why Bevelle Highbridge is a Great Grinding Spot:
- It has an excellent ratio between AP and time spent;
- It precedes a hard fight against Seymour;
- It has enemies that provide a good amount of AP while being easy to defeat.
3. Monster Arena
Monster Arena is one of the best places to grind and challenge yourself if you want to invest in the post-game content of Final Fantasy 10.
Theoretically, the Monster Arena is the best place to grind levels in Final Fantasy 10. However, to become the best place, you must do side quests to unlock all the optional bosses. Its target is mainly the post-endgame content because of its difficulty level.
The Monster Arena won’t factor in grinding your levels for a normal playthrough. It’s mostly for completionists who want to complete every Sphere Grid and defeat every challenging boss after the credits roll.
As such, ranking third is an accomplishment and reflects how amazing it is to grind up levels in the arena.
If you want to spend hundreds of hours in Final Fantasy 10, the Monster Arena will be your saving grace, and you should make it your number one grinding spot.
Why Monster Arena is a Great Grinding Spot:
- You can find diversity in the enemies you face;
- You can get the most amount of AP in the whole game;
- You can face Don Tonberry, your fastest pathway to complete every Sphere Grid.
2. Zanarkand Ruins
The Zanarkand Ruins precedes the jump in difficulty that Final Fantasy 10 presents you later in the story.
The Zanarkand Ruins are pivotal in the story and test your characters as you walk toward one of the most challenging bosses in the story, Lady Yunalesca.
Until now, most bosses you defeated didn’t require much grinding. Only after reaching Mount Gagazet and facing Seymour Flex you understand how hard Final Fantasy 10 is.
Still, while it is arguable who’s the most challenging boss between Lady Yunalesca and Seymour Flex, there’s no denying your characters will be unprepared to face Lady Yunalesca without grinding a few levels.
You can’t use the airship to fast-travel at this point in the story, so your best grinding spot will be the Zanarkand Ruins. The area is excellent for leveling up your characters because many enemies provide vast amounts of AP while being easy to defeat.
Why Zanarkand Ruins is a Great Grinding Spot:
- It precedes the battle against Yunalesca, and there is no fast travel yet;
- It has different areas with diverse enemies;
- You can find enemies that provide an excellent amount of AP;
- You can find more accessible and challenging enemies depending on your current level.
1. Omega Ruins
The Omega Ruins is the post-game content gateway and will prepare you for what's to come.
Targeting a balanced approach to rank these grinding spots is always our focus. As such, the Omega Ruins aim to be accessible for every player while focusing more on the post-end game content.
The Omega Ruins ranks higher than the Monster Arena because it's easier to grind and requires less from your characters. So, while it provides less AP, it is the perfect place to power up your characters until you are ready for the Monster Arena.
It's the perfect pathway to level up characters and delve into the optional bosses.
Why Omega Ruins is a Great Grinding Spot:
- It’s the perfect transition between the end of the story and the post-end game content;
- It provides the best AP in the game besides the Monster Arena;
- It has different areas and a vast number of enemies;
- You can easily defeat some monsters while leveling up fast.
Final Fantasy 10 is a JRPG that provides challenging battles but only demands endless hours of grinding if your purpose is to complete everything. Even then, leveling up isn’t as exhausting and frustrating as in most JRPGs.
These grinding spots help you face the most terrifying bosses in the story while smoothing your transition to the post-end game and completing every Sphere Grid. Each one has a different target, but they fulfill their purpose.
