Monster Arena
Located on the eastern side of the Calm Lands, the Monster Arena is the basis for FFX's major sidequest. Mastering it will take days, but it is certainly time well spent; huge quantities of rare items can be earned here, as well as Yuna's Nirvana and Auron's Mars Sigil. This is also where you need to go if you want to max out your characters' stats.
Introduction
Visit the Monster Arena by taking the eastern exit from the Calm Lands. Introduce yourself to the owner and he will let you buy some special weapons with the Capture auto-ability. This is the only place you can get such weapons, as Capture cannot be customised onto existing equipment.
With your new armaments equipped, the quest begins for real. The guy needs you to travel the world, capturing the monsters you encounter on the way. Most of the things you encounter in random battles can be caught, so be on your guard. To catch a monster, the final blow must be dealt by a Capture weapon. Enemies killed by magic or overdrives are not captured.
Once you've caught something you can return to the Arena and fight it any time you wish - for a price, at least. You can catch up to ten of each, so don't just stop at one. The rewards start coming in for unlocking Conquest bosses by completing an entire area or species.
Completing the Calm Lands area conquest (and therefore unlocking Chimerageist) will make Yuna's Nirvana chest appear, but you need the Celestial Mirror to open it. It will also enable to you capture monsters in areas besides the Calm Lands. Unlocking a total of ten conquests will reward you with Auron's Mars Sigil. Capturing five of every monster will let you buy Clear Spheres from the owner.
Capture Lists
| Besaid Island | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dingo | 24gil | (Wolf) | ||
| Condor | 18 | (Bird) | ||
| Water Flan | 27 | (Flan) | ||
| Kilika Woods | ||||
| Dinonix | 40 | (Lizard) | ||
| Killer Bee | 34 | (Insect) | ||
| Yellow Element | 49 | (Element) | ||
| Ragora | 72 | |||
| Mi'ihen Highroad | ||||
| Mi'ihen Fang | 49 | (Wolf) | ||
| Ipiria | 69 | (Lizard) Note: Appears in the lower "Oldroad" sections. | ||
| Floating Eye | 66 | (Eyeball) | ||
| White Element | 72 | (Element) | ||
| Raldo | 63 | (Armoured) | ||
| Vouivre | 90 | (Dragon) | ||
| Bomb | 105 | (Bomb) | ||
| Dual Horn | 157 | (Horned) | ||
| Mushroom Rock Road | ||||
| Raptor | 72 | (Lizard) | ||
| Gandarewa | 93 | (Imp) | ||
| Thunder Flan | 75 | (Flan) | ||
| Red Element | 82 | (Element) | ||
| Lamashtu | 108 | (Dragon) | ||
| Funguar | 63 | (Mushroom) | ||
| Garuda | 210 | Note: Rare, tends to appear in the shadows. | ||
| Djose Road | ||||
| Garm | 132 | (Wolf) | ||
| Simurgh | 109 | (Bird) Note: Very rare, tends to appear in bright areas. | ||
| Bite Bug | 93 | (Insect) | ||
| Snow Flan | 139 | (Flan) | ||
| Bunyip | 145 | (Armoured) | ||
| Basilisk | 187 | |||
| Ochu | 780 | Note: Appears only on the Moonflow roads. | ||
| Thunder Plains | ||||
| Melusine | 162 | (Lizard) | ||
| Aerouge | 216 | (Imp) | ||
| Buer | 198 | (Eyeball) | ||
| Gold Element | 160 | (Element) | ||
| Kusariqqu | 168 | (Dragon) | ||
| Larva | 495 | |||
| Iron Giant | 900 | (Iron giant) Note: Appears in the northern half of the plains. | ||
| Qactuar | 4000 | Note: These will appear after praying to a Cactuar stone (press square). | ||
| Macalania Woods | ||||
| Snow Wolf | 288 | (Wolf) Note: Appears in the snowfields. | ||
| Iguion | 207 | (Lizard) | ||
| Wasp | 213 | (Insect) | ||
| Evil Eye | 307 | (Eyeball) Note: Appears in the snowfields. | ||
| Ice Flan | 282 | (Flan) Note: Appears in the snowfields. | ||
| Blue Element | 270 | (Element) | ||
| Murussu | 247 | (Armoured) | ||
| Mafdet | 258 | (Armoured) Note: Appears in the snowfields. | ||
| Xiphos | 330 | |||
| Chimera | 1455 | |||
| Bikanel Island | ||||
| Sand Wolf | 337 | (Wolf) | ||
| Alcyone | 360 | (Bird) | ||
| Mushussu | 405 | (Dragon) | ||
| Zu | 1800 | |||
| Sand Worm | 1500 | |||
| Cactuar | 400 | Note: You can capture the ones from the Gatekeeper sidequest. | ||
| Calm Lands | ||||
| Skoll | 630 | (Wolf) | ||
| Nebiros | 480 | (Insect) | ||
| Flame Flan | 672 | (Flan) | ||
| Shred | 552 | (Armoured) Note: More common near the southern entrance. | ||
| Anacondaur | 1125 | |||
| Ogre | 1470 | Note: More common in the northwest. | ||
| Coeurl | 1650 | Note: More common in the east. | ||
| Chimera Brain | 1500 | Note: Appears in the west. | ||
| Malboro | 1650 | Note: Appears in the northwest. | ||
| Sunken Cave (Cavern of the Stolen Fayth) | ||||
| Yowie | 720 | (Lizard) | ||
| Imp | 915 | (Imp) Note: Also appears on Mt. Gagazet. | ||
| Dark Element | 780 | (Element) | ||
| Nidhogg | 903 | (Dragon) Note: Also appears on Mt. Gagazet. | ||
| Thorn | 795 | (Mushroom) | ||
| Valaha | 1080 | (Horned) | ||
| Epaaj | 1425 | |||
| Ghost | 1215 | |||
| Tonberry | 3000 | Note: Extremely rare, but apparently more common in the greenish room with the treasure chest. | ||
| Mt. Gagazet | ||||
| Bandersnatch | 1320 | (Wolf) | ||
| Ahriman | 975 | (Eyeball) | ||
| Dark Flan | 1620 | (Flan) Note: Appears in the cave. | ||
| Grenade | 810 | (Bomb) | ||
| Grat | 780 | |||
| Grendel | 1095 | (Horned) | ||
| Bashura | 1095 | |||
| Mandragora | 1800 | Note: Appears in the cave. | ||
| Behemoth | 2025 | Note: Appears in the cave. | ||
| Splasher | 300 | (Fish) Note: Appears in the water. | ||
| Achelous | 630 | (Fish) Note: Appears in the water. | ||
| Maelspike | 495 | (Fish) Note: Appears in the water. | ||
| Inside Sin | ||||
| Exoray | 1260 | (Mushroom) | ||
| Wraith | 1605 | Note: Also appears in the Omega Ruins. | ||
| Gemini | 1666 | (Iron giant) Note: Also appears in the Omega Ruins. The two Gemini appear together. | ||
| Gemini | 1666 | (Iron giant) Note: Also appears in the Omega Ruins. | ||
| Demonolith | 2205 | Note: Also appears in the Omega Ruins. | ||
| Great Malboro | 2250 | Note: Appears in the City of Dying Dreams and the Omega Ruins. | ||
| Barbatos | 2325 | Note: Appears in the City of Dying Dreams. | ||
| Adamantoise | 3300 | Note: Also appears in the Omega Ruins. | ||
| Behemoth King | 2775 | |||
| Omega Ruins | ||||
| Zaurus | 1425 | (Lizard) | ||
| Floating Death | 1897 | (Eyeball) | ||
| Black Element | 1560 | (Element) | ||
| Halma | 1545 | (Armoured) | ||
| Puroboros | 1455 | (Bomb) | ||
| Spirit | 1950 | |||
| Machea | 2175 | |||
| Master Coeurl | 3045 | |||
| Master Tonberry | 3600 | Note: Fairly rare. More common in the final path to Omega. | ||
| Varuna | 2670 | |||
Area Conquests
Capture one of each enemy from an area to unlock one of these bosses and win a substantial reward. Note that these bosses are very tough, and will require major character advancement before you can defeat them.
| Name | Cost | Area | Reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stratoavis | 6000 | Besaid Island | 99 Stamina Tonic |
| Malboro Menace | 6000 | Kilika Woods | 99 Poison Fang |
| Kottos | 6000 | Mi'ihen Highroad | 99 Soul Spring |
| Coeurlregina | 6000 | Mushroom Rock Road | 99 Candle of Life |
| Jormungand | 6000 | Djose Road | 99 Petrify Grenade |
| Cactuar King | 6000 | Thunder Plains | 99 Chocobo Wing |
| Espada | 6000 | Macalania | 60 Shining Gem |
| Abyss Worm | 6000 | Bikanel Island | 99 Shadow Gem |
| Chimerageist | 6000 | Calm Lands | 60 Farplane Wind |
| Don Tonberry | 8000 | Sunken Cave | 40 Silver Hourglass |
| Catoblepas | 6000 | Mt. Gagazet | Blossom Crown |
| Abaddon | 6000 | Inside Sin | 99 Lunar Curtain |
| Vorban | 6000 | Omega Ruins | 60 Designer Wallet |
Species Conquests
Yet more special bosses can be unlocked by catching a certain number of each monster of the same species.
| Name | Cost | Species | Reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fenrir | 8000 | 3 Wolf (Dingo, Mi'ihen Fang, Garm, Snow Wolf, Sand Wolf, Skoll, Bandersnatch) | 99 Chocobo Feather |
| Ornitholestes | 8000 | 3 Lizard (Dinonix, Ipiria, Raptor, Melusine, Iguion, Yowie, Zaurus) | 99 Stamina Spring |
| Pteryx | 8000 | 4 Bird (Condor, Simurgh, Alcyone) | 99 Mega Phoenix |
| Hornet | 8000 | 4 Insect (Killer Bee, Bite Bug, Wasp, Nebiros) | 60 Mana Tonic |
| Vidatu | 8000 | 4 Imp (Gandarewa, Aerouge, Imp) | 99 Mana Spring |
| One-Eye | 8000 | 4 Eyeball (Floating Eye, Buer, Evil Eye, Ahriman, Floating Death) | 60 Stamina Tablet |
| Jumbo Flan | 8000 | 3 Flan (Water Flan, Thunder Flan, Snow Flan, Ice Flan, Flame Flan, Dark Flan) | 60 Twin Stars |
| Nega Elemental | 8000 | 3 Element (Yellow Element, White Element, Red Element, Gold Element, Blue Element, Dark Element, Black Element) | 99 Star Curtain |
| Tanket | 8000 | 3 Armoured (Raldo, Bunyip, Murussu, Mafdet, Shred, Halma) | 99 Gold Hourglass |
| Fafnir | 8000 | 4 Dragon (Vouivre, Lamashtu, Kusariqqu, Mushussu, Nidhogg) | 99 Purifying Salt |
| Sleep Sprout | 8000 | 5 Mushroom (Funguar, Thorn, Exoray) | 99 Healing Spring |
| Bomb King | 8000 | 5 Bomb (Bomb, Grenade, Puroboros) | 60 Turbo Ether |
| Juggernaut | 8000 | 5 Horned (Dual Horn, Valaha, Grendel) | 99 Light Curtain |
| Ironclad | 8000 | 10 Iron giant (Iron Giant, Gemini, Gemini) | 60 Mana Tablet |
Original Creations
The final batch of monsters are unlocked by earning so many captures in total.
| Name | Cost | Requirement | Reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earth Eater | 15000 | Unlock two Area Conquests | 60 Three Stars |
| Greater Sphere | 15000 | Unlock two Species Conquests | 60 Supreme Gem |
| Catastrophe | 15000 | Unlock six Area Conquests | 99 Door to Tomorrow |
| Th'uban | 15000 | Unlock six Species Conquests | 99 Gambler's Spirit |
| Neslug | 15000 | Unlock all Area Conquests | 99 Winning Formula |
| Ultima Buster | 15000 | Capture five of every monster | 99 Dark Matter |
| Shinryu | 15000 | Capture two of each type of Fish (Splasher, Achelous, Maelspike) | 30 Megalixir |
| Nemesis | 25000 | Capture ten of everything and defeat all of the other creations | 10 Master Sphere |
