Baaj Temple

Story mode. Written for a first playthrough and kept free of spoilers — it will not tell you what happens here, only what the game is asking of you.

You wake up in cold water with nobody around. The area is small and linear, but it has the first chests in the game and the first fight that can actually beat you.

The sunken ruins

Swim north-west to the steps and climb out. There is a glowing sphere on the steps — ignore it on a first run; it only matters if you have an earlier save.

Before you head north, take both chests on this screen: two Potions across the bridge to the south, and 200 gil on the east side.

Follow the stone walkway north. Where it forks, go left to the end for a Hi-Potion, then come back and save at the sphere.

The fight in the water

A few small fish attack, then something much bigger takes over. You cannot win this and you cannot lose it. Each hit takes half your current HP, and the fight ends on its own after two or three turns. Attack or try to run. Do not waste Potions.

The temple hall

You end up in a dark hall with a fire pit in the middle. You need two things to light it, and there are chests on the way to both.

• Flint is in a box in the small room behind the save sphere, on the west side.
• X-Potion is in a chest on the east side of the main room, by the big sealed door. The mini-map does not show it.
• Ether is in a chest just inside the doorway on the far side, at the foot of the stairs.
• Withered Bouquet is halfway up the stairs, in the wall. The camera points it out.
• Hi-Potion is at the end of the upper passage, on the balcony.

That is everything. Take all of it before you go to the fire pit — once the fire is lit, the area is done.

The fire

Save and make sure you are at full HP. Then light the fire.

The boss that turns up hits for about 100 to 125 a turn and can beat you. Attack, and heal with a Potion whenever you drop under 200 HP. Partway through you get help, and the game asks you to throw a Grenade — do it. After that, have your new companion steal Grenades from the boss and keep at least two in stock when the fight ends. You will need them very soon.

Completionist mode. Full spoilers, in play order, with every permanent loss called out before you reach it.

Spoilers from here.

Baaj Temple is where Tidus washes up after Sin, a thousand years from home. The first visit is a short loop: chests, two key items, a fire, and Rikku’s first appearance. Lighting the fire ends it. Nothing here is valuable, but all six chests count, and none of them is offered again.

The sunken ruins

Compilation Sphere — on the steps north-west of where you surface. It loads Al Bhed letters from an earlier save so you can read the language from the start. On a fresh save it does nothing; on a second run it is worth touching, because otherwise the Primers you already know have to be found again before the dialogue translates.

Two chests on this first screen:

• Potion x2 — across the bridge, south of the Compilation Sphere platform.
• 200 gil — the east side. Take it before you go north.

Follow the walkway north. At the fork, go left to the end:

• Hi-Potion — end of the left branch.

Save at the sphere before the next screen.

Geosgaeno, the first time

Three Sahagin attack first. Kill two; Geosgaeno takes care of the third. Then Geosgaeno itself: 32,767 HP, and every hit takes half your current HP, so it cannot kill you and you cannot hurt it meaningfully. Tidus has no Steal yet. Attack or flee — after two or three turns Tidus escapes into the temple. Save your Potions.

The temple hall

The fire pit sits in the middle of the main room. Two key items light it; the chests are on the routes to them.

• Flint — in a box in the small room behind the save sphere, west side.
• X-Potion — chest on the east side of the main room, beside the sealed door. The mini-map does not mark it.
• Ether — chest just inside the doorway on the far side, at the foot of the stairs.
• Withered Bouquet — halfway up the stairs, in the wall.
• Hi-Potion — end of the upper passage, on the balcony.

That is two Hi-Potions, an X-Potion, an Ether, two Potions and 200 gil in all. Collect every one before you use the fire pit.

Klikk

Save, heal to full, light the fire. Tidus falls asleep, and wakes to Klikk.

Boss: Klikk. 1,500 HP, no weaknesses, 100–125 damage a hit. It sometimes takes two turns in a row. Attack and drink a Potion under 200 HP.

Partway through, the Al Bhed break in and Rikku joins. Klikk’s HP refills at this point, so the fight effectively starts again. The game makes you throw a Grenade with Use; after that, steal Grenades from Klikk with Rikku and throw them — each one roughly doubles a Tidus hit. Finish the fight with at least two Grenades in the bag. Tros on the salvage ship is much easier with them.

• Steal: Grenade (Grenade x2 rare).
• Drop: Ability Sphere x2. One of them goes straight onto the grid in the next area.

The Al Bhed knock Tidus out and carry him to their ship.

Coming back for Anima

Baaj is not finished. Late in the game, with the airship, you can dive back to the temple. That visit holds a second, real Geosgaeno fight, a Megalixir and Mega Phoenix x4 in the Chamber of the Fayth, Lulu’s Onion Knight in the water (it needs the Celestial Mirror), and the sealed door — which only opens once every Destruction Sphere chest from the Cloisters of Trials is open. Open Bevelle’s on the way through regardless — it cannot be had later, and whether skipping it leaves its statue dark is disputed. Behind the door is Anima. All of that belongs to the Anima guide.