The Calm Lands

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.

Back in the woods

No fights here. Talk to everyone, then find Kimahri, who points you on. Let the scene play.

When you get control afterwards, walk back to where the party camped. A chest has appeared there with a ring for Yuna. Then follow the path out past the spot that used to be guarded. If a glowing sphere lies on the ground on the right where the path splits, pick it up.

The plains

The Calm Lands are wide open with a map in the corner, and you are free to wander. Fights here are a step up. Watch for the big plant-like monsters: their breath attack stacks almost every bad status at once, including Confusion. Kill them fast, cure with Al Bhed Potions, and have Kimahri use Lancet on one — it is one of his best Ronso Rages.

The travel agency in the middle has a save sphere and the best shop yet. Then take a lap:

• South-east corner, down a ramp: two chests, 5,000 and 10,000 gil.
• Behind the agency building: a Lv. 2 Key Sphere.
• The far west, at the tip of the longest peninsula: an Al Bhed Primer on the ground.

Things that open here

Several things in the Calm Lands are long-term projects. You can look at all of them now; you do not need to finish any of them.

• The chocobo trainer, north of the agency. Do her first course — it is easy and it lets you ride chocobos across the plains. The rest can wait.
• A woman south of the agency will challenge Yuna’s aeons to a duel. Use your strongest aeon, not the ice one. It is optional, but she gives you something useful whether you win or lose, and winning adds a stack of Power Spheres.
• The arena up a path on the east side. It is for much later. Look in and leave.
• A temple off the edge of the plains, reachable only on a chocobo by jumping at a feather marker. There is an Al Bhed Primer on its west side. Everything else there is for later.

The bridge

The way on is north, over a bridge. Save at the sphere before you cross.

The boss on the bridge hits very hard and is tough to damage. Have Tidus use Provoke on it: from then on it uses only its weaker punch on him, which halves his HP but cannot knock him out. Heal him and let everyone else work. Auron’s Armor Break and Mental Break make a big difference, and Tidus should Hastega and Cheer early. Near the end it toughens itself up; keep hitting.

Into the gorge

Over the bridge, a path drops into a gorge. Take the right-hand branch and follow the cliffside path to a sword stuck in the ground between two rocks. Pick it up.

The left-hand branch leads into a cave. It is optional; it has its own page.

How this page was made

Researched across 6 community walkthroughs and written from scratch — no source’s wording appears here.

How we decide what to print

Completionist mode. Full spoilers, in play order, with every permanent loss called out before you reach it. 3 entries below are marked where our sources disagree with each other — we have not picked a winner for you.

Spoilers from here.

The one thing that matters

Nothing in this area is lost. The airship brings you back to every corner of it. What the Calm Lands do is open things — the Monster Arena, chocobo training, Remiem Temple, the Cavern of the Stolen Fayth — and the right call on a story pass is to look, take the free pickups, and leave the grinds for the airship. The Monster Arena guide, the chocobo training guide and the Remiem Temple guide cover the long versions.

Macalania Woods: the spring

After the escape the party regroups in the woods. No random battles. Talk to everyone, find Kimahri, and watch the scene at the spring between Tidus and Yuna — Heartstrings unlocks when it ends.

One pickup on the way out, and one reminder:

• Lucid Ring — a chest appears at the campsite after the scene. Walk back for it. Yuna’s, with Silence Ward and Confuse Ward; a different ring from the one in the Via Purifico.
• Jecht Sphere — the Macalania Woods sphere that appeared after Spherimorph lies on the ground on the right where the path splits. If you did not take it then, take it now; it is listed with Macalania Woods.

The Calm Lands

Maechen is on the ridge with the history of the place. Rin’s Travel Agency sits in the middle with a save sphere and a shop whose gear beats anything you have been offered, including Wakka’s White Armguard with an empty slot.

Malboros are the threat. Bad Breath inflicts Confusion, Berserk, Silence, Slow, Poison and Darkness on the whole party. Confuse Ward, Al Bhed Potions and fast kills. Lancet one for Bad Breath — Kimahri’s most useful Ronso Rage. Kimahri’s solo fight on the mountain is coming, so give him actions here.

Pickup	Where
5,000 gil	South-east corner, down the ramp.
10,000 gil	Same corner.
Lv. 2 Key Sphere	Behind the agency building.
Al Bhed Primer XXIII	The tip of the westernmost peninsula, due west of the agency.

What opens here (and has its own guide)

• Chocobo training. The trainer is just north of the agency. The first course (Wobbly Chocobo) unlocks chocobo riding on the plains; do it now. The later courses and the Sun Sigil belong to the chocobo training guide.
• Monster Arena. Up the path on the east side. The owner sells capture weapons and the endgame is built on it. Ignore it until you have the airship.
• Remiem Temple. Ride a chocobo to the feather marker and jump down to the hidden path. Primer XXIV is on the temple’s west side — grab it if you go. Belgemine’s aeon gauntlet, the chocobo race for the Cloudy Mirror and the Magus Sisters are all for later.
• Cavern of the Stolen Fayth. Off the gorge, covered on its own page.

Belgemine’s Shiva

South of the agency. Belgemine heals Yuna’s aeons and sends out Shiva: absorbs ice, high defense and magic defense. Use Bahamut; save his Overdrive for her. Win for 30 Power Spheres. The Aeon’s Soul, which lets you raise aeon stats with items, is given at the end of the fight — two guides say whatever the result, one says only on a win, so win.

If you challenge her at Remiem Temple first, she leaves the plains; the first fight there still gives the Aeon’s Soul.

Defender X

Save before the bridge. 64,000 HP. Steal Lunar Curtain. Drops a Lv. 2 Key Sphere.

• Haymaker hits for 3,500 or more — a one-shot on most of the party.
• Blast Punch halves current HP and cannot KO. It is also its counter.
• Late in the fight it casts Mighty Guard on itself (Protect, Shell) and Slowga on you. Two guides put the trigger at 10,000 HP; one says around 16,000 once it has been Armor Broken.

Provoke with Tidus. It then spends every turn on Blast Punch at him, which never kills. Auron opens with Armor Break and Mental Break, Tidus Hastegas and Cheers, Lulu’s -ga spells chip in, and everyone else just hits. Piercing weapons go through its armor.

The gorge and the Rusty Sword

Past the bridge and the save sphere, the road drops into a gorge. The left-hand branch is the Cavern of the Stolen Fayth. Take the right-hand branch and follow the cliffside path east to the Rusty Sword, stuck in the ground between two rocks. It is the first piece of Auron’s Masamune, and it waits here for as long as you need.

North of the gorge is the road to Mt. Gagazet.

How this page was made

Researched across 8 community walkthroughs and written from scratch — no source’s wording appears here. 3 are marked where sources disagree with each other — we have not picked a winner for you.

How we decide what to print