The battle system in the Final Fantasy world is always changing to keep fans entertained and offer something new to make each game unique. In Final Fantasy 13-2, it changed it up by making players go out and collect monsters to add as their number three in the group. While Noel and Serah are pretty powerful on their own, they’re going to need a strong monster partner to pick up the slack.
There are plenty of monsters to choose from in both the main game of FF13-2 and the DLCs. It can take some time or be easy to level them up, but there are some monsters that are better than most. With the right build and infusing them with other monsters to pick up where they lack, these are the best monsters in Final Fantasy 13-2 worth getting, as well as investing materials and time in to help their growth.
12 Commando: Chichu
The Chichu might look cute and small compared to most monsters, but this little one is a powerhouse. With its raw Strength and abilities, the Chichu is easily the best Commando in the game that’s easier to level up compared to some other Commando monsters. With the right Infusions, the Chichu is almost unmatched.
It doesn’t have many Commands, but its Passive and Auto abilities set it apart from other monsters and make it a great asset to have.
11 Ravager: Blue Chocobo
The Blue Chocobo is one of the best all-around Ravager monsters to have in the pack. It only learns ice and wind-based spells, but it can learn other elements if the players infuse it with other monsters to teach it. It has a lot of resistance against debuffs and elements that make it a very strong monster to have in the group.
Raising the Blue Chocobo will take a little time to make it great, but players could also infuse it to other monsters. With its strong Passive abilities, it can easily make any other Ravager a stronger Ravager. But the Blue Chocobo’s stats are pretty high so it’s better to raise it as a Ravager monster for the group.
10 Medic: Haguma
This one will require a little time and patience to fully develop, but if players take the time to do it, a strong Medic will be available. The Haguma is the fastest spellcaster in the game which means it’ll be able to bust out the healing a lot quicker than any other monster in the game. It can be infused with other monsters to get some Commands that it lacks.
It also has resistance to Deshell and Deprotect. Its Feral Link is a damaging one, but it does more damage than the White or Green Chocobos Feral Links, making the Haguma a slightly better choice than them.
9 Sentinel: Goblin Chieftain
The Goblin Chieftain is a pretty solid Sentinel for the group and pretty cheap to max out. It has the Element Guard ability which will raise the party’s defense against all elemental attacks. Compared to some monsters, the Goblin Chieftain might look a little basic and boring. But this monster does have pretty high HP and his abilities are pretty good.
If infused with other monsters, the Goblin Chieftain can become a pretty solid tank for the group. With its already high HP, players could focus on giving him better defense abilities and commands to make it one of the best Sentinels in the game.
8 Saboteur: Chelicerata
The Chelicerata can be a little pricey to max out, but it’s worth the investment. It has the Improved Debuffing II Passive ability, even though it comes later in its development. It also has some pretty good resistance against fire and other debuffing spells. Even if players don’t want it as their main Saboteur, the Chelicerata can be infused with other monsters since it lets them learn Deprotega and Deshellga.
What makes this monster stand out is that its Feral Link, Deathscythe, does Wound damage. Not many monsters can do this against enemies so if players are looking for a monster that can do this, the Chelicerata is worth having around.
7 Synergist: Yakshini
Considered one of the best Synergist monsters in the game. The Yakshini has plenty of abilities that make it stand out compared to other Synergists. Its Feral Link, Fanatical Dance, grants the party Bravery, Faith, Protect, Shell, Veil, and Vigilance plus heals them. This ability alone makes the Yakshini a must-have, especially in endgame content.
To make it even better, the Yakshini has the highest HP among all of the Synergist monsters in the game. It also has a pretty fast casting animation and pretty high Magic. Players should pick this monster up and invest in its development.
6 Commando: Knight Of Etro Lightning
Lightning in her Knight of Etro garb is a pretty strong Commando if players take the time to level her up. Her attack speed and spellcasting speed are pretty high. She has the Passive ability Immovable MAX, which greatly increases her resistance to interruption. Her Armor Breaker and Mind Piercer allow her to do max damage to enemies at all times.
What sets Lightning apart from other monsters is that she is the only one who has the Uncapped Damage Passive ability. This allows her to do more than 99,999 damage, which is the cap. The downside of Lightning is that her Strength and Magic power aren’t the highest. However, if infused with the right monsters, Lightning can become the best Commando in the game.
5 Ravager: Guardian Corps Lightning
In her Guardian Corps garb, Lightning has a very fast casting animation and attack. She can cast all of the elemental -strike spells, Blitz, and can inherit all other Ravager abilities. Lightning’s speed is her best asset and makes her an excellent all-around Ravager. Infusing with the right monsters will make her almost unstoppable.
It will take some time and patience to get her to top-tier, but she’s a pretty solid Ravager once she has some great abilities infused. She's pretty versatile and well-balanced when it comes to Strength and Magic.
4 Medic: Caterchipillar
Thanks to its high HP and pretty high Magic, the Caterchipillar is a great monster to have as a Medic. It has pretty high resistance against all elemental attacks thanks to its Passive abilities. It doesn’t have many Commands, but it can be infused with other monsters to make up for this. Despite this, the Caterchipillar would be a great endgame Medic to have on the team.
Even if players don’t want it as their main Medic, it’s a great monster to have since it has many abilities that can be infused into other monsters. Just about all of its Command and Passive abilities can be infused so it’s worth picking up for this.
3 Sentinel: Bunkerbeast
The Bunkerbeast can potentially have one of the highest HP growths in the game. If maxed out with Potent or Vitality materials, its HP can exceed 10,000 HP. It has the Improved Ward Passive ability which will make it a pretty solid tank. It has a pretty solid defense against Deprotect and Deshell, making it a very popular choice for players to have as a Sentinel.
Compared to a few other Sentinels, the Bunkerbeast is relatively cheap to max out. To get the best out of it, players can infuse with other monsters to make up for its lack of Commands.
2 Saboteur: Jihl Nabaat
She might be a DLC monster, but players should definitely get Nabaat as soon as she’s available. Nabaat has better spells compared to Noel, Serah, and non-DLC monsters. Her Feral Link, Sadistic Surge, is powerful and great at keeping opponents stun-locked. Her Poisonga spell is the only one that’s Magic-based, unlike other monsters whose Poisonga is based on Strength.
It’s best to do an all-Mana build for her to capitalize on the Wound damage she can do. This will also boost her Feral Link power, making her a very strong Saboteur to have on the team. Since both Noel and Serah fall a little short in their Saboteur roles, it’s worth getting the DLC for Nabaat.
1 Synergist: Purple Chocobo
The Purple Chocobo does have a slow development, but it’s worth having in the group. It has more spells targeted towards raising offense versus Noel and Serah’s spells focusing on defense. Once it reaches level 99, it has some of the highest stats in the game compared to most monsters.
It also has some pretty good defense against some debuffs that come in handy. Even if players don’t wish for the Purple Chocobo to be their main Synergist, most of their abilities can be infused to other monsters to raise their resistance.
Final Fantasy 13-2 was released on December 15, 2011, and is available on PC, Android, iOS, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.