It could be argued that Blitzball goes far beyond the scope of a normal mini-game. In many ways, it's like an entire game crammed deeply within another. Given the vast amount of content on offer in Final Fantasy X’s main story alone, this really is quite the achievement. Blitzball offers players a welcome distraction from the main story and can provide hours upon hours of entertainment for those willing to let themselves get lost in it. Its depth is surprising, in that regard.
Although many Final Fantasy X players will only play Blitzball as part of the main narrative, there are tournaments and competitions constantly available and some great prizes to be won. Anybody hoping to acquire and power up Wakka's celestial weapon, for example, is going to have to win a fair amount of Blitzball tournaments. In order to achieve this, they'll need to round up and train some of Spira's best Blitzball players.
Updated March 27, 2022, by Tom Bowen: Building the perfect Blitzball team requires a lot of time and patience. Certain players start out slow and then come into their own at higher levels, while the relevance of others can wither away the more experienced they and the team around them become. Worse still, a lot of the very best Blitzball players in Final Fantasy X start the game contracted to other teams; meaning that players may have to wait a while before being able to recruit them. Thankfully, there are plenty of great stop-gap Blitzballers who can keep teams winning while players wait for the top talent to become available or experienced enough.
12 Zalitz (DF)
Those looking for a strong defender during the earlier stages of the game could do a lot worse than Zalitz. He starts out with a 15 Attack stat and an 11 in blocking, giving him the edge over many of his peers. Unfortunately, his effectiveness begins to dwindle once players start to hit levels in the mid-thirties, making him more of a stop-gap player than anything else.
Zalitz starts the game as a free agent and can be found near the theatre in Luca. Those hoping to recruit him can do so for 150 Gil per match, which, given his early-game effectiveness, is quite the bargain.
11 Mifurey (MF)
Mifurey's low-speed stat can make her a bit of a liability before the latter stages of the game, despite the rest of her stats being quite solid from about level 20 onwards. Once she hits the mid-eighties though, her speed stat shoots up well above average making her one of the best late-game midfielders around. It can take a lot of work to get her there, but some may feel that the ends justify the means.
Mifurey can be found working at Rin's Travel Agency in the Thunder Plains and even starts out as a free agent. At 600 Gil per match, her salary is a little on the high side, but for those who plan on doing a lot of farming, this shouldn't be too much of an issue.
10 Zev Ronso (DF / MF)
Zev Ronso takes some time to grow into a decent Blitzball player, but by level 60 his stats make him a good fit for both midfield and defensive positions. He has decent passing, attack, endurance, and blocking stats although despite being the fastest of the Ronso, he's still a little slow compared to some of Spira's other Blitzball stars.
Zev Ronso starts out as a free agent and can be recruited on the Number 5 Dock at Luca Harbor. His 150 Gil salary request isn't too extravagant, but given how much time needs to be invested into making him a decent player, signing him might not be the highest priority.
9 Wedge (FW / GK)
Wedge is something of a jack of all trades, making him a very useful player to have on one's team. He can play well in pretty much every position and can learn some of the game's best techniques. At lower levels he is one of the best forwards in the game, but as he levels up, he becomes better suited to defense. At max level, he has the second-highest catching stat in the game and so can also make for an excellent keeper.
Wedge starts out as a free agent, so signing him up is something of a no-brainer. He can be found with Biggs near Luca Stadium's main gate and will cost 160 Gil per match. It will take quite some time for his passing and catching stats to become anywhere near respectable though, so it's best to play him as a forward until he reaches level 50.
8 Nedus (FW)
Nedus is just one of the many mysterious Al-Bhed that are great at Blitzball. It takes him until around level 60 before he becomes a useful player, but thanks to his high speed, he's a great addition to any forward line. His speed caps out at 99, making him the joint-fastest player in the game. Better still, he reaches this stat at a far lower level than the other player. He also has high shooting and endurance stats which make him a very useful forward at mid to high levels.
Nedus starts out as a free agent and can be recruited on the Number 1 Dock at Luca Harbor. He's a fairly cost-effective player too, with his 60 Gil salary far lower than some of Spira's other Blitzball players. This helps to save a bit of money while levelling him up.
7 Wakka (FW)
Wakka's stats aren't particularly impressive, but his endurance, speed, and shooting stats make him a pretty decent forward. There's also the sentimental angle to consider, given his strong connection with the Aurochs. This doesn't make him a better player, but many will feel that it's fitting for him to be involved in their victories.
Although Wakka officially retires as part of the game's narrative, he can be brought out of retirement for the bargain price of 1 Gil per match. Players will be able to do so after gaining access to the airship, where they can find Wakka on the bridge.
6 Brother (MF)
Although he can still be effective at higher levels, Brother's at his best in the low and mid-levels. After level 60, his growth begins to slow down a little and better options become available. That said, he remains a fairly useful utility player who can play well in both midfield and defense thanks to his high speed stat.
Brother starts out as a free agent and so can be recruited right away. Anybody wishing to do so can find him on the bridge of the airship. His salary is fairly high compared to some of the other players, but most should be able to afford the 210 Gil per match that he asks for. He's also a fairly important character in the game's story so it's nice to have him on the team.
5 Kiyuri (MF)
Kiyuri is fairly underwhelming towards the beginning of the game. As she begins to level up though, she becomes the best defensive midfielder in Spira. Her passing, endurance, and attack stats are all incredibly high meaning she's great for dispossessing the opposition and setting up attacks. She's also fairly fast, although her speed doesn't increase at all as she levels up.
Kiyuri starts out as a free agent, meaning that she can be recruited right away. She'll be hanging around on the deck of the S.S. Winno. Unfortunately, she has an insanely high 500 Gil salary which, when combined with her mediocrity at low levels, might not make her the most appealing signing on paper.
4 Tidus (FW)
Tidus is one of the best forwards in the game thanks to his high shooting stat. It scales fairly well with his level – meaning that there's never a point where he'll need to be replaced or repositioned. He also has high endurance & HP and is able to overwhelm most defenses.
One of the best things about Tidus is that in spite of his insanely high 1000 Gil salary, he never actually gets paid. There's also no need to worry about recruiting him as it's impossible for his contract to expire. As a result, there's absolutely no reason not to have him on the team.
3 Ropp (DF)
Ropp is a more than capable midfielder, but his best position is definitely in defense. He has very high passing and attack stats and a fairly decent block stat too. He's more than adequate at both low and high levels thanks to his steady growth and so will likely be a mainstay in most Blitzball teams.
Players can find Ropp at the travel agency on the Mi'ihen Highroad. He starts out as a free agent, so it's best to recruit him early on and get to work on leveling him up. His 200 Gil salary is fairly high, but given that he's one of the best defenders in the game, it's a small price to pay.
2 Nimrook (GK)
Nimrook is the best keeper in Spira and, unlike many other players, does not require a high level to become useable. He consistently has the highest catching stat, although starts the game with a 24 game contract with the Al-Bhed Psyches. This means that players will have to wait a while before being able to recruit him. Miyu is a more than capable stand-in until he becomes available.
Players can find Nimrook after they gain access to the airship where he'll be hanging out in one of the corridors. By playing or forfeiting matches, it's possible to whittle his contract down and then sign him for 100 Gil per match if he doesn't renew. To make sure of signing him, it's best to scout him before the final match of his contract and save before playing it. If he renews his contract, reload the save and repeat until he becomes a free agent.
1 Larbeight (FW)
Larbeight is an incredibly strong forward and has the highest shooting stat in the game at level 99. He also has high endurance and one of the best attack stats of all viable forwards. Vilucha is another good option, although she's pretty mediocre until level 50 or so, whereas Larbeight starts to shine very early on.
He has a contract with the Kilika Beasts at the beginning of the game, so players will have to wait a while before being able to recruit him. After becoming a free agent, he can be signed at the docks in Kilika Port. His 70 Gil salary is incredibly low considering how good he is, so there's no reason not to snap him up as soon as he becomes available.