The Final Fantasy games, like many RPGs, have always ensured that character customization is central to the experience. While you can’t create your own character from the ground up (usually), you can pick from a range of party members, tweak their equipment and battle abilities to your liking, and generally create a set-up that works for you.

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You can often decide which magic spells your mages learn (some are locked as a result of the system) or in which order, which can be a little confusing for newer players. Which spells should you prioritize and which can you safely do without in Final Fantasy X, for instance? Let’s take a look.

10 Learn Immediately: Curaga

In some titles, expert players are able to cruise all the way through without taking a single hit. There usually isn’t any particular reward for doing so, but the kudos of the internet is encouraging enough.

Turn-based RPGs such as Final Fantasy X, however, don’t offer any such possibilities. Regardless of how experienced and knowledgeable you are, you’re going to take damage repeatedly. As such, some good healing magic is priceless. It may be some time before you can get your hands on Curaga, but make sure you grab it as soon as possible.

9 Go Without: Osmose

Via: The Let's Play Archive

Osmose is a recurring spell in the much-beloved Final Fantasy series. It functions similarly to the Drain spell, but siphons MP rather than HP from its target.

While it isn’t especially bad, it’s far from the most efficient use of a mage’s time. The damage dealt and gains thereof don’t really make it worth it when you could be firing something much stronger into your opponent’s squishy flesh-parts (or quickly using an MP-restoring item to enable you to do so).

8 Learn Immediately: Hastega

If you’re a Final Fantasy veteran, you’ll know that we didn’t always have these new-fangled speed up cheats from the recent remasters. Back in our day, it took around 8-12 business days for Zidane’s ATB gauge to fill up in Final Fantasy IX.

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In Final Fantasy X, things aren’t quite so dire, but time is absolutely of the essence in certain battles. This is why Hastega (which casts Haste on all party members) is such an asset to have throughout the game.

7 Go Without: Demi

Again, Demi isn’t a particularly bad spell by any means. It’s just that Gravity magic has long been quite awkward to use effectively.

The whole shtick here is that Demi deals damage equal to a certain percentage of the opponent’s remaining HP, but won’t kill them. As such, it’s best used against bosses and other huge, slavering opponents with large HP pools. Many of them are immune to it, though, which means that another powerful spell or a simple sharp, pointy blade to the thorax tends to be a more practical way to dispatch most enemies.

6 Learn Immediately: Ultima

Well, what more is there to say here? Ultima is often regarded as one of the strongest offensive spells in the series, hitting all opponents in a melodramatic flash of light (think Gill’s Seraphic Wing Critical Art from Street Fighter V) that’s more than capable of ruining their entire day.

Casting this powerhouse of a spell tends to come with a heavy MP cost, but is more than worth it for its damage output. It’s slightly limited by the fact that it hits all opponents (losing some per-enemy damage as a result), but Ultima will rarely steer you wrong.

5 Go Without: NulBlaze, NulTide, NulShock, And NulFrost

There’s an important caveat here: NulBlaze, NulTide, NulShock, And NulFrost can be absolute lifesavers in certain situations. Their effect is simple: when cast, they’ll render the party immune to a spell or other elemental attack (Fire, Water, Lightning, or Ice respectively) for just one attack of that type (per party member).

While this can be fantastic in certain situations (such as against Seymour’s deadly Ice shenanigans in Macalania), it’s quite niche. Most players tend to keep these spells in their back pockets and largely forget about them outside of these moments.

4 Learn Immediately: Protect And Shell

Here are some more OG spells that have been doing the rounds in the Final Fantasy franchise since way back when. Again, their utility is very simple: Protect is a positive status that reduces the damage the battler takes from physical attacks, while Shell is its counterpart for magical attacks.

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Each can only be cast on a single party member at a time, making it very time-consuming to get the best out of their effects. Regardless, they’re very useful in protracted battles. Perhaps not essential, but certainly not as niche as the Nul spells.

3 Go Without: Holy

Now, this one’s sure to be a little controversial. As franchise fans know, Holy is renowned as the most powerful White Magic (the only offensive White Magic, really) in the series. It isn’t something your healers are going to want to miss out on when they’ve got a turn or two spare to go ham.

In Final Fantasy X, however, it faces stiff competition from Ultima for the most powerful spell. Holy deals more damage per target as it hits one opponent, but Black Magic can be double-cast while White Magic cannot. Furthermore, Holy’s damage is absorbed by a lot of enemies. It’s more niche than it might seem.

2 Learn Immediately: Full-Life

Via: YouTube (PrimalLiquid)

Full-Life is a spell that some players just don’t fully appreciate. Do you want to be fiddling around with Phoenix Down or Life, bringing back an ally at low HP, only for them to be struck and finished off again before you can heal them? You’re darn right you don’t. Full-Life handily fixes that problem by reviving a party member at full HP.

It’s a powerful asset, and one that you don’t tend to be able to access until later in the game. Once you can, though, it’s advisable to make a beeline for it as soon as possible.

1 Go Without: Reflect

Like Protect and Shell, Reflect is a supportive White Magic spell that has recurred throughout the Final Fantasy series. While it’s in effect, the target will bounce magic spells cast on them back at their source. As such, it tends to be great against enemies that are magic-based, but they often have countermeasures (Sorceress Edea in Final Fantasy VIII, for instance, is having none of that nonsense and will soon Dispel your Reflects).

The thing is, Reflect will also prevent friendly spells (crucial healing ones, for instance) from landing, which is a pain to work around. Coupled with the fact that Reflect also has to be cast on party members individually (there’s no Carbuncle summon in Final Fantasy X to bestow it on the whole team at once), it’s often more of a pain than it’s worth.

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