In Defense of Final Fantasy X’s “Useless” Character

Final Fantasy X is a classic JRPG filled with many unique characters. Kimahri is not one of them... or is he? In this video essay, we take a deep dive into FFX's Sphere Grid to see how this blue cat's story is reflected by his character stats.
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Game Discussed: Final Fantasy X
Platforms: Playstation 2 (PS2), Playstation 3 (PS3), Playstation 4 (PS4), Windows PC (Steam, etc.), Nintendo Switch, XBox One
Studio: Square, Squaresoft, Square-Enix
Key Staff: Yoshinori Kitase, Tetsuya Nomura, Nobuo Uematsu
Genre: Role-Playing Game, RPG, JRPG, Story-heavy, Turn-based, Retro
Topics Discussed: Kimahri, The Sphere Grid, Lore, Backstory, Spira, Titus, Decision-making, Yuna, Wakka, Auron, Lulu, Rikku, Battle mechanics, story breakdown, narrative, leveling system, Super Smash Bros., Laughing scene, battle theme, discussion, review, video game review, Final FantasyVII, Final Fantasy 10, cat, 2000s, nostalgia

[@GeekRemix]

Leave Kimahri alone he was a good boy!

[@KRJayster]

I also feel like Kimahri has the least personal connection to the overall main bad guy plot of Sin and the Church, which makes his character and story more interesting. Tidus was made by the Fayth to stop Sin and he will die for it, Auron lost his friends to Sin and the Church and has resolved to destroy it no matter what, Yuna is walking in her father's legacy, Wakka lost his brother to Sin, Lulu lost her lover to Sin and is on her third pilgrimage to stop it, Rikku is from a tribe blamed for Sin's existence… Kimahri doesn't have that connection. He chose to accept a quest from a stranger begging him to find and take a girl he didn't know somewhere he had never been. He chose to stay with that girl and protect her and raise her. He chose to become her Guardian. He chose to undertake an incredible life-threatening journey. Everyone else is tied into the plot because of fate or personal connection, something that drives them on this quest. Kimahri Ronso chose at every step to save the world. It is his choices that tie him into the plot. And that makes him all the more heroic.

[@BrandonBB4]

Sometimes the KZbin algorithm hits incredibly hard

[@Cozad2ll2]

It did for me, I used him in the beginning of the game, but after I beat his brothers, I usually give up on him to favor my favorite 4 characters. And yet they need to go through his sphere grid to max their status.

[@charlieinslidell]

Another interesting thing to note about the Sphere grid is that, unlike Kimahri's multiple pathed center starting area, Auron's start on the sphere grid is literally the only place where there is only one direction to go even with all levels of sphere keys on hand. The other member's starting points on the grid are blocked in by sphere locked nodes that prevent the player from having the character go into the other parts of the sphere grid too early. Auron's spot on the grid could really be considered as the start of the entire grid itself. It makes sense because he is presumably the oldest member and most knowledgeable of the true nature of Yevon and Sin. He is beginning to fulfill his purpose in Spira finally. His sphere grid is the start of that final fulfillment and promise he made to Jecht to bring change in Spira finally.

[@lostzodiark]

I think it also has to do with the fact that he's a ronin! A lone wolf. His path is his alone to walk!

[@shadedusk7831]

It's also because he knows the true answer to the story. He knows the path ahead already. The other characters are still full of doubts and decisions. His mind is made up from the start, no choices to be made, no paths to be taken. Also subtly hints at his fate. His time to make choices is over. Edit: Also, Auron's only branching options are into Wakka (who sees Auron as a mentor in guardianship) and Tidus (who sees Auron as a sort of father figure in a way) so you could argue that he joins their paths to tutor them and grows with them a little.

[@youtubeuser4221]

He also has an excessive amount of empty nodes compared to other part members which is a small hint that his potential is stunted because of spoilers. One of his few lock sphere routes just leads to four other empties.

[@dar4061]

That is the biggest leap of logic i have even seen.

[@dar4061]

​@@youtubeuser4221 so...not because at that point in the game you start to get alot of hp spheres, strength spheres and so on? And not because he's one of the last to join so at that stage they want to give you more freedom on the grid youre now getting used to? The crazy theories make more sense somehow?

[@steelerfaninperu]

Man this was the best take on the sphere grid I've ever heard and I"ve been binging FF retrospective content hard. I never once considered how the grid actually acts as a wider representation of character relationships, but you're spot on with everything here. My 2nd playthrough Kimahri was a powerhouse as I felt he deserved to prove he was tougher than all the other Ronso that gave him such a hard time. I took him through Auron's track and he was routinely my leading tank boi. I always felt like he wasn't appreciated enough in the series, but I never once stopped to consider how his position on the grid was a metaphor. Genius stuff here duderonomy.

[@i_am_a_dot]

Thank you! I hadn't considered that him following Wakka then Auron would be like him "hitting the gym" so to speak. I love that the game lets people do that sort of thing. Guess it's why we're still talking about it 20+ years later!

[@kilokiss1951]

Agreed

[@Shalakor]

@@i_am_a_dot There's also the option of Tidus then Auron. Going backwards through grids can get you some nice stuff sooner. Though, I do find it hard to not get Steal on him (plus, in Rikku's path, her early nodes are pretty stacked to help her catch up between early game power and when she joins the party proper, so even as just a detour it can be worth it).

[@Guy8288]

​@@ShalakorMost of my playthroughs, I'll have him learn Mug and at least the basic element spells before I focus on any specific path for him.

[@seborahkamara7500]

I've played FFX several times over the past 20 years, and have never looked at the sphere grid as another layer to each character's relationship with each other. This video is phenomenal and has made me want to play through it again. Keep up the good work bro!

[@dragames]

except he said lulu and rikku were friends. they were not. Rikku and Tidus were though and they're not next to each other. Lulu also played more of a mentor to Tidus, yet is opposite him.

[@Radpal824]

⁠@@dragamesRikku looks up to Lulu and even says to Tidus she wants to be more like Lulu; stoic and self assured. Later, when the gang are passing through the Thunder Plains, Lulu suggests that Rikku learns some spells to get over her fear of thunder. It’s something you can work up to on the sphere grid later in the game.

[@benpepin7872]

What I got from this is: If Kimahri is useless...that's on US. We gave him nowhere to go. We have to literally invest in the character and make choices that will shape him.

[@BLa-lq2bs]

I never noticed the way the characters were arranged on the sphere grid (ex: Tidus between yuna and auron)as it relates to their relationships. All these years, and my favorite game, and I never made that connection. Good observation!

[@Poz159]

Same here! After 20 years of playing FFX, I am still learning new things abou the game, new little tidbits and tiny details. It's so fascinating and I love it!

[@jelyse14]

I'm the same. Most of the time you're so zoomed into it you dont know where you are at any given moment unless you go out of your way to pay attention to that.

[@legomech1946]

Same here, I am in the middle of replaying the game now and found that very insightful!

[@ollydix]

And it's cheeky cause Tidus can also flirt with Rikku

[@RedGallardo]

Strange how many people only use the newbie grid. On Expert grid Tidus and Yuna go opposite ways. Kimahri isn't locked, he's free to go anywhere. Yuna goes near Lulu, Tidus is near Auron. And the grid often reflects the plot progression. Wakka hits the end first. The same moment he's going through the mental breakdown over Yevon. Rikku, Yuna and Lulu represent the girlish part of the squad and when they meet they actually come closer and may shift to other girlish grids. Wakka respects Auron, when they meet Wakka passes near Auron and can choose his path. Same for Tidus. Everything is calculated, need to go crazy and grind for days to break this tempo. But then it means the player knows what he\she wants better than the original plot. After all, they even let Tidus choose Lulu as a funny obvious line breaker. Reminds me the FF7 date puzzle. XD Yeah, if it's FF it's epic.

[@BLa-lq2bs]

Also, it’s surprising to see how many people are coming to the defense of Kimarhri in the comments. I’ll be honest, I was definitely one of those people who never used him or cared for him. Y’all made me think differently about him. 👏🏼👏🏼

[@dudemcguy1227]

The editing and animations in this video are great. Really helps the points made flow together. Solid stuff. I'm shocked that the first video on the channel has this high production value. Well done! Regarding Kimahri: If the Developers were going to give him a pre-defined role for his grid like the other characters, I think he should have been the "protector" or "tank" archetype. Because while he's small for a Ronso, he still has the largest stature of our group of 7 heroes. And in the cutscenes he's pretty much always right next to Yuna and has been her protector ever since Auron tasked him with taking her to Besaid all those years ago. Which I believe was right after he was outcast from the Ronso tribe near Gagazet. It makes sense to me that after his exile, Kimahri would really be looking for a new purpose and he found that in protecting Yuna (who was a child at the time.) To support this in gameplay, the developers could have placed the "Guard" and/or "Sentinel" abilities in Kimahri's starting grid area. Guard/Sentinel allows a character to take a defensive stance and intercept an enemy's attack targeting an ally. If Kimahri started with this ability (instead of his Jinx ability, which is almost never used early on.) it would reinforce is role in the story a bit better. The devs could have also lowered Yuna's base evasion (and maybe HP) a bit as well so that the player is encouraged to use Kimahri's Guard/sentinel ability when Yuna is on the field, especially early in the game when her HP is low. As it is right now, the Sentinel ability is near the very, very end of Auron's path on the (North American/Standard) Sphere Grid. But by the time you get it, your characters are so strong and fast that most players don't bother using defensive abilities very much, because it's generally more effective to just barrage enemies with all of your powerful abilities and then heal up afterwards. So Sentinel is underwhelming at the time you unlock it. Also, Auron's grid sectioin is all about using offensive skills to weaken enemy stats with his "Break" skills. He's like the terror knight of the group. Striking fear in the enemy and debilitating them. So it seems really odd to me that one of his very first (Guard) and last (Sentinel) abilities are Tank/Protector skills that don't really fit with the rest of his tool kit. Auron is also VERY slow, so most players will not bring him in to just absorb damage. He's only going to get 1-2 turns in standard battles, so most players want to use him to hit the enemy really hard. (Which is how he's introduced to us in the story.) Though I will say that Auron's final ability "Entrust", which gives his overdrive meter to other characters, is VERY thematically strong for his character. That makes complete sense. So I think this was a bit of a missed opportunity by the devs for Kimahri as those defensive abilities would fit with him better thematically. They're also just 2 abilities that aren't enough to really build a whole path/archetype around. So if they placed them in Kimahri's small section in the middle it would still allow him to serve as the Sphere Grid tutorial character for the player. I think a lot more players would remember his role in the story as Yuna's first guardian with this simple change.

[@NevG27]

That's a really good idea actually. Simple changes that make sense both narratively and game balance wise

[@jendysklement7632]

Very nice idea, it makes sense. Even though for some people he is useless, I love Kimahri! And his Gagazet story is both amazing and sad.

[@Shalakor]

Having a proper party tank over just having some bulky party members with other things they're more focused on would have really been the perfect niche for the guy that's Yuna's constant shadow. Jinx might even be a better thematic fit to trade over to Auron's part of the grid as compensation. Like, probably not any more likely for him to use it, but can't be much more of a jinx than being the ghost of pilgrimage's past. Yeah, Guard and Sentinel make sense for Auron's past, but he's all about attacking in practice, while Kimahri using a polearm having a defensive fighting style just make sense (besides the very vague nod to Dragoon qualities), especially being the humble and versatile halberd.

[@MichaelZaeran]

This hit me out of absolutely nowhere. This is an INCREDIBLE analysis of the sphere grid I had no idea existed. Your argument for Kimarhi is excellent. As a lifetime FFX fan, and @dansg08 watcher, he NEEDS to see this video. Incredible work!!

[@GrayLanternPPA]

Great video! Kimahri was always one of my favorites because of how much fun it was to forge a unique path with him (and his overdrives). Back in the day, I'd take him down Wakka's path then branch into Lulu's to pick up her level 3 black magic before she could. It was only years later that I talked to people about FFX and realized a lot of people didn't have this experience with him.

[@ShadowOfCicero]

That sounds like a fine path to me, hindsight 20/20. In my run, he fell into the trap of being the last resort because it seemed like the single most useful thing he could do was finish off bosses with Self-Destruct. Needless to say, I lost to Yunalesca's third form.

[@JCRS92]

I just beat FFX for the first time some months ago (despite having played it when it came out in the 2000's) and in my most recent playthrough Kimarhi was jus so much of an essential character in my arty that I'm astonished at how many people just dissed him out. I took this exact path (Wakka/Lulu) and man, the beast was THE Beast!

[@johnnoreau3570]

Picked this game up when I was 7. At 4 I watched my dad play 7. I had no memory card at the beginning so had to replay the opening sequence over and over. The music. The dialogue. The world. The mystery. This game was always a wonder and treasure to me. Started playing again recently and I’m so in love with it all these years later.

[@santinopaone-hoyland]

Never thought about it this way because I've never used the basic sphere grid. In the expert grid, Kimarhi is routinely one of my most important characters in combat. He weaves in and out of different characters parts of the grid, picking up the best stats and skills. If planned carefully, he's an absolute monster. He can be in your top 3 most bulky characters to take a big attack, top 3 best ranged attacker, and top 3 best magic attacker in one playthrough. Every playthrough he's something new, the most interesting character to build and plan a path for on the sphere grid. I adore this Ronso.

[@KirbyGotenksabsorbed]

Even with the basic sphere grid, it's easy to make him arguably the best character in the party. Just dip into Rikku's side to get steal/use (especially for the tons of lvl.3 sphere keys from Biran/Yenki), then breakthrough to Yuna's side to get to her best stuff before even she reaches it. Once he finishes that route, it's easy for him to warp back to Ultima with a return sphere. Taking that route also opens it up for Yuna to get steal/use. For the most part, he's basically just a reflection of how intelligent one is with the sphere grid.

[@xheralt]

I've ONLY used the Classic grid (PS2 original copy). His chunk in the center serves not only as the literal center of the grid, but also as the _shortcut_ for getting to non-adjacent sections (via Sphere Levels if you don't have Warp or Teleport spheres). Rikku's standard path is effing weak, but making her more physical isn't the answer, not when there are three solidly good combatants (Auron, Wakka, and Tidus) ahead of her. My answer is to make Rikku a Black Mage FROM THE MOMENT YOU GET HER. Yuna opens the lock from her side, detours long enough to grab Use & Steal (she's a good thief, must be the Al Bhed blood). Kimahri opens the lock from his side, grabs Use & Steal, then exits into Yuna's to become the backup White Mage. Rikku exits her own chain, crosses Kimahri's to LULU's chain, and becomes the party's second Black Mage. Alleged fear of thunder be damned. Her endgame role is to COPYCAT Yuna & Lulu Doublecasting Ultima against that floating parasite controlling Sin, 3/4 to 5/6ths of the damage yield of the pure spellcasters! Try it, next time you play.

[@brodude7194]

I only used expert grid.

[@dragames]

he also starts with the highest all around stats, often being top 2 if not 3 in each, so he's extremely good, with his overdrives having higher scaling with lower delay. (haven't watched the video yet, but I've had to write before why people are wrong. The most useless characters are technically Auron and then lulu late game.)

[@chrish4439]

I always thought he was considered useless just cus of how unviable he is for "super" end game against the dark aeons. It's always just Tidus, Auron, Wakka, maybe Yuna. I always thought he was fine for the main game and I used all characters equally.

[@camerongranger6301]

Love this video so much. I replayed FF7 for the first time as an adult recently and was really moved by how Aerith's death forced me, as a player, to rework my team to fill her role in different ways. No one character could fill her role as healer and main magic damage dealer by themselves, but each member of the squad could carry some of the torch themselves. I always imagined as I was playing 10 that Rikku and Tidus were taking little magic lessons from Yuna and Lulu throughout the journey as they learned more spells on the sphere grid, love how you broke it down in this analysis. Gave me new love for Kimarhi

[@corrrrrona]

Your sphere grid analysis was actually really well done! Good job!!

[@GibbyTheBeard]

This was incredibly presented and well written. I've never heard anyone describe the use of the Sphere Grid in regards to narrative and character development, but it makes so much sense. Well done!

[@jtierney89]

Loved it dude. The way you connected to their stories to the sphere grid was incredible. I think the culmination of kimahris character, if you are leveling him, has incredible impact on his story. Once unable to best biran and yenke, after spending so much time with his friends and learning their skills, since at this point it is extremely unlikely kimhari is still on his own grid like your other characters, kimahri redeems himself. not through his strength, biran and yenke are still more physically domineering, but through the skills he picked up a long the way. Also as someone who plays the game like once a year I love kimarhi, he’s the most fun to use on the sphere grid since he lets you fill whatever role you want him too. Let’s see how two black mages fairs through the game why not!?

[@LavanOutLoud]

Yes, Kimahri matters!!! As someone who dealt with bullying, sometimes the torment could make you feel alone and cut off, but (much like the sphere grid) thanks to the support of great friends around you, you can feel like you're part of something larger, and you can be stronger. Amazing video 😍

[@RomarioZ11]

Wow, this is the most wholesome video game video. I’ve seen in a long time. Thank you for this.

[@mattsully2238]

Well done. Every character has a trophy associated with their celestial weapon except Kimhari. Poor dude just gets dunked on

[@snails6997]

Yeah, considering his sigil also the one of the top three most annoying to get.

[@calciferblack2409]

This video is exceptionally well-done. All of it, from the clips you decide to feature, to the music you chose for the background, to all the visual representations you use (like showing us the sphere grid as a whole and all the little doodles of Kimahri dressed up as other characters). You can tell that there was a lot of love, talent, effort, and thought put into this. I also really liked how you pointed out that each character's starting positions/skills reflect their personalities. You even pointed out how their placements near each other represent, in a manner, their relationships to one another. This is quality content, and I hope your channel grows to mirror it.

[@eolendes6432]

All my straight friends thought I was obsessed with Yuna and Lulu because I played FFX so much as a teenager. Little did they know, the "least iconic" character had captured my heart.

[@shadowwwwwwwwwww]

real shit

[@mkl_1301]

That's so sweet... He really is a loving character, I particularly love his gentle nature despite taking his time opening to others. The kinda ronso who would treat you right.

[@jordandupuis8978]

“kimahri useless” was a line often said around my place when I was obsessed with FFX

[@BDtetra]

In japan there's a meme about him being "the man closest to Ultima" as a joke defense against for his lackluster abilities. In optimal parties he does usually get the shelf since there aren't really good Blue Magic spells that warrant him being in the main party especially in extreme endgame content, but he does have pretty decent utility purposes mid game, like getting a second Steal, especially important during the fight against Biran and Yenke, the most important fight where you can get 10+ Lv3 Keyspheres, and a Return/Friend Sphere, which is absolutely massive at that point in the game.

[@SoulHero7]

@@BDtetra I'm suprised people don't use the White Wind, Mighty Guard, or Nova Blue Magics in engdame.

[@BDtetra]

@@SoulHero7 Mighty Guard is his Overdrive, and Rikku can basically get a better version of it just through the Mix ability because you can get Mighty Guard + Auto Revive All through Mix (and you don't have to use Kimari). She can also double your HP of all party members + grant phys resist to all party members, insanely good since you normally stop at like 50k HP even if you get every single sphere grid point normally. You have to have Tidus Wakka for their multihit 99999 Overdrives, and the third slot is highly contested between Lulu/Rikku/Yuna (although end game bosses instantly kill summons, and you have to discount Yojimbo since that's basically cheesing). Very hard to justify Kimari in anyway unfortunately.

[@conorjohn490]

Anyone who had a gripe about useless Kimahri in FF10 had (rightfully) already forgot about the significantly dumber character of Amarant from FF9.

[@Chip-Chapley]

@@conorjohn490 ah, but a wise eagle hides his talons.... proceeds to follow said eagle like a confused puppy entranced by his inability to understand Japanese proverbs.

[@chilledoutcat1571]

Got here from watching your video about video games with point-of-view player characters who aren't protagonists (loved it by the way! always great to see literary analysis applied to video games especially when done really well!). I saw this recommended and I had to watch it. I loved Final Fantasy X growing up and loved Kimahri since he was a big cool cat guy when I was much younger and appreciated his character more as I grew older. It's great seeing him get some love and I never knew about everyone's positions on the sphere grid! Such a great way to tie everyone together that I only learned about today. Thanks for making the video and helping me appreciate this game even more.

[@i_am_a_dot]

Thanks for checking out the channel! I think my relationship to FFX (and Kimahri in particular) is a lot like yours. There's a lot that I "got" as a kid but didn't really understand until I replayed it years later.

[@tantacles]

Well this video is an awesome surprise. Eagerly watching you to see what kind of content you make in the future.

[@crazyscarecrow8136]

Who's calling my man Kimari useless 🤜🤛

[@rikaniebangbang]

That's such a cool point! I always loved Kimahri, and honestly some of his overdrives are extremely useful, only surpassed by Rikku's in terms of versatility.

[@TheAzulmagia]

While narratively that's kind of neat, I still would've preferred if Kimahri had a bit more of a defined role. He's a Blue Mage, yes, but he also is a Dragoon, and that side of him isn't represented very well outside of him having his initial Overdrive and Lancet. I think it could've been neat if he had some basic Dragoon skills that he learned as a Ronso and THEN you had to make the decision of whether you wanted him to focus on physical, speed, support, or magic focus. It'd be a marriage of the original idea and the notion that he undoubtedly absorbed some basic tradition from his time on Gagazet before he left for Besaid.

[@dragames]

his role is always defined as 'support optional' regardless of what you do. Take him down Rikku? Support. Take him down Yuna? Support. Take him down Lulu? Support mage. Take him down WAkka/tidus/Auron? phys support. no matter what you do his support abilities will always be there and do not need a stat to scale off of to use, similar to Rikku's mix not needing stats to scale. His damage limit breaks on the other hand... his magic is better than Lulu's early game and late game with a lull in the middle. The very beginning of the game, you may think Lulu does more damage, but she doesn't because her spells do not go through magic defense while Kimahri's do. Then thrust kick/seed cannon keep up with and do better than Auron's overdrives only if single target. But hey, if you don't need damage, got white wind/mighty guard/ stonebreath/ bad breath.

[@SuzuStarlight]

That was the most beautiful interpretation of the sphere grid I have ever seen ❤ I just woke up from a dream about FFX and this video shows up on my recommended feed, the timing was perfect 🤭 Love how you used the little artworks to illustrate how the skills change the character and how you basically told Kimahri's story in this cave-painting(?) style. Very uniue and obviously made with love. A shame you only have one upload so far, I'd love to see what other games/themes you'll talk about next!

[@johnasamoah8668]

Amazing work, I don’t understand how you were able to see all this. I never would have come to this conclusion myself

[@Ktjnn]

My favorite way to play with the standard grid is to take Tidus and Kimahri straight to Rikku's starting space to pick up Steal and Use at around the same time I'm going to get to Rikku anyway, so I can then farm up tons of items right away. I will say outside of Kimahri starting in the middle, I never noticed the relationship correlation to where everyone's areas are located.

[@davidcardona2133]

Kimahri is the heart of the group, I never really realized it till just now. Also you mentioned that he didn't have a path till he met Yuna, but he met Auron first. When he got his horn broken and was leaving Gagazet he found Auron crawling his way down the mountain and took him to Rin's Travel Agency where Auron told him to go find Yuna and take her as far away as he can. And Kimahri's placement on the sphere grid is the direct center of everyone BECAUSE he's the heart of the group. Thanks for this

[@ARzz-bj5wd]

Absolutely brilliant video! I cannot believe this is your first video, it feels like a 100k+ sub account (without the stupid sponsor ads). Keep up the good work, looking forward seeing your progress!

[@lobstrosity7163]

I mean, he misspelled Kimahri's name in the thumbnail. For a video where he tells us why Kimahri matters. Not saying it's a bad video but it's pretty funny.

[@obsidianperspective]

I have to IMMEDIATELY show significant love to this video. FFX is my favorite in the series. And the way you highlight the grid system is incredible. Well done!

[@claytongefre8684]

I’m so impressed by this analysis and this unique take/defense on Kimahri’s role, both in the universe itself and as a tool for player growth and progression within the game’s systems. Absolutely subscribing!

[@VegasValentineMusic]

Delighted that someone else noticed the positions of the grids reflecting the character relationships. I thought i was a conspiracy theorist 😂 In regards to Kimahri, I always thought it was interesting to me that out of everyone, he probably knew about Auron's secret all along, after finding him dying on Gagazet. He never discloses this information, or anything about the other characters for that matter. He holds delicate information, only speaking when he feels it is the most protective thing to do. We all know a friend like this, if we are lucky.

[@BrendenBarlow]

So happy you included calm before the storm as a backing track. That song puts me directly back in to my childhood. The countless hours i would spend grinding and enjoying life when things were so simple. Ffx is my favorite game of all time and reflecting back on it makes me feel melancholy, but also very happy. Thank you for making this video, its really well done💜💜

[@WhiteMoonWolf15]

This was such a great video!! I grew up loving FFX and your explanation of the skill tree and how each character’s story ties in was so good and very engaging even for someone who knew it already like myself!! Loved this so much! I’m wanting to go back and replay FFX now too!

[@tinymom950]

same

[@dakotawinston7677]

Excellent video, well done. I’m surprised you didn’t say “Kimahri’s sphere grid is small…like him.” Kim is a great character in the greatest story ever told.

[@michaelduff2382]

Just want to mirror the sentiments of many here already. Very well done video and a take on the sphere grid i hadn't considered before. Was about halfway through the video when I noticed your sub count and couldn't believe it. You've earned one more.

[@justingregory1659]

I learned so much about the sphere and never really thought about the placement Thank you for your video dot! You've definitely earned my subscription 🙏🏿 hope the rest of your videos are as interesting and detailed as this is. 🤙🏿 Keep up the good work!

[@i_am_a_dot]

Hey everyone! Thank you all so much for taking a chance on a new channel. The response to this video is greater than I could have ever imagined! The next video is set to be released the first week of March. It won't be Final Fantasy related but it'll be about another classic from the early 2000s. Hope to see you there!

[@EggyEggtoast]

Dude you are so awesome

[@oparason10]

That was a great video, bud! It took me back to teenage years playing the hell outta this game (I bet it nearly 100% 4x). I was one of those who did way overkill and nearly maxed every character. I never thought about it, but how you connected the dots is exactly why his character exists. Keep up the great work! You got a subscriber in me.

[@Shalakor]

I already enjoyed the video enough to consider checking out your channel, to learn that it's brand new? I'll have to subscribe and see how your take on content creation develops with something this cool as a starting point.

[@sebastianstanfield3061]

Just as Kimari is more than an NPC, you are more than a dot. Cheers

[@TrvisXXIII]

I appreciate the time and enemy you put into animating some of the sequences in the video. It turned what was already an interesting and good video, Into a great one

[@jaythecollector4]

Kimahri and the Aeons were always my fav. With Mug, Black Magics (Doublecast Ultima) and his natural piercing damage he was so versatile. He was the first to complete the whole sphere grid. Also: Stone Breath was OP! And Nova has always been my favorite spell visually speaking. I love playing Blue Mage in FFXIV, it's such a unique playstyle. Awesome video 💙💙💙💙

[@Zanji1234]

i guess the "problem" with Kimari was that most players didn't know what to do with him. For fast Attacks you already had Tidus, for flyers and status you had Wakka and for armored monsters you used Auron. On the spellcasting side you had Yuna and Lulu. So ...most of the time he was a jack of all trades master of none for the most players (btw: same with Rikku. I also had some problems to do something with her). Lorewise he is an amazing character and i really liked him :) i did play with the expert grid though for my first playthrough on the PS2 (i'm from the EU where we got the version with expert grid and additional content)

[@annanz0118]

I think the issue is that no matter what path you send him down he will always be lagging behind whoever's path you start with (except Riku's as she joins much later on in the story). Its great in concept but doesn't work well in practice.

[@mista_louie]

@@annanz0118 I see where people get that and I agree, he ends up lagging behind unless you intentionally make him stronger. But you can do some things with him you can't with other characters since he gets access to weapons and armors of all kinds. So he could have Haste and be able to attack armored enemies as well as have enough accuracy to hit the high evasion enemies. He's not really a 2nd fast attacker, but another character with Haste/Slow or Steal/Mug AND able to take out the 2nd armored/evasive enemy before they get to act. I guess what I'm saying is that I think people oversimply things at his expense.

[@delsingray5923]

I agree this is the issue with him AND rikku. Though I do disagree that kimahri is a good character. The traits for his lore are good, but him as a character is not good and is imo, still executed poorly. Its just one moment in the game.

[@BigHeadClan]

Narratively Kimari going into other grids fits with his back story as well. He was ousted from the Ronso community one that is heavily steeped in traditions and its history because he was small and weak and couldn’t accept his defeat with honour. So he learned from those around him to become stronger and eventually overcome the Hero’s of the Ronso in Yenke and Briyan thus earning their respect. It’s a neat way to tie gameplay mechanics into his story directly.

[@SlaveCraven-vw8tk]

I had no idea about the thematic/symbolic reasons behind the sphere grid. Well done man!

[@BSENKevin]

I love the format of the video and how you pointed out Kimahri as a quiet tutorial character. I usually wait for a few videos to subscribe. However, I'll subscribe for the format of the breakdown. Good video.

[@kevhaka167]

WOW! I have played FF X so many times, it is one if not my favourite game and thought so much about the story, but I never thought about the sphere grid in that way and how its shape and positions can relate so much to the characters relationships and story. Truly and awesome video. I was so surprised to see such a well analysis and well made video by someone with just one video and so few subscribers. Subscribed, keep it up! :)

[@jyidorne8042]

This is a very nicely done video with a very good point. I never really thought about the sphere this deeply. I used to dislike FFX to a degree. I used to consider it a lesser version of 6, 7 and 8. But throughout the years and one serious replay later, I think it's among the best Final Fantasy games after all. Not my personal favorite, but there in the top 5 at least - both with its story and gameplay.

[@brianmcd993]

This is your channel's first video? You got my sub, I'm excited to see where you take this. Very well constructed video and great interpretation

[@REDEEMERWOLF]

Shut up.

[@embargovenom9948]

Thank you for giving some limelight to what is a truly underrated character. I love Kimahri and I wish more people saw his potential.

[@ToStrangeToHate]

Damn, first upload? I love this analysis of how each character fallows in others paths, never thought of it that way.. looking forward to more vids like this.

[@zacheray]

Dude I think it’s been over a year since I dropped a like on a video. Take it. Perfection. This game is just never ending rich soil for content.

[@georgp95]

This is one of the best essays about gaming i've seen in a while!

[@ElijahBrewer]

Thought this was a very thought-provoking interpretation of the sphere grid! I’m very surprised you didn’t explore the fact that he is also the only one that is forced by the narrative into a solo fight.

[@Mondo_Monkey]

I don't usually comment on stuf on KZbin but seeing that this is your first video I gotta say... this is amazingly well done and deep. I'm excited to see what yoy put out! Keep it up man!! The views speak for themselves!

[@Zirbip]

I never gave the layout of the grid much thought but it makes perfect sense with the narrative of the game. I always loved FFX but this makes me appreciate it even more now. Fantastic video. Subbed!

[@samadhoosen6014]

Dude, what a Great essay - I'm shocked to see only two videos uploaded. You're starting off incredibly strong and i cannot wait to see what else you work on in the years to come

[@michaelcarrig627]

I used Kimahri because he is such an amazing character design.

[@TheDancingYeti]

holy crap ! never realized how much depth and thought there was to the sphere grid been playing it on and off for around 20 years now and i thought i knew all that there was to know :D thanks for this

[@JimmyWuffster]

Excellent video! As a big fan of Kimhari it's nice to see him getting some meta-textual analysis like the other characters. Also, those pieces of art of him in other characters outfits (and the underwear for the Auron bit) are fantastic The only criticism I have is I feel like more could be said about the way in which Biran and Yenke act as mirrors to Kimhari in their battle. They're a deliberate test of Kimhari (and the players) ability to adapt to when you *don't* have a stat advantage. This feels representative of the way Kimhari is having to battle two foes who are both physically and *culturally* more well versed in fighting on Gagazet than he is, and his experiences as a guardian (and whoever he's learned from) are how he has to overcome them. Granted if you go down Rikku's route you just throw grenades at them but still, I think it's still a part of the game that meshes well with the points you make :)

[@SoulHero7]

I agree, that was an amazing story fight. I was collecting and using my Blue Magics as much as I could so I was prepared, but for the people that ignored him it probably made Kimhari feel even more underpowered. That being said, the fight all but gives the player access to Mighty Guard, one of the best buffs in the game, so even if you ignored Kimhari up to that point, he still gets something worthwhile out of it.

[@ShadowOfCicero]

It was a good chance to pick up a lot of missing skills if you didn't have them. Most of what I got in that run was that fight.

[@brandonbaker4484]

I love any mid to long form final fantasy content. Saw this and watched on a whim, glad I did. Great stuff. Subscribed, please keep it up. Good luck bud.

[@Rijnswaand]

I think it’s important to mention that the combat system allows for the player to switch characters in battle. This is so important because that’s where Kimahri really shines. I loved to have Kimahri in the backrow and jump in to save the day.

[@revostepify]

This was such a well made video! I would love an extended version (for this character or other characters) where you give specific examples of your points that are within the games cutscenes or scenario :)

[@SingerSaraneth]

I didnt realise you were brand new, this video scans like youve been doing this for ages. Bravo!

[@neverrready]

I was not expecting to be charmed by a bunch of little Kimahri-in-cosplay illustrations, but damn I'm here for it. And that, on top of a really beautiful essay. Well done.

[@Ox9707]

Never noticed the sphere grid was tied to their relationships. This game just keeps getting deeper for me. Classic

[@H0us3MD]

Keeping Kimahri in his own grid (standard) keeps him fairly bland, but he has lots of different options that can make some parts of the game far easier. Going into Rikkus grid after Sinspawn Gui lets you steal Petrify Grenades and Poison Fangs, greatly helping in Seymour 1 and Wendigo. Being able to use al bhed potions makes recovering from Evrae's Poison Breath much easier. If you keep on this path you can cross into Yunas mid-path, nabbing dispel & reflect, which make Seymour 2 much easier. Or, you can continue through Rikku's grid and catch the end of Yuna's path getting Holy before Yuna will. If you take Kimahri through Yuna's early path, Evrae becomes easier with the healing and Seymour 1 is safe with the added Nul's. Ive never run him through Lulu's path, but he can be either the weakest party member or a real life saver depending on what the player chooses. Thanks for the character analysis & how it relates to his grid.

[@Paul-to1nb]

Yeah Kimahri can be your best character mid to late game and having steal/use early is great. The key trick I use is to save up sphere levels. 1. Get steal and use. 2. Wait for a level 2 key sphere. (you should have around 40 SLvls when you get your first one in Macalania) 3. Use his saved up sphere levels to sweep Yuna's grid collecting a high magic stat along the way. The early holy is fun, but I also used a friend sphere to send him to Lulu's path and then rush him down to the end of her grid to get double cast in the calm lands (along with all the high magic leading up to it). It makes him deal >10k damage per turn in Gagazet. You can do a similar strat to learn quick hit and a bunch of strength early, instead. I love that there's at least one character you're given the freedom to mess up. It means that even if Kimahri ends up useless, you've still got other characters to fall back on. But, if you do it right, he can be amazing in the late game. I do wish his overdrive was more balanced so he'd be useful against the superbosses, but that's the same for Auron and Lulu, too.

[@H0us3MD]

@@Paul-to1nb I'll try sending him through Lulu's path next time I casually play. Thanks for the tips. IIRC the first level two key sphere is beating spherimorph in macalania. Cheers

[@Paul-to1nb]

@@H0us3MD FYI - It's not good to start in Lulu's grid, he'll be way too weak and behind her too many levels. It only works if you go Rikku (Steal/Use) -> Yuna (Some extra Magic stat) -> Lulu (with a Friend sphere AND some saved up sphere levels so he can zoom ahead of her).

[@jm2270]

@@H0us3MDDid Lulu's path on my first playthrough - can not recommend. He lags behind her considerably and there's no places you want an extra worse version of Lulu.

[@Zyga21]

so much effort put into this video, it's really good

[@snakeslife-uroborodjinn790]

Your analysis videos very quickly became some of my favourite content on youtube's gaming side.

[@kennyc7260]

I must be the minority because when I played because the first time I played when I was a kid, Kihmari was the most important character to me. He looked the coolest, had a badass intro, and Tidus gaining his trust seemed like a groundbreaking moment in the story. Also the part where he 2v1s his bullies on the mountain was my favorite part. The way the calm music played while an epic battle happened always stood out to me.

[@Rean_X]

Beautiful video, loved it! KZbin recommendations working nicely this evening. You definitely motivated me to use Kimahri on my next FFX playthrough.

[@i_am_a_dot]

Thanks for taking a chance on a new channel!

[@TheRealMycanthrope]

The fact that we have never gotten a light novel where Nanaki (Red XIII) and Kimahri meet through dimensional shenanigans and have a deeply philosophical adventure is a travesty

[@edwardscl3946]

This is an Amazing analysis, hope to see more from you in the future!

[@NerdRahtio]

I loved. kimahri for his story, and because he was a big blue cat. I maxed him out and was surprised to find out he was hated later. Great video.

[@UZZY234]

I’ll never forget watching the first FMV with Kimhari, he has the coolest looking character design out of the party imo

[@jumaanecabrera8091]

Holy smokes man! Well done video to the Nth degree! Really enjoyed the animations along with the sphere grid explanations. The bond between characters and why they’re connected was something I never put together. Great work. New subscriber!

[@MrGothicruler666]

And this was your YT debut? Incredible!

[@jcsscalemodels]

I think my favorite part is that Rikku takes Lulu's advice to learn black magic according to how the sphere grid is aligned.

[@orcuswells649]

I’ll admit I benched Kumahri on my run of the game, but this analysis made me rethink that. I never considered how the arrangement of the sphere grid represented the characters relationships to each other. Also, this is remarkably well edited for such a small channel- I subscribed and look forward to what you do next!

[@We_Are_Borg_478]

When I think of Kimahri, I think of Happy Gilmore's ex girlfriend and what she says to him on her way out. "All you ever talk about is wanting to be a pro hockey player, but there's a problem. You aren't any good." Therefore, to make him useful to the party, you have to make him (metaphorically) "give that shit up" and "concentrate on golf."

[@capena82]

Wonderful video! Fantastic breakdown, concepts and lovely graphics. Nicely done!

[@jasuly]

This video was very eye opening on the conscious choice of the making of the sphere grid

[@SonofMarowak]

Great 1st video. Cant wait for more of your stuff

[@szoooo0-q6p]

Such a wonderful video. I wished you touched upon Kimahri's solo boss fight with Yenke and Biran. It is so well-placed in the juncture of the game where it truly tests whether you as a player allowed Kimahri to grow into his own unique character to take on the 2v1 fight. My very first playthrough of FFX I neglected Kimahri because I too thought Kimahri was a useless character until the game outright punished me for doing so!

[@Lex1P1xel]

This is college graduate level analysis that has reformed how I look at all the parts you described and actually heightens AND deepens my appreciation for this game. Phenomenal work! Subscribed!

[@jayman071410]

This was a wonderful video to stumble across. Thank you. Very well done

[@BrianCuzzilla]

Excelent writting, editting, and narration! Personally I like to turn my Kihmari into a second Tidus. You know, he who strikes first, strikes twice. And having two fast characters at the beggining of the game is totally worth it. But first I take a little detour to learn the bassics of dark magic, just in case Lulu wasn't available at some point or if I need to kill a bunch of elemental enemies as fast as I can. Another thing I ussually do on my gameplays is, in the path of Yuna, not going through the way of Rikku, but instead go foward on Lulu's journey. Before I climb Mount Gagazet I already have two strong wizards (Lulu and Yuna) and a little, but pretty fast and dinamic magic aprentice Ronso :) I really love FFX and the sphere board!

[@funny_bunny]

Holy cow, your editing skills and storytelling are top notch! Great work! Looking forward for your next videos! Cheers!

[@Aritso]

I love the entire analysis you made on the sphere grid. FFX is my favorite game and it was awesome to notice these kind of things that normally go a bit unnoticed. On a different note, I love the cute lil Kimahris dressed up as the other characters :3

[@megascopsasio2015]

I love those drawings too!

[@billyargouzis7938]

Kimahris lines are really deep. He rarely speaks but all his words are pure wisdom. FFX really nailed it with the cast every line of dialogue in that game has purpose. What a masterpiece

[@TomOReganYT]

i really enjoyed this video, thank you for making it

[@dededododa]

The redundancy is understated. He allows the player to experiment with the grid without ruining a necessary character.

[@Zanerus]

This is a great video and a wonderful dive into using gameplay mechanics to enhance the narrative. I think what would have fixed Kihmari for many players is to have access to some of his blue mage spells outside of limits, keep stuff like Supernova and Shadow Flare as a limit break but move other moves into a skill menu like FFX-2 ended up doing.

[@wrathanet]

Looking forward to more videos from you! Definitely love to see how video games as a medium can use their mechanics to add depth to their story

[@SoulHero7]

I really appreciate you taking the time to support one of my favorite characters in FFX. That being said, I always saw Kimahri himself as the Jack Of All Trades character, only really held back by the fact that Blue Magic is a Limit Break in this game. Tidus and Rikku are the speedsters of the group; Tidus has the second highest speed stats and first access to Time Magic, and Rikku has the highest base speed in the group. Kimahri could literally do and be anything with careful planning, so that's what I did. I gave him Steal early on to support Rikku in oneshotting Machina, pumped up his strength so he could keep up with Tidus' damage output, gave him low tier Magic so he could help fight Flans and Elementals, and just jumped him around the Sphere Grid with warps to pick up a little bit of everyone's skills while the others kept going on their main paths. This made him relevant in every single fight and I had to stop myself from using him all the time because of this. By the time I got to the endgame, Kimahri truly had a piece of everyone's iconic abilities. He had high accuracy close to Wakka's, the Strength and defense piercing attributes of Auron, the Time Magic of Tidus, Steal and Copycat from Rikku's section, plenty of Defense and Magic stats from Lulu (Why is Lulu so tanky omg), and finally I gave him Esuna and Holy from Yuna. Even with Kimahri's middling stats, he was dealing the 2nd highest damage to Yunalesca with Holy spam right behind Yuna herself. And with Lancet, he could always keep the pressure going, or deal decent melee damage, or use his collection of Blue Magic at a critical moment. Kimahri is the MVP of my FFX playthroughs. He's as good as the player allows him to be.

[@bigkahuna7581]

Who the fuck is callin my boy Kimahri useless? Thats fightin words

[@richardpage2082]

Huh, I never noticed the relationship of the sphere grids to each other... that was truly fascinating and a great watch!