Final Fantasy IX (PC version)

Any% No Major Skips speedrun guide

written by Madelon

10 March 2025

Or, it can be a place where those with outsized egos put others down, ignore the contributions and kindnesses of their peers, and lift up themselves alone; a place where women and queer people are routinely marginalized and functionally excluded from the community.

Among FF9 runners, I believe more people prefer the former conception, but when otherwise well-intended people fail to police the toxic types, the latter version tends to prevail.

Please know that a speed runner’s worth is not their PB; it is not their social clout; it is certainly not their bro-ness. What matters is whether and how you help create a space where others can feel at home, theorize, investigate, learn, improve, and thrive; where people lift one another up.

‘You don’t need a reason to help people.’ I’m trying to remember who said that. But it sure would be a good mantra to hold onto.”

--Keeper, as comment below his World Record on 7 December 2024

Introduction

This guide is for learning the Final Fantasy IX speedrun on the PC version. The route described is for the Any% No Major Skips category. The guide can be used for both the HD PC run without the Cutscene Remover installed, as well as the run with the Cutscene Remover. The Cutscene Remover mod (after this abbreviated as CSR) can be found here: FF9 CSR.

The route detailed in this guide is the no Tantarian Nightless route (meaning not fighting the optional boss Tantarian and not using Quina’s Night ability), sometimes also referred as Petro route (named after Petroesjka). This route was originally aimed at the PSX version of the game, and this guide contains a version of the route that is geared towards PC use. The route described here is very similar to Keeper’s WR run of 7 December 2024, so if you want to watch a run for reference I would recommend his: New FF9 PC World Record: 7:20:23.

The PC Petro route is also described in SherrifFalc’s notes: FFIX HDPC No Tant / Nightless - Modified Petroesjka Route by SheriffFalc. Those contain less details (such as no descriptions on where you need to go), but can be handy if you just want an overview of the menus and fights.  A condensed version was also created by grimsalad: FF9 HD PC Any% NMS shortened guide. Note that there are some slight differences between the route described here and those sets of notes (such as this guide using Blizzara instead of Bio against Hilgigars).

There also exists a beginner friendly guide for the Tantarian route written by walrusbeard: Beginner Friendly Speedrun Guide for FFIX PC HD No Major Skips. And for those running on PSX (including emulator, for which there also exists a CSR), there is Muttski’s guide: Final Fantasy IX Beginner Speedrun Guide (Petro Route).

The rest of the introduction gives some information that is good to know before starting to go through the run. I hope you will have lots of fun with this speedrun!

How to use this guide

This guide provides the necessary directions, menus and boss strategies to complete the run. For directions, I will often use right/left/up/down to indicate where you need to go on the screens you are passing through. However, on the overworld map which direction you are facing is inconsistent, and therefore I will use north/south/east/west on the overworld, corresponding to the directions on your minimap.

The guide will sometimes mention cutscenes (understood as text boxes you need to mash through). Such cutscenes mentioned might not be there if you run with CSR, but relevant dialogue options are kept in. The CSR also skips some dialogue options where you would select the default (as this would still mean you simply mash through). I tried to mention these between brackets, but if there is ever a dialogue option that isn’t mentioned in the guide, most likely you should go with the default. Also, as I run with CSR myself, not every cutscene in the game will get mentioned. I also won’t mention FMVs, but you can skip those whenever they occur (they are no longer present if you run with CSR).

Menus are formatted as the following example.

For equipment menus, anything that you need to change is indicated in boldface, and sometimes it is indicated that you need to Optimise before making any other changes. In the example, this means you need to first optimise Zidane, then optimise Quina, and then you need to put the Yellow Scarf on Quina. The other equipment is also listed in case you want to check if everything is now correctly equipped.

For abilities, it will be listed in black what abilities to equip, and in red what abilities you need to remove. These are listed in the order it is expected to do this. If the line starts with [L] or [R] this means you need to go up or down a page (on a playstation controller you would use L1 or R1 for this).

A few menus are conditional on having a certain item you won’t always have (most notably the Rebirth Ring you can win in the card tournament). In this case, this is stated before the menu, and the parts that are different if you have the item are indicated in blue (or purple for removal).

For a beginner I would recommend making very sure you do menus correctly, as wrong equipment can mean you don’t learn the necessary abilities, and it can be very difficult to know how you should make up for this if you don’t know the run well. For battles, the guide will indicate if certain characters need to survive it (usually because they need the AP for learning abilities). Again, make sure these characters survive, as it can be difficult to know where to make up the AP if you don’t know the run well.

Random encounters

Unless otherwise indicated, you will typically want to avoid fighting any random encounters. When you get into a random encounter, you can keep the buttons for trying to escape pressed (L1+R1 on a playstation controller) in order to see if you can get away in this manner. A lot of the time, you should also make use of Zidane’s Flee ability to get away from battles. There are some portions where Flee is not available to you, when you don’t have Zidane or he hasn’t learned Flee yet and isn't wearing the equipment for it. In these cases it might be difficult to escape, and it becomes worth considering using Alt+F4 to close the game, and use Continue to start from the last autosave (the game autosaves on every screen transition).

Turbo and auto clicker

It is allowed to use turbo and/or an auto clicker during this run. Especially for runs without CSR I would highly recommend doing so (in order to not have to manually mash through cutscenes), but even for CSR runs it has its uses. Besides text box mashing, it's also useful for mashing results after battles, and a few other places such as the peek-a-boo minigame in Desert Palace (the one with frog Cid needing to get the key). I personally have turbo for the confirm button set up through the steam settings on the L2 button for my playstation controller (L2 isn’t used otherwise). For non-CSR runs, auto clicker would have the added advantage of being able to take some small breaks during cutscenes more easily (rather than having to hold a button).

Auto clicker can be found here: https://sourceforge.net/projects/orphamielautoclicker/

Turbo in steam can be set up as detailed in this video: How to Assign the Turbo Button on Steam [April 2023] Note that (counterintuitively) lower repeat means faster mashing, so repeat rate 10 has the most button presses per second.

Stutter stepping

When you are on the world map, it is possible to avoid random encounters by using ‘stutter stepping’. Basically, you only risk encounters when making full steps, and not for half steps. So if you repeatedly briefly press the directional buttons (I would use the keyboard for this), you move by half steps in a way that helps avoid encounters. As it is allowed to use turbo, the most easy way to do this is by using an AutoHotkey script that lets you set up the directional buttons on your keyboard as turbo buttons. You can then simply use these directional buttons as you normally would to do the stutter stepping for you. Instructions for setting up this AutoHotkey script can be found here: Turbo Macro Keys

Note that stutter stepping doesn’t protect you from friendly monster encounters, and for this reason you should usually try to avoid forests.

ATB waiting

We will have ATB on Wait mode throughout the run. This means that ATB doesn’t fill up whenever you go into a submenu during battle. Submenu means anything other than the main menu where you can select attack etcetera, so a submenu can be selecting a target for your attack, selecting a spell to cast, or selecting an item to use. Deliberately going into a submenu to prevent ATB from filling up is called holding ATB. Holding ATB can sometimes be used to our advantage, as it also stops the ATB from enemies from filling up.

The ATB of characters and enemies fills up according to their speed. When a character or enemy takes an action, ATB does not fill up, and the ATB bar only starts filling up again after the action and its animation are fully complete. As many actions take pretty long compared to the speed of filling up ATB, a lot of the time all characters and enemies would get an equal amount of turns in practice. However, if your character is faster than an enemy, it can be possible to use ATB holding to manipulate ATB such that your character gets two turns in a row compared to the enemy. The technique for this is called ATB waiting (e.g. if you make Zidane get two attacks in a row in between enemy actions, this is referred to as ATB waiting Zidane).

As ATB waiting can be difficult to explain without visual aid, I recommend watching a tutorial video: ATB Waiting: Part 1 - The Basics ATB waiting is crucial in the final boss fight against Necron, where the notes will give detailed steps for the instance of ATB waiting needed. There are many other fights where ATB waiting can be useful, but not necessary to be able to complete the fight. ATB waiting does not mean you should hold ATB whenever you can, if you do not know what you’re doing you’re usually better off not doing it.

Other tips & tricks

Here are some other useful tips:

• There is an autosplitter available for this run, which also incorporates a load removed timer (the primary comparison on the leaderboard). See https://www.speedrun.com/ff9/guides/ixpuz for instructions on setting this up. You do still need to manually split for the end of the run, which is on the final hit against Necron.
• You can sometimes use auto-battle (activated with R2 on a playstation controller) to have characters attack as soon as their ATB is filled. Be careful with this, as sometimes not all of your characters are meant to attack.
• In the menu, you can use Square (on a playstation controller) to quickly switch between the equipment and ability menus.
• It’s possible to use your mouse to click where you want your characters to go. This can sometimes help with more optimal movement, which helps reduce the risk of random encounters.
• Especially in the later parts of the run, it is often useful to see what a boss does on its turn, before inputting your own actions, to ensure a better response (like immediately reviving a fallen character). In this case, make sure you make your inputs fast enough so as to not lose turns (can always ATB hold to think if needed).
• If you hold the fleeing buttons (L1+R1 on a playstation controller), your characters will skip the ready animation they typically do before taking an action (like Freya first moving her spear around). Be careful that your characters take more damage from physical attacks while doing this, and that you risk actually fleeing if you try to do this against random encounters (although there are few where we prefer fighting over fleeing).
• By default, the game uses Circle (on a playstation controller) as the confirm button. If you do not like this, you can either swap the buttons around in the steam settings, or in the first configure menu of the run choose different controls (causing some slight timeloss). Note that if you use the steam settings, this affects the buttons shown during the Nobles Minigame, which are shown as Xbox buttons, so you’ll have to memorize which button prompt corresponds to which button in that case.
• Do not flee from Ragtime Mouse (the quiz enemy that can occur in forests)! You will lose way too much money. Just try to answer the question.

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank SherriffFalc for writing the notes that allowed me to learn the run, as well as walrusbeard for writing a beginner friendly set of notes that, although being for a different route, helped me learn the navigational aspects of the run. Much that ended up in this guide can be traced back to these two sets of notes.

There are also many others that provided learning materials this guide benefitted from, for which they have my gratitude: Muttski (PSX guides, mistodon skip tutorial), grimsalad (several sets of notes, diagram for Necron scenarios), Wisteria (card tournament guide), TheGreatJecht (notes on setting up turbo for stutter stepping), thebroodles (PSX video tutorial), reverv (ATB wait tutorial, Cage Swing tutorial), RoamingMyrk (ATB wait tutorial), fhelwanger (instructions for setting up autosplitter and load remover), Petroesjka (the route’s namesake, whom I understand has provided several foundational materials, among which the Necron scenarios chart linked at the Necron fight). I would also like to thank Tirlititi and bodcap for developing the cutscene remover, which seriously helped improve the accessibility of this speedrun, and I love the five minute break halfway in the run.

Special thanks go to Keeper, who provided the space in his discord server to ask questions about the run to my heart’s content. Keeper was very helpful in teaching me more about this run, going as far as creating a detailed write-up of the Black Waltz 2 fight when I wanted to learn more about it. And many thanks to others that helped my understanding of this run (in alphabetical order): CaptoftheDorks, ceaselessly, ChrisTenarium, grimsalad, hamfruitcake, jibben, KaguyaNicky, Kenorah, MrZwanzig, RoamingMyrk.

The ff9 speedrun community is quite a sizable one, and there are still many other wonderful people that might not have gotten a name drop in these acknowledgements, but that I am very glad are part of it. So to any past, current and future runners, as well as other community members, who contribute to a welcoming environment where we can enjoy this great game together: you have my sincerest thanks.

Update to V1.1

Many thanks to Jibben, whose various comments helped me make various small changes to improve the guide.

Before the run

You are required to do a hard reset of the game before starting your run. This means your video (if you wish to submit to the leaderboard) should show you quitting out of the game either by Alt+F4 or by quitting the game out of the title screen, and then you should relaunch the game. Then, the timer starts upon hitting New Game (autosplitter can do this for you).

Disc 1

Alexandria 1

Do the first menu as soon as you control Zidane.

Light the candle and name Zidane.

Select the second Dialogue option (Kidnap Garnet).

As Vivi, head up on the first screen, then left on the next, then up again. Now talk to the guy in the ticket booth (first dialogue options). Then go left, go down in the next screen (first dialogue option every time in cutscene with Puck). Then follow Puck into the steeple. Inside the steeple, pick up the Tent to the left of the entrance. Then go up the ladder (first attempt to get up you get a cutscene where you can pick the first dialogue option). Follow Puck on the rooftops and name Vivi.

Run up the stairs (first dialogue option in cutscene), then name Steiner. Then go up, and in the next screen go around to the back and down the stairs and then down to leave the castle (as shown in the picture).

Continue down, and on the screen with the fountain go towards the left. Then enter the building, in the next screen go forward to the end, and continue up the stairs to the top of the tower.

As Zidane, go right, then in the next screen talk to Ruby and then go down the stairs. On the next screen, go left and through the next door.

Evil Forest

Watch the obligatory ATE, then go down as Zidane. In this next screen, go right and then up, but make sure you force an encounter before leaving this screen. Use an attack to kill the enemy so Zidane levels up to level 2. Run up on the next screen.

After the cutscenes, leave the screen on the left. Go down the stairs and go through the door on the right. Open the Ether chest and talk to Vivi, then leave the room again. After the cutscenes (choose the first dialogue option) go left. Pick up the Ether Chest below you, then go down the stairs. Next screen, go right, and after another cutscene go left and talk to Baku.

Go left, then enter the door to the left. After the cutscene with Steiner, go down right and then right through the door for a cutscene with Vivi. Then go back to where you fought Baku, and then go down.

After the cutscene, go down, then go right and up on the next screen. Then go up on the screen where you fought Prison Cages, then go up the wooden plank on the left and then to the top right. After the next cutscene, go up right, then up right on the next screen, and then just go up.

Now immediately do a menu. A few parts of the menu only need to be done if you stole the Broadsword from Prison Cage, these parts are in blue.

After the menu, immediately go down.

Run down. Now there will be some cutscenes. In the Mog Teacher ATE (after three text boxes if running without CSR) select the last option in the list. Once you’re on the world map, run forward and very slightly right towards the Ice Cavern. You won’t get encounters as long as the Mist Continent text is on the screen, so we don’t have to worry about stutter stepping just yet.

Ice Cavern

In the first screen, be careful of the airstreams, as those will cause a random encounter when it hits you. The first one you can pass on the right, for the second one (on the right) you need to wait for it to stop blowing. In the next screen, make your way to the upper left exit, and in the screen after that to the upper right exit. On the next screen, it is sometimes possible to take the most direct path up, but it’s safer to use the winding paths on the right to avoid the airstreams. Then head to the upper right in the next screens.

After cutscenes, go top right back to where you fought Sealion, then go up the slope to your right and jump over the water stream. Continue up the slope towards the upper exit, then go up in the next screen. Name Dagger, and choose the first dialogue option to confirm.

Dali

On the overworld, stutter step towards the village. Although you usually should avoid forests, in this case it’s fine to go through the little forest.

After cutscenes, leave the inn, then go up and then right into a small garden. Immediately go back to the previous screen, then go up the door into the tavern and back out again twice (if you run CSR, you only need to do this once). Then talk to Vivi in the upper left. After that, go into the shop to the left for some cutscenes. Go for the first option in the first dialogue choice and the second option in the second dialogue choice. Then talk to the shopkeeper.

Leave the shop, go into the inn to the right, go up and talk to Dagger. Then leave the inn, go up to where you previously talked to Vivi. After a cutscene, go into the door on the left, and examine the hatch and choose the first option to go down.

Go down the ladder, go onto the platform slightly to the right and press the confirm button to go down, and then go forward. Go through the next three screens in the upper right direction, and then Vivi rejoins the party. Do a menu.

Go directly to the right to leave this screen, then just follow the path up.

Once you control Steiner, go down the stairs. At the bottom you can open a chest with 135 gil in the upper right, and you can find a Hi-Potion close to the bottom near the cart. Feel free to skip these chests if you run CSR, if not you will have to wait anyway so you might as well get them. Make sure you don’t forget to do the next menu, unless you stole the Broadsword from Prison Cage (in which case you already did this menu in Evil Forest).

Now enter the house on the left and talk to the old guy. Then leave the house and go down. During the cutscene with the barrel choose the second option to observe the barrel.

In the next cutscene, choose the second option (depart) during the first dialogue option (and the first option after that). On the airship, go up the ladder in the back, then go left towards Steiner, then go into the cabin on the left. After the cutscene, leave the cabin on the left.

Lindblum 1

After the cutscenes, follow (or overtake) Artania down right into the elevator. There will be more cutscenes, you will get to name Freya, then more cutscenes, then during the Mog Teacher ATE choose the last option (skip) in the list. As Zidane, leave your room and go down the stairs on the right. Leave the inn, and on the streets go up. In the next screen, go to the upper right. Then go into the weapon shop directly to the right of the fountain (up the small set of stairs). Talk to the shopkeeper.

Now leave the shop, and this time go towards the upper left. Talk to the shopkeeper.

Leave the synth shop, then leave the screen on the bottom left. Next screen, also go to the bottom left. Then go down, and enter the station on the right, across from the inn you left earlier. Take the cab towards the Theater District.

At the Theater District, leave the station, then go down the stairs on the left. Enter the door you can see (with the clock above). Go back out again, and head back to the station. Take a cab towards Lindblum Castle.

Go down to leave the station. Go up the stairs, and then go towards the exit on the right. Then go up the stairs on the right of the fountain, and then go through the opening on the left. Walk upstairs for a cutscene with Steiner, then walk out again and go back to the screen with the fountain. Attempt to go the elevator down the screen, where you will be stopped by a guard. Now go back up the stairs right of the fountain. In the next screen, go down the stairs and talk to the guard in the bottom left. After the cutscene, go back to the screen with the fountain, and this time you will be able to go down towards the elevator. Leave the elevator, and go up the stairs on the left. Next screen, go left and then take the stairs. Then go left up the stairs to the top of the tower.

In the telescope minigame, find the following landmarks as follows:

• Go a bit right for the Ceebell River.
• Go a bit right for the ??? Forest.
• Go a bit up for the Aerbs Mountains
• Go a bit left for South Gate.
• Go a bit left for the Aerbs Mountains.
• Go down and left for Marshland.

After the cutscenes, leave the room, go back left to the screen with the fountain, and go up. Then go left and down the stairs towards the station, and then take the cab. Leave the station, and go towards the Mu circling the old guy.

After cutscenes, go down towards the elevator, and use the elevator to go to the Bottom level. Take the cart on the left towards Dragon’s Gate, and talk to the guy on the left.

Now go right behind the platform to open a hidden chest for a Tent. Then go up outside.

Gizamaluke’s Grotto

On the overworld, stutter step in the eastern/northeastern direction (but don’t go through any forest). You should pass between mountains on the left and a forest on the right, then see a bridge you use to get over the river, and then a forest (path is also indicated in green on the map above). Enter the Chocobo Forest, and leave after the cutscene. Walk towards the chocobo tracks, and go into the items menu to use Gysahl Greens.

Then use the chocobo to go back over the bridge, then go right and follow the path towards a door in the mountain (see the yellow path in map above). Dismount and enter Gizamaluke’s Grotto.

Talk to the soldier on the right, then use the bell on the door on the left, and menu before going through the door.

Now go through the door.

Use the menu to heal up with Potions if needed. We want Freya in particular to be in good health, as she can use the experience from the next fight. Then walk towards the black mage in the middle of the room for another fight, which is the same as the previous fight. Then use the bell on the door on top of the stairs and go through.

Walk towards the big bell for a cutscene (choose the first dialogue option during it), then open the chest for another bell. Go through the door on the upper right (use the bell). Talk to the closest moogle and choose the first Dialogue option. Then go back out (the moogle will give you another bell). Go around the area with the big bell towards the door and use the bell on that door. Do a menu before going through the door.

As Steiner, walk up to the guards. Once inside, pick up the chest directly on the left with the Multina Racket. Then talk to the leftmost person (the anteater) and choose the second dialogue option. Then talk to the guy in the front right, and then to the gal in the top right (first dialogue option for both). Try to leave through the top right exit, then walk back to the guard. Once you have your gate pass, leave through the top right exit.

Choose the first dialogue option during the cutscene, then as Dagger run up the stairs and talk to the train conductor. Choose the first dialogue option twice. Inside the train, go to the bottom right.

Burmecia

Back as Zidane, stutter step in the northern (and slightly western) direction towards Burmecia, and enter.

Run forward through the first screen, then do a menu.

Run forward to trigger another fight with Black Mages.

Run up the stairs on the right and go through the door. Inside, go up the stairs and enter the door on the left. Next screen, just run to the left. The screen after that, you need to make sure the walkway doesn’t collapse when you run over it by running in the up left direction (rather than simply left). This way, you can open the chest on the other side with the Germinas Boots. Use autosave to try again if you make the walkway collapse before crossing it and getting the boots, as we do really need those. Alternatively, if you have trouble getting over the walkway without collapsing it, you can also walk (rather than run) over it to avoid the collapse.

Now go back (this time the walkway collapses) the way you came until you’re back where you fought the Black Mages. Now go through the door on the left, then up the stairs through the door on the right. Then go right and jump over the balconies. At the other side, talk to the soldier, then go behind the bed to find another bell.

Now go back again (jump over the balconies and down the stairs) to where you fought the Black Mages. Again, go up the stairs on the right, and inside go up the stairs and through the door on the left. This time, go to the door in the middle of the screen and use the bell to go through it.

Go forward, and then into the door on the ground level. After the cutscene, go up the stairs on the right, then over the fallen statue to the left, and enter the doorway. Then go up to the next door, and then past the fountain up the stairs. In the next cutscene, choose the second dialogue option (Leave her alone).

Disc 2

Station

Go over the closest bridge towards the right. Next screen, talk to the person behind the left desk, then talk to the shopkeeper behind the lower desk.

Now go through the lower left exit, and after the cutscene go back. Talk to Marcus, then Steiner, and then go through the upper left exit. Cross the bridge to the left and enter the train. After the cutscene, talk to Marcus.

After the cutscene, go up, then take the path on the right. Jump over the gap, then go down to pick up the 1600 gil chest. Then continue right, run into the gate, then go out the gate.

Treno 1

Outside on the world map, stutter step towards Treno (you should soon see it if you start following the only available path).

In Treno, watch the first ATE called “Treno Tradition”. During this ATE, a thief will walk up to Dagger, and you will need to press confirm when he reaches her and an “!” appears. You will lose 500 gil if you succeed at this (instead of 1000 gil). Do not forget this ATE!

Afterwards, go to the left, then in the next screen enter the first opening in a little tower to go down some stairs. Then go up and to the doors on the left. Go a bit to the left and make sure to talk to the thief from the previous ATE to get the Power Belt. Make sure you do this, you do not want to miss this Power Belt!

After getting the Power Belt, leave the building again, and go down (leave the screen to the right of the little tower, we don’t go through it this time). Now go to the right, then the next screen go up left. To the left of the big door, pick up 2225 gil, and then enter this big door.

As Dagger, leave the screen on the right, then enter the door on the right and talk to the shopkeeper.

Leave the shop, then go down and right up the stairs through a little tower and then down to leave the screen. Then enter the house on the left, go down the stairs and talk to Marcus. Follow the path and talk to Baku. Do a menu after the cutscene.

Leave the house and go down. You’ll be back in the entrance screen of Treno. Go left, and this time go further left and enter the big tower. Follow the stairs up, and after the cutscene talk to Doctor Tot, then go up the ladders and go down the hole to enter Gargan Roo.

Take the left exit, and go up and activate the lever. Then go back and take the right exit, go up and pull the lever. Then go down and activate the switch on the left.

Cleyra

After cutscenes you will control Zidane. Stutter step in the southwestern direction towards the big sandstorm, and enter.

Go up, then next screen use the lever on the right and go through the door, and then go up in the next screen. Now you will be in a screen where there is an obscured chest at the bottom with Magician Shoes. Pick this up, then menu.

Note that if you get a random encounter from now until you reach Cleyra village, you have the option of killing enemies with Vivi’s Blizzara (use multi-target for groups of multiple enemies), whenever that will be faster than fleeing. In the case of the sand golem, you should aim at the red core.

Now leave this screen on the right, then go up the next screen. Go down and examine the hole and choose the second option (put hand in hole). You can optionally pick up the chest for an Ether. Go back to the previous screen, go down and climb the vines (if you go down too far there is a short animation of Zidane almost falling). Next screen, go left, and the screen after that go up. Then take the rightmost path, cross the bridge, and then take the leftmost path, and again the leftmost path. Carefully walk between the first two sand pits (you need to mash the confirm button to get out if you fall in). For the third sand pit, you need to deliberately walk in and mash the confirm button to hope you jump out on the other side. Then follow the path, go up the ladder, and continue until you enter the Cleyra Settlement.

During the cutscene, choose the second dialogue option (declining the tour). Go up two sets of stairs and then go right. Go up the stairs to the family from Burmecia and talk to the guy on the left.

Go over the bridge on the left, then go up the stairs, then into the building and talk to the person on the right. Go out again, and pick up Gysahl Greens hidden behind the direction signs (to the right of the top of the stairs).

Then go down the stairs, and back over the bridge to where the family was.

After the cutscene, go down the stairs, and back more stairs to the entrance of the settlement, while picking up a hidden chest with a Phoenix Pinion between the last two sets of stairs closest to the entrance. At the entrance, go to the right.

There will be some cutscenes. When Dagger is talking to Brahne, choose the second dialogue option (don’t believe her). When Zidane talks to Freya, choose the first dialogue option. Menu once you are in control of Freya.

Then go down, and keep going down the stairs until you are back at the entrance. After the cutscene, go down the ladder, then pick up the Gysahl Greens chest on the left. Then go right, down and right in the next screen, and right until you trigger a fight. This will be the first of several fights.

After the first fight, go right then down to trigger the second fight (same notes on strategy as above). Then go down for another fight. Then down for a cutscene (choose first dialogue option). Then a fight against a single Black Mage starts.

After the single Black Mage fight, use Potions to fully heal your party.

Then go up to trigger two back-to-back fights.

In the cutscene after these two fights, pick the second dialogue option (go right).

Then go up the stairs to the center to trigger another cutscene. Pick the first dialogue option (go left). You will trigger another fight (follow the same strategy as outlined above). Then walk forward, and in the next cutscene, pick the second dialogue option (go right). There will be a last fight. If you had two soldiers run away previously, and Vivi stayed alive during all fights, make sure you KO Vivi before the end of the fight so Freya still gets enough experience.

After the cutscenes where Beatrix steals the jewel, talk to all the people on the left for some rewards (you can skip the children if you plan on getting cards from Tot for the card tournament, which is slow to do but can be a reasonable option for a beginner). Then do a menu.

Then leave the building to fight Beatrix.

After the cutscenes, on the ship, go up the stairs, then to the left. After the cutscenes where you’re overhearing Queen Brahne, go back to the teleporters that you entered the ship with, and talk to Vivi (first dialogue option during cutscene).

Alexandria 2

Next, you will need to make your way towards a ladder on the left side of the screen. Two soldiers will try to catch you as you do so, try to run around them if you can. If you get caught, attack the soldiers with Steiner. If there is a chance to get caught by the second soldier as well, it can be worth using potions on Steiner before that to make sure he survives. Then go up the ladder and exit left.

After the cutscenes, go down and then left, and up on the screen with the fountain (you shouldn’t get caught by soldiers if you’re reasonably fast). Go up, then up the stairs and left then down into the exit at the bottom of the screen. (Here it can be more tricky to be fast enough for the soldiers, fight them if you get caught. It’s also possible to go in and out through the door on the left on the bottom level to reset the soldiers and make it more difficult for them to catch you.) Then immediately go left up the stairs and take the upper exit. Continue running forward in a straight line, which should prevent you from getting caught by soldiers.

Next, examine the candles to the left of the fireplace to make a secret entrance appear, and go through that entrance. Go towards the swinging platform, and wait for the piece that can go towards the upper chests before jumping on. Jump off at the chests and pick up the chests (left has Ice Brand and right has Tent). With turbo you should be able to grab both before the next opportunity to jump back on the platform (if you can’t do this the Tent isn’t all that important). Jump off at the right this time, then continue down the stairs and do a menu.  

Continue all the way down the stairs, until you see a wooden door, and go through the door.

After the fight, go forward to pick up Dagger (literally), then go back. Go fully back up the stairs, and use the rotating platform to go back to the room that had the secret entrance.

As Zidane, take the swinging platform to the other side, and menu before descending the stairs.

Now go down the stairs until you trigger another fight.

Now further descend the stairs.

Continue descending the stairs.

The scene will change to Beatrix and company, and you will have two battles in a row.

Back to Zidane, Dagger and Vivi, menu to heal up.

Now go down to descend even more stairs, and even more stairs until a gate blocks your way, then run back to find another gate pop up, and there will be some cutscenes.

Once in control of Dagger, go left, click through some dialogue and leave the screen left. Next screen, go up, over the bridge, then down the slope and to the left. In the dialogue, select the second dialogue option to give up, and then confirm with the first dialogue option of yes.

Lindblum 2

Stick to the left side (to avoid a little cutscene) while going up. Next screen, go right and up. After the cutscenes, go left up to visit the synthesis shop.

Leave the shop and talk to the guy close to the fountain and say you’re ready. After more cutscenes, talk to the guy on the left for some shopping.

Now go through the door to the overworld, and stutter step north to enter the marsh.

Qu’s Marsh and Fossil Roo

In Qu’s Marsh, go up three screens, then catch the frog in the upper right, and give it to Quina and name them. After some cutscenes (choose the first dialogue option), do a menu.

Now leave the screen on the right, then after the cutscene go through the entrance and right down the stairs.

Follow the path to the right, until you start getting chased by a monster. You have to dodge swinging axes while being chased, the easiest way to do so is to stick to one side of the path and move further on that side whenever you can. If you get caught, flee. After three screens of swinging axes, you will find the next boss fight.

Now descend the stairs on the right. This next area can feel a bit like a maze at first. The steps of making it through Fossil Roo are as follows:

• Go to the left, pick up a flower, and go slightly right to use the flower to lure a Gargant to ride on.
• Go up, then take the upper path at the next split, and get a flower to lure another Gargant on the right.
• Go to the right, flip the switch, then go fully left for another flower, and a bit to the right to use it to lure a Gargant.
• Go up, follow the winding path, flip a switch, and go back over the winding path. Pick a flower, and go left up the stairs to lure another Gargant.
• Go to the right, flip the switch (this is the first switch we’ve already switched once before), then go fully left for a flower and slightly right to lure a Gargant.
• Go left, then this time at the split take the downward path, and leave the screen on the right of the moogles. Pick up a flower, and lure a Gargant on the right.
• Go up the stairs, pass the switch without flipping it, pick another flower and lure a Gargant on the right.
• Go to the right, then start climbing the wall of vines. Take the path indicated in red to make your way to the upper left switch. When taking this path, stay below the yellow line from the picture (can be recognized by the head in the wall having a sort of triangle directly beneath it), and take a straight path to the right when going underneath this head in the wall. If you do it wrong, you get blasted in the water. In that case, use the confirm button to jump out of the water, and climb the vines again, and take the rest of the path as indicated to make your way to the switch.

• Now flip the switch, and climb down on the vines. You will get blasted by water, press the confirm button to get out, and leave to the right. Get a last flower, go to the end of the path and lure a last Gargant.
• Now just go to the exit in the top right.

Conde Petie and Black Mage Village

As long as the Outer Continent text is displayed, you can run to the north without worrying about encounters, and after the text disappears you will need to start stutter stepping. You will be going north through a canyon, passing under some buildings (Conde Petie) spanning over it. Then turn to the right (east), keeping the coast on your left, and pass the marsh on the left to find chocobo tracks behind it. Go into your menu.

Now, on the chocobo, go back in southwestern direction towards Conde Petie (the buildings you passed underneath), and enter.

After the cutscene, pick up a chest with 2700 gil in the dark corner on the left, behind the guy. Then go through the opening above it to the left, and then go up the stairs. Then go between the two people towards the middle platform shaped like a boat, and pick up a Diamond in the front side of it. Go back left of the platform, then go down and talk to Vivi, then take the down right exit. After the cutscene, go down to leave Conde Petie.

Mount your chocobo, and head directly east towards a coastline. At the coast, turn right through a big patch of forest, and at the end dismount and enter the highlighted part of the forest.

To go through this forest and find Black Mage Village, you need to go right, right, left, left, right. The way I remember this, is that I go right whenever Zidane appears on the downward path, and I go back left whenever Zidane appears on the left path.

Once inside Black Mage Village, go to the left and pick up an Elixir near the basket directly to the right of the door. Then enter the door and shop with the Black Mage.

Leave the shop, and go to the upper left exit of the screen. Then go to the left and watch the obligatory ATE. Afterwards, go into the door of the hut on the right. Pick up the Ether on the left, then go through the door on the right, continue over the little bridge and go into the next hut. Go right towards Vivi for more cutscenes (first dialogue option).

After these cutscenes, you’ll be back at the entrance. Again go to the upper left exit of the screen. Now, go into the door of the hut on the left. Pick up a hidden chest with 2000 gil in the back of the room, then talk to the Black Mage closer to the entrance.

Now go back to the entrance and leave the village. Take the chocobo back in the direction of Conde Petie, but leave the chocobo behind in the location indicated in the picture below, as circled in yellow (in red is Conde Petie, which you should see in the distance).

Stutter step the rest of the way to Conde Petie (avoid forest as usual).

Go forward, then take the opening to the left, go up the stairs, and then go to the right (over the upper platform) and talk to the guy in the upper right of the screen. Go back left, and down the stairs to talk to the old priest (first dialogue option). After the marriage, go down and descend the stairs on the right. Then continue going right, and at some point you will get to name Eiko. Continue the path to the right, until you see two moogles. You can optionally buy the deal from Stiltzkin (left moogle), which has an Ether, Tent, and Magic Tag (useful in case Zidane gets Zombie in any of the upcoming battles). Go up the ladder on the left, then down and right into the next screen. Menu before continuing further.

Now go to the right.

Now go right, and in the next screen take the bigger (leftmost) branch. Continue until you are on the world map.

Madain Sari and Iifa Tree

Make your way to the rubble-like structure that is Madain Sari (with the mountain path you just left at your back, it should be directly forward).

After the initial cutscene, take the path down right, then immediately return to the previous screen (with the fountain) to trigger another cutscene (first dialogue option each time). Next, go left for a cutscene with Vivi, then try to enter the door. Go back to the fountain screen, go down right and go down to talk to Dagger. Then go back up to the fountain screen, and take the up right path and go towards the moogles for another cutscene.

Now go back to the fountain screen, go left and enter the house for another cutscene. Pick up the pot, go left and give it to Eiko. Go back to the dinner table screen, and pick up a chest with a Phoenix Pinion to the right of Dagger. Then try to exit the house and choose to sleep.

Afterwards, you will be back on the world map. Stutter step back to the mountain path you came from. Go left for two screens, then left and up, and you will again appear on the world map. Stutter step to the giant tree.

In the cutscene, choose the last dialogue option (Ask Eiko). Then go forward and follow the path. For encounters against a Stroper, you can use a Soft to kill it, otherwise flee from encounter as usual. During the cutscene at the platform, choose the second dialogue option (try standing on it). Continue following the path winding downwards until you trigger an obligatory fight.

Talk to Vivi.

Go down the stairs and to the right, and pick up a chest with an Elixir at the bottom of the stairs. Then pass in front of the trunk towards the left, and pick up a chest with a Brigandine hidden behind the trunk. Do a menu (and check Zidane’s level).

Now go examine the left of the screen, then run up towards Dagger.

After the cutscenes, do a menu.

Now leave the Iifa Tree, stutter step back to the mountain path. On the path go back right, then stutter step back to Madain Sari.

Go forward, then go left on the fountain screen and enter the house. Go left, and enter the opening you see underneath the kitchen. After the cutscene, go back out of the house, back to the fountain screen and then to the upper right. Talk to the moogle closest to the opening, and choose the option to heal. Then choose the first option each time.

Now go back to the left into the house, and back to the room underneath the kitchen. After the cutscene (first dialogue option), leave the house, and press the confirm button in the area directly in front of the house where “!” appears. This will trigger some cutscenes and the option to name Amarant. Then you get into the party select menu.

Now stutter step to the mountain path again, and menu once you’re on the path.

Now go left over the path, and stutter step again to the Iifa Tree. Choose the bottom option to keep your party as is, then follow the path on the tree, and again choose the bottom option to keep your party as is when prompted.

There will be another against a Mistodon (same strategy). Then after more cutscenes, you need to run to the left down a branch. You will get at least one more encounter against Mistodons, and sometimes you will get another one.

Disc 3

Alexandria 3

Once you control Vivi, go left. Then go up in the next screen, then left, and then go down the stairs behind Blank and Marcus (choose the first dialogue option). Once you control Eiko, go through the door slightly to your left and up.

Once you control Zidane, leave the tavern, then go left, and then up in the next screen. Now enter the synthesis shop on the right and talk to the old guy.

Now leave the shop, then go towards the upper bridge, and pick up a Phoenix Pinion at the cartwheel on the left before the bridge (see picture).

Now go up, and in the screen with the gondola pick up a Phoenix Pinion and 3927 gil behind the soldier platforms, then ride the gondola.

On the other side, pick up an Ether hidden behind the pillar directly to your left, and pick up a Phoenix Pinion behind the pillar on the far right. Then pick up the Lapis Lazuli directly behind the fountain, and then go up.

Treno 2

Optionally, it is possible to delete all your cards now and get new ones from Tot (which includes the Save the Queen if you have no cards). You can even repeat this if you aren’t content with the arrows on your cards. It is generally faster to just roll with the cards you got rather than doing this, so I would recommend only using Tot’s cards if you are a beginner that isn’t used to playing Tetra Master at all, and really want to have the better cards Tot gives (Save the Queen is quite good).

Descend the tower, and once outside, go to the right and enter the opening in the little tower to descend some stairs. Then leave the next screen in the down right direction. Talk to the person behind the counter to register for the card tournament (optionally you can buy some goblin cards in case the arrows on your current cards are bad), and enter the big opening to start the tournament.

Alexandria 4

During the next cutscenes, you will have to give instructions to 4 pairs of soldiers. Give the first set of instructions to the third pair of soldiers. After that, you can just mash through as it’s just the first set of instructions to the first pair of soldiers each time. It is important to give the instructions correctly, as you’ll receive Angel Earrings as a reward.

Once you control Steiner, do a menu.

Now lure the mistodon until it is just past the barrel next to the ticket booth, as shown in the picture. Then pass the ticket booth on the left, and go down the screen. In the next screen, you will trigger if you would run through normally. To skip this, carefully position Steiner as in the below picture (pay attention to where his sword is in comparison to the cross in the fence). Once in position, go directly left, and you should enter the next screen without an encounter. If you didn’t go far enough, you will stay on the screen but can try again, but if you go too far you will trigger the encounter. If you make a mistake in this or the previous screen, just fight the encounter using the battle strategy below.

Now after this Mistodon skip, go right to trigger a Mistodon fight that can’t be skipped.

Do a menu after the first unskippable mistodon battle.

Now go to the right, then down in the next screen. There will be three more fights against a single mistodon (use the strategy above), then a last fight in which Steiner trances.

Once you control Dagger, go left up the stairs, then go down into the bottom exit of the screen. Take the stairs and take the upper exit. Now take the door on the left (up some small stairs), and go up all the stairs. Continue following the path.

Once you control Zidane, take the same path that Dagger just took.

Lindblum 3

After the cutscenes, once you control Zidane, pick up the chest to your right with an Egoist’s Armlet. Then try to leave the room, which will trigger a conversation with Blank. Choose the first dialogue option.

Descend the stairs and talk to the guard on the right in front of the opening (don’t forget this, as it will allow you access to Cid’s royal chambers). Then go back up the stairs and go to the left. In the screen with the fountain, go down into the elevator, and use the elevator to go to the upper level. Leave the elevator, then go up, and go up the stairs and talk to one of the guards, then proceed to the door.

After the cutscenes, go down into the elevator, and take the elevator to the mid level. In the fountain screen, go to the right and then back into the guest room (where you started). In runs with the cutscene remover, I use the change of music as the reminder that I need to go back to the guest room to check up on Dagger.

After more cutscenes, again go down and take the elevator to the mid level. In the screen with the fountain, this time go left. In the red carpet screen, descend the stairs, and take the cab to the Business District.

Leave the station, then go up. Go up right in the next screen, then enter the weapon shop on the right. Talk to the shopkeeper, and choose the second option to be able to shop.

Leave the shop, and talk to the woman in white to acquire the Beautiful Potion. Now go back to the station, and take a cab to the Theater District. Leave the station, and take the down left exit to trigger a cutscene in which you acquire the Unusual Potion. Then enter the house in the down right corner, and open the chest with Lapis Lazuli. Talk to the painter and ask about the potion, then check the left corner to get the Strange Potion.

Now go back to the station and take the cab to the Castle. Leave the station, go up the stairs, and then go towards the exit in the bottom right. Go to the bottom right to enter the elevator, and go to the upper level. Leave the elevator, go up, and go up the stairs and talk to one of the guards, then proceed to the door.

After the cutscenes, go down and enter the elevator again, and this time go to the base level. Take the cart on the right towards the harbor, and go to the ship and enter.

Now, as indicated in the map above, go south. When nearing the outer continent, you can turn left/eastwards to go below the mountain path, then land on the nearest beach on your right, and you should be close to your chocobo.

Black Mage Village and Desert Palace

Now stutter step to your chocobo, and make your way to Black Mage Village. In the village, go to the upper left, then left in the next screen for a cutscene. Then go back to the entrance and take the path to the upper right. Go into the hut to see little Bobby Corwen, then leave the village.

Take the chocobo back to the boat. Once on the boat, go left (east) and follow the coastline on your right, and land on the next beach. Stutter step over the small piece of land between mountains and sea, and towards the desert area in the east. Then enter the closest sand pit in the desert.

After the cutscenes (first dialogue option), go down towards the black mages, then go right after being teleported.

You are now on the Hilda Garde Dock screen, where you need to follow the path toward the airship (Hilda Garde) and then enter it. It’s quite likely to get a random encounter. If you get an encounter against a single ogre (not two), it is worth fighting the encounter. In this case, attack with Zidane and Freya and throw an Exploda with Amarant.

Oeilvert

The ship will bring you to the outer continent. Now stutter step in the opposite direction compared to where the ship is facing (so go to the north). Then stutter step around the forest to the chocobo tracks. Go to the menu.

Now go back to the ship and continue onwards past it. Inside the mountains, go right, then left, then right. Follow the path until you see the sea, then continue hugging the left wall (you follow a path that spirals inwards) until you find a building.

Inside, talk to the moogle for some shopping.

Now follow the path until you enter the actual building. Inside, go up the stairs and then left. Examine the blue orb to turn it red, and pick up the chest with an Elixir. Go back right, down the stairs, and to the left. Pick up the chest in the lower right for a Diamond Sword. Now take the lower left exit. Pick up the chests with the Power Vest and Feather Boots while following the path upwards. In the top left exit and immediately re-enter the screen (to minimize the odds of a random encounter). Examine the four hologram points while making your way back down, then leave the screen down left.

You are now back on the screen where you previously picked up the Diamond Sword. Pick up the chest behind the hologram for a Shield Armor, then do a menu.

Now go through the yellow door. Then go to the right, examine the orb, and go back to the left. Once back in the room with the big hologram, this time take the blue door.

After the cutscene, pass the big hologram and exit on the right. Next screen also go right. Then go towards the right, and pick up a chest in the back with the Gaia Gear before leaving the screen on the right. Use the platform, then examine the triangle.

Now (after the menu) examine the triangle again.

Desert Palace

Once you control Cid, go down and to the right.

Once you control Eiko, go left and then up. Then light the candle on the left and examine the bloodstone on the right for a Promist Ring. Then go up, and left in the next screen.

In this screen, we need to light all the braziers as follows:

• First light the three braziers in the left section.
• Use the door above you to make your way to the right section.
• In the right section, light the brazier in the down left, which makes the statues on the left disappear.
• Now use the pathway above to go back to the left section.
• Light the two braziers in the middle section to make the statues on the right disappear as well.
• Now light the brazier in the down right corner. Then shortly go into the pathway above (to reduce chances for an encounter) before lighting the last brazier (next to the door) in the right section.
• Now go to the middle and down to light the final brazier, which will open the door on the upper right.

Now go through the aforementioned door on the upper right, then light the next candle (on the right by the second statue). Go slightly back to examine the bloodstone for a Shield Armor. Then follow the path, where you will have to make a sharp turn at the end to ascend the stairs. At the start of the next screen, light the candles, then follow the path.

Now in the screen with the bookcases, do the following:

• Light the candles on the left.
• Go up the stairs on the right, and light the candles in the upper left.
• Go through the opening that just appeared, and examine the bloodstone for a N-Kai Armlet, then menu before going back to the bookcases screen. (The menu is slightly different if you got the Rebirth Ring from the card tournament, as indicated in blue.)

• Back in the bookcases screen, go down the stairs, then take the other stairs on the left, and light the candles on the right of the middle level.
• Go through the opening that appeared, follow the path, light some candles on the way and more candles at the end of the path. Then go back to the bookcases screen.
• Go down the stairs, and light the candles on the right.
• Go through the opening, and light the candles, then go back.

Now go to the left and past the moogle. In the next screen, light the two candles, then examine the bloodstone for a Black Hood. Then unlight the leftmost candle, and go through the door to follow a path to the other side. On the other side, light the rightmost candle to make some stairs appear. Then go back to the initial side (where you picked up the Black Hood), and ascend the newly appeared stairs. Then go up and attempt to light the candles.

Now light the candle above, then use the glowing area to teleport.

Once you control Zidane, do a menu.

Now follow the path towards the teleporter. Between crossing the screen now, and the next time we cross it, we want to kill at least one ogre for the AP. If you come across a single ogre, use attacks from Zidane and Freya and possibly throw an Exploda with Amaramt to kill it. Once through the teleporter, go through the door opening on the left towards a cutscene with Kuja.

Now go right and back to the teleporter screen, and take the teleporter on the left. Cross the Hilda Garde dock screen again (although this time the ship is gone). If you still need to kill an ogre, Steiner can now help attacking as well, and an encounter with two ogres becomes an option to meet the quota of one ogre killed as well now.

As the ship is no longer there, instead just go forward to leave the screen. Activate the lever on the right, then descend the ladder on the left. Now go to the exit in the upper left of the screen, and your boat will bring you to the Lost Continent.

Esto Gaza and Mount Gulug

Stutter step to the west to the nearby town. Enter the building, and after the cutscene go to the right, and talk to the shopkeeper behind the counter.

Now leave the shop, and this time go up. On the next screen go right, and then up through a door to enter Mount Gulug. Go into the building on the left, and pick up 9693 gil in the bottom right corner. Now go right, through another building, until you find a well. Go down the rope of the well, then examine the lever on the left and pull it down three times. Then do a menu.

Now go down the rope and move down.

Now do another menu, and do not bother healing (you are about to get a free heal).

Now go to the left.

Lindblum 4 and Ipsen’s Castle

Go down the stairs to leave the guest room, then left, and on the screen with the fountain go to the down right exit. Take the elevator to the upper level. Now go up. This time, we don’t need to go up the stairs, and can just take the lower door. If you are not using the Cutscene Remover, you get about 8 minutes worth of cutscenes to mash through (use turbo or autoclicker for a nice break).

Go straight ahead until you see a valley with a castle in it. Land in the valley and enter the castle. Choose the second dialogue option (don’t let him leave) during the cutscene, and dismiss the party selection option. Then go up the stairs. Go through the upper right opening, then talk to the moogle to shop.

Go to the pole on the right and slide down. Then go up the ladder in the back right, then go left. In the next screen, go through the other door opening. Then go down the ladder, to the right up the stairs, and up on another ladder. Continue up the ladder until Zidane automatically jumps off, then go through the door opening. Go in the elevator, and menu.

Go to the back of the room and pick up the four mirrors on the wall, then walk back.

Now go back to the entrance of the castle with the following directions. Go down the elevator, then take the upper right exit. Go down the ladder and jump off at the start of the next screen. Go to the left and get on the ladder, and jump off at the next opening. Go through the other door opening, then go to the right, down the ladder, and up the pole. Then exit the next screen on the left, and then go down. Outside, do a menu before descending the stairs.

Now descend the stairs, and after a cutscene you will find yourself back inside the castle. Go again through the top right door opening. Now deliberately fall through the most upper trapdoor in the floor (see picture copied from Muttski’s guide).

You will be on top of a reversed chandelier. If you did not get the Rebirth Ring from winning the card tournament, pick up the chest here with a Maiden Prayer before jumping off. Then go down to find Amarant.

Now make your way back to the entrance (up the pole then the left exit, then down), and leave the castle.

We need to drop off pairs of people at the various shrines, as indicated by the following map (copied from Muttski’s guide).  

We start at X. First, go forward a bit to the water shrine (1), and dismiss the party select after dropping off Dagger and Eiko. Then, go forward and a bit to the left inside the volcano for the fire shrine (2), where Freya and Amarant get dropped off. Then go north to cross the map boundary for the wind shrine (3), where Steiner and Vivi get dropped off. Finally, go southeast (crossing the north-south boundary of the map) to the earth shrine (4).

In the earth shrine, follow the path, and mash the confirm button when walls threaten to crush Zidane and Quina. Examine the pedestal, and a fight will start.

In the cutscenes, pick the last dialogue option when talking to Amarant.

Fly forward (and slightly left) to an ice island (shimmering island) and use it to transport to Terra.

Terra

Dismiss the party selection option. If you get a random encounter against Hecteyes, you can kill it with a Phoenix Down plus any attack. Go to the right, go forward on the next screen, then take the rightmost path. Continue right until you can climb down a sort of web, then go left, jump over and climb down another web. Pick up the chest with a Demon’s Vest, then follow the path to the left. Go forward, and then up some stairs, but make sure to menu before leaving this last screen. The blue parts indicate parts of the menu that only need to be done if you have the Rebirth Ring (otherwise you already did these parts in the Desert Palace).

After the menu you can exit the screen (up the stairs).

Go left, and then into the leftmost house. After the cutscenes, go into the house in the back. Then go right and down the stairs. A bit to the right of Mikoto (girl in pink) there is hidden Elixir to pick up. After picking this up, talk to Mikoto. Then go back up the stairs.

Once you control Eiko, you can optionally pick up another Elixir in the chest to the left of Steiner, then leave the house. Then pick up the Angel Earrings in the spot circled in yellow in the picture below, and then go right.

Enter the rightmost house, pick up the chest with the Wing Edge, then examine the wobbling basket and shop with the moogle that comes out.

Now leave the house, go down and leave the screen. Now go up through the glowing gate, then up and talk to Mikoto. Once you control Zidane, do a menu.

Then just go forward and follow Garland for some cutscenes, and the You Are Not Alone (YANA) sequence will start.

Go to the right until you get a cutscene and get to select your party.

Now do a menu before doing a big shopping menu at the moogle.

Now there is a big menu. There are some slight differences in Freya’s part of the menu depending on whether you won the Rebirth Ring in the card tournament, as indicated in blue.

Now go left, and left again in the next two screens.

In this screen, you first have to activate the switch, which will start a 30 second timer and a pattern of lights will appear. Go to where Zidane is standing in the picture above, then wait until the light pattern goes to the next stage where you can follow the rest of the path as indicated in red.

Now go left over the light bridge. On the next screen, activate the device and set it to 4. Then go left, and in the next screen follow the path as indicated in the picture below (copied from Muttski’s guide).

Now follow the path to a transporter. Then follow the route indicated in the picture below (again copied from Muttski’s guide).

Note: You should be doing this already, but the following is going to be even more important in the late parts of the run. Check what the boss is doing before inputting your own commands! You want to make sure characters that get killed get revived immediately, rather than the boss getting more turns in between at which point your fights get more difficult to recover. Steiner will also start using Charge!, which makes characters in low health get an attack, and you’d rather revive characters before the Charge! gets used, so as to have as many characters attack as possible. Also make sure to make your commands quickly (you can hold ATB if you want a chance to think), so as to not lose turns when the ATB from the boss is filled already again.

Whenever you control Zidane, just follow the path, until you reach the end of the Disc.

Disc 4

Memoria

After some cutscenes there will be a party select.

Just fly directly forward to the purple orb above the Iifa Tree, and enter it.

Cancel the party select option, then menu.

Note on Ethers: From now to the end of the game, we can use our ethers to fill up MP to fuel the MP attack ability. Steiner also uses MP for Charge!, so he generally needs more than the others. You do need a few left to use directly before Trance Kuja, so if you have fewer Ethers you might want to use them more sparingly.

Follow the path, until you get to the area in the picture below. Pick up The Tower at the point where Zidane is standing in the picture, then menu.

Follow the path until you start the fight against Maliris.

Continue the path until you are on the screen with stairs going into a red eye. Then pick up the Rune Claws on the left, and do a menu.

Now go up the stairs for the next boss fight.

Now do a menu. There are some parts of the menu that you only need to do if you won the Rebirth Ring from the card tournament. These parts are indicated in blue and purple (for removal instead of red).

Continue the path until you meet Kraken.

Then continue the path, and take the upper left door in the next screen. Continue up some ladders until you fight Lich.

While still in the same room, go a bit to the right to pick up the Excalibur II (you need to be here within 12 hours to get it). Then menu, which again has slight differences depending on whether you have the Rebirth Ring (as indicated in blue/purple).

Now go through the arch, and hold forward until you enter Crystal World.

Crystal World

Follow the path until you fight Deathguise.

Now do a menu. There are a few parts you only need to do if you won the Rebirth Ring from the card tournament, as indicated in blue.

Run forward for the final two fights.

Dismiss the party selection and menu.

Congratulations! You have beaten Final Fantasy IX!

Appendix: How to deal with problems

It can be difficult to deal with menu mistakes, especially as a beginner. Not having the correct equipment, or having a character dead in a fight where they were supposed to get AP, can cause you to not learn the abilities you need for the run. Be careful with your menus! If you make some mistakes, you might need to adjust your equipment to still learn the desired abilities, or forgo certain abilities altogether. Some abilities are more important to learn than others, e.g. you can finish runs without learning Distract. For a few cases, the backup for still learning needed abilities is given below.

Steiner doesn’t know Charge!

Charge! is very important for a couple fights on Disc 4, especially for Trance Kuja, as it doesn’t trigger any counters. Steiner learns this from the Coral Sword, but by the time you realize you didn’t learn it, you probably already sold this. The backup I would recommend is to go to Treno to buy another Coral Sword. If you notice Charge! is missing at the end of Disc 3 (against Garland or Kuja), finish the Disc and go to Treno once you have the Invincible. If you notice Charge! is missing on Disc 4, you will have to leave Memoria again to go to Treno and then reenter Memoria. The map below shows where to find Treno on the Mist Continent. It’s on a more elevated patch of land.

In Treno, go to the same shop where you also bought some stuff as Dagger early on Disc 2, and buy the Coral Sword. Now have the Coral Sword (instead of Defender) equipped on Steiner for as many bosses as is needed until you have learned Charge!

Zidane died against Gizamaluke

The only ability affected by this is Bird Killer. This is learned from the Yellow Scarf. You can equip the Yellow Scarf on Zidane before the obligatory fights on your first visit to the Iifa Tree to make up the AP for Bird Killer. This is also what you can do if you missed AP for Zidane’s Bird Killer in any other way.

You don’t have enough money for the Oeilvert shop

If you pick up all the Phoenix Pinion and money chests this guide tells you to (and you don’t buy anything extra), it is highly unlikely that you are short on money. However, many runners choose to pick up less chests than detailed in this guide. If you do end up short for the Oeilvert shop, you can do a combination of buying less Hi-Potions (you can get by with only having 5 or 6 given currently being healthy), selling a few Ethers (so you might need to use them more sparingly in Memoria), and/or selling the Coral Ring for 2000 gil. If you sell the Coral Ring, you cannot equip it on Steiner when leaving Ipsen’s Castle. In that case, you equip the Power Belt on him instead. This will make the Abadon fight (during YANA) more difficult, as Steiner will not be able to absorb thunder damage.