Final Fantasy X abilities

Abilities in Final Fantasy X are split into different categories. There are the commands used by the character, and Auto-Abilities which are equipped to the characters through the weapons they have equipped.

Abilities
Every character starts off with a number of basic commands. Each character's main commands are Attack and Item. Another command appears exclusively to Yuna, the Summon skillset, which allows her to summon Aeons she has earned. Going right from the main commands gives the Weapon and Armor commands, which allow the player to change their current equipment, and the Escape command, which allows that player to attempt to remove themselves from battle. Going right from the main commands while controlling an aeon offers a different selection of commands.

Shield casts a defensive status on the aeon until their next turn, reducing damage dealt by enemy attacks while preventing the Overdrive gauge from increasing. Similarly, the Boost casts a status which will increase the Overdrive gauge gain from damage taken until their next turn, while increasing the damage inflicted from enemy attacks. Their third skill is Dismiss, which functions like Escape and removes the aeon from battle, and it cannot fail.

Aeons all have their own unique abilities. These often are non-elemental (despite implications from their names) which have their own special effect, such as inflicting statuses. Exceptions to this are Yojimbo, who has four abilities which cannot be chosen, and the Magus Sisters, who each have their own ability but due to the nature of how they are controlled, are not selected through commands.

The player can also put their character in the Defend status for one turn through cancelling a turn by pressing. This command is not present for aeons, who have a Shield command which serves a similar purpose.

The Sphere Grid grants access to a further myriad of abilities, found under four skillsets. These are Skill, Special, Wht Magic, and Blk Magic. While aeons do not have their own Sphere Grids, they can still learn a selection of these abilities. Aeons learn abilities through spending items to teach them to the individual aeon. Yojimbo and the Magus Sisters cannot learn these kinds of abilities, however the Magus Sisters may use some Blk Magic and Wht Magic abilities in battle.

Overdrives
If the player has a full Overdrive gauge, they gain access to the Overdrive skillset, individual to that character, by going to the left of the main commands. Each character obtains new skills in their Overdrive skillset in different ways. Aeons each have their own Overdrive commands, with exception to Yojimbo and the Magus Sisters who do not respond to simple commands. Yojimbo also has no exclusive Overdrive abilities.

Auto Abilities
Auto-Abilities are commonly elements or status effects added to attacks, or stat boosts, and less commonly, other special abilities. They occur automatically without the player needing to select a command to automate them, but instead are equipped to a player through weapons and armor. A weapon and armor can have up to four slots, filled with a variety of abilities. Some weapons and armor may come with empty slots. Once the storyline reaches Guadosalam, empty slots can be customized by spending items to add the abilities to the equipment. Auto-abilities cannot be removed from equipment.

In addition to changing weapon damage from physical to elemental and the potential to inflict status effects, Magic power and Strength stat increases can also be attached to weapons. Increasing the amount of AP gained from battles, and the rate at which the Overdrive gauge fills are also possible. Other unique abilities found on weapons include Sensor which gives additional information about targets, Capture, an ability used in the Monster Arena sidequest to catch enemies, Overdrive -> AP, which gives the player AP instead of filling their Overdrive gauge, and Break Damage Limit, which exchanges the 9,999 Damage cap for a 99,999 Damage cap.

Auto-Abilities for armor include protection or absorption of elements, or protection or prevention of statuses. Magic defense and Defense stat increases can also be attached to armor. Positive statuses can be permanently induced through various abilities. HP Stroll and MP Stroll, abilities allow their respective stats to be increases as the player travels through the field. Armor with Break HP Limit and Break MP Limit equipped can extend the HP cap from 9,999 to 99,999, and MP cap from 999, to 9,999 respectively.

There are two abilities that can appear on both weapon and armor. While Magic Counter can be customized to weapons, a Buckler can be bought from Rin on the first visit to Calm Lands. Buckler is the name for a Shield with one slot and no customization, leading players to assume Magic Counter was never supposed to be on armor. Similarly, while No Encounters can be customized to armor, Geosgaeno can drop a weapon with No Encounters equipped when defeated. Similarly, the No Encounters equipped to the weapon will not affect the name and it will have the generic name of a weapon with no abilities equipped.

Hidden Bonuses
Some weapons have, theoretically, hidden Auto-Abilities. Weapons dropped by Bomb enemies inflict an eighth more damage than most weapons, having a damage constant of 18, where normal weapons have 16. The weapon dropped by Penance will have a Critical Bonus of 10%, where the normal weapons only have a statistic of 3%. Enemies in the Monster Arena who drop "-strike" weapons and "-proof" armor also drop weapons with a Critical Bonus statistic of 6%.

These are the Catoblepas, Don Tonberry, and Malboro Menace from Area Conquest, and Fenrir and Sleep Sprout from Species Conquest. Celestial Weapons also have their own bonuses. The Caladbolg, World Champion, Spirit Lance, and Godhand deal more damage the closer their wielder is to maximum HP; the Nirvana and Onion Knight deal more damage the closer their wielder is to maximum MP; and the Masamune deals greater damage the lower its wielder's HP is.