But the best place to farm these gems would be pretty much anywhere in Neverland, especially on the Deck. Countless pirate heartless spawn here, along with Battleship Heartless. So going room to room and taking them out will net you plenty of gems in no time. It’s also worth noting that the Battleship Heartless on the deck have the greatest drop rate for Power Gems (6% in original KH1, 4% in KH1.5). You can use Power Gems to synthesize a ton of handy stuff, including certain healing items, weapons, accessories, and even Sora’s Ultima Weapon!
Where Do I Get Power Gems?
Power Gems can be obtained from the following Heartless (plus Bambi’s summon):
Pirate
These guys are the first of 3 pirate-themed Heartless in the game. The aptly-named “Pirates” are your average sword wielding buccaneers that you see running around everywhere in Captain Hook’s Ship. The Pirates have a 6% drop chance (4% in KH1.5/Final Mix) for power gems, and they can be found in Neverland and Monstro.
Air Pirate
These are the second type of pirate Heartless, with Air Pirates taking flight using their mighty wings. These guys have the same drop rates as the regular Pirates, and you can find them in the same worlds of Neverland and Monstro.
Battleships
And here’s the finale of the pirate trio Heartless. But this time, rather than fighting the pirate, you’re taking on the whole ship! And these guys have a slightly different battle mechanic too: When you deal damage to a Battleship, you can manage to destroy certain parts of the ship itself. If you can manage to destroy the stern, cannons, or mast, then this Heartless will have a 20% drop chance (8% in Final Mix) to give you a Power Gem. Then if you defeat it entirely, it’ll have a 10% drop chance (4% in KH1.5/Final Mix) to give you another gem! If you just need a few power gems, these guys are probably your best bet for quick farming.
White Mushrooms
These rare white mushrooms can be found in fixed locations in basically every single world in the game. And for Power Gems, you want to be using Stop magic on these guys. If you can successfully cast Stop magic three times in a row, that White Mushroom has a 60% drop chance of giving you a power gem (this is reduced to 10% in KH1.5/Final Mix). Or in the original PS2 version, if you cast two other spells & then cast Stop magic as your third spell, it’ll have a 20% drop chance – but this only works in the original game, so KH1.5 players would need to hit Stop 3 times in a row for these gems. This is partially why White Mushrooms aren’t really a great choice for farming these specific gems.
Bambi (Halloween Town)
When you summon Bambi and defeat enemies in any world, you can quickly fill up a “Charge” gauge. This gauge will drop certain items depending on how many times you can fill it up, and depending which world you’re playing in. If you manage to defeat enough enemies in Halloween Town to fill up Bambi’s gauge x3 times, he’ll have a 30% drop chance for a gem (20% chance in KH1.5/Final Mix).
What Are Power Gems Used For?
You can use these materials for the following synthesis recipes: Power Up: Increase any party member’s Strength by +1 point. Synthesize this in the original KH1 using List IV and x5 Power Shards, x3 Power Gems, x1 Power Crystal, x1 Mystery Goo, and x2 Orichalum. If you’re playing KH1.5, then the recipe will instead need List V and x5 Spirit Shards, x3 Spirit Gems, x5 Power Shards, x3 Power Gems, and x1 Dark Matter. Energy Bangle: A quaint little accessory offering +3 HP and +1 Defense. You can make it in the original KH1 using List I and x2 Power Shards and x1 Frost Shards. Note that KH1.5/Final Mix doesn’t require any Power Gems for this. Golem Chain: Gain +3 strength and +1 Defense with this accessory. You can craft it in the original KH1 using List II and x3 Power Shards, X1 Power Gem, and x1 Lucid Gem. KH1.5/Final Mix has a recipe that doesn’t require power gems. Gaia Bangle: Add an extra +9 HP and +3 Defense to any party member. Craft this in the original PS2 version of KH1 using List III and x5 Power Shards, x3 Power Gems, and x1 Bright Crystal to make it. The KH1.5/Final Mix recipe doesn’t need any power gems. Titan Chain: Use this accessory to gain +4 Strength and +2 Defense. You can craft it in KH1.5 using List III and x5 Power Shards, x3 Power Gems, and x1 Power Stone. The Original KH1 has a different recipe that doesn’t require power gems. Three Stars: This will reduce Fire, Blizzard, and Thunder damage by 20%, as well as increasing Defense by +3. You can harness its power in KH1.5 with Synthesis List IV and x5 Power Gems, x3 Mystery Goo, and x1 Shiny Crystal. Ultima Weapon: Who doesn’t want Sora’s end-game Keyblade? To craft this keyblade in the original KH1 you’ll need List V and x5 Lucid Gems, x5 Power Gems, x5 Thunder Gems, x3 Mystery Goo, and x3 Gale. KH1.5/Final Mix has a different recipe not requiring any power gems.
Are Power Gems Worth Farming?
Considering how common the pirate heartless are in Neverland, along with their decently high drop rates, these gems are 100% worth farming. Plus just consider the huge number of helpful items you can craft via synthesis with these things. Taking even half an hour to wipe out every pirate on Hook’s ship repeatedly should net you a decent amount. Just be sure to Lucky Strike equipped to really max out your treasure.
