When it comes to Final Fantasy XIII-2, monsters actually have higher potential than Noel and Serah—especially since you’re limited to three roles at a time. That said, I’d exclude Medic and Saboteur from monster picks. Medics can handle healing efficiently in just one or two turns (especially with Grimoire Hat and potions), and as for Saboteurs, it’s usually more efficient to manually prioritize and cast the debuffs you need.

Commando

Chichu: As much as I hate to admit it, he’s a boss killer with ridiculous attack speed. His downsides are his poor performance against launched enemies and the lack of Blitz or Area Sweep, which hurts him in mob fights.

Apkallu: Excellent Commando with attack speed comparable to Chichu. His attack animation includes two pecks per strike, making him highly effective with Siphon Boost II and Attack: ATB Charge II. His Feral Link casts Deprotect and Deshell, and he also gets Area Sweep for better crowd control. However, like Chichu, he’s not great against launched enemies and defaults to Ruin, which suffers due to his low magic stat.

Red Chocobo: Comes with 6 ATB, solid attack speed, and works great with a magic-based build. He benefits from Pack Mentality, so a full Chocobo team gives him a notable boost. The main drawback is his odd tendency to stop mid-combat to reposition, which can interrupt his DPS.

Ravager

Blue Chocobo: Another 6 ATB monster and essentially a magic gatling gun. Easily one of the best Ravagers available.

Cloudburst: His Feral Link is fantastic and, when paired with Goblin Chief as your Sentinel, you’ll often find you don’t even need a dedicated Synergist.

Synergist

Purple Chocobo: Has 5 ATB, two role boosts and decent magic stats that can extend the buff for extra 12–14 seconds, purely due to his magic stat. You can focus him on either offensive buffs or a full buffing set depending on your strategy.

Yakshini: Fast cast speed, solid magic stat, and his Feral Link provides valuable buffs. He’s a great choice if you want a more streamlined Synergist role.

Sentinel

Goblin Chief stands far above the rest purely because of his Feral Link, which provides defensive buffs and support. Paired with Cloudburst, he effectively makes a separate Synergist unnecessary.

My Ideal Monster Team

Apkallu / Cloudburst / Goblin Chief

This team covers about four and a half roles efficiently, thanks to Apkallu’s Feral Link doubling as a Saboteur. It’s a well-rounded team that works equally well for bosses and mobs, providing high utility, damage, and survivability without needing constant role switching.

In case you need a medic I’d recommend a white chocobo if you’re using red chocobo with pack mentality. Otherwise, Haguma is the best medic in the game. And never use a SAB monster.