Ni No Kuni: Best familiars (up to the volcano)?

LITTLE BIGHORN

This creature is first found on the path to Old Smokey. It has big arms, looks goofy, but will be a tough customer for your Mite to kill, even if your gear and level are slightly over the enemy. This is because the Little Bighorn is a fighter who is resistant to physical attacks. Sounds like a perfect combination. The other great thing about this familiar, despite finding it early on to make it one of the few creatures to reach L99 first, is that it is neutral to most of the elemental attacks (see its stats).

Capture one, and if possible, capture a second one and start feeding it (or both) treats to "balance out" its growth in attack, defence, magical attack, magical defence, accuracy, and evasion. The gear it uses will be the same as the Mite, and before long, you may find this creature to be your main hitter. The Splatterhorn and Batterhorn versions of this creature are good upgrades (they can learn healing spells, in case you need to cast one in a hurry).

SHRIMPALER

Along with the Little Bighorn, the Impaler is a good creature to enslave at Old Smokey. It's fast, mobile, but can't stand up in a toe-to-toe fight. However, the field attacks as a Hymnpaler or Grimpaler are potent (as far as magical attacks go). The key strategy is to capture one early and level it with Oliver or an open slot. During mid-game, the Dryad Spear is a good weapon for this creature, since each stab will generate a small amount of health. Late game, this creature serves back-up duty.

BONEHEAD

The skeleton men roaming the south Summerlands are worth picking up and using. Like the Little Bighorn, they are fighters who are resistant to physical attacks, but they have a weakness to Light attacks, which some creatures may use late in the game. Like the Mite and Little Bighorn, the Bone Heads use similar equipment (swords and shields) but they equip Fang items instead of badges. Keep one around but don't over-do it; the Bone Head is a comparatively slow attacker, and its size prevents it from ganging up on small enemies with Oliver's smaller creatures.

Griffy for one. He's broken good, at least for the early and mid games.

Little Bighorn, located on the Volcano, is a wonderful tank. He takes half physical damage when struck, so can easily tank for as long as he stays out. If you catch one on the Volcano, it is a wonderful boss tank, but it's offense is lack-luster.

The Penguin-Like familiar remains a good one for a while. Its second evolution picks up an improved heal spell I still haven't seen on anyone else.

The Shrimpaler (the little flying devil) also makes a pretty decent choice.

Frankly the really good familiars are in the next area. When heading to the coast you run into Monoliths (tanks with an actual provoke skill) and Puss in Boots (which make for fast attackers.)