Summary
Technically, each character that you can acquire inStar Ocean The Second Story Ris viable for both the endgame and post-game, but they are all going to require varying degrees of work to get them to such a powerful level. That may seem a little harsh, but with the amount of game sitting in front of you, it’s best to know which characters are worth the time sink, right?
That doesn’t mean that you should ignore your favorites in favor of others simply for combat, but that sunk cost is something to consider. So, below is a breakdown of which characters are the best based on how to get them and their combat prowess.
13Noel Chandler
An Ally Of Nature
Despite the game and several characters receiving an overhaul, especially mages, Noel still seems just as lackluster as his PS1 iteration. Noel is a Symbologist who, like Rena, uses his hands as his primary weapons,but can also use Symbologyto create wind and earth spells to protect him.
But, this is also where he falls short. Sure, he has some of the same abilities as Rena, including healing, but his spells aren’t as strong, and unlike Rena, he can’t resurrect anyone who’s down on the field, so it might be best to leave him off your team for your first playthrough.
12Celine Jules
Treasure Hunter Extraordinaire
Right at the beginning of your adventure, it’s just Rena and Claude making their way to the first town on the itinerary, Krosse, when yourun into the rogue Symbologist/Treasure Hunterin the middle of the square. You speak with her and offer to help her on her side quest, then boom! She’s your first party member.
At first, it works out, but as you gain other members, Celine quickly gets outpaced in power. Sure, she has mastery of fire, wind, and light offensive magic, but she doesn’t have healing capabilities like some other mages.
11Leon D. S. Gehste
Child Prodigy With An Attitude To Match
When it comes to Leon, you either love him or can’t stand him, and he doesn’t make it easy for you to choose either. He is a Symbologist prodigy who can easily outperform adults in the arts, and his attitude is a reflection of this knowledge, causing him to talk to others in a condescending tone. It can wear on you after a while.
He is a master of Dark and Water elemental magic and can learn all talents available in the game, a feat that only two other characters can do, but that’s what you get with a child prodigy. If you are going to play as Rena though, be warned that he will be automatically locked from recruitment.
10Rena Lanford
Mysterious Girl From Another World
The first of your main characters,Rena is unique in that she can heal, something no one she knows around her can do. In the PS1 version, she was the best healer you could have, especially once she learned how to resurrect your party members.
While that still applies, a lot of other characters have been revamped in a way that makes her come up a little short. Rena doesn’t do as much damage as a pure DPS like Claude or Dias, but she still offers decent support.
9Ashton Anchors
Unluckiest Man On Expel
The unluckiest mercenary to ever grace your gaming system! Seriously, his luck stat in the game never increases any time he levels up, but just because he’s unlucky, doesn’t mean that he’s lacking in the combat department. Brandishing a pair of dual swords combined with some slight Symbology magic, he can be deadly, and he was even considered optimal for post-game content in the original.
However! Ashton has one huge flaw that is out of his control, but it is in yours: if you recruit him, you’re locked out of some of the strongest characters in the game. No Opera to give your party OP heals for the low, and her boyfriend will not join you if you don’t have her, something that drops him down significantly.
8Bowman Jeane
The Doctor With Hands That Destroy
Bowman is smack dab in the middle when it comes to combat, as he’s a hand-to-hand fighter but doesn’t hit as hard as some other physical fighters. He’s a doctor but, oddly enough, cannot heal on the battlefield, making the mild-mannered doctor an enigma of contradictions, but in this cast of characters, it’s hard to be a standout.
That’s exactly what Bowman’s issue is; he doesn’t excel at anything, and he’s adequate in battle at best, but honestly, if you’re into the good guy type of character, then you really can’t go wrong with choosing him. Just be warned that it locks you out of getting the strongest, and possibly broken, character in the game.
7Chisato Madison
The Reckless Reporter
This slightly reckless reporter is a bit of a mixed bag, and even though (technically speaking( she is a physical fighter, her weapon is often called a gun in the game. Chisato also has less pure attack power than fighters like Dias but has an amazing array of AOE attacks that do multiple hits and can travel the battlefield.
However, as great as this sounds, anyone who played the original will notice that her moves, specifically Tear Gas, have been severely nerfed. To a point where it does almost half as much damage as its PS1 iteration, and the same goes for 100k Volts; an incredible AOE range, but doesn’t hit as hard as it could.
6Ernest Raviede
Anyone who’s played the original game knows that Ernest, for all the work it takes to get him, wasn’t worth the effort, as he had low damage, a wonky hitbox, and lackluster attacks that didn’t help either. Most can agree that though he looked cool and his story was pretty okay, it was hard to justify the effort to get him.
But man, the rework they’ve done to him is beyond amazing! For one thing, his Thousand Whip hits much more in the remake, as the original only hits enemies up to four times per attack. Besides, how can you ignore a man who can attach his whip to nothing and swing midair?
5Opera Vectra
The Woman In Search Of Her Lover
The third-eyed legend herself appears! Outside the usual suspects of strength, most Star Ocean fans remember her for being the strongest healer in the game, despite not being an actual healer. Her Healing Star move heals all party members while only costing a measly 9 MPandno casting time to boot.
She’s slightly weaker than her original version, but she is by no means a slouch now. Her flamethrower attack is great at both short and long-range, and you’re able to even combine attacks! Gravitational Sphere can gather your enemies, and then use Hyper Launcher to blast them into the void. Powerful Stuff.
4Dias Flac
The Swordsman In Search Of Strength
What Dias lacks in social tact, he more than makes up for in pure, unadulterated strength. Considered the strongest Swordsman of Expel, he comes equipped with an array of Special Skills themed around the moon, and most of his skill set consists of short-ranged moves, such as Air Slash, but he does come equipped with a few long-ranged moves to cover his bases.
Sometimes, it’s hard for Dias to escape a hairy situation when being chased due to a lack of speed, but this is easily remedied by equipping him with equipment that can boost his running speed. Outside of that, Dias is a solid choice for your party, so long as you’re playing as Rena.
