Suikoden V Character FAQ ************************* By RPGFreakazoid major_payne1990@yahoo.com Contents ======= 1. Introduction -A) History -B) Copyrights 2. Characters =============== 3. Credits =============== 1. Introduction ************* I started working on this guide on 4/25/06. Anyways this is my first FAQ based on the fabulous Gensou Suikoden V. I'm making this guide for everyone who has trouble locating characters by providing recruitment information, as well as my personal view on the 108 characters who will join your cause. I'm not here to make enemies so if you have a problem with my views or FAQ keep them to yourself or if you must, email me. -A) History ========= 3-24-2006 Recieved and started playing SV 4-25-2006 Started work on the Faq. 6-8-2006 Finished up Version 1.0 of the Faqs. 6-12-2006 Fixed some errors. 6-13-2006 Changed some Evaluations. 12-22-2007 Updated FAQ due to amazingly popular demand! -B) Copyrights =========== This guide may not be posted in any other website other then Gamefaqs.com, or informational source without my approval. I will more then likely grant permission if you simply ask, and give credit where it is due. If you notice an error, or have found something not listed in this guide, please email me and I will correct the FAQ and give credit where due. Please keep in mind that all views on characters are my own and all recruitment is based on what I have done and how I did it. 2. Characters ************** Template: This is how all characters in my FAQ will be set up: Name:??? How to Recruit: Level 16 Weapon Strength: My Views/Comments: Rating:A-F. A being the highest, F being the lowest. This guide is really just something I did after playing and loving Suikoden V. Useful information might be sparse, but you’ll get tons of subjective opinions on what and who I like. So there. Please note that all "grades" are subjective in just about every manner. If you object to them, write your own FAQ, and prove me wrong. Also I'm only covering the actual 108(109)Stars of Destiny, so I won't be including the five optional recruits and the sixth temporary one. Also keep in mind that this guide is filled with spoilers, so don't go complaining to me if I ruin something for you. So without further ado, here is my Character FAQ! 1. The Prince(You decide) How to Recruit: Pop in the disc, there you're done... Level 16 Weapon Strength: 255 Comments: The Protagonist of the game. He is the eldest son of Queen Arshtat and Ferid. Has a younger sister Lymsleia and an aunt, Sialeeds. Not in line for the throne, he can roam more freely than most royalty. The best part about the Prince is that he's available from the beginning. That's right, just pop in your disc and he's at your command! The Prince is a fantastic magic user. The Dawn Rune affixes itself to the Prince early on, and as the game progresses it will unlock more spells. The Rune starts out slow, but begins to pick up speed later on. The Prince has two other Rune slots open and I would highly recommend putting a Water in one and a Rage rune in the other. The Prince also sports several combo attacks with other characters to add to his usefulness. Rating: A+ 2. Alhazred How to Recruit: Meet him in Rainwall and he'll talk about books. Later, in Yashuna village go to the Tricolor Inn and meet a Fortune Teller. He'll give you a strange book. Put it in storage and wait awhile, then Chuckwill give it back to you. Take it back to Yashuna and give it to the maidin the Fortune Teller's room. Go to Estrise and you should find Alhazred.Tell him about the book and take him to Yashuna. You'll fight a boss, see a scene, and afterwards, this old man will join your band. Level 16 Weapon Strength: 230 Comments: Alhazared’s strengths lie in his high magic attack and high magic defense. Unfortunately, for Al he joins when you already have Zerase and Viki, who are by far the superior magic users. Pure magic users aren’t as useful as Mage-Fighter hybrids to begin with and with so many characters outclassing Al, he really serves no purpose save taking Old Books off your hands in the castle library. Rating: D- 3. Ax How to Recruit:Joins automatically with Nick and Yoran after the events at Gordius Village. Level 16 Weapon Strength: No weapon Comments:This stupid looking purple dragon is probably the worst of the Dragons. There really is no point in using him unless you desperately want a combo with Nick. With no weapon Ax can never achieve the potential that some human characters have. Kick him outta your team, and never look his way if you ask me. If you really want a dragon, Lance and Flail are much cooler, and better to. Rating: F 4. Babbage How to Recruit:Bring Sorenson to the gear room under your castle. Then take Sorenson to Babbages workshop and then take Babbage to the gear room. Leave the castle and go back and Babbage will join. Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A Comments:Well, he's a support so I can't be too harsh...Actually Babbage is useful with his sky-high Treasure Hunt Skill, so he's a necessary evil if you want to collect rare items and rune pieces. His unit in war is semi-useful as well, But if you're not doing that, I wouldn’t really recommend adding him to your entourage. He’ll fill up your inventory rather quickly. Rating: B 5. Bastan How to Recruit:Take a ?Painting to his shop in Haud and show it to him. Do NOT appraise it. If you don't get a special dialogue keep entering and exiting his shop and talking to him until he joins. Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A Comments: Well, having an appraiser with you is about as useful, as well...Okay, its not useful at all. Never take Bastan with you, there is no point, and a waste of an entourage slot. However, make sure you take all your pots and paintings too him and you'll be a rich man/woman in no time. Rating: D+(For giving me so much money) 6. Belcoot How to Recruit:Go to Yashuna village after you have your HQ, and speak with him. Then go into the Inn and see a scene with Marina. Ask them to join, and bam! You've got a great fighter on your side. Level 16 Weapon Strength: 255 Comments: To me, Belcoot is actually pretty boring. He's just...brown. Vanilla ya know? Despite that, he's this Suikoden’s Falcon Rune user. He's got good attack and defense, a strong rune (Despite how nuked it is) and he's excellent at parrying. Slap some sort of damage boosting rune on this guy and he's set for the rest of the game. Belcoot's main strongpoint is his sky high parrying ability. It's not uncommon to see Belcoot guard just about every attack thrown his way. However other characters can do the same, with two or three free slots. Rating: B+ 7. Bergen How to Recruit:After the Doraat sequence go to the Big Hole. Speak with Levi and Bergen and the two will join together. You may have neededto speak with them earlier than this to recruit them, but I'm not positive. Level 16 Weapon Strength:255 Comments:Good Hp, strength, and Physical Defense. An A in Earth magic, and..no that's it. Bergen's not bad as far as dwarves go, but then again dwarves aren't that good to begin with. Other characters have higher Hp and Defense and Strength and can reach an A in Earth, and they have the magic points to use earth spells. Use him if you've gotta thing for dwarves I guess... Rating: C- 8. Bernadette How to Recruit:Joins automatically following the events upon meeting the island Nations.245 Level 16 Weapon Strength: Comments:Bernadette isn't too shabby. Great magic, okayish Hp, can do some physical damage when it needs to be done, plus the Island Nations outfit is cool. C'mon you know it is. However, she loses points for me because she looks a bit too...manish. I mean look at that hair! She reminds me of this hairy, ugly german girl. Well, if you can get past those looks, and you don't want to use Zerase, Bernadette isn't a bad choice. She also starts with a Flowing Rune, not bad. Also, note that Bernadette may have a Closer relation to the Prince than she lets on… Rating: B+ 9. Boz How to Recruit:Is with you from fairly early on, but doesn't officially join until after the Sable events. Level 16 Weapon Strength:N/A Comments:I’m a bit disappointed in Boz. How could you not be a combat character Boz? How? All that said, Boz is a decent general in war, and he is important to the plot. He’s also got some great one liners. Rating: B(For plot and war) 10. Byakuren How to Recruit:After your castle expands, you can fight heron the bridge leading east out of your castle. If you have Genoh or Levi recruited she will join. You may want to make sure they are in your party/entourage to make sure. You only have two shots at doing this I believe, as your castle only expands twice. Level 16 Weapon Strength: No weapon Comments:Byakuren would be pretty damn good if she didn't take up two slots in your party. I mean, who doesn't want a friggin huge snake pounding on the enemy? But since she does, she sucks. You can try and try again to make her work into your party, but in the long run, using Byakuren will only hurt and hinder, rather than help your party. Rating: C- 11. Cathari How to Recruit:Talk to the townsfolk in Port Spinnacks to learn about Hershville Naval Base. Speak to Logg and have him take you there. You will meet Cathari there. Talk to her and then head back to Port Spinnacks. On the bridge connecting both sides of Spinnacks you should meet her again. After a scene take her back to your HQ and speak with Lucretia, Cathari will join after that scene. NOTE:If you haven't recruited Cathari before the Stormfist event, you will have lost her forever. Level 16 Weapon Strength: 255 Comments: Don't let her low HP and magic fool you, Cathari is a beast. Sharpen her weapon and give her damage upping Runes and She'll start dishing thousands of damage out on each hit.Cathari's flaws are low defenses and HP, along with the ability to only hit once; but being in the back row should keep her pretty safe. Do not take her up against the final boss however, there is a pretty good chance she won't last but a round or two. Clive fans should be pretty happy; all hail the Howling Voice Guild! Rating: B 12. Chisato How to Recruit:Be sure to watch her puppet show on Nirva Island the first time your there. When you return get her help, during the kidnapping event. (Make sure you have Bernadette in your team) After that stay at the inn. The next morning speak to Chisato to get her to join. Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A Comments:St..st...st..stutter. Chisato is pretty annoying and going all the way back to the island, is a pain. Recruit her and forget about her. Rating: D (I was going to give her a C, but that stutter pisses me off) 13. Chuck How to Recruit:Following the events of the Prince getting the Dawn Rune, Chuck will join. Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A Comments:Well, Chuck isn't too bad as far as Suikoden Storage Guards go. I’m a bit disappointed that he wasn't a combatant so he loses points for that. Oh, and being useless in war doesn't help. He does store all your items which is probably the second most useful thing in the game someone can do for you. Rating: A (Storage is a good, good thing) 14. Cius How to Recruit:Following the events at Agate Prison, Cius will join automatically along with Lelei. Level 16 Weapon Strength:230 Comments: Crappy character portrait, crappy outfit, no originality, and mediocre stats everywhere save defense. Just use Lelei instead if your dead set on using a prison guard. By the time he joins most people should have Shigure, who can take his spot. Let Cius hit the showers; he's got nothing going for him that should make you even want to contemplate using him. Cius is outclassed by tons of other characters, so using him as a serious combatant is just...unnecessary. His major use seems to be from taking the Lightning Amulet off of him and giving it to Kyle. Rating: C 15. Cornelio How to Recruit:Go to the Mansion in Haud Village and fight the DoReMi elves there. You will then see a scene with Cornelio. After another fight, Cornelio will join. Level 16 Weapon Strength:230 Comments: Being the first character you can really recruit, Cornelio isn't that bad. In fact, he's a fantastic support mage with a highly underrated rune. Sure it requires you to use DoReMi elves in your party, but aside from that, its a decent rune. Give him a Water, Fire, Lightning, Earth, Shield, whatever, and he can support your team well. Most people will ignore Cornelio once better characters start rearing their heads. But if you ever need a support mage, don't overlook Cornelio. Rating: C+ (Mediocre rating for calling me a Mediocrity) 16. Craig Laden How to Recruit:Following the events at Gordius Village, Craig will join automatically. Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A Comments:Ah, another character who could have been a fighter, but isn't. Craig is pretty kickass in war though, and he has an impeccable goatee. Other than that, there isn’t much too him. He joins late though, so you’ll only be able to use him for a few battles. Rating: B (For War) 17. Dinn How to Recruit:Is with you from early on, but doesn't officially join until after the Sable events. Level 16 Weapon Strength: 255 Comments:He's like Belcoot, but with two free slots and fewer parrying abilities. As a character I find Dinn sub par. He can keep trying to be a good character, but he'll never reach an uber level. He's not half bad in war, but he's not half good either. Plus, I'm pretty biased towards characters with ginormous swords. If you however, are fan of those pretty boys with big swords, Dinn can be worth your while. Try a Fury and Titan Rune and have Dinn bring the gigantic sword smack down on the enemy party to get some use out of him. Rating: B 18. Dongo How to Recruit:After you get the silver hammer, give it to Dongo and sharpen a characters weapon,(Preferably, the Prince)as high as it can go. When you get the next hammer sharpen weapons as high as they will go again. After that Dongo should join your noble cause. Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A Comments:Dongo is incredibly useful. He's the only blacksmith who can get weapons over level 12. And if you stick him in your entourage, he can sharpen weapons anywhere at anytime. Rating:B+ 19. Egbert How to Recruit:After rescuing Lucretia go back to the underground mines. You'll find him down a path down there. Talk to him, but don't skip through the dialogue or hurry the conversation, until the button prompt appears, doing so may hurt your chances at recruiting him. Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A Comments: Egbert is immensly useful throughout the game. His potch finder ability will really help you with financial problems you'll encounter. My advice, stick Egbert in your entourage and keep him there throughout the game. Rating: A+ 20. Eresh* How to Recruit: After your HQ has been upgraded the second time, go into the Big Hole. You should meet Eresh down near where Levi and Bergen were. Tell her that Jeane opened the way and Eresh will join for a side dungeon. Complete the Dungeon and Eresh will permanently join. Notes:Must have recruited Jeane. Recruiting Eresh means not recruiting Euram. Level 16 Weapon Strength: 200 Comments:By the time you can get Eresh, you already have so many other mages available, that she is just...blah. She comes with two runes permanently affixed to her, so you don't have much customization room. I'd say pass on Eresh and recruit Euram instead. Rating: C- 21. Ernst How to Recruit:After you have recruited Levi, take him to the inn in Raftfleet. Talk to Norma and Ernst and they will both join. Level 16 Weapon Strength: No weapon Comments: When I first got Ernst I was excited. I thought he'd be pretty dang awesome. Results? He's okay, low Hp, low attack, one Rune slot, with his rune stuck in it, low defense, high speed. His Rune is actually the biggest game-breaking tool in the game, which does technically make Ernst the best character in the game…but you aren’t a cheater are you? If you like to cheat the game (You awful person you) go ahead and use Ernst, and while your at it, use Richard and Zerase, and make the game a bona fide joke. Rating: C (If you use him normally) Rating: A+ (If you abuse his second level spell) 22. Euram* How to Recruit:After the events at Stormfist, and if you didn't recruit Euram, go and see him at Rainwall. Talk with him, and to repent for his crimes, he will join. Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A Comments:He's recruited late, and can only be used in war. So why get him over Eresh? For plot. No, really that's the only reason. He deserves to be a Star of Destiny. Rating: B(For plot only) 23. Faylen How to Recruit:She will join along with Roy after the Sable events, by picking the option, "I was just trying to clear my name", if you don't pick that option, you will have to climb Mt. Ranro and help them return stolen goods. After helping Faylen and Faylon will join. Level 16 Weapon Strength: 250 Comments:Faylen is actually really good. Good offensive numbers, decent magic, and a cool weapon, make her fairly impressive. If you need a good long range attacker, Faylen is probably one of the best you'll find. I can't find anything to complain about when it comes to this red-haired wonder. Well, except having only one attack. Also her magic abilities are solid, so if you're into that jazz a Cyclone Rune will fit her well. Rating: B 24. Faylon How to Recruit: See Faylen Level 16 Weapon Strength: 250 Comments:Well, Faylon isn't as good as his sister. He's short-ranged, has high HP and defensive and offensive stats, and crappy magic. All in all, he's just another character in your roster. If you like the bandits, and are using Faylen and Roy, he might not be a bad addition to your group. Though keep in mind that there are tons of better options for your front-line slots. Rating: C- 25. Flail How to Recruit: Joins automatically after the events surrounding Sauronix and Gordius. Level 16 Weapon Strength: No weapon Comments: Flail is the second best dragon out there, or second worst you could also say. If you are using Rahal and you need another short range character, then you could use Flail, if you wanted. But really, if you desperately want a dragon, go with Lance. Or, better yet, don't use a dragon at all... Rating: C 26. Fuwalufuwalu How to Recruit: Joins automatically following the attack on Beaver Lodge. Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A Comments: I can't really bad mouth this old beaver too much. He's not annoying, he does not fight, doesn't support, and he's not great in war. He's just another Star... Rating: C+(For War) 27. Fuyo How to Recruit: See Oboro Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A Comments:*CoughfatCough* Ahem, well Fuyo is another star that doesn't bring anything to the table. You can play a mini-game with her (Or so I hear) but other than that, she'll just fawn over Oboro throughout the game. Her War abilities aren't great either, so she really does not bring a whole lot of new to an already growing cast of characters. Rating: D 28. Galleon How to Recruit: Joins automatically after the Queen's Campaign. Level 16 Weapon Strength: 250 Comments: Alright, let me get this out right now, I hate Galleon. Not his character in the story, the battle character. Frankly, he sucks. Don't go saying "OMG, he's teh best tank!" because first of all he isn't, and second of all, tank characters are about as useful as a knife in a gunfight. He has two rune slots, one with a Knight Rune stuck in it, so from the get go, he doesn't offer much. He can do some mediocre damage and can sop up damage meant for other characters, but...that's really not that useful. Pass on Galleon, there are better characters...Seriously. With only one free slot, Galleon will never be able to do any good for your party. Rating: C- 29. Gavaya How to Recruit:Bring either Norma, Viki and Faylen, or Sialeeds, Jeane, and Nelis with you to Raftfleet and speak with him. Jumping at the chance to surround himself with women, Gavaya will join right up. Level 16 Weapon Strength:250 Comments:Lots of people are turned off by Gavaya's personality. And for good reason. Despite that, Gavaya is a decent fighter, with three free slots, and lots of Hp and attack power. He and Nikea also seem to work well together. Oh, did I mention that if a female party member falls in battle, Gavaya goes into instant Fury? Sexy. Rating: B+ 30. Georg Prime How to Recruit:Georg is with you from the beginning but won't actually join until you've cleared the events at Gordius Village. Level 16 Weapon Strength: 255 Comments: Georg is the bee's knees. He IS the Viktor of Suikoden V. Everyone loves him. It may be impossible for someone to not like Georg. He's fast, strong, has high Hp, good physical defense and is tied heavily into the plot. His downfalls? He has low magic and magic defense and only one open rune slot(The other has a permanent Killer Rune, but that's not really a bad thing) and you won't get a ton of use out of him, as Georg is unavailable a lot. And if this is your first run through of the game, he is unusable for the Final Boss fight. All in all, as much as I'd like to say Georg is overrated, he in all actuality, deserves the praise given. Don’t come complaining to me if he runs off with your best equipment, you shouldn’t be it to a character who comes and goes as sporadically as Georg does to begin with. Rating: SS (Fan vote, my rating A+) 31. Genoh How to Recruit:After you have access to Beaver Lodge speak with Fuwalufuwalu about "The Boss" several times. Then head to the Waterfall Basin, which is southwards of Beaver Lodge with someone old in your party(Alhazred and Levi are the best). At the end of the Basin you should see a scene with Genoh, and if your "old" character is at least one level lower than the Prince, Genoh will join. Level 16 Weapon Strength: No weapon Comments:I'm not a big fan of characters that take up two slots to be used effectively. Genoh is an average fighter, and being average doesn't warrant taking up two party slots. Leave Genoh to relax at your base, and use two better characters instead of one average character. Rating: D+ 32. Goesch How to Recruit:Joins automatically after the restoration of Lordlake. Level 16 Weapon Strength: 250 Comments:Goesch is one of those characters that really takes you by suprise. Farmers in Suikoden history have never been that great, but Goesch comes out being an amazing character. Two free slots, the ability to wear heavy armor, and high physical stats make Goesch a force to be reckoned with. He also sports the amazing Mow Down ability letting him smack down a whole pack of enemies in one fell swoop. If your looking for a strong medium ranged fighter, Goesch will fit into your team like butter. Rating: B+ 33. Gunde How to Recruit:Joins automatically during the Twilight Forest/Sauronix events. Level 16 Weapon Strength: 255 Comments: Gunde isn't a terrible character. He's got good physical stats and HP and he's short ranged. His downfall is that he doesn't join nearly early enough. By the time you get him, you'll probably have better characters that you like more. If you like Dwarves he'll be a good addition... Rating: C- 34. Haleth How to Recruit:Haleth is tricky. After your HQ has upgraded for the second time, go to the Hershville Harbor and meet him in the administrators building. Go back to your castle and see a scene in the tavern. Now go back to Hershville and enter the leftmost house near the armor shop and see a scene with Haleth again. Now leave Hershville and reenter and go back to the adminstrators building and talk to the man, where Haleth used to be standing. Now go back to the tavern in your castle to recruit Haleth (He'll be standing next to the bar). Note:You must recruit Haleth before liberating Stormfist. Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A Comments:Well, Haleth's mini-game is kind of interesting, and he has a mildly useful support skill. Other than that, he's just an ordinary guy. Eh...nope, there's nothing more to say. Rating: C 35. Haswar How to Recruit:After the Queen's Campaign, Take Urda to talk with Haswar and Isato. Just keep talking with them, and Haswar will eventually join along with Isato and Urda. Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A Comments:Mildly interesting character, brings literally nothing to the table, she's really just there...good thing Isato and Urda are good characters, or this would be a waste of time. Rating:D 36. Hazuki How to Recruit: Speak to her at Port Spinnacks without Marina and Belcoot in your party. Then put Belcoot in your party and speak to her. She'll join after their short conversation. Level 16 Weapon Strength: 255 Comments: She's got a cool animation, good physical strength, she's quick and she really has no detrimental weakness. That said, she is not really outstanding in any area either. There is always someone who can do what Hazuki can do and better. She's not a bad choice, but there are better ones. If you really want to use her, give her some damage upping Runes and watch as she cuts apart the enemy lines. Rating: B+ 37. Isabel How to Recruit:After the Coronation event head to Babbage's Workshop in Estrise, and you will see a scene with Isabel and Mathias. Go back to your HQ and talk with Luserina about Euram. Now go to Haud with 3 or less people in your party and you will see a scene. Following the event, Isabel and Mathias will join. Level 16 Weapon Strength: 255 Comments: Isabel is my second favorite character in the game. She's got great Physical stats, and two rune slots, and a screamingly cool weapon. Once I got her she never left my party. Try her once and you'll be hooked. She is by far one of the best short ranged fighters in the game. Give her a Boost and a Double-Edge Rune and let her be, any enemy that gets touched by Isabel, will most certainly be destroyed. Rating: A- 38. Isato How to Recruit:See Haswar Level 16 Weapon Strength: 245 Comments: Isato's not too bad. He looks a tad funky, but so do we all. He's got 3 Rune slots, decent magic, decent attack...What can I say? He’s a solid character. With one attack you and his three free rune slots, you can make Isato a great fighter, a great mage, or a mix of both. He’s solid. Rating: A- 39. Jeane How to Recruit:A little ways into the game, head over to the Big Hole and speak with the guard at the top of the stairs. Then head to the Lelcar Rune shop(After the fire) and you should meet Jeane. Agree to take her to the Big Hole and she will temporarily join, until you complete her quest, which upon completing Jeane will join permanently. Level 16 Weapon Strength: 200 Comments:Oh, so much the fan favorite Jeane is. Jeane is a good magic user, so you can load her up on strong runes and let her go to town, if you so desire. However, Zerase is infinitely better, and I prefer Mage-Hybrid characters like Miakis and Kyle over pure magic users Myself, and you probably will too. Rating: B- 40. Josephine How to Recruit:Speak to her with Sialeeds in your party, once you can start recruiting characters. Or you can optionally bring other well dressed characters as well. She's simple. Level 16 Weapon Strength: 230 Comments: Josephine is just another bleh type of character. She can handle runes well, but has that craptastic Red Rose Rune stuck on her. She can do more physical damage that most magic users but she also does less magic damage than them. If you like the Narcistic type of characters, then Josephine's your girl. I guess you could play around with a Rage Rune on Josephine if you were dead set on using her. Rating: C 41. Killey How to Recruit:Take Cius to the Agate Prison after recruiting Lucretia and let Killey out of his cell. Later at your HQ you can meet him with Zweig and Lorelai in your party. Be kind and let him leave the castle. Much later at the Twilight Forest Ruins you can get Killey to permanently join the SoDs. Level 16 Weapon Strength: 245 Comments:Killey has been significantly downgraded since(or technically before)Suikoden II. His HP is low, he only gets one attack, and he's Long Ranged. He still has 3 Rune slots and can cause some heavy damage to the enemy, but he isn't as good as some other characters out there. Still, if you’re looking for a good L-Ranged character Killey is way up there. Oh, and just try and pretend his outfit isn't awesome, just try. Rating:A 42. Kisara How to Recruit: Joins automatically following the Agate Prison events. Level 16 Weapon Strengths: 245 Comments:Kisara is a really lackluster character. She is outclassed by her husband and daughter as far as battle goes, and as plot development goes. Her weapon is interesting and she has a good magic stat, so if you like Raftfleet people she can be a good Mage-Fighter. Other than that, Kisara is just an average character. Rating: C+ 43. Kyle How to Recruit: Joins automatically before after rescuing Lucretia. Level 16 Weapon Strength: 230 Comments:Remember how I said Georg was the Viktor of this game? Well, Kyle is the Flik. With high magical capabilities, three free slots, and a decent physical attack, Kyle is probably the best Mage-Knight in the game. On top of that, Kyle goes into automatic Fury upon the falling of the Prince or any female character in battle. Add on that he's got a great personality and he joins extremely early on, and you have one of the best character in game. As much as I try to tell myself to use someone other than Kyle in my party, I can never follow through with it. He's just too good. Up Kyle's Lightning Affinity, and give him a Flowing Rune early on. Stick whatever Rune you want in his head slot, and I'll guarantee it will be useful. Kyle is Class A material folks. Rating: A+(And he deserves every ounce of it.) 44. Lance How to Recruit:Joins automatically with Flail. Level 16 Weapon Strength: No weapon Comments:Well, as far as the dragons go, Lance is the best, but that isn't saying a whole lot. He can combo with Roog and he's S Range in case you want to fill in a slot, and he's cheap to maintain. I can't really recommend using a dragon...sorry. Rating: C 45. Lelei How to Recruit:Joins automatically during the events in Agate Prison. Level 16 Weapon Strength: 230 Comments: Lelei actually isn't too bad. She, unlike Cius, has good stats. She can easily fit a Mage-Fighter role, with her decent magic, attack and HP. He clothes really put me off though, and there are better characters, she's also not half bad in war. Early on, she's a good choice. Also check out the name of her weapon as it levels up... boy Lelei sure knows how to bring excitement to the table. Try a Lightning and a Fury Rune on Lelei to make her really balanced. Rating: B 46. Levi How to Recruit:After the Doraat sequence, go to the Big Hole and talk with him. He'll join along with Bergen. Level 16 Weapon Strength: 200 Comments:Levi is in my opinion the most easily forgotten Mage. I used him for the Queen's Campaign and promptly forgot his existence. He does come with a Pale Gate and Mother Earth Rune you can steal from him though. All in all, Zerase, Viki, and Jeane can all probably do a better job than him. He's not bad, just uninteresting and lacking any outstanding abilities. He does have three free Rune slots, which no other mage has, but still, most Mage-Fighters have three free slots as well, and can do good physical damage upon that. Zerase and Viki outclass Levi as being a mage goes, and Miakis, Kyle, and Killey outclass as far as being a character goes. He can be fairly decent in war though, and he’s the castle Tutor. Rating: B+ 47. Linfa How to Recruit:Once you have done the Lelcar event you can meet and play cards with Linfa in Estrise. You can then meet with her again in Yashuna. Later after the Coronation event you should be able to meet her in the Inn in Raftfleet. Play with her again and help her pay off her debt, finally after all this, Linfa will finally join. Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A Comments:Eh, she's pretty annoying to get, I thought I missed her it took me so long. Her card game is boring too. Just leave her be in your castle and forget about her. Rating: D 48. Logg How to Recruit:Joins automatically during the Agate Prison events with Lun. Level 16 Weapon Strength: 245 Comments:Logg actually isn't too bad. Early on and up through the Queen's Campaign Logg was always in my party. He's got lots of HP and attack power, and he's M Ranged. You won't see Logg hit for more than once, most of the time, but his attack is so high, he probably doesn't need it. Until better fighters start to show up, Logg is a good character to use. Also Logg seems to have been born to use the Violence Rune/Double-Edged Rune combination. Rating: B 49. Lorelai How to Recruit:Joins automatically during the Ceras Lake Ruins events. Level 16 Weapon Strength: 250 Comments:Lorelai isn't as good as she could be. She's got three Rune slots sure, but what the hell is wrong with her HP? It's so frickin' low! To be fair, she's got a cool weapon, she's M Ranged, and she fills you with nostalgia as you use her. If her stats were a tad higher, I'd warrant Lorelai as a solid character, but since they aren't she's just average. I guess if your dead set on using her you could play around with making her a versatile mage, or giving her the uber damage Rune setup. Rating: B(Many of you won't like it, but tough.) 50. Lucretia How to Recruit:Joins automatically during the Agate Prison Event. Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A Comments:Well, she is my favorite strategist of all time, just above Mathiu and Shu. You have to use her in the Prince's unit during war, which isn't that good. But she is really plot significant and she's brilliant. Almost too brilliant, which is why many people don't like her as much. Rating: A(For plot) 51. Lu How to Recruit:After recruiting Babbage, take Sorenson to Babbage's Workshop and Help Lu find the gear. After helping her, she'll join. Level 16 Weapon Strength: 245 Comments:I find Lu extremely annoying, and she'd be getting an awful score if she wasn't amazing in battle. Although her physical stats are on the weak side, her amazingly cool weapon and her ability to dish out multiple hits like no other make her surprisingly good. Unfortunately, by the time you get Lu, you'll probably have Sagiri who is far superior. Rating: C+ 52. Lun How to Recruit: See Logg Level 16 Weapon Strength: 250 Comments:Lun really is the her parent's child. She's better than Logg magically, but not quite as good as Kisara. And she's better than Kisara physically, but not quite as good as Logg. Lun is decent, not outstanding, but decent. You can take advantage of her Rune slots and really do whatever you want with Lun. She can really fit in and do any role in your party you need her to perform. Rating:...B+(This was a tough one) 53. Luserina Barrows How to Recruit: Joins automatically after acquiring the Dawn Rune. Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A Comments:Probably the most useful character in the game. This little lady is the one who will be switching out all your characters for you, so needless to say, you'll be seeing her a lot. Rating: A+ (For what she does) 54. Lyon How to Recruit: Available from the beginning. Level 16 Weapon Strength: 250 Comments:Lyon is going to be in your party a lot. Luckily unlike many of the past Suikoden Hero's main companions (aka Gremio,Nanami) Lyon is really, really good. She can hit several times, has a great rune, and a few good combos with the Prince. Throw in her plot-heaviness and you've got a great character. If you don't like her, I urge you to put down the game, you'll be seeing her a lot. Rating: A 55. Marina How to Recruit:See Belcoot Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A Comments: This cheerful gal is the castle Inn keeper. Early on Marina is a good support character since she heals the party a little bit after each round. Later on though, the healing isn't worth it. Her personality strikes me as bland too, so use her in support early on, then let her fawn over Belcoot from afar. Rating: C- 56. Maroon How to Recruit:Joins automatically following the attack on Beaver Lodge. Level 16 Weapon Strength: 250 Comments: Well, he's not too terrible. You get stuck using him for awhile too, so get used to seeing him. There are better beavers, and better human characters as well. I'd only recommend him if your using all the beavers. Rating: C 57. Mathias How to Recruit:See Isabel. Level 16 Weapon Strength: 250 Comments:Well, Mathias's character portrait freaks me out in a really disturbing way. Other than that, he's a fantastic fighter. He's better at magic than Isabel, and just as good at raw physical might. His three free rune slots give him a bit of an edge though. With Mow Down and plenty of damage upping runes, Mathias can be one of the most damaging characters out there. Rating: A 58. Meroon How to Recruit:See Moroon below. Level 16 Weapon Strength: 250 Comments: Meroon actually isn't too bad, second best beaver actually. But she still is a beaver. Rating: C 59. Miakis How to Recruit:Joins automatically following the Queen's Campaign. Level 16 Weapon Strength: 230 Comments:Miakis is one of the best characters out there. She Joins with three open slots, good magical power, and decent physical stats. So you can make her into a physical powerhouse or a good Mage-Fighter. Your choice. She's really versatile and can attack several times. She also works great with a Killer Rune. My recommended Rune setup is a Killer, Mother Earth, and Fury Rune. Did I mention that Miakis has the best damage potential in the game? With three damage boosting runes and a sharp weapon, Miakis can multi-hit her way to the top. Rating: A+ 60. Miroon How to Recruit:After the Coronation event, speak to her at the Tricolor Inn with Muroon in your party. Help her find the source of her problem and she will join. Level 16 Weapon Strength: 250 Comments:She's probably the best beaver out of the five. She has a decent magic stat and three rune slots, but all in all, she is outclassed by human Mages and Mage-Fighters. Only use her if you’re using the rest of the Beaver cast, or a beaver fetish I guess... Rating: C 61. Mohsen How to Recruit:In Lelcar buy close to one hundred thousand potch of equipment before it burns down. If you do, he'll join after Lelcar has burnt down if you speak with him. If you didn't buy equipment from him, or told him to "Pull himself together" you must wait until you can go to Doraat before you can recruit him again. And then you must buy 6 items from him. My advice? Just try and get him at Lelcar. Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A Comments:Well, he's your armor guy. You buy stuff from him and you sell stuff to him. Simple no? Rating: C 62. Moroon How to Recruit: After the Coronation Bring Maroon, Miroon, Muroon with you and take the boat to the Baska Mineshaft. Talk to Moroon near a collapsed house and head to Beaver's Lodge for Meroon (she's standing in front of the trade shop). Bring the 4 of them to see Moroon again, then revisit Beaver's Lodge for a scene. Thank Moroon and he'll join you with Meroon. Level 16 Weapon Strength: 250 Comments: Average character with average stats. Two free Rune slots and the ability to change the music in battle are his highlights. Doesn’t sound very interesting does it? Rating: C 63. Mueller How to Recruit:After he and Mueller leave during the War battle at Rainwall you should be able to meet them in the Inn in Raftfleet, if you have been scoring Victory+'s on your War battles. Speak with him and Wilhelm and they'll join. If you haven't been doing great in War, they will move from town to town until they deem you worthy of their abilities. Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A Comments:He is useful in War, but that's about it. For some reason he can't be used as a real combatant. Stupid Konami. Rating: B 64. Muroon How to Recruit:After you have acquired your Headquarters go down to the port, where Logg is. Talk to her and she'll join without a problem. Level 16 Weapon Strength: 250 Comments: Just another beaver. As I've said, only use her if your planning on using all the beavers. She's also the worst looking one in my opinion... Rating: C 65. Murad How to Recruit:Speak to Murad in different towns throughout the game (he will show up in towns affected by war battles) and speak with him. After talking with him three times, he'll join your army. Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A Comments:Fairly uninteresting, mediocre support ability, and a crummy character portrait mark him as a C character. If you like the ability to be healed slightly after battle, then go for it, and use Murad. Me? I'll use support characters that are actually beneficial. Rating: C+ 66. Nakula How to Recruit:Speak to him in the Inn at Sable during your visit. Later, after recruiting Roy, visit him again. Then go speak to Oboro, and take him and his team to speak with Nakula. See a scene and then Nakula and Sagiri will join the SoD's. Note:This must be done before going to Nirva Island. Level 16 Weapon Strength: 250 Comments: Three rune slots, high attack, comes with a Fury Rune, okay, he's not bad. In fact it takes very little effort to make Nakula into a strong member of your team. His problem? There are probably more interesting party members to choose from at this point, and you'll probably forget about Nakula fairly quickly. I usually just steal his Fury Rune and give it too someone else. Rating: B+ 67. Nelis How to Recruit:Take Bernadette to the Inn at Nirva Island after the initial events, and speak with Nelis and Yahr. Now go to your boat as if you were going to leave, and Nelis and Yahr will accompany you. Soon after, you will go on a side quest with Yahr and Nelis. Clear the dungeon and they will join. Level 16 Weapon Strength: 245 Comments:Nelis is actually quite good. Her attack power isn't the highest, but she comes with a Rage Rune, and has lots of Magic power. On top of that, she can be used to Recruit Gavaya fairly early. And come on, you know that hat is cool...If you like long range mages, Nelis is a great choice. Rating: B 68. Nick How to Recruit:Joins automatically during the events at the Dragon's Nest. Level 16 Weapon Strength: 230 Comments:Nick isn't too bad of a character either. He's quick, fairly strong, okay stats in all areas, but ya know, there are so many other characters, that are just like Nick, he really doesn't stand out in any special way. I guess you could use him if you liked the color purple... Rating: B+ 69. Nifsara How to Recruit:Joins automatically. Level 16 Weapon Strength: 250 Comments:Well, Nifsara has pretty decent stats as a character, but she just kinda...irritates me. It's probably that hair. She's another decent spear user, she's got a thing for the prince, but she joins rather late. Not much to say really. Rating:C+ 70. Nikea How to Recruit:After Lelcar is burnt down, go to the inn in Estrise and duel her. If you win, she'll join. Level 16 Weapon Strength: 250 Comments:Finally, a good above average character! Nikea can hit multiple times, she's got high stats, and always seems to find a way into my party, when I least expect it. Her only limiting factors is her one free rune slot(She's got a Special Rune in her other hand), and hard to utilize combo attack. But still, she can hold her own in battle, and with a Fury Rune, she can really tear it up. Rating:B+ 71. Norden How to Recruit:If you do the Oboro quest at Rainwall, Norden should join you at then end of it. If you didn't, talk to him at the inn in Raftfleet after restoring Lordlake, and he'll join then. Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A Comments:If you recruit him at the earliest point, he can be useful in a few war battles, adding an extra Charge to a unit. If you don't, he's useless. So do him a favor and get him in Rainwall. Rating: C- 72. Norma How to Recruit:See Ernst Level 16 Weapon Strength:230 Comments:Norma is pretty decent. She can be given the right runes and made into a strong party member, and she can get a SS in the Potch Finder skill. She's also got a combo with Ernst, but that really isn't that important. With three free Rune slots, and the uber Rune setup Norma can become another hard hitting member of the group. So if you like the Suikoden Cute Girls, Norma is one of the best. Rating: A- 73. Oboro How to Recruit:In Rainwall, when Lucretia asks you to find Oboro to investigate the Lordlake incident, go to the port in Rainwall to find Oboro's ship,and you'll get a series of scenes and several choices to make within. ALWAYS PICK THE ANSWER THAT ALLOWS YOU TO STICK WITH OBORO TO INVESTIGATE THE CASE TOGETHER WHENEVER YOU GET TO MAKE A CHOICE! If you did this correctly, you can recruit Oboro and Shigure by visiting them once the agency moves to Raftfleet. If you didn't choose to stay with Oboro during the investigation on Lordlake, you'll have to visit his ship in Raftfleet from time to time (whenever there is an advance in story) and ask him to join you. He'll refuse several times before deciding to be recruited. It's very important that you recruit him before the Queen's Campaign, otherwise Oboro's ship will leave Raftfleet and will not be found for the rest of the game. Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A Comments:After going through the painstaking process of getting him, Oboro does a lot for you. He can locate characters and tell you plenty of information about them. He also helps enrich the story with his own small sub-plots, and is needed to recruit several other characters as the story progresses. However, if your reading this guide, you probably won't need old Oboro... Rating: B+ 74. Orok How to Recruit:Joins following the events at Lelcar. Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A Comments:Not much to say about old Orok here. He's mildly important to the plot. He isn't great in war, but not bad. And he looks rather pathetic. Just another filler star. Rating: D 75. Rahal How to Recruit:Joins automatically during the Sauronix Castle/Dino's Nest/Headquarter takeover events: Level 16 Weapon Strength: 230 Comments:Rahal is actually a very good character. In fact, he is built extremely similar to Kyle, whom I gave an A+. In fact, if you look at their stats and abilities, Rahal should be the superior character. That said, Rahal has terrible speed, he doesn't berserk on the falling of a female party member, and doesn't have combo's quite as good as Kyle. So who is the better character? You decide. Me? I'll take Kyle over Rahal any day of the week. Rating: A- 76. Raja How to Recruit:Joins by default. Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A Comments:Raja is interesting to say the least. She's important to the plot, useful in war, and has a personality that kind of grows on you after awhile. You'll make a lot of use out of her abilities before the game is done, you can count on that. Rating: A 77. Rania How to Recruit:Take Miakis to her house in Sauronix, and speak with her. After the event, go back in and speak with her, with a Voice set. She'll join without a problem afterwards. Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A Comments:She's boring, doesn't do much, and just really wastes a spot for another more interesting character. She's just a necessary evil to get that perfect ending... Rating: D 78. Raven How to Recruit:After Doraat, speak with Solis in his mansion in Sable. He'll tell you that his family tree was stolen. Speak with Oboro, and then speak with Egbert, and then speak with Oboro again. Afterwards, rest at the inn and you'll be pulled into a series of events. Investigate the Storage Room to catch Raven. Forgive him, and Raven will join the SoD. Level 16 Weapon Strength: 250 Comments:Raven's unique rune let's him evade physical attacks with 100% success, if indoors. Which means he makes a great evasion tank with a Firefly Rune. However, tank characters are a waste of space, so Raven ends up just being a lackluster fighter, surrounded by many better characters. If for some ungodly reason you like tanks, Raven is one of the best indoors. Rating: C+ 79. Retso How to Recruit:After the Coronation event, speak with Retso at the Inn in Raftfleet and ask him to join. He will talk about a special fish. Play the fishing game until you catch a "strange fish", then take it to him. Take him and Shun Min to you Headquarters and they will join. Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A Comments:All in all, Retso's not that useful. He cooks, and he cooks. His support isn't great, but his support in war is halfway decent so he isn't totally useless. He's just a necessary recruit. Rating: C 80. Richard How to Recruit:After recruiting Mueller, go to the Waterfall Basin, without an old character in your party. At the end you should meet Richard. Go back and speak with Mueller, and then speak with Richard again. He will then join. Level 16 Weapon Strength: 230 Comments:Richard is a fan favorite. He criticals a lot, he is almost never hit with physical attacks, and he multi-hits almost all the time. Unfortunately, he only has one free rune slot, so his damage output will be far below other fighters. Still, he's a decent fighter, joins several levels higher than your hero, and can dish out decent damage, without taking an equal amount in return. He also loses points for giving me that dirty feeling, like how I feel after cheating on a chemistry test... Rating: B+ 81. Roog How to Recruit:See Rahal Level 16 Weapon Strength: 230 Comments:Roog is the worst out of the Dragon Cavalry. It seems like just about every one of his stats was nuked for some reason. He does have three rune slots, but not even that can make up for his terrible base stats. I really wish I knew what happened here... Rating: B-/C+ 82. Roy How to Recruit:Joins automatically during the events at Sable. Level 16 Weapon Strength: 255 Comments:Alright, Roy is another character I really don't like. In fact, I hate all the look a like characters from the Suikoden series. Roy actually isn't terrible statwise and has a few combo attacks, but he never seems to be available when you want to use him. Yes, that's right, he suffers from the same "Caught up in plot events so you can't use me" syndrome Georg is in. So his lack of availibility plus his okayish stats equals one average character. And don't even get me started on his voice, oh boy, every cut scene with Roy sounds like nails on a chalkboard. Rating: B 83. Sagiri How to Recruit:See Nakula Level 16 Weapon Strength: 245 Comments: Sagiri is another personal favorite of mine. She's L range, she can hit several times, and her attack power isn't too shabby. She has one free Rune slot, so she can have a pretty average damage output. Her outfit bugs me a lot though...Oh well, its a price I'm willing to pay. If you want a fighter who can hit hard, several times from the back row, Sagiri is the best, just edging out Lu. Rating: B+ 84. Sairoh How to Recruit:Buy six salts at a trade shop, and then check the Rumours at the Raftfleet Trade Shop after you have recruited Shinro. When it says the price of salt has skyrocketed, talk with Sairoh about it. Then sell your six salts, and speak with Sairoh. In thanks for stopping inflation, he'll join. Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A Comments:Sairoh really isn't incredibly useful outside his "Extra" ability in war. And only because it can give you an extra spell like Mother Earth, Star or Rage when you really need it. Other than that amazing ability, he's not that useful. Rating: C 85. Sharmista How to Recruit:Joins automatically Level 16 Weapon Strength: 245 Comments:She's basically Sialeed's with more attack power, and less magic. So if your into that sort of thing, she's your girl. With the appropriate Runes and a maxed out Longthrow ability, she can decimate an enemy party in no time at all. Or you can load her down with powerful runes. and make her an all purpose mage. Your choice, and neither one is a bad one. It's too bad she joins so late though. Rating:B 86.Shigure How to Recruit: See Oboro Level 16 Weapon Strength: 230 Comments:If you recruit Shigure at the earliest opportunity, he'll be a godsend. He'll hit hard, combo a ton, and really, he'll just kick the enemies ass...hard. I've seen Shigure run around the battlefield and decimate everything. His outfit and ending battle quote are a tad annoying, but what can you do? Later, when better characters become available, Shigure stops being so orgasmic, so how long you use our good friend, ultimately depends on you. Just give him a Boost and a Double-Edge Rune and let him be, Shigure knows how to handle the enemy. Early on, use Shigure and Kyle up on the front lines and watch the enemy cower in fear. Rating: A- 87. Shinro How to Recruit: After Raftfleet has joined your cause, speak with him in the item shop at Raftfleet and he'll join. Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A Comments:He's got the same ability in war as Sairoh. In fact, they are nearly the same character, save Shinro runs the item shop instead of the trade shop. So why not give him the same rating? Rating: C 88. Shoon How to Recruit:Joins automatically during the assault on Stormfist. Level 16 Weapon Strength: 250 Comments:As a character, Shoon is on the same level as Nikea. Shoon was a really interesting character when I first met him, but then, after meeting him, you don't get to recruit him until almost 50 hours later! Gah! That will anger me for years to come. Still, Shoon is a decent character, with a few good combo's. If only he joined sooner. Many people will pass on Shoon, thanks to him being probably the last character many people recruit. Gah......... Rating: B-(For how late he shows up) 89. Shun Min How to Recruit: See Retso Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A Comments:Shun Min is just another character. She raises fish in your castle which is kinda...weird. She's not that useful as a support character, and isn't too useful in war. She's there for nostalgia basically. Rating: D 90. Shula Valya How to Recruit: Joins automatically. Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A Comments:Shula is fairly interesting, he joins extremely late, but there is one thing about him that makes him a worthy recruit. His war usefulness. Shula saved my ass so many times, I think his name's on it. He can single-handedly decimate naval ships with his ram. No, seriously try him out, you'll only have a couple of chances to do so. Rating: B 91. Silva How to Recruit:Joins following the restoration of Lordlake. Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A Comments:I didn't expect her to be so tied to the plot, so that was a pleasant surprise. She's not great as a support, but is decently useful in war. Oh well, I like plot characters, so she's a worthy character in my book. Rating: B 92. Sorenson How to Recruit:Speak with the guard at the Revolving Bridge, and then speak with Babbage and Sorenson at Babbage's Workshop. You'll then go on a short side quest to the Bridge. After clearing it, Sorenson will join. Level 16 Weapon Strength: 255 Comments:He's got an interesting weapon to say the least. Ahem, anyways, Sorenson is really just another S range character to join your army. He's not outstanding in any way, but he can be decent. His war unit is unique, but isn't too good overall. His combo with Lu is rather humorous though. Rating: C-/D 93. Subala How to Recruit: Take Lun to Raftfleet once you've established your Headquarters and speak with her on the platform after the Inn. You will have to play a mini-game with her, if you win, she'll join. Level 16 Weapon Strength: 245 Comments:She loses points for me not being able to tell what gender she is. That said, Subala hits hard, really hard. Like Logg hard. So she isn't totally useless. Her mini-game is mildly entertaining as well. If you can stomach her character portrait and are looking for a unique fighter, try Subala, she's decent. Rating: C+ 94. Takamu How to Recruit:After you have freed Lucretia from prison, take Cius and Lelei to the prison's western wing and look in the cell and speak with Takamu. Cius will free him, and Takamu will ask for your help to find his items. Help him out(The items are in the top right corner of the room the save point is in) and Takamu will join. Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A Comments:Takamu is a rather important recruit, as he is key to recruiting some other party members. He also gives you guaranteed escape from battle, and with the high encounter rate in this game, his support can prove to be a godsend at times. He's a worthy entourage character. Rating: B- 95. Talgeyl How to Recruit:Joins automatically following restoration of Lordlake. Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A Comments:Talgeyl is one of my favorite Generals in the war battles. Stick him, Alhazred, and Viki in the same unit, and you have an almost unstoppable Rune Archer unit. He's also decently wrapped up in the plot, and has some pretty decent character growth. Maybe I'm just a sucker for the Lordlake guys, I don't know, but Talgeyl is a great character to use, and get to know. Bottom Line, use him in war, and he won't disappoint. Rating: B+ 96. Taylor How to Recruit:After you have acquired your HQ go outside to see a scene with Taylor. After the Lelcar incident, give him permission to conduct interviews at the following places:Outside the Inn, in front of the Sealed Room, and in front of Georg's Room. If you speak with him at each area, and give him permission each time, he'll join you at the end of it all. Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A Comments:I liked Taylor as a character, but unfortunately, his support in battle, and in war, isn't very good. His newspapers are mildly interesting reads however, and can be humorous at times. If you liked Lelei's Analyze skill then you might be able to make use out of Taylor, but if not he'll just sit in your castle. Rating: C 97. Toma How to Recruit:Joins automatically Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A Comments:I like Toma, he's funny, abrasive, and shows backbone. And he seems like a fairly important character for awhile. However, after the Lordlake sequence's are done, Toma falls into obscurity, and loses all plot importance, from there on out. Oh well, his skill in war isn't terrible, so you might be able to make use out of that. Rating: C 98. Urda How to Recruit:Speak with her at the Lunas' Northern Forest and take her to speak with Haswar and Isato after the Coronation event to recruit all three of them. Level 16 Weapon Strength: 245 Comments: Urda can really dish out some pain, if you take the time to level her up. She's got three free Rune slots, the incredibly useful Barrage skill, and a few combo attacks. Her personality may put some people off, but if you can stomach it, Urda can be a great L range attacker, or a versatile mage. Your choice. You won’t have long to enjoy that choice though, Urda and Isato join extremely late in the game. Rating: B+ 99. Viki How to Recruit:Joins automatically after clearing Ceras Lake. Level 16 Weapon Strength: 200 Comments:What's a Suikoden game without our air-headed teleportress? Viki's back and better than ever. While she still has her sub par Blinking Rune, she's got two other Rune slots, and the almighty Chain Magic ability. With this ability Viki can hit the enemy with magic spells several times in succession, making her potentially the best Mage in the game. Viki fans rejoice! The teleportress has finally become a top tier character. Rating: A 100. Volga How to Recruit: Joins automatically following the Lelcar events. Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A Comments:Volga's got the most personality out of the three from Lelcar it's unfortunate that he looks like a monkey though. Volga is fairly important to the plot, a decent general in war, and you can always look forward to hearing something funny coming out of his mouth. All in all, he's another guy. Rating: B 101. Wabon How to Recruit:Joins automatically with Gunde. Level 16 Weapon Strength: 255 Comments: Wabon is well...Wabon. He's another S range fighter that joins up rather late, when you have better characters to choose from. I mean Georg joins around the same time as him! Who are you gonna use, Georg the badass swordsman, or Wabon the bald dwarf? Wabon's only saving grace is that he has the Forge skill, so you can carry him around and let him sharpen your weapons if you want too, but then again, that isn't really that great. If you like dwarves, Wabon is a good choice, even though there are only three of them. Rating: C- 102. Wasil How to Recruit:Joins automatically with Orok and Volga. Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A Comments:Just another semi-important character who joins up. He can't be used as a support character, and he isn't useful in war. I mean what can I say? He has no redeeming qualities. Rating: D+ 103. Wilhelm How to Recruit: See Mueller Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A Comments: Another character who had great potential to be a fighter, but isn't. That alone was a huge dissapointment for me in Wilhelm. Luckily, Wilhelm and Mueller kick some serious tushy in war. Their Lindwurm Cavalry Brigade will probably be the strongest cavalry unit in your army. Just watch as Wilhelm and Mueller decimate the enemies infantry, just watch. Rating: B+ 104. Yahr How to Recruit:See Nelis Level 16 Weapon Strength: 230 Comments: Yahr is another character that's a favorite of mine. Why? Well, it is mainly because of the Angry Dragon Rune. With a Boost and a Fury Rune, Yahr will be able to use his Angry Dragon Rune again and again, causing thousands of damage per hit to the enemy. It is a tad unfortunate that Yahr's stats are a little low, and that he gets his Head slot open so late, but take some time out and try out Yahr, he is rather surprising once you start to use him. If you can ignore his rather bad base stats, and give him the right Runes, Yahr can be one of the best S range character in your group. Rating: B+ 105. Yoran How to Recruit:See Nick and Ax. Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A Comments: Hoo boy, another uninteresting, rather useless character. Yoran just wants to be part of the group. He can be used in war, but still, it doesn't make up for how pointless he is as a character. On top of that, if I can't tell whether your a guy or a girl, your gonna lose points. Take that Yoran. Rating: D 106. Zegai How to Recruit:After you've met Urda and have recruited a pretty healthy number of Stars, go back to where you first met Lun and Logg. On the way you should hear a monster screech, and sure enough, you'll encounter old Zegai. Speak with him and if you have a large enough number of characters recruited, Zegai will join. Level 16 Weapon Strength: 250 Comments:Zegai's a good, solid interesting character, with a few major flaws. Zegai's got lots of HP and strength, and has two free Rune slots, plus a Wrath Rune stuck in his head. The bad part of it all is Zegai almost never multi-hits, his Wrath Rune takes up a valuable slot which could be used for a better Rune, so other characters will outdo him in the damage department. Now your probably saying, "ZOMG but teh Wrath Rune, puts him into insta Fury, making him teh PWNZORZ111!" Alright, yeah the Wrath Rune does put him into a Fury state, but you have to waste a whole turn doing that. The battles in this game will rarely exceed three rounds, so by the time, Zegai gets to attack, the battle will be over. Adding on that he's slow, and rarely multi-hits Zegai falls short of being a better fighter than most B+-A+ characters. That said, give him a Boost and Fury/Crazed Rune and let Zegai work without using that Wrath Rune, and he'll still be decent maybe not dealing the most damage, but enough that it'll count. Rating:B- 107. Zerase How to Recruit: Joins automatically. Level 16 Weapon Strength: 245 Comments:Zerase is one of those characters that make me feel like I'm cheating when I use her. Her Star Rune is easily the most powerful Rune in the game. She can single-handedly defeat just about anything in the game, with her Star Rune and a Magic Drain Rune. On top of that she joins extremely early on. Zerase ultimately makes this easy game ten times easier when you use her, so I'd urge you to pass on her, so you can actually enjoy the game. However, if you want a character that can sit in the back row, and just exterminate, everything that stands in your way, Zerase is probably the best choice. Rating: A+ (I'd give her a B for making me feel bad but...meh) 108. Zunda How to Recruit:After you have gotten your HQ go to the Dwarf Camp, and speak with her behind the dwarf, near the Rune Shop. Agree to show her a window, and then go to the Oracle's Conclave in Lunas. You'll see a scene in one of the rooms, and then Zunda will join the SoD. Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A Comments:It took me forever to find out where to take her in my game. It's a long painstaking process, to go to your HQ, put Takamu in your party, get Urda in your team, go to Lunas, and then see a scene, just to recruit the Window Changer. Yep, that's what Zunda does, changes the Window Frame. Aren't you glad you spent all this time just to recruit her? Rating: C- (For hauling me all over the world) 109. Zweig How to Recruit: Joins automatically during Ceras Lake Ruins event. Level 16 Weapon Strength: 250 Comments:When I first saw Zweig, I thought, "Man, this guy's cool. I bet he's going to be one of the best characters in the game!" Hahaha. Yeah...not so much. Zweig gets three free Rune slots, however his attack power is a little low, he can't hit many times, and he's pretty slow. He does make a great Support Mage with a Shield/Water/Whatever you want on him. He does force himself on you several times in the game, and you have to use him in the final dungeon, so get used to seeing Zweig a lot. He's not terrible, but he's nowhere near being good either. If your craving a Support Mage, Zweig is probably the best in the game. Rating: B- *=Must choose between Eresh and Euram. You can't recruit both of them. Credits ************* I'd like to thank the following for their help on this FAQ. -Vagabond Sausage for providing all Level 16 Weapon Strengths. -My computer for holding out on me during this project. -Blazefeeler, Darth Mordechai and SirYuber, for without their insight, many of these characters would have crappier ratings than they already have. -CJayC for having the best dang site on the net. -The Gamefaqs community for posting all their comments. -Gamefaqs and for being the best site to find FAQ's and Walkthroughs. -Me for writing this.(This dude is awesome seriously) -The_Masamune for pointing out several judgmental errors and helping me change a few characters ratings. -My email should you wish to contact me for whatever reason, is major_payne1990@yahoo.com