Character Suikoden VFreyjadour FalenasStar #1 of 108Rank: SAuto-Recruit.Class: Mid-Range Fighter/ Mid-Range Mage.Notes: The most versatile character in the game. He can do pretty much anything, except heavy tanking. He is the Hero, so he will be in your active battle party at all times. Though he is not quite as strong as some of the previous heroes, like Tir McDohl from SI, this is due to the fact that his main rune is just not as good as, say, the Soul Eater worn by McDohl. But he is very powerful, and can be relied on to fulfill many different roles in your party effectively.

He is a silent protagonist, so his personality reflects the player's personality. If you want to hear more about this, read my essay on literary theory and Allegorical Projection at the end of this walkthrough.

Recommended Runes: Dawn, Double-Edge, Power, Fury, GaleRecommended Skills: Agility, Attack, MagicAvailable Epic Skills: Royal Paradise (SS), Fate Control(S), Sacred Oath(S), All other Epics(A)

LyonStar #2 of 108Rank: AAuto-Recruit.Class: Mid-Range FighterNotes: Almost always by the Prince's side, she is a required party member most of the time. Though, unlike the prince she can be moved into the party's "entourage," effectively taking her out of battles, while still allowing access to her non-battle magic. She is fast and strong, with good defense and at least decent magic and HP scores, so, I would probably use her most of the time, even if she was not required. Like the Prince, she can fulfill multiple roles, and this versatility is her best quality. I give her an A-rank because she is just not as strong as the prince, especially late in the game. Keep in mind though, that she and the Prince have a useful unite attack.

While her Skills largely remain mediocre throughout the middle portion of the game. In the Late-Game her Triple Harmony, All-Out Strike, and Sacred Oath epics can really balance her stats. Also, I do recommend spending the 1 million potch on a Corruption Shell for her, as having strong magic makes the Final Boss much easier.

Recommended Runes: Shield, Earth, Power, Magic AbsorbRecommended Skills: Agility, Attack, IncantationAvailable Epic Skills: Triple Harmony(S), All-Out Strike(SS), Fate Control (S), Swift Foot (S), Divine Right (A), Sacred Oath (A), Zen Sword (A)

SialeedsStar# 3 of 108

Auto-RecruitOverall Rank: CClass: Long-Range MageNotes: Sialeeds is an odd character, to be sure. She has lots of Magic Power, but only one rune slot, permanently occupied by a Wind Rune. Aside from her dismal HP totals and her lack of contribution in many battles, she does have some good qualities: the Royal Power Co-Op Attack is a great way to clear out weaker enemies from the screen, and she is faster than most other Mage- Class characters, making her a good idea for in-battle item usage. Like her or not, she is a required character in many sections of the game, and the first true mage that you have access to. Her Skills are not that great either: Long Throw is permanently equipped, and not too useful. She seems to be a bad compromise between Long-Range Attack and Magic, in the end, I find myself only using her when she is required, as either more versatile or more powerful mages emerge later in the game.

Plus, although she can be funny at times, she doesn't win any points on personality from me.

Recommended Runes: Err. . Wind?Recommended Skills: Incantation(A), Long Throw (SS)

Boz WildeStar #4 of 108Auto-RecruitClass: Major Battle OnlyNotes: He is one of the few characters that can be used in major battles only. With that said, he commands a powerful Spear-Infantry unit, and is with you from your first major battle onward, so he is a reliable character on the battlefield. I use him in the vast majority of Major Battles, in fact, I can't think of anyone I rely on more often. Plus, he has a kind and humorous personality that he tops of with a huge Mohawk -not a faux-hawk- a real death-metal Mohawk. What more could you want?

CornelioStar #5 of 108Rank: DRecruitment Window: Haud, After major battle #1 / Before Major Battle #3. Recruit: Go to his house in Haud, south of the trader, and you will battle the DoReMi Elves. Afterwords, he will join.Class: Short-Range MageNotes: Cornelio is arguably the least useful character in the game. He is a mage, and when he is recruited, mages are still pretty rare. But he wields a short-range weapon, making him either useless in the back row, or a useless liability in the front row. Sure, mages can use spells to make up for their lack of physical power, but Cornelio has low MAG and MP stats for a mage, and has one of the lowest HP totals in the game. Other Short-Range Mages have at least mediocre HP, but Cornelio can't even muster that.

In Major Battles, he is largely useless too, he commands only a two-star Rune Archer unit, and has one use of the Flowing Rune. At best he can be used as a Lieutenant for Sialeeds in the early game.

His personality is so abrasive, it is not even funny. Really, he doesn't even bring any real humor to the party. Making it hard to justify using him at all.

Recommended Runes: Fire Rune, Water Rune, MagicalRecommended Skills: Incantation, Magic, Perfect Pitch (SS)Available Epic Skills: Divine Right (A), Sacred Oath (A)

SairohStar #6 of 108Rank: BRecruitment Window: After Major battle #1 / End of RecruitmentRecruit: Check the "Rumors" at traders. When you get the rumor "Apparently, the price of Salt has skyrocketed." Go to Ratfleet and talk to Sairoh at the trader there. Sell off at least six units of Salt to stabilize the price. Talk to Sairoh and he will join. Class: Support / Major BattleNotes: As far as support characters for your entourage go, you can do much better. But in terms of support character for you Battle units, (the third and final slot) he is one of the best. His ability is Extra, allowing one more usage of any one ability that can be used by that unit. For example, if you have Sialeeds leading a Rune Archer unit with one use of the Cyclone Rune ability, add Sairoh to the support slot to gain a second usage of that Rune. Overall, he is one of the best Major Battle Support characters in the game which is why I suggest you recruit him as early as possible.

LunStar #7 of 108Rank: CAuto-RecruitClass: Mid-Range FighterNotes: Lun is a refreshing change from the dismal performance of Cornelio and the DoReMi elves. She has average scores in virtually every statistic, making her a good all-round choice. Plus, being from Raftfleet, she has an affinity for Water Magic, making her useful in the early game as both an attacker and support character. Overall, she is like a bad copy of Lyon: she is not as fast, nor as resilient, but even a bad copy of Lyon makes for a good character, especially when you consider how early in the game you acquire her.

In Major Battles, she adds the Recover skill to her unit, plus a bit of attack power, making her quite useful as a Lieutenant or Support Officer.

Her personality is friendly, earnest and energetic -if not overly bright- making her a welcome addition to the party.

Recommended Runes: Water, Power, Double-EdgeRecommended Skills: Agility, Technique

Available Epic Skills: Swift Foot (A), All-Out Strike (A)

LoggStar #8 of 108Rank: CAuto-RecruitClass: Mid-Range FighterNotes: Logg has one of the worst Magic/MP scores in the game, he his not Agile, nor does he have much accuracy. What he does bring to the party is a mass of HP and at least some Mid-Range power. Again, he is a character that is useful early on, but will get pushed out of your party later as you acquire more versatile characters. In fact, Logg can really only do one thing well, and that is fight with the Attack command. As such, he is best paired with Lun for their Co-Op attack that effects an entire enemy row.

In Major Battles, he is actually quite useful though, adding the Barrage skill, which allows for Archer units to attack distant enemies without exposing themselves to danger.

Recommended Runes: Power Rune, Boost RuneRecommended Skills: Attack, StaminaAvailable Epic Skills: Raging Lion(A), Armor of Gods (A), Triple Harmony (A)

LucretiaStar #9 of 108Rank: Well. . .Auto-RecruitClass: Major Battles OnlyNotes: Lucretia will be your tactician. Often times, the best parts of the Suikoden games come from watching how the tactician works, as well as how they interact with the game's Hero. Lucretia does not disappoint. She seems to be the most capable and. . . interesting tactician since Shu in Suikoden II.

Lucretia is a very mysterious character in many ways though. As she said she used to be Lord Godwin's tactician, until she betrayed him for moral reasons. But she is clearly not from Falena, if you know your Suikoden lore. For one thing, her name, Lucretia Merces, sounds exotic, different from the Falenan names we have learned so far. The green streak in her hair is reminiscent of the Karaya clan from the Grasslands far away on the northern continent.

For Suikoden buffs, her national heritage is a mystery. It is doubtful she was educated to become the caliber of tactician that she is in the rural and agrarian culture of the Grasslands. It is likely that she attended school in either the Holy Kingdom of Harmonia or in the Northern Outlands to the north of the Grasslands, both of which seem to have advanced, learned cultures. (Boris from Suikoden II and Thomas from Suikoden III were both educated in the so-called Northern Outlands.)

In any event, Lucretia is as sharp and as dangerous as a pack of razor blades, and she is now on your side.

**New Information**--From Dex"The Part about Lucretia, her origin aren't a mystery. She IS from the Karaya Clan and was orphaned when the True Fire Rune went out of control at the end of the First Fire Bringer War. She was then sent to Harmonia where she did her studies in the same academy as Klaus..."

-- Dex

Thanks for the new Info. As you can see there are things about the game and the deep world of the Suikoden Series I don't know, so it help to correspond with other fans to help flesh out my knowledge. Thanks Dex.

CiusStar #10 of 108Rank: DAuto-RecruitClass: Short-Range FighterNotes: Well, Cius scores less than average in almost every statistical category, including Magic, Technique, MP, Attack, and Agility. That is, virtually everything that can make a Short-Range Fighter useful. Just about the only thing he has going for him is his Lockdown Co-Op with Lelei, which is still pretty lame, as far as Co-Ops go in this game. He can wear heavy armour and has strong HP, but that alone can't make a good character.

Plus, he has a rather boring demeanor. Unlike Belcoot who is quiet, but strong, Cius just seems quiet, but stupid. I really would like to say at least one good thing about him, but none really come to mind.

Recommended Runes: Double-Edge, Power, CrazedRecommended Skills: Attack, TechniqueAvailable Epic Skills: Raging Lion (A), Fate Control (A)

LeleiStar #11 of 108Rank: CAuto-RecruitClass: Short-Range FighterNotes: Unlike her compatriot Cius, Lelei has some decent stats. She is average in many qualities for a Short-Range fighter, but has passable Magic scores and one very useful ability: Analyze. As well as many other positive effects, this ability will display health bars above the heads of enemies between turns. This is a great help when you are not sure of your enemy's strength.

She has an intelligent personality, and is earnest and hard-working. Lets just say that she is a big fan of Lucretia. Not that I am criticizing her for this, mind you, I am a big fan of Lucretia myself. But, something tells

me that Lelei is even more of a Lucretia fan than I.

Recommended Runes: Lightning, Drain, Double-EdgeRecommended Skills: Analyze (SS), Attack Available Epic Skills: Swift Foot(A), Fate Control(A), Divine Right(A), Karmic Effect(A)

RajaStar #12 of 108Rank: AAuto-RecruitClass: Major Battle OnlyNotes: Raja commands the mighty Dahak archer ship. She is a rare 5-star general, and will be with you throughout all of your naval engagements. The strategy for using her is as straight-forward as her personality. Stack the Dahak with as many uses of the "Barrage" skill as you can, and use them to drive away enemies when it looks like one of your allies might enter a fight that exploits their weakness.

KisaraStar #13 of 108Rank: BAuto-RecruitClass: Short-Range MageNotes: Unlike the rest of her family, Kisara scores a B-rank. Kisara is a Short-Range Mage, meaning that she suffers from many of the same problems that Cornelio suffers from. But, being a woman of Raftfleet, she is made of much sterner stuff than anyone from Haud village. Her HP and Defense scores are not bad, and neither is her Agility. As far as Magic Power and MP are concerned, she scores about the same as Sialeeds, but her HP and Defense are far superior. If you want to put her in the back row, she can use the Kisara/ Logg/ Lun Co-Op attack, allowing for her to deal physical damage. Plus, she was strong affinity with Water magic, making her ideal as a healer. As the game progresses, you will acquire the True Men Tactic, which places all the characters in the front row. Ironically, Kisara is the best choice for a mage in this formation, as it is usually used for aggressive physical parties, and she makes the best healer at short-range.

Her personality is much more intelligent and reserved than the rest of her family, if somewhat less entertaining. She also has a big. . . heart - expansive, actually.

Recommended Runes: Water, Magical, Magic AbsorbRecommended Skills: Incantation, Magic DefenseAvailable Epic Skills: Divine Right(A), Sacred Oath(A)

ShinroStar #14 of 108Rank: BRecruitment Window: After Major Battle #2 / End of WindowRecruit: At Raftfleet, talk to him in the item shop and he will join. Class: Support / Major BattleNotes: Shinro is just like his grandfather. They even have the same -very

useful- Support Officer skill in Major Battles: Extra. This skill allows for one more use of the primary skill of any unit. Oboro (Recruitment Quest)Window: After You Hire him to investigate the uprising / Before returning to the Barows MansionRecruitment Event: After you hire him at Lucretia's request, go straight to the Rainwall Inn and talk to the drunken man at the bar. Exit the bar and choose to join up with Shigure. At each stage of the quest, choose to stay with Oboro. When you get to the scene by the Barows mansion choose: "So, that man is in there?" When you return to the ship, choose: "Let's Talk to Norden." Then when you return to the ship again, choose: "Let's take him there. . ."If you follow these correctly, Oboro will join after Major Battle #3. See his section there for more details.

EgbertStar #15 of 108Rank: ARecruitment Window: After Major Battle #2 / End of WindowRecruit: Deep in the Baska Mines. Talk to Egbert and do not touch the [X] button to scroll through his dialogue until you see the yellow icon in the corner of the box. After he is through talking, he will join if you listened to him patiently.Class: Support / Major BattleNotes: Egbert might be a bit. . . troubled, but one can hardly blame him, the Godwins stole everything from his family. In major Battles, he commands a mediocre Cavalry unit, and is not much use altogether. But as a support member in you battle entourage, his Potch Finder skill makes him one of the best choices at any time. Especially in concert with the Prosperity Set, Egbert is invaluable, literally.

TakamuStar #16 of 108Rank: ARecruitment Window: After Major Battle #2 / End of WindowRecruit: With Cius, return to Agate Prison via the dwarf camp. Inside the Cell Block, you will meet Takamu. Help him find his equipment and he will join. Note: Takamu will also give you the Suiko Map.Class: Support / Major Battle Notes: Takamu is one of the most useful support characters in the game. His Escape Route skill allows you to run away from any battle where it is possible to run with a 100% success rate. He also has the ability to see certain, hidden paths, and is necessary to access a certain area in the game. (I will alert you it comes up in the walkthrough.)

As if that was not enough, he makes a great support officer for Major Battles. His Speed ability will increase the movement speed of any unit, this is good for slower units like Boz.

Killey (Stage 1)Recruitment Event Window: After Major Battler #2 / Major Battle #7Recruitment Event: With Cius, return to Agate Prison via the Dwarf Camp. You

will meet Killey in the Cell Blocks. He will not join yet, but this scene might be necessary for his recruitment. Note that Killey is the toughest character to recruit in the game, but if you simply follow everything I have listed you will recruit him just fine.

JosephineStar #17 of 108Rank: DRecruitment Window: After Major Battle #2 / Major Battle #7Recruit: Haud, talk to her with Sialeeds or Jeane in your party and you will have the opportunity to recruit her.Class: Short-Range Mage (Narcissist)Notes: Wow, another Short-Range Mage from Haud. . . Well, she is a little better than that last one. Her magic score is higher, and she possesses the Red Rose Rune, which allows her to attack for 2x DMG once per battle, though this inflicts the negative Anger status effect on the rest of the party, keeping them from using Co-Op attacks. She does share a rather powerful Co- Op with some characters that we will be recruiting much later, but this means that you can't use her Red Rose Rune if you also want to use the Co- Op. . .

Actually, she can be useful in Major Battles, giving 2 uses of the Rage Rune to a Rune Archer Unit. Rage Rune works like Charge for infantry units. So, she is a good match for Sialeeds.

Other than that, she is a Narcissist, an actual sub-class found throughout the Suikoden games. Though, they have not gotten the Narcissists right since the Suikoden I, where Millich Oppenheimer (aka the Flower General) was an actual character, and not just a walking joke. Moreover Millich had pretty good stats, as opposed to characters like Josephine.

Recommended Runes: FireRecommended Skills: Magic, IncantationAvailable Epic Skills: Divine Right(S), Sacred Oath(A)

KyleStar #18 of 108Rank: AAuto-RecruitClass: Short-Range Fighter / MageNotes: Finally, a Battle-useable A-rank recruit. Really, all the Queen's Knights are amazing characters, and Kyle is no exception. His stats are above average in nearly every category, making him one of the most versatile characters in the game. Not only is he the most powerful and agile Short- Range fighter you've acquired so far, his magic and MP score is high, about the same as Sialeeds. As such, I have listed him as a mage as well as a fighter. Statistically, he has no real weaknesses. He will never have the HP of, say, Georg, but his magic skills make up for this well. While Georg has one of the worst MDEF scores in the game, Kyle has enough MDEF to withstand

even some of the most potent magic attacks. Really, Kyle is essentially a "Flik-class" character, referring to "Blue Lightning Flik" from Suikoden I and II. He does not stand out in any one category, but has powerful balance of skills to rely on for all types of situations. Go ahead and take him into battle and you will see.

Also, Kyle has access to three open Rune Slots latter in the game, this means you can stack up DMG-enhancing Runes, making him one of the strongest characters in terms of Damage per turn. The only reason to not add him to your party is if you are going Treasure Hunting. Kyle has one of the lowest Luck scores in the game, and Luck effects everything from how many critical hits you score to what items enemies drop. I'll cover Treasure Hunting a bit more later.

In Major Battles, Kyle is more effective at being a Lieutenant than the Captain of a Unit. While the infantry units he leads are solid, as a Lieutenant he adds +5 ATK.

Kyle is particularly skilled with Water Magic, which speaks to his underlying character. As I said before, most Water Magic users have stable, strong, and quiet personalities. While Kyle is by no means quiet, he is stable and strong. Both here in the previous scene and while you were fleeing Sol- Falena, Kyle let a bit of his underlying personality slip through. In the end, he may seem flippant and juvenile, but he is a person you can count on when things get bad.

Recommended Runes: Water, Magic Absorb, Flowing Sword, Double-Edge, Fury, PowerRecommended Skills: Attack, TechniqueAvailable Epic Skills: Swift Foot(A), Fate Control(A), Karmic Effect(A), Divine Right(S), Zen Sword(SS)

ChuckStar #19 of 108Rank: DAuto-RecruitClass: Major Battle OnlyNotes: Hmmm . . . Well, Chuck is pretty much the standard Suikoden faire for storage keepers: big and dumb. Really, every game but number II has had the same type of character for the Storage Keeper. For a game that is so renowned for its characters, you think they could do a better job than just to give us the same character template over and over. So, poor Chuck gets a D-rank for simply being a generic character in a game that can pride itself on the uniqueness of its characters.

LuserinaStar #20 of 108Rank: B

Auto-RecruitClass: Major Battles / HQ ServicesNotes: Luserina will be in charge of your party management, and that is just about the most vital service anyone could provide. In Major Battles, she can be used as a Support Officer, with the Morale skill added to the unit. Morale simply raises the unit's attack power by +5. Maybe not the best contribution to Major Battles, but a welcome addition to fill out a unit.

Her personality could not be any different from her brother or father. She is kind, as well as intelligent and hard working. All round she is a great addition to your army.

OboroStar #21 of 108Rank: B Recruitment Window: After Major Battle #3 / Major Battle #7Recruitment: If you did not complete his recruitment quest. Find him in Raftfleet after every Major Game even and ask him to join. He will eventually. If you did complete his quest, then you only need to ask him to join once.Class: Major Battle OnlyNotes: Oboro doesn't do much in major battles, he is a Support Officer with the Rumors Skill which lowers the Attack Power of enemies you fight. Meh. .

Like Chuck, I judge him more on the lineage of Suikoden investigators. Richmond from Suikoden II was the best, but Oboro is a close second I think. He definitely has his own smooth style. Gentlemanly, but with a sharp wit, perhaps even close to that of Lucretia. He will investigate members of your army for you, for a small fee. Plus, he can help locate Stars that you have not recruited yet. (For all that is worth with this walkthrough.)

FuyoStar #22 of 108Rank: DRecruit: Joins with OboroClass: Major Battles OnlyNotes: Well, she has an unremarkable skill for use in major battles. She hosts a mini-game that you can play later. Other than that, she is just along for the ride.

ShigureStar # 23 of 108Rank: BRecruit: Joins with OboroClass: Short-Range Fighter (Ninja)Notes: Shigure is one of the fastest, most agile characters in the game. He belongs to the Ninja sub-class, and as you can imagine, this makes his a capable fighter. His HP and Defense are quite low, more along the lines of Long-Range characters, so you must be careful when he is in your party, and I cannot recommend him for the front of your formation, he is best from row

#2. Shigure will deal frequent consecutive and continuous attacks, allowing him to clear out several enemies at once.

In Major Battles he is not quite as useful. As a Captain, he commands a three-star infantry unit with the Skill Ambush. Ambush works like the Archer's Barrage command, except that is has a very limited range. While this can be useful, the issue of the limited range makes if difficult to use, and often you will be thrown into a normal battle on accident. Having only a three-star commander is a liability, so I use him mostly as a Lieutenant or not at all.

His personality is very laid-back, with no real intensity at all. This can lead to some humorous moments, but for the most part he will remain quiet and only open his mouth to complain.

Recommended Runes: Killer, Power, FuryRecommended Skills: Attack, AgilityAvailable Epic Skills: Raging Lion(A), Fate Control(A), Triple Harmony(S) (no Swift Foot? Isn't he a Ninja?)

NordenStar #24 of 108Rank: D, for drunkRecruitment Window: Major Battle #3 / Major Battle #7Recruit: Speak with him and you will have the opportunity to recruit him. He is either at the Inn an Raftfleet or the Inn at Lordlake.Class: Major Battle Only.Notes: Norden can serve as a Support Officer in a unit. But he can also be killed permanently if that unit loses all of it's HP. For the most part, I leave him on the sidelines.

He really doesn't do anything else but hang round and drink. I mean sure, he's been through a lot, but still you think they could have given him a mini-game or something. Maybe Chichoirin or Rita-Pon, that would have been nice.

ZegaiStar #25 of 108Rank: BRecruitment Window: After Major Battle #3 / End of WindowRecruit: North of Haud on the world map, return to the Lunas North Woods with Takamu in your party, you will find Zegai there and have the opportunity to recruit him.Class: Mid-Range FighterNotes: I am certain there are many Zegai fans who are wondering how I could give him a "B" and not at least an "A." Well, he does have massive HP and Attack stats, and surprisingly high MDEF and Technique, but he lacks speed, and the PDEF to match his HP. He can be a very powerful character under most circumstances, but he simply does not suit me. I guess this is more of a personal preference issue than anything else. He comes equipped with a unique Rune: Wrath. This rune is handy, it heals half of his lost HP and gives the Fury status! This makes him the prime candidate for the Boost Rune, which reduces the wearer's HP to 1 after the 3rd turn. Give him a

Sacrificial Jizo or Buddha and the Boost Rune and he is a strong character, if somewhat slow for my taste.

Zegai is also your army's combat trainer. If you take him with you on a journey, he will be able to train your characters at any time, perfect for making your party stronger right before a big boss battle.

Be careful when you use him for Major Battles though. As a Lieutenant, he adds a substantial bonus to his unit's Attack, but he can be killed permanently if his unit is defeated.

I like his personality, another one of the calm but strong warriors. He is quiet though, and does not really add much entertainment to things.

Now, for the question burning everyone's mind: If Zegai had not been disqualified in the Sacred Games and Belcoot was in good health, who would have won? Easy, Belcoot. Belcoot has superior technique and accuracy, agility and defense, while only falling short of Zegai in HP and Attack by a small fraction. While Zegai can always put up a good fight, Belcoot would have had that match eventually.

Recommended Runes: Power, Double-Edge, BoostRecommended Skills: Technique, AttackAvailable Epic Skills: Raging Lion(S), Fate Control(S), Karmic Effect(A), Untold Clarity(SS)

SorensenStar #26 of 108Rank: DRecruitment Window: After Major Battle #3 / Major Battle #7Recruit: Talk to Boz, and he will mention the revolving bridge. Talk to the Guard at the revolving Bridge, and he will mention that the inventor lives in Estrise. In Estrise meet with Sorensen, Babbage and Lu. Talk to Logg to have him take you to the revolving Bridge. After your quest there is over, return to Estrise and Sorensen will join. You can recruit Babbage and Lu later.Class: Mid-Range FighterNotes: It might be a bit harsh to rank Sorensen as a D, but there it is. He has below-average stats in every category. And unlike Cius, he cannot wear heavy armour. He is also a member of the Mid-Range Fighter class, probably the most competitive class in the game, with the Prince and Lyon required all the time and many other great choices besides. There is not one statistic that he possesses that stands out.

In Major Battles, he can command a special Ballista Unit, which can deal damage from ridiculous ranges. Overall, this is not that much of an advantage though, as the catapult has low movement speed and a limited number of uses. It is more a unit to play round with for fun -like Shigure's Ambush skill- than something that provides a tactical advantage.

His personality is solid though, if not exciting, plus from the way he lets Babbage push him around, I wonder about his self-esteem.

Recommended Runes: Earth, PowerRecommended Skills: Attack, TechniqueAvailable Epic Skills: Fate Control(A), Triple Harmony(A)

VikiStar #27 of 108Rank: AAuto-RecruitClass: Mid-Range MageNotes: VIKI!!!! She returns as always to help your army with her teleportation service. Viki has been doing this since Suikoden I, and along with Jeane, is one of two characters to appear in every main game. She is available for party battles in this game as well, and just like in Suikoden III, she has access to her unique "Chain Magic" skill, allowing her to randomly cast the same spell twice in a row for the cost of only one MP. With this skill, Viki has the potential to deal more damage per turn than any other mage in the game, especially once you gain access to the higher- level Elemental Attack Runes.

She has a Blinking Rune attached permanently to her right hand, and while this Rune is, in my opinion, the least powerful of the Attack Magic Runes, it is fun to use, even though it can backfire. To keep it from doing so, increase Viki's Luck statistic as high as you can, by using items like the Luck Ring. Luck, as a stat, effects everything in the game that depends on a percentage. So, doing this will also raise her chances of triggering her Chain Magic.

In Major Battles, she is most useful as a Lieutenant, adding two uses of the Cyclone Rune to a Rune Archer's Skills, making her a good pair with Sialeeds and other strong Rune Archer Captains that you will obtain later.

Her service to your army is to teleport you using Blinking Magic to any town that you have already visited that lies within your territory. This is the most convenient service in the game.

So, with all that she brings to your cause, why is she only ranked as an "A" and not an "S"? Well, much like Kyle, she is high-ranking even among the other "A"s, and I am only giving out the S to people who are overpowered. Remember that I said to refrain from using S-rank characters too much? Viki, because she has a Blinking Rune on her right hand, cannot use the Magic Absorb Rune, which can only be attached to the right hand. This limits the amount of MP she has, and thus keeps her from being over-powered. I'll talk more about the Magic Absorb Rune in a bit.

I am a big fan of Viki, in case you couldn't tell. She Blinks around through space and time, helping save the world, then Blinks off again to an unknown place before she can be rewarded. She has done this five times now, and does not even seem to be aware of what she has accomplished. In this vein, Viki just might be the most heroic character in the entire Suikoden series.

My own personal theory on Viki: She is actually super-intelligent, but the Blinking Rune that she uses to move people and things through space and time requires so much mental processing power and concentration, that Viki

herself is left with only the bare minimum amount of intelligence needed to survive. That is, the Rune robs her of her intelligence in order for it to function. This theory is supported by the fact that whenever her brain triggers an involuntary function -like sneezing- she momentarily loses control of her magic.

Recommended Runes: Wind / Cyclone, Fire / Rage, Magical, AlertRecommended Skills: Chain Magic(SS), IncantationAvailable Epic Skills: Divine Right(A), Sacred Oath(S)

ZweigStar #28 0f 108Rank: BAuto-RecruitClass: Mid-Range Fighter

While in many ways Zweig is an average fighter -the only stat that really stands out is his Technique- he is more capable than most. The Mid-Range fighter category is the most populated in the game, as I mentioned before, so I do try to rotate through them, but Zweig is solid in many ways -and he handles an Earth Rune well- so he is always a welcome member, if not the star of the show. He is a required member in a few of the game's key levels, so I suggest keeping him well-equipped and ready to go.

What makes him a B-rank is his Treasure Hunt Skill. This increases the drop rates of enemy monsters, whether he is in your battle party or your entourage.

He doesn't do much for you in major battles, just the Weakness Skill that lowers enemy defense.

His personality may be a bit stand-offish, but compared to Lorelai who attacked you when she first saw you, and Zerase who threatened to kill you when you acquired the Dawn Rune, he is practically Mother Teresa.

Recommended Runes: Earth, Power, DrainRecommended Skills: Technique, Treasure HuntAvailable Epic Skills: Fate Control(A), Karmic Effect(A), Divine Right(A), Zen Sword(A)

LorelaiStar #29 of 108Rank: BAuto-RecruitClass: Mid-Range FighterNotes: Lorelai is back for her third appearance in the Suikoden series, though I think previous incarnations of her character were more powerful. She is one of the few characters in the series to change weapons between games, and I think the whip she carries now is uninspiring; her halberd for Suikoden II was much better.

In battle, she is reliable, though like Zweig she can be rather dull. Her Magic, MP, MDEF, and Agility stats are all above average, making her quite versatile, though her lightning magic affinity is low, so use a Fire Rune instead of the Lightning Rune she came equipped with. Her biggest problem is that she suffers from low HP, making her a bit awkward for Runes like the

Power Rune. I always give her a Sacrificial Jizo, just in case.

Again like Zweig, she has the Treasure Hunt Skill permanently equipped, making her useful for that type of party.

I assume there might be a few hardcore Lorelai fans out there, though I'm not sure I'd ever like to meet one. She has a personality obsessed with "Strength," yet she continuously misjudges the strength of the people she meets. Here in this game of course, but in the previous Suikodens as well. She is violent, rude, and surprisingly misogynistic.

Recommended Runes: Fire, Power, DrainRecommended Skills: Agility, Treasure HuntAvailable Epic Skills: Swift Foot(A), Divine Right(A)

ZeraseStar #30 of 108Rank: SAuto-RecruitClass: Long-Range MageNotes: So, Zerase gets the S-rank for Mages. She comes with the unique Star Rune attached to her head, one of the highest magic stats, and has a Long- Range weapon, allowing her to sit comfortably in the back of your battle formation while still contributing to Physical Damage.

The Star Rune is very powerful, at least as powerful as the Rage or Thunder Runes, and is all the Magic attack that she will ever need. If you equip her with a Magic Absorb Rune on her right hand and a Flowing Rune on her left, the game will basically just give up and let you win. . .

She is so overpowered that I recommend you not use her in most battles. She will be required some of the time, but not often, so I usually choose Viki instead.

In Major Battles, she is equally dominant. She commands a four-star Rune Archer Unit, and she can utilize her Star Rune to deal crushing damage to all enemy units within the blast radius. You can also assign Shinro or Sairoh to her Unit to give her two uses of the Star Rune. The Rune works a lot like the Dawn Rune, except that it does not have the ability to heal allied Units, still, it is a powerful force on the battlefield.

While you have not yet recruited your army's official Magic Tutor, you can add Zerase to your party to have her train your members. So, her contribution to your cause is significant.

Her personality is mysterious, to say the least. We do not know much about her, except that she seems to have some connection with the True Night Rune, a.k.a. The Star Dragon Sword from Suikoden I, II and III. It is likely that her Star Rune, while not one of the 27 True Runes, is a child Rune of the True Night Rune, and grants her tremendous power. In that regard, the Star and Dawn Runes are similar. Both are born directly from one of the True Runes, but are not pieces of the True Runes themselves.

To explain: in Suikoden I and II we saw some of the 27 True Runes that had split themselves into two halves. The True Rune of Beginning split into the

Black Sword and Bright Shield Halves, which is where the current Shield Runes come from.

The Dawn and Star Runes are different. They are not halves of a True Rune, but children of the True Rune, controlled largely by that True Rune. The Dawn Rune can control who it chooses as it's wielder.

I will leave the conversation about True Runes there for now. Hopefully this will have given you a good idea about just how expansive and well thought- out these games are though.

Recommended Runes: Magic Absorb, Alert, Water / FlowingRecommended Skills: Incantation, Magic(SS)Available Epic Skills: Divine Right(SS), Sacred Oath(SS)

Killey (Stage Three)Recruitment Event Window: After Obtaining your HQ / End of WindowRecruitment Event: Killey will show up as you exit your HQ's interior from the second floor. Show him around the sealed room and he will leave. You can recruit him later.

TalgeylStar #31 of 108Rank: BAuto-RecruitClass: Major Battle OnlyNotes: Talgeyl commands a four-star Rune archer unit, and brings the Mother Earth Rune as a skill. Mother Earth acts much like the Rage Rune in Major Battles, which is a bit disappointing in terms of originality, but is still quite useful. Your army will never acquire a five-star Rune Archer commander, so he and Zerase make for the best Rune Archer Unit commanders.

His personality is kind, but with a sly sense of humor and a deep inner strength that belies his age.

TomaStar #32 of 108Rank: CAuto-RecruitClass: Major Battle OnlyNotes: Toma -not surprisingly- is a Support Officer only, and cannot join you in party battles. He brings the Survival support skill to his unit, which increases the unit's defense the more it loses HP. This can be very useful in large major battles where it is difficult to keep track of all your units. Especially where characters that can die permanently are concerned, he can help keep their unit alive while they withdraw. Still this is a skill that you will use more in on your first time through the game. As you get better at managing your units, the Survival skill becomes less useful.

I like Toma's personality. In a way he is immature, but he has his own mind and his own voice, and always stands up for what he thinks is right, and that makes him a good person, even if he is still just a kid.GoeschStar #33 of 108

Rank: BAuto-RecruitClass: Mid-Range FighterNotes: While he does have good HP, his best qualities are his ability to wear heavy armor under his poncho, and his Mow Down Skill. Mow Down attacks a cluster of enemies, instead of just one. This makes him a prime candidate for Runes like Double-Edge and Power, because he will have plenty of PDEF and HP to sacrifice for additional DMG.

On the other hand, he competes for a Mid-Range spot in your party that is almost always full; with the Prince and Lyon, and now Zegai, Viki, Lorelai, and Zweig too, there are many other choices, all of them with more Magic and Technique.

He can command a Unit as well: a useful Four-Star Ram Naval Unit.

Now that the situation has changed for the better, his disrespect for the Prince has faded, and given way to a cheerful and easy-going personality. In this, he makes a welcome addition to any party. He will also be your HQ's farmer, so give him all the Seedling Items that you find or buy along the way to make your garden grow.

Recommended Runes: Crazed, Power, Double-EdgeRecommended Skills: Mow Down(SS), AttackAvailable Epic Skills: Raging Lion(A), Triple Harmony(A)

SilvaStar #34 0f 108Rank: CAuto-RecruitClass: Major Battles OnlyNotes: Well, she is another Support Officer only character. She brings the Relief skill, which slowly recovers ten HP to your unit after every skirmish. This is a useful skill, but I personally like being more offensive in Major battles.

Like Goesch, her personality softens tremendously now. But without actually going to visit her in your castle's infirmary, you would not know.

Wilhelm & MuellerStars #35 & 36 of 108Rank: ARecruitment Window: Major Battle #4 / Major Battle #8Recruit: Talk to them inside the nearby Inn after each Major Battle. Scoring Victory+ and having as few casualties helps. So can bringing Viki. They will eventually agree. Class: Major Battle OnlyNotes: I list the two together because they can only join together and they are best left together at all times. Wilhelm commands a five-star Cavalry Unit -one of only two available to your army- and with Mueller as his Lieutenant, they create a special Lindwurm Cavalry Unit, with 3 charge skills and higher Attack and Defense. The Lindwurm Cavalry is one of the most dominant forces on the battlefield; they can shred enemy infantry for

over 100 damage in just one normal battle.

Plus, by recruiting them, you can now recruit another dominant character, the third and final member of the Lindwurm Brigade. But we will save him for a bit later.

Wilhelm and Mueller are from the Kingdom of Zelant, which is on the continent to the west of Falena. It seems that Zelant has a militaristic culture, though not much more is known about the nation at this time.

SubalaStar #37 of 108Rank: CRecruitment Window: After acquiring your HQ / End of WindowRecruit: Raftfleet, bring Lun for a scene north of the journeyman's crystal. Subala will challenge you to a fishing competition. Win, and she will join. If you lose, you can retry as many times as necessary.Class: Mid-Range FighterNotes: Subala is like a physically supercharged and mentally depreciated Lun. they are both Mid-Range, but Subala lacks any talent with magic, while gaining some speed and power. The two of them have a useful Co-Op attack together. But again, the Mid-Range fighters you have are either more powerful -like Zegai- or more versatile -like Lyon.

While Subala can be quite entertaining, especially when paired with Lun, she just doesn't stand out among the mass of Mid-Range characters.

Recommended Runes: Power, FuryRecommended Skills: Pierce, AgilityAvailable Epic Skills: Swift Foot(SS)

MuroonStar #38 of 108Rank: DRecruitment Window: After acquiring you HQ / End of WindowRecruit: HQ, talk to him on the pier and ask him to join.Class: Mid-Range Fighter (Beaver)Notes: Muroon is the first Beaver that you will recruit officially, and the others are not much better. He has low HP, Attack, Defense, and dismal Magic and MP. He is not slow, but his Agility his nothing to brag about either. Overall, he is below average in almost all categories.

Like all Beavers, he has the Bath skill, which recovers a portion of his HP after every turn. This does go a long way to make up for his low HP total, but is pretty useless in the face of his other shortcomings.

Really, the Beavers are meant to be used together in a party, as a fun challenge. They are not serious contenders for a spot in a tough battle.

In major battles, the Beavers can be truly amazing allies, but only after you begin to acquire more of them, so I won't talk about that yet.

Recommended Runes: Water, ShieldRecommended Skills: Bath, IncantationAvailable Epic Skills: Swift Foot, Divine Right(A)

MarinaStar #39 of 108Rank: CRecruitment Window: After acquiring your HQ / End of RecruitmentRecruit: Yashuna. Speak to her and ask her to join.Class: Major Battle OnlyNotes: She runs the Inn at your HQ, and there isn't much more to her than that. Although I must say that Hilda from Suikoden II was hay hotter.

In Major Battles, she can function as a Support Officer, giving the Rest Ability to her unit, allowing them to recover HP while the unit remains still. This ability is not as useful as you might think though, because the rate of recovery is quite slow, and rarely do units just sit there, not moving. Still, she can be useful at times, and the Inn is one of the castle's vital services.

As far as her personality: I actually don't like her that much. That may be a bit harsh to say, but there it is. She comes off as a bad combination of shyness and personal weakness. Sure, she was kidnapped and put into a very tough situation, but it really seems she is just around as a way to make Belcoot's character seem cooler.

BelcootStar #40 of 108Rank: ARecruitment Window: After Acquiring you HQ / End of RecruitmentRecruit: Yashuna. Joins along with MarinaClass: Short-Range FighterNotes: You are already familiar with him from the events in Chapter 1, but there, he shared the spotlight wit Georg. Now you have full access to Belcoot for your Battle party.

He lacks the explosive power of, say, Georg and Shigure, and he does not have Kyle's versatility, what he does bring to your party is a great combination of physical abilities. He scores near the top in every physical statistic, HP, Power, Technique, Agility, and Defense, plus he has a higher mark in Magic Defense than Georg and Shigure -about the same as Kyle- and probably the highest parry rating in the game. His Skills level up quickly, and he has access to almost all of the physical Epic Skills.

He has one thing going against him though, and that is his Falcon Rune. In Suikoden I, the Falcon Rune was wielded by the incomparable Valeria, it dealt three times DMG to a single enemy and was useable every turn. Since then the rune has been changed; in this game it only deals three times damage with a decreased accuracy, causes Belcoot to become unbalanced and can only be used once per battle. . . Belcoot does gain a second Rune slot, but the uselessness of the Falcon Rune in this game is a real problem. While other characters can equip multiple Runes to increase their power exponentially, Belcoot is left with only one Rune slot. This makes him less powerful than many other characters in the late game, as you gather more

powerful Runes and characters that have either two or three Rune slots, like Shigure and Kyle. But at least for the majority of the game, Belcoot is one of the best choices for Short-Range power.

In Major Battles, he commands a four-star infantry unit, or gives a moderate attack bonus when used as a lieutenant. But like Zegai, he can be killed permanently if his unit is defeated. So, as the game progresses, I usually leave him on the sidelines.

As I said before, I do like his personality, even if he has fallen for Marina. He has a quiet nature, and a strong disposition.

He is a graduate of the fencing school mastered by Roundier Haia. Previous graduates to appear include: Valeria and Anita, who both had Falcon Runes as well. While Kika from Suikoden IV also had a Falcon Rune, no one cares about Suikoden IV, so it doesn't matter. Belcoot is the first time a male has wielded the Rune. This is the first time a graduate of the school has used a two-handed sword. Also, this is also the first time anyone without the letter "A" at the end of their name has wielded the Rune.

Recommended Runes: Double-Edge, Power, FuryRecommended Skills: Defense, TechniqueAvailable Epic Skills: Untold Clarity(S), Triple Harmony(S) Raging Lion(S), Fate Control(S), Karmic Effect(S)

ZundaStar #41 of 108Rank: N/ARecruitment Window: After acquiring your HQ / Major Battle #9Recruit: Dwarf Cave. Talk to Zunda, standing on the northeast platform, and she will wish to see a window. Put Takamu in your party and go to the Oracle's Conclave via the Lunas North Woods. Inside, show her a window there and she will join.Class: Service OnlyNotes: Zunda is your window manager. Give her all your window sets and she can change the appearance of the game's windows. Other than that, there isn't much to say about her.

BastanStar #42 of 108Rank: N/ARecruitment Window: After acquiring you HQ / End of WindowRecruit: Haud. Bring him ? Painting Items that can be found at the revolving bridge. The more you have the better. Talk to him, but do not have him appraise anything. Repeat this and he hill eventually join. Class: HQ Services OnlyNotes: Well having an appraiser at your HQ will save you a lot of trouble, plus any item that you sell to him for cash can be bought back later in the game. Other than that there really is not much to say about him.

Alhazred

Star #43 of 108Rank: CRecruitment Window: After acquiring your HQ / Major Battle #5Recruit: Yashuna. Go to the top floor of the Tricolor Inn and speak with the man there. He will give you a book. Place the Book in Storage, then stay the night at any Inn. Retrieve the book from storage and give it to the maid on the top floor of the Tricolor Inn. Go to Estrise and talk to Alhazred and tell him about the book. Return to the Tricolor. Win the Boss Battle and Alhazred will join you. Lose the Boss Battle and you will all die.Class: Short-Range MageNotes: Perhaps a D-rank is too harsh for poor Alhazred. His magic, MP, and HP scores are only a little above Cornelio, and he suffers from all the same problems that plague Short-Range Mages. Actually, I can't think of one situation where Alhazred would be preferable to Kisara, she has all his magic prowess along with far more HP, PDEF, Speed, and attack power. One good thing that I can say about him is that he has one of the highest MDEF stats in the game, and his Luck is pretty high, but that is not enough to make him useful.

In Major Battles, he gives one use of the Mother Earth Rune to a Rune Archer Unit. This makes him a good pair with Talgeyl, but he is still far less useful that Viki or Josephene.

Oddly, I do like his personality though, he is like an 80-year old Indiana Jones who has spent far too much time in his 60s and 70s in the library. He is a willing adventurer, but he just doesn't have the vigor for it anymore I'm afraid.

Recommended Runes: Condemnation, Darkness, Water, MagicalRecommended Skills: Incantation, Magic DefenseAvailable Epic Skills: Divine Right(A), Sacred Oath(S)

GenohStar #44 of 108Rank: DRecruitment Window: After acquiring you HQ / End of WindowRecruit: Talk to a Beaver at Beaver Lodge and he will tell you of "The Boss. Talk to Fuwalafuwalu and he will tell you more. Take either Alhazred, Levi, or Galleon to the Waterfall Basin southeast of Beaver Lodge. At the end you will meet Genoh. If your senior citizen character is one level below the hero or higher than that. Genoh will join.Class: BeastNotes: Genoh takes up two slots in your party, so you can only have five characters in battle instead of six. Genoh is one of the highest-defense characters in the game and his Parent Turtle Rune give your whole party added resistance to negative status effects. Pair this effect with the Black Warrior Garb, the Yellow Scarf, or certain other items and you can have 100% negative status resistance for the entire party. With that said, he is slow,

very slow and has little ability to deal damage. No matter how useful he is, he can never compete with the two party members he replaces.

Large Beast characters cannot participate in major battles.

RichardStar #45 of 108Rank: SRecruitment Window: After Wilhelm / End of WindowRecruit: Go to the end of the Waterfall Basin without a senior citizen, or after you have recruited Genoh. Talk to Richard. Return to HQ and talk to Mueller. Then return to the Basin and talk to Richard again. He will join.Class: Short-Range FighterNotes: Richard gets the S-rank for Short-Range Fighters. He never has three open Rune slots, this is the only reason that characters like Kyle can surpass Richard in damage late in the game. That is Richard's only "weakness," so to speak. His HP is a little low, especially for a Short- Range Fighter, and he cannot wear heavy armor, but this is hardly a problem because between his Agility and Technique he will dodge or parry most direct attacks. Richard scores top marks in Attack, Technique, Agility, and Vitality, making him the most explosive pure fighter in the game. No one scores more consecutive or continuous attacks. He is so fast he makes Lyon look lazy. Only Georg scores more critical hits, and even then just barely. Even his Luck Stat is pretty high. Richard has access to all the major physical Epic Skills as well, including Untold Clarity, and like Belcoot, he tends to be able level up his skills for a comparatively small amount of SP.

In short, Richard is like a Turbocharged Belcoot, without the Falcon Rune to Slow him down. Richard's unique Rune is the Swallow Rune, which deals instant death or double DMG to an enemy. Continuous attacks are possible with this Rune, and it does not leave Richard unbalanced, Though it can only be used once per battle, but that is not a problem because it often ends the battle.

In Major Battles, Richard adds Nine Attack power to his unit, and is best used along with Mueller and Wilhelm as their Support Officer to complete the Lindwurm Cavalry.

As far as his personality: well he does seem to be a bit off. He always allows Mueller to berate and practically abuse him, but this is telling of a deeper story between the two. I have no idea what that story is, as even Oboro can't find out too much about them.

Recommended Runes: Fury, Power, BoostRecommended Skills: Technique, AgilityAvailable Epic Skills: Untold Clarity(SS), Triple Harmony(SS), Swift Foot(S), Fate Control(S), Karmic Effect(S)

Wasil, Volga & Orok

Stars #46, 47 & 48 of 108Rank: BAuto-RecruitClass: Major Battle OnlyNotes: They can be used in major battles only, but if you group them together in the same unit, they form the special Lelcar Unit. Depending which of the three you have assigned to which role, the Lelcar unit will either be an Archer, a Spear, or a regular Infantry Unit. All variations of the Lelcar Unit are rated at four-stars, so they are useful, but not powerful enough to change the course of a battle.

MoshenStar #49 of 108Rank: N/ARecruitment Event: When you first arrive in Lelcar, buy 100,000 potch of Armor from his Shop.Recruitment Window: After Major Battle #5 / Major Battle #6Recruit: Talk to him outside his shop and say: "I'm sorry I failed you." Then ask him to join.Recruit Window #2: After major battle #6 / End of Window Recruit Option #2: After major battle #6, buy 100,000 potch worth of armor and ask him to join.Class: HQ Services / Major Battle OnlyNotes: He runs the armor shop at your HQ. In Major Battles, he brings the Fortify Ability to a unit as the Support Officer, this raises a unit's defense by five points. This can be useful, but I usually opt for more aggressive abilities.

TaylorStar #50 of 108Rank: BRecruitment Window: Major Battle 5 / End of WindowRecruit: Talk to Taylor around your HQ and give him permission to use rooms three separate times. He will join.Class: Support / Major Battle / HQ ServicesNotes: In your entourage, Taylor provides the Analyze ability, just like Lelei. His ability is an S-rank, so he can provide much more information than Lelei can throughout most of the game, including Elemental Weaknesses for monsters.

In Major Battles, he carries the Rumors ability, that lowers the enemy unit's defense by ten points. So, all around, he is a surprisingly strong addition to your army.

He will also publish a paper, summarizing the events of the game, and also giving gossip about certain members of the Stars of Destiny. If you want to learn about the characters in your army, both he and Oboro can provide you with a lot of information.

MuradStar #51 of 108Rank: ARecruit Window: Major Battle #1 / End of WindowRecruit: Talk to him at the sites of your most recent major battle and ask him to join. He eventually will.Class: Support / Major Battle

Notes: Like Silva, Murad has the Relief ability when added as a Support Officer. Unlike Silva, he can be used as a support member as well. His Treatment Skill is one of the best support skills in the game, healing your party for a certain portion of their maximum HP after every battle. This can greatly reduce your reliance on Medicine and Runes to heal your characters, and is one of the best ways to counteract the extra damage taken from defense-sacrificing runes like the Power Rune.

JeaneStar #52 of 108Rank: BRecruitment Window: Major Battle #5 / End of WindowRecruit: Talk to the Guard posted at the Big Hole west of Rainwall. Then enter the Rune Shop in Lelcar. Jeane will ask you to take her there. Inside, you will find an Ancient Temple. At the Altar, Jeane will join.Class: Mid-Range MageNotes: Jeane is back once again for this installment in the series. While she has always been able to participate in Major Battles, this is only the second time she has been able to fight in your party. As far as raw MP and Magic stats, she is among the best, plus she is capable of wielding the Magic Absorb Rune. Her HP is decent -for a mage- and she can attack multiple times when you do choose to use the Attack command. Where she begins to fall flat is in her Skills. For some reason, she cannot use the most powerful magic Epic Skills, but she can raise her Magic Skill to a double-S. Also, her head rune slot is occupied by the Charm Rune, which can cause enemies to turn on each other, but to trigger this, she must be directly attacked. As with all other mages, it is never a good idea to put Jeane into a position where she is directly attacked often. In all, she lags well behind Viki and Zerase in raw power.

In major battles, her Thunder Rune skill is similar to the Barrage skill, but can be used with a Rune Archer unit and deals more damage. Like Viki, she cannot lead a unit, so she is relegated to the Lieutenant or Support Officer positions.

Once again, Jeane runs your castle's Rune Shop, plus she can use her Rune Sage abilities while in your party, allowing your to swap out Runes on the fly. This makes her -if not one of the most powerful members- at least one of the most practical members of your party.

Her personality is the definition of mysterious. Any attempt to discover new information about her through Oboro will fail. Jeane is so evasive in her personality that she makes Lucretia look like a straight-shooter. There has probably been more wild speculation about Jeane among the fans of the series that about any other character, and virtually all of it is without any basis on what can be officially learned in the games. I always get the feeling

that she is holding back, that she never really shows her true power in the games.

We do know that she is ageless, and that this agelessness does not come from a True Rune. She owns many different Rune Shops in different countries, and is probably one of the most skilled Rune Sages in the Suikoden world. Other than that, your guess is as good as mine.

If you have played other Suikoden games, then your are either a fan of Jeane or not. Personally, I'd take an honest person like Viki any day over Jeane, who seems to be a "good" person, but still a bit deceptive.

Recommended Runes: Thunder, Magic Absorb, MagicalRecommended Skills: Magic(SS), Incantation(S)Available Epic Skills: No Epic Skills Available

NikeaStar #53 of 108Rank: CRecruitment Window: Major Battle #5 / Before the Twilight RuinsRecruit: Estrise. Find her at the inn and beat her in a duel and she will join.Class: Short-Range Fighter (Martial Artist)Notes: Nikea is one of the stronger damage dealing fighters in the game. Her Attack, HP, Agility, and Vitality are all strong, she is one of the most eager for consecutive and continuous attacks, and her critical hit rate is high. Still, her skills are less impressive, she lacks the ability to use the strongest physical skills, nor can the skills she can use rise to SS- rank. The Boar Rune she carries is like a bad copy of Belcoot's Falcon Rune. And she cannot wear heavy armor. Overall, she is recruited at a point in the game where you have just recruited two of the best Short-Range fighters in the game -Richard and Belcoot- and this lowers her usefulness.

In previous Suikodens, the Martial Artists were always some of the game's best, like Emily from Suikoden III, so Nikea is something of a disappointment for me. Especially because she is so stupid.

Recommended Runes: Fury, Power, Equilibrium, Double-EdgeRecommended Skills: Attack, VitalityAvailable Epic Skills: Raging Lion(S), All-Out Strike(SS), Karmic Effect(S)

DinnStar #54 of 108Rank: CAuto-RecruitClass: Short-Range FighterNotes: Dinn is a solid fighter with great defense and two open rune slots. His stats are geared toward power and defense, but unfortunately this leaves him lagging in Agility, especially if you weigh Dinn down with heavy armor, he will be one of the slowest members in your party battles. Also, his

skills fall well short of characters like Belcoot, Richard, and Kyle. He does have some distinct advantages, but not enough to make me use him too often.

In Major Battles, he commands a Four-Star cavalry unit, a welcome addition because while the Lindwurm Cavalry is more powerful, there is only so much one good Cavalry unit can do. I almost always use him as a Commander in major battles.

I do like Dinn's personality, and it is a shame I can't give him a higher rating than a C-rank. He is another calm warrior, like Belcoot, even if he is a bit stiff, he's still a welcome addition.

Recommended Runes: Double-Edge, Fury, Boost, CrazedRecommended Skills: Attack, TechniqueAvailable Epic Skills: Raging Lion(A), Fate Control(A), Armor of Gods(A), Karmic Effect(SS)

RoyStar #55 of 108Rank: AAuto-RecruitClass: Mid-Range FighterNotes: Roy is one of my favorite characters. Sure, his stats and weapon are like a bad copy of the Prince, but only just so, he remains just a few points lower than the prince in virtually every statistic. Roy's skills are some of the best too, he can use all Epic Skills, including the ultimate Epic Skill: Royal Paradise. This skill raises all statistics and combines all the other skills into one. Only the Prince, Sialeeds and Roy can use this skill. Plus his other skill slot is occupied by the Thief Skill, which steals a small amount of potch from the enemy when he Attacks them. This amount is minimal by itself, but when combined with Egbert's Potch Finder and the Prosperity Set, you can start pulling in Potch by the tens of thousands. Plus, he gets two open rune slots.

Roy -for story purposes- will only be intermittently available for Major Battles, he leads a Four-Star infantry unit, but don't plan on using him too much.

And of course I like Roy's personality. Aside from Viki, he is actually my favorite character in the game. Sure he is crass, but he is capable of being oddly noble and heroic as well. Not to mention the seething underclass anger he carries with him.

Recommended Runes: Power, Double-Edge, Cyclone, Elemental SwordRecommended Skills: Thief, AgilityAvailable Epic Skills: Royal Paradise(A), Sacred Oath(S), All other Epic Skills(A).

FaylenStar #56 of 108Rank: CRecruit Window: After the events at Ranro / Before Major Battle #6Recruit: If Faylen and Faylon do not join automatically. Return to The Ranro

Bandit Lair as soon as possible with Roy in your party. Help them return the stolen goods to Sable and they will join.Class: Long-Range FighterNotes: She is the first Long-Range Fighter you can recruit. Her magic stat is not bad, about a couple of points lower than Lyon, but her elemental affinities are not suited for Dependent-Value magic. Though she is a B-rank with Earth magic, making her useful for casting Clay Guardian. She has a strong Technique stat, but her other stats are average or below. Still, she can deal significant Long-Range Damage, much higher even than some Short- Range Characters.

What makes her useful is her Treasure Hunt skill. It eventually maxes out at an S-rank, making her invaluable for Treasure Hunt parties.

In Major Battles, she gives two uses of the Charge ability. Team her and her brother up with Roy to form the Bandit Infantry Unit. This unit is rated at four-stars, but has no special qualities other than that it can use the Charge Ability four times, making it one of the best infantry units in the game.

She clearly has a crush on Roy, and in a way, that makes her a surprisingly accessible character. I do like her personality, even though I find it quite hard to tolerate her brother.

**Second Opinion**--By Dex

Rank: A or B

Recommended Runes: Double-Edge, Fury, Crazed, EarthRecommended Skills: Treasure Hunt, Technique, AttackAvailable Epic Skills: Fate Control(SS)

FaylonStar # 57 of 108Rank: CRecruit: See FaylenClass: Short-Range FighterNotes: . . . All that I will say is that if not for his Treasure Hunt ability he would rank as a D. Considering the many great short-Range fighters you already have access to, there is no other reason to have him in your party at all.

Besides, their names are weird. Suikoden Bandits usually have Chinese Names, like Lo Wen. With that in mind, they should be named Fei Len and Fei Lon.

Recommended Runes: Firefly/Wall Rune combination, Power, CrazedRecommended Skills: Attack, DefenseAvailable Epic Skills: Raging Lion(S), Karmic Effect(S)

Linfa

Star #58 of 108Rank: CRecruitment Window: The events at Ranro / Major Battle #7Recruit: Play a game against her at the Estrise Inn. You will lose. Run into her at Yashuna a bit later and she will refund you money. Finally, Play an honest game with her at the Raftfleet Inn. Win or Lose she will Join.Class: HQ Services / SupportNotes: She has the same Escape Route support skill at Takamu, so that makes her pretty useful if you want a pretty face along instead of ol' Takamu. Other than that, she can play Blind Man's Bluff with you at any time in your castle. You can get some decent prizes from her so I suggest you play a few rounds with her at some point. If you thought Linfa was deceptive, try playing Blind Man's Bluff on the hardest level -against Jeane.

SagiriStar #59 of 108Rank: ARecruitment Window: After the events at Ranro / Major Battle #7Recruit: Talk to the innkeeper upstairs at the Sable Inn. Then return and talk to the waking Armes Soldier. Now go and talk to Oboro. Return to the Sable Inn.Class: Long-Range Fighter (Ninja)Notes: Sagiri is a fan favorite, and for good reason. As a ninja-class fighter, she is so fast that she will almost always go first in battle. This makes her great at using items, in fact, I forgo equipping her with any accessories and give her stacks of Clay Guardian and Kindness Drops scrolls, plus Mega Medicine or food items. This makes her not only fast, but very practical as well. She has a high Critical hit rate, with an equal propensity for consecutive attacks, making her a force in dealing Physical Damage.

In Major Battles, she can join with Shigure to add a use of the Ambush ability to his infantry unit. But as I said with Shigure, the Ninja are something to be played around with on the battlefield for fun. They don't really help too much in terms of strategy.

Her tragic past is enough to pull the heartstrings of any guy like me, so she is again one of my favorite characters all around.

Recommended Runes: Fury, Power, Boost, Double-EdgeRecommended Skills: Agility, Attack, TechniqueAvailable Epic Skills: Fate Control(A), Triple Harmony(A)

NakulaStar #60 of 108Rank: CRecruitment Window: After the events at Ranro / Major Battle #7Recruit: See SagiriClass: Mid-Range FighterNotes: Overall, he is a solid fighter with the Pierce Skill, much like Lun and Subala. Essentially, he trades their magic and speed for a bit more Power and Defense. He comes equipped with a Fury Rune, which can be removed and given to another character, but other than the obvious advantage that this Rune gives him, I cannot think of one reason to use him. Zegai and

Goesch have more HP and PDEF, as well as more access to powerful Epic Skills. Lun and Roy have more speed and magic, though Nakula does gain a third open Rune Slot, unlike Roy. Roy and Lun, though, are much more entertaining and likeable characters in my opinion. If you do like Nakula, then by all means he can be a solid character, especially with his Fury Rune, but I do not use him too much.

In Major Battles, he adds five defense and one use of the Charge Ability to a unit.

**Second Opinion**--According To TrueWater

Rank: A

"Nakula is just my style of character (more of a personal preference) but I thought he was really good, I gave him a flowing rune, a flowing sword rune and I think a fury or something that made him attack good, I just think he is really good at both, just because a character doesn't have the natural stats doesn't mean you cant tweak them exactly how you want them. That's what I love about the series, hell with the right armor and magic stones Luc could be a great Fighter in 2. Its all strategy, you can leave characters the way they are, or be bold like me and turn them into something greater and different. :)"

--TrueWater

Recommended Rune: Fury, PowerRecommended Skills: Pierce, AttackAvailable Epic Skills: Raging Lion(S)

DongoStar #61 of 108Rank: N/ARecruitment Window: After visiting Sable / End of Window Recruit: Give Dongo in the Dwarf Camp Two different hammers on two separate occasions. Then, sharpen any weapon you have up to LV 12. He will then Join.Class: Support / Major Battle OnlyNotes: He is your army's blacksmith. You can now sharpen the weapons of anyone, even if they are not in your party. If you take him with you as an entourage character, he can sharpen your weapons at anytime. In Major Battles, he grants the Speed Ability to a unit as a Support Officer. Other than that, there really isn't much to say about him. He is a little timid for my taste though.

FuwalafuwaluStar #62 of 108Rank: AAuto-RecruitClass: Major Battle OnlyNotes: The Beavers -as far as party battles- are some of the worst in the game. But Fuwalafuwalu gets an A-rank for his contribution in major battles. Beavers are a dominating force on the water, trumping the Rock/Paper/Scissors game and being strong against every type of Naval unit.

Fuwalafuwalu also has one use of the Flowing Rune at his disposal, allowing him to heal the damage received from killing several enemy ships. The Beaver Naval units can -after they have finished off the Naval enemies- just walk right up onto dry land and function as a (slow and weak) infantry unit.

The Beavers are a small force, so you will usually have to have other units as well, but between them and the Dahak, the naval battles will become much easier.

MaroonStar #63 of 108Rank: DAuto-RecruitClass: Mid-Range FighterNotes: Well, you probably already used him at the Ceras Lake Ruins, if you did not, you didn't miss anything. Beavers are all weak when they are out of the water, so unless you just want to have some fun with a Beaver party, leave him at home.

In Major Battles he adds the Gnaw ability to his unit. This can only be used in the water, but lowers the defense of the enemy ship while causing damage. It is a battle-based skill, meaning it activates like the Charge ability. This is a skill that makes the Beaver Naval units even more powerful.

Recommended Runes: FuryRecommended Skills: Bath, TechniqueAvailable Epic Skills: Swift Foot(S)

IsabelStar #64 of 108Rank: ARecruitment Window: Chapter 3, After Beaver LodgeRecruit: Estrise. Go towards Babbage's workshop for a funny scene. Return to HQ and talk to Boz and Luserina. Remove all but two or three party members, and then go to Haud. Isabel and Mathias will join.Class: Short-Range FighterNotes: Well, despite her A-rank, I don't think she can quite match characters like Kyle and Belcoot, who tend to be much more versatile. But, aside from that, she is one of the best Heavy-Armored short-range fighters that you can recruit. Her Attack, HP, and Technique stats are all strong, and she makes a good candidate for defense-sacrificing Runes. She can also be a great Tank if you equip her with the Firefly Rune. Her Co-Op attack with Mathias is one of the best in the game, dealing 150% damage to a single enemy. And, she has a nice attack animation, with the coolest-looking weapon in the game.

Her Skills are another strong point. While she lacks Untold Clarity, her Raging Lion and Triple Harmony Skills can be raised to a high level, making her a powerful character.

In Major Battles, she leads another four-star infantry unit. Pair her with Mathias as her Lieutenant to form the Maximillian Spear infantry, a decent unit with higher defense than most, but lacking in the Charge ability. Put Subala in as their Support Officer to round that out, and create this game's closest approximation to the Three Stooges.

She is the Maximillian Knights' representative in this game, carrying on the tradition of Fred from Suikoden III, who was the only other member of the Knights usable in party battles. The Maximillian Knights are an odd bunch to be sure, but they are equally strong and loyal warriors. This game offers a deeper view into the ideology of the Maximillian Knights than previous games, and Isabel comes off as obsessed, but still thoughtful and compelled to do what she believes is right. Overall, she -just like the other members from previous games- is one of my favorite characters.

Recommended Runes: Double-Edge, Power, Fury, CrazedRecommended Skills: Attack, VitalityAvailable Epic Skills: Raging Lion(S), Triple Harmony(S), Karmic Effect(A)

MathiasStar #65 of 108Rank: BRecruit: See IsabelClass: Mid-Range FighterNotes: Mathias can wear heavy armor and has the Mow Down skill, which attacks a cluster of enemies. In many ways, he is like Goesch, with less Attack and Technique traded off for more Magic and MP. The major problem I have with Mathias is that despite his solid magic -it is about the same as Lyon's- he has horrible elemental affinities, undermining any attempt to turn him into a Magic-Knight type of character. Goesch and Zegai are more powerful, Roy is faster, Lorelai has better Magic, and all of them have better Technique and are available much earlier in the game than Mathias. Mathias' Technique stat can be problematic as well, making him miss too often for my taste, plus he does not have any access to Epic Skills that effect Technique. So, I cannot recommend the use of the Fury Rune with him.

Still, with that said, he is more than a solid character, and shares a great Co-Op with his master, Isabel. Plus, he comes equipped with a Cyclone Rune. Even though you will probably want to remove this than give it to a character like Viki, this increases his value tremendously. His Skills are nothing to brag about either. . .

His personality is hilariously stiff, almost a mockery of characters like

Belcoot. While he is entertaining, I can't really get over his character design, I think his lack of eyebrows just creeps me out.

Recommended Runes: Double-Edge, Water, Power, BoostRecommended Skills: Mow Down(S), Attack, TechniqueAvailable Epic Skills: Armor of Gods(A), Raging Lion(A)

BernadetteStar #66 of 108Rank: AAuto-RecruitClass: Long-Range MageNotes: Though she is a mage-class, her Magic and MP score are well below Zerase, Viki, and Jeane. Her advantage is that she can wear leather armor, is long-ranged and surprisingly quick. Plus she comes with a Flowing Rune, which I suggest you leave attached to her. Her skill with incantation is solid and she ranks high in water magic, so she really makes a perfect healer, probably the best choice for magical healing in the game. She can also deal a mild to moderate amount of physical damage from the back row. Her HP is average, so she has all the advantages of a mage like Kisara and none of the disadvantages. Her MDEF stat is also among the highest in the game.

In Major Battles, she can command a four-star Rune Archer Unit with one use of the Flowing Rune, lending real help in drawn-out battles.

He personality is odd, she seems to treat the prince with favor, and be oddly affectionate to him. Investigate Bernadette with Oboro to get some of the full story.

Recommended Runes: Magical, Flowing, Magic Absorb, ResurrectionRecommended Skills: Incantation, Magic, Magic DefenseAvailable Epic Skills: Sacred Oath(A), Divine Right(S)

ByakurenStar #67 of 108Rank: CRecruitment Window: After HQ reaches LV 2 / End of WindowRecruit: Leave your HQ via the eastern or western exits with either Genoh or Levi in your Party. You will be attacked by a giant snake. Win the battle and you will have the option of recruiting Byakuren. Class: BeastNotes: Well, she is faster than Genoh. But again the Beasts are more for fun than any serious battle. Although I will say that if is cool to watch your enemies be killed by a Giant Snake that does your bidding. For that, Byakuren gets a C-rank.

Retso & Shun MinStars #68 & 69 of 108Rank: N/ARecruitment Window: After your castle reaches LV 2 / End of WindowRecruit: Raftfleet. At the Inn, ask Retso to join and he will decline. Return to HQ and play Subala's fishing game until you catch a Strange Fish. Return to Retso with the fish and he will join.Class: HQ Services / Support / Major Battle

Notes: Retso is your army's chef. Bring him the food items that you can find by defeating certain enemies, as well as the ones grown by Goesch to make Food Items that far surpass the regular Medicine available at the game's Item Shops. Some very useful items can only be attained through legwork associated with Retso and Shun Min.

Retso and Shun Min both have the Cooking Support Skill, which turns non-human enemies into food items.

In Major Battles, they are Support-Officers with the nourish ability, which works like Marina's Rest ability. Again, you units have to be standing still for this ability to take effect, so. . .

BabbageStar #70 of 108Rank: ARecruitment Window: After your castle reaches LV 2 / End of WindowRecruit: Put Sorensen in your party and explore the Gears room in the basement of HQ. Now take Sorensen to see Babbage. Return to the Gears room to drop the two off. Come back in a few minutes and Babbage will Join.Class: Major Battle / Support OnlyNotes: Babbage's support Skill is Treasure Hunt, ranked at SS. This clearly makes him invaluable as a support character when trying to hunt down rare items and rune pieces. I do not use him quite as often as Egbert and Murad, but he is always one of the best choices for an entourage slot.

In Major Battles, you can now pair Babbage and Sorensen to use the Ballista unit. This unit moves slowly, is rated at two-stars, and is weak to all other types of units. But, it can launch the longest range attacks on the battlefield for a surprisingly high amount of damage. Personally, I do not use the Ballista unit at all. But, it can be a very fun thing to experiment with on the battlefield. Just don't let them get too close to a charging enemy.

LuStar #71 of 108Rank: BRecruitment Window: After Recruiting Babbage / End of WindowRecruit: Bring Sorensen back to Babbage's workshop after recruiting Babbage. You will have the opportunity to recruit LuClass: Long-Range FighterNotes: Lu is actually a very strong character, with good speed and power, plus a propensity of consecutive attacks, and the second-highest Technique stat next to Richard. At long range, she excels with defense-sacrificing runes. While she does not have the speed of Sagiri, she is still more than fast enough for any circumstance. In fact, the only downside to Lu is that Sagiri can do almost everything that she can, only slightly better, with one glaring exception: Luck. Lu's Luck statistic is one of the highest in the game, making her a good choice to go along on Treasure Hunting parties, even though she does not have the Treasure Hunt Skill. A word of warning: Lu does have the lowest HP score in the game. Make sure she is well-equipped if you

plan on using her.

In Major Battles, she adds two uses of the Barrage ability to an Archer or Rune Archer unit. This makes her one of the best Lieutenant or Support Officers for Archer units.

I guess the choice between Lu and Sagiri really comes down to who you like better. If you like shy, beautiful women with tragic pasts, then go for Sagiri. If you like hyperactive little girls who remind you of a gerbil on illicit substances -or if you are one- then use Lu.

Recommended Runes: Power, FuryRecommended Skills: Technique, AgilityAvailable Epic Skills: Swift Foot (SS)

MiroonStar #72 of 108Rank: DRecruitment Window: After HQ reaches LV 2 / End of WindowRecruit: Bring Muroon to the Tricolor in. Agree to help, then travel all the way to the back of the nearby cave and Miroon will join.Class: Mid-Range MageNotes: Miroon has a decent Magic / MP stat and an affinity for Water and Holy magics (Shield and Resurrection), which makes her the only Beaver character I can recommend using under normal circumstances. But compared to the amazing Bernadette, she is of little use anyway.

She can participate with a Beaver Unit in major battles.

She also runs the Castle Bath House, which -as fans of the series will know- is the site of some of the funniest and most entertaining scenes in the game. I will talk more about the Bath Scenes in a little bit.

Recommended Runes: Water, ShieldRecommended Skills: Incantation, Bath

MeroonStar #73 of 108Rank: DRecruitment Window: After HQ reaches LV 2 / End of WindowRecruit: Bring Maroon to Beaver Lodge and talk to Meroon by the trader. Go to the entrance to the Baska Mine and talk to Moroon several times. Return to Beaver Lodge and Meroon will join temporarily. Return to Baska Mine Entrance and both will join.Class: Mid-Range MageNotes: She is a just another Beaver, while she does have good elemental affinities and can use the Divine Right Epic Skill, she is just another Beaver.

Recommended Runes: Water, Shield, ResurrectionAvailable Epic Skills: Divine Right

MoroonStar #74 of 108Rank: D

Recruit: see Meroon.Class: Short-Range FighterNotes: The only Short-Ranger of the Beaver Bunch, this actually makes him even less useful. Exposing him to frequent physical attacks is a very bad idea, plus he falls far short of virtually all of your Short-Range Fighters in virtually all categories. Again, Beavers are for making a party together so that they can use their five-person Co-Op attack. This attack is very powerful, and fun to watch. But other than for some mild entertainment, there is not reason to have Beavers in your party.

Now that you have all the Beavers, you can make Two separate Beaver Naval Units, which are very useful for not only destroying enemy ships, but also allowing you to concentrate more on the land battles.

Moroon does have a Mowhawk, but it falls short of Boz's. I wish you could use Boz in party battles, that way he and Moroon could have a Mowhawk-Buddy Co- Op attack, where they just slice up the enemies using their hair. But, no such luck.

ChisatoStar #75 of 108Rank: N/ARecruitment Window: After HQ reaches LV 2 / End of WindowRecruit: Bring Bernadette back to Nirva Island. After the scenes, head north to speak to Chisato. There shall be more scenes. Then you will have the opportunity to recruit her after you take her back to your castle.Class: HQ Services / Major Battle OnlyNotes: Chisato manages the Prince's various Voice Sets, allowing you to chance the sound of his voice. Give her all the Voice Sets that have piled up in your storage and pick the one you like the best. Other than that, she is just along for the ride.

In Major Battles, she is a Support Officer only with the Muddle Ability, which lowers the attack power of enemy units by 5. Not really very useful, I'm afraid.

YahrStar #76 of 108Rank: BRecruitment Window: After HQ reaches LV 2 / End of WindowRecruit: Return to Nirva with Bernadette and meet Yahr and Nelis at the inn. Return to your ship and they will ask to come along. Let them come, and pay very close attention to your dialogue choices. Agree to investigate the shipwreck. At the end of the level, choose "Use the Rune Cannon" and "It must be destroyed." to recruit Nelis and Yahr once you return to Estrise. If you do not, then they have been missed.Class: Short-Range FighterNotes: Yahr is a solid character on all accounts. His HP, Defense, Technique, and Attack stats are a little low, but only compared to characters like Belcoot and Richard. Yahr does have good Speed, with solid Magic and Magic

Defense though. What sets him apart is the Rune he carries, the Angry Dragon Rune, the same Rune wielded by Oulan in Suikoden II. This Rune deals double damage -with critical hits possible- but can only be used once per battle, unless the user is under the Fury status effect, then it can be used every turn. This makes him a good candidate for the Fury Rune, plus he can use the Fate Control Epic Skill, which adds to his Attack and either diminishes or eliminates the Accuracy penalty from the Fury Rune. He also is one of the better candidates for the Elemental Sword Runes, as he can use the Epic skills associated with them.

The reason I can't give Yahr an A-rank is simply his HP, and the fact that he comes in as the twelfth Short-Range Fighter you have recruited, and many of them are either better suited for Short-Range combat, or they are more versatile. Though few of them can deal more raw damage than Yahr.

In Major Battles Yahr commands a regular four-star infantry, or adds one use of the charge ability to a Cavalry or Infantry unit as a Lieutenant or Support Officer. Nothing special.

Well, I like what I see from his personality, but you don't get to see much more than you already have at the time you have recruited him. I think he is an interesting character, but one that is not fully explored. For instance, I wonder how he got that Angry Dragon Rune. And for how long exactly was his mother in labor before she decided to name him "Yahr". . .

Recommended Runes: Fury, Double-Strike, Boost, Elemental SwordRecommended Skills: Attack, TechniqueAvailable Epic Skills: Raging Lion(A), Fate Control(A), Zen Sword(A), Divine Right(A), Karmic Effect(A)

NelisStar #77 of 108Rank: CRecruit: see YahrClass: Long-Range MageNotes: Speaking in terms of Magic Power, Nelis is about the same as Sialeeds, barely above the Prince and Kyle. She is like Bernadette, with less Magical Power and more Speed, Attack and Technique, but if Speed, Attack and Technique is what I wanted from the back row, I would go with Sagiri. She does come with a removable Rage Rune and three open Rune Slots, but that cannot make up for her lack of basic Magic and Skills. If you do wish to use her, leave the Rage Rune and stack her with the Magical Rune and Double-Edge Rune, with Divine Right and Magic as her skills, and Fire Amulet and Ring to give her an S-rank in the magic.

In Major Battles, combine Bernadette, Nelis, and Yahr to create the Island

Nations Unit. If Bern or Nelis leads, it will be a Rune Archer Unit, if Yahr is Commander, then it will be Infantry. This unit is actually rather weak, only use it if you want to fight a battle that features only "Special" units.

As far as her personality, I feel she is less interesting than Yahr, and far less interesting than Bernadette. She is stiff, without the dead-pan comedy of Mathias. It is not like I don't like her, it is just that she seems so bland.

Recommended Runes: Rage, Magical, Double-Edge, AlertRecommended Skills: Magic, Magic DefenseAvailable Epic Skills: Divine Right(S), Sacred Oath(A)

GavayaStar #78 of 108Rank: CRecruitment Window: After Recruiting Nelis / End of WindowRecruit: Raftfleet. Bring Nelis, Jeane, and Sialeeds -or- Norma, Faylen, and Viki -or- Nelis, Jeane, and Sharmista to meet him. He will tag along.Class: Short-Range FighterNotes: OK, I'll withhold commentary on his personality. You have probably already gotten more than enough of it to know that you hate it.

He comes at LV 10, but if you take the time to level him up, you might be surprised. He has strong HP and Attack, plus good Defense. He has three open Rune slots and the unique Stun Skill, which does what it says: stuns enemies for one turn. Still, compared to Richard, Belcoot and Kyle, his Technique is not up to par, and his Agility is lacking. In short, he falls well beneath his fellow double-axe wielder from Suikoden III, Hallec.

In Major Battles, he has the Unique Ability to make female soldiers flee in terror. OK, not really, he adds +5 Attack and one use of Charge as a Lieutenant. I can say that he is a much better fighter than he is a person, if that is actually a compliment. . . If you don't care about the personality of the characters you use, then by all means I suggest giving him a try.

Recommended Runes: Crazed, Power, Killer, Double-Strike, BoostRecommended Skills: Freeze(S), AttackAvailable Epic Skills: Raging Lion(A), Triple Harmony(A)

MiakisStar #79 of 108Rank: AAuto-RecruitClass: Short-Range Fighter / Mage (Dancer)Notes: Finally, we recruit the second full-fledged Queen's Knight, Miakis. Like Kyle, her compatriot, she is a truly versatile character, able to fulfill any role except tanking. Her HP and Defense stats are only average, but at this point in the game you are beginning to amass more money and gear

that will help offset this weakness.

Physically, she is much like Richard; high strength coupled with agility to create a fast, powerful character who hits multiple times. Unlike Richard, she also has a strong Magic statistic and three open Rune Slots. Make no mistake though, Miakis is a purely offensive character with no real skill in defense, all of her Skills, Epics, and Stats ignore defense and accentuate striking.

Without any doubt, Miakis is among the highest-output damage dealers in the game. Whether you choose to use her with Magic Runes or Support Runes, she will always be one of the stars of the show. With three open rune slots, she can be stacked with runes like Power, Fury, Double-Edge, Boost, and the like to give her jaw-dropping attack strings. Personally, I tend to take a more balanced approach with her though, giving her a Power Rune, a Double-Edge Rune and a Shield Rune. She has a decent affinity for shield magic, so allowing her to cast Battle Oath usually results in her gaining the Fury status.

In Major Battles, she gives her unit one use of the Recover Ability.

Considering her tendency for offense, it is surprising that she was chosen to be Lym's bodyguard. I guess they thought offense was the best defense, or something. You have already gotten a good feel for her personality, so there isn't much need for commentary on that. I'll just say that the recent game events cause me to have sympathy for her.

Recommended Runes: Shield, Power, Double-Edge, Elemental SwordRecommended Skills: Agility, Technique, IncantationAvailable Epic Skills: Swift Foot(S), Fate Control (S), Triple Harmony(A), Sacred Oath(S), Zen Sword(A), All-Out Strike(A)

BergenStar #80 of 108Rank: DRecruit: See LeviClass: Short-Range FighterNotes: Bergen is. . . well. . . I'm trying to think of one nice thing to say here, but nothing is coming to mind. All I can think of is how dull he is, coupled with his dangerously low Magic Defense and lack of Epic Skills. The only redeeming quality he has is his Treasure Hunt skill, which maxes out at SS-rank. He can use the Sword of Magic Skill, but I have never been able to level him to the point where he gains his first LV 3 MP. He comes at LV 5.

See? now this is just turning into an insult laden rant. I'll just say that he is useful in Treasure Hunting Parties, as long as he is in the Entourage.

Recommended Runes: Wall / Firefly, PowerRecommended Skills: Treasure Hunt, er... Defense?Available Epic Skills: No Epic Skills available

LeviStar #81 of 108Rank: ARecruitment Window: After Major Battle #6 / End of WindowRecruit: Big Hole. Talk to him and he and Bergen will join.Class: Mid-Range Mage (Sage)Notes: Levi is Suikoden V's Sage, following behind Crowley, Mazus, Estella, and some guy from Suikoden IV that no one cares about. Actually, Zerase tends to have higher Magic Power, but Levi's Elemental Affinities are the best in the game. He has A-ranks in virtually every magic element, giving him the highest Magic Defense and the most versatile magic palette, so to speak. He comes with a Pale Gate Rune and a Mother Earth Rune, both of which are removable, giving him three free rune slots. His Skills and Epic Skills are excellent. Levi is also your army's Magic Tutor, allowing you to train at any time at HQ, just like you can with Zegai.

So, with all this, why only an A-rank? Sure, he has all the Stats, Skills, and Rune Slots necessary to be a great character, but Zerase can match him in Incantation and power, plus her Star Rune is more powerful than the Pale Gate Rune. Viki can't match him in raw power or MP, but she can use Chain Magic for double damage. Jeane is more practical with her Rune Sage ability. And while Bernadette and Kisara get trounced by Levi in magic, they can wear Light Armor and have more HP. In the end, you will never be disappointed by Levi's magic, but trying to find a use for him in party battles is difficult.

In Major Battles, he can lead a four-star Rune Archer Unit, with the use of the Rage Rune. While this is cool, it is also essentially the same thing Talgeyl has been doing since the beginning of chapter 3.

His personality is a bit caustic. He is an Earth Mage, so while his is very learned, he is also completely ignorant of many subjects that help people live their everyday lives. Much like Sasarai from Suikoden II and III, he is a bit haughty. Still, Levi is a nice enough fellow, with a sometimes destructive curiosity.

Recommended Runes: Anything you want.Recommended Skills: Magic, Magic DefenseAvailable Epic Skills: Divine Right(SS), Sacred Oath(SS)

NormaStar #82 of 108Rank: BRecruitment Window: After Major Battle #6 / End of WindowRecruit: Raftfleet. Take Levi to see her. Class: Short-Range Fighter / Mage (Dancer)Notes: Part of the reason I almost gave Norma an A-rank is because she is a hugely underrated character. She has low HP, can only wear Cloth Armor, and she starts at LV 10. But, she will quickly gain three open Rune Slots, and her stats grow to be some of the most well rounded in the game. Especially for among the optional recruits (who tend to be more specialized). While you

can say that she has no real strengths, with the three open rune slots I prefer to say that she has no real weaknesses. Statistically, her Magic is about the same as Kyle, the Price, and Miakis, but she has a disadvantage in Rune Affinities. Her Attack seems low, but her Technique and Agility make up for that.

All this though, is far from deserving of an B-rank, especially in light of the recent recruits. What does bump her up to a B is the fact that her Potch Finder Skill maxes out at a double-S. Yes, her Potch Finder can rise above even that of Egbert. So, even if you don't use her in battle, take her with you in the entourage, where she can make you rich, plus you can still use her healing spells and such.

In Major Battles, she gives her unit two uses of the Recover ability.

As far as her personality. . . Well, I'll just say that I think her attack animation and weapon are pretty cool. I know it is girly, but still, I think someone put a lot of work into making her character, and I can always appreciate that.

Recommended Runes: Shield, Double-Edge, Lightning, Magic AbsorbRecommended Skills: Potch Finder, IncantationAvailable Epic Skills: Swift Foot(A), Divine Right(A), Sacred Oath(A)

ErnstStar #83 of 108Rank: BRecruit: see NormaClass: Short-Range Fighter (Beast)Notes: Ernst is a tough character to rank. Normally, he is a moderate short- range fighter with one advantage: you don't have to buy armor or sharpen his weapon. Overall he seems to be a low-HP copy of Shiro, the Wolf from Suikoden II.

But, cast the LV 1 magic on his unique Beast Rune and all hell breaks loose. Ernst transforms into human form and gains access to his LV 2, 3, and 4 spells, all of which are overpowered. The LV 2 spell stuns all enemies, making them lose one turn, and can be used consecutively until the rest of your party has finished them off. The LV 3 spell deals massive damage to an enemy row. While the LV 4 Spell instantly kills an enemy and restores Ernst to full HP. So, as long as Ernst's MP lasts, your party is practically invincible. Note that you cannot equip Ernst with a Magic Absorb Rune, (that would certainly get him the S-rank) nor any other runes to boost his strength. He remains a "Beast" character, with no armor and no free rune slots. In beast form, unless he is at a high level, he can be a liability because he lacks armor. However, he can use some powerful Epic Skills which aid in both his Defense and casting of his rune.

In Major Battles, he is very useful. Like Norma, he give two uses of the

Recover Ability, but he also gives a rare speed boost as well.

Recommended Skills: Incantation, DefenseAvailable Epic Skills: Armor of Gods(A), Divine Right(A) and Not Raging Lion, because that would just be a bad pun.

RavenStar #84 of 108Rank: CRecruitment Window: After Major Battle #6 / After Twilight ForestRecruit: Sable. Talk to Lord Solis Raubel. Return to HQ and talk to Oboro, then talk to Egbert. Return to Oboro, then stay the night at your inn. Catch Raven and tell him he can go free and he will join you.Class: Short-Range Fighter (Thief)Notes: Raven possesses the unique Raven Rune, which allows him to evade almost all physical attacks in low-light areas. For example, on the world map, his evasion in normal. In the ancient ruins beneath the Big Hole, however, his evasion will be near 100%. There are some problems with this though. Having the "Target" status effect will disable his Rune, being poisoned or on fire will disable the Rune, in fact, almost every status effect will cause him to be a sitting duck, rather than a bird of the night.

To add to that, he has low HP, Defense, and Magic Defense; he cannot wear armor, only Tunics and Robes. Magic attacks will eat up his HP fast, especially fire attacks if they cause the Burn status effect. So, one needs to be very careful when using him, or he can become a liability to the rest of your party.

He has the Thief Skill, just like Roy, and this can be an incredible help to you and your party when you are short of money. We are getting close to completing the Prosperity Armor set, and with Egbert, Norma, Roy and Raven in your party, you gain the ability to make Potch very quickly. I'll talk a bit more about that in a bit.

In Major Battles, he gives a speed bonus to his unit, along with the Muddle Ability, which lowers the enemy's attack power.

I can't say that I like his personality, he just seems to be a whiny brat compared to his fellow thief Roy. At LV 13+ he have the coolest weapon name of all: the "Nevermore," which is a reference to Edgar Allen Poe's famous poem, "The Raven."

Recommended Runes: PowerRecommended Skills: Thief(SS), AgilityAvailable Epic Skills: Triple Harmony(A)

GalleonStar #85 of 108Rank: BAuto-Recruit.Class: Mid-Range Fighter (Tank)

Notes: While characters like Belcoot, Dinn and Isabel are all fine for taking damage, Galleon is clearly the game's best tank, although, one can make the argument that tanks are not necessary at all in the game. Allow me to break it down like this: many people have different playing styles, and one of the great things about Suikoden is that you can always find the characters to match your style of play. Suikoden V, I will admit, is a pretty easy game. There are several difficult battles, but it lags far behind I, II, and III in terms of difficulty. Thus, the "tank" characters are not as valuable here as they were in previous games. But, it all comes down to your style of play, and how you want to set up your party.

Galleon has the lowest Damage potential of all the Queen's Knights. He has two Rune slots, but one of them is permanently occupied by a Knight Rune, allowing for only one offensive Rune. In many ways he is a lot like Goesch and Mathias, he has the Mow Down skill, and even shares their lack of Technique and Speed, his major disadvantage when compared to them is his lack of Rune Capacity.

What Galleon does have is one of the highest HP, Defense, and Strength stats in the game. As I mentioned in the Stats and Skills section PDEF is largely determined by the armor a person can wear, but Galleon is one of the few Human characters with a distinct advantage in Base Defense, aside from armor. He is always about ten to twenty PDEF higher than others who are wearing the same armor as him. Combine this with a solid Magic Defense that is even higher than the Prince and Lyon, and he becomes singly the most solid character in the game.

In terms of Skills, Galleon falls short of many of the other Queen's Knights too. But Mow Down is always useful, plus he can use Triple Harmony and his Armor of Gods can be raised to an SS-rank, allowing him to tank anything.

If you don't find tanks useful, then simply don't use him. I'll admit I don't use him much during the course of the main game. But he is invaluable for parties where you are trying to level up several weak characters quickly, as well as times when you decide to play defensively.

Recommended Runes: Power, Firefly, Earth, Double-EdgeRecommended Skills: Mow Down(SS), DefenseAvailable Epic Skills: Raging Lion(A), Armor of Gods(SS), Triple Harmony(A), All-Out Strike(A)

HaswarStar #86 of 108Rank: N/ARecruitment Window: After Major Battle #7 / End of windowRecruit: Return to Lunas using Takamu and Urda. Enter the Oracle's Conclave and Speak with Haswar and she will join along with Urda and Isato.Class: Army Cabinet OnlyNotes: Haswar is the only character that cannot be used in Party or Major

Battles, and provides no services to your army. Other than that, I think she's great. Her personality is so loving and kind, she is like a smoochy aunt that you pretend to hate but secretly can't wait to see at Thanksgiving time.

IsatoStar #87 of 108Rank: BRecruit: See HaswarClass: Long-Range Fighter / Mage (Elf)Notes: Isato is one of the more underestimated characters in the game. Maybe because he is bald. But, at least we can clearly tell that he is a male, unlike Kirkis the elf from Suikoden I. Isato is a worthy heir to Kirkis' legacy, he is fast, has solid magic stats, and can deal surprising damage with physical attacks. All told, his only real weakness is his slightly poor evasion and lack of Physical Epic Skills. He is a versatile character, which I always like, but without any stand-out abilities he can be pushed aside for characters that are better at fulfilling specific roles. He has low affinities for Fire and Lightning Attack magics, but scores straight B's in most other categories, making him a good candidate for Water, Wind and Earth magic. His Attack is a little low to make him idea for defense sacrificing runes though.

His Barrage Skill -for party battles- is one of the best unique physical skills in the game. Pierce can attack a row, up to two enemies. But Barrage acts like Mow Down, attacking a cluster. He can use the Divine Right Epic Skill for a big boost to his magic, while relying on a physical rune and Barrage to deal damage.

In Major Battles, he gives one use of the Barrage Ability to his unit as a Lieutenant or Support Officer.

Well, Isato reminds me a lot of Mathias, without the comic relief. . . No, I guess Isato isn't nearly as stiff as Mathias. I would say he is highly dedicated as opposed to completely obsessed.

Recommended Runes: Wind, Water, Earth, Boost, Alert, Magical, PowerRecommended Skills: Incantation, BarrageAvailable Epic Skills: Swift Foot(A), Divine Right(S)

UrdaStar #88 of 108Rank: ARecruit: See HaswarClass: Long-Range Fighter (Elf)Notes: Urda is very fast and very strong. Her speed eclipses even that of the Ninja and Lu. Add to that her high Attack, three open Rune Slots, and her Barrage Skill, and she can decimate enemies in a single, first action attack. While she will not score as many consecutive attacks as Sagiri or Lu, she makes up for this in raw power. She lacks Lu's HP weakness, and outscores Sagiri in Attack, Magic, Technique, Evasion, Speed,

and Luck.

The only statistics that aren't phenomenal are her HP and Magic Defense, though with her high Elemental Affinities, she often outperforms this statistic, and her HP is at least average, more than enough for a rear-line character. Isato outscores her in Magic, but only just so, while she makes him look lazy and cumbersome.

Her Skills are equally impressive, with access to Swift Foot and Fate Control, you will be able to augment her Barrage Skill to make it very powerful. As with Isato, Barrage makes the Great Hawk Rune that they have equipped largely useless. I suggest you remove it and replace it with a Magic Rune on Isato, and a Power or Fury Rune on Urda.

In Major Battles, she adds two uses of the Barrage Ability to a unit as either a Lieutenant or Support Officer. I can strongly recommend using her in the upcoming Major Battles.

I like her personality, actually. I can't say that I fully agree with her attitude, but she does have a point: Humans are barbarous. Though her abilities can make her achieve her own astounding acts of barbarity, I won't hold the hypocrisy against her. She is actually rather cute, acting like a tough girl when she clearly is in love with Isato. I wonder what the two of them are like when they are alone.

Recommended Runes: Power, Fury, Killer, Double-EdgeRecommended Skills: Barrage, AttackAvailable Epic Skills: Swift Foot(A), Fate Control(A), Divine Right(A)

CathariStar #89 of 108Rank: BRecruitment Window: After Major Battle #7 / End of WindowRecruit: Talk to the Dragon Cavalry Soldier at Port Spinacks to learn about Hershville. Take the boat to Hershville and talk to Cathari in the northern section of town. Return to Port Spinacks and cross the long bridge to the south. Cathari will ask you take her to Lucretia, agree to do so, then comply and she will join you.Class: Long-Range Fighter (Gunner)Notes: Cathari is the fastest and strongest character in the game. Urda, Lu and the Ninja are fast, but Cathari is clearly head and shoulders above them in terms of Speed. She even edges out characters like Galleon and Georg in terms of strength. She has two open Rune Slots, with the third occupied by the unique Godspeed Rune, which allows for faster movement on the world map and a 100% escape rate when it is possible to run. She can deal more damage to a single enemy than any other character with two open rune slots. Her critical rate nears that of Georg, and she is long range.

With all this, it is tempting to give Cathari the S-rank for Long-Range Fighters, but she has some statistical weaknesses as well. Most glaringly, her Magic Defense, the second-lowest in the game -just ahead of Georg. But Georg has one of the highest HP scores in the game, while Cathari is less that average, well behind Sagiri and Urda. This actually makes Georg stand

up to magic a bit better, while Cathari can be KO'd in a single strong magic attack. For bosses, it is always best to give Cathari a Sacrificial Jizo and some Mega Medicine. Also, her speed surprisingly does not amount to anything. Urda and Sagiri will still always act before an enemy, and Cathari can only attack one enemy one time per turn. Sagiri can muti-hit, and Urda can fire on multiple targets either with Barrage, or just as part of a normal continuous attack. No matter her Speed or Agility, Cathari only attacks once.

With that in mind, both Urda and Sagiri can deal more damage per turn than Cathari, just as quickly, without any of her weaknesses.

Cathari's physical offensive Skills are much stronger than Urda and Sagiri, though, making her the best choice of the three if you do not have the Attack Runes to use to increase their power.

In major battles, she gives a large speed bonus and two uses of the Barrage Ability. This gives a big advantage to any Archer Unit. I tend to put her onto the Dahak, where her Barrage is useful, but her Speed makes the Dahak just as fast as other ships.

Cathari is a member of the Howling Voice Guild, a Harmonian organization of spies and assassins. She is much like Clive from Suikoden I and II, though Clive did not share her weakness in Magic Defense. I am sure there are some Howling Voice Guild fans out there that will protest my giving of a mere B- rank to Cathari, but if you are that much of a fan, then go ahead and use her. If having her in your party reminds you of the glory days of Suikoden II, then use her. For me, I can't stand the Howling Voice Guild, the only character I liked out of that place was Nash from Suikoden III, because he left the Guild. Personally, I'd take Valeria or Belcoot from Master Roundier Haia's Falcon school of swordsmanship over a Howling Voice lackey like Clive or Cathari any day. If you want to send me angry emails, fine, I'll just ignore them.

By the way, Cathari's Weapon is named after the German titles of famous fairy tales. Rotkappchen is "Little Red Riding Hood." Aschenputtel is "Cinderella." While Schneewittchen is "Snow White." More on these fairy tales in the essay section that accompanies this guide.

Recommended Runes: Crazed, Power, Fury, Boost, Double-EdgeRecommended Skills: Attack, TechniqueAvailable Epic Skills: Fate Control(S), Swift Foot(SS), Triple Harmony(S)

EreshStar #90 of 108Rank: ARecruitment Window: After Major Battle #7 / End of WindowRecruit: Take Jeane back to the Big Hole where you will meet Eresh. Agree to help her and take her down into the altar. On the bottom level you will fight a boss. After the battle, Eresh will join.Class: Mid-Range Mage

Notes: Eresh is in many ways a redundant character. Her Magic and MP, as well as their related skills are nothing special compared to Zerase or Levi. The only thing that sets her apart are her Elemental Affinities, which are even better than Zerase and about the same as Levi. She is Mid-Ranged, though, giving her a big advantage over Levi in that regard. Unlike Levi though, she has a Pale Gate Rune and a Resurrection Rune permanently strapped to her, making her a bit inflexible.

As you will have noticed in her recruitment quest, the Resurrection and Pale Gate are more powerful than they at first seem, and the two together make a decent combination, as well as any two other Magic Runes. I usually do not recommend having more than one Magic Rune on any one character at a time. This is because MP is usually limited, and two magic runes tend to just get in each others way. While the game's Power Mages, i.e. Eresh, Zerase, Jeane, Viki, and Levi, can get away with two Magic Runes due to their high MP, you will want to equip them with a Magic Absorb Rune to give them the ability to use all their spells.

Eresh has the Resurrection Rune permanently equipped on her right hand, making it impossible to give her the Magic Absorb Rune. While Viki cannot equip that Rune either, Viki does have the advantage of Chain Magic, making her out-damage Eresh comletely.

Still, Eresh can be a very powerful character, as she has the same Skills, Affinities, and Magic of Levi and Zerase.

Recommended Rune: MagicalRecommended Skills: MagicAvailable Epic Skills: Sacred Oath(SS), Divine Right(SS)

HazukiStar #91 of 108Rank: BRecruitment Window: After Major Battle #7 / End of WindowRecruit: Go to the east side of Port Spinacks without Belcoot in your party. Talk to Hazuki. Then return with Belcoot and she will join.Class: Short-Range FighterNotes: As you can imagine, Hazuki shares many qualities with Belcoot. Her Defense, Magic Defense, and even Technique stats are all similar. Her biggest advantage over Belcoot comes from her speed. She -along with Shigure- is one of the fastest Short-Range fighters in the game. Plus, she scores just below Belcoot in Parry rating, about the same as Richard. She does lose out in Terms of raw Attack, but only by a small margin, and her speed is more than enough to make up for that.

Where she begins to fall apart is in her Skills. Basically, she cannot use the Untold Clarity Epic Skill, which combines all other physical Skills, while characters like Belcoot and Richard can use Untold Clarity. Also, while her Sickle Rune is a bit more useful when fighting large groups, it still falls short in damage compared to the Falcon Rune.

If you wish to use Hazuki, you will not be disappointed. She is one best

combinations of speed, defense, and power in the game, but at this point, you might want to focus on characters that you have already used, because they have a clear advantage in terms of Skill Points and Skill Levels.

Recommended Runes: Power, FuryRecommended Skills: Attack, AgilityAvailable Epic Skills: Fate Control(A), Triple Harmony(S)

RaniaStar #92 of 108Rank: N/ARecruitment Window: After Major Battle #7 / End of WindowRecruit: Enter her workshop in Sauronix with either Miakis or Rahal in your party. Exit her workshop, then return to have the opportunity to recruit her. Class: Support / HQ ServicesNotes: Rania will manage the game's sound sets, allowing you to change sound effects. She can also be used as a Support Character with a unique Skill: Bard. Since no Battle Party member possesses this Skill, it is difficult to tell what it does. Bard does have a positive effect on your party's Incantation speed, causing you to cast spells much faster. Other than that, there might be other positive effects, but they may be so subtle that they are difficult to decipher. I didn't give Rania a rating simply because I can't figure out the full extent of the Bard Skill.

KilleyStar #93 of 108Rank: SRecruitment: Twilight Forest EventRecruit: While you are leaving the Twilight Forest Ruins, ask Killey to come along with you. If you completed the two previous recruitment events, then he will.Class: Long-Range Fighter / MageNotes: Killey is back again, but he has changed considerably since his last appearance in Suikoden II. He is long-ranged as opposed to mid, and he is not quite as ridiculously overpowered as he was before. Still, Killey gets the S-rank for long-range fighters, over some heavy competition from Sagiri and Urda. He lacks their Speed, but gains so much more in terms of virtually every other stat. Actually, he has some of the highest all around statistics in the game, making him the second most versatile character behind the Prince. He literally has no statistical weaknesses, except for HP. But HP itself is not a primary concern for Long-Range characters

With three open Rune slots, and these stats, it is easy to see how he can become overpowered, the only thing holding Killey back are his Skills. He lacks Untold Clarity or Sacred Oath, and only has one open Skill slot. But his permanent Treasure Hunt Skill can be raised to a A-rank, making him the best Treasure Hunter in the game, at least in terms of battle prowess. His Epic Skills are less than impressive, but he hardly needs them to out-damage most characters.

You can feel free to use Killey however you want, and unlike other Treasure

Hunters like Faylon and Bergen, he is not a liability in your party. Personally, I remove his equipped Rage Rune and equip him with Physical Skills and Runes. However, his affinity for Fire and Lightning magic is good, and he can be used as a mage, with the Magical Rune he can deal enough Damage.

To add to all this, Killey gives Rune Archer Units two uses of the Rage Ability in Major Battles.

Recommended Runes: Double-Edge, Fury, Power, KillerRecommended Skills: Attack, VitalityAvailable Epic Skills: Fate Control(A), Swift Foot(A), Divine Right(A), Zen Sword(A)

GundeStar #94 of 108Rank: DAuto-RecruitClass: Short-Range Fighter (Dwarf)Notes: Gunde is the second slowest character in the game, out ranking only Genoh, the ancient tortoise. What does he gain from this lack of speed? Well, his HP and Attack are quite high, and nothing else. Gunde has practically no Skills worth mentioning, and his elemental affinities and Magic Defense are so bad that they combine to make his high HP seem almost worthless. He is actually better at taking physical damage than Galleon, but lacks any of Galleon's advantages, namely, Epic Skills.

Gunde cannot use any epic skills. None. At all. He does have two open Rune Slots though, so that does help, but not enough to make me want to use him.

Recommended Runes: Wall / Firefly, PowerRecommended Skills: Stamina, DefenseAvailable Epic Skills: No Epic Skills available

WabonStar #95 of 108Rank: DAuto-RecruitClass: Short-Range FighterNotes: None of the Dwarves in this game can really live up to Twaikin from Suikoden III. Wabon, for instance, actually has good stats. He has the Attack, HP, Defense, and Technique to more than make up for his low Speed. But he -like Gunde- lacks in skills.

Twaikin from Suikoden III was much like Wabon statistically, but had great skills to back up his stats, which made him one of the better characters in the game. Wabon is a far cry from any past glory days of the Dwarves in previous Suikodens.

Recommended Runes: Firefly, PowerRecommended Skills: Defense, StaminaAvailable Epic Skills: Karmic Effect

RoogStar #96 of 108Rank: C

Auto-RecruitClass: Short-Range FighterNotes: Roog is a bit of a disappointment. He has strong HP, but does not have the Attack to match. Technique can be a bit of a problem for him too, he scores about the same as Yahr, but he lacks Yahr's Angry Dragon Rune. Roog has two open Rune Slots, but falls behind characters like Isabel in raw power. Also, he is one of the slower characters in your army. He is certainly not a bad character, but at the point in the game where you acquire him, he doesn't make much sense: you have many other characters that can easily surpass him in any role.

Roog's Skills are his saving grace, he can use Triple Harmony and Fate Control, but without the base stats to back these Skills up, their effect is weakened.

Recommended Runes: Fury, Power, Double-Edge, BoostRecommended Skills: Attack, VitalityAvailable Epic Skills: Triple Harmony(A), Fate Control(S), Raging Lion(S)

RahalStar #97 of 108Rank: BAuto-RecruitClass: Short-Range Fighter / MageNotes: Rahal is a near-statistical copy of Kyle. The have the same Elemental Affinities, including a strong Water score, while all their stats are virtually identical. Except for Attack, Speed, and Evasion, where Kyle has an advantage, and Luck, where Rahal wins out. He has three open Rune Slots as well, though he does acquire the third rather late in the game. The only stat where he is weak is Speed, where he scores about the same as Zegai. Regardless, Rahal is a powerful, if redundant character.

Overall, Kyle has the edge in base stats, but Rahal takes that advantage right back in his Skills. Rahal has access to Untold Clarity, while Kyle does not. Along with Rahal's (slightly) superior Magic score this might make him even more versatile than Kyle. Rahal comes with a Flowing Sword Rune, but I recommend removing it and either selling it or giving it to Kyle. Rahal's Elemental Sword Skills are lower than Kyle's.

There is no reason you can't use both Kyle and Rahal, and if you do, you will not need a Healing Mage like Bernadette or Kisara. This can open up a spot for a Long-Range Fighter like Killey, Urda, or Sagiri, who often get overlooked for spots in parties -even by me. Though honestly, I think using both at once is a little boring, just because they are so much alike.

Roog and Rahal form Suikoden V's Pretty Boy Knight Duo. Following Allen / Greenseal, Camus / Miklotov, Borus / Percival. Honestly, this is the most one-sided Duo of them all, with Rahal getting most of the attention.

Recommended Runes: Water, Shield, Power, Fury, GaleRecommended Skills: Attack, IncantationAvailable Epic Skills: Untold Clarity(A), Armor of Gods(A), Triple Harmony

(A), Fate Control(A), Karmic Effect(A)

CraigStar #98 of 108Rank: AAuto-RecruitClass: Major Battle OnlyNotes: Craig, and now Roog and Rahal, Command Dragon Horse units in Major Battles. The are probably the best units in the game -aside from the Prince and Zerase- as they are the dominant force on the water, eclipsing even the Dahak and Beavers. Plus, as soon as you get done thrashing the enemy Ships, you can move them onto land and have them act as a normal Cavalry unit. Craig is a five-star Commander as well, meaning his unit has tremendous attack power.

----------------///////////////Flail & LanceStars # 99 & 100 of 108Rank: DAuto-RecruitClass: BeastNotes: These two are Rahal and Roog's Dragon Horses, respectively. They are just like any other beast-class, requiring no armor or weapon. So, that makes them cheap to use. But the two of them will never be able to catch up with your regular characters at this point. The only reason to use the Dragon Horse characters is with their masters, so you can use a Co-Op attack. Statistically, Dragon Horses have high HP, but little else. Their Defense always lags behind, and their magic defense, while solid, is undermined by horrible Elemental Affinities.

GeorgStar # 101 of 108Rank: AAuto-RecruitClass: Short-Range FighterNotes: Do you really need an introduction? Finally, you have full access to Georg's services. Georg is clearly one of the strongest fighters in the game. He has the highest critical hit rate, better even than Cathari and Killey, plus his Speed, Technique, Attack, Defense, HP and Luck are some of the highest in the game. Even though he has one Skill Slot taken by the Combat Trainer Skill, he can use all the physical epic skills, even Untold Clarity.

If you played Suikoden II, and had your detective investigate Georg, then you will find that even he was impressed with Georg's stats. But as Richmond put it, Georg does have an Achilles Heel: Magic Defense. His Magic Defense stat is the worst in the game, by quite a margin. Only Cathari comes close to being victimized as much as Georg by magic. Though, since Georg's HP is so high, he actually stands up to magic better than poor Cathari.

As far as combat goes though, Georg is certainly one of the best. Even though

he has only one available Skill Slot, a SS-rank Untold Clarity is all he needs.

Georg is one of the better characters in the series, in terms of his personality. He was interesting in Suikoden II, but here he really shines, and I think the makers of the game did a great job exploring his character.

Recommended Runes: Fury, PowerRecommended Skills: VitalityAvailable Epic Skills: Untold Clarity(SS), All-Out Strike(SS), Triple Harmony (S), Fate Control(S), Swift Foot(A), Raging Lion(S)

NickStar #102 of 108Rank: AAuto-RecruitClass: Short-Range FighterNotes: As far as Nick, he has decent stats, but not enough to make him stand out, especially considering your other amazing Short-Range characters. But, at around LV 50 he receives his second Rune Slot. Followed by his third open Rune Slot at Level 55.

His Skills add to his decent stats. Triple Harmony and Fate Control make for a powerful Skill combination, and Nick's Fate Control Maxes at S-rank, while Triple Harmony goes full out to double-S. This makes Nick a worthless character at LV 15, and the most surprisingly powerful and underrated character in the game at LV 55+. More than anyone, he stands out as the best of the late-game characters.

Of course, at this point in the game, it really is not worth it. One of the reasons he is underrated is because no one ever seems to give him a try. And even if you did, he really isn't better than Richard. Nick's Rune Slots give him a damage advantage, but even he can't compare to Richard in terms of Skills. He also lacks defense and HP compared to Georg and Belcoot, making it dangerous to use defense sacrificing Runes.

In Major Battles, he is a tremendously useful character. He adds a small speed boost and two uses of the Charge Ability. He is perfect for pairing with Craig, making the Dragon Cavalry not only strong, but very fast as well.

Recommended Runes: Fury, Power, BoostRecommended Skills: Attack, TechniqueAvailable Epic Skills: Fate Control(S), Triple Harmony(SS)

YoranStar #103 of 108Rank: N/AAuto-RecruitClass: HQ services / Major Battle only

Notes: Yoran will provide the Survival Ability when used as a Support Officer in major battles. While this can be useful, Toma already has access to this.

In you Castle, Yoran will allow you to play the Dragon Horse Races mini-game. This mini-game is a bit like the horse-racing mini-game from Suikoden III, only much harder. Honestly, I have a difficult time winning even on the easiest mode, let alone the hard modes.

There are prizes associated with the mini-game as well, but I honestly have no idea what they are, or if they are worth the effort to collect. AxStar #104 of 108Rank: DAuto-RecruitClass: BeastNotes: Ax has the worst base stats among the dragon horses. Making him even more useless than the others. Not to say that the Dragon Horses are like the Beavers, it is just that they might be even worse. I guess if you loved Nick, you could find room for Ax and Nick's Co-Op attack, but other than that. I just don't see too much reason for Ax to be in your party. A Dragon Cavalry party could have been fun, but there are sic members of the Cav in your army, and that means one of them is always left out because of the Prince. . .

HalethStar #105 of 108Rank: ARecruitment Window: After Major Battle #10 / Major Battle #11Recruitment: Haleth has a very short recruitment window so be careful. Talk to him at Hershville. Then go to the tavern in the basement of HQ to see a scene with Logg and Kisara (remove them from your party if you don't see it). Now return to a warehouse at Hershville to see Logg talking to Haleth. Exit Hershville, then return and talk to the man in the lobby of the administrative building. Now return to the tavern at HQ to have the chance to recruit him.Class: Support OnlyNotes: Haleth has the Haggle support skill, which reduces the cost of items purchased at shops, even shops in your own castle. As you move into the game's final levels, he can save you tremendous amounts of money.

ShulaStar #106 of 108Rank: AAuto-RecruitClass: Major Battle OnlyNotes: Shula commands your third five-star Cavalry unit. Along with Wilhelm and Craig, you now can dominate enemy infantry forces. Dinn is still a powerful commander and can be useful in some battles, but Wilhelm and Shula will be the real stars of your land battles.

NifsaraStar #107 of 108

Rank: BAuto-RecruitClass: Mid-Range FighterNotes: It has been awhile since our last mid-range fighter, even though you are already overloaded with them. Nifsara is actually a strong character, with high Speed, Attack, and HP. She has strong technique stats as well, so she can be a more reliable fighter than Goesch or Mathias. Her Magic and Magic Defense are average, but with two open Rune Slots she really can deal a lot of damage.

Also, she can access the Triple Harmony Epic Skill, a good compliment to her Pierce. But she does come so late in the game, and as far as other members of her class, it might not be worth the time and effort needed to level her up.

In Major Battles, she adds a small speed increase and one use of the Charge ability.

Nifsara is an. . . aggressive woman. She knows what she likes and lets that be known. What can I say? Some people may find that type of personality upsetting, but at least it is an honest way to live.

Recommended Runes: Fury, Power, BoostRecommended Skills: Pierce(S), AttackAvailable Epic Skills: Triple Harmony(A), Fate Control(A), Raging Lion(A), Karmic Effect(S)

SharmistaStar #3 of 108*Rank: CAuto-RecruitClass: Long-Range MageNotes: OK, Sharmista is essentially Sialeeds, with more Rune Slots and better Elemental Affinities. So, if you like Sialeeds, then you will love Sharmista. On the other hand, Sharmista cannot compete with other long-range characters like Zerase, Bernadette, and Nelis in terms of Magic, nor can she compete with Urda or Sagiri in Attack. In fact, Killey has an equal Magic score, while trouncing Sharmista in terms of Attack damage and Speed. In the end, she is simply a character that comes far too late to be useful.

There is not much to say about her personality, either. I would love to tell you to use her if you liked her character, but she is one of the few underdeveloped characters in the game. All you can really tell about her without an Oboro investigation is that she is friends with Nifsara, but is somewhat less aggressive when it comes to issues of love. I think she has a good character design, and I would like to know more about her, but at this point in the game, you have much more to worry about than the development of minor characters.

Recommended Runes: Earth, Wind, WaterRecommended Skills: Long Throw, IncantationAvailable Epic Skills: Divine Right(A), Sacred Oath(A)

ShoonStar #108 of 108*Rank: BAuto-RecruitClass: Short-Range FighterNotes: Shoon is the last Star if you decided to recruit Eresh earlier. If you did not, then we have one more to go, and Shoon is actually Star # 107. Shoon can be a very strong character if you choose to level him up and give him some party SP. He is fast and hits multiple times, like Miakis and Richard. Plus he has access to the Triple Harmony Epic Skill. Overall, he does fall short in Damage compared to Miakis and Richard, but he has great stats and can make a good replacement if you are tired of using the other two. I simply cannot give Shoon an A-rank because of how late in the game you acquire him.

Also, while his Magic Defense Stat is solid, his Elemental Affinities undermine that. He will be able to stand up to Magic much better than Georg, but not as well as Belcoot or Galleon.

I like Shoon's personality quite a bit, he is as energetic as Subala, but with much higher intelligence and personal strength. He has a tragic past which maybe just made him grow up a bit too fast. This leaves him as an intelligent person, with the energy of a Teenager.

Recommended Runes: Fury, KillerRecommended Skills: Attack, AgilityAvailable Epic Skills: Triple Harmony(A), All-Out Strike(A), Karmic Effect

EuramStar #108 of 108*Rank: N/ARecruitment Window: After the Liberation of Rainwall / End of WindowRecruit: Euram is available only if you did not recruit Eresh. After the "liberation" of Rainwall, return to the Barows Mansion. If you choose to give Euram a chance to atone for his sins, he will join you.Class: Major BattleNotes: In Major Battles, Euram gives the Rumors Ability as a Support officer. This Ability lowers the enemy unit's defense by ten, but many other characters already can use it. Oboro, Fuyo, and Taylor to name a few. So, he is essentially worthless to you cause.

On the other hand, the scene required for his recruitment shows a new side to Euram, almost making me feel sorry for him. Essentially, he is a fool, manipulated by his father in mind and body, and only now beginning to realize who he is and what he has become. His older brother Hiram was killed during the Falenan War of Succession by Nether Gate. After his older brother's death, Euram's mother went mad, and Salum began to mold his son into the heir of Barows instead. As you can tell by Euram's new portrait, he

is now only starting to realize the pain he had caused, and the pain that he was in.