History Main / HealerSignsOnEarly

** In ''VideoGame/Persona4'', as part of his role as a RedMage, Yosuke learns some of the early healing spells. Yukiko, the main healer, joins right after the first dungeon.

** In the original ''VideoGame/ShadowHearts1'' the game begins with Yuri saving [[WhiteMagicianGirl Alice]] from villains and has him protect her for practically the whole game. When she ''is'' taken out of party for a short while, the game generously gives you a replacement in Zhuzhen.

* Inverted in ''VideoGame/PlanescapeTorment'' with Fall-from-Grace. She's the only healer that you can recruit and he's located in Clerk's Ward that is about mid-game. Much longer than your first fighter, (part) thief and (part) mage, whom you can recruit from the beginning to early game. This isn't too much of a problem, as the PC is a immortal that regenerates health points and can learn ressurrection. Plus healing services are easily available.

* Inverted in ''VideoGame/PlanescapeTorment'' with Fall-from_Grace. She's the only healer that you can recruit and he's located in Clerk's Ward that is about mid-game. Much longer than your first fighter, (part) thief and (part) mage, whom you can recruit from the beginning to early game. This isn't too much of a problem, as the PC is a immortal that regenerates health points and can learn ressurrection. Plus healing services are easily available.

** In ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarIV'', the doctor Hahn joins your party shortly before entering the first dungeon. While some other characters can learn healing techniques, Hahn is one of the only two characters who can learn the most potent healing techs.

** In ''VideoGame/XenobladeChroniclesX'', Irina becomes a recruitable party member after Chapter 3. She comes with the Buff Art "Repair", which restores some HP and removes debuffs and eventurally learns "Smooth Recovery," her unique party wide heal. At the same time, all characters are capable of healing one another through Soul Voice: using an Art corresponding with a party member's request restores HP for both the requester and the character performing the Art.

* ''VideoGame/OracleOfAskigaga'': The first member to join the starting party, the Oracle, has a {{Heal
ingHands}} skill:

* In ''VideoGame/WildArms1'', Cecilia is the magician of the trio, and already knows a healing spell.
* In ''VideoGame/WildArms3'', the hero and first viewpoint character, Virginia Maxwell, is also the main healer, as she's an ItemCaddy who has an ability that lets her apply the effects of items to either all grouped members of an enemy squad or to every member of her team, which is vital considering there is no easy access to healing items for the first third of the game, ''and'' healing items far outstrip magic in effectiveness. Gallows (who also signs on early, as part of the 'prologue' and after it) also counts, as he has healing magic, the ability giving him healing magic also boosts his magic attributes, and as the team mage (whose magical power will usually be about a full 100 points ahead of the second-best mage, Virginia) it's ''really'' best in his hands and not [[MightyGlacier Clive's]] or Jet's, and somewhat like Virginia, he has an ability that lets him spread his magic, including buffs and healing spells, over the entire party. Both Virginia's and Gallow's abilities, by the way, spread their healing without diminishing the effect for each individual recipient; the game ''really'' wants you to treat the two as the dedicated healers.
* In the ''VideoGame/WorldOfMana'' series:
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyAdventure'', aka Seiken Densetsu (which got a remake known as ''VideoGame/SwordOfMana''), the girl who joins early as your companion will restore your health if you ask her help.
** In ''VideoGame/SecretOfMana'', the first spirit you recruit, Undine, unlocks the invaluable Cure Water spells for the Girl, a cheap and multitargetable spell which is a godsend after having to rely on your limited and expensive item stock until now.
** In ''VideoGame/TrialsOfMana'' you get to choose which characters join your party and in what order at the start of the game, letting you [[PlayingWithATrope play this trope]] however you want. Charlotte, the game's default cleric, is the only character who can learn healing magic in her starting class, unlocking it as soon as you meet the first Mana Spirit, Lumina. Even if you set her as the third and last party member, she'll join slightly earlier than anyone else in her position, just in time to meet Lumina. It's possible however to not have her join at all and use [[MagicKnight Duran]] and/or [[BareFistedMonk Kevin]] as healers after class-changing around half-way through the game, or to [[DefiedTrope not have any healers whatsoever]] (which you're stuck with if your party consists of [[BlackMagicianGirl Angela]], [[ActionGirl Riesz]], and [[LoveableRogue Hawkeye]], who have no healing spells in any of their classes).
* In ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles1'', Shulk starts with the Light Heal ability. He's later on outclassed by Sharla, whose entire purpose is being TheMedic, but him having a minor healing art helps avoid frustration until she's recruited (which could be a while given the game's WideOpenSandbox nature).
* In ''VideoGame/XenobladeChroniclesX'', Irina becomes a recruitable party member after Chapter 3. She comes with the Buff Art "Repair", which restores some HP and removes debuffs and eventurally learns "Smooth Recovery," her unique party wide heal. At the same time, all characters are capable of healing one another through Soul Voice: using an Art corresponding with a party member's request restores HP for both the requester and the character performing the Art.
** [[PlayerCharacter Cross]] can also become one early on if they choose the Enforcer class. Not only can you learn "Repair" fairly early on into the class, but you can also unlock Irina's "Smooth Recovery" as soon as you finish her first affinitiy mission, which unlocks when Irina becomes recruitable after chapter 3.
* In ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2'', there are multiple examples:
** Nia and her Blade, Dromarch, are the first healers in the game when Rex is assigned to a special salvaging mission. When Rex and Nia are separated from the group, Nia becomes the first permanent party member.
** Rex's default moveset with Pyra also includes Anchor Shot, which produces an HP potion for minor healing, even though Pyra is technically an [[DamagerHealerTank Attacker-type Blade.]]
** During the tutorial for the Blade Bonding mechanic, Rex will always receive a common healer Blade (specifically, a Wind element Knuckle Claws) as his first Blade after Pyra.
* In ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles3'', Eunie serves as the default healer for the Keves half of the party as soon as the game starts. Her [[MirroringFactions Agnus counterpart]] Taion also joins along with Mio and Sena within the first two chapters.

* In ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles3'', Eunie serves as the default healer for the Keves half of the party as soon as the game starts. Her [[MirroringFactions Agnus counterpart]] Taion also joins along with Mio and Sena by the end of Chapter 1.

* In ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2'': Multiple:

** In both ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIIINocturne'' and ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiStrangeJourney'', the first demon to join the hero is a Pixie with Dia.

** A honourable mention goes to [[BrawnHilda Branwen]], a priestess of [[WarGod Tempus]] (who naturally learns healing spells), who can be found [[TakenForGranite petrified]] on display at Nashkel's carnival, the town that you're immediately instructed to go to by Khalid and Jaheira or [[ThoseTwoBadGuys Xzar and Montaron]]. With a simple scroll of Stone to Flesh you can free her and have her join the party.

* In the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' [[TheIgor Igors and Igorinas]] simply ''know'' when their medical and healing skills will be needed and turn up to where they will be effective. ''Literature/MonstrousRegiment'' sees Igorina as one of the first recruits to the Section. elsewhere, the Discworld continuation fictions of Creator/AAPessimal see another Igorina recruited as Matron to the Assassins' Guild School. She finds working for assassins to be job satisfaction in spadeloads and finds plenty of excuses for going out as medical support to Assassin missions.

** ''VideoGame/EpicBattleFantasy5'': Three out of the five playable characters join with a healing skill - Natalie joins with Heal near the end of Hope Harbor, Anna joins with Renew at the beginning of No Man's Land, and Lance joins with Medipack at the end of No Man's Land.

* The ''VideoGame/EpicBattleFantasy'' series:
** ''VideoGame/EpicBattleFantasy1'' and ''VideoGame/EpicBattleFantasy2'': The party starts and stays as Players 1 and 2, who both can heal each other and themselves, but at different levels of focus:
*** Player 1:
*** He can heal himself with LifeDrain effects.
*** He can heal himself and Player 2 with Power Metal, but the healing's a side benefit.
*** Player 2: She has WhiteMagic, shorted to "[=WMagic=]", with dedicated HealingHands spells, among ones that have it as a side benefit:
*** Heal:
-----> Heals '''one''' player.
*** [=HealMore=]:
-----> Heals '''both''' players.
*** Judgement:
-----> Deals large '''Holy''' damage to a single foe. Also heals the user.
** ''VideoGame/EpicBattleFantasy4'': The player starts off playing as Anna, who has a [[HealingHands healing spell]] that she can use if it's unlocked.

* The three leads in the ''VideoGame/GoldenSun'' series have access to the Cure class of spells from the get-go.

** Subverted with Jenna: while she is available from the beginning of the game and can learn a series of multi-target healing spells in her base class line, she requires four Mars Djinn to do so, which will not happen until after the fourth party member joins.

* ''VideoGame/EXTRAPOWERAttackOfDarkforce'': A healer is part of each of the teams introduced at the start of the game: Davie and Marie provide healing for the Zophy group, Emerald with Platinum and Kurogane, and Ri=ko with Fei. Individually they provide decent healing for their teams, and together provide good coverage once teams start to join together. As an added bonus, Emerald starts the game at the level cap of 20, giving some especially powerful healing when everyone else is a defenseless Level 1.

* Franchise/MassEffect:

** ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'' and ''VideoGame/MassEffect3'' consolidate Medi-Gel with the Unity skill, making Shepard the only one who can use it. This isn't such a big deal in ''2'' since everyone has RegeneratingHealth and party members will revive themselves given enough time, but it allows Shepard to bring everyone back at once while also restoring their own health (which is critical because [[WeCannotGoOnWithoutYou their death means Game Over]]). In ''3'', you can only regenerate health in segments of five, making Medi-Gel more important.

* ''VideoGame/MassEffect1'' doesn't have a healing ability -- only [[HealingPotion Omni Gel doses]] that every character can take. But there is the 'First Aid' Talent that makes each dose more potent for the whole party and 'Medicine' that lets you wait less between shots. Your very first squadmate (well, not counting [[RedShirt Jenkins]]) is Kaidan Alenko, who starts with both talents and incidentally is the only squaddie with the latter.

* In ''VideoGame/PathfinderKingmaker'', Linzi TheBard is the first character to sign on with you in the prologue and already knows Cure Light Wounds. Linzi is also the one character in the game who cannot die because of her ring of teleportation and will therefore always be available to you. She is followed shortly by Harrim the cleric (fourth character to join you), who can heal you through spells or Divine Channel. One or both of them can temporarily join Tartuccio depending on your alignment-based actions during the chapter[[note]]Linzi supports the good option and Harrim the chaotic one, so a Chaotic Good character will get both while a Lawful Evil will get neither[[/note]] but they will quickly rejoin you in that case as neither can stand him.