History Main / OptionalPartymember

* In ''VideoGame/YoshisStory'', you can collect special eggs to add Black Yoshi and White Yoshi to your lineup. They have cooler abilities than their brethren. [[ItsEasySoItSucks Not that that's]] [[ItsShortSoItSucks saying much]].

* In the ''[[DotHackGUGames .hack//]]'' series of games, following plot points in The World's Message board -- especially those related to finding rare quest items -- will often reward the player with the poster of said messages as recruitable allies. Examples include Natsume, Sanjuro and Gardenia.

* ''[[MarvelUltimateAlliance Marvel: Ultimate Alliance]]'' has several optional party members, but {{Blade}} is the oddest by far. He joins the party after you save him from a giant claw vending machine in [[AmusementParkOfDoom Murderworld]], but the real question is why he's there in the first place. He has no dealings with the park's operator Arcade--an Comicbook/{{X-Men}} villain--in the comics, and there's no explanation for his kidnapping in the game (he just blacked out and woke up there). Even when you fight Arcade, he makes no comment on kidnapping Blade at all. Even worse, he is outclassed by Deadpool in the SwordAndGun department.

* In ''VideoGame/{{MOTHER 1}}'', it's possible to not recruit Teddy. [[NintendoHard Have fun with that]].

** Let's also not forget Sheena hiding behind a waterfall in ''Shining Force II''.

*** This is more {{Egregious}} than what one may think, even for ''Fire Emblem''; while it's fairly simple to get [[spoiler: Pelleas]] for your Dark Magic needs, getting the extremely powerful [[spoiler: Lehran]] is GuideDangIt at its finest. It doesn't help that the most important requirement is basically a LuckBasedMission that practically takes up a third of the game. Another character that is also GuideDangIt is Stefan, but at least he's not ''hard'' so much as ''annoying'' to get.

* Many of the characters in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeOrigins'' can be considered optional. Some can simply be avoided or refused entry into your party. The most notable example is [[spoiler:Loghain]] in that accepting him will actually ''cost'' you one of your teammates. Perhaps the most easily missable is Sten - who is tucked away in a cage and freely admits he's a murderer.

** In VideoGame/DragonAgeII, it's possible to miss Isabela simply by not bothering to go back to the Hanged Man. And if you refuse to help a dwarf get his cargo of illegal lyrium back, which most party members object to, no less, you'll never discover that that secondary quest was actually a ploy to help (and meet) Fenris.

** However, the only time where that character is obviously missing is in ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemTellius Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn]]'': [[spoiler: Pelleas isn't available first playthrough, however he's the only playable character that wields Dark Magic. So you can have multiple Dark Magic tomes without anyone to use them.]]
*** [[spoiler:Not the only one; Lehran can also use them. He's not available in the first playthrough, either.]]
**** This is more {{Egregious}} than what one may think, even for FireEmblem; while it's fairly simple to get [[spoiler: Pelleas]] for your Dark Magic needs, getting the extremely powerful [[spoiler: Lehran]] is GuideDangIt at its finest. It doesn't help that the most important requirement is basically a LuckBasedMission that practically takes up a third of the game. Another character that is also GuideDangIt is Stefan, but at least he's not ''hard'' so much as ''annoying'' to get.
*** Also, not really the only time. In [[VideoGame/FireEmblemElibe Fire Emblem 7]], the first of only two recruitable Dark magic users in the game, Canas, joins in one of the Gaiden chapters. The only other recruitable party member capable of using Dark magic is [[TheRedMage the extremely versatile archsage Athos]], [[EleventhHourRanger but he only joins in the very final chapter]], and you pick up a lot of Dark magic tomes before then.
*** Similarly, in ''Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon'' (a remake of the first game in the series) the only character who is a dark mage by default is available only in a Gaiden chapter more than halfway through the game (said chapter requires you to kill off most playable characters to access. Of course, in this game, most characters can switch classes, but almost no one one else is actually designed to be a dark mage.
**** Not that it really matters since magic isn't really specialized in ''Shadow Dragon'' beyond the point of "tomes" and "staves".
**** And normal mages are better anyway, as they tend to get much better growths.
** Many party members in ''FireEmblem'' can in fact even be missed. Some of them have to be recruited by talking to them (And won't attack) or they have to be found in a village.

** ''FireEmblemAwakening'' takes this to extremes, with the majority of the cast being technically optional. Donnel and Anna are only found in optional missions, but recruiting them requires more than simply completing their sidequests. Gaius, Tharja and Libra can all be killed off in battle before you can recruit them. Kellum can be missed if you don't talk to him in the early chapter where you first encounter him. Then there's the [[spoiler: children characters]] who are recruited through side missions you may not even unlock. And ''then'' there's the [[spoiler: SpotPass characters]] who only appear in optional missions near the end of the game if you download certain content.
*** There are also a number of characters from previous games who can be recruited via SpotPass, though they have no support options (and are completely devoid of any real dialogue at all outside of parley and combat with them), and in order to recruit them, you need to either spend hard-earned money or defeat them and their squad in combat.
* In NipponIchi games, optional party members tend to be recruit-able in the post game, in actions that lead to NonStandardGameOver, or as DLC.

** ''FireEmblemAwakening'' takes this to extremes, with the majority of the cast being technically optional. Donnel and Anna are only found in optional missions, but recruiting them requires more than simply completing their sidequests. Gaius, Tharja and Libra can all be killed off in battle before you can recruit them. Then there's the [[spoiler: children characters]] who are recruited through side missions you may not even unlock. And ''then'' there's the [[spoiler: SpotPass characters]] who only appear in optional missions near the end of the game if you download certain content.

* ''WarCraft III'', special campaign in the "the Frozen Throne" expansion. The very Diablo-like campaign is centered on half-ogre Rexxar who may be joined by other characters, and one option is to include Chen Stormstout, a humanoid panda, a kind-of Easter Egg character. Since he's optional, he doesn't have a single line of dialogue since his recruitment, nor any action specific to him.

* The {{Remake}} of ''VideoGame/TalesOfPhantasia'' made Suzu an optional playable character.

*** Also, not really the only time. In ''FE7'', the first of only two recruitable Dark magic users in the game, Canas, joins in one of the Gaiden chapters. The only other recruitable party member capable of using Dark magic is [[TheRedMage the extremely versatile archsage Athos]], [[EleventhHourRanger but he only joins in the very final chapter]], and you pick up a lot of Dark magic tomes before then.

* Due to how ''FireEmblem'' games work, all but a handful of cast have no dialog after they are introduced. They can die forever without affecting the plot, and you can miss them entirely without noticing.

*** Also, not really the only time. In ''FE 7'', your only dark-magic user, Canas, joins in one of the Gaiden chapters. Granted, you do get multipurpose Athos right at the end, but you pick up a lot of Dark magic before that.
*** Similarly, in ''Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon'' (a remake of the first game in the series) the only character who is a dark mage by default is available only in a Gaiden chapter more than halfway through the game (said chapter requires you to kill off most playble characters to access. Of course, in this game, most characters can switch classes, but almost no one one else is actually designed to be a dark mage.

** ''FireEmblemAwakening'' takes this to extremes, with the majority of the cast being technically optional. Donnel and Anna are only found in optional missions, and just completing them is no guarantee you'll recruit them. Gaius, Tharja and Libra can all be killed off in battle before you can recruit them. Then there's the [[spoiler: children characters]] who are recruited through side missions you may not even unlock. And ''then'' there's the [[spoiler: SpotPass characters]] who only appear in optional missions near the end of the game if you donwload certain content.
*** There are also a number of characters from previous games who can be recruited via SpotPass, though they have no lines, no support and you have to recruit them with your hard earned G.

Similar to the GuestStarPartyMember, the OptionalPartyMember is commonly either hacked into the party or used as part of a challenge. Sometimes they may be a JokeCharacter who isn't very useful but other times they may be one of the best characters in the game. They [[MagikarpPower might even]][[LethalJokeCharacter be both]].

Similar to the GuestStarPartyMember, the OptionalPartyMember is commonly either hacked into the party or used as part of a challenge. Sometimes they may be a JokeCharacter who isn't very useful but other times they may be one of the best characters in the game. They [[MagikarpPower might even be both]].

* The entire ''{{SaGa}}'' series of games (''RomancingSaGa'', ''VideoGame/SagaFrontier'', ''VideoGame/UnlimitedSaga'', and ''FinalFantasyLegend'') are filled with optional characters you can recruit, often at almost any time during the plot.

* ''MegaManX 8'' allows the player to unlock three extra playable characters, the BridgeBunnies Alia, Layer and Pallette (DistaffCounterpart to the three established heroes X, Zero and Axl, respectively); for them to be available, you must use an individual Navigator several times more than the other two in one playthrough, then buy her in [[ItemCrafting R&D]] in a NewGamePlus.

** However, unlike Suikoden, the only use for these characters was in battle. Combine this with an inability to change the skills and equipment of anyone but the protagonist, and at least 100 of them are just {{JokeCharacter}}s. Additionally, several party members are mutually exclusive.

* In VideoGame/{{MOTHER 1}}, it's possible to not recruit Teddy. [[NintendoHard Have fun with that]].

* ''[[MarvelUltimateAlliance Marvel: Ultimate Alliance]]'' has several optional party members, but {{Blade}} is the oddest by far. He joins the party after you save him from a giant claw vending machine in the [[AmusementParkOfDoom Murderworld]] level, but the real question is why he's there in the first place. He has no dealings with the park's operator Arcade (an Comicbook/{{X-Men}} villain) in the comics, and there's no explanation for his kidnapping in the game (he just blacked out and woke up there). Even when you fight Arcade, he makes no comment on kidnapping Blade at all. At least he's fun to use.

** The interesting result of all these shenanigans is that there are only three characters who actually can be recruited in all three games, and with careful maneuvering you can actually set it up so that [[RevolvingDoorCasting none of them are with you from start to finish]]. In fact, you can play the series with certain characters simply not appearing at all (Samara, Thane and Wrex are good candidates). And again, [[SerialEscalation this is before DLC kicks in]].

Similar to the GuestStarPartyMember, the OptionalPartyMember is commonly either hacked into the party or used as part of a challenge. Sometimes they may be a SpoonyBard who isn't very useful but other times they may be one of the best characters in the game. They [[MagikarpPower might even be both]].

* Yuffie and Vincent in ''FinalFantasyVII'' were subject to this trope, and did not appear in the closing FMV of the game. This was eventually [[JustifiedTrope explained]] in the spinoff game ''DirgeOfCerberus''.
* The entire ''{{SaGa}}'' series of games (''RomancingSaGa'', ''VideoGame/SagaFrontier'', ''UnlimitedSaga'', and ''FinalFantasyLegend'') are filled with optional characters you can recruit, often at almost any time during the plot.
* Mog, Umaro, and Gogo are optional characters in ''FinalFantasyVI''; you also could try to defeat the last half of the game without picking up the majority of the characters you had in the first half. (In fact, it's technically possible with only ''three'' of them!)

* ''FinalFantasyIX'': Quina is a permanent party member (s/he officially joins just before Fossil Roo), but is optional before you enter Gizmaluke's Grotto on Disc 1.

* ''SuperRobotWars'' has tons of these in every game, usually people who normally died in their respective show or some way should leave you. Or villains that fans liked or were especially sympathetic. They also have a habit of adding in Franchise/{{Gundam}} mecha or {{Mecha Expansion Pack}}s that only exist in model form, such as Hajime Katoki's version of [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamWing Wing Gundam]] in Alpha 2, or the [[Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED Strike Gundam/Strike Rouge]]'s IWSP pack.
** Likewise, in BattleMoonWars, you can unlock Sacchin in Takumi's route, [[spoiler:kill her with Shiki two out of three times she appears]], and Mech-Hisui in Haruna's route, [[spoiler:get a combined total of 50 kills with Hisui and Kohaku.]]
** In ''SuperRobotWarsCompact'', [[spoiler: Shin Getter]] is unlockable if you reach Scenario 28 under 250 turns.

* Most characters in ''VideoGame/DevilSurvivor''. You're guaranteed [[HelloInsertNameHere the main character]], Atsuro, Yuzu[[hottip:*:Though if you take the Naoya path, she leaves.]], and whoever comes with [[MultipleEndings the path you take]]. Everyone else, up to five characters, is optional.

** ''VideoGame/SuperPaperMario'' had three optional Pixls: Barry (who you met previously in World 3-1), Dashell, and Piccolo.
*** Four; you forgot about [[spoiler:Tiptron]], a SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute for [[spoiler:Tippi]], who leaves for story-related reasons at the end of the game.

* ''StarOcean'' games feature these en masse. Many of them are obscure, but there are also typically more optional party members than you have spaces in your party, requiring players to go through the games multiple times if they want to see everyone.
** Nobody in ''StarOceanTheLastHope'' is optional, but in NewGamePlus you can choose between Arumat and Faize for who you want to stay in the crew during the midpoint. Faize does not participate in PA past that point, however.
** ''Everybody'' except for the two primary protagonists in ''{{Star Ocean 2}}'' is optional. This had the unfortunate side effects of them having to be absent from all of the animated cutscenes in the remake, and also keeping their dialogue to a minimum outside of sidequests and private actions. Some of them were also [[MutuallyExclusivePartyMembers mutually exclusive]], which makes the fact that all of them show up the direct sequel as mandatory characters a little awkward.