History Characters / OctopathTraveler

* [[Characters/OctopathTravelerTheEightProtagonists The Eight Protagonists]]

The characters from Square Enix's ''VideoGame/OctopathTraveler''.

[[/index]]

* [[Characters/OctopathTravelerOtherCharacters Other Characters]]

[[foldercontrol]]

!The Eight Protagonists

See Characters/OctopathTravelerTheEightProtagonists

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!Supporting Characters
See Characters/OctopathTravelerSupportingCharacters

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!Other Characters

See Characters/OctopathTravelerOtherCharacters

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!Antagonists

!!Ophilia's Route
[[folder:Guardian of the First Flame]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_guardian_9.png]]

A golem that tests those that wish to undertake the Kindling.
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* EldritchAbomination: Of a kind. It's a golem that lacks a true, expressive face made out of ice, and it's been around since ancient times to protect Aelfric's Flame. This sets it apart from other bosses, as it is actually a benevolent force that protects a sacred flame, rather than someone or something that is actively trying to harm the protagonists.
* LogicalWeakness: Inverted. It's a giant golem made of ice in an ice cave in the frozen north... and it's weak to Ice.
* MacguffinGuardian: Protects Aelfric's Embers, the source of the Sacred Flames across the world.
* StarterVillain: The first boss of Ophilia's story. Though, as it is actually guarding Aelfric's Flame from those with malevolent intent, it is more of a necessary antagonist than a "villain" per se.
* WakeUpCallBoss: Not to the same extent as Primrose's Chapter 1 boss, but the Guardian is among the more difficult bosses in the early game. It has high HP and shields, can summon Dark Wisps that will self-destruct to deal a large amount of damage to Ophilia if not defeated in time, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and is not weak to Light magic]][[note]]It's weak to Swords, Daggers, Staves, Ice and Wind[[/note]]. This encourages you to take advantage of Ophilia's Guide path action to defeat it; in particular, an NPC with "Summon Winds" in the Flamesgrace tavern helps make the fight more manageable.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Hróðvitnir]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_hrodvitnir_6.png]]

A wolf from the forest that attacks Emil when the boy searches for his friend's lost brooch.
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* GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere: One of the few bosses of the game who has no ties to the story and very little foreshadowing, appearing out of nowhere to give a boss fight to the second chapter of Ophilia's story. To be fair, though, it ''is'' foreshadowed if you talk to some of the [=NPCs=] in Saintsbridge, and while the reasoning is somewhat lacking, it does at least help a few characters further their development.
* LightningBruiser: It can take a mountain of punishment and increase its maximum guard points, but can also hit hard to the whole party and can buff its attack. Oh, and it attacks twice per turn.
* MeaningfulName: Its name means "fame-wolf", and is an alternate title of Fenrir, the wolf from Norse mythology.
* NonMaliciousMonster: Attacks Emil because it saw him as a potential meal.
* SavageWolves: It's a monstrous wolf that attacks Emil, forcing Ophilia to fight it.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: After being defeated, Hróðvitnir just disappears. Whether Ophilia killed it or merely fended it off is left ambiguous, though Emil and his friends imply that it's the latter.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Mystery Man and Shady Figure]]
[[quoteright:167:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_mysterymen.png]]
[[caption-width-right:167:Mystery Man (right) and Shady Figure (left)]]

Two cultists that kidnapped Bishop Donovan's daughter in the hopes that her father would deliver Aelfric's Embers to them.
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* BlackMage: The man with red on his cloak has access to Scholar skills and will be the main damage dealer.
* CharacterDeath: One cultist is killed in battle at the hands of [[GoodIsNotSoft Ophilia]], the other [[CyanidePill injects himself with lethal poison]] so that Ophilia can't get any more information out of him.
* CyanidePill: After telling Ophilia that she will tremble before the power of the "Savior", the surviving Mystery Man injects himself with deadly poison, denying her further answers.
* DarkIsEvil: They dress in black robes that obscure their identities, and are devout followers of a {{Cult}} that worships the local GodOfEvil. They are the first antagonists of Ophilia's story with clear malicious intent behind their actions.
* DualBoss: The two of them are fought at the same time.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: If one falls in combat, the other will get upset and be empowered by revenge, indicating they probably care for each other to some extent.
* HateSink: What with [[WouldHurtAChild kidnapping an innocent child]], using death threats to pressure her father into stealing the Ember from the Flamebearer, and their dialogue giving away that [[ILied they were planning to murder Donovan and Lysa whether he gave them the Ember or not]], it's very clear that these two are not meant to be likeable in the slightest. It's telling that, along with the ArcVillain of Ophilia's story, [[spoiler:[[DarkMessiah Mattias]]]], they are the only ones who succeed in making [[FriendToAllChildren Ophilia]] genuinely angry. Unlike [[spoiler:Mattias]], they have no sympathetic backstory explaining how they came to become so depraved.
* ILied: Were planning on murdering Donovan and his girl after getting the Embers, instead of having a fair exchange.
* KnightOfCerebus: In spite of her adoptive father falling seriously ill, Ophilia's pilgrimage begins on a hopeful note as she travels Orsterra in her sister Lianna's place so that the latter can remain at their father's side, renewing the light of the Sacred Flame to the land and its people, and helping others in need such as the three children in Saintsbridge. Then Ophilia reads a threatening letter sent by Mystery Man and Shady Figure to the bishop of Goldshore, Donovan, telling him that they have kidnapped his young daughter, Lysa, and won't return her unless he claims the Ember from the Flamebearer (Ophilia) and gives it to them. Despite their rather silly-sounding titles, Mystery Man and Shady Figure are when Ophilia's story takes a much darker turn. [[ILied They were planning to kill Donovan and his daughter whether he gave them the Ember or not]], [[spoiler:Lianna arrives in Goldshore to inform her that their father has died, and then Lianna betrays Ophilia and takes the Ember from her in a desperate (and futile) hope that their father can be brought BackFromTheDead, having been visited by [[DarkMessiah the]] [[ArcVillain Savior]] with said (false) promise and allying herself with him.]]
* LightIsNotGood: The man with blue on his cloak uses Cleric spells like Luminescence and Heal Wounds, and is a devout and depraved cultist who WouldHurtAChild, just like his partner.
* NoNameGiven: Unusually for the final boss of a character's chapter, their names are never disclosed.
* ObviouslyEvil: They [[DarkIsEvil dress in black, hooded robes]], connive at the back of a cave, and [[NoNameGiven their names are never revealed]]. [[SarcasmMode Nope, nothing suspicious about that in the slightest.]]
* TurnsRed: If the WhiteMage is shot down first, the BlackMage gets three turns, one of which is always spent on a single-turn Elemental Attack boost, and his spells begin hitting for two times. If the BlackMage goes down first, the other will begin spamming Arcane Blade (heavy physical damage) and Dark Magic (dark magic to the whole party).
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: If the Shady Figure dies before the Mystery Man, the latter will "seethe with rage" and up the offensive ante on his turns.
* WhiteMage: The man with blue on his cloak has access to Cleric skills and will be the duo's source of healing, always using one of his two turns to heal them both.
* WouldHurtAChild: They were perfectly willing to kill a child whether Bishop Donovan did what they wanted or not.
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: As mentioned above, their plan is to kill the bishop and his daughter after getting the ember.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Savior]]
!!Mattias
!!!'''Voiced By:''' Creator/ChrisNiosi (English)
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_mattias.png]]

The trader associated with the Leoniel Consortium whose job is to aid Ophilia in her pilgrimage. In truth, he is the leader of the {{Cult}} of Galdera seeking to take the ember and using it to weaken the bonds on Galdera.
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* AntiMagic: A few turns into the fight (never later than recovering from his second break), he uses Infernal Flame to jam your multitarget spells.
* AlasPoorVillain: Ophilia pities him after he dies.
-->'''Ophilia:''' [[SourOutsideSadInside What a sad man you were...]]
* ArcVillain: The primary villain of Ophilia's story.
* BadBoss: He's willing to use his followers as sacrifices in a ritual to [[spoiler:weaken the bonds on Galdera]] without their knowledge. It's even implied that [[BaitTheDog he saved them from the plague that ravaged Wispermill so that he could gain their trust for that very purpose]].
* BadPowersBadPeople: Mattias is empowered by Galdera, who bestowed him with a fraction of his power. [[spoiler:He tries to take advantage of Lianna's grief at the loss of her father to manipulate her into helping him corrupt the Sacred Flame to weaken Galdera's seal and gain more power, under the pretense that he can resurrect her father.]]
* BadPowersGoodPeople: Mattias used to be this. [[spoiler:After becoming disillusioned with the twelve gods for [[BetrayalByInaction doing nothing while those he cared about perished in a fire]], he tried using Galdera's power to help others, [[TheDarkSideWillMakeYouForget but the dark god's influence eventually took over]].]]
* BaitTheDog: It's implied that he used Galdera's power to stop the plague ravaging Wispermill solely to gain the trust of its people, so that he could [[spoiler:sacrifice them to Galdera as part of a ritual to weaken the god's seal]].
* BitchInSheepsClothing: He appears as a helpful merchant while secretly [[spoiler:plotting the failure of the pilgrimage.]]
* BossBanter: He talks to Ophilia periodically throughout the fight.
* CharacterDeath: He dies shortly after being defeated in battle at the hands of [[GoodIsNotSoft Ophilia]].
* ChekhovsGunman: He initially seems like a fairly unimportant NPC when he first shows up, but then turns out to be the main antagonist of Ophilia's route.
* CreateYourOwnHero: While his intention in the [[spoiler:poisoning of Archbishop Josef]] is to have Lianna still take the pilgrimage and lure her into his manipulations, the pain Ophilia sees in her sister makes her take up the mantle of Flamebearer in her sister's place. Ophilia's own personal experience with loss not only allows her not to be swayed by Mattias' false promises of [[spoiler:Josef's resurrection]] but also breaks through to Lianna's heart and helps her step back before it is too late. To rub further salt in Mattias' wound, Ophilia makes it her mission to stop and kill him for his actions.
* DarkIsEvil: Mattias is empowered by Galdera and gains power from the Dark Flame, a corrupted form of the Sacred Flame, during his boss fight. [[spoiler:He intends to ruin Ophilia's pilgrimage to restore light to the realm so he may gain more power from Galdera.]]
* DarkMessiah: He sees himself as the chosen of Galdera and his followers refer to him as the Savior.
* TheDarkSideWillMakeYouForget: [[spoiler:He goes from a WellIntentionedExtremist trying to use Galdera's power to help people, to a rambling lunatic with delusions of world domination.]]
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: His backstory as explained in [[spoiler:[[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon the Gate of Finis]]]] reveals that he once had loved ones. [[spoiler:He was once a high-ranking and devout member of the Order of the Sacred Flame, and he platonically loved the children who attended the church he worked at. When a lightning-strike caused a fire that burned the church to the ground, it was the children's deaths in particular that incited him to reject his faith, as he saw no good reason why [[ChildrenAreInnocent they]] should die.]] By the time of the present, however, his RageAgainstTheHeavens has left him so twisted that he [[BadBoss willingly sacrifices his own followers to Galdera, without their knowledge]] and [[LackOfEmpathy without conscience]].
* EvenEvilHasStandards: [[spoiler:He knows that releasing Galdera on the world is bad news, so he merely wants to loosen his bonds so he can draw more power from the god.]]
* EvilAllAlong: Initially appearing to be a humble, [[ChekhovsGunman unimportant]] merchant, he is actually the leader of a dark {{Cult}} and aims to draw more power from [[GodOfEvil Gal]][[GreaterScopeVillain dera]] by using the pilgrimage ember to weaken the God's seal. [[spoiler:His diary found in [[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon the Gate of Finis]] subverts this, however. Here, it is revealed that there was a time when he really was a good man and devout believer in the Sacred Flame, until [[EvilStoleMyFaith those he cared about perished in a fire started by a lightning strike despite his prayers for the Gods to save them]], [[StartOfDarkness which convinced him to abandon his faith]].]]
* EvilCannotComprehendGood: Mattias believes that love and friendship are superficial connections that will inevitably disappear, and is unable to understand Ophilia's love for Lianna and Josef or why she would go so far to help Lianna out of her despair from Josef's illness [[spoiler:and death]]. Even in his final moments, Mattias dies angry and scornfully laughing at Ophilia for her resolute faith in her adoptive sister and father.
* EvilCounterpart: [[spoiler:To Cyrus of all people. Like Cyrus, he too believed that power by itself is not evil, but rather how it was wielded. However, he became corrupted with Galdera's power despite trying to use it for good and became a true villain.]]
* EvilLaugh: Bursts into maniacal laughter when the dark ritual [[spoiler:Lianna initiates while wishing for her father's resurrection]] begins draining the life of his nearby followers. He also laughs at the thought of [[spoiler:Ophilia having to kill her own adoptive sister to stop the ritual, as the latter is too grief-stricken to stop wishing for her father's resurrection even after the ritual's true purpose is revealed]].
* EvilStoleMyFaith: [[spoiler:He became disillusioned with the twelve gods when they did nothing to save innocent lives from a disaster despite all his prayers.]]
* FallenHero: [[spoiler:He was once a high-ranking and devout member of the Order of the Sacred Flame. However, when his church was destroyed and many of its members were killed he lost his faith and sought the power of Galdera.]]
* FauxAffablyEvil: He's as charismatic as one would expect from a cult leader and speaks politely to Ophilia when she's imprisoned by his followers, but this façade falls apart [[spoiler:when Lianna stops the ritual to corrupt the Sacred Flame.]]
* FlunkyBoss: In the early going, he summons two {{Mooks}} to lock his weaknesses before unleashing the Infernal Flame. In the last leg of his fight, he summons two enemies that protect him from all harm until they are eliminated, provided you give him the opportunity.
* {{Foil}}: His backstory as explained in [[spoiler:the Gate of Finis]] makes him one to Ophilia. [[spoiler:Both of them were devastated when they lost everyone they cared about in the past. While Ophilia managed to recover thanks to Lianna's love and support, which led to her becoming a very kind and compassionate person, Mattias didn't have anyone to help him, which led to him falling to Galdera. [[FridgeHorror It is very likely that Ophilia would have ended up like Mattias if she hadn't been adopted by a loving family after her parents' deaths]]; likewise, if Mattias had had somebody to help him in his time of crisis, he would have likely ended up more like Ophilia.]]
* {{Foreshadowing}}:
** In Chapter 1 when a fellow cleric announces that Archbishop Josef has collapsed, the screen stays focused on Mattias even after Ophilia exits. [[spoiler:His journal in TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon reveals that he poisoned Josef in his plan to make Lianna fall into despair and fail the pilgrimage.]]
** When speaking with Ophilia in Chapter 3 he expresses his doubt in having faith in the Sacred Flame and the gods, hinting at his true belief in the Dark Flame of Galdera.
** The biggest one is after [[spoiler:Lianna drugs Ophilia with a sleeping draught to steal the ember so she can try to resurrect Josef]]. A mysterious hooded figure enters the room to reaffirm his ([[ILied false]]) promise that he will make [[spoiler:her]] wish come true... and the figure's voice all but gives away that it's Mattias.
** In Chapter 4, [[spoiler:Mattias' dismissive admission that he had planned to sacrifice his followers to Galdera all along in exchange for receiving power from the dark god]] is a clue that [[spoiler:Mattias had been preparing his plot to foil the pilgrimage in advance]]. This is subtle foreshadowing that [[spoiler:Archbishop Josef's sickness on the eve of the pilgrimage was no coincidence, but the result of discreet poisoning]].
* FreudianExcuse: [[spoiler:He lost his faith in the Sacred Flame and the twelve gods when his church was destroyed and many of its members were killed, prompting him to seek the power of Galdera. At first, he wanted to use it to help others, but became [[TheDarkSideWillMakeYouForget corrupted by it over time]].]]
* HeWhoFightsMonsters: [[spoiler:He was so disgusted with the twelve gods for sitting idly by while his church burned to the ground and its members killed, that he decided that he would use [[GodOfEvil Gal]][[GreaterScopeVillain dera]]'s power to do the twelve gods' duty for them. By the present, he believes there is nothing wrong with him murdering Archbishop Josef via poison and [[BadBoss sacrificing his own loyal followers to the Accurst Flame]] to accomplish that goal, and even ''laughs'' at the idea of using the latter's lives to gain power, a far cry from his past self.]]
* ILied: [[spoiler:Mattias manipulates Lianna into believing that he will resurrect her deceased father if she steals the ember from Ophilia. After she does so and initiates his ritual wishing for her father's resurrection, the nearby villagers collapse, at which point Mattias cruelly reveals that he had lied all along and took advantage of her grief to sacrifice the villagers to Galdera and gain power from the dark god, breaking Lianna completely.]]
* MagicStaff: His scepter is a candelabra lit with [[spoiler:the corrupted Sacred Flame]]. He drops this weapon upon his defeat.
* TheManBehindTheMan: The official companion book ''Octopath Traveler: The Complete Guide'' reveals that [[spoiler:Mattias co-established [[TheSyndicate the Obsidians]] with Simeon after they were both bestowed with semi-immortality from [[BigBad Lyblac]] using knowledge from the ''From the Far Reaches of Hell'' tome, which means that Mattias indirectly plays a role in Primrose's story.]]
* ManipulativeBastard: [[spoiler:He manipulates the devastated Lianna into stealing the ember from Ophilia under the false promise to bring her father Archbishop Josef back. In reality, he is the one responsible for Josef's death in the first place, as he used slow-acting poison to make it look like Josef died from natural causes.]]
* NoBodyLeftBehind: His body disintegrates upon his defeat.
* NoNameGiven: [[spoiler:Mattias isn't his real name. It was a fake name he adopted after he outlived everyone who knew him to help conceal his identity. His true name is never revealed.]]
* NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist: He claims that he wants to help [[spoiler:Lianna by resurrecting her father]] at the cost of corrupting the Sacred Flame with Galdera's power, but he actually only cares about power and is even willing to [[spoiler:sacrifice several of his own followers to the Accurst Flame]] [[ItsAllAboutMe for his own benefit]]. [[spoiler:He was once a genuine WellIntentionedExtremist before [[TheDarkSideWillMakeYouForget The Dark Side Made Him Forget]].]]
* OneDegreeOfSeparation: His diary entry in [[spoiler:the Gate of Finis]] reveals that he is allied with [[spoiler:Simeon, the main antagonist of Primrose's route, who supported him in his crusade against the Sacred Flame]]. The official companion book ''Octopath Traveler: The Complete Guide'' goes a step further by revealing that [[spoiler:Mattias helped Simeon co-establish the Obsidians, [[TheManBehindTheMan making the former an indirect antagonist in Primrose's route]]]].
* RageAgainstTheHeavens: [[spoiler:He became disillusioned and furious with the gods after his loved ones perished in a fire that destroyed the church he worshipped at, and has dedicated his life to weakening the Sacred Flame he once revered ever since. By the time he conducts the ritual in Ophilia's Chapter 4, his hatred for the Sacred Flame has twisted him so much that [[BadBoss he has no problem sacrificing his own followers]] to the dark god Galdera without their knowledge, something his past self would have been horrified by.]]
* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: [[spoiler:Having gained the forbidden knowledge of the tome ''From the Far Reaches of Hell'' from Lyblac has allowed him to live without aging. He's really a former high-ranking member of the Order of the Sacred Flame, who has lived long enough that everyone that could possibly recognize his true identity has died of old age. ''Octopath Traveler: The Complete Guide'' confirms that his minimum age is 115 during the current events of the game.]]
* {{Sadist}}: When he [[spoiler:gives Ophilia the SadisticChoice of either letting the ritual empowering Galdera to continue, killing Lianna or convincing her to give up wishing for her father's resurrection ([[EvilCannotComprehendGood which he believes is impossible]])]], he laughs at the thought of [[spoiler:Ophilia killing Lianna]].
* ShadowArchetype: [[spoiler:As revealed in his diary in TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon, Mattias embodies what Ophilia would have become if she hadn't been HappilyAdopted and reached out to by Lianna after losing her loved ones. Ophilia became a very kind and compassionate person because she had Lianna to help her through her pain, whereas nobody was there for Mattias when he lost his loved ones, and as a result he developed a deep hatred for the gods and fell into evil.]]
* TheStarscream: [[spoiler:Unlike Lyblac, he doesn't intend on fully reviving Galdera but weakening the bonds on the fallen god, which will give Mattias more power in turn.]]
* StartOfDarkness: [[spoiler:Deciding that the twelve gods of Orsterra couldn't care less about human suffering and renouncing his faith, after his loved ones died in a fire started by a lightning strike, including children. Following this, Mattias took it upon himself to help others, but eventually decided it was a great idea to seek the power of [[ThirteenIsUnlucky the thirteenth god]], [[GodOfEvil Galdera]] to do so, and the rest is history.]]
* UnwittingPawn: [[spoiler:To Lyblac, who gave him eternal youth knowing he would try to weaken the Sacred Flame and loosen the bonds on Galdera.]]
* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler:When Ophilia talks Lianna out of wishing for her father's resurrection by reminding her that the memories she made with him remain with her, and dispels the dark flame, he goes berserk and tries to feed Ophilia to it.]]
* WalkingSpoiler: He appears in Ophilia's Chapter 1 as a [[ChekhovsGunman seemingly unimportant]] NPC, but in her Chapter 4 is revealed to have been [[spoiler:plotting to foil the pilgrimage]] from the start.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: [[spoiler:He ''used'' to be this. After his loss of faith in the twelve gods, he decided to use Galdera's power to help people. However, he eventually [[NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist got drunk on his power]].]]
* YouMeddlingKids: [[spoiler:When Ophilia manages to dissuade Lianna from completing the dark ritual, Mattias has a VillainousBreakdown where he laments that "it all would have succeeded if only Lianna had been the one to perform the Kindling".]]
[[/folder]]

!!Cyrus' Route
[[folder:Russell]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_russell.png]]

A scholar in the same academy as Cyrus who gambles frequently.
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* CharacterDeath: [[AvertedTrope Averted]]. Russell is the only antagonist in Cyrus' story to survive the game.
* DrowningMySorrows: Dominic mentioned that Russell reeked of liquor before he took him on as his apprentice.
* TheGamblingAddict: He has a gambling problem that has put him in a sizable debt.
* HeelFaceTurn: After serving his sentence, he wandered around before becoming Dominic's apprentice.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Bows his head in shame as Cyrus explains the enormity of his crime.
* PlayingWithFire: Two of his attacks are fire-based.
* SmallRoleBigImpact: He only appears in Cyrus' first chapter for stealing a book. However, his theft reveals that ''From the Far Reaches of Hell'' is also missing, kicking off Cyrus' quest to find the tome.
* StarterVillain: The first boss that Cyrus fights.
* YouMeddlingKids: After Cyrus catches him in a [[DidIJustSayThatOutLoud verbal slip]], Russell angrily says "If not for your bloody meddling, I could have had it all!" before beginning their battle.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Gideon]]
[[quoteright:338:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_gideon.png]]

A scholar who kidnaps people in Quarrycrest Sewers and extracts their blood in order to create blood-crystals, a technique learned from a copy of the tome Cyrus searches for.
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* ArcVillain: The main antagonist for Cyrus' Chapter 2.
* BloodMagic: His reason for kidnapping people.
* CharacterDeath: He dies shortly after being defeated in battle at the hands of Cyrus.
* FlatCharacter: He's an amoral MadScientist, and there's little else to his character beyond that. The results of his experiments [[NightmareFuel are more memorable than he is]].
* JerkWithAHeartOfJerk: Cyrus tells Gideon that he should free the three surviving prisoners at once if he knows what's best for him. Gideon's response?
-->'''Gideon:''' Well, since you asked so nicely... no, I think not.
* MadScientist: He has no problem killing people for his experiments.
* SinisterScythe: He uses a sickle.
* SmallRoleBigImpact: He gets very little screen-time and we don't see much of his personality before he dies, but his experiments are the first sign that the knowledge within the ''From the Far Reaches of Hell'' tome is extremely dangerous when placed in the wrong hands. His use of an abridged copy of the tome also gives Cyrus a big lead to find the original edition.
* TheSociopath: He treats innocent lives he kidnaps as nothing more than tools to be used for his BloodMagic experiments, and couldn't care less about them as long as he gets the results he wants.
* WeHardlyKnewYe: Gets brief but effective characterization, is defeated in battle by Cyrus and co., and dies.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Yvon]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_yvon.png]]

->''"You will taste the power I summoned from the far reaches of hell!"''

The headmaster of the academy Cyrus teaches at, who considers knowledge a form of power that only the worthy should have access to. Cyrus' investigations also uncover that he commissioned the translation of ''From the Far Reaches of Hell'', the tome that had gone missing.
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* AmbitionIsEvil: His villainy started when he decided that he was far too smart to remain a lowly teacher, with a little helpful nudging from Lucia. [[spoiler:And Lyblac. He even curses the both of them after you defeat his shadow boss form in TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon, while also cursing his own lack of foresight.]]
* CharacterDeath: He dies shortly after being defeated in battle at the hands of Cyrus, [[spoiler:with some "assistance" from Lucia giving him an imperfect blood-crystal without his knowledge, having intended to [[ManipulativeBitch use him to discover the information she wanted]] and then [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness dispose of him]] all along]].
* ChekhovsGunman: He initially appears to be the stern headmaster of the Royal Academy of Atlasdam, but in Cyrus' Chapter 3 is revealed to be more than just a {{Jerkass}} -- he is responsible for the theft of ''From the Far Reaches of Hell''.
* DarkIsEvil: He dresses in black, and is a cold DeanBitterman who believes knowledge should only be shared with a select few, and is later revealed to be outright {{evil|All Along}}.
* DeanBitterman: He's very cold to the other scholars, even calling out Cyrus for believing that knowledge should be shared.
* DidntSeeThatComing: He didn't realize that [[spoiler:[[ManipulativeBitch Lucia]] had planned to invoke YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness on him once he uncovered all the secrets within ''From the Far Reaches of Hell'' all along]] until it was too late. He spends the last moments of his life incredulous that his ambition blinded him to [[spoiler:Lucia's true colours. He curses both Lucia, Lyblac and his own lack of foresight in his diary found in TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon]].
* TheDragon: The secondary antagonist of Cyrus' story.
* EntitledBastard: He [[KlingonPromotion assassinated the previous headmaster to usurp the position]] after he came to believe that he was more intelligent than the previous headmaster, and therefore more deserving of the privileges that comes with being one. Lucia [[spoiler:and Lyblac]] helped bring out this side of him.
* EvilAllAlong: A little downplayed as he already was a {{Jerkass}} before the reveal of his true villainy. However, it turns out that he is more than a mere DeanBitterman as he's a murderer and the one responsible of the theft of ''From the Far Reaches of Hell'' (even though [[spoiler:he was Lucia's UnwittingPawn]] all along).
* EvilCounterpart: To Cyrus. They both have a passion for knowledge, but Yvon pursues knowledge [[ItsAllAboutMe for his own benefit]] and is strictly selective about the knowledge he shares, whereas Cyrus enjoys teaching and passing knowledge on to future generations.
* {{Foil}}: To Helgenish, from Primrose's route. They are both {{Jerkass}} elderly men in positions of power who first appear in their respective protagonist's Chapter 1, who turn out to be even more sinister than they initially appear to be; but while Helgenish is a blatant SmugSnake who is not nearly as intelligent as he thinks he is, to the point of being TooDumbToLive when he [[spoiler:stabs Primrose's OnlyFriend [[ForcedToWatch in front of her]]]] [[DidntThinkThisThrough without realizing that Primrose getting through the Sunshade Catacombs means she has combat capabilities]], Yvon is intelligent enough to cover his tracks until Cyrus interrogates Dominic in Stonegard, and devises a plot to dispose of Cyrus that would have succeeded if not for an unexpected SpannerInTheWorks.
* FlunkyBoss: He has two other scholars assisting him in his battle. [[spoiler: And he's the only boss rematch in the Gate of Finis that has others join him from the start.]]
* InsufferableGenius: He looks down on others that aren't up to his level of intelligence and believes knowledge isn't meant to be shared with those with inferior minds.
* {{Jerkass}}: He was unpleasant even before he was revealed to be a villain.
* KlingonPromotion: He took the position of the headmaster by assassinating the previous one.
* NiceJobFixingItVillain: His disciplinary action unto Cyrus for Therese's out-of-control rumor ultimately led the erstwhile scholar into following his paper trail and staining it with his blood. [[spoiler:Whether Lucia planned on disposing of Yvon or not, she winds up joining him.]]
* NoBodyLeftBehind: After his boss fight, his transformed body disintegrates in a burst of magic.
* OneWingedAngel: Has obtained a blood-crystal, and uses it to transform into a giant brute for his boss fight.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: He has prominent red eyes, which serves as an obvious hint of his true nature. They're glowing red due to him dabbling with dark magic.
* ShadowArchetype: Yvon [[spoiler:(and Lucia)]] embodies what Cyrus would have become if he sought knowledge for personal gain, instead of for the benefit of humanity.
* ThisCannotBe: He spends his last moments uttering these words. Apparently, [[spoiler:Lucia]] promised Yvon immortality.
* UnwittingPawn: [[spoiler:Lucia used him to gain the forbidden knowledges of the blood-crystals, then betrayed him when he was no longer useful to her. In TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon, you can find a note from Yvon cursing his own lack of foresight, realizing too late that everything just seemed too good to be true, and he was so blinded by ambition that he fell for it all.]]
* VolcanicVeins: His veins glow red after using a blood-crystal to transform.
* WalkingSpoiler: He at first appears to be the {{Jerkass}} headmaster of the Royal Academy of Atlasdam, but in Cyrus' Chapter 3 is revealed to be responsible for the theft of the ''From the Far Reaches of Hell'' tome Cyrus is searching for.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Lucia]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_lucia.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''Lucia has gained inhuman strength...'']]

Headmaster Yvon's assistant. She briefly fools Cyrus into thinking she's a scholar willing to undermine her boss to find the truth. But she's not only complicit in his acts; she's eager to surpass them.
----
* AndThenWhat: Cyrus asks this of her on what exactly she plans to actually ''do'' with all their knowledge she accumulates, to which he tells her that such knowledge should be passed on, ''not'' hoarded.
* ArcVillain: The primary villain of Cyrus' story.
* BitchInSheepsClothing: At first, she seems like a friendly assistant, but then as Cyrus enters Yvon's Birthplace, it's revealed that she's pure evil.
* BodyHorror: Despite using a perfected blood-crystal, her transformation is actually more monstrous than Yvon's. While Yvon just looked like a bigger, more muscular version of himself with paler skin, Lucia gains CreepilyLongArms, an overly thin waist, and her spine protrudes from her back.
* CharacterDeath: She dies shortly after being defeated in battle at the hands of Cyrus.
* [[ChekhovsGunman Chekhov's Gunwoman]]: It's somewhat downplayed as Lucia is the one who suggests Cyrus' sabbatical in the first place, but otherwise she begins Cyrus' route as Yvon's anonymous assistant, masquerades as an ally of Cyrus [[EvilAllAlong only to reveal she's complicit in Yvon's plans]][[note]]Yvon himself is also EvilAllAlong[[/note]] two chapters later, and finally is revealed to be the main antagonist of Cyrus' route, having betrayed Yvon because he had discovered all the secrets behind ''From the Far Reaches of Hell'' [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness and therefore was no more use to her]].
* ClippedWingAngel: She begins the fight with an enormous 30 points of armour, however each time you put her in a broken state she will regenerate fewer armour points (first 15, then 8). The game describes this as being due to her body mutating and breaking down as the fight progresses.
* DarkIsEvil: She dresses in purple and black, and is a [[TheSociopath sociopathic]] mastermind who has no problem using others to gets what she wants [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness before tossing them aside]], having orchestrated Yvon's rise to power and eventual death over the course of ''fifteen years''.
* DeceptiveDisciple: She used Yvon to obtain as much forbidden knowledge from him as she wants and then got rid of him once he was no longer useful.
* DragonAscendant: After Yvon's defeat, she takes the blood-crystal research in the hopes of gaining immortality, as a mere mortal can only learn so much in their lifetime.
* EvilAllAlong: Briefly passes herself for an ally of Cyrus, but it ultimately turns out that she's Yvon's accomplice. She then becomes this from Yvon's perspective when she deliberately gives him a blood-crystal without telling him it is an imperfect one, intending for Yvon to die from his body mutating.
* EvilCounterpart: To Cyrus. They are both motivated by the pursuit of knowledge, but Lucia considers mediocre minds unworthy of her time, whereas Cyrus enjoys teaching and passing knowledge on to future generations.
* EvilIsPetty: She [[DragonAscendant uses Yvon]] to discover the secrets within a magic tome, allows the conduction of horrific experiments to extract the blood of innocent victims, and voluntarily throws away her own humanity to become a powerful monstrosity… all for the purpose of acquiring all the knowledge in the world and [[ItsAllAboutMe keeping it to herself so that she can feel superior to everybody else]]. Cyrus' TheReasonYouSuckSpeech delivered to her is well-deserved.
* {{Foil}}: Like many of the other final chapter bosses, Lucia acts as a foil to the traveler to drive home the themes of that traveler's story. Both Lucia and Cyrus are scholars with a thirst for knowledge, but while Cyrus aims to educate other people and give everyone power through knowledge, Lucia seeks to hoard knowledge and use it to increase her own power.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: [[spoiler:Although Lucia claims the secret library Cyrus finds in his fourth chapter belongs to her, he notes that even the most accomplished and well-connected scholar would take at least decades to collect all those books, implying that someone else gave her access to that library. It's later revealed that Lyblac was the one behind Lucia and Yvon's schemes.]]
* FauxAffablyEvil: She continues to act civil even after her true monstrous side is revealed until Cyrus calls her out on her beliefs.
* HPToOne: After being broken twice, Lucia gains access to her ultimate attack, which reduces the entire party to 1 HP and heals Lucia by the total HP the party lost.
* ImmortalitySeeker: She wishes to become immortal so she can have all the time she needs to obtain all the knowledge in the world.
* ItIsDehumanizing: While she refers to specific individuals by their gender pronouns, referring to Cyrus and Yvon as "he"/"his", she refers to a nonspecific human as "it" instead of "they"/"their" while explaining her reasons for being an ImmortalitySeeker, proving her narcissistic contempt for humanity's flaws.
-->'''Lucia:''' A human can only learn so much in '''its''' short lifetime. I will gain the time, the power to understand ''everything''.
* ItsAllAboutMe: In spades. Lucia wants all the knowledge in the world for herself so that she can feel superior to everybody else. [[InformationWantsToBeFree Cyrus]] is not impressed, and he rightly [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech calls her out for her selfishness]].
* TheManInFrontOfTheMan: Yvon's initially anonymous assistant, always seen with him in Chapter 1, turns out to have been pulling his strings all along and is the reason he even got his position.
* MagicKnight: Although she is the main antagonist of [[BlackMage Cyrus]]' story, you want to bring both magical and physical attackers to the battle against her. In fact, during her first phase she is purely a physical attacker and is only weak to weapons, and Staves ain't one of them, making her very anti-Cyrus. During her second phase, she adds magical attacks and is only weak to spells, and during her third phase is weak to a combination of weapons and spells.
* {{Manipulative B|astard}}itch: She assists Yvon while he uncovers all the secrets within ''From the Far Reaches of Hell'', then deliberately gives him an incomplete blood-crystal and leads Cyrus to him, having no more use for him.
* NoBodyLeftBehind: As with Yvon, she disintegrates upon defeat.
* OneWingedAngel: Becomes a monstrosity after trying to transcend humanity by using a blood-crystal on herself.
* ShadowArchetype: Lucia (and Yvon) embodies what Cyrus would have become if he sought knowledge for personal gain, instead of for the benefit of humanity.
* TheSociopath: Lucia is calm and polite throughout most of her conversations with Cyrus and Yvon, but it's a façade to mask a narcissistic and cold-hearted woman who has no qualms [[ManipulativeBitch using others to get what she wants]], then [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness disposing of them once they've fulfilled their role for her]]. Specifically, she wants to [[ImmortalitySeeker become immortal]] so that she can gain all the knowledge in the universe [[ItsAllAboutMe for herself]]--including knowledge that can be used to benefit humanity--all to fuel her belief in her superiority to everybody else. After Cyrus deconstructs her personal ideology and [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech tells her just how selfish he thinks she is]], [[VillainousBreakdown her polite façade breaks in anger]] to reveal the twisted monster underneath. While lacking [[spoiler:Simeon]]'s [[{{Sadist}} sadism]], Lucia is still one of the most evil antagonists in the game.
* SoftSpokenSadist: While "sadist" probably isn't the right word, Lucia otherwise stays true to the spirit of the trope; she's a villain, and she never raises her voice once until her final confrontation with Cyrus, where she becomes excited as she makes her WeCanRuleTogether offer to Cyrus, and [[VillainousBreakdown loses it]] when Cyrus rejects her offer.
* TheStarscream: She helped Yvon so he could acquire all the forbidden research she wanted, then betrays him and steals it all once she no longer needed him.
* VillainRespect: She genuinely respects Cyrus for his passion for discovering new knowledge. Cyrus does not return the favor because she keeps the knowledge she discovers to herself for the sake of her personal ego, while Cyrus believes in and enjoys sharing knowledge with others.
* VillainousBreakdown: She makes a WeCanRuleTogether offer to Cyrus. He refuses on the grounds that Lucia wants to hoard knowledge for the sake of her own ego, instead of sharing knowledge with others. Lucia does not take his rejection and subsequent TheReasonYouSuckSpeech at all well.
* VillainousCrush: Several of her lines are phrased in a way that suggest she has feelings for Cyrus. It takes multiple rejections from him before she finally gets a clue that no, he won't ever join with her.
-->'''Lucia:''' [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything I've given you plenty of opportunities to make a move—any move!—but clearly we are going nowhere fast.]]
* VolcanicVeins: Like Yvon, her veins glow red after using a blood-crystal to transform.
* WalkingSpoiler: Due to being complicit in Yvon's plot to steal the ''From the Far Reaches of Hell'' tome, then for betraying Yvon after he discovered all the secrets in the tome as [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness He Had Outlived His Usefulness]], becoming the main antagonist of Cyrus' route.
* WeCanRuleTogether: Offers to let Cyrus join her, seeing him as her only intellectual equal. Cyrus refuses because, while [[NotSoDifferentRemark they do both have a passion for knowledge]], [[NotSoSimilar Lucia wants to claim knowledge for herself whereas Cyrus wants to share knowledge with others, and looks forward to when he can learn from them]]. [[VillainousBreakdown Lucia does not take it well.]]
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: After Yvon uncovers all the secrets contained within the ''From the Far Reaches of Hell'' tome, Lucia betrays and disposes of Yvon by giving him an imperfect blood-crystal without his knowledge and leading Cyrus to him.
[[/folder]]

!!Tressa's Route
[[folder:Mikk and Makk]]
[[quoteright:260:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_makkandmikk.png]]
[[caption-width-right:260:Mikk (right) and Makk (left)]]

The leaders of a band of pirates that terrorize Tressa's hometown.
----
* TheAlcoholic: They love to drink wine.
* BorrowedCatchPhrase: They often utter the infamous Captain Leon's motto, "The strong take and the weak quake." Their use of the line celebrates that the strong have the right to take advantage of the weak.
* DirtyCoward: They act like a bunch of big shots, but the moment they realize their enemy is stronger than them, they run for their lives.
* DualBoss: Both of them are fought at the same time.
* FatAndSkinny: One is LeanAndMean, the other is shorter and more burly.
* HeelFaceTurn: By the time Tressa reaches Victors Hollow, they've decided to turn over a new leaf and work for Leon.
* HypocriticalHumor: When they re-encounter Tressa in Victors Hollow, they're annoyed when she misrefers to them as "Nick and Knack"... only to misrefer to her hometown as "Drippleslime".
* JerkassHasAPoint: While they were using it as an excuse for their ruthless pirate ways, Mikk and Makk are right when they tell Tressa that the world is a harsh place, considering how several of Tressa's companions—particularly Olberic, Primrose, and Therion—have suffered much in their lives, whether by losing their loved ones and/or [[EtTuBrute being betrayed by someone they trusted]]. Ophilia also suffered as a child when her parents died by war, though she was later [[HappilyAdopted taken in by a loving family]].
* {{Pirate}}: Through and through, completely with DressedToPlunder and TalkLikeAPirate.
* StarterVillain: They are the first antagonists in Tressa's route.
* TemptingFate: When Captain Leon Bastralle [[BigDamnHeroes arrives to save Tressa]] from three of their subordinates when they gang up on her, Mikk tells their subordinates, "What difference does one more make? Get 'em!" Cue [[OneManArmy Leon]] effortlessly [[CurbStompBattle curb-stomping]] all three of their subordinates all on his own.
* UndyingLoyalty: To Captain Leon once they join his merchant crew.
* VitriolicBestBuds: They often argue with each other over who's the captain of the pirates, but they otherwise work well together.
* WakeUpCallBoss: Surprisingly, they're among the harder first bosses in the game due to being a DualBoss at a point where you may only have one character. They combo well and have high break bars making them better for after your second or third starter chapter. In particular, Cyrus greatly helps make the fight more manageable.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Morlock and Omar]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_omar.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Omar]]

The man that owns the mines and all surrounding lands in Quarrycrest, and his strong assistant. Already underpaying their gold miners, when skystones are discovered in the area, they attempt to confiscate Tressa and Ali's supplies. And when Ali tries to argue, they knock him out and apprehend him, giving Tressa motive to fight back.
----
* AnAxeToGrind: Omar wields an axe in battle, which is obtained after beating him.
* ArcVillain: Morlock is the main villain of Tressa's Chapter 2, with Omar fighting as the boss in his stead.
* BadBoss: Morlock uses his position as landowner of Quarrycrest to claim ownership of any and all gold his miners uncover. It initially appears that Morlock generously buys the uncovered gold from his miners with his own money, but Ali has figured out that he only pays them a tenth of the gold's actual value.
* BaitTheDog: Morlock's policy of buying any gold that people unearth on his land seems fair at first glance, until Ali reveals that Morlock is only paying the people a fraction of what the gold is actually worth.
* DirtyCoward: When Omar is defeated by the party, Morlock quickly gives in to all demands before fleeing for his life.
* TheDragon: Omar is this big time for his boss Morlock.
* EvilCounterpart: Morlock is this to Tressa. Tressa is a friendly, honest working-class merchant who's out to both make money and form connections with her customers. Morlock is a wealthy landowner and businessman who only cares about money and uses his position to actively scam his workers by paying them a fraction of the gold he claims ownership over.
* FatBastard: Morlock, as a side-effect of his opulence, is quite portly.
* FlunkyBoss: Omar is seconded by a few guards during his fight.
* HateSink: Morlock, while not among the most evil characters in the game, is a greedy, immoral man who uses his position as landowner of Quarrycrest to claim ownership over all riches his miners unearth, then pays them only a fraction of their worth without his miners' knowledge. He also becomes downright cruel in his mockery of Ali's father, [[KickTheDog heartlessly laughing at how he fell into debt]]. It's pretty evident that Morlock is a character not meant to be liked!
* HeelFaceTurn: Sort of. After Tressa's story ends, [[OptionalPartyMember they can be Guided/Allured as allies]].
* HiddenDepths: Once Tressa's story is concluded, the pair can be found in Bolderfall. There, scrutinizing/inquiring Omar reveals that he cares about Morlock beyond monetary contract, intending to stay with Morlock until the old man finds somewhere safe.
* HiredGuns: Morlock sunk a lot of cash into Omar.
* JerkassHasAPoint:
** Zig-zagged. Morlock dismisses Ali's father as a man who swindled his business connections and fell into debt after being deceived by a friend of his. While Ali admits that the latter is true, he insists that the former is just a lie that his father's competitors spread.
** Likewise, Morlock also points out that as owner of the land, he's legally entitled to whatever comes out of the mines, no matter how little he pays for it, which makes him a greedy scumbag but acting legally (at least insofar as the town doesn't seem to be beholden to a central government which regulates such things). ''Except'' that he then adds that he ran the previous mine owner out of town, meaning he's not the legitimate landowner.
* MightyGlacier: While not particularly ''slow'', Omar has considerable offensive prowess, and can actually bolster his defenses in combat; this comes in the form of ''increasing'' his maximum guard points, thus requiring more effort to Break him. This is always done the first two times he recovers from a Break.
* NoFullNameGiven: Morlock is the landlord's surname, and his first name is never revealed.
* OnlyOneName: Omar's surname is never revealed.
* OptionalPartyMember: After Tressa's story ends, they can be encountered near the tavern in Lower Bolderfall, and Guided/Allured as allies.
* RichesToRags: After getting run out of town by Tressa, Morlock is rendered completely broke.
* ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney: Morlock's mindset, having bought out all the Quarrycrest area landowners before.
* StoutStrength: Omar's battle sprite makes him seem portly, but he's nevertheless very strong.
* TheUnfought: Unlike Helgenish or Vanessa, Morlock does not participate at all in the battle.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Venomtooth Tiger ''(Byakko)'']]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_tiger.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''The beast's fangs and claws drip with lethal poison...'']]

A beast fought in the Forgotten Grotto where Baltazar hid his most valuable gem.
----
* BeyondTheImpossible: An antagonistic example. The Poison status in the game universally drains a party member's HP. But the Venomtooth Tiger's venom is so potent that in the last legs of the fight, it starts burning away the party's SP and BP as well (which are equivalent to the physical traits of mana and vitality, respectively).
* CharacterDeath: Its appearance as a ghost in TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon confirms it died shortly after being defeated in battle at the hands of Tressa, making it the only antagonist in her story to be killed.
* DubNameChange: From Byakko to Venomtooth Tiger.
* FangsAreEvil: It has a pair of large, purple tusks protruding from the sides of its mouth.
* GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere: One of the few bosses of the game who has no ties to the story and very little foreshadowing, appearing out of nowhere to give a boss fight to the third chapter of Tressa's story.
* MeaningfulName: A white tiger named after Chinese mythology's White Tiger of the West in the Japanese version.
* PantheraAwesome: It's a white tiger that possesses a lethal poison.
* PoisonousPerson: This thing is so poisonous that its regular attacks can inflict poison. When its health gets low enough, its toxicity becomes so severely potent that any poison it inflicts will actually [[ManaBurn drain SP]] and BP.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Esmeralda]]
[[quoteright:251:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_esmeralda.png]]

A thief that steals Tressa's diary. She is a member of the Obsidians, the same group responsible for the death of Primrose's father. Her stealing Tressa's diary is likely due to the group's wanting to track down Graham Crossford, the previous owner of the diary.
----
* AchillesHeel: While Esmeralda is a BarrierChangeBoss, she is consistently weak to [[BlowYouAway Wind]].
* ArcVillain: For Tressa's Chapter 4, along with, to a lesser extent, her unnamed partner.
* BarrierChangeBoss: She changes her weaknesses throughout the fight. She's [[AchillesHeel always weak to Wind]], however.
* DarkActionGirl: As the FinalBoss of Tressa's story, she more than qualifies. She's one of the hardest-hitting Chapter 4 bosses.
* DisproportionateRetribution: She tries to kill Tressa for trying to take back her journal that Esmeralda stole despite the fact that she not only gave it back moments prior, but even admitted was useless to her.
* DualWield: She wields knives in her sprite, which she can use to prevent certain battle actions or cause death within a certain amount of turns unless all her shield points are broken.
* EvilWearsBlack: She wears black like the other members of the Obsidians.
* FinalBoss: Of Tressa's story.
* GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere: Most of the protagonists get deep personal antagonists whose hands have been deeply involved in their journeys for their final confrontations. Tressa's is some random asshole who jumps her for her notebook.
* LockedOutOfTheLoop: It's possible to meet her after [[spoiler:Simeon]]'s death, but she and her partner will still try to steal Tressa's diary for the Obsidians, apparently unaware that their leader has already been killed.
* MsFanservice: Her boss sprite emphasizes her breasts and [[ShesGotLegs legs]].
* PowerNullifier: Esmeralda's colored daggers have the unique ability to limit their target's abilities. The Red Blade will prevent the target from using weapon attacks and abilities, and her Violet Blade will prevent the target from using any magic attacks.
* TattooedCrook: She has a tattoo on her upper right thigh, and is a member of the Obsidians, the group that killed Primrose's father.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: We don't really see what happens to her after Tressa defeats her. She didn't seem to have received a fatal injury, so she was probably arrested, but we don't really learn much about her fate. Either way she won't be stealing notebooks any time soon.
* YouAreAlreadyDead: Her Black Blade attack will trigger a countdown for its target -- once it hits zero, the victim will be incapacitated unless Esmeralda can be broken first.
[[/folder]]

!!Olberic's Route
[[folder:Erhardt]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_erhardt.png]]
A former member of the Knights of Hornburg who, for unknown reasons, betrayed them and killed the country's king during a battle with an enemy nation.
----
* TheAce: Only Olberic is his equal when it comes to wielding a blade, and even he wasn't able to stop Erhardt's secret technique.
* AllThereInTheManual: [[spoiler:While the game makes it seem like Werner was the one who destroyed Grynd, the official guide book states it was actually the fault of the invading southern clans. Nonetheless Werner used both truths and lies to exacerbate Erhardt's hatred for King Alfred as part of his plan to fall Hornburg.]]
* AntiVillain: He betrayed and killed King Alfred during his time as a Knight of Hornbug who had pledged to protect him, causing the fall of Hornbug and Olberic's [[DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife purpose crisis]]. When Olberic makes the acquaintance of Gustav, Gustav reveals that [[spoiler:[[TheMole Erhardt had planned the King's death before he even joined the Knighthood]]... and then reveals that [[BetrayalByInaction the King had neglected to save Erhardt's home village Grynd when they were attacked and slaughtered]]. After slaying the King, Erhardt finds Wellspring and becomes its protector from the Lizardmen there, [[VengeanceFeelsEmpty having found no happiness from avenging the people of his village]].]]
* TheAtoner: [[spoiler:By the time Olberic finds him, Erhardt has become a protector of Wellspring much like Olberic became one for Cobbleston, [[VengeanceFeelsEmpty having found nothing but emptiness from killing King Alfred in the name of vengeance]].]]
* BecomingTheMask: [[spoiler:Before his duel with Olberic, he admits that he cherishes the memories of training together, even though he had plotted Hornburg's downfall long before infiltrating their knights.]]
* BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler:Saves Olberic and Harald after they're ambushed by Werner's forces when their diversionary attack fails.]]
* BodyguardBetrayal: Despite being a Knight of Hornburg, pledged to protect his king, he killed King Alfred during battle.
* BreatherBoss: [[spoiler:Since he's fought in a duel, he's significantly easier than the Lizardman Chief that preceded him.]]
* DiscOneFinalBoss: He's introduced as the man responsible for Olberic's [[MyGreatestFailure greatest failure]] and the big personal antagonist of Olberic's story. [[spoiler:You beat him up in Chapter 3, and Olberic buries the hatchet with him and runs off to go fight the man who ''really'' instigated the fall of Hornburg, Werner.]]
* DuelBoss: [[spoiler:Olberic chooses to duel him, one-on-one.]]
* EasilyForgiven: No matter what his reasons were, his betrayal of King Alfred led to the deaths of other people and the fall of an entire kingdom. [[spoiler:Yet, when he finally meets him, Olberic can't bring himself to kill him and forgives him, as he saw that Erhardt became a protector of Wellspring [[TheAtoner as a form of atonement]] and that [[VengeanceFeelsEmpty his vengeance left him empty]].]]
* {{Foil}}: To [[spoiler:Simeon]] and Darius. [[spoiler:All three of them betrayed a protagonist (Olberic, Primrose, and Therion) in their backstories, leading to their current personal issues ([[DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife loss of purpose]], [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge desire for revenge]], and [[NeverBeHurtAgain inability to trust]]), and all three make their first direct appearance in Chapter 3. However, while Simeon and Darius had completely unsympathetic motivations for their betrayals (sadism and greed), are the definitive {{Big Bad}}s of their storylines, are not forgiven by the protagonists, and end up with daggers in the shriveled lumps they call hearts, Erhardt had at least an understandable motivation for his betrayal (revenge for a perceived BetrayalByInaction of his burning village by the king), is the DiscOneFinalBoss of Olberic's tale, is forgiven by Olberic, and ultimately survives the game.]]
* {{Foreshadowing}}: During Olberic's nightmare of Hornburg's fall at the beginning of his Chapter 1, he and Erhardt clash swords and Erhardt tells him, "I saved one trick — for the day I knew would come!" before defeating Olberic with a secret sword technique. [[spoiler:At the end of Olberic's Chapter 2, Gustav tells Olberic that Erhardt had planned to kill the king before he even joined the Knights of Hornburg, having a bitter hatred for the king's perceived BetrayalByInaction while his home-village and its people burned in flames.]]
* FreudianExcuse: His home village was [[spoiler:attacked and slaughtered, while King Alfred did nothing to help them, fueling his desire of revenge against the King who abandoned him and his loved ones when they needed him.]]
* HeelFaceTurn: Wandering without purpose after causing Hornburg's fall, he eventually became the protector of Wellspring. [[spoiler:Solidified when he comes to Olberic's aid in his fourth chapter.]]
* InformedAbility: [[spoiler:In the mandatory duel against him, the game rates his danger level a whopping ten out of ten, yet he's fairly easy to defeat compared to the Lizardman Chief fought right before him. In the post game he boasts much higher stats than his chapter 3 duel if you challenge him yet his danger level has dropped from ten to eight.]]
* TheKingslayer: In the middle of a battle, he killed his king as well as all the other knights present.
* MasterSwordsman: One of the most powerful in the world.
* MirrorBoss: [[spoiler:He uses several of the Warrior job's skills in his boss fight.]]
* MisplacedRetribution: [[spoiler:When his hometown of Grynd was destroyed, Erhardt decided to blame not the invaders from the south but rather his king for failing to protect them. It's made more tragic by the official guidebook revealing that Alfred ''did'' try to protect them, but was overwhelmed and forced to call the Church of the Sacred Flame for help. The Church would send an army led by a man named Titus who would become a war hero from the conflict, and later appeared in ''Champions of the Continent''.]]
* TheMole: [[spoiler:Gustav reveals that he was this from the start, as his village of Grynd was razed in war while the king did nothing.]]
* NotDistractedByTheSexy: Implied. When using Primrose's Allure on him, his quotes imply that he is less "seduced" by her and more "hypnotized", and that he's following against his free will.
-->'''Erhardt:''' ''(Being allured)'' I feel compelled to follow.\\
'''Erhardt:''' ''(Parting ways)'' Finally, I'm free.
* OptionalPartyMember: After Olberic's story ends, he can be encountered at the Wellspring guardhouse, and Guided/Allured as an ally. He also carries [[InfinityPlusOneSword the Battle-Tested Blade]], which can be Purchased or Stolen.
* PetTheDog: He tutored Gaston and Gustav in swordsmanship, and gave the former his sword as a goodbye present when their mercenary group disbanded.
* RedBaron: Inquiring/Scrutinizing him after completing Olberic's story reveals that as a Knight of Hornburg, he was known as the Blazing Blade. (No apparent relation to ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade'', so far as we know.)
* SecretArt: He secretly created a powerful sword fighting technique which he used to defeat Olberic, who otherwise could have fought job's skills.
* UnwittingPawn: [[spoiler:Werner used Erhardt's anger over the destruction of his village to bring him into the conspiracy to destroy Hornburg.]]
* VengeanceFeelsEmpty: By the time Olberic catches up to him in present, Erhardt reveals that taking vengeance did nothing to help him feel better.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Gaston]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_gaston.png]]

A bandit leader whose gang terrorized the village of Cobblestone.
----
* AffablyEvil: He is the only member of his gang to treat Phillip with kindness and show Olberic respect. After he is defeated, he willingly gives Olberic information on how he could find Erhardt.
* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: Clearly the best fighter among the mountain bandits, and he would be the first to insist that [[DumbMuscle he wasn't put in charge for his brains.]]
* BloodKnight: He demands that Olberic defeat him in battle before he answers any questions about Erhardt.
* DumbMuscle: He claims to be this, believing himself to only be good at fighting and to have no talent to learn more constructive skills. Even then, [[SurroundedByIdiots he still explicitly looks down on his lackeys for being arrogant, malicious, and short-sighted brutes.]]
* FlunkyBoss: He fights with some of his underlings helping him.
* ForcedIntoEvil: Believes himself to be this, claiming to lack the talent and skill for nonviolent professions and saying that hard times forced him into the life of a brigand.
* GracefulLoser: After being defeated by Olberic, he gives him the information he needs and peacefully surrenders to arrest.
* HeelFaceTurn: By the end of Olberic's storyline, he turns over a new leaf and becomes a protector of Cobbleston.
* MementoMacguffin: Erhardt used to be in the same mercenary group as him and taught him how to use a blade. When the group split up, he gave Gaston his sword as a farewell present.
* NobleDemon: He's really [[NotSoDifferentRemark Not So Different]] from Olberic in that neither of them feel like they're good for anything but swinging a sword, and Gaston just wasn't able to turn it into honest work like how Olberic did. When beaten, he's a GracefulLoser who surrenders [[AFatherToHisMen for the sake of his surviving men]] and offers Olberic a lead to help him find his rival, Erhardt.
* StarterVillain: He's the first boss in Olberic's route.
* WouldntHurtAChild: After his gang kidnapped Phillip, he was the only one not to mock him or threaten him and his mother.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Victorino]]
[[quoteright:204:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_victorino.png]]

A bounty hunter and arena competitor that Olberic provokes in order to earn a spot in the latest tourney.
----
* GracefulLoser: When he is bested, he surrenders his spot in the tourney to Olberic without resistance.
* MightMakesRight: Outright states this when he admits defeat to Olberic.
* OptionalPartyMember: After Olberic's story ends, he can be encountered in the Rippletide tavern, and Guided/Allured as an ally.
* RedBaron: The Buccaneer's Bane.
* RedHerring: His introduction sets him up to be evil, with the "Creeping Dread" track playing and a townsperson saying he's infamous for "collecting coin for the heads of seven ill-famed buccaneers", but he quickly turns out to be an affable fellow, if not fiercely competitive.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Joshua Frostblade]]
[[quoteright:192:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_joshua.png]]

An arena competitor that fights for his love, Angela.
----
* LongHairedPrettyBoy: He is a long-haired man with much more effeminate looks than the other competitors.
* OptionalPartyMember: Once Olberic's story ends, he can be found in Northreach in the Frostlands and Guided/Allured to help the Travelers.
* PowerOfLove: He claims this is what gives strength to him. Olberic defeats him anyway.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Archibold]]
[[quoteright:203:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_archibold.png]]

A multi-time arena champion, who fights to maintain a winning streak that his father couldn't keep before dying in battle.
----
* FamilyHonor: His reason for fighting is to secure 5 straight championship wins to honor the achievement his father sought before he met an untimely death.
* GracefulLoser: He was going to achieve his fifth victory in a row and surpass his father before fighting Olberic; after losing, he assures Olberic that he's fine with starting the streak over.
* RedBaron: The Crusher.
* WalkingShirtlessScene: His battle attire shows off his imposing physique with minimal armor and a bare chest.
* TheWorfEffect: He's a 4-time champion of the Victors Hollow tournaments, so everyone is gunning for him to prove themselves. Gustav, Olberic's primary target, is rumored to be stronger than Archibold, as a means of hinting at Gustav's strength. Olberic's victory over Archibold proves his own power.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Gustav]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_gustav.png]]

A swordsman that was taught by Erhardt when they were both sellswords. He is now a fighter in the Victors Hollow Arena that Olberic wishes to meet, in order to reignite his passion for fighting in addition to getting a lead on Erhardt's current location.
----
* AntiVillain: He's not evil, he's just the final tournament fighter Olberic has to defeat to get information about Erhardt.
* BlackKnight: His title is "The Black Knight" and he's a powerful warrior clad in black armor who Olberic has to fight to find out Erhardt's whereabouts.
* RedBaron: The Black Knight.
* WorthyOpponent: Acknowledges Olberic's skill and becomes friendly rival during the tourney.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Lizardman Chief]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_lizardman.png]]

One of the two leaders of the lizardmen attacking Wellspring.
----
* AnAxeToGrind: It wields an axe in battle, which is obtained after defeating it.
* AntiVillain: A travel banter between Olberic and H'aanit strongly suggests that the reason it and the other lizardmen are attacking Wellspring is because they want the water from the oasis there. In the end, the lizardmen are just trying to survive.
* ArcVillain: It and its unseen partner are this for Olberic's Chapter 3.
* CharacterDeath: It and its underlings die shortly after being defeated in battle at the hands of Olberic. Olberic can then have a travel banter with Ophilia where she expresses her desire that [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman they rest in peace]].
* LizardFolk: It's a lizardman and much larger and more brutish-looking compared to its underlings.
* ReptilesAreAbhorrent: A leader of a band of lizardmen who have been terrorizing the town of Wellspring.
* VillainousValor: Olberic acknowledges that, even for a primitive and savage beast, the Chief is the first to fight and moves forward ahead of its warriors as if to protect them.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Werner]]
!!!'''Voiced By:''' Creator/SeanChiplock (English)
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_werner.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''An aura of dread pervades the battlefield...'']]

The man responsible for the fall of Hornburg. It was under his order that Erhardt acted as TheMole to destroy Hornburg from within. Afterwards, he took control of the town of Riverford, ruling it with an iron fist.
----
* AmbitionIsEvil: He was once a lowly mercenary with ambitions far above merely selling his sword to others.
* ArcVillain: The primary villain of Olberic's story.
* AllCrimesAreEqual: When he first took over Riverford, he executed all the serious criminals like murderers. Then he went for more smaller fry like thieves and once he ran out of criminals, he went for anyone that dared criticize him.
* BadBoss: He kills one of his soldiers for showing fear when Erhardt and Olberic start cutting down his men, and threatens to do the same to the rest of them if they don't fight. Olberic even notes that Werner's men only serve him out of fear.
* BetterToDieThanBeKilled: [[spoiler:Rather than die at Olberic's hands he stabs himself with his sword.]]
* TheCaligula: He holds monthly executions via burning at the stake with one victim for each week. He's even happy that the town finally rebelled against him, because he was running out of potential victims he could execute with the slightest justification.
* CharacterDeath: He [[spoiler:commits suicide]] shortly after being defeated in battle at the hands of Olberic, [[spoiler:because [[BetterToDieThanBeKilled he refuses to die at the hands of another]]]].
* CoolHorse: So cool in fact that it appears out of nowhere, ''indoors'', so that Werner can better glower down at the party from astride it.
* DarkIsEvil: He wears black and his attacks inflict Terror, and he is one of the most evil antagonists in the game.
* DefiantToTheEnd: [[spoiler:When bested by Olberic, rather than reflect on his own myriad sins, he chooses to spit on Olberic's rhetoric one last time before running himself through.]]
* TheDreaded: The people who know him fear him. Even [[TheAce Erhardt]] warns Olberic to fear Werner's skill with the sword, which is enough for Olberic to take him seriously. This is also reflected in the boss battle against him as he inflicts the Terror status effect on the party with his attacks.
* EngineeredHeroics: [[spoiler:He gained acclaim by hiring bandits to sack border villages and beating them back with his own mercenaries before Hornburg's knights could arrive.]]
* EvenEvilHasStandards: As ruthless and brutal as he was, even he was unnerved by [[spoiler:Lyblac]] and cut off ties with [[spoiler:her]] as soon as their plan to destroy Hornburg was completed.
* EvilCounterpart: To Olberic. While Olberic is a noble knight dedicated to protecting the weak, Werner is a brutal warlord who exploits and terrorizes the weak.
* FakeAristocrat: Werner claims he has noble blood, but everyone knows it's total bullshit and his titles are actually bought.
* FromNobodyToNightmare: He used to be a common sellsword until [[spoiler:he met Lyblac]]. He then managed to bring down the kingdom of Hornburg and took control of Riverford after overthrowing its rightful ruler.
* KarmicDeath: He was the one who orchestrated Hornburg's downfall, and ultimately it was Hornburg's last knight who tracked him down and then bested him in single combat. [[spoiler:Werner notes in his diary with irony that he couldn't outrun karma in the end.]]
* TheManBehindTheMan: [[spoiler:He's the true man behind Hornburg's fall. Erhardt was working for him.]]
* MasterSwordsman: Even Erhardt states that Werner's skill with the sword surpasses his own.
* MightMakesRight: His philosophy as he brutally crushes those who oppose him.
* TheMobBossIsScarier: When Olberic and Erhardt show up and start carving his flunkies apart, Werner gives them a choice: either face the tag team of two of the most legendary swordsmen of the age, or join said knights and face ''him''. Not a single one of his goons even entertains the thought of turning on him.
* OneHitKill: His "Rule by Fear" attack will instantly kill any character who has the Terror status.
* TurnsRed: At low health in his fight, he will increase actions per turn from 2 to 3.
* TyrantTakesTheHelm: He overthrew the previous lord of Riverford to install himself as its despotic ruler.
* VillainHasAPoint: In response to Olberic's incredulous [[DisappointedByTheMotive Disappointment at His Motive]], Werner says that everyone has different ideas of how important people and nations are. He isn't wrong: Olberic, an honorable knight who uses his sword to protect the weak, is horrified that Werner believes [[spoiler:wanting to have [[GodOfEvil the power]] within [[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon the Gate of Finis]]]] was a good reason to plot Hornburg's fall, but Werner believes this because he prioritizes [[MightMakesRight power]] over lives.
* WalkingSpoiler: It's pretty much impossible to talk about this man without mentioning that he orchestrated the plot to bring Hornburg to ruin, taking advantage of [[DiscOneFinalBoss Erhardt]]'s hatred for King Alfred's [[BetrayalByInaction neglect to save his home-village]] to convince the soon-to-be-knight to help him do so.
* WeCanRuleTogether: Offers Olberic the opportunity to become the captain of his guard. Olberic's response is a rather blunt "[[ShutUpHannibal The Flame take you and all you stand for!]]"
[[/folder]]

!!Primrose's Route
[[folder:Crow Men]]

Three high-ranking members of the Obsidians, [[TheSyndicate a powerful criminal organization]] operating within Orsterra [[spoiler:whose ultimate goal is to resurrect [[GodOfEvil Gal]][[GreaterScopeVillain dera]], on behalf of his [[SemiDivine demi-goddess]] daughter [[BigBad Lyblac]]]]. Ten years prior to the events of ''Octopath Traveler'', these three men [[TattooedCrook bearing crow tattoos]] broke into Primrose's home and murdered her father [[spoiler:for [[HeKnowsTooMuch finding out]] about [[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon the Gate of Finis]], where Galdera was banished to by [[GodOfGood Aelfric]]]]. Primrose is on a quest for revenge against them for murdering her father.

!!Rufus, the Left Hand of the Crow
[[quoteright:336:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_rufus.png]]

The master of the secret brothel Obsidian Parlor in Stillsnow.
----
* BadassBoast: He gets one before his battle with Primrose, although it doesn't go so well for him. Also doubles as MyNameIsInigoMontoya.
-->'''Primrose:''' Be prepared to meet your fate, crow!\\
'''Rufus:''' You aren't the first to say such words to me. Like as not, you won't be the last. I will bury you... as I've buried all the rest. I am Rufus, the left wing of the crow. Now come, precious daughter of House Azelhart. I will send you to your father's side.
* CharacterDeath: He dies shortly after being defeated in battle at the hands of Primrose.
* CreateYourOwnHero: His actions, along with the other two assassins, pushes Primrose on her path of vengeance and she seeks out to punish them for their killing of her father. Along her path, she helps others who have been hurt by the Obsidians' villainy.
* DarkIsEvil: He dresses in black, is a deadly assassin, and runs an illegal human trafficking business.
* DidntThinkThisThrough: It apparently did not occur to him or his two assassin associates that leaving an ObviouslyEvil criminal tattoo exposed for all to see when breaking into somebody's home and committing murder in front of their eyes might not be a good idea. Ten years later, Primrose uses his tattoo to identify him as one of her father's murderers, and he eventually pays for it with his life.
* TheDon: Rufus is a minor example, being the head of a sex slave business, and has powerful resources and connections to the point where other powerful figures can ask favors of him so long as they pledge their loyalty when needed.
* FauxAffablyEvil: The man is fairly civil for someone who sells sex slaves to others, but if you listen to his voice-acting, it's subtly patronizing which hints at a haughty personality beneath his polite exterior.
* GreaterScopeVillain: Of Primrose's Chapter 1; Helgenish was working for him, and he provides him and other powerful men with women to use as they like.
* HumanTraffickers: As a part of his brothel's business, he outright sells women to powerful men who want sex slaves.
* KickTheSonOfABitch: If Father Eschard's story is to be believed, part of Rufus's political scheming to get Father Eschard in his debt would have involved him helping Father Eschard get revenge on the man who raped his daughter.
* LuredIntoATrap: Primrose allowed Helgenish to enslave her after hearing that one of the Crow Men "often" stops by his tavern. Eight years later, her plan finally paid off, and Rufus walked right into her trap without even realizing there was one.
* TheManBehindTheMan: He has Helgenish under his thumb.
* MeaningfulName: Simultaneously [[AvertedTrope averted]] and played straight. Rufus means ''red-haired'' in Latin when he is blond, but in Literature/TheBible, Rufus was the son of Simon of Cyrene. What is an alternate spelling of Simon? Simeon.
* NobleDemon: Rufus is a Human Trafficker yet he is the only Crow Man that isn't a HateSink as his KickTheSonOfABitch and VillainRespect troupes revealed.
* PaidHarem: When not selling his sex slaves, he has them on shift as his personal lap decorations.
* RecognitionFailure: He initially doesn't recognize Primrose when she confronts him in the Obsidian Parlor for murdering her father ten years ago, responding to her passionate hatred with an apathetic "Have we met, milady?" He only takes an interest in her when she tells him her identity.
* TattooedCrook: Has a tattoo of a crow on his left arm.
* VillainRespect: Rufus admits that Geoffery was hard to bring down and respected his prowess. He offers the same respect to Primrose, especially after she beats him.

!!Albus, the Right Hand of the Crow
[[quoteright:317:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_albus.png]]

Former captain of the city watch in Noblecourt, and Revello's superior. He betrayed Primrose's father in order to gain a rank in the Obsidians.
----
* AmbitionIsEvil: He had a secret ambition to [[MoneyDearBoy make more money]] and eventually became dissatisfied with the "inadequate" pay he earned from being the captain of the city watch, which led to his FaceHeelTurn.
* BrokenPedestal: To Revello Forsythe, his NumberTwo during his days as captain of the city watch. Forsythe admired him as a just, honourable man who died resisting the Obsidians, so naturally he does not take the revelation that his former friend and mentor had betrayed and murdered his Lord at all well.
* CharacterDeath: He dies shortly after being defeated in battle at the hands of Primrose.
* CreateYourOwnHero: His actions, along with the other two assassins, pushes Primrose on her path of vengeance and she seeks out to punish them for their killing of her father. Along her path, she helps others who have been hurt by the Obsidians' villainy.
* TheCynic: He believes that honor is a good ideal in theory, but is impractical for living a financially successful life in reality. He even goes so far as to express mocking contempt for the ideals of his former friend, Geoffrey.
* DarkIsEvil: He dresses in black and has black hair to match, and is the former captain of the city watch in Noblecourt who eventually betrayed and assassinated his Lord and former friend to usurp Noblecourt. During his rule, crime became frequent, in stark contrast to when House Azelhart ruled.
* DeathByIrony: He explains to Primrose and Revello that he betrayed Primrose's father to the Obsidians because [[EvilPaysBetter joining a criminal organization would make him more money]], but he strongly implies that he also backstabbed her father because [[FallenHero he had lost faith in his capabilities as city watch captain to ward off the Obsidians and decided he and his men were fighting a losing battle, so why bother?]]
-->'''Albus, the Right-hand Man:''' This village was a rotten husk long before Geoffrey Azelhart met his end. Anyone with half their wits knew the Obsidians were pulling all the strings from the shadows. I simply cast my lot with the winning horse. A simple business decision.
** For his betrayal and assistance in the murder of her father, he is eventually killed in battle by Primrose, a woman who strongly believes in having faith in oneself against self-doubt and despair, as did her father.
* DefectorFromDecadence: It's implied that, other than his desire for more money, he came to believe Geoffrey and the city watch were on the losing side, and wanted to be on the winning side.
* DidntThinkThisThrough: It apparently did not occur to him or his two assassin associates that leaving an ObviouslyEvil criminal tattoo exposed for all to see when breaking into somebody's home and committing murder in front of their eyes might not be a good idea. Ten years later, Primrose uses his tattoo to identify him as one of her father's murderers, and he eventually pays for it with his life.
* TheDragon: The secondary antagonist of Primrose's story. It was Albus' betrayal of his friend Geoffrey when the latter [[spoiler:[[HeKnowsTooMuch found out about the Gate of Finis]]]] that let the Obsidians murder him, with Albus participating in the act.
* EvilCounterpart: To Revello Forsythe. They were both high-ranking guardsmen tasked with protecting Noblecourt from criminals. While Forsythe has UndyingLoyalty to his Lord Geoffrey and his Lady Primrose, Albus is eventually revealed to be a greedy and selfish man who was willing to betray Geoffrey to the Obsidians if it meant [[ItsAllAboutMe obtaining more money and power for himself]]. Needless to say, [[BrokenPedestal Forsythe is left broken and furious at Albus' treachery]]. Years of suffering under Albus' regime in Noblecourt caused Forsythe to forget Geoffrey's unwavering determination and try to persuade Primrose to turn back on her path, but was quick to recognise his mistake and apologized to Primrose after she reminded him of the House's motto "Faith shall be your shield", whereas Albus cruelly mocked Geoffrey for getting killed for refusing to co-operate with the criminal Obsidians for no purpose other than to {{troll}} Primrose and Forsythe, [[TooDumbToLive which accelerated his own demise]].
* EvilFormerFriend: He was Revello Forsythe and Geoffrey Azelhart's friend, but eventually betrayed Geoffrey to the Obsidians.
* EvilIsPetty: He betrayed Geoffrey to the Obsidians and participated in his murder because... [[EvilPaysBetter money]].
** That said, he implies that he also betrayed Geoffrey because he lost faith in his own capabilities and believed the Obsidians had already won.
* EvilPaysBetter: His motivation boils down to that there's more money to be had in crime than in a just system.
* {{Expy}}: He's a deadringer for [[Manga/FullmetalAlchemist King Bradley]], being a supposedly trustworthy authority figure who's secretly in cahoots with a criminal conspiracy. Hell, he even looks identical to him with that slicked back hair, bushy mustache, and left eye with an eyepatch.
* EyepatchOfPower: He wears an eyepatch over his left eye.
* FaceHeelTurn: He is the former captain of Noblecourt's city watch and right-hand of Primrose's father. He later betrays Geoffrey to the Obsidians to become one of their highest-ranking members.
* FakingTheDead: For years, Albus fooled Revello and the rest of Noblecourt to believe he was killed with Geoffrey Azelhart, only to be alive and pulling the strings in Noblecourt all along.
* FallenHero: It's implied he really was once an honorable man, but decided to join the Obsidians when he realized his honor wasn't earning him as much money as he wanted.
-->'''Albus, the Right-hand Man:''' Honor's all well and good, but it doesn't buy you much.
* FatalFlaw: If his statement that "This village ''[Noblecourt]'' was a rotten husk long before Geoffrey Azelhart met his end" is any indication, [[SillyRabbitIdealismIsForKids cynicism]]. Albus came to believe that the Obsidians had already conquered Noblecourt before they actually did, resulting in him betraying his friend to them [[ItsAllAboutMe for his own gain]]. He believes that he was merely accelerating the inevitable, but Primrose and Revello condemn him as a selfish traitor. Albus' decision to [[SpeakIllOfTheDead mock the ideals of Primrose's deceased father]] ''right in front of her'' [[TooDumbToLive leads straight to his own demise]].
* FauxAffablyEvil: Even at his lowest, he speaks in a fairly civil manner.
* FlunkyBoss: Midway through the fight, he uses "Human Shield" to summon reinforcements and lock up his weaknesses. He only has enough men for one round of this, however.
** MookDepletion: If he attempts to call his underlings a second time, a message pops out saying that "Albus's men can fight no more". Every subsequent try fails.
* HateSink: Not to the same extent as Helgenish or his boss, Simeon, but his betrayal of his friend and subsequent FakingTheDead deception, his [[EvilIsPetty weak]] "Money > Honour" motivation, and his [[SpeakIllOfTheDead trash-talking Primrose's deceased father]] right after explaining his weak motivation for joining a criminal organisation—especially since his partner-in-crime Rufus [[VillainRespect admitted to having respect for Geoffrey's prowess]]—infuriates both Primrose and Revello, and for good reason.
* InjuredVulnerability: "Death to the Unseen" inflicts gratuitous amounts of damage ''only'' to blind targets.
* ItsAllAboutMe: Albus eventually joined the Obsidians and betrayed his friend Geoffrey for his own financial and political gain, after he became disillusioned with the abstract concept of honour and [[{{Greed}} dissatisfied with the amount of money he was earning]] from serving as captain of Noblecourt's city watch. To say that Primrose and Forsythe are DisappointedByTheMotive would be a major understatement.
* KarmicDeath: Is killed by the daughter of the very man he murdered [[SpeakIllOfTheDead and whose murder he jeers at]] as proof that his beliefs were those of a fool.
* MeaningfulName: [[InvertedTrope Inverted]]; Albus means ''white'' in Latin, but he has black hair and wears a black cloak.
* MuggingTheMonster: It is not wise to insult and laugh at Primrose's [[SpeakIllOfTheDead deceased]] father [[MockingTheMourner within earshot of her]], especially if you're one of the three men responsible for his murder.
* MyNameIsInigoMontoya: Like Rufus, he properly introduces himself before the boss fight after having a chat with Primrose.
-->'''Albus, the Right-hand Man:''' I am Albus, proud bearer of the mark of the crow. Come at me, Primrose Azelhart! I will see that you meet the same fate as your dear father.
* OneHitKill: "Death to the Unseen" instantly kills any character who has the Blindness status.
* SillyRabbitIdealismIsForKids: Albus expresses mocking contempt for his former friend Geoffrey's unwavering faith in his beliefs, which likely stems from this trope and a cruel desire to {{troll}} the daughter of his former friend. It is implied that Albus [[FallenHero was once a sincerely honourable man]], but eventually became disillusioned with the concept of honour during his time as captain of the city watch, and is no longer the man he once was.
* SinisterScythe: He wields a sickle in his boss sprite.
* SmallRoleBigImpact: Gets the least amount of screen-time out of the Crow Men, but it was his betrayal of Primrose's father by informing the Obsidians [[spoiler:that he had found out about [[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon the Gate of Finis]]]] that led to them murdering him.
* SpeakIllOfTheDead: He proves himself to be irredeemably vile when he slanders Geoffrey [[MockingTheMourner in front of Primrose and Revello]], claiming that Geoffrey talked about how having faith was enough to protect his people from any harm while taking no action, so his death was a fitting end for a fool. The accounts of Geoffrey by Primrose, Revello, and (ironically) Rufus prove otherwise.
* StatusEffects: His combat arts involve blinding his foes and using [[InjuredVulnerability Death to the Unseen]] to cut them down.
* TattooedCrook: Has a tattoo of a crow on his right arm.
* TooDumbToLive: Sure Albus, [[SpeakIllOfTheDead insult a deceased man]] you betrayed and murdered for [[EvilIsPetty petty]] [[EvilPaysBetter financial gain]] [[MockingTheMourner in front of his daughter]] who's on [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge a quest to avenge his death]] and has already killed one of your accomplices. WhatCouldPossiblyGoWrong
* {{Troll}}: When confronted by Primrose, Albus scornfully laughs about how her father's murder "goes to show you what the faith of a fool is worth", [[TooDumbToLive which goes about as well as you'd expect]].
* VillainBall: [[SpeakIllOfTheDead Insulting his deceased former friend]] [[MockingTheMourner in front of said former friend's vengeful daughter]] for the sake of [[{{Troll}} trolling]] her, is probably the most idiotic decision Albus could have possibly made in his situation.

!!Simeon, the Puppet Master
!!!'''Voiced By:''' Creator/ChrisHackney (English)
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_simeon.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''Simeon flashes a leery smile...'']]

Once a gardener under the employ of Lord Azelhart, he was a childhood sweetheart of Primrose. It is later revealed that he is the leader of the Obsidians, with the mark of the crow on his neck.
----
* AchillesHeel: While a BarrierChangeBoss during the second phase of his fight, Simeon is consistently weak to [[CastingAShadow Dark]]. [[DownplayedTrope However]], he seals all but his Dagger weakness when the fight begins, and the player has to Break him several times before he unseals his Dark weakness.
* AllThereInTheManual: The official companion book ''Octopath Traveler: The Complete Guide'' gives him a much larger backstory than presented in game. [[spoiler:He was once a member of the Ventus Dynasty, and defeated his bastard half-brother to inherit the throne after a civil war. He quickly disappeared and met Lyblac, ultimately gaining the ability to cheat death like Mattias, who himself would help Simeon establish the Obsidians.]]
* ArcVillain: The primary villain of Primrose's story.
* BarrierChangeBoss: He changes his weaknesses throughout the second phase of his fight.
* BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind: Primrose has a mental fight with Simeon and two puppets of her father and Yusufa before actually fighting him in his boss fight.
* BetaTestBaddie: Some of Simeon's dialogue implies that, like Primrose, he feels hollow inside which motivates his sadism, much like how Primrose's quest for revenge is motivated by her loneliness at losing her father.
-->'''Simeon, the Puppet Master:''' How many times in your life have you felt blessed to be here? When has life ever seemed a gift? This world is nothing but pain nigh beyond the point of bearing... Constant, inescapable darkness. I will tell you the only joy ''I'' have found in life... Watching the lives of others fall apart. The sweet fantasies that people imagine their existences to be inevitably crack, then shatter to pieces. And I savor the tragedy of each and every downfall, because, oh, it ''is'' delicious. That one moment—that glorious instant when I see a man, a woman lose all hope. That is the only time I truly feel alive.
* BitchInSheepsClothing: He's introduced as a kind childhood friend of Primrose and the latter is heavily implied to have feelings for him, but when he meets Primrose again in the Obsidian Manse, it's revealed that he's pure evil.
* BreakThemByTalking: Attempts this on Primrose, pointing out that avenging her father's murder [[MoralityChainBeyondTheGrave will not make him happy]]. He also points out that Primrose's quest for revenge was really desperation to find happiness all along, and that killing him (Simeon) will not bring her any. The scary part is that [[VillainHasAPoint he's right]], and nearly succeeds in breaking Primrose. It's only by envisioning herself confessing to her father that she hates how lonely she is and feeling his reassuring presence that Primrose is able to pull through, and even then, it is implied that she battles Simeon not for revenge, but for faith in a happier future.
* CardCarryingVillain: He has no problem admitting to Primrose during their final confrontation that he takes pleasure in seeing others lose all hope.
* CharacterDeath: He dies shortly after being defeated in battle at the hands of Primrose.
* ChildhoodFriendRomance: {{Subverted|Trope}}. When Primrose first meets Simeon again for the first time in years since she was young it seems it can lead to this. Then he's revealed to be one of the Crow Men who killed Primrose's father, and relishes the emotional pain he inflicted on Primrose for doing so. His play about Primrose's life even has his and her character declaring their love for each other and going on to live HappilyEverAfter in a twisted display of affection and sadism.
* CreateYourOwnHero: His actions, along with the other two assassins, pushes Primrose on her path of vengeance and she seeks out to punish them for their killing of her father. Along her path, she helps others who have been hurt by the Obsidians' villainy.
* DarkIsEvil: He dresses in black, and is the leader of a criminal organization as well as a [[{{Sadist}} sadistic]] [[TheSociopath sociopath]] who had deliberately developed a ChildhoodFriendRomance with Primrose when she was a child so he could inflict maximum emotional pain on her.
* DecapitatedArmy: Averted. Even if he's killed before starting Tressa's chapter 4, Obsidian members will still antagonize her. If the player returns to Everhold Amphitheatre after he's killed, they can still run into Obsidian {{Mooks}} as random encounters.
* DidntThinkThisThrough: It apparently did not occur to him or his two assassin associates that leaving an ObviouslyEvil criminal tattoo exposed for all to see when breaking into somebody's home and committing murder in front of their eyes might not be a good idea. However, by the time he reunites with Primrose, he did think to conceal his tattoo with a necktie. Primrose eventually learns that he is one of her father's murderers when he stabs her and removes his necktie, and he later pays for murdering her father with his life.
* DubPersonalityChange: A minor one, but his final moments play out differently in the Japanese version. In the English version, he's a MadArtist to the end who is fine with either killing or being killed by Primrose because he sees it as a GrandFinale to her tragedy. In the Japanese version, [[spoiler:his two battles against Primrose [[HeelRealization make him realise the full extent of the pain he's caused her]], [[RedemptionEqualsDeath whereupon he asks her to kill him for both their sakes]]. This indicates that Japanese Simeon does have a conscience, albeit an extremely limited one]].
* EvilAllAlong: ''Octopath Traveler: The Complete Guide'' says that Simeon had co-established the Obsidians with Mattias (ArcVillain of Ophilia's story) [[spoiler:over a century]] before he murdered Primrose's father, [[spoiler:having [[TheAgeless gained eternal youth]] from [[BigBad Lyblac]]]], meaning he was already the leader of the Obsidians when he took the job of gardener under House Azelhart and became Primrose's [[ChildhoodFriendRomance childhood sweetheart]]. [[spoiler:The dairy entry by Geoffrey Azelhart found in the [[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon Gate of Finis]] implies that [[TheMole Simeon became House Azelhart's gardener so that he could spy on him]], as the Obsidians had already had several hostile confrontations with Geoffrey for refusing their offers before he undertook the fatal investigation on them [[HeKnowsTooMuch that led to his murder]].]]
* EvilFormerFriend: He was a gardener under House Azelhart and Primrose's childhood sweetheart, and was secretly the leader of the Obsidians who later killed her father, taking a sadistic pleasure in Primrose's pain.
* EvilLaugh: Bursts into maniacal laughter after he stabs Primrose in the Obsidian Manse and reveals he is the one who fatally stabbed her father.
* FalseFriend: He deliberately became close to Primrose in her childhood so that he could later inflict deep emotional pain on her, because he is a heartless {{Sadist}} who enjoys others' pain.
* FauxAffablyEvil: He acts like a gentleman even as he ruins the lives of his victims.
* FlunkyBoss: In the first battle against him, he's supported by puppets of Yusufa and Primrose's father.
* {{Foil}}:
** Alongside Darius, Simeon is this to Erhardt of all people. All three of them betrayed a protagonist (Primrose, Therion and Olberic) which caused their individual issues ([[RoaringRampageOfRevenge desire for revenge]], [[NeverBeHurtAgain unwillingness to trust]] and [[DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife loss of purpose]], respectively), and first appear in person in Chapter 3 of their respective protagonists' stories. However, Erhardt had an understandable FreudianExcuse for his betrayal (his home-village was laid to ruin while his King [[BetrayalByInaction did nothing to save the people living there]]), is the DiscOneFinalBoss of Olberic's story with the mercenary leader who recruited him, Werner, being the real ArcVillain, is eventually forgiven by Olberic, and ultimately survives the game's events, whereas Simeon and Darius were primarily motivated by [[{{Sadist}} sadism]] and {{greed}} respectively, are the definitive {{Arc Villain}}s of their protagonists' respective stories, are never forgiven by their respective protagonists, and ultimately meet their end with daggers in their shriveled excuses for hearts.
** Simeon also comes across as this to Primrose. They both have a passion for the arts (Primrose for music and dancing, Simeon for poetry and theatre) and are {{Master Actor}}s who put up a façade to mask their true personalities. While Primrose pretends to be an empty-headed, submissive woman for Helgenish when she actually despises him for his brutality, is plotting to [[LuredIntoATrap lure one of the men who murdered her father to his tavern]] and begin [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge hunting them down]], and [[NiceGirl is very gentle]] (if not [[TheTease teasingly flirtatious]]) to those who aren't her targets, Simeon acts like a charismatic gentleman but is actually an extremely [[{{Sadist}} sadistic]] [[TheSociopath sociopath]] whose greatest joy is seeing others fall into despair. Simeon's MotiveRant implies that ''both'' he and Primrose feel empty inside, which motivates their sadism and desire for revenge, respectively. To contrast the themes of the traveler's story, Simeon is a HopeCrusher while Primrose is a {{Determinator}}. Finally, Primrose is an example of DarkIsNotEvil, Simeon an example of LightIsNotGood.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: There's a considerable amount for his true allegiance as one of the Crow Men.
** He's dressed in black, just like the other two.
** He mentions that he's a "playwright, of sorts" and "stages dramas and tragedy", hinting at his sadistic nature and that he [[ThinksLikeARomanceNovel thinks of Primrose's life as a beautiful tragedy he'd written]].
** He and Primrose reminisce on her childhood, where Simeon expresses signs that he was in love with her even back then, and Simeon was already a grown man in those days. Implicitly, this is a ''very'' good sign that something is wrong.
** Albus mentions to his lackey that their boss has a huge flair for the dramatic.
* FromNobodyToNightmare: Starting out as a mere gardener's apprentice in his youth, he was secretly the leader of a powerful crime syndicate who later orchestrated the murder of Primrose's father, causing her a great deal of pain. Subverted [[spoiler:in that he was once a Ventus royal who received power from Lyblac.]]
* GameplayAndStoryIntegration: His gimmick of inflicting the Silence status on the party is reminiscent of how he and the other two assassins "silenced" Primrose's father for [[HeKnowsTooMuch finding out classified information]] about the Obsidians [[spoiler:i.e. their goal to assist [[BigBad Lyblac]] in resurrecting [[GodOfEvil Gal]][[GreaterScopeVillain dera]]]].
* GracefulLoser: He's not at all upset at being killed by Primrose, as he considers it the perfect end to her tragedy.
* HateSink: His sheer sadism and joy at other people's suffering makes him one of the most despicable antagonists in the game.
* HiddenDepths: As a writer and tragedy specialist, Simeon is chillingly knowledgeable on the subject of [[VengeanceFeelsEmpty the futility of revenge]] and knows how to use this to psychologically weaken those who oppose him. He accurately deconstructs Primrose's psyche, exposing her loneliness at not having her father by her side as the real root of her crusade against him and his men for murdering her father, before asking her "How did it feel when you killed my men? Did that fill the hole in your heart even a tiny little bit?" It's even implied that in the end, Primrose battles Simeon for faith in a happier future instead of for revenge; so Simeon succeeded in convincing Primrose to "abandon this madness", [[GoneHorriblyRight but it didn't go the way he'd planned]].
* HopeCrusher: One of his defining traits. He likes to ruin the hopes of others so that he can take pleasure in the pain he causes them, and as his final confrontation with Primrose shows, he's chillingly good at it to the point of achieving a NearVillainVictory with words alone.
* InterfaceScrew: In the last leg of his fight, he'll obscure the icons at the top of the screen that indicate which order everyone moves. As a small bit of mercy, his own icon (fitting for a MadArtist so full of himself) will not be obscured, so you at least know when he's about to make his move.
* {{Irony}}: [[spoiler:One of Simeon's aliases is "The Puppet Master", but in the post-game it is revealed that he himself was a pawn to [[TheChessmaster Lyblac]]. Given Simeon's sheer love for drama and tragedy--[[MadArtist both in art and in real life]]--it's likely he couldn't care less if he was a pawn or not.]]
* ItAmusedMe: While his practical motive for killing Geoffrey is because [[HeKnowsTooMuch he discovered the Gate of Finis]], his personal motive is solely to torture Primrose to see the hope die from her eyes and relish in what despair he can inflict on her. His interactions with Primrose make it clear that his practical motive takes [[StealthPun backstage]] to his personal one.
* {{Jerkass}}: The man likes to watch others suffer and has no redeeming qualities to him, being one of the cruelest [[ArcVillain Arc Villains]] in the game.
* LackOfEmpathy: He shows no remorse in his actions at all and enjoys making people suffer just for his own amusement.
* LargeHam: Simeon himself proudly acknowledges that [[{{Sadist}} he feels most happiness when he sees others lose all hope]], and it ''really'' shows over the course of Primrose's final confrontation with him. Simeon's polite façade collapses completely in his sheer joy in psychologically tormenting her, questioning her motives for revenge and pressuring her to resign herself to a life of never-ending sadness, sounding increasingly melodramatic as he does so, which is fitting for a [[TheSociopath sociopathic]] artist such as himself.
* LightIsNotGood: His silvery-white hair and formal dress hide a dangerous sociopath.
* LoonyFan: He's still unhealthily smitten with Primrose even after revealing himself to be a sadistic sociopath incapable of any genuine affection. His satirical play about Primrose's life that he has publicly performed disgusts her and her companions, only serving to give her more of an incentive to end his life.
* MadArtist: A playwright who specializes in tragedies, and also gets sadistic pleasure from putting people through tragedy in real life.
* TheManBehindTheMan: As the leader of the Obsidians, he indirectly plays a role in [[spoiler:Tressa's route, and is specifically named as the one supporting Mattias monetarily, so he indirectly plays a role in Ophilia's route, too]].
* ManipulativeBastard: He tries to convince Primrose that her father wouldn't be happy to see his daughter pursue [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge violent revenge]] and she should find her own happiness. He also deduces that Primrose didn't feel any happier after taking vengeance on Rufus and Albus, and won't feel any happier from taking vengeance on him. [[VillainHasAPoint He's right]], but Primrose realizes that Simeon isn't telling her this out of concern for her well-being, but rather to give himself a psychological advantage over her, [[ShutUpHannibal which lets her stay by her beliefs and fight him]].
* MeaningfulName: In Literature/TheBible, Simeon, son of Jacob[[note]][[NamesTheSame No relation to Simeon from the Gospel of Luke]][[/note]] was one of Joseph's brothers who later betrayed and tried to kill him, though here he was motivated by jealously of his brother's prophetic dreams.
* TheMole: [[spoiler:Geoffrey Azelhart's diary entry found in [[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon the Gate of Finis]] implies that Simeon was this from the start, taking the job of gardener at House Azelhart so that he could spy on its Lord's investigation into the criminal organization he leads, as the Obsidians were growing frustrated with Geoffrey's refusal of their offers (because he knew they were nothing but lies).]]
* OneDegreeOfSeparation: He is allied with [[spoiler:Mattias, the main antagonist of Ophilia's route, and supported the latter in his crusade against the Sacred Flame, [[TheManBehindTheMan making himself an indirect antagonist in Ophilia's route]]]], as the [[spoiler:latter's diary entry in the Gate of Finis]] reveals. The official companion book ''Octopath Traveler: The Complete Guide'' goes a step further by revealing that [[spoiler:Simeon and Mattias co-established the Obsidians together]].
* PracticallyJoker: Between his sociopathy, love for drama, pleasure in causing chaos, and StrawNihilist philosophy, Simeon is essentially Orsterra's equivalent of [[Characters/BatmanTheJoker the Joker]].
* PsychopathicManchild: He uses other humans as playthings and uses theatre as a way to act out his twisted fantasies similiar to a manner of a violent child abusing their toys for fun.
* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: The official companion book ''Octopath Traveler: The Complete Guide'' reveals that [[spoiler:Simeon gained the forbidden knowledge of the tome ''From the Far Reaches of Hell'' from Lyblac, which has allowed him to live without aging. His minimum age is 126 by the time of his death.]]
* {{Sadist}}: He takes special joy in ruining the hopes of others and seeing them despair.
* TheSociopath: While capable of acting like a polite man, in reality he is a heartless {{Sadist}} who feels no guilt for anything he does, only enjoyment of other peoples' pain. His "love" for Primrose is less affection and more of a special enjoyment in making her suffer. His own death doesn't even distress him, as he sees it as the perfect ending to Primrose's tragedy.
* StalkerWithACrush: Simeon makes a play about Primrose's entire life, including her childhood and intimate moments with her family, puts it on for all to see, and has it end with his and Primrose's characters proclaiming their love and living HappilyEverAfter.
* StatusEffects: Several of his attacks inflict Silence.
* TattooedCrook: Has a tattoo of a crow on his neck.
* ThinksLikeARomanceNovel: He frames Primrose's life as a great tragedy that he wrote for the sake of telling a good story, and because he's a sadist who enjoys watching other people suffer. The boss fight against him takes place in a theater, with [[{{Expy}} Expies]] of Simeon and Primrose telling the story of her life onstage. The difference is that in the play, the Simeon and Primrose Expies fall in love and live HappilyEverAfter. In the real world, Primrose kills Simeon.
* TrickBoss: The first fight with him is very easy once the puppets are gone, while the second fight is more difficult.
* VillainHasAPoint: After the first fight with him, Simeon asks Primrose how it felt killing his men and if it filled the hole in her heart. Primrose becomes very upset, yells at him to stop, and admits to her father that what she hated most was the loneliness. The end of her story shows he's right--getting revenge didn't heal her wounds.
* VillainousCrush: He's still violently in love with Primrose even into their adult days. Emphasis on "violent".
* WalkingSpoiler: He initially appears to be a kind, considerate gentleman and a potential LoveInterest for Primrose, but at the end of her Chapter 3 is revealed to be the man with the mark of the crow on his neck who murdered her father, having deliberately become close to Primrose in her childhood [[{{Sadist}} so as to inflict maximum emotional pain on her]].
* WhiteHairBlackHeart: He has white hair, and is the sadistic leader of a group of criminals who finds enjoyment in inflicting emotional pain on Primrose.
* {{Yandere}}: He is [[LoonyFan obsessed with Primrose]] because he sees her as a strong-willed protagonist who is ideal for his tragic plays. He's fine with either killing her or getting killed by her because he considers both outcomes to be stageworthy.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Helgenish]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_helgenish.png]]

An abusive tavern-owner that enslaved Primrose before the story began.
----
* ZeroPercentApprovalRating: None of the dancers working for Helgenish enjoy doing so, but they are in poverty and have nowhere else to go. Yusufa in particular tells Primrose that she wants to vomit every time she has to call him "master". After his death, even his remaining goons in Sunshade feel nothing more than curiosity about what happened to him. Some of his customers at the tavern have also heard of how he's a savage brute, which he is.
* AssholeVictim: There isn't a single person that misses him after he gets killed by Primrose. If anything, the dancers are happy he's gone after all the abuse they went through.
* BadBoss: He's abusive to the dancers he employs in every way, even treating them like slaves.
* TheBrute: He's physically strong [[StrongerThanTheyLook for an overweight old man]], has a HairTriggerTemper, is quick to resort to violence to "resolve" matters, [[TheBully bullies]] the dancers working for him at every opportunity he can, and [[SmugSnake thinks of himself as far more intelligent than he really is]].
* CharacterDeath: Primrose [[SlashedThroat slits his throat]] shortly after defeating him in battle.
* DarkIsEvil: He wears a black jacket, and is one of the most unpleasant antagonists in the entire game despite being a mere StarterVillain. One would think the only reason he wears a black jacket in the hot Sunlands is to highlight this trope, since nobody in their right mind would think wearing one in a desert town is a good idea[[note]]In case you don't know, darker colours absorb heat more than lighter colours[[/note]].
* DeviousDaggers: As a sign of his underhanded personality, his battle sprite depicts him leisurely brandishing a knife, concealed behind his back.
* DidntSeeThatComing: Over the course of several years, Helgenish never caught on that Primrose's empty-headed persona was a façade until she releases her fury at him for [[spoiler:killing Yusufa]], which comes as a complete shock to him.
-->'''Primrose:''' I saw ''you'' for the foul swine you are the first time I laid eyes on you.
* DidntThinkThisThrough: Somehow thought it was a good idea to [[spoiler:fatally stab Primrose's OnlyFriend [[ForcedToWatch in front of her]] and [[KickTheDog mock her friend's tearful last words]]]] after Primrose had just exited the Sunshade Catacombs that is infested with RandomEncounters. You'd think he would register that this means Primrose has combat capabilities and [[ObfuscatingStupidity might not be as empty-headed as she pretends to be]], but he doesn't. Overlaps with TooDumbToLive.
* DirtyOldMan: While his exact age is unclear, he's definitely on the older side, and it's stated that his tavern dancers (Primrose in particular) are expected to entertain him just as much as they do the tavern's clientele.
* DisproportionateRetribution: His idea of an acceptable punishment for Yusufa covering for Primrose while the latter escapes his tavern, is to [[spoiler:''murder'' her]].
* EntitledBastard: Expects the women he's forced into slavery to be grateful to him for giving them a "job" no matter how badly he treats them, and often flies into rants about how they don't appreciate him.
* EvilIsPetty: The main reason why he is such a loathsome scumbag is because he flies into rages and inflicts DisproportionateRetribution on the women under his "care" for the most trivial of offenses. He once slaps Primrose across the face for not expressing immediate gratitude that he would "teach a completely useless girl everything she knows" (his words). Things go FromBadToWorse when Yusufa covers for Primrose when she leaves to pursue Rufus of the Crows; [[spoiler:he beats Yusufa severely, catches up to Primrose, and stabs her in front of Primrose]]. It's very obvious that this man is sick in the head!
* FatBastard: He's overweight, and to say he is a thoroughly unpleasant person would be an understatement.
* FauxAffablyEvil: Unlike the other dancers, Helgenish speaks sweetly to Primrose, like a master speaking to his pet... just before he physically abuses and berates her.
* {{Foil}}:
** To Archbishop Josef and Z'aanta, from Ophilia and H'aanit's routes respectively. They all took in girls who would become one of the eight protagonists, but Helgenish only cares about how useful Primrose is to him and demands her gratitude and obedience while treating her like a sex object instead of an actual person, while Josef raises Ophilia lovingly as if she were his own blood daughter, and H'aanit admits to herself and to Natalia that she sees Z'aanta as a father figure.
** [[spoiler:To Yvon, from Cyrus' route. They are both {{Jerkass}} elderly men in positions of power who first appear in their respective protagonist's Chapter 1, who turn out to be even more sinister than they initially appear to be; but while Yvon is intelligent enough to cover his tracks until Cyrus interrogates Dominic in Stonegard, and devises a plot to dispose of Cyrus that would have succeeded if not for an unexpected SpannerInTheWorks, Helgenish is a blatant SmugSnake who is not nearly as intelligent as he thinks he is, to the point of being TooDumbToLive when he stabs Primrose's OnlyFriend [[ForcedToWatch in front of her]] [[DidntThinkThisThrough without realizing that her getting through the Sunshade Catacombs means she has combat capabilities]].]]
* FlunkyBoss: Helgenish has some goons help him during battle.
* {{Gonk}}: Even by the dramatized standards of other boss battle sprites, Helgenish appears particularly ugly and cartoony with a pudgy nose and wide grin.
* HateSink: He's a strong candidate for the most loathsome StarterVillain in the game, as well as one of the most loathsome villains in the game as a whole. He has more screentime than any of the other early-game villains and his scenes really take the time to emphasize his cruel, perverted nature. Heck, Rufus, despite being Helgenish's superior and one of the three men who murdered Primrose's father, is much more tolerable.
* TheHedonist: He puts his own desires above all else, including the well-being of the women who work for him. From his perspective, if a woman won't give him the pleasure [[EntitledBastard he deserves]], then [[LackOfEmpathy they are worthless]].
* HiddenDepths: Helgenish was already a perverted, thoroughly unpleasant person from the start, but by the end of Primrose's Chapter 1 is revealed to [[spoiler:[[NotSoHarmlessVillain have no problem committing murder]] to get what he wants]]. It's implied that this is exceptionally cruel even by Helgenish's twisted standards.
* {{Hypocrite}}: Due to his [[{{Narcissist}} narcissism]], he believes there is nothing wrong with his abusing the dancers at every opportunity he can, but the moment ''he's'' on the receiving end of the slightest criticism, he immediately flies into a rage about how unfair it is for him to be disrespected.
* InTheBack: [[spoiler:Attempts this on Primrose after she defeats him, but she saw it coming [[SlashedThroat and he fails miserably]].]]
* ItsAllAboutMe: In spades. He treats the dancers he employs like slaves and abuses them regularly, [[EntitledBastard yet expects them to be grateful to him for giving them a "job" and obey his every command]], even going so far as to explicitly tell Primrose that he "owns" her. He has an exchange with Primrose where he almost says "It's all about me!" word-for-word, summing up his belief that the dancers' only purpose for existence is to please him.
-->'''Helgenish:''' ''(to Primrose)'' What happened to your sweet little smile? Who puts a roof over your head and food on your plate? Who bought the jewels that adorn your pretty neck? Who made you the most sought-after dancer in this dusty old town? It was me -- all me!
* {{Jerkass}}: He's a perverted old man who will gleefully abuse the dancers he has under his wing.
* JerkassHasAPoint: He technically isn't wrong when he tells Primrose that he gives her a place to stay and food to eat--Primrose was rendered destitute after her father was murdered by the Crow Men--but his assertion that Primrose owes him her life is eroded by the fact that the only reason he took her in at all is because he saw her as useful to him. Indeed, once Helgenish finally realizes that Primrose's ignorant submission was a façade all along, he [[spoiler:tries to kill her]].
* KarmicDeath: Dies at the hands of Primrose, his favorite dancer and the one who bore the most of his perverted attention and abuse.
* KickTheDog: He heartlessly mocks [[spoiler:Yusufa's last words right after her death]].
* KnowNothingKnowItAll: He is not nearly as intelligent as he thinks he is. He may claim to see every thought in Primrose's head, but he eventually [[TooDumbToLive makes several serious mistakes that cost him his life]].
* LackOfEmpathy: He's a disgustingly cruel and [[EntitledBastard entitled]] man who genuinely believes the dancers he "employs" (read: enslaves) have no purpose for existence other than to satisfy his own pleasures. He treats them horrendously and takes pleasure in doing so to exert control.
* MuggingTheMonster: When Helgenish finally goes too far in his cruelty, [[DidntSeeThatComing it comes as a complete shock to him]] when Primrose reveals that her "submissive slave-girl" personality was a fake one all along and that she has always despised him. Primrose then proceeds to defeat him in battle and kill him.
* {{Narcissist}}: He constantly makes derogatory remarks and belittles the girls he's forced into slavery while thinking himself an amazing person whom nobody else has any right to criticize or disagree with.
* NeverMyFault: Is too arrogant to admit that anything he does could ever be wrong.
* NiceJobFixingItVillain: A subtle one: After being defeated by Primrose, Helgenish [[ISurrenderSuckers pretends to surrender]] and asks her to perform one final dance, but quietly chuckles to himself immediately afterwards, all but giving away that he has no good intentions. [[spoiler:Sure enough, he tries to stab Primrose while her back is turned, and sure enough, Primrose saw this coming from a mile away and runs past him while [[SlashedThroat slitting his throat]].]]
* NotSoHarmlessVillain: Downplayed. He's a thoroughly unpleasant person all around, his cruel personality is never PlayedForLaughs, and Yusufa says that he beats those who displease him half to death before tossing them out into the street to die; but her choice of words imply that it is possible for them to survive[[note]]In fact, Inquiring/Scrutinizing one NPC at the Flamesgrace Cathedral Entrance reveals that said NPC was a former dancer in Sunshade who ran away from her cruel master, who could well be Helgenish[[/note]], and she was sold to Helgenish as a child and worked there for years without suffering that fate. [[spoiler:However, when Primrose, his favourite dancer, leaves his tavern to pursue Rufus, Helgenish goes a step further by not only beating Yusufa for helping cover up her escape, but fatally and intentionally stabbing her with a knife and kicking her off a cliff, letting her bleed to death. Then he [[KickTheDog mocks her last words]] after her death. At this moment, Helgenish goes from a primitive brute to an irredeemabe monster, incentivizing Primrose to kill him.]]
* ObliviouslyEvil: As is par for the course for an abuser. Despite his abhorrent treatment of the dancers under his eye [[spoiler:including ''murdering'' Primrose's OnlyFriend Yusufa]], Helgenish never once considers the possibility that he could be doing anything objectionable and seems to genuinely believe that he's a kind and generous man, that his treatment of the dancers is acceptable, and that [[NeverMyFault the dancers dislike him because they "don't appreciate" him and not because of anything he's done]], so he has the right to demean and threaten them. His obliviousness to the unnecessary cruelty of his actions does ''not'' make him any less despicable -- if anything, it makes him ''worse'', because [[EntitledBastard he expects the dancers he mistreats to praise him and ignore his cruelty]], and refuses to admit to any wrongdoing.
* ObviouslyEvil: Despite Helgenish's narcissistic belief that there's nothing wrong with the way he treats his employees and that they deserve it for not loving him, his EstablishingCharacterMoment is him barging into their dormitory to yell at them for being a few minutes late to their stage performance. [[FromBadToWorse And it just gets worse from there...]]
* PrecisionFStrike: He calls Primrose a ''whore'' before their battle.
* PsychopathicManchild: Type B. While he is in his older years, Helgenish ultimately comes across as utterly immature, selfish and entitled, believing that [[ItsAllAboutMe the world should revolve around him]] and throwing temper tantrums the moment things don't go his way, much like how a toddler behaves.
* RiddleForTheAges: He works for [[TheManBehindTheMan Rufus]] of the Obsidians, the master of a [[HumanTraffickers sex slave]] business, [[DarkIsEvil wears a black jacket]], and eventually [[spoiler:murders Yusufa in an attempt to intimidate Primrose when she leaves his tavern to pursue Rufus]]; but it's left ambiguous if he is an official member of the Obsidians or is merely allied with them.
* SlashedThroat: [[spoiler:This is how he dies. After attempting a backstab on Primrose, she runs past Helgenish and cuts his throat, letting him die by choking on his own blood.]]
* SlasherSmile: His battle sprite depicts him with one, giving the player even more of a desire to take him down [[spoiler:after what he did to Yusufa]].
* SmugSnake: He has an exaggerated sense of self-importance and is condescending to everyone he views as inferior to him. When in the prescence of his superior, [[TheManBehindTheMan Rufus]], he speaks nervously.
* StarterVillain: The first boss in Primrose's route.
* StrongerThanTheyLook: Overlaps with WakeUpCallBoss. At first glance, he appears to be a fat blowhard, and in battle his sprite shows him lazily sitting on a chair and drinking wine. However, he's one of the most difficult bosses in the early game, with high HP, powerful attacks that can knock Primrose out quickly, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and resistance to Dark magic]]. It doesn't help that [[FragileSpeedster Primrose]] is not built for defense, so it's recommended to take advantage of her Allure path action and/or pick up some of the other Travelers before beginning her route.
* TooDumbToLive:
** His decision to [[spoiler:murder Yusufa]] in front of Primrose and then [[spoiler:[[KickTheDog mock her dying words]]]] is almost as [[VillainBall idiotic]] as it is vile. Primrose had just exited the Sunshade Catacombs—a dungeon with RandomEncounters—alive, indicating that she has combat capabilities. Primrose and [[spoiler:Yusufa]] reaffirming their friendship should have given Helgenish further evidence that [[spoiler:mocking Yusufa after her death]] would be a bad idea, but he thinks it's a good idea and is rewarded with a fight to the death.
** It was also a really stupid idea of Helgenish to sinisterly chuckle to himself after asking Primrose for one last dance, all but giving away that [[spoiler:[[ISurrenderSuckers he planned to stab her while her back was turned]]. As a result, [[SlashedThroat he fails miserably]]]].
* VillainBall: [[spoiler:When Primrose leaves his tavern to pursue one of the Crow Men, Helgenish takes her friend Yusufa hostage for covering for her friend, ambushes Primrose, and murders Yusufa in front of her... [[DidntThinkThisThrough except that Primrose had just exited the Sunshade Catacombs, a dungeon infested with]] RandomEncounters, [[DidntThinkThisThrough indicating that she knows how to fight]]. [[TooDumbToLive Predictable results ensue.]]]]
* VillainousBreakdown: When Primrose unleashes her fury on Helgenish for [[spoiler:murdering Yusufa]], revealing that she has always hated him and only began working for him in the first place because of his connections to the Crow Men, Helgenish does not take it at all well, resulting in a boss fight against him.
* WantsAPrizeForBasicDecency: He believes that he is allowed to do whatever he likes to the destitute women he's essentially enslaved because he gives them a means to survive, and often complains about how ungrateful they are to him. The fact that he only cares about how useful the women are to him, or that he both physically and verbally abuses them at every opportunity he can, means nothing to him.
* WouldHitAGirl: He regularly abuses his dancers and assaults them for any slight, real or imagined. He often beats the women who displease him half to death and leaves them to die in the street. [[spoiler:He tortured Yusufa to find out where Primrose went before stabbing her and throwing her off a cliff.]]
* WouldHurtAChild: Going by what Yusufa told Primrose in [[spoiler:her dying moments]], Helgenish's ill treatment extends to children sold to him.
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]], at first. Women who get on his bad side are beaten half to death and thrown out onto the street, but he doesn't directly kill them... [[spoiler:[[NotSoHarmlessVillain until]] Yusufa helps Primrose escape his tavern to pursue Rufus, where he directly and fatally stabs her as punishment.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Father Eschard]]

A corrupt bishop in the Order of the Sacred Flame who is a patron and friend of Rufus, the Left Hand of the Crow. His daughter is deceased after [[DrivenToSuicide committing suicide]] in shame of being sullied by the son of a lordling, and he comes to Rufus to receive one of his sex slaves as compensation for his loneliness.
----
* EvilCounterpart: To Archbishop Josef. Archbishop Josef is kind, devout, and a loving father to his two daughters, Lianna and Ophilia. Meanwhile, Father Eschard is vengeful, deviant, and while he does love his deceased daughter, he is disturbingly implied to have feelings of [[ParentalIncest incestuous sexual lust]] towards her as well.
* FlatCharacter: His main purpose in the story is to provide insight into how Rufus' [[HumanTraffickers human trafficking]] business works and create a sense of danger for Arianna, after which [[WeHardlyKnewYe he is never seen or heard from again]].
* LightIsNotGood: He's a bishop in the Order of the Sacred Flame and is garbed in a white robe, and is in cahoots with a man within a criminal organization to have one of his sex slaves.
* ParentalIncest: His dialogue disturbingly implies that he has sexual feelings for his deceased daughter.
* SinisterMinister: He's a bishop in the Order of the Sacred Flame, and is more immoral than his status would have you believe.
* TheUnfought: It is likely that Primrose never learns of his existence, but Arianna would have been in grave danger if Primrose hadn't killed his patron, Rufus.
* WeHardlyKnewYe: He's a very minor, indirect antagonist, appearing in ''one'' cutscene during Primrose's Chapter 2 discussing his daughter's suicide and hatred towards the House whose lordling's son sullied her. Rufus offers him Arianna as compensation for his loneliness, but Primrose later corners and kills Rufus as punishment for murdering her father over a decade ago, and Eschard is never seen or heard from again.
[[/folder]]

!!Alfyn's Route
[[folder:Blotted Viper]]
[[quoteright:310:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_viper.png]]

A giant snake who possesses a deadly venom.
----
* NonLethalKO: The Blotted Viper is just rendered unconscious after Alfyn defeats it, allowing him to collect its venom to develop a cure.
* NonMaliciousMonster: While the Blotted Viper is very aggressive, it's acting out of instinct and only attacks the people who disturb it in its lair.
* ReptilesAreAbhorrent: It's a giant, aggressive snake with a lethal venom.
* StarterVillain: The first boss Alfyn faces.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Vanessa Hysel]]
[[quoteright:262:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_vanessa.png]]

Another apothecary whom Alfyn comes across in Goldshore. Initially appearing to be a selfless healer of the sick, she is revealed to be a fraud who deliberately gives medicine with negative side-effects so she can sell the remedy at an exorbitant price once those side-effects kick in.
----
* ArcVillain: The antagonist of Alfyn's second chapter.
* BadPeopleAbuseAnimals: Before the boss fight, she reveals that she tests her deadly tonic on kittens.
* BitchInSheepsClothing: She maintains the appearance of a caring healer, only to exhort money from the sick by using a tonic with deadly side-effects.
* EvilCounterpart: She's Alfyn's. Alfyn is a genuinely kind and selfless apothecary who heals the sick no matter their background, believing himself to not have the right to act as a jury. Vanessa ''pretends'' to be as kind and selfless, but in reality cares only about the money and gives her patients a remedy that actually makes them sick to extort more money from them.
* FlunkyBoss: She has a few mercenaries helping her during her fight with the heroes.
* HeelFaceTurn: Sort of. After Alfyn's story ends, she can be found at the end of the Undertow Cove and Inquiring or Scrutinizing her will reveal that she left her criminal life behind and now sells genuine medicines of very good quality, [[ReformedButNotTamed albeit still at high prices]]. [[OptionalPartyMember She can also be Guided/Allured as an ally.]]
* HiredGuns: Due to the wealth she has accumulated she has paid mercenaries to fight on her behalf, as seen in her boss fight.
* ItsAllAboutMe: She wants to be rich and she doesn't care who she has to step on or even kill to get there.
* LackOfEmpathy: She's disturbingly nonchalant about the fact that people may die because of her scheme.
* MeaningfulName: She "high-sells" remedies for the ailments she inflicts.
* MookDepletion: She will use the move Concoct Restorative once the Sellswords she fights with die, but the move fails if it's used more than once.
-->''But Vanessa was out of ingredients...''
* MsFanservice: Her sprite makes it apparent that she's quite attractive and buxom. There's even some subtle {{Gainaxing}} in it.
* OptionalPartyMember: After Alfyn's story ends, she can be encountered at the end of the Undertow Cove near Rippletide, and Guided/Allured as an ally. She also carries [[InfinityPlusOneSword the Battle-Tested Dagger]], which can be Purchased or Stolen.
* PeekABangs: Of the scheming variety. Her battle sprite doesn't have this, oddly.
* PoisonAndCureGambit: Her scam is to deliberately poison the townspeople of Goldshore and sell the cure for exorbitant prices.
* ReformedButNotTamed: She more or less performed a HeelFaceTurn by the time Alfyn's story ends, only selling genuine remedies, but she still charges high prices for them.
* SmugSnake: Her attitude once her true colors are revealed makes her this. She's shown to be quite full of herself and condescending towards [[CountryMouse Alfyn]].
* WouldHurtAChild: She gives a small girl "medicine" that she knows will kill her and sells the cure for more money than her mother can possibly afford.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Miguel Twinspears]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_miguel.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:'''Fraid you picked a fight with the wrong man...'']]

A wounded man whom Alfyn helps recover in Saintsbridge, after Ogen deemed him not worth saving. In reality, Ogen refused to treat him because he realized that he is a liar, a thief... and a murderer.
----
* ArcVillain: Ends up as this for Alfyn's Chapter 3, and is only able to be this because of Alfyn. This puts the latter in a major personal crisis for most of Chapter 4, making him the posthumous main antagonist of Alfyn's route.
* BadassBoast: When Alfyn declares that he'll make things right, Miguel is unimpressed.
-->'''Miguel:''' Sure that's smart, Alfyn? I stretch the truth from time to time, but I wasn't lyin' about bein' a mercenary. Miguel Twinspears has killed a hundred men if he's killed a dozen. Soldiers, mind you, not mollycoddles totin' a bag full o' weeds. None of your potions or bandages will patch ye up when I'm done with ye! Gah!
* BarrierChangeBoss: He changes his weaknesses throughout the fight.
* BeyondRedemption: He betrays Alfyn's trust after the apothecary treats his wounds, and later [[WouldHurtAChild wounds a child]] because [[DisproportionateRetribution he was annoyed by his crying]]. Notably, he's the only chapter boss that Alfyn [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness kills]].
* BitchInSheepsClothing: He lies to Alfyn about his past in order to get Alfyn to treat his wounds. As soon as he recovers, he wastes no time in going back to his bandit ways. This convinces Alfyn that Miguel is BeyondRedemption.
* BladeOnAStick: His WeaponOfChoice is the spear, which is obtained after beating him.
* CardCarryingVillain: He doesn't bother to conceal his true colors from those who have already seen them, boasting to Alfyn about stabbing an innocent [[WouldHurtAChild child]] and having killed countless soldiers back when he was a [[HiredGuns mercenary]].
* CharacterDeath: Miguel is the only antagonist in Alfyn's story to be [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness killed]], because he took advantage of Alfyn's compassionate personality, betrayed him, and then [[WouldHurtAChild stabbed an innocent child]] because "[[DisproportionateRetribution the brat wouldn't shut up]]" after Miguel kidnapped him to hold for ransom. This convinces Alfyn that Miguel is BeyondRedemption.
* ConsummateLiar: Tried lying to Ogen by saying he was a mere farmer, and lied to Alfyn by saying he only killed because he had a family to feed.
* DidYouActuallyBelieve: After accidentally saying he has four mouths to feed, not three, he asks Alfyn "Ye actually believed I had a bloody ''family''?"
* DisproportionateRetribution: While waiting for his ransom after kidnapping an innocent child, Miguel becomes annoyed by the child's crying. His "solution"? [[WouldHurtAChild Stab]] him, of course! [[SarcasmMode Why would anybody care if he dies?]]
* DualWielding: As his name implies, his battle sprite has two polearms.
* DyingAlone: His wound re-opens following his loss to Alfyn in battle. Alfyn rescues the child he kidnapped and stabbed, and leaves him to die in the Rivira Woods, having decided that he is BeyondRedemption for "repaying" his care with betrayal and attempted murder.
* EvilAllAlong: He's a friendly man at first, and [[GoodAllAlong Ogen]] is made out to be a cold-hearted {{Jerkass}} for refusing to treat his wound. Then Alfyn hears about how he's a thief and a murderer, prompting Miguel to "[[BlatantLies explain]]" that he has a family back home he needs to feed, which convinces Alfyn to heal him. Once he's recovered enough, Miguel casts his friendly façade aside, showing his true colors as TheSociopath who does what he does ForTheEvulz, and confirming that Ogen [[JerkassHasAPoint had a point]] all along.
* EvilLaugh: Bursts into maniacal laughter right before [[DidYouActuallyBelieve mocking Alfyn for believing he has a family]].
* EvilRedhead: He has spiky red hair, and [[WouldHurtAChild wounds an innocent child]] and [[UngratefulBastard tries to kill Alfyn after he healed him]]. He has a notorious reputation within Saintsbridge as a criminal.
* TheFarmerAndTheViper: Rather than repaying Alfyn's kindness, he kidnaps and wounds a local child for profit upon his health being restored, leading Alfyn to have a crisis of faith.
* FlawExploitation: Miguel very pointedly attacks and exploits Alfyn's inherent altruism. When they finally fight, Miguel will even feign begging for mercy before unleashing his charged attack.
* ForTheEvulz: He uses a FreudianExcuse of needing to feed his hungry family to explain his notorious reputation as a criminal and persuade Alfyn to treat his wounds, but later reveals he lied about having a family, too. Miguel lies, steals and murders because... it's ''fun''. [[SarcasmMode Need any other explanation?]]
* HateSink: He's easily one of the most despicable antagonists in the game, what with his willingness to [[FlawExploitation exploit Alfyn's kindness]] and [[WouldHurtAChild nearly murder an innocent child]]. It's also worth noting that out of all the chapter bosses, he is the only one who is killed by Alfyn, since Alfyn decides [[BeyondRedemption even his altruism has its limits]].
* HiredGuns: He's a mercenary, one of the few things he wasn't lying about to Alfyn. He boasts about having killed countless soldiers.
* ISurrenderSuckers: Towards the end of his battle he pleads for mercy... during his charge up sequence where he'll unleash a powerful attack next turn, making it clear-cut trickery.
* ItsAllAboutMe: He lies to Alfyn about his reputation as a murderous thief to save himself, claiming he steals to feed his family back at home. In truth, Miguel has no family, and [[ForTheEvulz lies, steals and murders simply because he enjoys the criminal life]]. When Alfyn later calls him out for [[WouldHurtAChild wounding a child]] he's kidnapped and holding for ransom, Miguel's response is essentially "Who cares?"
* JerkWithAHeartOfJerk: When Alfyn finds out that's he's a mercenary for hire, Miguel claims it's to feed his three children. When Alfyn confronts him for kidnapping a child and Miguel accidentally reiterates that he has four children, not three, he gleefully admits that he never had any children and that he does it all for fun.
* {{Jerkass}}: He's a remorseless asshole who gleefully [[FlawExploitation takes advantage of other people's compassion]] for his own benefit.
* KarmicDeath: He gets killed by the same guy he took advantage of and whose kindness saved Miguel from death.
* KnightOfCerebus: Alfyn's story starts off fairly light-hearted with him travelling to heal the sick and suffering. Miguel (and by extension, Ogen) is when Alfyn's story takes a darker turn when he [[FlawExploitation takes advantage of Alfyn's compassion]] and betrays his trust, leading to serious questions as to whether "[[ArcWords some lives are not worth saving]]".
* LackOfEmpathy: He feels no remorse for any of his actions at all. This exchange between him and Alfyn says it all.
-->'''Alfyn:''' ''(realises that Miguel has [[WouldHurtAChild stabbed the little boy]] he's kidnapped and holding for ransom)'' ...!\\
'''Miguel:''' [[EvilLaugh Heh heh.]] [[DisproportionateRetribution The brat wouldn't shut up, so I stuck him one to give him somethin' to]] ''[[DisproportionateRetribution really]]'' [[DisproportionateRetribution cry about.]]\\
'''Alfyn:''' You low-down pile of filth...! Move aside and let me see the boy's wound!\\
'''Miguel:''' Not another bleedin' step! As pleased as I'd be to see you fix up me golden goose... Somethin' tells me yer just going t' up and sneak away with him.\\
'''Alfyn:''' The boy could die!\\
'''Miguel:''' And what of it if he does!? I've got four mouths to feed back at home!\\
'''Alfyn:''' ...I thought it was three.\\
'''Miguel:''' [[ILied Heh, whoops. I should learn to keep me stories straight.]]
* LightningBruiser: He attacks twice per round for heavy damage with multi-hit party-wide moves, and later ups his turns to five actions per round.
* NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist: Passes himself off as a desperate family man who has fallen on hard times, then gleefully [[ILied admits that he doesn't have a family]] and does what he does [[ForTheEvulz just for the fun of it]].
* TheSociopath: What with being a BitchInSheepsClothing, a ConsummateLiar, and having [[ForTheEvulz a need for stimulation]] as well as [[LackOfEmpathy no regard for the rights of anybody]] [[ItsAllAboutMe except himself]], Miguel ticks all the boxes for a dangerous sociopath.
* UndignifiedDeath: For a professed mercenary who has killed dozens to hundreds of trained soldiers in combat... going down to a "Molly-coddles" apothecary and a few of his friends and being left to bleed out alone in a forest is a pretty embarrassing way to go.
* UngratefulBastard: He does not hesitate to try and kill Alfyn once Alfyn attempts to stop him, despite the fact that Alfyn is the only reason why he is still alive.
* VillainHasAPoint: After mocking Alfyn for believing he has a family, Miguel points out that it's because of Alfyn's naïvety in his belief that an apothecary has a duty to treat anyone who needs them, that allowed Miguel to recover enough to continue his criminal ways.
-->'''Miguel:''' But I owe ye one, Alfyn. Thanks to ye, I'm able to get back to "honest" work! [[EvilLaugh Ahahaha!]]\\
'''Alfyn:''' ''(Sighs)'' ...I give. ''[[[{{Leitmotif}} For Succor]] plays]'' This is my fault for fixing you. [[MustMakeAmends But that's why I'm gonna set things right... by my own hand!]] ''[[PreAsskickingOneLiner Step aside, Miguel!]]''
* WouldHurtAChild: He wounds a child [[DisproportionateRetribution just because he found his crying annoying]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Ogre Eagle]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_eagle.png]]

A beast whose feathers can be brewed to create the cure for a life-threatening ailment.
----
* BlowYouAway: It can use wind attacks, one of which can forcibly banish a party member from battle for several turns, similar to the Dragon that acts as the boss of H'aanit's third chapter.
* FinalBoss: Of Alfyn's route. It's also the only Chapter 4 boss that isn't the main antagonist of a playable character's route, with Chapter 3's [[TheSociopath Miguel]] filling that role.
* GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere: Played with. It turns out that the key ingredient to the potion that saved Alfyn's side as a child is an Ogre Eagle feather, but that information was only revealed just prior to Alfyn going after the beast itself. Unlike many other final bosses, the Ogre Eagle does not serve as a personal antagonist to Alfyn and just happens to be a beast that he needs something from in the moment.
* NonMaliciousMonster: Attacks Alfyn out of natural instinct to hunt.
* OurGryphonsAreDifferent: It resembles the typical depiction of a griffin, being a creature with the body of a lion and the wings and head of an eagle. Despite this, its English name references the "Tengu" portion of its Japanese name with the term "Ogre", and emphasizes its avian traits by referring to it as an eagle rather than a griffon.
* RidingIntoTheSunset: Done by the Eagle itself. The final battle against the Ogre Eagle is fought in a perpetual sunset, and it survives its defeat to fly off into the sunset and bring a close to Alfyn's story.
* ScrewThisImOutOfHere: It flies away after being defeated.
* StatusEffects: It can inflict Confusion, Blindness, and Poison.
* TimeLimitBoss: In the last leg of the fight, it uses Toxic Rainbow to create a field effect that [[MaximumHPReduction gradually lowers the party's max HP]], meaning that even if the players fully heal their HP every turn, their maximum will gradually be reduced to nothing.
* VictoryByEndurance: Its Toxic Rainbow is an attempt at this; when the Eagle's HP gets too low, it creates an environmental effect that gradually drains the party's maximum HP each turn, in the hope that it can outlast their assault until the rainbow eventually does them in.
[[/folder]]

!!Therion's Route
[[folder:Darius]]
!!!'''Voiced By:''' Creator/SeanChiplock (English)
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_darius_9.png]]

A childhood friend and former partner-in-crime of Therion's. It was his betrayal of Therion that caused Therion to distrust others.
----
* ZeroPercentApprovalRating: With the possible exception of [[HorribleJudgeOfCharacter Gareth]], not one of the thieves working for Darius actually care about him and resent his [[BadBoss unempathetic leadership]], seizing the opportunity to betray their boss when he's weakened by his battle against Therion and steal all his money without a second thought.
* ArcVillain: The primary villain of Therion's story, stealing the Dragonstones to gain immense power.
* AssholeVictim: He gets killed by his own minions after [[BadBoss how poorly he treated them]], and no-one except for maybe [[HorribleJudgeOfCharacter Gareth]] liked him. The "Sorrow" track that plays when he's dying doesn't even make his death sympathetic, but rather shows that Darius is BeyondRedemption and doesn't deserve to be in this world.
* BadBoss: He is not nice to his henchmen at all. This ends up backfiring for him -- as his men have no loyalty to Darius, they rob him when they have the chance after he's weakened from his fight with Therion.
* BossBanter: Throughout his final battle with Therion, Darius repeatedly talks to him about the worthlessness of trust. Therion responds that although it may cause him to be hurt again, he still wants to trust others.
* BreakTheHaughty: After Therion bests him and takes his Dragonstones, his henchmen rob him and leave him, having had no loyalty to him beyond his money. Darius is last seen alone, dying, and calling out for help to Therion, who has long since left with the Dragonstones.
* BritishEnglish/CockneyRhymingSlang: Uses this dialect, such as saying "tea leaves" for "thieves".
* CardCarryingVillain: He gloats about how he rises to the top by betraying others and mocks the idea of trust.
* CharacterDeath: Is killed [[KarmicDeath by his own men]] shortly after being defeated and weakened from his battle against Therion.
* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: Besides betraying Therion, Darius boasts that he's betrayed many other people in his climb to the top. This bites him back in the end when his own henchmen mortally wound him and steal all his gold.
* DisproportionateRetribution:
** One reason for his betraying and trying to murder Therion is because [[{{Narcissist}} he had become sick of Therion having independent ideas and disagreeing with him]].
** He once threatens to kill his loyal right-hand Gareth just because the latter had expressed curiosity about Darius' past partnership with Therion.
* DyingAlone: After the boss battle with him, Darius attempts to flee with the gold he's collected. However, his men promptly turn on Darius, stabbing him repeatedly and leaving him for dead. In his final moments, Darius is slumped against the wall of his hideout, all of his gold stolen and no one around to help him. His last words are pitifully calling out to a long-gone Therion for help, right before Darius slumps against the wall and expires.
* EnfantTerrible: Even as a child, Darius was selfish and manipulative beyond the standards of most children. He "befriended" Therion [[ItsAllAboutMe so that he could reap the benefits of Therion's thieving skills]], [[GreenEyedMonster which he reluctantly recognized as superior to his own]].
* EntitledBastard: Darius expects his followers to be loyal to and obey him, [[{{Hypocrite}} except he himself couldn't care less about them and will gladly throw them away if it means he can get what he wants]]. It makes his KarmicDeath at the hand of his own men feel all the more deserving!
* EvilAllAlong: During Therion's flashback of Darius betraying and throwing him off a cliff, Darius reveals that the only reason he "befriended" Therion when they first met was that [[GreenEyedMonster he reluctantly recognized him as a more talented thief than himself]], [[ItsAllAboutMe and wanted to reap the benefits of Therion's skills]]. He had never cared for Therion himself in the first place!
* EvilCounterpart: To Therion. They are both unscrupulous thieves who steal from others to survive, but while Therion once trusted Darius and [[IWorkAlone began operating alone]] after being cruelly betrayed by his friend, [[NeverBeHurtAgain not wanting to be hurt again]], Darius [[ItsAllAboutMe is entirely selfish]] and takes advantage of others to further his own power. [[spoiler:It is revealed in the final BossBanter between the two that Darius had never trusted anyone in the first place, using and betraying others because he was too afraid of being betrayed himself.]]
* EvilFormerFriend: Therion's childhood friend and former partner, who later tried to kill him to gain entry into the very group they once stole from.
* EvilGloating: When he finally crosses paths with Therion again, Darius brags about how easily he betrayed his former friend.
* EvilIsPetty: He betrayed Therion to the Ciannos and tried to murder him by kicking him off a cliff because... [[{{Greed}} money]]. Oh, and Therion had independent ideas that led to several disagreements between the two. [[SarcasmMode Yup, totally warrants attempted murder.]]
* EvilLaugh: After kicking Therion off a cliff to his supposed death, Darius burst into maniacal laughter.
* EvilRedhead: He has bright red hair, and has betrayed many people and abused his henchmen in his climb for power.
* FalseFriend: He "befriended" Therion only to reap the benefits of his thieving skills.
* {{Foil}}:
** Alongside [[spoiler:Simeon]], Darius is this to Erhardt of all people. All three of them betrayed a protagonist (Therion, Primrose and Olberic) which caused their individual issues ([[NeverBeHurtAgain unwillingness to trust]], [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge desire for revenge]] and [[DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife loss of purpose]], respectively), and first appear in person in Chapter 3 of their respective protagonists' stories. However, Erhardt had an understandable FreudianExcuse for his betrayal (his home-village was laid to ruin while his King [[BetrayalByInaction did nothing to save the people living there]]), is the DiscOneFinalBoss of Olberic's story with the mercenary leader who recruited him, Werner, being the real ArcVillain, is eventually forgiven by Olberic, and ultimately survives the game's events, whereas Darius and [[spoiler:Simeon]] were primarily motivated by {{greed}} and [[{{Sadist}} sadism]] respectively, are the definitive {{Arc Villain}}s of their protagonists' respective stories, are never forgiven by their respective protagonists, and ultimately meet their end with daggers in their shriveled excuses for hearts.
** [[spoiler:To Lianna. They are both an important person in their respective traveler's life (Therion and Ophilia), and eventually betray their respective allies. However, Darius betrayed Therion for completely unsympathetic [[{{Greed}} desires for more money and power]], [[EvilFormerFriend attempted to murder him]], [[LackOfEmpathy feels no remorse]] for what he did to the extent that he actively [[EvilGloating gloats]] about it, and as such is considered BeyondRedemption by Therion, ultimately meeting a KarmicDeath after being weakened from his battle against Therion, when his own henchmen betray and stab him for his money. Lianna, on the other hand, had a sympathetic reason to betray Ophilia, as she was [[DespairEventHorizon devastated by her father's sickness and death]] and [[UnwittingPawn was being manipulated by the Savior]] under the false promise that he could bring her father back to life if she stole the ember, [[EveryoneHasStandards was apologetic to and freed Ophilia from her cell to let her escape]], ultimately [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone came back to her senses]] after the Savior callously revealed [[ILied He Lied]], is forgiven by Ophilia, and later [[TheAtoner tries to atone for her sins]].]]
** Like many of the other final chapter bosses, Darius acts as a foil to the traveler to drive home the themes of that traveler's story. Therion's chapters center around trust and forming bonds. [[spoiler:Unlike Therion, Darius never trusted anyone from the start, simply using them before tossing them aside, and so when at his lowest and in need of help there was no one there for Darius.]]
* FromNobodyToNightmare: Therion first met Darius in a dingy gaol, when they were both still children. In the present, he owns the city of Northreach, rules over its people, and has turned the place into a WretchedHive where thieves can run rampant with no retribution.
* GreenEyedMonster: It is heavily implied that Therion's being a better thief than him is one of the reasons for his betrayal.
* HateSink: Between his {{greed}}, treachery, and LackOfEmpathy for anyone [[BadBoss including his own minions]], it's very clear that Darius doesn't have a single likable bone in his body. The "Sorrow" track that plays from after his battle against Therion to his final moments, is less about eliciting sympathy for his KarmicDeath and more about Therion's bitter acceptance that Darius is BeyondRedemption.
* {{Hypocrite}}: Decries his men as traitors when they turn on him after he's weakened following his battle against Therion, even though he himself has no regrets using and betraying others to get what he wants.
* IControlMyMinionsThrough: Threats of violence. He has a preference for the blindly loyal and stupid, since his previous partnership with Therion fell apart because the latter was too talented and sharp. Of course, there's nothing stopping his minions from backstabbing and robbing him blind once they see him weakened.
* IDontPayYouToThink: Darius outright threatens to kill his only loyal lackey just for [[DisproportionateRetribution asking the wrong question]].
* IWorkAlone: In his boss battle, he betrays Therion by saying that he "could have done it Jack Jones"[[note]]Cockney slang meaning "On my own"[[/note]], and never needed Therion in the first place.
* InferioritySuperiorityComplex: Darius' hatred of Therion stems from his own jealousy of Therion's gifts as a thief slowly outshining his own.
* ItsAllAboutMe: Darius is very selfish, to say the least. He not only betrayed and attempted to murder Therion just to become a high-ranking member of a criminal gang, but [[EvilAllAlong he reveals that he had only befriended Therion when they were children because he wanted to reap the rewards from having a skilled thief on his side, never caring for Therion himself in the first place]].
* {{Jerkass}}: He's nothing more than a cowardly, greedy asshole who treats everyone, including his own lackeys like garbage.
* KarmicDeath: Darius is always eager to use and betray people if it gets him more wealth and power. In turn, his death comes from being betrayed by his own lackeys after he's been weakened.
* LackOfEmpathy: Darius takes great pride in his actions regardless of how much they hurt others, and is completely without remorse for any of them.
* LifeDrain: He can use HP Thief to damage someone while restoring his health.
* {{Narcissist}}: Besides [[{{Greed}} money]], this asshat attempted to murder his partner of several years for ''disagreeing with him'' in their profession. In the present, he [[BadBoss treats his own brigands as nothing more than pawns]] and threatens to kill the one genuinely loyal man of the brigands for ''asking a question he didn't want to answer''. In short, he has no tolerance for anything other than unwavering obedience from his henchmen.
* NoHonorAmongThieves: It goes both ways; he betrayed Therion for personal gain, and after his defeat at the end of Therion's story, his remaining lackeys all turn against him and steal his wealth.
* RedheadInGreen: He has red hair and wears a green cape and clothing.
* RiddleForTheAges: Darius tells Therion at the beginning of their final encounter that the Dragonstones will "grant me an even greater power than I have now", implying that he (Darius) has figured out that the Dragonstones' true purpose is to [[spoiler:unlock TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon]], and that he plans to [[spoiler:gain immense power by making a deal with the local GodOfEvil sealed behind it]]; but it's never fully confirmed if this is indeed the case.
* ASinisterClue: He's left-handed, according to his battle sprite. He's also a BadBoss with ChronicBackstabbingDisorder.
* StreetUrchin: Was this alongside Therion when they were children.
* UngratefulBastard: To Therion, whom he used to be partners with, and to Gareth, the one brigand who genuinely respected and was loyal to him.
* VideoGameStealing: He can steal all of your items during battle, but breaking him will return all of them to you. His ultimate attack has him steal ''your allies.''
* VillainHasAPoint: Subverted. Darius tells Therion that betrayal is the result of trust. Therion, having listened to Cordelia's experience of betrayal, acknowledges that trust can indeed lead to being betrayed--having experienced it himself by Darius' own hand--but counters that, while betrayal is a potential result of trust, it is not a guaranteed one.
* WalkingSpoiler: His betraying and attempting to murder Therion is single-handedly responsible for the latter's [[TheCynic cynical]], [[NeverBeHurtAgain distrustful]] personality.
* WeUsedToBeFriends: He and Therion used to be friends, before Darius betrayed him.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Orlick]]
[[quoteright:293:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_orlick.png]]

A reclusive scholar living on the outskirts of Noblecourt. Therion infiltrates his mansion in pursuit of the Ruby Dragonstone.
----
* ArcVillain: Of Therion's second chapter, isolating himself from everyone including his former research partner and friend, Barham, after becoming obsessed with studying the Ruby Dragonstone.
* FatBastard: Portly and unpleasant.
* FlunkyBoss: Starts his boss battle with two bodyguards who protect his shield points, so he can't be put into a Break state as long as they're alive. Later, he'll summon a construct to aid him, but only one; break it, and the skill fails every time it's used henceforth.
* ForScience: Claims that the Dragonstone should only be in the hands of someone who will study its unique properties to justify his ownership of it.
* StarterVillain: While not Therion's first boss, Orlick is still the first actual antagonist he encounters and has no connection with the group the later two bosses belong to.
* StrongerThanTheyLook: It turns out that the short-tempered podgy scholar can put up a good fight against a team of four people.
* WeUsedToBeFriends: With Barham, until his obsession with studying the Ruby Dragonstone drove him to cut ties with his former friend. By the end of Therion's story, they make up, becoming friends/research partners again.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Gareth]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_gareth_6.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''You can't keep up with me...'']]

A member of Darius' bandits that stole the Emerald Dragonstone from the Wellspring black market, and the only one truly loyal to their leader.
----
* TheDragon: Darius's right-hand man and the only member of his bandit group that is truly loyal to him.
* CharacterDeath: He dies shortly after being defeated in battle at the hands of Therion.
* DualWielding: He wields two daggers in his sprite.
* EvilCounterpart: To Therion, both being thieves dressed mostly in purple who were Darius's right-hand men at some point, only to be betrayed by him. Therion immediately shut himself away from everyone as a result, while Gareth continued fighting for Darius even after being left for dead while Darius escaped with the Dragonstones. He also has his own version of Therion's moveset, including a ManaDrain and PlayingWithFire. It's implied that Darius purposely chose someone unlike Therion to be his new right-hand man, since Darius hates being questioned by his followers.
* ExtremeDoormat: Therion calls him this as he remains loyal to Darius despite how poorly he treated him.
* HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: He's loyal to a man who obviously doesn't give a crap about any of his followers and admits in front of everyone that he betrayed his previous right-hand man. Therion sees this and calls Gareth a spineless idiot.
* InTheHood: He wears a purple hood, fitting for a thief.
* ManaDrain: He can use use an attack that drains the target's SP in addition to damaging them.
* MirrorBoss: Is set up to be one to Therion to show how far he's come since his days with Darius. Gareth has similar clothing, weaponry, and even uses some of Therion's own skills against the party, meaning that in terms of gameplay, this is as close as they might get to actually facing Therion himself as a boss.
* UndyingLoyalty: {{Deconstructed}}. He's deeply loyal to a man who obviously doesn't care about him, to the point that he would fight to the death for him even after Darius abandoned him. Therion points out that he's an idiot.
* YesMan: He's the only member of Darius' bandit group that is truly loyal to him.
[[/folder]]

!!H'aanit's Route
[[folder:Redeye]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_redeye.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''An ill foreboding pervades the battlefield...'']]

A monster that H'aanit's mentor was tasked to hunt.
----
* AchillesHeel: While Redeye is a BarrierChangeBoss, it is consistently weak to [[LightEmUp Light]].
* AndIMustScream: [[spoiler:Returning to the area you fought him reveals Redeye/Graham Crossford occasionally had moments of lucidity while trapped in that form. He's only capable of writing his regrets and that he wishes someone kill him]].
* ArcVillain: The primary villain of H'aanit's story.
* BarrierChangeBoss: Its weaknesses change every turn due to how unstable its body is. It's [[AchillesHeel always weak to Light]], however.
* CharacterDeath: It dies shortly after being defeated in battle at the hands of H'aanit, [[spoiler:who unknowingly put Graham Crossford's soul to rest]].
* DarkIsEvil: It has the appearance of a living mass of darkness, and is a monster that many have been tasked to hunt down due to attacking civilians.
* DeadlyGaze: What makes it so deadly is that can turn anyone that looks into its eyes to stone. It manages to petrify several soldiers at once without moving just by staring at them.
* TheDreaded: Entire armies and nests filled with monsters would rather flee the area than deal with this thing. It's also worth noting that it is so fearsome that even when H'aanit has to fight a Dragon, it is only the boss of the third chapter. This is a testament to how dangerous the Redeye is -- even a mythical beast pales in comparison.
* EldritchAbomination: A demonic monstrosity not of this world that has the power to [[TakenForGranite turn anyone who looks into its eyes to stone]]. Even [[SpeaksFluentAnimal H'aanit]] is unable to sense its feelings, much to her bewilderment. [[spoiler:It WasOnceAMan who was subjected to a ritual of black magic in an attempt to turn him into a vessel for the local GodOfEvil, resisted enough to interrupt the ritual and escape, but succumbed to the magic soon after and turned into Redeye.]]
* FateWorseThanDeath: [[spoiler:Examining a fallen pillar after H'aanit defeats Redeye reveals that Redeye/Graham Crossford had fleeting moments of lucidity after being turned into that monstrosity as a side-effect of [[BigBad Lyblac]]'s attempt to use him as a vessel for [[GodOfEvil Gal]][[GreaterScopeVillain dera]]. In these fleeting moments, he considers what he has become to be this and begs somebody to kill him, while simultaneously apologizing to his son, Kit.]]
* {{Foreshadowing}}:
** During its fight it can use a skill "Unholy Elixir" that heals one of your party members for 100 HP. [[spoiler:Redeye is later revealed to have been Graham Crossford, an apothecary.]]
** Before the battle, H'aanit notes she is unable to understand the monster, unlike every other beast she has encountered. [[spoiler:That's because this thing wasn't always a beast]].
** The boss sprite has a scrap of fabric hanging off its rear leg -- the final remnant of [[spoiler:Graham Crossford's outfit.]]
* HumanoidAbomination: When finally confronted at the end of H'aanit's story, it looks and sounds disturbingly human. [[spoiler:That's because it used to be one.]]
* NoBodyLeftBehind: When finally defeated, its body disintegrates.
* NoNameGiven: It's only called Redeye because that's it's most distinguishing trait.
* NoOntologicalInertia: The only way to reverse the petrification of its victims is to kill the beast.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin It's right there in his name]]. These eyes do more than look dangerous though; they can petrify anyone as well.
* SmarterThanYouLook: Z'aanta notes that the monster dodges every trap he sets for it, and believes it might have intelligence on par with humans. [[spoiler:He's partially right; it's actually a leftover from when Redeye was Graham Crossford.]]
* TakenForGranite: One of its deadliest powers. [[spoiler:Z'aanta fell victim to it, forcing H'aanit to find the way to counter it.]]
* TragicMonster: The Redeye [[spoiler:WasOnceAMan and was turned against his will into a monster. He managed to escape before the transformation was complete, but lost his mind soon after. Returning to the area in which he was fought reveals that he still had occasional moments of lucidity while trapped in this form, but all he could do was write his regrets and hope that someone would kill him]].
* WasOnceAMan: One of the logs found in VeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon reveals that Redeye [[spoiler:was originally Graham Crossford, who was Kit's father, Alfyn's role-model, and the previous owner of the journal Tressa obtains from Leon at the beginning of her story. Lyblac tried to turn him into the host body for Galdera, but Graham had enough HeroicWillpower left to escape before the transformation could go all the way, sadly losing his human mind soon after.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Ghisarma]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_ghisarma.png]]

A vicious beast that has been killing everything in the forest.
----
* CharacterDeath: It dies shortly after being defeated in battle at the hands of H'aanit.
* GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere: Sort of. The Ghisarma does get some build-up prior to H'aanit's battle against it and is primarily used to provide further insight into her personality—particularly her strong belief in the cycle of life and anger towards those who hunt for pleasure rather than for survival—but it still has no real impact on the plot, being a random vicious beast for H'aanit to deal with while she's looking after S'warkii and its people, before Hägen returns alone to let her know that Z'aanta is in trouble, beginning her search for him.
* ManiacMonkeys: Its battle sprite resembles a gigantic, mangy aye-aye.
* MisplacedRetribution: It takes out the pain and anger it feels over losing its old home by killing everything around it.
* NonMaliciousMonster: {{Subverted}}. The Ghisarma isn't acting out of instinct. On the contrary, it's knowingly and actively killing everything around it out of anger and a desire to show its power. This is the reason why H'aanit declares it must be killed.
* StarterVillain: The first boss H'aanit faces.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Lord of the Forest]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_forestlord.png]]

The animal guardian of the forest that Z'aanta was last seen in.
----
* AchillesHeel: While it is a BarrierChangeBoss, it is consistently weak to [[PlayingWithFire Fire]].
* BarrierChangeBoss: It can change its vulnerabilities, with the exception of [[AchillesHeel a constant weakness to Fire]].
* CannibalismSuperpower: One of its moves causes the forest life to flourish and create plant-like beasts to assist it. But should they remain for too many turns, the Lord of the Forest will actually devour them to heal itself using their life energy, despite being life-like plants that it produced from itself.
* GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere: One of the few bosses of the game who has no ties to the story and very little foreshadowing, appearing out of nowhere to give a boss fight to the second chapter of H'aanit's story.
* InUniverseFactoidFailure: One resident of Stonegard Heights foreshadows this creature's existence, but says it lives in a cave. The Spectrewood is, well, a [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin wood]], and has no cave.
* TheMarvelousDeer: Its appearance resembles a stag, and it's the powerful guardian of a forest.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: After being defeated, the Lord of the Forest just disappears. It appears to be a spirit guardian, so it likely can't be killed and allowed H'aanit passage after sensing she possessed no threat to the forest.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The White Dragon]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_dragon.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''The dragon stands majestically before you...'']]

The beast that guards a grove of herb-of-grace, a plant that protects against petrification.
----
* BlowYouAway: It has the ability to blow a single character off the battlefield, and it will take several rounds before they can return. Later in the fight, it charges up the ability to blow away two at once.
* BreathWeapon: Despite its environment, it breathes fire upon the party frequently.
* CharacterDeath: Its appearance as a ghost in TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon confirms it died shortly after being defeated in battle at the hands of H'aanit.
* GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere: Somewhat. It guards a grove of herb-of-grace, which helps people recover from being [[TakenForGranite turned to stone]] and therefore helpful against Redeye; but the boss still comes completely out of nowhere. Susanna later explains that she knew the creature was there all along, and deliberately withheld the information from H'aanit with the rationalization that if she couldn't slay it, then she wouldn't stand a chance against Redeye.
* MightyGlacier: The creature is plenty tough and powerful, but its most notable feature is that it locks out its vulnerability to swords, arrows and Ice magic at the start of the fight. Breaking it causes its guard point limit to increase, but makes it more vulnerable to swords first, then arrows and Ice magic later.
* NonIndicativeName: Downplayed; the dragon's scales are of alabaster hue, but you'd think it wouldn't be vulnerable to Ice by the land it inhabits, or to Light from the typical association of the color and element.
* ShroudedInMyth: H'aanit had never seen a dragon prior to encountering it, and almost thought they were a myth, as she had only heard of them from Z'aanta, who has a tendency to embellish his stories. Following the battle, even Olberic notes that he grew up hearing tales of knights facing dragons as their ultimate opponent.
[[/folder]]

!!Other Villains
'''WARNING:''' Due to [[WalkingSpoiler the nature of the characters in this folder]], all spoilers will be unmarked.

[[folder:The Mastermind]]
!!Lyblac
[[quoteright:170:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lyblac_9.png]]
[[caption-width-right:170:Overworld sprite\\
[[labelnote:Click here to see her during the final battle]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lyblac_3.PNG Lyblac merged with her father Galdera[[/labelnote]]]]
Initially appearing as an unusual woman whom Alphas is in love with in one sidequest, she is later revealed to be the true villain of the overall story, manipulating most [[ArcVillain individual story villains]] in her bid to take control of the Gate of Finis and awaken her father Galdera, who had created her for that sole purpose.
----
* BatmanGambit: Her specialty. She gives each of the villains a little bit of aid then lets them do the rest of the dirty work on their own.
* BigBad: She becomes the main villain whom the heroes ultimately band together to defeat after completing their individual stories.
* ChekhovsGunman: She's introduced in a sidequest as some random lady that a guard is crushing on. She turns out to be much, ''much'' more important than that.
* TheChessmaster: She's been working for at least 100 years to bring back Galdera, carefully maneuvering people and events behind the scenes without any hints leading back to her.
* TheCollector: It's implied that the hidden library that Cyrus finds in his fourth chapter belongs to Lyblac, given his deduction that gathering all the books (which are all about Galdera) must have taken at the very least decades, if not centuries. Her reason for doing so seems to be hiding away all information about Galdera so no one can use it against her.
* TheCorrupter: It is thanks to her that Werner jumped up from a common sellsword to the tyrannical lord of Riverford, Yvon and Lucia became so unhinged in the pursuit of knowledge and immortality, and Mattias was gifted with the fell power of Galdera. She also tempted Graham Crossford in the past, which led to him being corrupted into the abomination Redeye.
* CreateYourOwnHero: Directly or indirectly, she is responsible for all of the eight heroes rising to become a thorn in her final plans.
** The corruption of Graham Crossford into the Redeye resulted in Z'aanta's petrification, which pushes H'aanit to becoming strong enough to kill the Redeye.
*** On a less direct route, her corrupting Graham led to his Journal finding its way into Tressa's possession which set her off on her journey of self-discovery.
*** Her manipulation of Graham also led to him passing through Clearbrook [[NiceJobFixingItVillain and using the elixir he had intended for his wife on a young Alfyn]], which inspired him to become an apothecary and go on a journey to treat the sick.
** She worked with Mattias and helped him on his dark path against the Twelve Gods, which results in Ophilia's eventual rise which ends up stopping him.
** She worked with Werner and helped him manipulate Erhardt into slaying King Alfred, which results in Hornburg's ruin, which eventually pushes Olberic into finding his purpose in life, seeking out his friend Erhardt, learning the truth about why he betrayed him, and ending Werner's tyrannical rule over Riverford.
** She worked with Simeon and helped him and Mattias co-establish the Obsidians, which leads to them killing Geoffery Azelhart, which pushes his daughter Primrose to seek out vengeance and kill the Obsidians.
** Her alliance with Yvon and Lucia to obtain ''From the Far Reaches of Hell'' to gain knowledge and means to make a suitable vessel to bring back her father, allows for Yvon to become headmaster of Atlasdam Academy. Cyrus ends up investigating the book's vanishing from the Academy's inventory, which leads him to uncover the ancient history involving Lyblac's plan.
** She stole the dragonstones from House Ravus and used them to unlock the Gate of Finis, which leads to Heathcote recovering the sapphire stone and using it as bait to recruit Therion to steal the other three stones, stopping his EvilFormerFriend Darius in the process.
* DaddysLittleVillain: Everything she does is for the sake of bringing back and reuniting with her father. The player has to kill her first before they can even start damaging Galdera.
* DarkIsEvil: She dresses in black, and is the "Daughter of the Dark God" and the BigBad of the game overall. Naturally, she is one of the most evil characters in the game.
* DevilInPlainSight: She does little to hide her evil nature. Somehow it works, since no one other than Werner realizes just how evil she is until it's too late.
* TheDogWasTheMastermind: First appeared in a ''sidequest'' before being revealed as the main villain. Granted, the quest name all but says she is someone important (and evil).
* {{Expy}}: Of the Evil One/[[spoiler:Airy the fairy]] from ''VideoGame/BravelyDefault'', and [[spoiler:her sister Anne]] of ''VideoGame/BravelySecond'', as [[spoiler:the female true BigBad who [[TheDogWasTheMastermind initially appears in an innocuous role]] before TheReveal and is doing everything for the sake of her GodOfEvil [[DaddysLittleVillain father]]]].
* FauxAffablyEvil: She tells people what they want to hear in order to manipulate them into pursuing the Gate of Finis. When the party confronts her, she never drops her polite tone when telling them that they'll be eaten by Galdera.
* HaveANiceDeath: After awakening Galdera, she tells the party that they will have the honor of being devoured by Galdera: "You, too, have an important role to play on this historic day. Your flesh, your blood, your very soul will feed the Dark God and give him strength".
* InformedAttractiveness: She's made out to be a strong case of BeautyIsBad by Werner, but considering [[{{Retraux}} the game's art style]], there's not a lot to look at.
* TheManBehindTheMan: The true ringleader behind the fall of Hornburg (where the Gate of Finis is located), the theft of the Dragonstones (which are required to unlock the Gate), the cult of Galdera (which the Obsidians assisted), the theft of the tome ''From the Far Reaches of Hell'' (which led to the creation and experimentation of the blood-crystals), the murder of Geoffrey Azelhart (the Obsidians were her personal group of mercenaries), and the creation of Redeye.
* ManipulativeBitch: Lures Kit to the Gate of Finis to awaken Galdera under the false promise that his father is waiting on the other side. She did the same to his father following the death of his wife years prior.
* NiceJobFixingItVillain: Her corrupting Graham Crossford into Redeye in a failed attempt to resurrect Galdera had one positive outcome: if she hadn't manipulated him into accompanying her to the Gate of Finis, Graham would never have passed through Clearbrook and used the concoction intended for his deceased wife to treat Alfyn, who would become one of the eight protagonists.
* ObviouslyEvil: She has [[RedEyesTakeWarning red eyes]], [[DarkIsEvil dresses in black]], and monologues about how finding "her perfect man" [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt will change the entire world]]. How Werner was the only one who foresaw the sheer depths of her evil (InUniverse) is anybody's guess.
* OneWingedAngel: She fuses with Galdera for the final battle against the party, becoming a part of him.
* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: She's at least 100 years old, but likely much older than that. ''Champions of the Continent'' reveals that she emerged from the Gate of Finis 217 years prior to the main game's current events.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: She has red eyes, and is a demi-goddess witch cultist and the daughter of the local GodOfEvil himself.
* SpoiledByTheFormat: She'd be a lot more mysterious if the game didn't flat-out tell you she's Galdera's daughter as soon as you meet her, with all the implications the revelation comes with.
* UndisclosedFunds: Lyblac is filthy rich. Werner's diary reveals she first approached him with a BriefcaseFullOfMoney and whenever he needed more, she'd whip out the leaves with no strings attached.
* WalkingSpoiler: The moment you see "[[WhamLine Daughter of the Dark God]]" appear on your screen for what is ostensibly a sidequest, you know you've stumbled upon something sinister behind the scenes. Sure enough, she turns out to be the mastermind behind the whole game.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Darkness]]
!!Galdera
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_galdera.png]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_omniscienteye.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Top: Galdera's main body. Bottom: Galdera's lower half.]]

->''"Brave souls... You too have earned the same reward... So come... let us consume all life on this world... let us consume the gods themselves... For now and eternity... there is only us... There is only Galdera!"''

The god of infernal magic who has power over life and death. 1,600 years ago, he refused to give up his creations out of greed and was defeated by his siblings, the twelve other gods, and sealed behind the Gate of Finis. It is Lyblac's attempt to bring him back to the world that sets off many conflicts in the heroes' stories. He appears as the TrueFinalBoss once you beat all eight characters' arcs and finish several sidequests involving Kit and Lyblac.
----
* ThirteenIsUnlucky: Is technically the thirteenth God of Orsterra, and the one sealed away centuries prior to the events of the game, plus being evil.
* AllYourPowersCombined: In addition to all of the recurring gimmicks being present in the fight, many of Galdera's moves are based on moves used by previous bosses:
** Guardian of the First Flame - The Souls in the first form can self destruct for massive damage, much like the Guardian's minions.
** Mattias - The Abyssal Maw can seal magic until broken. The Blade of the Fallen can do the same with physical moves if either the Maw or Lyblac are killed.
** Lucia - Once the Blade, Maw and Lyblac are defeated, Galdera, the Fallen will use Banish Soul at the first opportunity to reduce the entire party's HPToOne, unless he is broken first. Unlike Lucia's Almighty Curse, Banish Soul will also reduce the entire party's BP to 0.
** Venomtooth Tiger - One of the auras in the first form makes poison drain SP and BP.
** Esmeralda - Late in the first form, the Souls will put death timers on three party members. Galdera himself can put a one turn timer on a party member towards the end of the second form.
** Werner - Lyblac can enchant the Blade of the Fallen so that its attack can inflict Terror.
** Miguel - The Screaming Soul's Delayed Incantation sets up an attack to activate next turn, much like Miguel's Hurl Spear.
** Ogre Eagle - If the Blade of the Fallen and Lyblac are killed first, the Abyssal Maw can reduce the party's maximum HP for the rest of the fight every turn it isn't broken.
** Gareth and Darius - The Abyssal Maw's Consume Aether is a buff of Gareth and Darius' version of Steal SP.
** Lord of the Forest - The Omniscient Eye will absorb the Souls late in the fight to recover its HP.
** Redeye - The Omniscient Eye can rarely petrify a party member, requiring the Herb-of-Grace to cure.
* TheAssimilator: What he plans on doing to the whole world once he is freed, starting with the party. Judging by the screaming souls that make up his lower body, the end result is rather unpleasant.
* CainAndAbel: ''Champions of the Continent'' reveals that the thirteen gods are all siblings, making him the Cain to the other twelve gods.
* ChekhovsGunman: He's mentioned at the beginning of Ophilia's story, but he isn't brought to attention again until late in the story.
* CognizantLimbs: His second phase has him protected by his sword-arm the Blade of the Fallen, his helmeted outer head the Abyssal Maw, and his daughter Lyblac. All three have to go before you can deal with the main body.
* CompleteImmortality: It's impossible to fully kill Galdera. The gods had to resort to sealing him away, and destroying his physical form doesn't do much more than knock him out for another long and unwanted nap. Thankfully due to absorbing Lyblac, he won't be able to escape again.
* DeathOrGloryAttack: His ultimate move Banish Soul. If he hits you with it, your entire party will have their health reduced to one and their BP to zero. However, he has to lower his guard and expose all his weaknesses in preparation, and if you manage to break him before he can use it, your entire party's BP gets filled to maximum capacity and you can spam all your most powerful moves for maximum damage.
* EldritchAbomination: His physical form can be best described as a demonic beast composed of hundreds of partially digested bodies[=/=]souls. The dude makes [[VideoGame/DarkSouls Gravelord Nito]] look pleasant.
* EverybodyHatesHades: All but outright stated to be the god of life and death, and he's the only evil god. His status as the thirteenth god even invokes the Trope Namer, who's on the level of the Twelve Olympians, but excluded because he has his own domain.
* {{Expy}}: Of [[spoiler:Ouroboros]] from ''VideoGame/BravelyDefault'', and [[spoiler:Providence]] from ''VideoGame/BravelySecond'', as the male GodOfEvil, GreaterScopeVillain, and TrueFinalBoss who [[spoiler:is essentially the father of the direct BigBad, who is DaddysLittleVillain]].
* FallenAngel: The 13th god of Orsterra before he betrayed the others, becoming the local {{Satan}} figure.
* GrandTheftMe: Ends up using Kit as his vessel for his revival. After his defeat he is exorcised from Kit, freeing him.
* GreaterScopeVillain: While he is the one in charge, it is Lyblac who does all the planning to restore him.
* GodOfEvil: Played with. Galdera himself seemingly has malevolent intentions for Orsterra, but Cyrus and Mattias believe that as dreadful as his power is, it can be used for good.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Due to absorbing his daughter Lyblac before the final battle, he has no one willing to put in the effort to free him again upon defeat. In fact, the journal outright states that he has been sealed away for good.
* HPToOne: His second form has two variants. Blade of the Fallen can use Vorpal Strike on one person, while the main body immediately uses a very nasty version called Banish Soul as his ultimate attack once all his CognizantLimbs are gone. If he uses it before you can break him, it'll hit the entire party and reduce both their HP ''and'' BP to one, then use his next move to use the stolen BP to boost his break meter by how much he stole.
* MarathonBoss: His first form the Omniscient Eye alone has a whopping ''500,000'' HP, considerably more than any other boss you've faced before. Galdera then makes it even worse by frequently summoning souls, each with 50,000 HP and barely sharing any common weaknesses to aid him in battle by making it so the Eye is immune to all damage as long as even one soul survives (at least when the main body has most of his health remaining). The souls also can resurrect each other within a turn or two if you don't kill them off quickly in succession, eating up even more time and resources. The second form is slightly better since the CognizantLimbs can't be resurrected and the main body has less health, but the lack of common weaknesses and the main body's invincibility are still present; plus, each of the CognizantLimbs gets a unique buff when the other two go down, so if you kill off the wrong two first, you're in for a world of hurt. Combine that with a mandatory BossRush with ''eight'' bosses you have to go through first, and you got one hell of a time eating boss. Also, you can't save between the BossRush and Galdera, so make the fight count.
* NestedMouths: His main body actually has two heads, one located inside the other. Destroying the Abyssal Maw reveals another head that looks like a BigRedDevil.
* RageAgainstTheHeavens: He's not happy about his defeat at the hands of Aelfric and the other gods, and desires to consume them after he's finished with the party.
* SealedEvilInACan: The true entity sealed inside the Gate of Finis that Lyblac tries to unleash on the world. It's also his ultimate fate after his defeat, but this time unable to escape due to having absorbed his daughter, leaving him without anyone that will try to release him.
* SoulPower: His first form frequently summons souls to aid him in battle. How many he summons, what weaknesses they have, their battle strategies, and whether they fully protect him as long as they survive depend on how much health the main body has left. The second form uses souls to fuel his ultimate attack, [[HPToOne Banish Soul]].
* SequentialBoss: Has two phases with each phase requiring four heroes to defeat it.
* TrueFinalBoss: Of the overall story.
[[/folder]]
----

!!Sidequests
[[folder:Kit]]
!!Kit
A traveler in search of his father.

* ChekhovsGunman: He starts as a stranger that needs a simple healing item, and ends up being deeply connected to late-game events.
* DemonicPossession: [[spoiler:His body is used to resurrect Galdera, making him part of the TrueFinalBoss fight. The team eventually frees him after taking down Galdera.]]
* DidntThinkThisThrough: [[spoiler:Allows Lyblac to guide him to the Gate of Finis and passes beyond it, not realizing that she was lying about bringing his deceased father BackFromTheDead. As a result, he is turned into Galdera's vessel, and the party has to take Galdera down to save him.]]
* LastOfHisKind: [[spoiler:The father he knew is gone, making him the last Crossford.]]
* ParentalAbandonment: His mother has been dead for a long time, and he's on a quest to find his other parent. [[spoiler:After Galdera's defeat, he gets to say goodbye to their spirits.]]
* SchrodingersGun: No matter which character the player starts with, they will first encounter Kit just outside of their starting town.
* TargetedHumanSacrifice: [[spoiler:Because the Crossford bloodline is tainted with the right dark magic, Lyblac turns him into a vessel for Galdera.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Theracio]]
A Flatlands scholar hounded by moneylenders, who wishes to spread knowledge to the impoverished.

* CoolTeacher: When he returns in Noblecourt, he is seen adored by his current students who love his lessons.
* GrewASpine: He is initially shown at the mercy of a money lender who hounds him to repay his parent's debt. If H'aanit or Olberic stand up to the lender, Theracio will find the courage to tell him off as well.
* WalkingTheEarth: Theracio's dream is to travel the continent and teach to children of all walks of life.

[[folder:Professor Bastete]]
The lady that inspired Theracio to educate others. Believes in guiding students, rather than forcing education upon them.

[[folder:Le Mann]]
An aspiring adventurer from the Coastland, who desires to discover new lands.

* AffectionateNickname: Le Mann always refers to the player character as "Friend of my heart" after their initial encounter.
* BoldExplorer: His goal is to discover uncharted lands.
* TheFool: He seeks the life of an adventurer but seems pretty ill prepared for the life, instead just fumbling about.
* LovableCoward: When met in Grandport, Le Mann acts poised to deal with some ruffians getting in the way of his adventure... only to quickly ask the player to deal with them for him.
* SmallNameBigEgo: Le Mann is introduced calling himself an "adventurer extraordinaire" but lacks any sort of gear for his travels and admits he has a hard time keeping up his confidence without his friend Harris to help push him along. If Challenged, Le Mann will act tough despite having only a paltry rank 2 strength.
* WalkingTheEarth: At the end of his 3rd side quest, Le Mann finally embarks on his adventure, setting sail to lands undiscovered.

[[folder:Noelle]]
A Highlands citizen researching the legendary King Beowulf the Great, who founded the Hornburg Kingdom.

[[folder:Ria]]
A wayfaring girl from the Sunlands roaming the land, but often troubled by persistent men. Her clothing and demeanor seem to indicate she is from a high-class family...

* DamselInDistress: First two parts of her sidequest chain involve your party's having to help her out by removing a persistent man from her or finding something she lost.
* KingIncognito: She is [[spoiler:the princess of Marsalim]].
* ReallyRoyaltyReveal: The final part of her sidequest chain reveals that her true name is [[spoiler:Gloria, the daughter of King Khalim.]]
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: Her continent spanning adventure is revealed to be for the sake of [[spoiler:gathering evidence to expose the corruption of one of Sunshade's chieftain leaders.]]

[[folder:Meryl]]
A Riverlands girl who, after learning that she was adopted, sets out to find her birth mother.

* HappilyAdopted: Her foster parents love her like real parents would. She returns to them once she has answers about her origins.
* LastOfHerKind: She and her birth mother are the last members of the noble house of Gerster, which was otherwise wiped out in a war of their own making.

[[folder:Alphas]]
A man in the Clifflands attracted to a very unusual woman.

* BackForTheFinale: [[spoiler:He returns to help kickoff the final dungeon quest, by revealing Lyblac's heading to the same place as Kit]].
* HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: The woman he fell in love with is [[spoiler:[[BigBad Lyblac]]]]. Fortunately for him, he realizes that she is not interested in him at all and eventually finds someone who reciprocates his love.

[[folder:Kaia]]
A Cliffland girl who spoke to a dragon in her dreams, and was entrusted with its egg.

* TheHermit: At the end of her last sidequest, in which the party helps rescue the egg from a thief, she decides to cut ties with society in order to keep the egg secret and protected.

[[folder:Ashlan]]
A Woodlands youth seeking to learn more about beast tamers in order to find his father and end a snake's curse, caused by using forbidden magic to protect their village.

[[folder:Miles]]
A member of the Knights Ardante that wishes to learn the truth about his father, who was rumored to have abandoned his knightly cause.

* ToBeLawfulOrGood: His father, who [[spoiler:chose "good" by giving away his blade, an act seen as dishonorable by the Knights Ardante, so that a poor village could sell it and rebuild itself with the funds]].

[[folder:Mathilda and Tony]]
A Rippletide lady only attracted to strong men, and her weak-spined admirer.

* DoggedNiceGuy: Tony pines for Mathilda from a distance. [[spoiler:If you have Olberic [[ThrowingDownTheGauntlet Challenge]] Tony and lose the fight, Mathilda notices Tony's courage and falls in love with him on the spot.]]

[[folder:Mont d'Or and Estadas]]
A pair of gladiators at Victor's Hollow; one hails from the Frostlands, while the other is a local that doesn't want to disappoint.

[[folder:Paul]]
A professor that Princess Mary idolized.

* DistressedDude: A post-story quest involves rescuing him from Undertow Cavern and reuniting him with Mary.

[[folder:Maruf]]
Ali's father. Called a master salesman that never had to lie by his son, and a swindler by Morlock; either way, he was a skilled merchant before a friend betrayed him and put his family in debt.

[[folder:Nighteye]]
An elderly thief that has his eye on a gem in Heathcote's possession. In truth, he and Heathcote used to be partners in crime, until a bet involving that very gem.

* TheBet: He and Heathcote competed to steal a gem, and the winner would give up his life of crime and pursue the lady they both admired. Heathcote got the gem, but the lady turned him down, as she was actually in love with Nighteye; ever since, Nighteye's wanted to take the gem from Heathcote to set things right.
* TheHyena: Has quite a guffaw, which Heathcote notes is a defining trait in the sidequest to reunite the two.
* LoveTriangle: In their youth, he and Heathcote loved the same noble woman.

!Other Characters

[[folder:Bastian]]
A famous painter hailing from a land to the west of Orsterra, and the creator of ''Love Unforgotten''.
----
* TheLostLenore: Despite marrying four times, he never forgot his first love. Her passing inspired him to paint a depiction of what he imagined she would have become had she lived to be a grown woman, working on it until the end of his career.
* WeHardlyKnewYe: He is discussed by Captain Leon when Tressa notices ''Love Unforgotten'' on his merchant ship near the end of her Chapter 1... and is never mentioned again.

[[folder:Baltazar]]
A Dread Pirate with a legendary treasure, and an old friend of Captain Leon before passing.

* AllThatGlitters: He was never satisfied with a pirate's life, instead wanting to have been a merchant.
* TheBet: In his final meeting with Leon, he bet a gem Leon's always had his eye on, in exchange for whatever Leon considered his most precious treasure. Baltazar died in the ensuing race through a storm, though his ship did reach its destination before Leon's, and the whole event gave Leon an epiphany about his life thus far.
* PosthumousCharacter: He is long dead by the time of the story, appearing only in Leon's flashbacks.
* TheRival: Was this to Leon, racing to see who could get to treasures first.
* StreetUrchin: Grew up as one alongside Leon.

[[folder:Edbart]]
A knight of the ancient kingdom of Ferlen, whose shield is regarded as a legendary treasure.

* PosthumousCharacter: Has been dead for ages, though his legend lives on.

[[folder:King Beowulf]]
The first king of Hornburg, and the man that entrusted the Ravus family with the Dragonstones.

* PosthumousCharacter: As expected of a man that founded a centuries-old kingdom.

[[folder:King Alfred]]
The last king of Hornburg, before the kingdom fell and he perished.

* CharacterDeath: He was murdered by Erhardt as a result of a perceived BetrayalByInaction before Olberic's story begins proper.
* PosthumousCharacter: His death, and the fall of the Hornburg Kingdom, motivate Olberic.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Geoffrey Azelhart]]
The former head of a noble house, murdered by three high-ranking members of a criminal organization.

* CharacterDeath: He was murdered by the Obsidians for [[HeKnowsTooMuch discovering information they didn't want him to know about]].
* GoodParents: Geoffrey was a strict but loving father to Primrose, teaching her many important lessons and preparing her to be a fine successor to House Azelhart before his death.
* HeKnowsTooMuch: His finding out about [[spoiler:the Gate of Finis]] is what resulted in his assassination by the Obsidians.
* OneDegreeOfSeparation: He was acquainted with Odette, a friend and former colleague of Cyrus, before his death.
* PosthumousCharacter: Avenging his death is the primary goal of Primrose's story.
* SmallRoleBigImpact: He's a PosthumousCharacter and only appears in flashbacks, but the lessons he taught his daughter Primrose remain with her long after his murder. Avenging his murder at the hands of the criminal Crow Men is the primary goal of Primrose's story, but the lessons he taught her likely contribute to her remaining a very kind and gentle woman to the innocent, and her unwillingness to endanger them while she's pursuing the guilty.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Graham Crossford]]
The man who saved Alfyn's life during the epidemic. It is his selfless act that motivated Alfyn to become an apothecary. While he is seen only during flashbacks in Alfyn's story, he ends up playing a far more important role in the overall plot than he initially appears.

* BrokenPedestal: A very mild example. While he was a man as noble as Alfyn saw him to be, in his moment of weakness after losing his wife, [[spoiler:he unwittingly set off the chain of events that nearly led to TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt]].
* CharacterDeath: [[spoiler:He dies after H'aanit slays [[WasOnceAMan the Redeye]].]]
* DidntThinkThisThrough: [[spoiler:Accompanies Lyblac to the Gate of Finis and agrees to participate in a ritual, not realizing until the last moment that Lyblac had been lying about bringing his deceased wife BackFromTheDead. Once he figures it out, [[OffscreenMomentOfAwesome he wounds Lyblac and interrupts the ritual]], at the cost of losing his humanity and turning into the abomination Redeye.]]
* DiedHappilyEverAfter: [[spoiler:Defeating Galdera reveals that he was able to find peace in the afterlife with his wife after H'aanit destroyed Redeye.]]
* FateWorseThanDeath: [[spoiler:He was twisted by Lyblac into Redeye after an attempt to summon Galdera gone wrong and is just barely lucid enough to comprehend the horrible things he's done and wish for someone to come along and put him out of his misery.]]
* TheLostLenore: His wife suffered from the same epidemic as Alfyn, but died before he finished a cure.
* OffscreenMomentOfAwesome:
** He somehow took a feather from the fearsome Ogre Eagle to make the elixir that saved Alfyn's life.
** The final dungeon reveals that [[spoiler:before he became Redeye, he managed to prevent Galdera from possessing his body by focusing on the image of his family and grievously injured Lyblac, interrupting her ritual.]]
* OneDegreeOfSeparation: The man who saved Alfyn also turns out to be the man who originally wrote the very journal Tressa obtains from Leon.
* UnwittingPawn: He was manipulated by [[spoiler:Lyblac]] into becoming [[spoiler:a vessel for Galdera]]. He only managed to escape at the last moment due to HeroicWillpower [[spoiler:but he devolved into a mindless monster soon after, becoming Redeye that H'aanit and her master end up hunting]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Melyssa]]
Ogen's wife, who [[spoiler:was murdered by one of his patients]].

* TheLostLenore: Her death [[spoiler:at the hands of a criminal whose wounds her husband treated]] shaped Ogen into the cynical apothecary he is today.

[[folder:The Twelve Gods]]
The creators and guardian deities of the world, each of which is a patron of a particular profession. Foremost among them is Aelfric, the Flamebringer, who led them in a charge against their fallen sibling Galdera 1600 years ago.

* AchillesHeel: [[spoiler:All four of the BonusBoss gods have some form of this because all of their attacks are either purely physical or purely elemental. Reflective Veil cast upon all party members stuffs Steorra's and Dreisang's elemental attacks completely along with damaging them and [[HoistByHisOwnPetard potentially breaking their guards in the process]] while Sidestep will similarly render Winnehild and Balogar completely incapable of landing a single hit on said sidestepper with their physical attacks (moreso in Winnehild's case with Balogar's Rune Transfer cast by Tressa).]]
* AllThereInTheManual: The official guide book reveals that the thirteen gods were created by the primordial goddess Orsa who was the creator and namesake of Orsterra (as in Orsa's terra). ''Champions of the Continent'' elaborates that she was their mother who gave birth to them, and their father was another god created by her named Finis.
* AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: The gods left Orsterra after sealing away Galdera to heal the wounds from their battle.
* BigGood: Aelfric, Flamebringer. He sealed away the GodOfEvil Galdera, his Sacred Flame keeps the dark god's power in check, and he is revered in the Order of the Sacred Flame.
* BonusBoss: The embodiments of [[spoiler:Winnehild (Warmaster), Steorra (Starseer), Dreisang (Sorcerer), and Balogar (Runelord)]] must be battled in their shrines to unlock the respective jobs for the party.
* CainAndAbel: ''Champions of the Continent'' reveals that the thirteen gods are all siblings, making all of them, especially Aelfric, the Abel to Galdera's Cain.
* CounterAttack: [[spoiler:Steorra and Winnehild can each counter any physical attack thrown their way—Winnehild's is especially dangerous because while she only counters one attack per casting instead of three she inflicts nigh OneHitKill damage to whoever threw out the attack.]]
* CrystalDragonJesus: Aelfric is held as such by the order of the Sacred Flame.
* {{Expy}}: [[spoiler:The four gods you fight to unlock the secret jobs are identical to the Asterisk holders from the ''VideoGame/BravelyDefault'' games. You have to beat the job holders in a boss fight and in doing so, you get a preview of the job's abilities as they're being used on you.]]
* LightIsGood: Aelfric's domain is Light, attributed to the Sacred Flame, and he is revered by the Order as their patron deity.
* MultiArmedAndDangerous: [[spoiler:Winnehild has six arms, one for each of the six weapon types in the game.]]
* OneWayVisor: [[spoiler:Winnehild, Dreisang, Balogar, and Steorra all wear masks covering their eyes during their boss fights.]]
* {{Spellblade}}: [[spoiler:Balogar the Runeblade specializes in these. His runes can also give out status conditions, [[TheComputerIsACheatingBastard unlike you]]]].
* StatusBuffDispel: [[spoiler:Steorra can cast Restore Balance on a single party member to get rid of any enhancements and prevent that person from receiving any for four turns. Dreisang's Divine Majesty simply prevents enhancements but for the whole party and it lasts for five turns.]]
* SuperEmpowering: The main eight leave artifacts corresponding to the various jobs of the protagonists, and interacting with these artifacts will give you one sample of the job in question to allocate to your team as you see fit. [[spoiler:The last four on the other hand need to be defeated first to make use of their jobs.]] Each god is associated with a different job.
** Cleric: Aelfric, the Flamebringer.
** Scholar: Alephan, the Sage.
** Merchant: Bifelgan, the Trader.
** Warrior: Brand, the Thunderblade.
** Dancer: Sealticge, the Lady of Grace.
** Apothecary: Dohter, the Healer.
** Thief: Aeber, the Prince of Thieves.
** Hunter: Draefendi, the Huntress.
** [[spoiler:Starseer: Steorra, the Starseer]].
** [[spoiler:Runelord: Balogar, the Runeblade]].
** [[spoiler:Warmaster: Winnehild, the Warbringer]].
** [[spoiler:Sorcerer: Dreisang, the Archmagus]].
* TopGod: Aelfric is presented as the leader of the twelve.[[/folder]]

!Antagonists

!!Ophilia's Route
[[folder:Guardian of the First Flame]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_guardian_9.png]]

A golem that tests those that wish to undertake the Kindling.
----
* EldritchAbomination: Of a kind. It's a golem that lacks a true, expressive face made out of ice, and it's been around since ancient times to protect Aelfric's Flame. This sets it apart from other bosses, as it is actually a benevolent force that protects a sacred flame, rather than someone or something that is actively trying to harm the protagonists.
* LogicalWeakness: Inverted. It's a giant golem made of ice in an ice cave in the frozen north... and it's weak to Ice.
* MacguffinGuardian: Protects Aelfric's Embers, the source of the Sacred Flames across the world.
* StarterVillain: The first boss of Ophilia's story. Though, as it is actually guarding Aelfric's Flame from those with malevolent intent, it is more of a necessary antagonist than a "villain" per se.
* WakeUpCallBoss: Not to the same extent as Primrose's Chapter 1 boss, but the Guardian is among the more difficult bosses in the early game. It has high HP and shields, can summon Dark Wisps that will self-destruct to deal a large amount of damage to Ophilia if not defeated in time, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and is not weak to Light magic]][[note]]It's weak to Swords, Daggers, Staves, Ice and Wind[[/note]]. This encourages you to take advantage of Ophilia's Guide path action to defeat it; in particular, an NPC with "Summon Winds" in the Flamesgrace tavern helps make the fight more manageable.

[[folder:Hróðvitnir]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_hrodvitnir_6.png]]

A wolf from the forest that attacks Emil when the boy searches for his friend's lost brooch.

* GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere: One of the few bosses of the game who has no ties to the story and very little foreshadowing, appearing out of nowhere to give a boss fight to the second chapter of Ophilia's story. To be fair, though, it ''is'' foreshadowed if you talk to some of the [=NPCs=] in Saintsbridge, and while the reasoning is somewhat lacking, it does at least help a few characters further their development.
* LightningBruiser: It can take a mountain of punishment and increase its maximum guard points, but can also hit hard to the whole party and can buff its attack. Oh, and it attacks twice per turn.
* MeaningfulName: Its name means "fame-wolf", and is an alternate title of Fenrir, the wolf from Norse mythology.
* NonMaliciousMonster: Attacks Emil because it saw him as a potential meal.
* SavageWolves: It's a monstrous wolf that attacks Emil, forcing Ophilia to fight it.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: After being defeated, Hróðvitnir just disappears. Whether Ophilia killed it or merely fended it off is left ambiguous, though Emil and his friends imply that it's the latter.

[[folder:Mystery Man and Shady Figure]]
[[quoteright:167:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_mysterymen.png]]
[[caption-width-right:167:Mystery Man (right) and Shady Figure (left)]]

Two cultists that kidnapped Bishop Donovan's daughter in the hopes that her father would deliver Aelfric's Embers to them.

* BlackMage: The man with red on his cloak has access to Scholar skills and will be the main damage dealer.
* CharacterDeath: One cultist is killed in battle at the hands of [[GoodIsNotSoft Ophilia]], the other [[CyanidePill injects himself with lethal poison]] so that Ophilia can't get any more information out of him.
* CyanidePill: After telling Ophilia that she will tremble before the power of the "Savior", the surviving Mystery Man injects himself with deadly poison, denying her further answers.
* DarkIsEvil: They dress in black robes that obscure their identities, and are devout followers of a {{Cult}} that worships the local GodOfEvil. They are the first antagonists of Ophilia's story with clear malicious intent behind their actions.
* DualBoss: The two of them are fought at the same time.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: If one falls in combat, the other will get upset and be empowered by revenge, indicating they probably care for each other to some extent.
* HateSink: What with [[WouldHurtAChild kidnapping an innocent child]], using death threats to pressure her father into stealing the Ember from the Flamebearer, and their dialogue giving away that [[ILied they were planning to murder Donovan and Lysa whether he gave them the Ember or not]], it's very clear that these two are not meant to be likeable in the slightest. It's telling that, along with the ArcVillain of Ophilia's story, [[spoiler:[[DarkMessiah Mattias]]]], they are the only ones who succeed in making [[FriendToAllChildren Ophilia]] genuinely angry. Unlike [[spoiler:Mattias]], they have no sympathetic backstory explaining how they came to become so depraved.
* ILied: Were planning on murdering Donovan and his girl after getting the Embers, instead of having a fair exchange.
* KnightOfCerebus: In spite of her adoptive father falling seriously ill, Ophilia's pilgrimage begins on a hopeful note as she travels Orsterra in her sister Lianna's place so that the latter can remain at their father's side, renewing the light of the Sacred Flame to the land and its people, and helping others in need such as the three children in Saintsbridge. Then Ophilia reads a threatening letter sent by Mystery Man and Shady Figure to the bishop of Goldshore, Donovan, telling him that they have kidnapped his young daughter, Lysa, and won't return her unless he claims the Ember from the Flamebearer (Ophilia) and gives it to them. Despite their rather silly-sounding titles, Mystery Man and Shady Figure are when Ophilia's story takes a much darker turn. [[ILied They were planning to kill Donovan and his daughter whether he gave them the Ember or not]], [[spoiler:Lianna arrives in Goldshore to inform her that their father has died, and then Lianna betrays Ophilia and takes the Ember from her in a desperate (and futile) hope that their father can be brought BackFromTheDead, having been visited by [[DarkMessiah the]] [[ArcVillain Savior]] with said (false) promise and allying herself with him.]]
* LightIsNotGood: The man with blue on his cloak uses Cleric spells like Luminescence and Heal Wounds, and is a devout and depraved cultist who WouldHurtAChild, just like his partner.
* NoNameGiven: Unusually for the final boss of a character's chapter, their names are never disclosed.
* ObviouslyEvil: They [[DarkIsEvil dress in black, hooded robes]], connive at the back of a cave, and [[NoNameGiven their names are never revealed]]. [[SarcasmMode Nope, nothing suspicious about that in the slightest.]]
* TurnsRed: If the WhiteMage is shot down first, the BlackMage gets three turns, one of which is always spent on a single-turn Elemental Attack boost, and his spells begin hitting for two times. If the BlackMage goes down first, the other will begin spamming Arcane Blade (heavy physical damage) and Dark Magic (dark magic to the whole party).
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: If the Shady Figure dies before the Mystery Man, the latter will "seethe with rage" and up the offensive ante on his turns.
* WhiteMage: The man with blue on his cloak has access to Cleric skills and will be the duo's source of healing, always using one of his two turns to heal them both.
* WouldHurtAChild: They were perfectly willing to kill a child whether Bishop Donovan did what they wanted or not.
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: As mentioned above, their plan is to kill the bishop and his daughter after getting the ember.

[[folder:The Savior]]
!!Mattias
!!!'''Voiced By:''' Creator/ChrisNiosi (English)
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_mattias.png]]

The trader associated with the Leoniel Consortium whose job is to aid Ophilia in her pilgrimage. In truth, he is the leader of the {{Cult}} of Galdera seeking to take the ember and using it to weaken the bonds on Galdera.

* AntiMagic: A few turns into the fight (never later than recovering from his second break), he uses Infernal Flame to jam your multitarget spells.
* AlasPoorVillain: Ophilia pities him after he dies.
-->'''Ophilia:''' [[SourOutsideSadInside What a sad man you were...]]
* ArcVillain: The primary villain of Ophilia's story.
* BadBoss: He's willing to use his followers as sacrifices in a ritual to [[spoiler:weaken the bonds on Galdera]] without their knowledge. It's even implied that [[BaitTheDog he saved them from the plague that ravaged Wispermill so that he could gain their trust for that very purpose]].
* BadPowersBadPeople: Mattias is empowered by Galdera, who bestowed him with a fraction of his power. [[spoiler:He tries to take advantage of Lianna's grief at the loss of her father to manipulate her into helping him corrupt the Sacred Flame to weaken Galdera's seal and gain more power, under the pretense that he can resurrect her father.]]
* BadPowersGoodPeople: Mattias used to be this. [[spoiler:After becoming disillusioned with the twelve gods for [[BetrayalByInaction doing nothing while those he cared about perished in a fire]], he tried using Galdera's power to help others, [[TheDarkSideWillMakeYouForget but the dark god's influence eventually took over]].]]
* BaitTheDog: It's implied that he used Galdera's power to stop the plague ravaging Wispermill solely to gain the trust of its people, so that he could [[spoiler:sacrifice them to Galdera as part of a ritual to weaken the god's seal]].
* BitchInSheepsClothing: He appears as a helpful merchant while secretly [[spoiler:plotting the failure of the pilgrimage.]]
* BossBanter: He talks to Ophilia periodically throughout the fight.
* CharacterDeath: He dies shortly after being defeated in battle at the hands of [[GoodIsNotSoft Ophilia]].
* ChekhovsGunman: He initially seems like a fairly unimportant NPC when he first shows up, but then turns out to be the main antagonist of Ophilia's route.
* CreateYourOwnHero: While his intention in the [[spoiler:poisoning of Archbishop Josef]] is to have Lianna still take the pilgrimage and lure her into his manipulations, the pain Ophilia sees in her sister makes her take up the mantle of Flamebearer in her sister's place. Ophilia's own personal experience with loss not only allows her not to be swayed by Mattias' false promises of [[spoiler:Josef's resurrection]] but also breaks through to Lianna's heart and helps her step back before it is too late. To rub further salt in Mattias' wound, Ophilia makes it her mission to stop and kill him for his actions.
* DarkIsEvil: Mattias is empowered by Galdera and gains power from the Dark Flame, a corrupted form of the Sacred Flame, during his boss fight. [[spoiler:He intends to ruin Ophilia's pilgrimage to restore light to the realm so he may gain more power from Galdera.]]
* DarkMessiah: He sees himself as the chosen of Galdera and his followers refer to him as the Savior.
* TheDarkSideWillMakeYouForget: [[spoiler:He goes from a WellIntentionedExtremist trying to use Galdera's power to help people, to a rambling lunatic with delusions of world domination.]]
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: His backstory as explained in [[spoiler:[[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon the Gate of Finis]]]] reveals that he once had loved ones. [[spoiler:He was once a high-ranking and devout member of the Order of the Sacred Flame, and he platonically loved the children who attended the church he worked at. When a lightning-strike caused a fire that burned the church to the ground, it was the children's deaths in particular that incited him to reject his faith, as he saw no good reason why [[ChildrenAreInnocent they]] should die.]] By the time of the present, however, his RageAgainstTheHeavens has left him so twisted that he [[BadBoss willingly sacrifices his own followers to Galdera, without their knowledge]] and [[LackOfEmpathy without conscience]].
* EvenEvilHasStandards: [[spoiler:He knows that releasing Galdera on the world is bad news, so he merely wants to loosen his bonds so he can draw more power from the god.]]
* EvilAllAlong: Initially appearing to be a humble, [[ChekhovsGunman unimportant]] merchant, he is actually the leader of a dark {{Cult}} and aims to draw more power from [[GodOfEvil Gal]][[GreaterScopeVillain dera]] by using the pilgrimage ember to weaken the God's seal. [[spoiler:His diary found in [[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon the Gate of Finis]] subverts this, however. Here, it is revealed that there was a time when he really was a good man and devout believer in the Sacred Flame, until [[EvilStoleMyFaith those he cared about perished in a fire started by a lightning strike despite his prayers for the Gods to save them]], [[StartOfDarkness which convinced him to abandon his faith]].]]
* EvilCannotComprehendGood: Mattias believes that love and friendship are superficial connections that will inevitably disappear, and is unable to understand Ophilia's love for Lianna and Josef or why she would go so far to help Lianna out of her despair from Josef's illness [[spoiler:and death]]. Even in his final moments, Mattias dies angry and scornfully laughing at Ophilia for her resolute faith in her adoptive sister and father.
* EvilCounterpart: [[spoiler:To Cyrus of all people. Like Cyrus, he too believed that power by itself is not evil, but rather how it was wielded. However, he became corrupted with Galdera's power despite trying to use it for good and became a true villain.]]
* EvilLaugh: Bursts into maniacal laughter when the dark ritual [[spoiler:Lianna initiates while wishing for her father's resurrection]] begins draining the life of his nearby followers. He also laughs at the thought of [[spoiler:Ophilia having to kill her own adoptive sister to stop the ritual, as the latter is too grief-stricken to stop wishing for her father's resurrection even after the ritual's true purpose is revealed]].
* EvilStoleMyFaith: [[spoiler:He became disillusioned with the twelve gods when they did nothing to save innocent lives from a disaster despite all his prayers.]]
* FallenHero: [[spoiler:He was once a high-ranking and devout member of the Order of the Sacred Flame. However, when his church was destroyed and many of its members were killed he lost his faith and sought the power of Galdera.]]
* FauxAffablyEvil: He's as charismatic as one would expect from a cult leader and speaks politely to Ophilia when she's imprisoned by his followers, but this façade falls apart [[spoiler:when Lianna stops the ritual to corrupt the Sacred Flame.]]
* FlunkyBoss: In the early going, he summons two {{Mooks}} to lock his weaknesses before unleashing the Infernal Flame. In the last leg of his fight, he summons two enemies that protect him from all harm until they are eliminated, provided you give him the opportunity.
* {{Foil}}: His backstory as explained in [[spoiler:the Gate of Finis]] makes him one to Ophilia. [[spoiler:Both of them were devastated when they lost everyone they cared about in the past. While Ophilia managed to recover thanks to Lianna's love and support, which led to her becoming a very kind and compassionate person, Mattias didn't have anyone to help him, which led to him falling to Galdera. [[FridgeHorror It is very likely that Ophilia would have ended up like Mattias if she hadn't been adopted by a loving family after her parents' deaths]]; likewise, if Mattias had had somebody to help him in his time of crisis, he would have likely ended up more like Ophilia.]]
* {{Foreshadowing}}:
** In Chapter 1 when a fellow cleric announces that Archbishop Josef has collapsed, the screen stays focused on Mattias even after Ophilia exits. [[spoiler:His journal in TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon reveals that he poisoned Josef in his plan to make Lianna fall into despair and fail the pilgrimage.]]
** When speaking with Ophilia in Chapter 3 he expresses his doubt in having faith in the Sacred Flame and the gods, hinting at his true belief in the Dark Flame of Galdera.
** The biggest one is after [[spoiler:Lianna drugs Ophilia with a sleeping draught to steal the ember so she can try to resurrect Josef]]. A mysterious hooded figure enters the room to reaffirm his ([[ILied false]]) promise that he will make [[spoiler:her]] wish come true... and the figure's voice all but gives away that it's Mattias.
** In Chapter 4, [[spoiler:Mattias' dismissive admission that he had planned to sacrifice his followers to Galdera all along in exchange for receiving power from the dark god]] is a clue that [[spoiler:Mattias had been preparing his plot to foil the pilgrimage in advance]]. This is subtle foreshadowing that [[spoiler:Archbishop Josef's sickness on the eve of the pilgrimage was no coincidence, but the result of discreet poisoning]].
* FreudianExcuse: [[spoiler:He lost his faith in the Sacred Flame and the twelve gods when his church was destroyed and many of its members were killed, prompting him to seek the power of Galdera. At first, he wanted to use it to help others, but became [[TheDarkSideWillMakeYouForget corrupted by it over time]].]]
* HeWhoFightsMonsters: [[spoiler:He was so disgusted with the twelve gods for sitting idly by while his church burned to the ground and its members killed, that he decided that he would use [[GodOfEvil Gal]][[GreaterScopeVillain dera]]'s power to do the twelve gods' duty for them. By the present, he believes there is nothing wrong with him murdering Archbishop Josef via poison and [[BadBoss sacrificing his own loyal followers to the Accurst Flame]] to accomplish that goal, and even ''laughs'' at the idea of using the latter's lives to gain power, a far cry from his past self.]]
* ILied: [[spoiler:Mattias manipulates Lianna into believing that he will resurrect her deceased father if she steals the ember from Ophilia. After she does so and initiates his ritual wishing for her father's resurrection, the nearby villagers collapse, at which point Mattias cruelly reveals that he had lied all along and took advantage of her grief to sacrifice the villagers to Galdera and gain power from the dark god, breaking Lianna completely.]]
* MagicStaff: His scepter is a candelabra lit with [[spoiler:the corrupted Sacred Flame]]. He drops this weapon upon his defeat.
* TheManBehindTheMan: The official companion book ''Octopath Traveler: The Complete Guide'' reveals that [[spoiler:Mattias co-established [[TheSyndicate the Obsidians]] with Simeon after they were both bestowed with semi-immortality from [[BigBad Lyblac]] using knowledge from the ''From the Far Reaches of Hell'' tome, which means that Mattias indirectly plays a role in Primrose's story.]]
* ManipulativeBastard: [[spoiler:He manipulates the devastated Lianna into stealing the ember from Ophilia under the false promise to bring her father Archbishop Josef back. In reality, he is the one responsible for Josef's death in the first place, as he used slow-acting poison to make it look like Josef died from natural causes.]]
* NoBodyLeftBehind: His body disintegrates upon his defeat.
* NoNameGiven: [[spoiler:Mattias isn't his real name. It was a fake name he adopted after he outlived everyone who knew him to help conceal his identity. His true name is never revealed.]]
* NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist: He claims that he wants to help [[spoiler:Lianna by resurrecting her father]] at the cost of corrupting the Sacred Flame with Galdera's power, but he actually only cares about power and is even willing to [[spoiler:sacrifice several of his own followers to the Accurst Flame]] [[ItsAllAboutMe for his own benefit]]. [[spoiler:He was once a genuine WellIntentionedExtremist before [[TheDarkSideWillMakeYouForget The Dark Side Made Him Forget]].]]
* OneDegreeOfSeparation: His diary entry in [[spoiler:the Gate of Finis]] reveals that he is allied with [[spoiler:Simeon, the main antagonist of Primrose's route, who supported him in his crusade against the Sacred Flame]]. The official companion book ''Octopath Traveler: The Complete Guide'' goes a step further by revealing that [[spoiler:Mattias helped Simeon co-establish the Obsidians, [[TheManBehindTheMan making the former an indirect antagonist in Primrose's route]]]].
* RageAgainstTheHeavens: [[spoiler:He became disillusioned and furious with the gods after his loved ones perished in a fire that destroyed the church he worshipped at, and has dedicated his life to weakening the Sacred Flame he once revered ever since. By the time he conducts the ritual in Ophilia's Chapter 4, his hatred for the Sacred Flame has twisted him so much that [[BadBoss he has no problem sacrificing his own followers]] to the dark god Galdera without their knowledge, something his past self would have been horrified by.]]
* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: [[spoiler:Having gained the forbidden knowledge of the tome ''From the Far Reaches of Hell'' from Lyblac has allowed him to live without aging. He's really a former high-ranking member of the Order of the Sacred Flame, who has lived long enough that everyone that could possibly recognize his true identity has died of old age. ''Octopath Traveler: The Complete Guide'' confirms that his minimum age is 115 during the current events of the game.]]
* {{Sadist}}: When he [[spoiler:gives Ophilia the SadisticChoice of either letting the ritual empowering Galdera to continue, killing Lianna or convincing her to give up wishing for her father's resurrection ([[EvilCannotComprehendGood which he believes is impossible]])]], he laughs at the thought of [[spoiler:Ophilia killing Lianna]].
* ShadowArchetype: [[spoiler:As revealed in his diary in TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon, Mattias embodies what Ophilia would have become if she hadn't been HappilyAdopted and reached out to by Lianna after losing her loved ones. Ophilia became a very kind and compassionate person because she had Lianna to help her through her pain, whereas nobody was there for Mattias when he lost his loved ones, and as a result he developed a deep hatred for the gods and fell into evil.]]
* TheStarscream: [[spoiler:Unlike Lyblac, he doesn't intend on fully reviving Galdera but weakening the bonds on the fallen god, which will give Mattias more power in turn.]]
* StartOfDarkness: [[spoiler:Deciding that the twelve gods of Orsterra couldn't care less about human suffering and renouncing his faith, after his loved ones died in a fire started by a lightning strike, including children. Following this, Mattias took it upon himself to help others, but eventually decided it was a great idea to seek the power of [[ThirteenIsUnlucky the thirteenth god]], [[GodOfEvil Galdera]] to do so, and the rest is history.]]
* UnwittingPawn: [[spoiler:To Lyblac, who gave him eternal youth knowing he would try to weaken the Sacred Flame and loosen the bonds on Galdera.]]
* VillainousBreakdown: [[spoiler:When Ophilia talks Lianna out of wishing for her father's resurrection by reminding her that the memories she made with him remain with her, and dispels the dark flame, he goes berserk and tries to feed Ophilia to it.]]
* WalkingSpoiler: He appears in Ophilia's Chapter 1 as a [[ChekhovsGunman seemingly unimportant]] NPC, but in her Chapter 4 is revealed to have been [[spoiler:plotting to foil the pilgrimage]] from the start.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: [[spoiler:He ''used'' to be this. After his loss of faith in the twelve gods, he decided to use Galdera's power to help people. However, he eventually [[NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist got drunk on his power]].]]
* YouMeddlingKids: [[spoiler:When Ophilia manages to dissuade Lianna from completing the dark ritual, Mattias has a VillainousBreakdown where he laments that "it all would have succeeded if only Lianna had been the one to perform the Kindling".]]

!!Cyrus' Route
[[folder:Russell]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_russell.png]]

A scholar in the same academy as Cyrus who gambles frequently.

* CharacterDeath: [[AvertedTrope Averted]]. Russell is the only antagonist in Cyrus' story to survive the game.
* DrowningMySorrows: Dominic mentioned that Russell reeked of liquor before he took him on as his apprentice.
* TheGamblingAddict: He has a gambling problem that has put him in a sizable debt.
* HeelFaceTurn: After serving his sentence, he wandered around before becoming Dominic's apprentice.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Bows his head in shame as Cyrus explains the enormity of his crime.
* PlayingWithFire: Two of his attacks are fire-based.
* SmallRoleBigImpact: He only appears in Cyrus' first chapter for stealing a book. However, his theft reveals that ''From the Far Reaches of Hell'' is also missing, kicking off Cyrus' quest to find the tome.
* StarterVillain: The first boss that Cyrus fights.
* YouMeddlingKids: After Cyrus catches him in a [[DidIJustSayThatOutLoud verbal slip]], Russell angrily says "If not for your bloody meddling, I could have had it all!" before beginning their battle.

[[folder:Gideon]]
[[quoteright:338:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_gideon.png]]

A scholar who kidnaps people in Quarrycrest Sewers and extracts their blood in order to create blood-crystals, a technique learned from a copy of the tome Cyrus searches for.

* ArcVillain: The main antagonist for Cyrus' Chapter 2.
* BloodMagic: His reason for kidnapping people.
* CharacterDeath: He dies shortly after being defeated in battle at the hands of Cyrus.
* FlatCharacter: He's an amoral MadScientist, and there's little else to his character beyond that. The results of his experiments [[NightmareFuel are more memorable than he is]].
* JerkWithAHeartOfJerk: Cyrus tells Gideon that he should free the three surviving prisoners at once if he knows what's best for him. Gideon's response?
-->'''Gideon:''' Well, since you asked so nicely... no, I think not.
* MadScientist: He has no problem killing people for his experiments.
* SinisterScythe: He uses a sickle.
* SmallRoleBigImpact: He gets very little screen-time and we don't see much of his personality before he dies, but his experiments are the first sign that the knowledge within the ''From the Far Reaches of Hell'' tome is extremely dangerous when placed in the wrong hands. His use of an abridged copy of the tome also gives Cyrus a big lead to find the original edition.
* TheSociopath: He treats innocent lives he kidnaps as nothing more than tools to be used for his BloodMagic experiments, and couldn't care less about them as long as he gets the results he wants.
* WeHardlyKnewYe: Gets brief but effective characterization, is defeated in battle by Cyrus and co., and dies.

[[folder:Yvon]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_yvon.png]]

->''"You will taste the power I summoned from the far reaches of hell!"''

The headmaster of the academy Cyrus teaches at, who considers knowledge a form of power that only the worthy should have access to. Cyrus' investigations also uncover that he commissioned the translation of ''From the Far Reaches of Hell'', the tome that had gone missing.

* AmbitionIsEvil: His villainy started when he decided that he was far too smart to remain a lowly teacher, with a little helpful nudging from Lucia. [[spoiler:And Lyblac. He even curses the both of them after you defeat his shadow boss form in TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon, while also cursing his own lack of foresight.]]
* CharacterDeath: He dies shortly after being defeated in battle at the hands of Cyrus, [[spoiler:with some "assistance" from Lucia giving him an imperfect blood-crystal without his knowledge, having intended to [[ManipulativeBitch use him to discover the information she wanted]] and then [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness dispose of him]] all along]].
* ChekhovsGunman: He initially appears to be the stern headmaster of the Royal Academy of Atlasdam, but in Cyrus' Chapter 3 is revealed to be more than just a {{Jerkass}} -- he is responsible for the theft of ''From the Far Reaches of Hell''.
* DarkIsEvil: He dresses in black, and is a cold DeanBitterman who believes knowledge should only be shared with a select few, and is later revealed to be outright {{evil|All Along}}.
* DeanBitterman: He's very cold to the other scholars, even calling out Cyrus for believing that knowledge should be shared.
* DidntSeeThatComing: He didn't realize that [[spoiler:[[ManipulativeBitch Lucia]] had planned to invoke YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness on him once he uncovered all the secrets within ''From the Far Reaches of Hell'' all along]] until it was too late. He spends the last moments of his life incredulous that his ambition blinded him to [[spoiler:Lucia's true colours. He curses both Lucia, Lyblac and his own lack of foresight in his diary found in TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon]].
* TheDragon: The secondary antagonist of Cyrus' story.
* EntitledBastard: He [[KlingonPromotion assassinated the previous headmaster to usurp the position]] after he came to believe that he was more intelligent than the previous headmaster, and therefore more deserving of the privileges that comes with being one. Lucia [[spoiler:and Lyblac]] helped bring out this side of him.
* EvilAllAlong: A little downplayed as he already was a {{Jerkass}} before the reveal of his true villainy. However, it turns out that he is more than a mere DeanBitterman as he's a murderer and the one responsible of the theft of ''From the Far Reaches of Hell'' (even though [[spoiler:he was Lucia's UnwittingPawn]] all along).
* EvilCounterpart: To Cyrus. They both have a passion for knowledge, but Yvon pursues knowledge [[ItsAllAboutMe for his own benefit]] and is strictly selective about the knowledge he shares, whereas Cyrus enjoys teaching and passing knowledge on to future generations.
* {{Foil}}: To Helgenish, from Primrose's route. They are both {{Jerkass}} elderly men in positions of power who first appear in their respective protagonist's Chapter 1, who turn out to be even more sinister than they initially appear to be; but while Helgenish is a blatant SmugSnake who is not nearly as intelligent as he thinks he is, to the point of being TooDumbToLive when he [[spoiler:stabs Primrose's OnlyFriend [[ForcedToWatch in front of her]]]] [[DidntThinkThisThrough without realizing that Primrose getting through the Sunshade Catacombs means she has combat capabilities]], Yvon is intelligent enough to cover his tracks until Cyrus interrogates Dominic in Stonegard, and devises a plot to dispose of Cyrus that would have succeeded if not for an unexpected SpannerInTheWorks.
* FlunkyBoss: He has two other scholars assisting him in his battle. [[spoiler: And he's the only boss rematch in the Gate of Finis that has others join him from the start.]]
* InsufferableGenius: He looks down on others that aren't up to his level of intelligence and believes knowledge isn't meant to be shared with those with inferior minds.
* {{Jerkass}}: He was unpleasant even before he was revealed to be a villain.
* KlingonPromotion: He took the position of the headmaster by assassinating the previous one.
* NiceJobFixingItVillain: His disciplinary action unto Cyrus for Therese's out-of-control rumor ultimately led the erstwhile scholar into following his paper trail and staining it with his blood. [[spoiler:Whether Lucia planned on disposing of Yvon or not, she winds up joining him.]]
* NoBodyLeftBehind: After his boss fight, his transformed body disintegrates in a burst of magic.
* OneWingedAngel: Has obtained a blood-crystal, and uses it to transform into a giant brute for his boss fight.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: He has prominent red eyes, which serves as an obvious hint of his true nature. They're glowing red due to him dabbling with dark magic.
* ShadowArchetype: Yvon [[spoiler:(and Lucia)]] embodies what Cyrus would have become if he sought knowledge for personal gain, instead of for the benefit of humanity.
* ThisCannotBe: He spends his last moments uttering these words. Apparently, [[spoiler:Lucia]] promised Yvon immortality.
* UnwittingPawn: [[spoiler:Lucia used him to gain the forbidden knowledges of the blood-crystals, then betrayed him when he was no longer useful to her. In TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon, you can find a note from Yvon cursing his own lack of foresight, realizing too late that everything just seemed too good to be true, and he was so blinded by ambition that he fell for it all.]]
* VolcanicVeins: His veins glow red after using a blood-crystal to transform.
* WalkingSpoiler: He at first appears to be the {{Jerkass}} headmaster of the Royal Academy of Atlasdam, but in Cyrus' Chapter 3 is revealed to be responsible for the theft of the ''From the Far Reaches of Hell'' tome Cyrus is searching for.

[[folder:Lucia]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_lucia.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''Lucia has gained inhuman strength...'']]

Headmaster Yvon's assistant. She briefly fools Cyrus into thinking she's a scholar willing to undermine her boss to find the truth. But she's not only complicit in his acts; she's eager to surpass them.

* AndThenWhat: Cyrus asks this of her on what exactly she plans to actually ''do'' with all their knowledge she accumulates, to which he tells her that such knowledge should be passed on, ''not'' hoarded.
* ArcVillain: The primary villain of Cyrus' story.
* BitchInSheepsClothing: At first, she seems like a friendly assistant, but then as Cyrus enters Yvon's Birthplace, it's revealed that she's pure evil.
* BodyHorror: Despite using a perfected blood-crystal, her transformation is actually more monstrous than Yvon's. While Yvon just looked like a bigger, more muscular version of himself with paler skin, Lucia gains CreepilyLongArms, an overly thin waist, and her spine protrudes from her back.
* CharacterDeath: She dies shortly after being defeated in battle at the hands of Cyrus.
* [[ChekhovsGunman Chekhov's Gunwoman]]: It's somewhat downplayed as Lucia is the one who suggests Cyrus' sabbatical in the first place, but otherwise she begins Cyrus' route as Yvon's anonymous assistant, masquerades as an ally of Cyrus [[EvilAllAlong only to reveal she's complicit in Yvon's plans]][[note]]Yvon himself is also EvilAllAlong[[/note]] two chapters later, and finally is revealed to be the main antagonist of Cyrus' route, having betrayed Yvon because he had discovered all the secrets behind ''From the Far Reaches of Hell'' [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness and therefore was no more use to her]].
* ClippedWingAngel: She begins the fight with an enormous 30 points of armour, however each time you put her in a broken state she will regenerate fewer armour points (first 15, then 8). The game describes this as being due to her body mutating and breaking down as the fight progresses.
* DarkIsEvil: She dresses in purple and black, and is a [[TheSociopath sociopathic]] mastermind who has no problem using others to gets what she wants [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness before tossing them aside]], having orchestrated Yvon's rise to power and eventual death over the course of ''fifteen years''.
* DeceptiveDisciple: She used Yvon to obtain as much forbidden knowledge from him as she wants and then got rid of him once he was no longer useful.
* DragonAscendant: After Yvon's defeat, she takes the blood-crystal research in the hopes of gaining immortality, as a mere mortal can only learn so much in their lifetime.
* EvilAllAlong: Briefly passes herself for an ally of Cyrus, but it ultimately turns out that she's Yvon's accomplice. She then becomes this from Yvon's perspective when she deliberately gives him a blood-crystal without telling him it is an imperfect one, intending for Yvon to die from his body mutating.
* EvilCounterpart: To Cyrus. They are both motivated by the pursuit of knowledge, but Lucia considers mediocre minds unworthy of her time, whereas Cyrus enjoys teaching and passing knowledge on to future generations.
* EvilIsPetty: She [[DragonAscendant uses Yvon]] to discover the secrets within a magic tome, allows the conduction of horrific experiments to extract the blood of innocent victims, and voluntarily throws away her own humanity to become a powerful monstrosity… all for the purpose of acquiring all the knowledge in the world and [[ItsAllAboutMe keeping it to herself so that she can feel superior to everybody else]]. Cyrus' TheReasonYouSuckSpeech delivered to her is well-deserved.
* {{Foil}}: Like many of the other final chapter bosses, Lucia acts as a foil to the traveler to drive home the themes of that traveler's story. Both Lucia and Cyrus are scholars with a thirst for knowledge, but while Cyrus aims to educate other people and give everyone power through knowledge, Lucia seeks to hoard knowledge and use it to increase her own power.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: [[spoiler:Although Lucia claims the secret library Cyrus finds in his fourth chapter belongs to her, he notes that even the most accomplished and well-connected scholar would take at least decades to collect all those books, implying that someone else gave her access to that library. It's later revealed that Lyblac was the one behind Lucia and Yvon's schemes.]]
* FauxAffablyEvil: She continues to act civil even after her true monstrous side is revealed until Cyrus calls her out on her beliefs.
* HPToOne: After being broken twice, Lucia gains access to her ultimate attack, which reduces the entire party to 1 HP and heals Lucia by the total HP the party lost.
* ImmortalitySeeker: She wishes to become immortal so she can have all the time she needs to obtain all the knowledge in the world.
* ItIsDehumanizing: While she refers to specific individuals by their gender pronouns, referring to Cyrus and Yvon as "he"/"his", she refers to a nonspecific human as "it" instead of "they"/"their" while explaining her reasons for being an ImmortalitySeeker, proving her narcissistic contempt for humanity's flaws.
-->'''Lucia:''' A human can only learn so much in '''its''' short lifetime. I will gain the time, the power to understand ''everything''.
* ItsAllAboutMe: In spades. Lucia wants all the knowledge in the world for herself so that she can feel superior to everybody else. [[InformationWantsToBeFree Cyrus]] is not impressed, and he rightly [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech calls her out for her selfishness]].
* TheManInFrontOfTheMan: Yvon's initially anonymous assistant, always seen with him in Chapter 1, turns out to have been pulling his strings all along and is the reason he even got his position.
* MagicKnight: Although she is the main antagonist of [[BlackMage Cyrus]]' story, you want to bring both magical and physical attackers to the battle against her. In fact, during her first phase she is purely a physical attacker and is only weak to weapons, and Staves ain't one of them, making her very anti-Cyrus. During her second phase, she adds magical attacks and is only weak to spells, and during her third phase is weak to a combination of weapons and spells.
* {{Manipulative B|astard}}itch: She assists Yvon while he uncovers all the secrets within ''From the Far Reaches of Hell'', then deliberately gives him an incomplete blood-crystal and leads Cyrus to him, having no more use for him.
* NoBodyLeftBehind: As with Yvon, she disintegrates upon defeat.
* OneWingedAngel: Becomes a monstrosity after trying to transcend humanity by using a blood-crystal on herself.
* ShadowArchetype: Lucia (and Yvon) embodies what Cyrus would have become if he sought knowledge for personal gain, instead of for the benefit of humanity.
* TheSociopath: Lucia is calm and polite throughout most of her conversations with Cyrus and Yvon, but it's a façade to mask a narcissistic and cold-hearted woman who has no qualms [[ManipulativeBitch using others to get what she wants]], then [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness disposing of them once they've fulfilled their role for her]]. Specifically, she wants to [[ImmortalitySeeker become immortal]] so that she can gain all the knowledge in the universe [[ItsAllAboutMe for herself]]--including knowledge that can be used to benefit humanity--all to fuel her belief in her superiority to everybody else. After Cyrus deconstructs her personal ideology and [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech tells her just how selfish he thinks she is]], [[VillainousBreakdown her polite façade breaks in anger]] to reveal the twisted monster underneath. While lacking [[spoiler:Simeon]]'s [[{{Sadist}} sadism]], Lucia is still one of the most evil antagonists in the game.
* SoftSpokenSadist: While "sadist" probably isn't the right word, Lucia otherwise stays true to the spirit of the trope; she's a villain, and she never raises her voice once until her final confrontation with Cyrus, where she becomes excited as she makes her WeCanRuleTogether offer to Cyrus, and [[VillainousBreakdown loses it]] when Cyrus rejects her offer.
* TheStarscream: She helped Yvon so he could acquire all the forbidden research she wanted, then betrays him and steals it all once she no longer needed him.
* VillainRespect: She genuinely respects Cyrus for his passion for discovering new knowledge. Cyrus does not return the favor because she keeps the knowledge she discovers to herself for the sake of her personal ego, while Cyrus believes in and enjoys sharing knowledge with others.
* VillainousBreakdown: She makes a WeCanRuleTogether offer to Cyrus. He refuses on the grounds that Lucia wants to hoard knowledge for the sake of her own ego, instead of sharing knowledge with others. Lucia does not take his rejection and subsequent TheReasonYouSuckSpeech at all well.
* VillainousCrush: Several of her lines are phrased in a way that suggest she has feelings for Cyrus. It takes multiple rejections from him before she finally gets a clue that no, he won't ever join with her.
-->'''Lucia:''' [[DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything I've given you plenty of opportunities to make a move—any move!—but clearly we are going nowhere fast.]]
* VolcanicVeins: Like Yvon, her veins glow red after using a blood-crystal to transform.
* WalkingSpoiler: Due to being complicit in Yvon's plot to steal the ''From the Far Reaches of Hell'' tome, then for betraying Yvon after he discovered all the secrets in the tome as [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness He Had Outlived His Usefulness]], becoming the main antagonist of Cyrus' route.
* WeCanRuleTogether: Offers to let Cyrus join her, seeing him as her only intellectual equal. Cyrus refuses because, while [[NotSoDifferentRemark they do both have a passion for knowledge]], [[NotSoSimilar Lucia wants to claim knowledge for herself whereas Cyrus wants to share knowledge with others, and looks forward to when he can learn from them]]. [[VillainousBreakdown Lucia does not take it well.]]
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: After Yvon uncovers all the secrets contained within the ''From the Far Reaches of Hell'' tome, Lucia betrays and disposes of Yvon by giving him an imperfect blood-crystal without his knowledge and leading Cyrus to him.

!!Tressa's Route
[[folder:Mikk and Makk]]
[[quoteright:260:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_makkandmikk.png]]
[[caption-width-right:260:Mikk (right) and Makk (left)]]

The leaders of a band of pirates that terrorize Tressa's hometown.

* TheAlcoholic: They love to drink wine.
* BorrowedCatchPhrase: They often utter the infamous Captain Leon's motto, "The strong take and the weak quake." Their use of the line celebrates that the strong have the right to take advantage of the weak.
* DirtyCoward: They act like a bunch of big shots, but the moment they realize their enemy is stronger than them, they run for their lives.
* DualBoss: Both of them are fought at the same time.
* FatAndSkinny: One is LeanAndMean, the other is shorter and more burly.
* HeelFaceTurn: By the time Tressa reaches Victors Hollow, they've decided to turn over a new leaf and work for Leon.
* HypocriticalHumor: When they re-encounter Tressa in Victors Hollow, they're annoyed when she misrefers to them as "Nick and Knack"... only to misrefer to her hometown as "Drippleslime".
* JerkassHasAPoint: While they were using it as an excuse for their ruthless pirate ways, Mikk and Makk are right when they tell Tressa that the world is a harsh place, considering how several of Tressa's companions—particularly Olberic, Primrose, and Therion—have suffered much in their lives, whether by losing their loved ones and/or [[EtTuBrute being betrayed by someone they trusted]]. Ophilia also suffered as a child when her parents died by war, though she was later [[HappilyAdopted taken in by a loving family]].
* {{Pirate}}: Through and through, completely with DressedToPlunder and TalkLikeAPirate.
* StarterVillain: They are the first antagonists in Tressa's route.
* TemptingFate: When Captain Leon Bastralle [[BigDamnHeroes arrives to save Tressa]] from three of their subordinates when they gang up on her, Mikk tells their subordinates, "What difference does one more make? Get 'em!" Cue [[OneManArmy Leon]] effortlessly [[CurbStompBattle curb-stomping]] all three of their subordinates all on his own.
* UndyingLoyalty: To Captain Leon once they join his merchant crew.
* VitriolicBestBuds: They often argue with each other over who's the captain of the pirates, but they otherwise work well together.
* WakeUpCallBoss: Surprisingly, they're among the harder first bosses in the game due to being a DualBoss at a point where you may only have one character. They combo well and have high break bars making them better for after your second or third starter chapter. In particular, Cyrus greatly helps make the fight more manageable.

[[folder:Morlock and Omar]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_omar.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Omar]]

The man that owns the mines and all surrounding lands in Quarrycrest, and his strong assistant. Already underpaying their gold miners, when skystones are discovered in the area, they attempt to confiscate Tressa and Ali's supplies. And when Ali tries to argue, they knock him out and apprehend him, giving Tressa motive to fight back.

* AnAxeToGrind: Omar wields an axe in battle, which is obtained after beating him.
* ArcVillain: Morlock is the main villain of Tressa's Chapter 2, with Omar fighting as the boss in his stead.
* BadBoss: Morlock uses his position as landowner of Quarrycrest to claim ownership of any and all gold his miners uncover. It initially appears that Morlock generously buys the uncovered gold from his miners with his own money, but Ali has figured out that he only pays them a tenth of the gold's actual value.
* BaitTheDog: Morlock's policy of buying any gold that people unearth on his land seems fair at first glance, until Ali reveals that Morlock is only paying the people a fraction of what the gold is actually worth.
* DirtyCoward: When Omar is defeated by the party, Morlock quickly gives in to all demands before fleeing for his life.
* TheDragon: Omar is this big time for his boss Morlock.
* EvilCounterpart: Morlock is this to Tressa. Tressa is a friendly, honest working-class merchant who's out to both make money and form connections with her customers. Morlock is a wealthy landowner and businessman who only cares about money and uses his position to actively scam his workers by paying them a fraction of the gold he claims ownership over.
* FatBastard: Morlock, as a side-effect of his opulence, is quite portly.
* FlunkyBoss: Omar is seconded by a few guards during his fight.
* HateSink: Morlock, while not among the most evil characters in the game, is a greedy, immoral man who uses his position as landowner of Quarrycrest to claim ownership over all riches his miners unearth, then pays them only a fraction of their worth without his miners' knowledge. He also becomes downright cruel in his mockery of Ali's father, [[KickTheDog heartlessly laughing at how he fell into debt]]. It's pretty evident that Morlock is a character not meant to be liked!
* HeelFaceTurn: Sort of. After Tressa's story ends, [[OptionalPartyMember they can be Guided/Allured as allies]].
* HiddenDepths: Once Tressa's story is concluded, the pair can be found in Bolderfall. There, scrutinizing/inquiring Omar reveals that he cares about Morlock beyond monetary contract, intending to stay with Morlock until the old man finds somewhere safe.
* HiredGuns: Morlock sunk a lot of cash into Omar.
* JerkassHasAPoint:
** Zig-zagged. Morlock dismisses Ali's father as a man who swindled his business connections and fell into debt after being deceived by a friend of his. While Ali admits that the latter is true, he insists that the former is just a lie that his father's competitors spread.
** Likewise, Morlock also points out that as owner of the land, he's legally entitled to whatever comes out of the mines, no matter how little he pays for it, which makes him a greedy scumbag but acting legally (at least insofar as the town doesn't seem to be beholden to a central government which regulates such things). ''Except'' that he then adds that he ran the previous mine owner out of town, meaning he's not the legitimate landowner.
* MightyGlacier: While not particularly ''slow'', Omar has considerable offensive prowess, and can actually bolster his defenses in combat; this comes in the form of ''increasing'' his maximum guard points, thus requiring more effort to Break him. This is always done the first two times he recovers from a Break.
* NoFullNameGiven: Morlock is the landlord's surname, and his first name is never revealed.
* OnlyOneName: Omar's surname is never revealed.
* OptionalPartyMember: After Tressa's story ends, they can be encountered near the tavern in Lower Bolderfall, and Guided/Allured as allies.
* RichesToRags: After getting run out of town by Tressa, Morlock is rendered completely broke.
* ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney: Morlock's mindset, having bought out all the Quarrycrest area landowners before.
* StoutStrength: Omar's battle sprite makes him seem portly, but he's nevertheless very strong.
* TheUnfought: Unlike Helgenish or Vanessa, Morlock does not participate at all in the battle.

[[folder:Venomtooth Tiger ''(Byakko)'']]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_tiger.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''The beast's fangs and claws drip with lethal poison...'']]

A beast fought in the Forgotten Grotto where Baltazar hid his most valuable gem.

* BeyondTheImpossible: An antagonistic example. The Poison status in the game universally drains a party member's HP. But the Venomtooth Tiger's venom is so potent that in the last legs of the fight, it starts burning away the party's SP and BP as well (which are equivalent to the physical traits of mana and vitality, respectively).
* CharacterDeath: Its appearance as a ghost in TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon confirms it died shortly after being defeated in battle at the hands of Tressa, making it the only antagonist in her story to be killed.
* DubNameChange: From Byakko to Venomtooth Tiger.
* FangsAreEvil: It has a pair of large, purple tusks protruding from the sides of its mouth.
* GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere: One of the few bosses of the game who has no ties to the story and very little foreshadowing, appearing out of nowhere to give a boss fight to the third chapter of Tressa's story.
* MeaningfulName: A white tiger named after Chinese mythology's White Tiger of the West in the Japanese version.
* PantheraAwesome: It's a white tiger that possesses a lethal poison.
* PoisonousPerson: This thing is so poisonous that its regular attacks can inflict poison. When its health gets low enough, its toxicity becomes so severely potent that any poison it inflicts will actually [[ManaBurn drain SP]] and BP.

[[folder:Esmeralda]]
[[quoteright:251:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_esmeralda.png]]

A thief that steals Tressa's diary. She is a member of the Obsidians, the same group responsible for the death of Primrose's father. Her stealing Tressa's diary is likely due to the group's wanting to track down Graham Crossford, the previous owner of the diary.

* AchillesHeel: While Esmeralda is a BarrierChangeBoss, she is consistently weak to [[BlowYouAway Wind]].
* ArcVillain: For Tressa's Chapter 4, along with, to a lesser extent, her unnamed partner.
* BarrierChangeBoss: She changes her weaknesses throughout the fight. She's [[AchillesHeel always weak to Wind]], however.
* DarkActionGirl: As the FinalBoss of Tressa's story, she more than qualifies. She's one of the hardest-hitting Chapter 4 bosses.
* DisproportionateRetribution: She tries to kill Tressa for trying to take back her journal that Esmeralda stole despite the fact that she not only gave it back moments prior, but even admitted was useless to her.
* DualWield: She wields knives in her sprite, which she can use to prevent certain battle actions or cause death within a certain amount of turns unless all her shield points are broken.
* EvilWearsBlack: She wears black like the other members of the Obsidians.
* FinalBoss: Of Tressa's story.
* GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere: Most of the protagonists get deep personal antagonists whose hands have been deeply involved in their journeys for their final confrontations. Tressa's is some random asshole who jumps her for her notebook.
* LockedOutOfTheLoop: It's possible to meet her after [[spoiler:Simeon]]'s death, but she and her partner will still try to steal Tressa's diary for the Obsidians, apparently unaware that their leader has already been killed.
* MsFanservice: Her boss sprite emphasizes her breasts and [[ShesGotLegs legs]].
* PowerNullifier: Esmeralda's colored daggers have the unique ability to limit their target's abilities. The Red Blade will prevent the target from using weapon attacks and abilities, and her Violet Blade will prevent the target from using any magic attacks.
* TattooedCrook: She has a tattoo on her upper right thigh, and is a member of the Obsidians, the group that killed Primrose's father.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: We don't really see what happens to her after Tressa defeats her. She didn't seem to have received a fatal injury, so she was probably arrested, but we don't really learn much about her fate. Either way she won't be stealing notebooks any time soon.
* YouAreAlreadyDead: Her Black Blade attack will trigger a countdown for its target -- once it hits zero, the victim will be incapacitated unless Esmeralda can be broken first.

!!Olberic's Route
[[folder:Erhardt]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_erhardt.png]]
A former member of the Knights of Hornburg who, for unknown reasons, betrayed them and killed the country's king during a battle with an enemy nation.

* TheAce: Only Olberic is his equal when it comes to wielding a blade, and even he wasn't able to stop Erhardt's secret technique.
* AllThereInTheManual: [[spoiler:While the game makes it seem like Werner was the one who destroyed Grynd, the official guide book states it was actually the fault of the invading southern clans. Nonetheless Werner used both truths and lies to exacerbate Erhardt's hatred for King Alfred as part of his plan to fall Hornburg.]]
* AntiVillain: He betrayed and killed King Alfred during his time as a Knight of Hornbug who had pledged to protect him, causing the fall of Hornbug and Olberic's [[DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife purpose crisis]]. When Olberic makes the acquaintance of Gustav, Gustav reveals that [[spoiler:[[TheMole Erhardt had planned the King's death before he even joined the Knighthood]]... and then reveals that [[BetrayalByInaction the King had neglected to save Erhardt's home village Grynd when they were attacked and slaughtered]]. After slaying the King, Erhardt finds Wellspring and becomes its protector from the Lizardmen there, [[VengeanceFeelsEmpty having found no happiness from avenging the people of his village]].]]
* TheAtoner: [[spoiler:By the time Olberic finds him, Erhardt has become a protector of Wellspring much like Olberic became one for Cobbleston, [[VengeanceFeelsEmpty having found nothing but emptiness from killing King Alfred in the name of vengeance]].]]
* BecomingTheMask: [[spoiler:Before his duel with Olberic, he admits that he cherishes the memories of training together, even though he had plotted Hornburg's downfall long before infiltrating their knights.]]
* BigDamnHeroes: [[spoiler:Saves Olberic and Harald after they're ambushed by Werner's forces when their diversionary attack fails.]]
* BodyguardBetrayal: Despite being a Knight of Hornburg, pledged to protect his king, he killed King Alfred during battle.
* BreatherBoss: [[spoiler:Since he's fought in a duel, he's significantly easier than the Lizardman Chief that preceded him.]]
* DiscOneFinalBoss: He's introduced as the man responsible for Olberic's [[MyGreatestFailure greatest failure]] and the big personal antagonist of Olberic's story. [[spoiler:You beat him up in Chapter 3, and Olberic buries the hatchet with him and runs off to go fight the man who ''really'' instigated the fall of Hornburg, Werner.]]
* DuelBoss: [[spoiler:Olberic chooses to duel him, one-on-one.]]
* EasilyForgiven: No matter what his reasons were, his betrayal of King Alfred led to the deaths of other people and the fall of an entire kingdom. [[spoiler:Yet, when he finally meets him, Olberic can't bring himself to kill him and forgives him, as he saw that Erhardt became a protector of Wellspring [[TheAtoner as a form of atonement]] and that [[VengeanceFeelsEmpty his vengeance left him empty]].]]
* {{Foil}}: To [[spoiler:Simeon]] and Darius. [[spoiler:All three of them betrayed a protagonist (Olberic, Primrose, and Therion) in their backstories, leading to their current personal issues ([[DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife loss of purpose]], [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge desire for revenge]], and [[NeverBeHurtAgain inability to trust]]), and all three make their first direct appearance in Chapter 3. However, while Simeon and Darius had completely unsympathetic motivations for their betrayals (sadism and greed), are the definitive {{Big Bad}}s of their storylines, are not forgiven by the protagonists, and end up with daggers in the shriveled lumps they call hearts, Erhardt had at least an understandable motivation for his betrayal (revenge for a perceived BetrayalByInaction of his burning village by the king), is the DiscOneFinalBoss of Olberic's tale, is forgiven by Olberic, and ultimately survives the game.]]
* {{Foreshadowing}}: During Olberic's nightmare of Hornburg's fall at the beginning of his Chapter 1, he and Erhardt clash swords and Erhardt tells him, "I saved one trick — for the day I knew would come!" before defeating Olberic with a secret sword technique. [[spoiler:At the end of Olberic's Chapter 2, Gustav tells Olberic that Erhardt had planned to kill the king before he even joined the Knights of Hornburg, having a bitter hatred for the king's perceived BetrayalByInaction while his home-village and its people burned in flames.]]
* FreudianExcuse: His home village was [[spoiler:attacked and slaughtered, while King Alfred did nothing to help them, fueling his desire of revenge against the King who abandoned him and his loved ones when they needed him.]]
* HeelFaceTurn: Wandering without purpose after causing Hornburg's fall, he eventually became the protector of Wellspring. [[spoiler:Solidified when he comes to Olberic's aid in his fourth chapter.]]
* InformedAbility: [[spoiler:In the mandatory duel against him, the game rates his danger level a whopping ten out of ten, yet he's fairly easy to defeat compared to the Lizardman Chief fought right before him. In the post game he boasts much higher stats than his chapter 3 duel if you challenge him yet his danger level has dropped from ten to eight.]]
* TheKingslayer: In the middle of a battle, he killed his king as well as all the other knights present.
* MasterSwordsman: One of the most powerful in the world.
* MirrorBoss: [[spoiler:He uses several of the Warrior job's skills in his boss fight.]]
* MisplacedRetribution: [[spoiler:When his hometown of Grynd was destroyed, Erhardt decided to blame not the invaders from the south but rather his king for failing to protect them. It's made more tragic by the official guidebook revealing that Alfred ''did'' try to protect them, but was overwhelmed and forced to call the Church of the Sacred Flame for help. The Church would send an army led by a man named Titus who would become a war hero from the conflict, and later appeared in ''Champions of the Continent''.]]
* TheMole: [[spoiler:Gustav reveals that he was this from the start, as his village of Grynd was razed in war while the king did nothing.]]
* NotDistractedByTheSexy: Implied. When using Primrose's Allure on him, his quotes imply that he is less "seduced" by her and more "hypnotized", and that he's following against his free will.
-->'''Erhardt:''' ''(Being allured)'' I feel compelled to follow.\\
'''Erhardt:''' ''(Parting ways)'' Finally, I'm free.
* OptionalPartyMember: After Olberic's story ends, he can be encountered at the Wellspring guardhouse, and Guided/Allured as an ally. He also carries [[InfinityPlusOneSword the Battle-Tested Blade]], which can be Purchased or Stolen.
* PetTheDog: He tutored Gaston and Gustav in swordsmanship, and gave the former his sword as a goodbye present when their mercenary group disbanded.
* RedBaron: Inquiring/Scrutinizing him after completing Olberic's story reveals that as a Knight of Hornburg, he was known as the Blazing Blade. (No apparent relation to ''VideoGame/FireEmblemTheBlazingBlade'', so far as we know.)
* SecretArt: He secretly created a powerful sword fighting technique which he used to defeat Olberic, who otherwise could have fought job's skills.
* UnwittingPawn: [[spoiler:Werner used Erhardt's anger over the destruction of his village to bring him into the conspiracy to destroy Hornburg.]]
* VengeanceFeelsEmpty: By the time Olberic catches up to him in present, Erhardt reveals that taking vengeance did nothing to help him feel better.

[[folder:Gaston]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_gaston.png]]

A bandit leader whose gang terrorized the village of Cobblestone.

* AffablyEvil: He is the only member of his gang to treat Phillip with kindness and show Olberic respect. After he is defeated, he willingly gives Olberic information on how he could find Erhardt.
* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: Clearly the best fighter among the mountain bandits, and he would be the first to insist that [[DumbMuscle he wasn't put in charge for his brains.]]
* BloodKnight: He demands that Olberic defeat him in battle before he answers any questions about Erhardt.
* DumbMuscle: He claims to be this, believing himself to only be good at fighting and to have no talent to learn more constructive skills. Even then, [[SurroundedByIdiots he still explicitly looks down on his lackeys for being arrogant, malicious, and short-sighted brutes.]]
* FlunkyBoss: He fights with some of his underlings helping him.
* ForcedIntoEvil: Believes himself to be this, claiming to lack the talent and skill for nonviolent professions and saying that hard times forced him into the life of a brigand.
* GracefulLoser: After being defeated by Olberic, he gives him the information he needs and peacefully surrenders to arrest.
* HeelFaceTurn: By the end of Olberic's storyline, he turns over a new leaf and becomes a protector of Cobbleston.
* MementoMacguffin: Erhardt used to be in the same mercenary group as him and taught him how to use a blade. When the group split up, he gave Gaston his sword as a farewell present.
* NobleDemon: He's really [[NotSoDifferentRemark Not So Different]] from Olberic in that neither of them feel like they're good for anything but swinging a sword, and Gaston just wasn't able to turn it into honest work like how Olberic did. When beaten, he's a GracefulLoser who surrenders [[AFatherToHisMen for the sake of his surviving men]] and offers Olberic a lead to help him find his rival, Erhardt.
* StarterVillain: He's the first boss in Olberic's route.
* WouldntHurtAChild: After his gang kidnapped Phillip, he was the only one not to mock him or threaten him and his mother.

[[folder:Victorino]]
[[quoteright:204:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_victorino.png]]

A bounty hunter and arena competitor that Olberic provokes in order to earn a spot in the latest tourney.
----
* GracefulLoser: When he is bested, he surrenders his spot in the tourney to Olberic without resistance.
* MightMakesRight: Outright states this when he admits defeat to Olberic.
* OptionalPartyMember: After Olberic's story ends, he can be encountered in the Rippletide tavern, and Guided/Allured as an ally.
* RedBaron: The Buccaneer's Bane.
* RedHerring: His introduction sets him up to be evil, with the "Creeping Dread" track playing and a townsperson saying he's infamous for "collecting coin for the heads of seven ill-famed buccaneers", but he quickly turns out to be an affable fellow, if not fiercely competitive.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Joshua Frostblade]]
[[quoteright:192:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_joshua.png]]

An arena competitor that fights for his love, Angela.
----
* LongHairedPrettyBoy: He is a long-haired man with much more effeminate looks than the other competitors.
* OptionalPartyMember: Once Olberic's story ends, he can be found in Northreach in the Frostlands and Guided/Allured to help the Travelers.
* PowerOfLove: He claims this is what gives strength to him. Olberic defeats him anyway.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Archibold]]
[[quoteright:203:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_archibold.png]]

A multi-time arena champion, who fights to maintain a winning streak that his father couldn't keep before dying in battle.
----
* FamilyHonor: His reason for fighting is to secure 5 straight championship wins to honor the achievement his father sought before he met an untimely death.
* GracefulLoser: He was going to achieve his fifth victory in a row and surpass his father before fighting Olberic; after losing, he assures Olberic that he's fine with starting the streak over.
* RedBaron: The Crusher.
* WalkingShirtlessScene: His battle attire shows off his imposing physique with minimal armor and a bare chest.
* TheWorfEffect: He's a 4-time champion of the Victors Hollow tournaments, so everyone is gunning for him to prove themselves. Gustav, Olberic's primary target, is rumored to be stronger than Archibold, as a means of hinting at Gustav's strength. Olberic's victory over Archibold proves his own power.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Gustav]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_gustav.png]]

A swordsman that was taught by Erhardt when they were both sellswords. He is now a fighter in the Victors Hollow Arena that Olberic wishes to meet, in order to reignite his passion for fighting in addition to getting a lead on Erhardt's current location.
----
* AntiVillain: He's not evil, he's just the final tournament fighter Olberic has to defeat to get information about Erhardt.
* BlackKnight: His title is "The Black Knight" and he's a powerful warrior clad in black armor who Olberic has to fight to find out Erhardt's whereabouts.
* RedBaron: The Black Knight.
* WorthyOpponent: Acknowledges Olberic's skill and becomes friendly rival during the tourney.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Lizardman Chief]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_lizardman.png]]

One of the two leaders of the lizardmen attacking Wellspring.
----
* AnAxeToGrind: It wields an axe in battle, which is obtained after defeating it.
* AntiVillain: A travel banter between Olberic and H'aanit strongly suggests that the reason it and the other lizardmen are attacking Wellspring is because they want the water from the oasis there. In the end, the lizardmen are just trying to survive.
* ArcVillain: It and its unseen partner are this for Olberic's Chapter 3.
* CharacterDeath: It and its underlings die shortly after being defeated in battle at the hands of Olberic. Olberic can then have a travel banter with Ophilia where she expresses her desire that [[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman they rest in peace]].
* LizardFolk: It's a lizardman and much larger and more brutish-looking compared to its underlings.
* ReptilesAreAbhorrent: A leader of a band of lizardmen who have been terrorizing the town of Wellspring.
* VillainousValor: Olberic acknowledges that, even for a primitive and savage beast, the Chief is the first to fight and moves forward ahead of its warriors as if to protect them.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Werner]]
!!!'''Voiced By:''' Creator/SeanChiplock (English)
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_werner.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''An aura of dread pervades the battlefield...'']]

The man responsible for the fall of Hornburg. It was under his order that Erhardt acted as TheMole to destroy Hornburg from within. Afterwards, he took control of the town of Riverford, ruling it with an iron fist.
----
* AmbitionIsEvil: He was once a lowly mercenary with ambitions far above merely selling his sword to others.
* ArcVillain: The primary villain of Olberic's story.
* AllCrimesAreEqual: When he first took over Riverford, he executed all the serious criminals like murderers. Then he went for more smaller fry like thieves and once he ran out of criminals, he went for anyone that dared criticize him.
* BadBoss: He kills one of his soldiers for showing fear when Erhardt and Olberic start cutting down his men, and threatens to do the same to the rest of them if they don't fight. Olberic even notes that Werner's men only serve him out of fear.
* BetterToDieThanBeKilled: [[spoiler:Rather than die at Olberic's hands he stabs himself with his sword.]]
* TheCaligula: He holds monthly executions via burning at the stake with one victim for each week. He's even happy that the town finally rebelled against him, because he was running out of potential victims he could execute with the slightest justification.
* CharacterDeath: He [[spoiler:commits suicide]] shortly after being defeated in battle at the hands of Olberic, [[spoiler:because [[BetterToDieThanBeKilled he refuses to die at the hands of another]]]].
* CoolHorse: So cool in fact that it appears out of nowhere, ''indoors'', so that Werner can better glower down at the party from astride it.
* DarkIsEvil: He wears black and his attacks inflict Terror, and he is one of the most evil antagonists in the game.
* DefiantToTheEnd: [[spoiler:When bested by Olberic, rather than reflect on his own myriad sins, he chooses to spit on Olberic's rhetoric one last time before running himself through.]]
* TheDreaded: The people who know him fear him. Even [[TheAce Erhardt]] warns Olberic to fear Werner's skill with the sword, which is enough for Olberic to take him seriously. This is also reflected in the boss battle against him as he inflicts the Terror status effect on the party with his attacks.
* EngineeredHeroics: [[spoiler:He gained acclaim by hiring bandits to sack border villages and beating them back with his own mercenaries before Hornburg's knights could arrive.]]
* EvenEvilHasStandards: As ruthless and brutal as he was, even he was unnerved by [[spoiler:Lyblac]] and cut off ties with [[spoiler:her]] as soon as their plan to destroy Hornburg was completed.
* EvilCounterpart: To Olberic. While Olberic is a noble knight dedicated to protecting the weak, Werner is a brutal warlord who exploits and terrorizes the weak.
* FakeAristocrat: Werner claims he has noble blood, but everyone knows it's total bullshit and his titles are actually bought.
* FromNobodyToNightmare: He used to be a common sellsword until [[spoiler:he met Lyblac]]. He then managed to bring down the kingdom of Hornburg and took control of Riverford after overthrowing its rightful ruler.
* KarmicDeath: He was the one who orchestrated Hornburg's downfall, and ultimately it was Hornburg's last knight who tracked him down and then bested him in single combat. [[spoiler:Werner notes in his diary with irony that he couldn't outrun karma in the end.]]
* TheManBehindTheMan: [[spoiler:He's the true man behind Hornburg's fall. Erhardt was working for him.]]
* MasterSwordsman: Even Erhardt states that Werner's skill with the sword surpasses his own.
* MightMakesRight: His philosophy as he brutally crushes those who oppose him.
* TheMobBossIsScarier: When Olberic and Erhardt show up and start carving his flunkies apart, Werner gives them a choice: either face the tag team of two of the most legendary swordsmen of the age, or join said knights and face ''him''. Not a single one of his goons even entertains the thought of turning on him.
* OneHitKill: His "Rule by Fear" attack will instantly kill any character who has the Terror status.
* TurnsRed: At low health in his fight, he will increase actions per turn from 2 to 3.
* TyrantTakesTheHelm: He overthrew the previous lord of Riverford to install himself as its despotic ruler.
* VillainHasAPoint: In response to Olberic's incredulous [[DisappointedByTheMotive Disappointment at His Motive]], Werner says that everyone has different ideas of how important people and nations are. He isn't wrong: Olberic, an honorable knight who uses his sword to protect the weak, is horrified that Werner believes [[spoiler:wanting to have [[GodOfEvil the power]] within [[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon the Gate of Finis]]]] was a good reason to plot Hornburg's fall, but Werner believes this because he prioritizes [[MightMakesRight power]] over lives.
* WalkingSpoiler: It's pretty much impossible to talk about this man without mentioning that he orchestrated the plot to bring Hornburg to ruin, taking advantage of [[DiscOneFinalBoss Erhardt]]'s hatred for King Alfred's [[BetrayalByInaction neglect to save his home-village]] to convince the soon-to-be-knight to help him do so.
* WeCanRuleTogether: Offers Olberic the opportunity to become the captain of his guard. Olberic's response is a rather blunt "[[ShutUpHannibal The Flame take you and all you stand for!]]"
[[/folder]]

!!Primrose's Route
[[folder:Crow Men]]

Three high-ranking members of the Obsidians, [[TheSyndicate a powerful criminal organization]] operating within Orsterra [[spoiler:whose ultimate goal is to resurrect [[GodOfEvil Gal]][[GreaterScopeVillain dera]], on behalf of his [[SemiDivine demi-goddess]] daughter [[BigBad Lyblac]]]]. Ten years prior to the events of ''Octopath Traveler'', these three men [[TattooedCrook bearing crow tattoos]] broke into Primrose's home and murdered her father [[spoiler:for [[HeKnowsTooMuch finding out]] about [[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon the Gate of Finis]], where Galdera was banished to by [[GodOfGood Aelfric]]]]. Primrose is on a quest for revenge against them for murdering her father.

!!Rufus, the Left Hand of the Crow
[[quoteright:336:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_rufus.png]]

The master of the secret brothel Obsidian Parlor in Stillsnow.
----
* BadassBoast: He gets one before his battle with Primrose, although it doesn't go so well for him. Also doubles as MyNameIsInigoMontoya.
-->'''Primrose:''' Be prepared to meet your fate, crow!\\
'''Rufus:''' You aren't the first to say such words to me. Like as not, you won't be the last. I will bury you... as I've buried all the rest. I am Rufus, the left wing of the crow. Now come, precious daughter of House Azelhart. I will send you to your father's side.
* CharacterDeath: He dies shortly after being defeated in battle at the hands of Primrose.
* CreateYourOwnHero: His actions, along with the other two assassins, pushes Primrose on her path of vengeance and she seeks out to punish them for their killing of her father. Along her path, she helps others who have been hurt by the Obsidians' villainy.
* DarkIsEvil: He dresses in black, is a deadly assassin, and runs an illegal human trafficking business.
* DidntThinkThisThrough: It apparently did not occur to him or his two assassin associates that leaving an ObviouslyEvil criminal tattoo exposed for all to see when breaking into somebody's home and committing murder in front of their eyes might not be a good idea. Ten years later, Primrose uses his tattoo to identify him as one of her father's murderers, and he eventually pays for it with his life.
* TheDon: Rufus is a minor example, being the head of a sex slave business, and has powerful resources and connections to the point where other powerful figures can ask favors of him so long as they pledge their loyalty when needed.
* FauxAffablyEvil: The man is fairly civil for someone who sells sex slaves to others, but if you listen to his voice-acting, it's subtly patronizing which hints at a haughty personality beneath his polite exterior.
* GreaterScopeVillain: Of Primrose's Chapter 1; Helgenish was working for him, and he provides him and other powerful men with women to use as they like.
* HumanTraffickers: As a part of his brothel's business, he outright sells women to powerful men who want sex slaves.
* KickTheSonOfABitch: If Father Eschard's story is to be believed, part of Rufus's political scheming to get Father Eschard in his debt would have involved him helping Father Eschard get revenge on the man who raped his daughter.
* LuredIntoATrap: Primrose allowed Helgenish to enslave her after hearing that one of the Crow Men "often" stops by his tavern. Eight years later, her plan finally paid off, and Rufus walked right into her trap without even realizing there was one.
* TheManBehindTheMan: He has Helgenish under his thumb.
* MeaningfulName: Simultaneously [[AvertedTrope averted]] and played straight. Rufus means ''red-haired'' in Latin when he is blond, but in Literature/TheBible, Rufus was the son of Simon of Cyrene. What is an alternate spelling of Simon? Simeon.
* NobleDemon: Rufus is a Human Trafficker yet he is the only Crow Man that isn't a HateSink as his KickTheSonOfABitch and VillainRespect troupes revealed.
* PaidHarem: When not selling his sex slaves, he has them on shift as his personal lap decorations.
* RecognitionFailure: He initially doesn't recognize Primrose when she confronts him in the Obsidian Parlor for murdering her father ten years ago, responding to her passionate hatred with an apathetic "Have we met, milady?" He only takes an interest in her when she tells him her identity.
* TattooedCrook: Has a tattoo of a crow on his left arm.
* VillainRespect: Rufus admits that Geoffery was hard to bring down and respected his prowess. He offers the same respect to Primrose, especially after she beats him.

!!Albus, the Right Hand of the Crow
[[quoteright:317:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_albus.png]]

Former captain of the city watch in Noblecourt, and Revello's superior. He betrayed Primrose's father in order to gain a rank in the Obsidians.
----
* AmbitionIsEvil: He had a secret ambition to [[MoneyDearBoy make more money]] and eventually became dissatisfied with the "inadequate" pay he earned from being the captain of the city watch, which led to his FaceHeelTurn.
* BrokenPedestal: To Revello Forsythe, his NumberTwo during his days as captain of the city watch. Forsythe admired him as a just, honourable man who died resisting the Obsidians, so naturally he does not take the revelation that his former friend and mentor had betrayed and murdered his Lord at all well.
* CharacterDeath: He dies shortly after being defeated in battle at the hands of Primrose.
* CreateYourOwnHero: His actions, along with the other two assassins, pushes Primrose on her path of vengeance and she seeks out to punish them for their killing of her father. Along her path, she helps others who have been hurt by the Obsidians' villainy.
* TheCynic: He believes that honor is a good ideal in theory, but is impractical for living a financially successful life in reality. He even goes so far as to express mocking contempt for the ideals of his former friend, Geoffrey.
* DarkIsEvil: He dresses in black and has black hair to match, and is the former captain of the city watch in Noblecourt who eventually betrayed and assassinated his Lord and former friend to usurp Noblecourt. During his rule, crime became frequent, in stark contrast to when House Azelhart ruled.
* DeathByIrony: He explains to Primrose and Revello that he betrayed Primrose's father to the Obsidians because [[EvilPaysBetter joining a criminal organization would make him more money]], but he strongly implies that he also backstabbed her father because [[FallenHero he had lost faith in his capabilities as city watch captain to ward off the Obsidians and decided he and his men were fighting a losing battle, so why bother?]]
-->'''Albus, the Right-hand Man:''' This village was a rotten husk long before Geoffrey Azelhart met his end. Anyone with half their wits knew the Obsidians were pulling all the strings from the shadows. I simply cast my lot with the winning horse. A simple business decision.
** For his betrayal and assistance in the murder of her father, he is eventually killed in battle by Primrose, a woman who strongly believes in having faith in oneself against self-doubt and despair, as did her father.
* DefectorFromDecadence: It's implied that, other than his desire for more money, he came to believe Geoffrey and the city watch were on the losing side, and wanted to be on the winning side.
* DidntThinkThisThrough: It apparently did not occur to him or his two assassin associates that leaving an ObviouslyEvil criminal tattoo exposed for all to see when breaking into somebody's home and committing murder in front of their eyes might not be a good idea. Ten years later, Primrose uses his tattoo to identify him as one of her father's murderers, and he eventually pays for it with his life.
* TheDragon: The secondary antagonist of Primrose's story. It was Albus' betrayal of his friend Geoffrey when the latter [[spoiler:[[HeKnowsTooMuch found out about the Gate of Finis]]]] that let the Obsidians murder him, with Albus participating in the act.
* EvilCounterpart: To Revello Forsythe. They were both high-ranking guardsmen tasked with protecting Noblecourt from criminals. While Forsythe has UndyingLoyalty to his Lord Geoffrey and his Lady Primrose, Albus is eventually revealed to be a greedy and selfish man who was willing to betray Geoffrey to the Obsidians if it meant [[ItsAllAboutMe obtaining more money and power for himself]]. Needless to say, [[BrokenPedestal Forsythe is left broken and furious at Albus' treachery]]. Years of suffering under Albus' regime in Noblecourt caused Forsythe to forget Geoffrey's unwavering determination and try to persuade Primrose to turn back on her path, but was quick to recognise his mistake and apologized to Primrose after she reminded him of the House's motto "Faith shall be your shield", whereas Albus cruelly mocked Geoffrey for getting killed for refusing to co-operate with the criminal Obsidians for no purpose other than to {{troll}} Primrose and Forsythe, [[TooDumbToLive which accelerated his own demise]].
* EvilFormerFriend: He was Revello Forsythe and Geoffrey Azelhart's friend, but eventually betrayed Geoffrey to the Obsidians.
* EvilIsPetty: He betrayed Geoffrey to the Obsidians and participated in his murder because... [[EvilPaysBetter money]].
** That said, he implies that he also betrayed Geoffrey because he lost faith in his own capabilities and believed the Obsidians had already won.
* EvilPaysBetter: His motivation boils down to that there's more money to be had in crime than in a just system.
* {{Expy}}: He's a deadringer for [[Manga/FullmetalAlchemist King Bradley]], being a supposedly trustworthy authority figure who's secretly in cahoots with a criminal conspiracy. Hell, he even looks identical to him with that slicked back hair, bushy mustache, and left eye with an eyepatch.
* EyepatchOfPower: He wears an eyepatch over his left eye.
* FaceHeelTurn: He is the former captain of Noblecourt's city watch and right-hand of Primrose's father. He later betrays Geoffrey to the Obsidians to become one of their highest-ranking members.
* FakingTheDead: For years, Albus fooled Revello and the rest of Noblecourt to believe he was killed with Geoffrey Azelhart, only to be alive and pulling the strings in Noblecourt all along.
* FallenHero: It's implied he really was once an honorable man, but decided to join the Obsidians when he realized his honor wasn't earning him as much money as he wanted.
-->'''Albus, the Right-hand Man:''' Honor's all well and good, but it doesn't buy you much.
* FatalFlaw: If his statement that "This village ''[Noblecourt]'' was a rotten husk long before Geoffrey Azelhart met his end" is any indication, [[SillyRabbitIdealismIsForKids cynicism]]. Albus came to believe that the Obsidians had already conquered Noblecourt before they actually did, resulting in him betraying his friend to them [[ItsAllAboutMe for his own gain]]. He believes that he was merely accelerating the inevitable, but Primrose and Revello condemn him as a selfish traitor. Albus' decision to [[SpeakIllOfTheDead mock the ideals of Primrose's deceased father]] ''right in front of her'' [[TooDumbToLive leads straight to his own demise]].
* FauxAffablyEvil: Even at his lowest, he speaks in a fairly civil manner.
* FlunkyBoss: Midway through the fight, he uses "Human Shield" to summon reinforcements and lock up his weaknesses. He only has enough men for one round of this, however.
** MookDepletion: If he attempts to call his underlings a second time, a message pops out saying that "Albus's men can fight no more". Every subsequent try fails.
* HateSink: Not to the same extent as Helgenish or his boss, Simeon, but his betrayal of his friend and subsequent FakingTheDead deception, his [[EvilIsPetty weak]] "Money > Honour" motivation, and his [[SpeakIllOfTheDead trash-talking Primrose's deceased father]] right after explaining his weak motivation for joining a criminal organisation—especially since his partner-in-crime Rufus [[VillainRespect admitted to having respect for Geoffrey's prowess]]—infuriates both Primrose and Revello, and for good reason.
* InjuredVulnerability: "Death to the Unseen" inflicts gratuitous amounts of damage ''only'' to blind targets.
* ItsAllAboutMe: Albus eventually joined the Obsidians and betrayed his friend Geoffrey for his own financial and political gain, after he became disillusioned with the abstract concept of honour and [[{{Greed}} dissatisfied with the amount of money he was earning]] from serving as captain of Noblecourt's city watch. To say that Primrose and Forsythe are DisappointedByTheMotive would be a major understatement.
* KarmicDeath: Is killed by the daughter of the very man he murdered [[SpeakIllOfTheDead and whose murder he jeers at]] as proof that his beliefs were those of a fool.
* MeaningfulName: [[InvertedTrope Inverted]]; Albus means ''white'' in Latin, but he has black hair and wears a black cloak.
* MuggingTheMonster: It is not wise to insult and laugh at Primrose's [[SpeakIllOfTheDead deceased]] father [[MockingTheMourner within earshot of her]], especially if you're one of the three men responsible for his murder.
* MyNameIsInigoMontoya: Like Rufus, he properly introduces himself before the boss fight after having a chat with Primrose.
-->'''Albus, the Right-hand Man:''' I am Albus, proud bearer of the mark of the crow. Come at me, Primrose Azelhart! I will see that you meet the same fate as your dear father.
* OneHitKill: "Death to the Unseen" instantly kills any character who has the Blindness status.
* SillyRabbitIdealismIsForKids: Albus expresses mocking contempt for his former friend Geoffrey's unwavering faith in his beliefs, which likely stems from this trope and a cruel desire to {{troll}} the daughter of his former friend. It is implied that Albus [[FallenHero was once a sincerely honourable man]], but eventually became disillusioned with the concept of honour during his time as captain of the city watch, and is no longer the man he once was.
* SinisterScythe: He wields a sickle in his boss sprite.
* SmallRoleBigImpact: Gets the least amount of screen-time out of the Crow Men, but it was his betrayal of Primrose's father by informing the Obsidians [[spoiler:that he had found out about [[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon the Gate of Finis]]]] that led to them murdering him.
* SpeakIllOfTheDead: He proves himself to be irredeemably vile when he slanders Geoffrey [[MockingTheMourner in front of Primrose and Revello]], claiming that Geoffrey talked about how having faith was enough to protect his people from any harm while taking no action, so his death was a fitting end for a fool. The accounts of Geoffrey by Primrose, Revello, and (ironically) Rufus prove otherwise.
* StatusEffects: His combat arts involve blinding his foes and using [[InjuredVulnerability Death to the Unseen]] to cut them down.
* TattooedCrook: Has a tattoo of a crow on his right arm.
* TooDumbToLive: Sure Albus, [[SpeakIllOfTheDead insult a deceased man]] you betrayed and murdered for [[EvilIsPetty petty]] [[EvilPaysBetter financial gain]] [[MockingTheMourner in front of his daughter]] who's on [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge a quest to avenge his death]] and has already killed one of your accomplices. WhatCouldPossiblyGoWrong
* {{Troll}}: When confronted by Primrose, Albus scornfully laughs about how her father's murder "goes to show you what the faith of a fool is worth", [[TooDumbToLive which goes about as well as you'd expect]].
* VillainBall: [[SpeakIllOfTheDead Insulting his deceased former friend]] [[MockingTheMourner in front of said former friend's vengeful daughter]] for the sake of [[{{Troll}} trolling]] her, is probably the most idiotic decision Albus could have possibly made in his situation.

!!Simeon, the Puppet Master
!!!'''Voiced By:''' Creator/ChrisHackney (English)
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_simeon.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''Simeon flashes a leery smile...'']]

Once a gardener under the employ of Lord Azelhart, he was a childhood sweetheart of Primrose. It is later revealed that he is the leader of the Obsidians, with the mark of the crow on his neck.
----
* AchillesHeel: While a BarrierChangeBoss during the second phase of his fight, Simeon is consistently weak to [[CastingAShadow Dark]]. [[DownplayedTrope However]], he seals all but his Dagger weakness when the fight begins, and the player has to Break him several times before he unseals his Dark weakness.
* AllThereInTheManual: The official companion book ''Octopath Traveler: The Complete Guide'' gives him a much larger backstory than presented in game. [[spoiler:He was once a member of the Ventus Dynasty, and defeated his bastard half-brother to inherit the throne after a civil war. He quickly disappeared and met Lyblac, ultimately gaining the ability to cheat death like Mattias, who himself would help Simeon establish the Obsidians.]]
* ArcVillain: The primary villain of Primrose's story.
* BarrierChangeBoss: He changes his weaknesses throughout the second phase of his fight.
* BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind: Primrose has a mental fight with Simeon and two puppets of her father and Yusufa before actually fighting him in his boss fight.
* BetaTestBaddie: Some of Simeon's dialogue implies that, like Primrose, he feels hollow inside which motivates his sadism, much like how Primrose's quest for revenge is motivated by her loneliness at losing her father.
-->'''Simeon, the Puppet Master:''' How many times in your life have you felt blessed to be here? When has life ever seemed a gift? This world is nothing but pain nigh beyond the point of bearing... Constant, inescapable darkness. I will tell you the only joy ''I'' have found in life... Watching the lives of others fall apart. The sweet fantasies that people imagine their existences to be inevitably crack, then shatter to pieces. And I savor the tragedy of each and every downfall, because, oh, it ''is'' delicious. That one moment—that glorious instant when I see a man, a woman lose all hope. That is the only time I truly feel alive.
* BitchInSheepsClothing: He's introduced as a kind childhood friend of Primrose and the latter is heavily implied to have feelings for him, but when he meets Primrose again in the Obsidian Manse, it's revealed that he's pure evil.
* BreakThemByTalking: Attempts this on Primrose, pointing out that avenging her father's murder [[MoralityChainBeyondTheGrave will not make him happy]]. He also points out that Primrose's quest for revenge was really desperation to find happiness all along, and that killing him (Simeon) will not bring her any. The scary part is that [[VillainHasAPoint he's right]], and nearly succeeds in breaking Primrose. It's only by envisioning herself confessing to her father that she hates how lonely she is and feeling his reassuring presence that Primrose is able to pull through, and even then, it is implied that she battles Simeon not for revenge, but for faith in a happier future.
* CardCarryingVillain: He has no problem admitting to Primrose during their final confrontation that he takes pleasure in seeing others lose all hope.
* CharacterDeath: He dies shortly after being defeated in battle at the hands of Primrose.
* ChildhoodFriendRomance: {{Subverted|Trope}}. When Primrose first meets Simeon again for the first time in years since she was young it seems it can lead to this. Then he's revealed to be one of the Crow Men who killed Primrose's father, and relishes the emotional pain he inflicted on Primrose for doing so. His play about Primrose's life even has his and her character declaring their love for each other and going on to live HappilyEverAfter in a twisted display of affection and sadism.
* CreateYourOwnHero: His actions, along with the other two assassins, pushes Primrose on her path of vengeance and she seeks out to punish them for their killing of her father. Along her path, she helps others who have been hurt by the Obsidians' villainy.
* DarkIsEvil: He dresses in black, and is the leader of a criminal organization as well as a [[{{Sadist}} sadistic]] [[TheSociopath sociopath]] who had deliberately developed a ChildhoodFriendRomance with Primrose when she was a child so he could inflict maximum emotional pain on her.
* DecapitatedArmy: Averted. Even if he's killed before starting Tressa's chapter 4, Obsidian members will still antagonize her. If the player returns to Everhold Amphitheatre after he's killed, they can still run into Obsidian {{Mooks}} as random encounters.
* DidntThinkThisThrough: It apparently did not occur to him or his two assassin associates that leaving an ObviouslyEvil criminal tattoo exposed for all to see when breaking into somebody's home and committing murder in front of their eyes might not be a good idea. However, by the time he reunites with Primrose, he did think to conceal his tattoo with a necktie. Primrose eventually learns that he is one of her father's murderers when he stabs her and removes his necktie, and he later pays for murdering her father with his life.
* DubPersonalityChange: A minor one, but his final moments play out differently in the Japanese version. In the English version, he's a MadArtist to the end who is fine with either killing or being killed by Primrose because he sees it as a GrandFinale to her tragedy. In the Japanese version, [[spoiler:his two battles against Primrose [[HeelRealization make him realise the full extent of the pain he's caused her]], [[RedemptionEqualsDeath whereupon he asks her to kill him for both their sakes]]. This indicates that Japanese Simeon does have a conscience, albeit an extremely limited one]].
* EvilAllAlong: ''Octopath Traveler: The Complete Guide'' says that Simeon had co-established the Obsidians with Mattias (ArcVillain of Ophilia's story) [[spoiler:over a century]] before he murdered Primrose's father, [[spoiler:having [[TheAgeless gained eternal youth]] from [[BigBad Lyblac]]]], meaning he was already the leader of the Obsidians when he took the job of gardener under House Azelhart and became Primrose's [[ChildhoodFriendRomance childhood sweetheart]]. [[spoiler:The dairy entry by Geoffrey Azelhart found in the [[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon Gate of Finis]] implies that [[TheMole Simeon became House Azelhart's gardener so that he could spy on him]], as the Obsidians had already had several hostile confrontations with Geoffrey for refusing their offers before he undertook the fatal investigation on them [[HeKnowsTooMuch that led to his murder]].]]
* EvilFormerFriend: He was a gardener under House Azelhart and Primrose's childhood sweetheart, and was secretly the leader of the Obsidians who later killed her father, taking a sadistic pleasure in Primrose's pain.
* EvilLaugh: Bursts into maniacal laughter after he stabs Primrose in the Obsidian Manse and reveals he is the one who fatally stabbed her father.
* FalseFriend: He deliberately became close to Primrose in her childhood so that he could later inflict deep emotional pain on her, because he is a heartless {{Sadist}} who enjoys others' pain.
* FauxAffablyEvil: He acts like a gentleman even as he ruins the lives of his victims.
* FlunkyBoss: In the first battle against him, he's supported by puppets of Yusufa and Primrose's father.
* {{Foil}}:
** Alongside Darius, Simeon is this to Erhardt of all people. All three of them betrayed a protagonist (Primrose, Therion and Olberic) which caused their individual issues ([[RoaringRampageOfRevenge desire for revenge]], [[NeverBeHurtAgain unwillingness to trust]] and [[DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife loss of purpose]], respectively), and first appear in person in Chapter 3 of their respective protagonists' stories. However, Erhardt had an understandable FreudianExcuse for his betrayal (his home-village was laid to ruin while his King [[BetrayalByInaction did nothing to save the people living there]]), is the DiscOneFinalBoss of Olberic's story with the mercenary leader who recruited him, Werner, being the real ArcVillain, is eventually forgiven by Olberic, and ultimately survives the game's events, whereas Simeon and Darius were primarily motivated by [[{{Sadist}} sadism]] and {{greed}} respectively, are the definitive {{Arc Villain}}s of their protagonists' respective stories, are never forgiven by their respective protagonists, and ultimately meet their end with daggers in their shriveled excuses for hearts.
** Simeon also comes across as this to Primrose. They both have a passion for the arts (Primrose for music and dancing, Simeon for poetry and theatre) and are {{Master Actor}}s who put up a façade to mask their true personalities. While Primrose pretends to be an empty-headed, submissive woman for Helgenish when she actually despises him for his brutality, is plotting to [[LuredIntoATrap lure one of the men who murdered her father to his tavern]] and begin [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge hunting them down]], and [[NiceGirl is very gentle]] (if not [[TheTease teasingly flirtatious]]) to those who aren't her targets, Simeon acts like a charismatic gentleman but is actually an extremely [[{{Sadist}} sadistic]] [[TheSociopath sociopath]] whose greatest joy is seeing others fall into despair. Simeon's MotiveRant implies that ''both'' he and Primrose feel empty inside, which motivates their sadism and desire for revenge, respectively. To contrast the themes of the traveler's story, Simeon is a HopeCrusher while Primrose is a {{Determinator}}. Finally, Primrose is an example of DarkIsNotEvil, Simeon an example of LightIsNotGood.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: There's a considerable amount for his true allegiance as one of the Crow Men.
** He's dressed in black, just like the other two.
** He mentions that he's a "playwright, of sorts" and "stages dramas and tragedy", hinting at his sadistic nature and that he [[ThinksLikeARomanceNovel thinks of Primrose's life as a beautiful tragedy he'd written]].
** He and Primrose reminisce on her childhood, where Simeon expresses signs that he was in love with her even back then, and Simeon was already a grown man in those days. Implicitly, this is a ''very'' good sign that something is wrong.
** Albus mentions to his lackey that their boss has a huge flair for the dramatic.
* FromNobodyToNightmare: Starting out as a mere gardener's apprentice in his youth, he was secretly the leader of a powerful crime syndicate who later orchestrated the murder of Primrose's father, causing her a great deal of pain. Subverted [[spoiler:in that he was once a Ventus royal who received power from Lyblac.]]
* GameplayAndStoryIntegration: His gimmick of inflicting the Silence status on the party is reminiscent of how he and the other two assassins "silenced" Primrose's father for [[HeKnowsTooMuch finding out classified information]] about the Obsidians [[spoiler:i.e. their goal to assist [[BigBad Lyblac]] in resurrecting [[GodOfEvil Gal]][[GreaterScopeVillain dera]]]].
* GracefulLoser: He's not at all upset at being killed by Primrose, as he considers it the perfect end to her tragedy.
* HateSink: His sheer sadism and joy at other people's suffering makes him one of the most despicable antagonists in the game.
* HiddenDepths: As a writer and tragedy specialist, Simeon is chillingly knowledgeable on the subject of [[VengeanceFeelsEmpty the futility of revenge]] and knows how to use this to psychologically weaken those who oppose him. He accurately deconstructs Primrose's psyche, exposing her loneliness at not having her father by her side as the real root of her crusade against him and his men for murdering her father, before asking her "How did it feel when you killed my men? Did that fill the hole in your heart even a tiny little bit?" It's even implied that in the end, Primrose battles Simeon for faith in a happier future instead of for revenge; so Simeon succeeded in convincing Primrose to "abandon this madness", [[GoneHorriblyRight but it didn't go the way he'd planned]].
* HopeCrusher: One of his defining traits. He likes to ruin the hopes of others so that he can take pleasure in the pain he causes them, and as his final confrontation with Primrose shows, he's chillingly good at it to the point of achieving a NearVillainVictory with words alone.
* InterfaceScrew: In the last leg of his fight, he'll obscure the icons at the top of the screen that indicate which order everyone moves. As a small bit of mercy, his own icon (fitting for a MadArtist so full of himself) will not be obscured, so you at least know when he's about to make his move.
* {{Irony}}: [[spoiler:One of Simeon's aliases is "The Puppet Master", but in the post-game it is revealed that he himself was a pawn to [[TheChessmaster Lyblac]]. Given Simeon's sheer love for drama and tragedy--[[MadArtist both in art and in real life]]--it's likely he couldn't care less if he was a pawn or not.]]
* ItAmusedMe: While his practical motive for killing Geoffrey is because [[HeKnowsTooMuch he discovered the Gate of Finis]], his personal motive is solely to torture Primrose to see the hope die from her eyes and relish in what despair he can inflict on her. His interactions with Primrose make it clear that his practical motive takes [[StealthPun backstage]] to his personal one.
* {{Jerkass}}: The man likes to watch others suffer and has no redeeming qualities to him, being one of the cruelest [[ArcVillain Arc Villains]] in the game.
* LackOfEmpathy: He shows no remorse in his actions at all and enjoys making people suffer just for his own amusement.
* LargeHam: Simeon himself proudly acknowledges that [[{{Sadist}} he feels most happiness when he sees others lose all hope]], and it ''really'' shows over the course of Primrose's final confrontation with him. Simeon's polite façade collapses completely in his sheer joy in psychologically tormenting her, questioning her motives for revenge and pressuring her to resign herself to a life of never-ending sadness, sounding increasingly melodramatic as he does so, which is fitting for a [[TheSociopath sociopathic]] artist such as himself.
* LightIsNotGood: His silvery-white hair and formal dress hide a dangerous sociopath.
* LoonyFan: He's still unhealthily smitten with Primrose even after revealing himself to be a sadistic sociopath incapable of any genuine affection. His satirical play about Primrose's life that he has publicly performed disgusts her and her companions, only serving to give her more of an incentive to end his life.
* MadArtist: A playwright who specializes in tragedies, and also gets sadistic pleasure from putting people through tragedy in real life.
* TheManBehindTheMan: As the leader of the Obsidians, he indirectly plays a role in [[spoiler:Tressa's route, and is specifically named as the one supporting Mattias monetarily, so he indirectly plays a role in Ophilia's route, too]].
* ManipulativeBastard: He tries to convince Primrose that her father wouldn't be happy to see his daughter pursue [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge violent revenge]] and she should find her own happiness. He also deduces that Primrose didn't feel any happier after taking vengeance on Rufus and Albus, and won't feel any happier from taking vengeance on him. [[VillainHasAPoint He's right]], but Primrose realizes that Simeon isn't telling her this out of concern for her well-being, but rather to give himself a psychological advantage over her, [[ShutUpHannibal which lets her stay by her beliefs and fight him]].
* MeaningfulName: In Literature/TheBible, Simeon, son of Jacob[[note]][[NamesTheSame No relation to Simeon from the Gospel of Luke]][[/note]] was one of Joseph's brothers who later betrayed and tried to kill him, though here he was motivated by jealously of his brother's prophetic dreams.
* TheMole: [[spoiler:Geoffrey Azelhart's diary entry found in [[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon the Gate of Finis]] implies that Simeon was this from the start, taking the job of gardener at House Azelhart so that he could spy on its Lord's investigation into the criminal organization he leads, as the Obsidians were growing frustrated with Geoffrey's refusal of their offers (because he knew they were nothing but lies).]]
* OneDegreeOfSeparation: He is allied with [[spoiler:Mattias, the main antagonist of Ophilia's route, and supported the latter in his crusade against the Sacred Flame, [[TheManBehindTheMan making himself an indirect antagonist in Ophilia's route]]]], as the [[spoiler:latter's diary entry in the Gate of Finis]] reveals. The official companion book ''Octopath Traveler: The Complete Guide'' goes a step further by revealing that [[spoiler:Simeon and Mattias co-established the Obsidians together]].
* PracticallyJoker: Between his sociopathy, love for drama, pleasure in causing chaos, and StrawNihilist philosophy, Simeon is essentially Orsterra's equivalent of [[Characters/BatmanTheJoker the Joker]].
* PsychopathicManchild: He uses other humans as playthings and uses theatre as a way to act out his twisted fantasies similiar to a manner of a violent child abusing their toys for fun.
* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: The official companion book ''Octopath Traveler: The Complete Guide'' reveals that [[spoiler:Simeon gained the forbidden knowledge of the tome ''From the Far Reaches of Hell'' from Lyblac, which has allowed him to live without aging. His minimum age is 126 by the time of his death.]]
* {{Sadist}}: He takes special joy in ruining the hopes of others and seeing them despair.
* TheSociopath: While capable of acting like a polite man, in reality he is a heartless {{Sadist}} who feels no guilt for anything he does, only enjoyment of other peoples' pain. His "love" for Primrose is less affection and more of a special enjoyment in making her suffer. His own death doesn't even distress him, as he sees it as the perfect ending to Primrose's tragedy.
* StalkerWithACrush: Simeon makes a play about Primrose's entire life, including her childhood and intimate moments with her family, puts it on for all to see, and has it end with his and Primrose's characters proclaiming their love and living HappilyEverAfter.
* StatusEffects: Several of his attacks inflict Silence.
* TattooedCrook: Has a tattoo of a crow on his neck.
* ThinksLikeARomanceNovel: He frames Primrose's life as a great tragedy that he wrote for the sake of telling a good story, and because he's a sadist who enjoys watching other people suffer. The boss fight against him takes place in a theater, with [[{{Expy}} Expies]] of Simeon and Primrose telling the story of her life onstage. The difference is that in the play, the Simeon and Primrose Expies fall in love and live HappilyEverAfter. In the real world, Primrose kills Simeon.
* TrickBoss: The first fight with him is very easy once the puppets are gone, while the second fight is more difficult.
* VillainHasAPoint: After the first fight with him, Simeon asks Primrose how it felt killing his men and if it filled the hole in her heart. Primrose becomes very upset, yells at him to stop, and admits to her father that what she hated most was the loneliness. The end of her story shows he's right--getting revenge didn't heal her wounds.
* VillainousCrush: He's still violently in love with Primrose even into their adult days. Emphasis on "violent".
* WalkingSpoiler: He initially appears to be a kind, considerate gentleman and a potential LoveInterest for Primrose, but at the end of her Chapter 3 is revealed to be the man with the mark of the crow on his neck who murdered her father, having deliberately become close to Primrose in her childhood [[{{Sadist}} so as to inflict maximum emotional pain on her]].
* WhiteHairBlackHeart: He has white hair, and is the sadistic leader of a group of criminals who finds enjoyment in inflicting emotional pain on Primrose.
* {{Yandere}}: He is [[LoonyFan obsessed with Primrose]] because he sees her as a strong-willed protagonist who is ideal for his tragic plays. He's fine with either killing her or getting killed by her because he considers both outcomes to be stageworthy.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Helgenish]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_helgenish.png]]

An abusive tavern-owner that enslaved Primrose before the story began.
----
* ZeroPercentApprovalRating: None of the dancers working for Helgenish enjoy doing so, but they are in poverty and have nowhere else to go. Yusufa in particular tells Primrose that she wants to vomit every time she has to call him "master". After his death, even his remaining goons in Sunshade feel nothing more than curiosity about what happened to him. Some of his customers at the tavern have also heard of how he's a savage brute, which he is.
* AssholeVictim: There isn't a single person that misses him after he gets killed by Primrose. If anything, the dancers are happy he's gone after all the abuse they went through.
* BadBoss: He's abusive to the dancers he employs in every way, even treating them like slaves.
* TheBrute: He's physically strong [[StrongerThanTheyLook for an overweight old man]], has a HairTriggerTemper, is quick to resort to violence to "resolve" matters, [[TheBully bullies]] the dancers working for him at every opportunity he can, and [[SmugSnake thinks of himself as far more intelligent than he really is]].
* CharacterDeath: Primrose [[SlashedThroat slits his throat]] shortly after defeating him in battle.
* DarkIsEvil: He wears a black jacket, and is one of the most unpleasant antagonists in the entire game despite being a mere StarterVillain. One would think the only reason he wears a black jacket in the hot Sunlands is to highlight this trope, since nobody in their right mind would think wearing one in a desert town is a good idea[[note]]In case you don't know, darker colours absorb heat more than lighter colours[[/note]].
* DeviousDaggers: As a sign of his underhanded personality, his battle sprite depicts him leisurely brandishing a knife, concealed behind his back.
* DidntSeeThatComing: Over the course of several years, Helgenish never caught on that Primrose's empty-headed persona was a façade until she releases her fury at him for [[spoiler:killing Yusufa]], which comes as a complete shock to him.
-->'''Primrose:''' I saw ''you'' for the foul swine you are the first time I laid eyes on you.
* DidntThinkThisThrough: Somehow thought it was a good idea to [[spoiler:fatally stab Primrose's OnlyFriend [[ForcedToWatch in front of her]] and [[KickTheDog mock her friend's tearful last words]]]] after Primrose had just exited the Sunshade Catacombs that is infested with RandomEncounters. You'd think he would register that this means Primrose has combat capabilities and [[ObfuscatingStupidity might not be as empty-headed as she pretends to be]], but he doesn't. Overlaps with TooDumbToLive.
* DirtyOldMan: While his exact age is unclear, he's definitely on the older side, and it's stated that his tavern dancers (Primrose in particular) are expected to entertain him just as much as they do the tavern's clientele.
* DisproportionateRetribution: His idea of an acceptable punishment for Yusufa covering for Primrose while the latter escapes his tavern, is to [[spoiler:''murder'' her]].
* EntitledBastard: Expects the women he's forced into slavery to be grateful to him for giving them a "job" no matter how badly he treats them, and often flies into rants about how they don't appreciate him.
* EvilIsPetty: The main reason why he is such a loathsome scumbag is because he flies into rages and inflicts DisproportionateRetribution on the women under his "care" for the most trivial of offenses. He once slaps Primrose across the face for not expressing immediate gratitude that he would "teach a completely useless girl everything she knows" (his words). Things go FromBadToWorse when Yusufa covers for Primrose when she leaves to pursue Rufus of the Crows; [[spoiler:he beats Yusufa severely, catches up to Primrose, and stabs her in front of Primrose]]. It's very obvious that this man is sick in the head!
* FatBastard: He's overweight, and to say he is a thoroughly unpleasant person would be an understatement.
* FauxAffablyEvil: Unlike the other dancers, Helgenish speaks sweetly to Primrose, like a master speaking to his pet... just before he physically abuses and berates her.
* {{Foil}}:
** To Archbishop Josef and Z'aanta, from Ophilia and H'aanit's routes respectively. They all took in girls who would become one of the eight protagonists, but Helgenish only cares about how useful Primrose is to him and demands her gratitude and obedience while treating her like a sex object instead of an actual person, while Josef raises Ophilia lovingly as if she were his own blood daughter, and H'aanit admits to herself and to Natalia that she sees Z'aanta as a father figure.
** [[spoiler:To Yvon, from Cyrus' route. They are both {{Jerkass}} elderly men in positions of power who first appear in their respective protagonist's Chapter 1, who turn out to be even more sinister than they initially appear to be; but while Yvon is intelligent enough to cover his tracks until Cyrus interrogates Dominic in Stonegard, and devises a plot to dispose of Cyrus that would have succeeded if not for an unexpected SpannerInTheWorks, Helgenish is a blatant SmugSnake who is not nearly as intelligent as he thinks he is, to the point of being TooDumbToLive when he stabs Primrose's OnlyFriend [[ForcedToWatch in front of her]] [[DidntThinkThisThrough without realizing that her getting through the Sunshade Catacombs means she has combat capabilities]].]]
* FlunkyBoss: Helgenish has some goons help him during battle.
* {{Gonk}}: Even by the dramatized standards of other boss battle sprites, Helgenish appears particularly ugly and cartoony with a pudgy nose and wide grin.
* HateSink: He's a strong candidate for the most loathsome StarterVillain in the game, as well as one of the most loathsome villains in the game as a whole. He has more screentime than any of the other early-game villains and his scenes really take the time to emphasize his cruel, perverted nature. Heck, Rufus, despite being Helgenish's superior and one of the three men who murdered Primrose's father, is much more tolerable.
* TheHedonist: He puts his own desires above all else, including the well-being of the women who work for him. From his perspective, if a woman won't give him the pleasure [[EntitledBastard he deserves]], then [[LackOfEmpathy they are worthless]].
* HiddenDepths: Helgenish was already a perverted, thoroughly unpleasant person from the start, but by the end of Primrose's Chapter 1 is revealed to [[spoiler:[[NotSoHarmlessVillain have no problem committing murder]] to get what he wants]]. It's implied that this is exceptionally cruel even by Helgenish's twisted standards.
* {{Hypocrite}}: Due to his [[{{Narcissist}} narcissism]], he believes there is nothing wrong with his abusing the dancers at every opportunity he can, but the moment ''he's'' on the receiving end of the slightest criticism, he immediately flies into a rage about how unfair it is for him to be disrespected.
* InTheBack: [[spoiler:Attempts this on Primrose after she defeats him, but she saw it coming [[SlashedThroat and he fails miserably]].]]
* ItsAllAboutMe: In spades. He treats the dancers he employs like slaves and abuses them regularly, [[EntitledBastard yet expects them to be grateful to him for giving them a "job" and obey his every command]], even going so far as to explicitly tell Primrose that he "owns" her. He has an exchange with Primrose where he almost says "It's all about me!" word-for-word, summing up his belief that the dancers' only purpose for existence is to please him.
-->'''Helgenish:''' ''(to Primrose)'' What happened to your sweet little smile? Who puts a roof over your head and food on your plate? Who bought the jewels that adorn your pretty neck? Who made you the most sought-after dancer in this dusty old town? It was me -- all me!
* {{Jerkass}}: He's a perverted old man who will gleefully abuse the dancers he has under his wing.
* JerkassHasAPoint: He technically isn't wrong when he tells Primrose that he gives her a place to stay and food to eat--Primrose was rendered destitute after her father was murdered by the Crow Men--but his assertion that Primrose owes him her life is eroded by the fact that the only reason he took her in at all is because he saw her as useful to him. Indeed, once Helgenish finally realizes that Primrose's ignorant submission was a façade all along, he [[spoiler:tries to kill her]].
* KarmicDeath: Dies at the hands of Primrose, his favorite dancer and the one who bore the most of his perverted attention and abuse.
* KickTheDog: He heartlessly mocks [[spoiler:Yusufa's last words right after her death]].
* KnowNothingKnowItAll: He is not nearly as intelligent as he thinks he is. He may claim to see every thought in Primrose's head, but he eventually [[TooDumbToLive makes several serious mistakes that cost him his life]].
* LackOfEmpathy: He's a disgustingly cruel and [[EntitledBastard entitled]] man who genuinely believes the dancers he "employs" (read: enslaves) have no purpose for existence other than to satisfy his own pleasures. He treats them horrendously and takes pleasure in doing so to exert control.
* MuggingTheMonster: When Helgenish finally goes too far in his cruelty, [[DidntSeeThatComing it comes as a complete shock to him]] when Primrose reveals that her "submissive slave-girl" personality was a fake one all along and that she has always despised him. Primrose then proceeds to defeat him in battle and kill him.
* {{Narcissist}}: He constantly makes derogatory remarks and belittles the girls he's forced into slavery while thinking himself an amazing person whom nobody else has any right to criticize or disagree with.
* NeverMyFault: Is too arrogant to admit that anything he does could ever be wrong.
* NiceJobFixingItVillain: A subtle one: After being defeated by Primrose, Helgenish [[ISurrenderSuckers pretends to surrender]] and asks her to perform one final dance, but quietly chuckles to himself immediately afterwards, all but giving away that he has no good intentions. [[spoiler:Sure enough, he tries to stab Primrose while her back is turned, and sure enough, Primrose saw this coming from a mile away and runs past him while [[SlashedThroat slitting his throat]].]]
* NotSoHarmlessVillain: Downplayed. He's a thoroughly unpleasant person all around, his cruel personality is never PlayedForLaughs, and Yusufa says that he beats those who displease him half to death before tossing them out into the street to die; but her choice of words imply that it is possible for them to survive[[note]]In fact, Inquiring/Scrutinizing one NPC at the Flamesgrace Cathedral Entrance reveals that said NPC was a former dancer in Sunshade who ran away from her cruel master, who could well be Helgenish[[/note]], and she was sold to Helgenish as a child and worked there for years without suffering that fate. [[spoiler:However, when Primrose, his favourite dancer, leaves his tavern to pursue Rufus, Helgenish goes a step further by not only beating Yusufa for helping cover up her escape, but fatally and intentionally stabbing her with a knife and kicking her off a cliff, letting her bleed to death. Then he [[KickTheDog mocks her last words]] after her death. At this moment, Helgenish goes from a primitive brute to an irredeemabe monster, incentivizing Primrose to kill him.]]
* ObliviouslyEvil: As is par for the course for an abuser. Despite his abhorrent treatment of the dancers under his eye [[spoiler:including ''murdering'' Primrose's OnlyFriend Yusufa]], Helgenish never once considers the possibility that he could be doing anything objectionable and seems to genuinely believe that he's a kind and generous man, that his treatment of the dancers is acceptable, and that [[NeverMyFault the dancers dislike him because they "don't appreciate" him and not because of anything he's done]], so he has the right to demean and threaten them. His obliviousness to the unnecessary cruelty of his actions does ''not'' make him any less despicable -- if anything, it makes him ''worse'', because [[EntitledBastard he expects the dancers he mistreats to praise him and ignore his cruelty]], and refuses to admit to any wrongdoing.
* ObviouslyEvil: Despite Helgenish's narcissistic belief that there's nothing wrong with the way he treats his employees and that they deserve it for not loving him, his EstablishingCharacterMoment is him barging into their dormitory to yell at them for being a few minutes late to their stage performance. [[FromBadToWorse And it just gets worse from there...]]
* PrecisionFStrike: He calls Primrose a ''whore'' before their battle.
* PsychopathicManchild: Type B. While he is in his older years, Helgenish ultimately comes across as utterly immature, selfish and entitled, believing that [[ItsAllAboutMe the world should revolve around him]] and throwing temper tantrums the moment things don't go his way, much like how a toddler behaves.
* RiddleForTheAges: He works for [[TheManBehindTheMan Rufus]] of the Obsidians, the master of a [[HumanTraffickers sex slave]] business, [[DarkIsEvil wears a black jacket]], and eventually [[spoiler:murders Yusufa in an attempt to intimidate Primrose when she leaves his tavern to pursue Rufus]]; but it's left ambiguous if he is an official member of the Obsidians or is merely allied with them.
* SlashedThroat: [[spoiler:This is how he dies. After attempting a backstab on Primrose, she runs past Helgenish and cuts his throat, letting him die by choking on his own blood.]]
* SlasherSmile: His battle sprite depicts him with one, giving the player even more of a desire to take him down [[spoiler:after what he did to Yusufa]].
* SmugSnake: He has an exaggerated sense of self-importance and is condescending to everyone he views as inferior to him. When in the prescence of his superior, [[TheManBehindTheMan Rufus]], he speaks nervously.
* StarterVillain: The first boss in Primrose's route.
* StrongerThanTheyLook: Overlaps with WakeUpCallBoss. At first glance, he appears to be a fat blowhard, and in battle his sprite shows him lazily sitting on a chair and drinking wine. However, he's one of the most difficult bosses in the early game, with high HP, powerful attacks that can knock Primrose out quickly, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and resistance to Dark magic]]. It doesn't help that [[FragileSpeedster Primrose]] is not built for defense, so it's recommended to take advantage of her Allure path action and/or pick up some of the other Travelers before beginning her route.
* TooDumbToLive:
** His decision to [[spoiler:murder Yusufa]] in front of Primrose and then [[spoiler:[[KickTheDog mock her dying words]]]] is almost as [[VillainBall idiotic]] as it is vile. Primrose had just exited the Sunshade Catacombs—a dungeon with RandomEncounters—alive, indicating that she has combat capabilities. Primrose and [[spoiler:Yusufa]] reaffirming their friendship should have given Helgenish further evidence that [[spoiler:mocking Yusufa after her death]] would be a bad idea, but he thinks it's a good idea and is rewarded with a fight to the death.
** It was also a really stupid idea of Helgenish to sinisterly chuckle to himself after asking Primrose for one last dance, all but giving away that [[spoiler:[[ISurrenderSuckers he planned to stab her while her back was turned]]. As a result, [[SlashedThroat he fails miserably]]]].
* VillainBall: [[spoiler:When Primrose leaves his tavern to pursue one of the Crow Men, Helgenish takes her friend Yusufa hostage for covering for her friend, ambushes Primrose, and murders Yusufa in front of her... [[DidntThinkThisThrough except that Primrose had just exited the Sunshade Catacombs, a dungeon infested with]] RandomEncounters, [[DidntThinkThisThrough indicating that she knows how to fight]]. [[TooDumbToLive Predictable results ensue.]]]]
* VillainousBreakdown: When Primrose unleashes her fury on Helgenish for [[spoiler:murdering Yusufa]], revealing that she has always hated him and only began working for him in the first place because of his connections to the Crow Men, Helgenish does not take it at all well, resulting in a boss fight against him.
* WantsAPrizeForBasicDecency: He believes that he is allowed to do whatever he likes to the destitute women he's essentially enslaved because he gives them a means to survive, and often complains about how ungrateful they are to him. The fact that he only cares about how useful the women are to him, or that he both physically and verbally abuses them at every opportunity he can, means nothing to him.
* WouldHitAGirl: He regularly abuses his dancers and assaults them for any slight, real or imagined. He often beats the women who displease him half to death and leaves them to die in the street. [[spoiler:He tortured Yusufa to find out where Primrose went before stabbing her and throwing her off a cliff.]]
* WouldHurtAChild: Going by what Yusufa told Primrose in [[spoiler:her dying moments]], Helgenish's ill treatment extends to children sold to him.
* YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness: [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]], at first. Women who get on his bad side are beaten half to death and thrown out onto the street, but he doesn't directly kill them... [[spoiler:[[NotSoHarmlessVillain until]] Yusufa helps Primrose escape his tavern to pursue Rufus, where he directly and fatally stabs her as punishment.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Father Eschard]]

A corrupt bishop in the Order of the Sacred Flame who is a patron and friend of Rufus, the Left Hand of the Crow. His daughter is deceased after [[DrivenToSuicide committing suicide]] in shame of being sullied by the son of a lordling, and he comes to Rufus to receive one of his sex slaves as compensation for his loneliness.
----
* EvilCounterpart: To Archbishop Josef. Archbishop Josef is kind, devout, and a loving father to his two daughters, Lianna and Ophilia. Meanwhile, Father Eschard is vengeful, deviant, and while he does love his deceased daughter, he is disturbingly implied to have feelings of [[ParentalIncest incestuous sexual lust]] towards her as well.
* FlatCharacter: His main purpose in the story is to provide insight into how Rufus' [[HumanTraffickers human trafficking]] business works and create a sense of danger for Arianna, after which [[WeHardlyKnewYe he is never seen or heard from again]].
* LightIsNotGood: He's a bishop in the Order of the Sacred Flame and is garbed in a white robe, and is in cahoots with a man within a criminal organization to have one of his sex slaves.
* ParentalIncest: His dialogue disturbingly implies that he has sexual feelings for his deceased daughter.
* SinisterMinister: He's a bishop in the Order of the Sacred Flame, and is more immoral than his status would have you believe.
* TheUnfought: It is likely that Primrose never learns of his existence, but Arianna would have been in grave danger if Primrose hadn't killed his patron, Rufus.
* WeHardlyKnewYe: He's a very minor, indirect antagonist, appearing in ''one'' cutscene during Primrose's Chapter 2 discussing his daughter's suicide and hatred towards the House whose lordling's son sullied her. Rufus offers him Arianna as compensation for his loneliness, but Primrose later corners and kills Rufus as punishment for murdering her father over a decade ago, and Eschard is never seen or heard from again.
[[/folder]]

!!Alfyn's Route
[[folder:Blotted Viper]]
[[quoteright:310:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_viper.png]]

A giant snake who possesses a deadly venom.
----
* NonLethalKO: The Blotted Viper is just rendered unconscious after Alfyn defeats it, allowing him to collect its venom to develop a cure.
* NonMaliciousMonster: While the Blotted Viper is very aggressive, it's acting out of instinct and only attacks the people who disturb it in its lair.
* ReptilesAreAbhorrent: It's a giant, aggressive snake with a lethal venom.
* StarterVillain: The first boss Alfyn faces.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Vanessa Hysel]]
[[quoteright:262:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_vanessa.png]]

Another apothecary whom Alfyn comes across in Goldshore. Initially appearing to be a selfless healer of the sick, she is revealed to be a fraud who deliberately gives medicine with negative side-effects so she can sell the remedy at an exorbitant price once those side-effects kick in.
----
* ArcVillain: The antagonist of Alfyn's second chapter.
* BadPeopleAbuseAnimals: Before the boss fight, she reveals that she tests her deadly tonic on kittens.
* BitchInSheepsClothing: She maintains the appearance of a caring healer, only to exhort money from the sick by using a tonic with deadly side-effects.
* EvilCounterpart: She's Alfyn's. Alfyn is a genuinely kind and selfless apothecary who heals the sick no matter their background, believing himself to not have the right to act as a jury. Vanessa ''pretends'' to be as kind and selfless, but in reality cares only about the money and gives her patients a remedy that actually makes them sick to extort more money from them.
* FlunkyBoss: She has a few mercenaries helping her during her fight with the heroes.
* HeelFaceTurn: Sort of. After Alfyn's story ends, she can be found at the end of the Undertow Cove and Inquiring or Scrutinizing her will reveal that she left her criminal life behind and now sells genuine medicines of very good quality, [[ReformedButNotTamed albeit still at high prices]]. [[OptionalPartyMember She can also be Guided/Allured as an ally.]]
* HiredGuns: Due to the wealth she has accumulated she has paid mercenaries to fight on her behalf, as seen in her boss fight.
* ItsAllAboutMe: She wants to be rich and she doesn't care who she has to step on or even kill to get there.
* LackOfEmpathy: She's disturbingly nonchalant about the fact that people may die because of her scheme.
* MeaningfulName: She "high-sells" remedies for the ailments she inflicts.
* MookDepletion: She will use the move Concoct Restorative once the Sellswords she fights with die, but the move fails if it's used more than once.
-->''But Vanessa was out of ingredients...''
* MsFanservice: Her sprite makes it apparent that she's quite attractive and buxom. There's even some subtle {{Gainaxing}} in it.
* OptionalPartyMember: After Alfyn's story ends, she can be encountered at the end of the Undertow Cove near Rippletide, and Guided/Allured as an ally. She also carries [[InfinityPlusOneSword the Battle-Tested Dagger]], which can be Purchased or Stolen.
* PeekABangs: Of the scheming variety. Her battle sprite doesn't have this, oddly.
* PoisonAndCureGambit: Her scam is to deliberately poison the townspeople of Goldshore and sell the cure for exorbitant prices.
* ReformedButNotTamed: She more or less performed a HeelFaceTurn by the time Alfyn's story ends, only selling genuine remedies, but she still charges high prices for them.
* SmugSnake: Her attitude once her true colors are revealed makes her this. She's shown to be quite full of herself and condescending towards [[CountryMouse Alfyn]].
* WouldHurtAChild: She gives a small girl "medicine" that she knows will kill her and sells the cure for more money than her mother can possibly afford.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Miguel Twinspears]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_miguel.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:'''Fraid you picked a fight with the wrong man...'']]

A wounded man whom Alfyn helps recover in Saintsbridge, after Ogen deemed him not worth saving. In reality, Ogen refused to treat him because he realized that he is a liar, a thief... and a murderer.
----
* ArcVillain: Ends up as this for Alfyn's Chapter 3, and is only able to be this because of Alfyn. This puts the latter in a major personal crisis for most of Chapter 4, making him the posthumous main antagonist of Alfyn's route.
* BadassBoast: When Alfyn declares that he'll make things right, Miguel is unimpressed.
-->'''Miguel:''' Sure that's smart, Alfyn? I stretch the truth from time to time, but I wasn't lyin' about bein' a mercenary. Miguel Twinspears has killed a hundred men if he's killed a dozen. Soldiers, mind you, not mollycoddles totin' a bag full o' weeds. None of your potions or bandages will patch ye up when I'm done with ye! Gah!
* BarrierChangeBoss: He changes his weaknesses throughout the fight.
* BeyondRedemption: He betrays Alfyn's trust after the apothecary treats his wounds, and later [[WouldHurtAChild wounds a child]] because [[DisproportionateRetribution he was annoyed by his crying]]. Notably, he's the only chapter boss that Alfyn [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness kills]].
* BitchInSheepsClothing: He lies to Alfyn about his past in order to get Alfyn to treat his wounds. As soon as he recovers, he wastes no time in going back to his bandit ways. This convinces Alfyn that Miguel is BeyondRedemption.
* BladeOnAStick: His WeaponOfChoice is the spear, which is obtained after beating him.
* CardCarryingVillain: He doesn't bother to conceal his true colors from those who have already seen them, boasting to Alfyn about stabbing an innocent [[WouldHurtAChild child]] and having killed countless soldiers back when he was a [[HiredGuns mercenary]].
* CharacterDeath: Miguel is the only antagonist in Alfyn's story to be [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness killed]], because he took advantage of Alfyn's compassionate personality, betrayed him, and then [[WouldHurtAChild stabbed an innocent child]] because "[[DisproportionateRetribution the brat wouldn't shut up]]" after Miguel kidnapped him to hold for ransom. This convinces Alfyn that Miguel is BeyondRedemption.
* ConsummateLiar: Tried lying to Ogen by saying he was a mere farmer, and lied to Alfyn by saying he only killed because he had a family to feed.
* DidYouActuallyBelieve: After accidentally saying he has four mouths to feed, not three, he asks Alfyn "Ye actually believed I had a bloody ''family''?"
* DisproportionateRetribution: While waiting for his ransom after kidnapping an innocent child, Miguel becomes annoyed by the child's crying. His "solution"? [[WouldHurtAChild Stab]] him, of course! [[SarcasmMode Why would anybody care if he dies?]]
* DualWielding: As his name implies, his battle sprite has two polearms.
* DyingAlone: His wound re-opens following his loss to Alfyn in battle. Alfyn rescues the child he kidnapped and stabbed, and leaves him to die in the Rivira Woods, having decided that he is BeyondRedemption for "repaying" his care with betrayal and attempted murder.
* EvilAllAlong: He's a friendly man at first, and [[GoodAllAlong Ogen]] is made out to be a cold-hearted {{Jerkass}} for refusing to treat his wound. Then Alfyn hears about how he's a thief and a murderer, prompting Miguel to "[[BlatantLies explain]]" that he has a family back home he needs to feed, which convinces Alfyn to heal him. Once he's recovered enough, Miguel casts his friendly façade aside, showing his true colors as TheSociopath who does what he does ForTheEvulz, and confirming that Ogen [[JerkassHasAPoint had a point]] all along.
* EvilLaugh: Bursts into maniacal laughter right before [[DidYouActuallyBelieve mocking Alfyn for believing he has a family]].
* EvilRedhead: He has spiky red hair, and [[WouldHurtAChild wounds an innocent child]] and [[UngratefulBastard tries to kill Alfyn after he healed him]]. He has a notorious reputation within Saintsbridge as a criminal.
* TheFarmerAndTheViper: Rather than repaying Alfyn's kindness, he kidnaps and wounds a local child for profit upon his health being restored, leading Alfyn to have a crisis of faith.
* FlawExploitation: Miguel very pointedly attacks and exploits Alfyn's inherent altruism. When they finally fight, Miguel will even feign begging for mercy before unleashing his charged attack.
* ForTheEvulz: He uses a FreudianExcuse of needing to feed his hungry family to explain his notorious reputation as a criminal and persuade Alfyn to treat his wounds, but later reveals he lied about having a family, too. Miguel lies, steals and murders because... it's ''fun''. [[SarcasmMode Need any other explanation?]]
* HateSink: He's easily one of the most despicable antagonists in the game, what with his willingness to [[FlawExploitation exploit Alfyn's kindness]] and [[WouldHurtAChild nearly murder an innocent child]]. It's also worth noting that out of all the chapter bosses, he is the only one who is killed by Alfyn, since Alfyn decides [[BeyondRedemption even his altruism has its limits]].
* HiredGuns: He's a mercenary, one of the few things he wasn't lying about to Alfyn. He boasts about having killed countless soldiers.
* ISurrenderSuckers: Towards the end of his battle he pleads for mercy... during his charge up sequence where he'll unleash a powerful attack next turn, making it clear-cut trickery.
* ItsAllAboutMe: He lies to Alfyn about his reputation as a murderous thief to save himself, claiming he steals to feed his family back at home. In truth, Miguel has no family, and [[ForTheEvulz lies, steals and murders simply because he enjoys the criminal life]]. When Alfyn later calls him out for [[WouldHurtAChild wounding a child]] he's kidnapped and holding for ransom, Miguel's response is essentially "Who cares?"
* JerkWithAHeartOfJerk: When Alfyn finds out that's he's a mercenary for hire, Miguel claims it's to feed his three children. When Alfyn confronts him for kidnapping a child and Miguel accidentally reiterates that he has four children, not three, he gleefully admits that he never had any children and that he does it all for fun.
* {{Jerkass}}: He's a remorseless asshole who gleefully [[FlawExploitation takes advantage of other people's compassion]] for his own benefit.
* KarmicDeath: He gets killed by the same guy he took advantage of and whose kindness saved Miguel from death.
* KnightOfCerebus: Alfyn's story starts off fairly light-hearted with him travelling to heal the sick and suffering. Miguel (and by extension, Ogen) is when Alfyn's story takes a darker turn when he [[FlawExploitation takes advantage of Alfyn's compassion]] and betrays his trust, leading to serious questions as to whether "[[ArcWords some lives are not worth saving]]".
* LackOfEmpathy: He feels no remorse for any of his actions at all. This exchange between him and Alfyn says it all.
-->'''Alfyn:''' ''(realises that Miguel has [[WouldHurtAChild stabbed the little boy]] he's kidnapped and holding for ransom)'' ...!\\
'''Miguel:''' [[EvilLaugh Heh heh.]] [[DisproportionateRetribution The brat wouldn't shut up, so I stuck him one to give him somethin' to]] ''[[DisproportionateRetribution really]]'' [[DisproportionateRetribution cry about.]]\\
'''Alfyn:''' You low-down pile of filth...! Move aside and let me see the boy's wound!\\
'''Miguel:''' Not another bleedin' step! As pleased as I'd be to see you fix up me golden goose... Somethin' tells me yer just going t' up and sneak away with him.\\
'''Alfyn:''' The boy could die!\\
'''Miguel:''' And what of it if he does!? I've got four mouths to feed back at home!\\
'''Alfyn:''' ...I thought it was three.\\
'''Miguel:''' [[ILied Heh, whoops. I should learn to keep me stories straight.]]
* LightningBruiser: He attacks twice per round for heavy damage with multi-hit party-wide moves, and later ups his turns to five actions per round.
* NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist: Passes himself off as a desperate family man who has fallen on hard times, then gleefully [[ILied admits that he doesn't have a family]] and does what he does [[ForTheEvulz just for the fun of it]].
* TheSociopath: What with being a BitchInSheepsClothing, a ConsummateLiar, and having [[ForTheEvulz a need for stimulation]] as well as [[LackOfEmpathy no regard for the rights of anybody]] [[ItsAllAboutMe except himself]], Miguel ticks all the boxes for a dangerous sociopath.
* UndignifiedDeath: For a professed mercenary who has killed dozens to hundreds of trained soldiers in combat... going down to a "Molly-coddles" apothecary and a few of his friends and being left to bleed out alone in a forest is a pretty embarrassing way to go.
* UngratefulBastard: He does not hesitate to try and kill Alfyn once Alfyn attempts to stop him, despite the fact that Alfyn is the only reason why he is still alive.
* VillainHasAPoint: After mocking Alfyn for believing he has a family, Miguel points out that it's because of Alfyn's naïvety in his belief that an apothecary has a duty to treat anyone who needs them, that allowed Miguel to recover enough to continue his criminal ways.
-->'''Miguel:''' But I owe ye one, Alfyn. Thanks to ye, I'm able to get back to "honest" work! [[EvilLaugh Ahahaha!]]\\
'''Alfyn:''' ''(Sighs)'' ...I give. ''[[[{{Leitmotif}} For Succor]] plays]'' This is my fault for fixing you. [[MustMakeAmends But that's why I'm gonna set things right... by my own hand!]] ''[[PreAsskickingOneLiner Step aside, Miguel!]]''
* WouldHurtAChild: He wounds a child [[DisproportionateRetribution just because he found his crying annoying]].
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Ogre Eagle]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_eagle.png]]

A beast whose feathers can be brewed to create the cure for a life-threatening ailment.
----
* BlowYouAway: It can use wind attacks, one of which can forcibly banish a party member from battle for several turns, similar to the Dragon that acts as the boss of H'aanit's third chapter.
* FinalBoss: Of Alfyn's route. It's also the only Chapter 4 boss that isn't the main antagonist of a playable character's route, with Chapter 3's [[TheSociopath Miguel]] filling that role.
* GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere: Played with. It turns out that the key ingredient to the potion that saved Alfyn's side as a child is an Ogre Eagle feather, but that information was only revealed just prior to Alfyn going after the beast itself. Unlike many other final bosses, the Ogre Eagle does not serve as a personal antagonist to Alfyn and just happens to be a beast that he needs something from in the moment.
* NonMaliciousMonster: Attacks Alfyn out of natural instinct to hunt.
* OurGryphonsAreDifferent: It resembles the typical depiction of a griffin, being a creature with the body of a lion and the wings and head of an eagle. Despite this, its English name references the "Tengu" portion of its Japanese name with the term "Ogre", and emphasizes its avian traits by referring to it as an eagle rather than a griffon.
* RidingIntoTheSunset: Done by the Eagle itself. The final battle against the Ogre Eagle is fought in a perpetual sunset, and it survives its defeat to fly off into the sunset and bring a close to Alfyn's story.
* ScrewThisImOutOfHere: It flies away after being defeated.
* StatusEffects: It can inflict Confusion, Blindness, and Poison.
* TimeLimitBoss: In the last leg of the fight, it uses Toxic Rainbow to create a field effect that [[MaximumHPReduction gradually lowers the party's max HP]], meaning that even if the players fully heal their HP every turn, their maximum will gradually be reduced to nothing.
* VictoryByEndurance: Its Toxic Rainbow is an attempt at this; when the Eagle's HP gets too low, it creates an environmental effect that gradually drains the party's maximum HP each turn, in the hope that it can outlast their assault until the rainbow eventually does them in.
[[/folder]]

!!Therion's Route
[[folder:Darius]]
!!!'''Voiced By:''' Creator/SeanChiplock (English)
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_darius_9.png]]

A childhood friend and former partner-in-crime of Therion's. It was his betrayal of Therion that caused Therion to distrust others.
----
* ZeroPercentApprovalRating: With the possible exception of [[HorribleJudgeOfCharacter Gareth]], not one of the thieves working for Darius actually care about him and resent his [[BadBoss unempathetic leadership]], seizing the opportunity to betray their boss when he's weakened by his battle against Therion and steal all his money without a second thought.
* ArcVillain: The primary villain of Therion's story, stealing the Dragonstones to gain immense power.
* AssholeVictim: He gets killed by his own minions after [[BadBoss how poorly he treated them]], and no-one except for maybe [[HorribleJudgeOfCharacter Gareth]] liked him. The "Sorrow" track that plays when he's dying doesn't even make his death sympathetic, but rather shows that Darius is BeyondRedemption and doesn't deserve to be in this world.
* BadBoss: He is not nice to his henchmen at all. This ends up backfiring for him -- as his men have no loyalty to Darius, they rob him when they have the chance after he's weakened from his fight with Therion.
* BossBanter: Throughout his final battle with Therion, Darius repeatedly talks to him about the worthlessness of trust. Therion responds that although it may cause him to be hurt again, he still wants to trust others.
* BreakTheHaughty: After Therion bests him and takes his Dragonstones, his henchmen rob him and leave him, having had no loyalty to him beyond his money. Darius is last seen alone, dying, and calling out for help to Therion, who has long since left with the Dragonstones.
* BritishEnglish/CockneyRhymingSlang: Uses this dialect, such as saying "tea leaves" for "thieves".
* CardCarryingVillain: He gloats about how he rises to the top by betraying others and mocks the idea of trust.
* CharacterDeath: Is killed [[KarmicDeath by his own men]] shortly after being defeated and weakened from his battle against Therion.
* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: Besides betraying Therion, Darius boasts that he's betrayed many other people in his climb to the top. This bites him back in the end when his own henchmen mortally wound him and steal all his gold.
* DisproportionateRetribution:
** One reason for his betraying and trying to murder Therion is because [[{{Narcissist}} he had become sick of Therion having independent ideas and disagreeing with him]].
** He once threatens to kill his loyal right-hand Gareth just because the latter had expressed curiosity about Darius' past partnership with Therion.
* DyingAlone: After the boss battle with him, Darius attempts to flee with the gold he's collected. However, his men promptly turn on Darius, stabbing him repeatedly and leaving him for dead. In his final moments, Darius is slumped against the wall of his hideout, all of his gold stolen and no one around to help him. His last words are pitifully calling out to a long-gone Therion for help, right before Darius slumps against the wall and expires.
* EnfantTerrible: Even as a child, Darius was selfish and manipulative beyond the standards of most children. He "befriended" Therion [[ItsAllAboutMe so that he could reap the benefits of Therion's thieving skills]], [[GreenEyedMonster which he reluctantly recognized as superior to his own]].
* EntitledBastard: Darius expects his followers to be loyal to and obey him, [[{{Hypocrite}} except he himself couldn't care less about them and will gladly throw them away if it means he can get what he wants]]. It makes his KarmicDeath at the hand of his own men feel all the more deserving!
* EvilAllAlong: During Therion's flashback of Darius betraying and throwing him off a cliff, Darius reveals that the only reason he "befriended" Therion when they first met was that [[GreenEyedMonster he reluctantly recognized him as a more talented thief than himself]], [[ItsAllAboutMe and wanted to reap the benefits of Therion's skills]]. He had never cared for Therion himself in the first place!
* EvilCounterpart: To Therion. They are both unscrupulous thieves who steal from others to survive, but while Therion once trusted Darius and [[IWorkAlone began operating alone]] after being cruelly betrayed by his friend, [[NeverBeHurtAgain not wanting to be hurt again]], Darius [[ItsAllAboutMe is entirely selfish]] and takes advantage of others to further his own power. [[spoiler:It is revealed in the final BossBanter between the two that Darius had never trusted anyone in the first place, using and betraying others because he was too afraid of being betrayed himself.]]
* EvilFormerFriend: Therion's childhood friend and former partner, who later tried to kill him to gain entry into the very group they once stole from.
* EvilGloating: When he finally crosses paths with Therion again, Darius brags about how easily he betrayed his former friend.
* EvilIsPetty: He betrayed Therion to the Ciannos and tried to murder him by kicking him off a cliff because... [[{{Greed}} money]]. Oh, and Therion had independent ideas that led to several disagreements between the two. [[SarcasmMode Yup, totally warrants attempted murder.]]
* EvilLaugh: After kicking Therion off a cliff to his supposed death, Darius burst into maniacal laughter.
* EvilRedhead: He has bright red hair, and has betrayed many people and abused his henchmen in his climb for power.
* FalseFriend: He "befriended" Therion only to reap the benefits of his thieving skills.
* {{Foil}}:
** Alongside [[spoiler:Simeon]], Darius is this to Erhardt of all people. All three of them betrayed a protagonist (Therion, Primrose and Olberic) which caused their individual issues ([[NeverBeHurtAgain unwillingness to trust]], [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge desire for revenge]] and [[DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife loss of purpose]], respectively), and first appear in person in Chapter 3 of their respective protagonists' stories. However, Erhardt had an understandable FreudianExcuse for his betrayal (his home-village was laid to ruin while his King [[BetrayalByInaction did nothing to save the people living there]]), is the DiscOneFinalBoss of Olberic's story with the mercenary leader who recruited him, Werner, being the real ArcVillain, is eventually forgiven by Olberic, and ultimately survives the game's events, whereas Darius and [[spoiler:Simeon]] were primarily motivated by {{greed}} and [[{{Sadist}} sadism]] respectively, are the definitive {{Arc Villain}}s of their protagonists' respective stories, are never forgiven by their respective protagonists, and ultimately meet their end with daggers in their shriveled excuses for hearts.
** [[spoiler:To Lianna. They are both an important person in their respective traveler's life (Therion and Ophilia), and eventually betray their respective allies. However, Darius betrayed Therion for completely unsympathetic [[{{Greed}} desires for more money and power]], [[EvilFormerFriend attempted to murder him]], [[LackOfEmpathy feels no remorse]] for what he did to the extent that he actively [[EvilGloating gloats]] about it, and as such is considered BeyondRedemption by Therion, ultimately meeting a KarmicDeath after being weakened from his battle against Therion, when his own henchmen betray and stab him for his money. Lianna, on the other hand, had a sympathetic reason to betray Ophilia, as she was [[DespairEventHorizon devastated by her father's sickness and death]] and [[UnwittingPawn was being manipulated by the Savior]] under the false promise that he could bring her father back to life if she stole the ember, [[EveryoneHasStandards was apologetic to and freed Ophilia from her cell to let her escape]], ultimately [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone came back to her senses]] after the Savior callously revealed [[ILied He Lied]], is forgiven by Ophilia, and later [[TheAtoner tries to atone for her sins]].]]
** Like many of the other final chapter bosses, Darius acts as a foil to the traveler to drive home the themes of that traveler's story. Therion's chapters center around trust and forming bonds. [[spoiler:Unlike Therion, Darius never trusted anyone from the start, simply using them before tossing them aside, and so when at his lowest and in need of help there was no one there for Darius.]]
* FromNobodyToNightmare: Therion first met Darius in a dingy gaol, when they were both still children. In the present, he owns the city of Northreach, rules over its people, and has turned the place into a WretchedHive where thieves can run rampant with no retribution.
* GreenEyedMonster: It is heavily implied that Therion's being a better thief than him is one of the reasons for his betrayal.
* HateSink: Between his {{greed}}, treachery, and LackOfEmpathy for anyone [[BadBoss including his own minions]], it's very clear that Darius doesn't have a single likable bone in his body. The "Sorrow" track that plays from after his battle against Therion to his final moments, is less about eliciting sympathy for his KarmicDeath and more about Therion's bitter acceptance that Darius is BeyondRedemption.
* {{Hypocrite}}: Decries his men as traitors when they turn on him after he's weakened following his battle against Therion, even though he himself has no regrets using and betraying others to get what he wants.
* IControlMyMinionsThrough: Threats of violence. He has a preference for the blindly loyal and stupid, since his previous partnership with Therion fell apart because the latter was too talented and sharp. Of course, there's nothing stopping his minions from backstabbing and robbing him blind once they see him weakened.
* IDontPayYouToThink: Darius outright threatens to kill his only loyal lackey just for [[DisproportionateRetribution asking the wrong question]].
* IWorkAlone: In his boss battle, he betrays Therion by saying that he "could have done it Jack Jones"[[note]]Cockney slang meaning "On my own"[[/note]], and never needed Therion in the first place.
* InferioritySuperiorityComplex: Darius' hatred of Therion stems from his own jealousy of Therion's gifts as a thief slowly outshining his own.
* ItsAllAboutMe: Darius is very selfish, to say the least. He not only betrayed and attempted to murder Therion just to become a high-ranking member of a criminal gang, but [[EvilAllAlong he reveals that he had only befriended Therion when they were children because he wanted to reap the rewards from having a skilled thief on his side, never caring for Therion himself in the first place]].
* {{Jerkass}}: He's nothing more than a cowardly, greedy asshole who treats everyone, including his own lackeys like garbage.
* KarmicDeath: Darius is always eager to use and betray people if it gets him more wealth and power. In turn, his death comes from being betrayed by his own lackeys after he's been weakened.
* LackOfEmpathy: Darius takes great pride in his actions regardless of how much they hurt others, and is completely without remorse for any of them.
* LifeDrain: He can use HP Thief to damage someone while restoring his health.
* {{Narcissist}}: Besides [[{{Greed}} money]], this asshat attempted to murder his partner of several years for ''disagreeing with him'' in their profession. In the present, he [[BadBoss treats his own brigands as nothing more than pawns]] and threatens to kill the one genuinely loyal man of the brigands for ''asking a question he didn't want to answer''. In short, he has no tolerance for anything other than unwavering obedience from his henchmen.
* NoHonorAmongThieves: It goes both ways; he betrayed Therion for personal gain, and after his defeat at the end of Therion's story, his remaining lackeys all turn against him and steal his wealth.
* RedheadInGreen: He has red hair and wears a green cape and clothing.
* RiddleForTheAges: Darius tells Therion at the beginning of their final encounter that the Dragonstones will "grant me an even greater power than I have now", implying that he (Darius) has figured out that the Dragonstones' true purpose is to [[spoiler:unlock TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon]], and that he plans to [[spoiler:gain immense power by making a deal with the local GodOfEvil sealed behind it]]; but it's never fully confirmed if this is indeed the case.
* ASinisterClue: He's left-handed, according to his battle sprite. He's also a BadBoss with ChronicBackstabbingDisorder.
* StreetUrchin: Was this alongside Therion when they were children.
* UngratefulBastard: To Therion, whom he used to be partners with, and to Gareth, the one brigand who genuinely respected and was loyal to him.
* VideoGameStealing: He can steal all of your items during battle, but breaking him will return all of them to you. His ultimate attack has him steal ''your allies.''
* VillainHasAPoint: Subverted. Darius tells Therion that betrayal is the result of trust. Therion, having listened to Cordelia's experience of betrayal, acknowledges that trust can indeed lead to being betrayed--having experienced it himself by Darius' own hand--but counters that, while betrayal is a potential result of trust, it is not a guaranteed one.
* WalkingSpoiler: His betraying and attempting to murder Therion is single-handedly responsible for the latter's [[TheCynic cynical]], [[NeverBeHurtAgain distrustful]] personality.
* WeUsedToBeFriends: He and Therion used to be friends, before Darius betrayed him.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Orlick]]
[[quoteright:293:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_orlick.png]]

A reclusive scholar living on the outskirts of Noblecourt. Therion infiltrates his mansion in pursuit of the Ruby Dragonstone.
----
* ArcVillain: Of Therion's second chapter, isolating himself from everyone including his former research partner and friend, Barham, after becoming obsessed with studying the Ruby Dragonstone.
* FatBastard: Portly and unpleasant.
* FlunkyBoss: Starts his boss battle with two bodyguards who protect his shield points, so he can't be put into a Break state as long as they're alive. Later, he'll summon a construct to aid him, but only one; break it, and the skill fails every time it's used henceforth.
* ForScience: Claims that the Dragonstone should only be in the hands of someone who will study its unique properties to justify his ownership of it.
* StarterVillain: While not Therion's first boss, Orlick is still the first actual antagonist he encounters and has no connection with the group the later two bosses belong to.
* StrongerThanTheyLook: It turns out that the short-tempered podgy scholar can put up a good fight against a team of four people.
* WeUsedToBeFriends: With Barham, until his obsession with studying the Ruby Dragonstone drove him to cut ties with his former friend. By the end of Therion's story, they make up, becoming friends/research partners again.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Gareth]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_gareth_6.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''You can't keep up with me...'']]

A member of Darius' bandits that stole the Emerald Dragonstone from the Wellspring black market, and the only one truly loyal to their leader.
----
* TheDragon: Darius's right-hand man and the only member of his bandit group that is truly loyal to him.
* CharacterDeath: He dies shortly after being defeated in battle at the hands of Therion.
* DualWielding: He wields two daggers in his sprite.
* EvilCounterpart: To Therion, both being thieves dressed mostly in purple who were Darius's right-hand men at some point, only to be betrayed by him. Therion immediately shut himself away from everyone as a result, while Gareth continued fighting for Darius even after being left for dead while Darius escaped with the Dragonstones. He also has his own version of Therion's moveset, including a ManaDrain and PlayingWithFire. It's implied that Darius purposely chose someone unlike Therion to be his new right-hand man, since Darius hates being questioned by his followers.
* ExtremeDoormat: Therion calls him this as he remains loyal to Darius despite how poorly he treated him.
* HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: He's loyal to a man who obviously doesn't give a crap about any of his followers and admits in front of everyone that he betrayed his previous right-hand man. Therion sees this and calls Gareth a spineless idiot.
* InTheHood: He wears a purple hood, fitting for a thief.
* ManaDrain: He can use use an attack that drains the target's SP in addition to damaging them.
* MirrorBoss: Is set up to be one to Therion to show how far he's come since his days with Darius. Gareth has similar clothing, weaponry, and even uses some of Therion's own skills against the party, meaning that in terms of gameplay, this is as close as they might get to actually facing Therion himself as a boss.
* UndyingLoyalty: {{Deconstructed}}. He's deeply loyal to a man who obviously doesn't care about him, to the point that he would fight to the death for him even after Darius abandoned him. Therion points out that he's an idiot.
* YesMan: He's the only member of Darius' bandit group that is truly loyal to him.
[[/folder]]

!!H'aanit's Route
[[folder:Redeye]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_redeye.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''An ill foreboding pervades the battlefield...'']]

A monster that H'aanit's mentor was tasked to hunt.
----
* AchillesHeel: While Redeye is a BarrierChangeBoss, it is consistently weak to [[LightEmUp Light]].
* AndIMustScream: [[spoiler:Returning to the area you fought him reveals Redeye/Graham Crossford occasionally had moments of lucidity while trapped in that form. He's only capable of writing his regrets and that he wishes someone kill him]].
* ArcVillain: The primary villain of H'aanit's story.
* BarrierChangeBoss: Its weaknesses change every turn due to how unstable its body is. It's [[AchillesHeel always weak to Light]], however.
* CharacterDeath: It dies shortly after being defeated in battle at the hands of H'aanit, [[spoiler:who unknowingly put Graham Crossford's soul to rest]].
* DarkIsEvil: It has the appearance of a living mass of darkness, and is a monster that many have been tasked to hunt down due to attacking civilians.
* DeadlyGaze: What makes it so deadly is that can turn anyone that looks into its eyes to stone. It manages to petrify several soldiers at once without moving just by staring at them.
* TheDreaded: Entire armies and nests filled with monsters would rather flee the area than deal with this thing. It's also worth noting that it is so fearsome that even when H'aanit has to fight a Dragon, it is only the boss of the third chapter. This is a testament to how dangerous the Redeye is -- even a mythical beast pales in comparison.
* EldritchAbomination: A demonic monstrosity not of this world that has the power to [[TakenForGranite turn anyone who looks into its eyes to stone]]. Even [[SpeaksFluentAnimal H'aanit]] is unable to sense its feelings, much to her bewilderment. [[spoiler:It WasOnceAMan who was subjected to a ritual of black magic in an attempt to turn him into a vessel for the local GodOfEvil, resisted enough to interrupt the ritual and escape, but succumbed to the magic soon after and turned into Redeye.]]
* FateWorseThanDeath: [[spoiler:Examining a fallen pillar after H'aanit defeats Redeye reveals that Redeye/Graham Crossford had fleeting moments of lucidity after being turned into that monstrosity as a side-effect of [[BigBad Lyblac]]'s attempt to use him as a vessel for [[GodOfEvil Gal]][[GreaterScopeVillain dera]]. In these fleeting moments, he considers what he has become to be this and begs somebody to kill him, while simultaneously apologizing to his son, Kit.]]
* {{Foreshadowing}}:
** During its fight it can use a skill "Unholy Elixir" that heals one of your party members for 100 HP. [[spoiler:Redeye is later revealed to have been Graham Crossford, an apothecary.]]
** Before the battle, H'aanit notes she is unable to understand the monster, unlike every other beast she has encountered. [[spoiler:That's because this thing wasn't always a beast]].
** The boss sprite has a scrap of fabric hanging off its rear leg -- the final remnant of [[spoiler:Graham Crossford's outfit.]]
* HumanoidAbomination: When finally confronted at the end of H'aanit's story, it looks and sounds disturbingly human. [[spoiler:That's because it used to be one.]]
* NoBodyLeftBehind: When finally defeated, its body disintegrates.
* NoNameGiven: It's only called Redeye because that's it's most distinguishing trait.
* NoOntologicalInertia: The only way to reverse the petrification of its victims is to kill the beast.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin It's right there in his name]]. These eyes do more than look dangerous though; they can petrify anyone as well.
* SmarterThanYouLook: Z'aanta notes that the monster dodges every trap he sets for it, and believes it might have intelligence on par with humans. [[spoiler:He's partially right; it's actually a leftover from when Redeye was Graham Crossford.]]
* TakenForGranite: One of its deadliest powers. [[spoiler:Z'aanta fell victim to it, forcing H'aanit to find the way to counter it.]]
* TragicMonster: The Redeye [[spoiler:WasOnceAMan and was turned against his will into a monster. He managed to escape before the transformation was complete, but lost his mind soon after. Returning to the area in which he was fought reveals that he still had occasional moments of lucidity while trapped in this form, but all he could do was write his regrets and hope that someone would kill him]].
* WasOnceAMan: One of the logs found in VeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon reveals that Redeye [[spoiler:was originally Graham Crossford, who was Kit's father, Alfyn's role-model, and the previous owner of the journal Tressa obtains from Leon at the beginning of her story. Lyblac tried to turn him into the host body for Galdera, but Graham had enough HeroicWillpower left to escape before the transformation could go all the way, sadly losing his human mind soon after.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Ghisarma]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_ghisarma.png]]

A vicious beast that has been killing everything in the forest.
----
* CharacterDeath: It dies shortly after being defeated in battle at the hands of H'aanit.
* GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere: Sort of. The Ghisarma does get some build-up prior to H'aanit's battle against it and is primarily used to provide further insight into her personality—particularly her strong belief in the cycle of life and anger towards those who hunt for pleasure rather than for survival—but it still has no real impact on the plot, being a random vicious beast for H'aanit to deal with while she's looking after S'warkii and its people, before Hägen returns alone to let her know that Z'aanta is in trouble, beginning her search for him.
* ManiacMonkeys: Its battle sprite resembles a gigantic, mangy aye-aye.
* MisplacedRetribution: It takes out the pain and anger it feels over losing its old home by killing everything around it.
* NonMaliciousMonster: {{Subverted}}. The Ghisarma isn't acting out of instinct. On the contrary, it's knowingly and actively killing everything around it out of anger and a desire to show its power. This is the reason why H'aanit declares it must be killed.
* StarterVillain: The first boss H'aanit faces.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Lord of the Forest]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_forestlord.png]]

The animal guardian of the forest that Z'aanta was last seen in.
----
* AchillesHeel: While it is a BarrierChangeBoss, it is consistently weak to [[PlayingWithFire Fire]].
* BarrierChangeBoss: It can change its vulnerabilities, with the exception of [[AchillesHeel a constant weakness to Fire]].
* CannibalismSuperpower: One of its moves causes the forest life to flourish and create plant-like beasts to assist it. But should they remain for too many turns, the Lord of the Forest will actually devour them to heal itself using their life energy, despite being life-like plants that it produced from itself.
* GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere: One of the few bosses of the game who has no ties to the story and very little foreshadowing, appearing out of nowhere to give a boss fight to the second chapter of H'aanit's story.
* InUniverseFactoidFailure: One resident of Stonegard Heights foreshadows this creature's existence, but says it lives in a cave. The Spectrewood is, well, a [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin wood]], and has no cave.
* TheMarvelousDeer: Its appearance resembles a stag, and it's the powerful guardian of a forest.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: After being defeated, the Lord of the Forest just disappears. It appears to be a spirit guardian, so it likely can't be killed and allowed H'aanit passage after sensing she possessed no threat to the forest.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The White Dragon]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_dragon.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:''The dragon stands majestically before you...'']]

The beast that guards a grove of herb-of-grace, a plant that protects against petrification.
----
* BlowYouAway: It has the ability to blow a single character off the battlefield, and it will take several rounds before they can return. Later in the fight, it charges up the ability to blow away two at once.
* BreathWeapon: Despite its environment, it breathes fire upon the party frequently.
* CharacterDeath: Its appearance as a ghost in TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon confirms it died shortly after being defeated in battle at the hands of H'aanit.
* GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere: Somewhat. It guards a grove of herb-of-grace, which helps people recover from being [[TakenForGranite turned to stone]] and therefore helpful against Redeye; but the boss still comes completely out of nowhere. Susanna later explains that she knew the creature was there all along, and deliberately withheld the information from H'aanit with the rationalization that if she couldn't slay it, then she wouldn't stand a chance against Redeye.
* MightyGlacier: The creature is plenty tough and powerful, but its most notable feature is that it locks out its vulnerability to swords, arrows and Ice magic at the start of the fight. Breaking it causes its guard point limit to increase, but makes it more vulnerable to swords first, then arrows and Ice magic later.
* NonIndicativeName: Downplayed; the dragon's scales are of alabaster hue, but you'd think it wouldn't be vulnerable to Ice by the land it inhabits, or to Light from the typical association of the color and element.
* ShroudedInMyth: H'aanit had never seen a dragon prior to encountering it, and almost thought they were a myth, as she had only heard of them from Z'aanta, who has a tendency to embellish his stories. Following the battle, even Olberic notes that he grew up hearing tales of knights facing dragons as their ultimate opponent.
[[/folder]]

!!Other Villains
'''WARNING:''' Due to [[WalkingSpoiler the nature of the characters in this folder]], all spoilers will be unmarked.

[[folder:The Mastermind]]
!!Lyblac
[[quoteright:170:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lyblac_9.png]]
[[caption-width-right:170:Overworld sprite\\
[[labelnote:Click here to see her during the final battle]]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lyblac_3.PNG Lyblac merged with her father Galdera[[/labelnote]]]]
Initially appearing as an unusual woman whom Alphas is in love with in one sidequest, she is later revealed to be the true villain of the overall story, manipulating most [[ArcVillain individual story villains]] in her bid to take control of the Gate of Finis and awaken her father Galdera, who had created her for that sole purpose.
----
* BatmanGambit: Her specialty. She gives each of the villains a little bit of aid then lets them do the rest of the dirty work on their own.
* BigBad: She becomes the main villain whom the heroes ultimately band together to defeat after completing their individual stories.
* ChekhovsGunman: She's introduced in a sidequest as some random lady that a guard is crushing on. She turns out to be much, ''much'' more important than that.
* TheChessmaster: She's been working for at least 100 years to bring back Galdera, carefully maneuvering people and events behind the scenes without any hints leading back to her.
* TheCollector: It's implied that the hidden library that Cyrus finds in his fourth chapter belongs to Lyblac, given his deduction that gathering all the books (which are all about Galdera) must have taken at the very least decades, if not centuries. Her reason for doing so seems to be hiding away all information about Galdera so no one can use it against her.
* TheCorrupter: It is thanks to her that Werner jumped up from a common sellsword to the tyrannical lord of Riverford, Yvon and Lucia became so unhinged in the pursuit of knowledge and immortality, and Mattias was gifted with the fell power of Galdera. She also tempted Graham Crossford in the past, which led to him being corrupted into the abomination Redeye.
* CreateYourOwnHero: Directly or indirectly, she is responsible for all of the eight heroes rising to become a thorn in her final plans.
** The corruption of Graham Crossford into the Redeye resulted in Z'aanta's petrification, which pushes H'aanit to becoming strong enough to kill the Redeye.
*** On a less direct route, her corrupting Graham led to his Journal finding its way into Tressa's possession which set her off on her journey of self-discovery.
*** Her manipulation of Graham also led to him passing through Clearbrook [[NiceJobFixingItVillain and using the elixir he had intended for his wife on a young Alfyn]], which inspired him to become an apothecary and go on a journey to treat the sick.
** She worked with Mattias and helped him on his dark path against the Twelve Gods, which results in Ophilia's eventual rise which ends up stopping him.
** She worked with Werner and helped him manipulate Erhardt into slaying King Alfred, which results in Hornburg's ruin, which eventually pushes Olberic into finding his purpose in life, seeking out his friend Erhardt, learning the truth about why he betrayed him, and ending Werner's tyrannical rule over Riverford.
** She worked with Simeon and helped him and Mattias co-establish the Obsidians, which leads to them killing Geoffery Azelhart, which pushes his daughter Primrose to seek out vengeance and kill the Obsidians.
** Her alliance with Yvon and Lucia to obtain ''From the Far Reaches of Hell'' to gain knowledge and means to make a suitable vessel to bring back her father, allows for Yvon to become headmaster of Atlasdam Academy. Cyrus ends up investigating the book's vanishing from the Academy's inventory, which leads him to uncover the ancient history involving Lyblac's plan.
** She stole the dragonstones from House Ravus and used them to unlock the Gate of Finis, which leads to Heathcote recovering the sapphire stone and using it as bait to recruit Therion to steal the other three stones, stopping his EvilFormerFriend Darius in the process.
* DaddysLittleVillain: Everything she does is for the sake of bringing back and reuniting with her father. The player has to kill her first before they can even start damaging Galdera.
* DarkIsEvil: She dresses in black, and is the "Daughter of the Dark God" and the BigBad of the game overall. Naturally, she is one of the most evil characters in the game.
* DevilInPlainSight: She does little to hide her evil nature. Somehow it works, since no one other than Werner realizes just how evil she is until it's too late.
* TheDogWasTheMastermind: First appeared in a ''sidequest'' before being revealed as the main villain. Granted, the quest name all but says she is someone important (and evil).
* {{Expy}}: Of the Evil One/[[spoiler:Airy the fairy]] from ''VideoGame/BravelyDefault'', and [[spoiler:her sister Anne]] of ''VideoGame/BravelySecond'', as [[spoiler:the female true BigBad who [[TheDogWasTheMastermind initially appears in an innocuous role]] before TheReveal and is doing everything for the sake of her GodOfEvil [[DaddysLittleVillain father]]]].
* FauxAffablyEvil: She tells people what they want to hear in order to manipulate them into pursuing the Gate of Finis. When the party confronts her, she never drops her polite tone when telling them that they'll be eaten by Galdera.
* HaveANiceDeath: After awakening Galdera, she tells the party that they will have the honor of being devoured by Galdera: "You, too, have an important role to play on this historic day. Your flesh, your blood, your very soul will feed the Dark God and give him strength".
* InformedAttractiveness: She's made out to be a strong case of BeautyIsBad by Werner, but considering [[{{Retraux}} the game's art style]], there's not a lot to look at.
* TheManBehindTheMan: The true ringleader behind the fall of Hornburg (where the Gate of Finis is located), the theft of the Dragonstones (which are required to unlock the Gate), the cult of Galdera (which the Obsidians assisted), the theft of the tome ''From the Far Reaches of Hell'' (which led to the creation and experimentation of the blood-crystals), the murder of Geoffrey Azelhart (the Obsidians were her personal group of mercenaries), and the creation of Redeye.
* ManipulativeBitch: Lures Kit to the Gate of Finis to awaken Galdera under the false promise that his father is waiting on the other side. She did the same to his father following the death of his wife years prior.
* NiceJobFixingItVillain: Her corrupting Graham Crossford into Redeye in a failed attempt to resurrect Galdera had one positive outcome: if she hadn't manipulated him into accompanying her to the Gate of Finis, Graham would never have passed through Clearbrook and used the concoction intended for his deceased wife to treat Alfyn, who would become one of the eight protagonists.
* ObviouslyEvil: She has [[RedEyesTakeWarning red eyes]], [[DarkIsEvil dresses in black]], and monologues about how finding "her perfect man" [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt will change the entire world]]. How Werner was the only one who foresaw the sheer depths of her evil (InUniverse) is anybody's guess.
* OneWingedAngel: She fuses with Galdera for the final battle against the party, becoming a part of him.
* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: She's at least 100 years old, but likely much older than that. ''Champions of the Continent'' reveals that she emerged from the Gate of Finis 217 years prior to the main game's current events.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: She has red eyes, and is a demi-goddess witch cultist and the daughter of the local GodOfEvil himself.
* SpoiledByTheFormat: She'd be a lot more mysterious if the game didn't flat-out tell you she's Galdera's daughter as soon as you meet her, with all the implications the revelation comes with.
* UndisclosedFunds: Lyblac is filthy rich. Werner's diary reveals she first approached him with a BriefcaseFullOfMoney and whenever he needed more, she'd whip out the leaves with no strings attached.
* WalkingSpoiler: The moment you see "[[WhamLine Daughter of the Dark God]]" appear on your screen for what is ostensibly a sidequest, you know you've stumbled upon something sinister behind the scenes. Sure enough, she turns out to be the mastermind behind the whole game.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Darkness]]
!!Galdera
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_galdera.png]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/octopath_omniscienteye.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Top: Galdera's main body. Bottom: Galdera's lower half.]]

->''"Brave souls... You too have earned the same reward... So come... let us consume all life on this world... let us consume the gods themselves... For now and eternity... there is only us... There is only Galdera!"''

The god of infernal magic who has power over life and death. 1,600 years ago, he refused to give up his creations out of greed and was defeated by his siblings, the twelve other gods, and sealed behind the Gate of Finis. It is Lyblac's attempt to bring him back to the world that sets off many conflicts in the heroes' stories. He appears as the TrueFinalBoss once you beat all eight characters' arcs and finish several sidequests involving Kit and Lyblac.
----
* ThirteenIsUnlucky: Is technically the thirteenth God of Orsterra, and the one sealed away centuries prior to the events of the game, plus being evil.
* AllYourPowersCombined: In addition to all of the recurring gimmicks being present in the fight, many of Galdera's moves are based on moves used by previous bosses:
** Guardian of the First Flame - The Souls in the first form can self destruct for massive damage, much like the Guardian's minions.
** Mattias - The Abyssal Maw can seal magic until broken. The Blade of the Fallen can do the same with physical moves if either the Maw or Lyblac are killed.
** Lucia - Once the Blade, Maw and Lyblac are defeated, Galdera, the Fallen will use Banish Soul at the first opportunity to reduce the entire party's HPToOne, unless he is broken first. Unlike Lucia's Almighty Curse, Banish Soul will also reduce the entire party's BP to 0.
** Venomtooth Tiger - One of the auras in the first form makes poison drain SP and BP.
** Esmeralda - Late in the first form, the Souls will put death timers on three party members. Galdera himself can put a one turn timer on a party member towards the end of the second form.
** Werner - Lyblac can enchant the Blade of the Fallen so that its attack can inflict Terror.
** Miguel - The Screaming Soul's Delayed Incantation sets up an attack to activate next turn, much like Miguel's Hurl Spear.
** Ogre Eagle - If the Blade of the Fallen and Lyblac are killed first, the Abyssal Maw can reduce the party's maximum HP for the rest of the fight every turn it isn't broken.
** Gareth and Darius - The Abyssal Maw's Consume Aether is a buff of Gareth and Darius' version of Steal SP.
** Lord of the Forest - The Omniscient Eye will absorb the Souls late in the fight to recover its HP.
** Redeye - The Omniscient Eye can rarely petrify a party member, requiring the Herb-of-Grace to cure.
* TheAssimilator: What he plans on doing to the whole world once he is freed, starting with the party. Judging by the screaming souls that make up his lower body, the end result is rather unpleasant.
* CainAndAbel: ''Champions of the Continent'' reveals that the thirteen gods are all siblings, making him the Cain to the other twelve gods.
* ChekhovsGunman: He's mentioned at the beginning of Ophilia's story, but he isn't brought to attention again until late in the story.
* CognizantLimbs: His second phase has him protected by his sword-arm the Blade of the Fallen, his helmeted outer head the Abyssal Maw, and his daughter Lyblac. All three have to go before you can deal with the main body.
* CompleteImmortality: It's impossible to fully kill Galdera. The gods had to resort to sealing him away, and destroying his physical form doesn't do much more than knock him out for another long and unwanted nap. Thankfully due to absorbing Lyblac, he won't be able to escape again.
* DeathOrGloryAttack: His ultimate move Banish Soul. If he hits you with it, your entire party will have their health reduced to one and their BP to zero. However, he has to lower his guard and expose all his weaknesses in preparation, and if you manage to break him before he can use it, your entire party's BP gets filled to maximum capacity and you can spam all your most powerful moves for maximum damage.
* EldritchAbomination: His physical form can be best described as a demonic beast composed of hundreds of partially digested bodies[=/=]souls. The dude makes [[VideoGame/DarkSouls Gravelord Nito]] look pleasant.
* EverybodyHatesHades: All but outright stated to be the god of life and death, and he's the only evil god. His status as the thirteenth god even invokes the Trope Namer, who's on the level of the Twelve Olympians, but excluded because he has his own domain.
* {{Expy}}: Of [[spoiler:Ouroboros]] from ''VideoGame/BravelyDefault'', and [[spoiler:Providence]] from ''VideoGame/BravelySecond'', as the male GodOfEvil, GreaterScopeVillain, and TrueFinalBoss who [[spoiler:is essentially the father of the direct BigBad, who is DaddysLittleVillain]].
* FallenAngel: The 13th god of Orsterra before he betrayed the others, becoming the local {{Satan}} figure.
* GrandTheftMe: Ends up using Kit as his vessel for his revival. After his defeat he is exorcised from Kit, freeing him.
* GreaterScopeVillain: While he is the one in charge, it is Lyblac who does all the planning to restore him.
* GodOfEvil: Played with. Galdera himself seemingly has malevolent intentions for Orsterra, but Cyrus and Mattias believe that as dreadful as his power is, it can be used for good.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: Due to absorbing his daughter Lyblac before the final battle, he has no one willing to put in the effort to free him again upon defeat. In fact, the journal outright states that he has been sealed away for good.
* HPToOne: His second form has two variants. Blade of the Fallen can use Vorpal Strike on one person, while the main body immediately uses a very nasty version called Banish Soul as his ultimate attack once all his CognizantLimbs are gone. If he uses it before you can break him, it'll hit the entire party and reduce both their HP ''and'' BP to one, then use his next move to use the stolen BP to boost his break meter by how much he stole.
* MarathonBoss: His first form the Omniscient Eye alone has a whopping ''500,000'' HP, considerably more than any other boss you've faced before. Galdera then makes it even worse by frequently summoning souls, each with 50,000 HP and barely sharing any common weaknesses to aid him in battle by making it so the Eye is immune to all damage as long as even one soul survives (at least when the main body has most of his health remaining). The souls also can resurrect each other within a turn or two if you don't kill them off quickly in succession, eating up even more time and resources. The second form is slightly better since the CognizantLimbs can't be resurrected and the main body has less health, but the lack of common weaknesses and the main body's invincibility are still present; plus, each of the CognizantLimbs gets a unique buff when the other two go down, so if you kill off the wrong two first, you're in for a world of hurt. Combine that with a mandatory BossRush with ''eight'' bosses you have to go through first, and you got one hell of a time eating boss. Also, you can't save between the BossRush and Galdera, so make the fight count.
* NestedMouths: His main body actually has two heads, one located inside the other. Destroying the Abyssal Maw reveals another head that looks like a BigRedDevil.
* RageAgainstTheHeavens: He's not happy about his defeat at the hands of Aelfric and the other gods, and desires to consume them after he's finished with the party.
* SealedEvilInACan: The true entity sealed inside the Gate of Finis that Lyblac tries to unleash on the world. It's also his ultimate fate after his defeat, but this time unable to escape due to having absorbed his daughter, leaving him without anyone that will try to release him.
* SoulPower: His first form frequently summons souls to aid him in battle. How many he summons, what weaknesses they have, their battle strategies, and whether they fully protect him as long as they survive depend on how much health the main body has left. The second form uses souls to fuel his ultimate attack, [[HPToOne Banish Soul]].
* SequentialBoss: Has two phases with each phase requiring four heroes to defeat it.
* TrueFinalBoss: Of the overall story.
[[/folder]]

!!Ophilia's Route
[[folder:Lianna Clement]]
!!Lianna
!!!'''Voiced By:''' Creator/EricaMendez (English)
Ophilia's adoptive sister and daughter of the Archbishop.

* AffectionateNickname: Ophilia calls her "Anna".
* AntiVillain: [[spoiler:Once Josef dies, Lianna [[DespairEventHorizon falls into despair]] and does everything she does to her sister in a desperate attempt to bring Josef back to life. She also [[ApologeticAttacker apologizes for using a sleeping agent to knock Ophilia out to steal the ember]].]]
* TheAtoner: [[spoiler:After completing Ophilia's story, Lianna is noted to no longer be trusted by the people of Flamesgrace due to her involvement with cultists. Lianna understands their feelings and is working to get them to trust her again.]]
* CoolBigSis: To Ophilia by adoption, though the two are roughly the same age. When Ophilia was brought into the family, Lianna made it her personal mission to be the best big sister ever and get the severely traumatized Ophilia to open up. As a result, the two remain close well into adulthood.
* DespairEventHorizon: Her father's sickness completely devastates her. She crosses this when [[spoiler:he eventually dies]], and Ophilia has to work to drag her back.
* DidntThinkThisThrough: [[spoiler:It did not occur to her that the Savior might be lying to her about bringing her father back to life until she initiated the ritual and he callously admitted [[BadBoss he had gathered his followers to use as sacrifices]] to the local GodOfEvil.]]
* EasilyForgiven: [[ZigZaggedTrope Zig-zagged]]. [[spoiler:While Lianna is quickly forgiven by Ophilia for stealing the ember out of desperation to bring her recently-deceased father back to life, the fact that her actions nearly resulted in the deaths of several innocent people in Wispermill and empowering the local GodOfEvil, results in the rest of Flamesgrace losing trust in her. A post-game sidequest reveals that [[TheAtoner Lianna is working hard to regain their lost trust]].]]
* EveryoneHasStandards: [[spoiler:Even when she's willing to do anything to bring her father back, including betraying her adopted sister, she still opens the door to Ophilia's cell to let her escape. She's also horrified when the ritual sucks the life energy from the villagers, as well as The Savior's callous admission that he'd planned to sacrifice them all along.]]
* FaceHeelTurn: [[spoiler:Once their father Josef dies, she turns heel by allying herself with the Savior to bring Josef back to life.]]
* {{Foil}}: To Darius. They are both an important person in their respective traveler's life (Ophilia and Therion), and [[spoiler:eventually betray their respective allies]]. However, Lianna had a sympathetic reason to [[spoiler:betray Ophilia, as she was [[DespairEventHorizon devastated by her father's sickness and death]] and [[UnwittingPawn was being manipulated by the Savior]] under the false promise that he could bring her father back to life if she stole the ember, [[EveryoneHasStandards was apologetic to and freed Ophilia from her cell to let her escape]], ultimately [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone came back to her senses]] after the Savior callously revealed [[ILied He Lied]], is forgiven by Ophilia, and later [[TheAtoner tries to atone for her sins]].]] Darius, on the other hand, [[spoiler:betrayed Therion]] for completely unsympathetic [[{{Greed}} desires for more money and power]], [[spoiler:[[EvilFormerFriend attempted to murder him]], [[LackOfEmpathy feels no remorse]] for what he did to the extent that he actively [[EvilGloating gloats]] about it, and as such is considered BeyondRedemption by Therion, ultimately meeting a KarmicDeath after being weakened from his battle against Therion, when his own henchmen betray and stab him for his money.]]
* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler:Once Lianna realizes the Savior was just using her grief for his own purposes and how bad he really is, [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone she realizes how huge of a mistake she's made]].]]
* HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: [[spoiler:Granted, she was in a very vulnerable state of mind, but you have to wonder why she would believe that Mattias would bring her father back if she just stole the embers and pledged herself to the local GodOfEvil?]]
* MissingMom: Even in flashbacks to when Ophilia was first adopted, Lianna's mother was nowhere to be seen. Given Lianna's difficulty [[spoiler:in coping with her father's death]], her mother likely died when Lianna was too young to remember.
* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: [[spoiler:She becomes overcome with guilt for allying herself with the Savior out of desperation to bring her father back to life once it becomes clear the Savior was lying to and manipulating her for his own purposes all along.]]
* OneDegreeOfSeparation: Completing both Ophilia and H'aanit's Chapter 4s unlocks a sidequest that reveals that Lianna is acquainted with Eliza, and that the two seem to have known each other for some time.
* TamperingWithFoodAndDrink: [[spoiler:By giving Ophilia a glass of wine that was drugged with a sleeping draught, Lianna incapacitates her long enough to steal the ember.]]
* UnwittingPawn: Distraught by [[spoiler:her father's death]], she is manipulated by [[spoiler:Mattias]] into [[spoiler:stealing the ember.]]
* WellIntentionedExtremist: [[spoiler:She just wanted to bring her father back. After [[NotSoWellIntentionedExtremist Mattias]] is beaten, she tries to make up for her sins.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Archbishop Josef]]
!!Archbishop Josef
The archbishop of the Order of the Sacred Flame, father of Lianna, and Ophilia's adoptive father.

* CharacterDeath: [[spoiler:He falls seriously ill early in Ophilia's story, and Ophilia learns that he has passed away at the end of her Chapter 3[[note]]He remains on his deathbed in Flamesgrace Cathedral until Ophilia defeats [[SavageWolves Hróðvitnir]] at the end of her Chapter 2, at which point he disappears, presumably buried[[/note]]. It is eventually revealed in the post-game that Mattias murdered him by poison.]]
* ChekhovsGun: Chronologically. He once taught Lianna and Ophilia a lesson on life and death when they were children, after the two were upset by finding a dead bird behind Flamesgrace Cathedral. He gently told them that WeAllDieSomeday, but the memories we make with each other still remain in the hearts of the living. Many years later [[spoiler:and after his own death]], Josef's words of wisdom prove crucial in preventing a NearVillainVictory by [[spoiler:Mattias]].
* {{Foil}}: To Helgenish, from Primrose's route. They both took in girls who would become one of the eight protagonists, but Josef raises Ophilia lovingly as if she were his own blood daughter, while Helgenish only cares about how useful Primrose is to him and demands her gratitude and obedience while treating her like a sex object instead of an actual person.
* GoodParents: He is a caring father to both his biological and adopted daughters, and is constantly singing their praises to others.
* IncurableCoughOfDeath: Coming down with this in Ophilia's prologue is what kicks off the plot, as Ophilia decides to complete the Kindling and go on a pilgrimage so Lianna doesn’t have to. [[spoiler:At the end of the prologue, he states that the illness will probably take his life sooner rather than later. Lianna reveals that he passed away at the end of Ophilia's Chapter 3. A journal from TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon reveals that Mattias gave him a slow-acting poison to make it look like this.]]
* LightIsGood: The Archbishop of the Order of the Sacred Flame, he is garbed in a white robe and is a loving father to both his biological and adopted daughters.

[[folder:Pontiff Julius]]
!!Pontiff Julius
The head of the Order of the Sacred Flame. He oversees [[spoiler:Ophilia's completion of the Kindling]].

* LightIsGood: He is garbed in a white robe, and he is a kind man.
* MinorMajorCharacter: He's briefly mentioned twice in Ophilia's Chapter 1, and appears in-person near the end of her Chapter 4, but is overall a very minor NPC. You can't even interact with him after completing Ophilia's story!
* UsefulNotes/ThePope: The Order of the Sacred Flame [[CrystalDragonJesus is heavily inspired by Catholicism]].

[[folder:Bishop Bartolo]]
!!Bishop Bartolo
The head of the Saintsbridge church, one of the stops Ophilia need to make on her Kindling.

* OptionalPartyMember: After Ophilia's story ends, he can be encountered at the Saintsbridge Cathedral, and Guided/Allured as an ally. He also carries [[InfinityPlusOneSword the Battle-Tested Staff]], which can be Purchased.

[[folder:Nate, Derryl and Emil]]
!!!'''Voiced By:''' (Nate): Creator/CaseyMongillo (English), (Derryl): Creator/KiraBuckland (English)
Three boys that Ophilia encounters in Saintsbridge during her pilgrimage. When one goes into a forest to retrieve a lost brooch, Ophilia must come to his rescue.

!!Nate
* LoveTriangle: A post-game sidequest involves his crush on a girl named Melanie, who likes Emil instead.

!!Derryl
* AngerBornOfWorry: He gets upset with Emil for running off into the dangerous forest and almost being eaten by the wolf.
* HeelFaceTurn: A very minor one in that Derryl and later Nate goes from mean to Emil to friends once more.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: He antagonizes Emil for losing his deceased mother's brooch and insults, yells at and assumes the worst in Emil, but when Ophilia shows him that Emil's actually trying to find it, Derryl apologizes and starts treating him better.
* TragicKeepsake: His brooch, which belonged to his recently-deceased mother.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Bishop Donovan & Lysa]]
The head of the Goldshore church, and his young daughter, who is held hostage by someone wanting to sabotage the Kindling.