Characters / Octopath Traveler II Travelers

To return to the character page for Octopath Traveler II, go here.

The Travelers In General

• All There in the Manual: Like in the previous game, none of the playable characters (save Partitio) have their ages stated in-game, instead being listed in supplemental material.
  • Ochette: 20
  • Castti: 29
  • Throné: 23
  • Osvald: 38
  • Partitio: 24
  • Agnea: 18
  • Temenos: 30
  • Hikari: 21
• Animal Motif: Several of the travelers have at least one or two animal themes.
  • Castti: Hens
  • Throné: Snakes
  • Osvald: Bears
  • Partitio: Stallions
  • Temenos: Birds and Hounds
• Badass Crew: All eight of them are absolute experts in their lines of work, with Ochette as a skilled hunter, Castti as an experienced apothecary, Throné as the best assassin in the Blacksnakes, Osvald as a renowned scholar, Partitio as an experienced merchant, Agnea as a brilliant dancer, Temenos as a genius inquisitor, and Hikari as a famed warrior for Ku. Alone, they're powerful. Together, the eight of them can defeat gods.
• The Chosen Many: It's all but stated that the eight of them are chosen by the eight gods as the inheritors of their wills, as the altars scattered around representing each deity will only bestow their blessings when that character is in the party. In the final chapter, each Sacred Flame and the statues of the divinities protecting them resonate with the travelers, and each one willingly takes the fight against Vide himself to reseal the ancient evil like the gods did once before.
• Color-Coded Characters: Like the previous game, all the playable characters have a specific color associated with them.
  • Ochette: Pink
  • Castti: Blue
  • Throné: Purple
  • Osvald: Silver
  • Partitio: Yellow
  • Agnea: Orange
  • Temenos: Green
  • Hikari: Red
• Composite Character: They all have similar personality traits to those from the first game, but have different jobs to the ones they draw inspiration from.
  • Ochette has Tressa’s enthusiasm and wanderlust, but has H’aanit’s job and hunting prowess.
  • Castti has blonde hair and a gentle but determined personality like Ophilia, but has Alfyn’s job.
  • Throné has Primrose’s personality, dark story, initial element of Darkness, sex appeal, and is the same age as Primrose (23), but has Therion’s job and journey for freedom.
  • Osvald has Primrose’s desire for revenge and general ruthlessness in her pursuit of it, but has Cyrus’ job and magical prowess.
  • Partitio has Alfyn’s atruism and eagerness to fight if there’s no alternative, but has Tressa’s job.
  • Agnea has Tressa’s optimism, light-hearted story, initial element of Wind, and is the same age as Tressa (18), but has Primrose’s job.
  • Temenos has Ophilia’s job, but shares personality traits with Cyrus and Therion.
    • He has Cyrus’ determination to uncover the truth, and is the same age as Cyrus (30).
    • He has Therion’s distrust of others and enjoyment in teasing.
  • Hikari has H’aanit’s calm, composed personality, but has Olberic’s job.
• Contrasting Sequel Main Character: Each of them also have contrasting personalities and/or stories to their counterparts from the first game.
  • Where H'aanit was an experienced hunter and The Stoic on a quest to save her master Z'aanta, Ochette is a young girl who's more excitable and out to find three legends on a mission by her master Juvah.
  • Where Alfyn was driven by his memories of the man who saved him, Castti is driven by her complete lack of memories.
  • Therion loved being a thief, who mostly focused on breaking in, stealing, and leaving without a trace, and acted independently, with his story having him learn how to trust others again while seeking "freedom" from the shackles of his past with Darius. Throné was conscripted into the Blacksnakes, who did whatever their clients hired them to do between stealing and assassination, and wishes to leave the thief's life entirely as her pursuit of "freedom", but is more than willing to sever the bonds she has with the Blacksnakes to do so.
  • Cyrus had the scholarly and relatively mundane goal of finding a lost tome, and his strongest flaw was his obliviousness to infatuated women. Osvald's journey is not about his profession, but rather seeking Revenge on Harvey for stealing his research and framing him for the death of his family.
  • Tressa was just starting out as a merchant and got her first taste of the harsh realities of the world. Partitio is an experienced merchant who is aware of the world's problems and seeks to fix them.
  • There's a few points where Agnea and Primrose contrast.
    • Where Primrose had a harsh childhood following her father's death and only became a professional dancer as a means to an end, Agnea had a generally pleasant childhood that led her to want to follow her mother's example.
    • The two also differ greatly in their attire, with Primrose's belly dancer garb being highly revealing while Agnea's outfit is, while still eye-catching and attractive (and set up to Show Some Leg with a well-placed dancing kick), a good deal more conservative overall.
    • Outside of their dances, Primrose's skillset is more magic based, whereas Agnea's is more physically based.
  • One of Temenos's main motivations is his doubts surrounding his faith, unlike Ophilia's rock-solid, unwavering faith in the church and her family.
  • Olberic was a tall, beefy man and a medieval knight of commoner origins who fought with massive greatswords, Hikari is a lithe young man who fights like a samurai and is the heir to the throne of a kingdom. Also, unlike Olberic who pursued vengeance due to lacking a purpose in life, Hikari pursues vengeance for the very purpose of retaking his country and making it a place where everyone can live in peace. Finally, Olberic was a passionate ham, while Hikari is usually calm.
• Darker and Edgier: Compared to the travelers in the first game, many of the heroes here are either involved in much more cynical, shady situations or are themselves less optimistic in general:
  • Castti has watched a whole town die because one of her apprentices was driven insane and caused a poison to rain down on it, with her barely surviving and deeply amnesiac, possibly as a result of either the poison or the antidote her late best friend gave her to let her live. Compare this with the small-town doctor Alfyn, who's sweeter than pie and grew up in a happy village before setting off on a journey to become the best apothecary in the land.
  • Throné is a skillful assassin who rebels against her masters in a desperate attempt to gain her freedom, and is the daughter of a maniacal Social Darwinist. This is in comparison to Therion, who largely lived free to begin with and stole for the challenge and wealth.
  • Osvald is falsely accused of arson and murder and remanded to a brutal prison by his False Friend who was jealous of his mental prowess, and he goes off on a Roaring Rampage of Revenge. Compare to Cyrus, who was largely optimistic and just wanted to learn more, leading him on a journey.
  • Temenos is a cynical, world-weary inquisitor for the Church, who constantly casts doubt on the shadier underbelly of the clergy and its militant wing. This is in stark contrast to Ophilia, who kept her faith and used it to defeat those who would corrupt the Flame and her family.
  • Hikari is branded a traitor by his bloodthirsty brother and forced to flee his rightful place as the king of Ku, and has a Superpowered Evil Side to contend with. Olberic, meanwhile, lost his kingdom due to a perceived betrayal by his best friend, but was neither tormented by evil nor was he branded a fugitive.
• Establishing Character Moment: Unlike the previous game, you meet the other travelers after their first chapter (or second, in Osvald's case) rather than during it, meaning that they each get a unique recruitment scene to establish their personalities to the player:
  • Ochette immediately talks about food, more concerned with having a meal than the quest she's about to set off on.
  • Castti is treating a patient, firmly establishing her occupation and helpful nature.
  • The characters protect the dog Throné befriended, which she thanks you for, revealing her softer side before she segues into telling you she's hunting two people down.
  • The characters find Osvald collapsed outside of town, hinting at his difficult circumstances, with his dialogue indicating that he's joining you out of pragmatism and as such doesn't intend to pry into your affairs.
  • Partitio uniquely has dialogue tailored to whoever your starting traveler is, pointing to him being one of the most charismatic and social of the main characters (who's also happy to talk at length about his dreams at first encounter).
  • The characters locate Agnea's purse with all her savings that she dropped, marking her as a Cute Clumsy Girl.
  • The characters help Temenos drive off some heretics, establishing that he has none of the gentle or soft-hearted nature one might normally expect from a cleric of the church.
  • Hikari is protecting civilians from ruffian soldiers, as someone who seeks to maintain peace amidst the war-torn Hinoeuma.
• Elemental Motifs: Along with an Animal Motif, several of the travelers also have elemental themes.
  • Castti: Water
  • Throné: Darkness
  • Osvald: Fire
  • Temenos: Light
• Four-Temperament Ensemble: The male and female travelers each form a quartet.
  • Males
    • Partitio is an outgoing and charismatic individual with a strong sense of justice (Sanguine).
    • Osvald is an analytical man with a kind heart beneath his aloof exterior (Melancholic).
    • Hikari is a brave and determined warrior who is firm in his beliefs (Choleric).
    • Temenos is a Brilliant, but Lazy cleric who conceals much of his true emotion (Phlegmatic).
  • Females
    • Agnea is compassionate and has high ambitions as a dancer (Sanguine).
    • Ochette is impulsive and energetic, especially when she wants something (Choleric).
    • Throné is strong-willed and stoic to a fault (Melancholic).
    • Castti is a selfless woman with a desire to help whoever she can (Phlegmatic).
• From Zero to Hero: Many of them begin the game as relatively ordinary people, save Hikari, who is a disgraced prince propagandized as a traitor to his country. Over the course of the game, they grow stronger, working to attain their deepest goals even through some harsh and traumatic moments. By the end of the game their group includes a king, a multibillionaire tycoon of industry whose work will revolutionize the world, the world's foremost magical scholar who discovered a whole new source of magic, a savior of an entire city from poisoning (twice), the protector of her village and heir to the current guardian, and the world's biggest celebrity. To say nothing as a whole they are the victors in a battle against an ancient evil god.
• Lighter and Softer: Compared to Castti, Throné, Osvald, Temenos, and Hikari, the other three heroes are much less dark than their counterparts in the first game:
  • Ochette is much more chipper than H'aanit, and while the end of her quest has her fighting the Shadow, most of her journey is largely optimistic and evocative of new beginnings, whereas H'aanit is The Stoic who is trying to save her petrified master from a monstrosity.
  • Partitio is every bit as optimistic and cheerful as Tressa before him, and both of their ultimate goals are very altruistic and meant to help others (the whole world in general for Partitio, and her family for Tressa).
  • Extremely blatant with Agnea compared to Primrose: Agnea had a happy childhood (minus her Missing Mom) and her quest is the lightest in the game, with her not even killing anyone. Primrose easily had the darkest quest in the original, culminating in her shedding a lot of blood in a quest for vengeance against those who killed her father.
• Ragtag Bunch of Misfits: The team consists of a Little Bit Beastly hunter with an energetic personality, a motherly Combat Medic with amnesia, a thief who was raised as such, a vengeful Black Mage who was framed for a murder, a friendly merchant who wants to eliminate poverty, a cheerful aspiring dancer, a cleric who is skeptical of the church he serves, and a prince who desires to rid the nation he lives in of the desire to shed blood.
• Spanner in the Works: Each of them had no idea about the Moonshade Order initially, but their own individual quests caused enough problems for said order that they were considered targets for elimination. True enough, once they get involved, the Order goes down.
  • This goes double for Ochette, who saves Castti from Vide during their second Crossed Path chapter. Vide is horrified to find out that Ochette, as a beastling, has no darkness in her heart he can exploit.
• True Companions: Make no mistake: these eight people are wildly different people, but they're as close as a family, and one getting put in a bind means that the other seven are going to come running.
• You Are Not Alone: During their travel banters, there are times when each one will give guidance, support, and care for that traveler's chapter, and promise them they aren't alone. Agnea is there to dance and brighten Throné's darker chapters, while Hikari and Temenos support Castti during her darkest moments in her Chapter 3.

Ochette, the Hunter

Voiced By: Aya Hirano (Japanese), Suzie Yeung (English)

"Now let's grab some food!"

A Beastling from the remote isle of Toto'haha, who sets forth to find the Creatures of Legend to prevent a calamity known as the Night of the Scarlet Moon.

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• Airplane Arms: Her running animation has her run with her arms extended behind her.
• Bad Liar: Played for Laughs during her and Castti's Crossed Path. When asked by Castti what a wounded duorduor is saying, she "translates" his speech as "It's too late for me. Eat me while I'm still tasty." Unfortunately for her, Castti isn't fooled.
  Castti: (Shakes head) Ochette. No lying, please.
• Badass Adorable: A cute, energetic Beastling that can take out monsters by herself.
• The Beastmaster: Like H'aanit before her, she can capture and use beasts in battle.
• Big Eater: Her voracious appetite is a flaw of hers that worries her master. Her pet companion wonders if she's not going to go eat the Creatures of Legend. In gameplay form, she can discard captured monsters to cook them into unique items.
• Cant Hold Their Liquor: A party banter with Partitio has her getting completely wasted after a single swig of alcohol. Granted, she still holds up better than Osvald.
• Character Development: Ochette feels insecure about her future duty to protect Toto'haha, and would rather hunt and eat. By the end of her story, she's grown confident enough that she wants to be the island's protector.
  Ochette, in her first chapter: I don't know, Master Juvah. That sounds kind of... heavy. A hunter has to travel light. I'd rather keep going out every day to hunt up some good eating.
  Ochette, in her last chapter: I love Toto'haha and the people who call it home, and that's why... I want to protect it. Master Juvah, I'm going to protect Toto'haha. (Readies her bow) And that means... I'm going to fight!
• Cheerful Child: She's actually 20 years old, but because the Beastling race matures slower than humans in exchange for longer lifespans, she has the excitement and innocence of an adorable child. She even calls Castti "Mama" during their Crossed Path chapters.
• The Chosen One:
  • According to Juvah, she is destined to fight off the Night of the Scarlet Moon by gathering the three Creatures of Legend.
  • Confirmed in her final chapter, where the First Flame chooses her and empowers her and her companion to fight the Darkling.
• Cloudcuckoolander: She sometimes gets a little too obsessed with food, and her mind can wander quite a bit.
• Detect Evil: It isn't known if this is Ochette's power alone or a trait of her tribe, but several times in the travel banters, she can sense the dark power connected to Vide. She notices Hikari's other self as though he has two scents. She is also disturbed by a lingering scent Claude left when he wrote a message for Throné.
• Didn't Think This Through: After trying to call out to Tera while he's sleeping to no avail, she fires an arrow down on him without considering that this might anger him enough to attack her, resulting in a boss fight.
• Foil:
  • To Hikari. Both Hikari and Ochette leave their homelands with the goal of gathering allies to save their homes (Hikari seeks to gather allies to win the throne from Mugen and stop his ruthless ambitions, Ochette seeks the Three Beasts of Legend to save Toto'haha from the Night of the Scarlet Moon). Both of them are among the youngest of the group (Hikari being the youngest male, Ochette being the 2nd youngest female, the youngest being Agnea). Both of them are often seen using weapons in cutscenes (Hikari using a sword, Ochette using a bow). They are both among the kindest and most idealistic of the group, though while Hikari is a battle-hardened warrior who's calm and collected, Ochette is an inexperienced huntress who is excitable and impulsive. Both of them have Path Actions that allow them to fight NPCs one-on-one (Hikari's Challenge and Ochette's Provoke). Both of them have internal issues within their homelands (Hikari's Clan of Ku ruthlessly conquering other nations, the humans of Toto'haha having a strained and racist relationship with the Beastlings).
  • To Partitio. Both Ochette and Partitio leave their homes behind in the hopes of doing good in the world (Ochette seeks the Three Beasts of Legend to save Toto'haha, Partitio departs from Oresrush to eliminate poverty from the world and confront Roque for his betrayal of his hometown). Both of their default classes allow access to bows and a close range weapon (axes for Ochette, spears for Partitio). Both of them are among the most forgiving members of the group (Ochette because Beastlings cannot feel or understand malice and greed, Partitio because of him being an All-Loving Hero.) Both of the final antagonists in their storylines are people they knew from their pasts (Roque for Partitio, the Darkling/the companion she didn't choose for Ochette.) Both of them have actions that allow them to recruit new party members during the nighttime setting (Hire for Partitio, Befriend for Ochette).
• Genki Girl: She's very excitable and eager.
• Herd-Hitting Attack: Several of Ochette's captures can do this, and such captures are the most reliable source of Dark and Wind Element hit-all attacks skills for any of the base classes, as several enemies give those out.
• Incorruptible Pure Pureness: In her and Castti's second Crossed Paths chapter, the Shadow is unable to corrupt or manipulate Ochette because it senses no darkness in her heart at all. This is the case for the Beastling race in general, as the incident that led to their creation made it genetically impossible to feel any malice or greed.
• Is It Something You Eat?: Played for Drama, of all things. Ochette has to directly ask Heig if glory and honor are edible, because she can't wrap her head around the idea of hunting for non-utilitarian purposes. When she finally gets that he and the other Stormhail hunters tried to hunt Glacis and pettily smashed her eggs when they failed essentially for no good reason, it's one of the very few times she sounds actually angry.
• Lightning Bruiser: In every offensive measure, she is the best or second-best. She has the potential to make a great mage from the get-go, her speed stalls behind Throné alone, and she's only ever going to be behind Castti and potentially Hikari in terms of physical damage output, contingent on how Hikari and Ochette are built at any given time. Ochette herself is designed to exemplify accuracy and a high critical hit rate, aided by her focus on axes and bows. Her defenses are also fairly solid, though her HP is shaky, being only slightly better than Temenos, who is, in turn, only slightly more durable than Osvald.
• Missing Mom: Castti's maternal concern for her wellbeing causes her to remark that Castti sounds like her mother and see Castti as a mother figure. However, her biological mother never appears and her whereabouts remain unknown^note (though she does make a brief mention of her parents in one tavern banter; presumably, they're still alive, but the player doesn't hear much else of them).
• Nice Girl: A cheerful and kind young woman who has empathy for those around her.
• The Nicknamer: She has a nickname for everyone in the party, among them "Pops" for Osvald, "Néné" for Throné, "Parti" for Partitio, "Hikarin" for Hikari, "Mama" for Castti, and "Agnie" or "Aggie" for Agnea.
• The Nose Knows: She can not only smell regular scents exceptionally well, but she can also detect more abstract scents, especially related to evil or malice. Though she cannot identify Hikari's dark persona as such, she's able to detect the persona nonetheless, mistaking it for a pet Hikari had.
• Older Than They Look: Ochette behaves and is both treated and described by others as a child, yet her official age is listed as 20. The Beastlings in general seem to have longer lifespans than humans, but mature slower.
• Only One Name: The only protagonist whose surname remains unknown, either in-game or in supplemental material. Justified, as Toto'haha doesn't use surnames — it's entirely possible and in fact likely Ochette doesn't have a last name.
• Pintsized Powerhouse: Ochette is tiny, but nevertheless one of the strongest physical bruisers of the party.
• Shock and Awe: She starts with the Lightning skill, Thunderbird. Or, as Ochette would say:
  Ochette: Thunderbirdy!
• Skewed Priorities: Her Big Eater tendencies are what compels her to finish other non-food related tasks quickly so she can eat soon.
  Juvah: If you cared half as much about your own life as you do about meat...
• Speaks Fluent Animal: She can understand what animals are saying. Justified, as she's a human-animal hybrid.
• Tastes Like Friendship: How her Befriend skill works, as she shares food to gain new allies.
• Team Kids: She's the most childlike of the eight, and views Castti, Osvald and Throné as a mother, father and sister figure respectively. In addition, several of her battle quotes emphasize her childlike nature, such as "Thunderbirdy!" (Thunderbird) and "Say bye-bye to your armor!" (Armor Corrosive).
• Talking Animal: Whatever animal companion Ochette picks learns to speak in the intervening years.
• Token Non-Human: In contrast to the other seven characters, Ochette is a Beastling, a human-animal hybrid native to the island of Toto'haha.
• Tomboy and Girly Girl: The Tomboy to Castti's Girly Girl. Ochette hunts for a living, loves eating meat, and is the adventurous Team Kids of the group, while Castti treats the ill and wounded, and is the gentle Team Mom of the group.
• Trademark Favorite Food: While she'll eat almost anything, she has an affinity for meat products, and loves jerky in particular.
• Womanchild: Despite being 20 years old, she acts more like an excitable child than an adult. Justified as the Beastlings mature slower than humans in exchange for longer lifespans.
• Wouldn't Hurt a Child: She's quite happy to use Provoke when it's required by the plot, but Ochette will never attack child NPCs.

Castti Florenz, the Apothecary

Voiced By: Michiko Neya (Japanese), Sarah Wiedenheft (English)

"I know no cure for evil."

An apothecary who wakes up on a ship in the Harborlands, bereft of her memories. She seeks to recover them, healing the sick and wounded along the way.

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• Ability Mixing: Her Concoct skill allows her to mix and match up to 5 different ingredients to cause various beneficial or damaging effects. This also gives her access to wind, light, and dark damage when her class would otherwise only allow her to use ice magic.
• Acquired Poison Immunity: A travel banter with Osvald reveals that she's built up an immunity to most poisons as a result of testing medicine on herself. This may be how she survived Trousseau's poison rain when it killed everyone else who was infected by it. Unfortunately, this does not translate to gameplay.
• Affectionate Nickname: Ochette calls her "Mama" and "Ma" during their Crossed Path chapters and some banters, and Andy and Trousseau called her "mother hen".
• All-Loving Hero: Like Alfyn before her, the desire to help everyone even in the face of cruelty seems to be par for the course for the Apothecary—Castti will heal anyone in need, no matter what. In fact, it's a sign of how far Trousseau has fallen that, despite acknowledging that her hands are meant for healing, Castti decides he's Beyond Redemption and resolves to kill him.
• Amnesiac Hero: The beginning of her story has her awaken on a boat without any memory of her past or her identity prior to her rescue, although she is still able to remember her craft as an apothecary. Her journey is all about her rediscovering who she was and what she has lost along the way.
• Animal Motif: Two.
  • Hens. Castti is very protective of others, especially children as proven in Winterbloom when Melia is in danger from Plukk and her fellow thieves. She's the Team Mom of the group and is constantly checking on the welfare and health of her fellow travelers. Andy of Eir's Apothecaries even teasingly refers to her as a mother hen who clucks over her charges.
  • Dogs, especially the St. Bernard. Castti has shown time and time again that if someone is in danger, she will rush to save them regardless of the threats she encounters. St. Bernards were famous for rescuing people in dangerous situations and are considered the ideal rescue medical dogs, just as Castti is considered an ideal apothecary as they are both kind, gentle and attentive to their patients.
• Batman Grabs a Gun: When Trousseau expresses no remorse for the lives he's taken and intends to take in the name of "saving" everyone from existence itself, she bitterly accepts that the kind, gentle man he once was is gone forever, and resolves to kill him to save thousands of lives in Timberain from his poison rain.
• Benevolent Boss: As leader of Eir's Apothecaries, the others look up towards her with respect and joy.
• Beware the Nice Ones: Castti will put strangers' health and safety above her own, but she can also have a ferocious temper. For examples:
  • A soldier trying to stop her from healing enemy soldiers causes her to yell at him to go get kindling and water to help. Which, despite himself, he ends up doing.
  • When Plukk and her cronies attempt to mug Castti while holding Mellia hostage, Castti's response is to calmly threaten and tell Plukk to "walk through the door now and (she'll) pretend all this never happened" while assuming a fighting stance, ready to battle the robber if it means rescuing Mellia.
  • And when Trousseau refuses to stand down during the finale of her story, she resolves to kill him with little hesitation, though she clearly still mourns how far her former colleague has fallen.
  • Ochette says that Castti's not scary at all unless you make her angry.
  • During Chapter 2 - Winterbloom route, a local boy says that his dad told him that Castti is "really scary when she gets angry."
  • Some of her battle cries are surprisingly bloodthirsty, especially when fully boosted: examples include "No mercy, only pain!" and "I'll chop you limb from limb!"
• Breakout Character: Based on a poll from Twitter, Castti is the most popular and well-liked character among the Octopath protagonists.
• Character Catchphrase: Many of her lines focus on her wishing to "extend a helping hand to all in need", which is incidentally the motto of Eir's Apothecaries.
• Combat Medic: As she explains, Apothecaries are trained to be such.
• The Dreaded: Of all the heroes, she's the one Vide and the Moonshade Order see as the biggest threat to their plans due to her Heroic Willpower, to the point that Vide personally tries to get rid of her in her and Ochette's Crossed Path.
• Dude Magnet: Several men express attraction to her; Heig is rendered a blushing mess as she tends to his wounds, her subordinate Andy is in love with her, and Claude viewed her with a mix of intrigue and lust. Partitio is also very curious when she claims they got up to drunken shenanigans, implying he's attracted to her, too.
• Elemental Motifs: Water.
  • Castti's signature color is blue, the same color as water.
  • Castti's journey starts out at sea (having been found on a boat) and can be recruited in the Harborlands.
  • Castti's personality can be very reminiscent of water: she can have a soothing and gentle personality, but can become scary when pushed to anger and is willing to fight to protect others.
  • Castti can use ice magic in her default Apothecary class and since ice is frozen water...
  • Water is often associated with healing, matching Castti's primary function and skills as a healer.
• Foil:
  • To Hikari. Both of them were initially leading figures of a group/nation (Hikari was a Prince of Ku, Castti was the founder and leader of Eir's Apothecaries), but were forced to flee due to betrayal and mass murder (Hikari had to flee Ku after Mugen murdered King Jigo and set fire to the town Hikari watched over, Castti had to flee being carried by Malaya after Trousseau unleashed poison rain that killed all of Healeaks and the other members of Eir's Apothecaries). Both of them struggle with internal conflicts (Hikari struggling with his cursed blood pushing him to needlessly kill people, Castti struggling with her amnesia). Both of them strongly advocate for peace and value the sanctity of life (Hikari because he's tired of his homeland's endless bloodshed, Castti because of her ideals as an apothecary), though are more than willing to fight to protect others. Both of them were friends with people who became members of the Moonshade Order (Kazan/Oboro for Hikari, Trousseau for Castti).
  • To Osvald. Both of them are considered spectacular at their jobs (Osvald being a renowned scholar, Castti being a highly skilled apothecary). However, due to betrayal from their colleagues (Harvey killing Osvald's family and framing him for the crime, Trousseau using poison rain to kill the people of Healeaks and the other members of Eir's Apothecaries), both of them have to suffer from distrust and being accused of crimes they didn't commit (Osvald being denounced as a murderous monster, Castti being branded a plague monger). Both of them have parental tendencies and act as Team Dad and Team Mom respectively (Castti being a very motherly person and Osvald having been a father). Both of their classes only have access to one weapon (Axes for Castti, Staves for Osvald). Both of their final antagonists are their former colleagues who betrayed them and joined the Moonshade Order (Harvey joined so he could outshine Osvald out of petty jealousy, Trousseau joined because of Claude driving him insane with the Book of Night and believing that life itself was sickness.
• The Gadfly: For such a kind and gentle person, Castti has a surprisingly impish sense of humor: one banter has her tease Partitio by implying they did naughty things together after he got drunk, much to his flustered shock. She pulls a similar trick in another banter with him, claiming to be nobility and to have lived in a palace as a child.
  Partitio: You're...pullin' my leg, right?
  Castti: Aww, and I thought I had you for a second there, too.
• Girly Girl with a Tomboy Streak: She's gentle, nurturing, and motherly, but also has no problem engaging her foes in combat when the situation calls for it, and is said to be downright scary when angry. There's a good reason why Ochette calls her "Mama".
• Hair of Gold, Heart of Gold: Castti is a blonde and one of the kindest, most selfless, and nurturing people seen in the course of the story.
• Heroic Willpower: When Claude showed her and Trousseau the Book of Night, the experience left Trousseau broken and insane. Castti, however, managed to remain unaffected, much to Claude's ire.
• Hero with Bad Publicity: In her opening chapter, the people of Canalbrine become wary of her when they realise she's a member of Eir's Apothocaries, who are said to have committed some kind of atrocity on the Eastern Continent.
• Hidden Depths: Her second Crossed Path chapter with Ochette reveals that she bears a heavy burden concerning the lives of patients she was unable to save. Vide tries to take advantage of this inner darkness to drive her into despair, but Ochette arrives in time to save her.
• An Ice Person: Starts the game with access to Ice magic, which her combat dialogue implies is meant to be used as a fever reducer.
• Ignored Expert: Nobody believes her when she tries to warn the citizens of Timberain about Trousseau's incoming attack until Griff vouches for her.
• Instant Sedation: Her nighttime Path Action Soothe does this to NPCs (besides some story-related cutscenes where some characters don't instantly fall asleep); she effectively drugs the NPCs and knocks them out.
• Meaningful Name: She starts her story as a castaway, and her surname (not mentioned in the game) refers to the plants she concocts with.
• Mighty Glacier: As an Apothecary, her stats are naturally skewed towards high HP, high Physical Defense and decent Elemental Defense (in part to facilitate her role as healer: healing skills calculate based on Magic Defense in this game). Her EX Skill, Drastic Measures, also lets her hit exceptionally hard; it can easily one-shot most bosses for much of the game if prepped correctly, and even without it her choice of weapon and natural statistics means Castti will be a natural fit for the front lines with Ochette and Hikari. All these boons come at the cost of subpar evasion; Castti is unlikely to dodge attacks unless she is massively overleveled. She also has low Speed, but that just gives your party more time to set up Drastic Measures for her. On top of that, her Elemental Attack stat isn't very good (unlike Alfyn from the first game), making her better off using martial classes to augment her physical skills and defenses.
• Mysterious Past: Due to being amnesiac, it's unclear what her past was like. She is related to Eir's Apothecaries due to her uniform, and the one who sent her adrift from the eastern continent was Malaya, whom she just happens to meet on the western continent but who doesn't tell her anything. Even after she regains her memories, details of her life before a certain point, namely, founding Eir's Apothecaries, aren't elaborated on.
• The Needs of the Many:
  • This is shown to be one of her core personality traits. When she arrives at Canalbrine and discovers a mysterious illness, despite her own lack of memories on anything else that she understands she has this apothecary knowledge to help people, she does so. Even when half the townsfolk are scared of her because of rumors spreading about apothecaries wearing her clothing, she helps those in need. Even when it involves journeying to the water source to look for the cause of the infection alone, the people's need is greater than her own safety and welfare.
  • This is Castti's justification for killing Trousseau, especially when he calls her out on using her hands to kill instead of heal.
• Nice Girl: She's a very gentle and caring woman who will put the health and safety of others above her own.
• Not So Above It All: She is, first and foremost, the Team Mom and The Medic of the group. This makes it the punchline in a party banter with Ochette where she asks about Ochette's ears and Ochette thinks she wants to know about the anatomy for practical reasons, while Castti can't admit that it has nothing to do with being an apothecary and that she's just curious.
• Oblivious to Love: She mistakes Heig's blushing for a persistent fever, and she never figures out that Andy was in love with her.
• Professor Guinea Pig: According to one of her travel banters with Osvald, she tests many of the medicinal concoctions she brews on herself before administering them to her patients, including the remedy for Trousseau's poisonous rain.
• Quest for Identity: This is Castti's driving force; she cannot remember who she once was and is looking for ways to recall or rediscover her past.
• Scars Are Forever: A party banter with Hikari reveals that her arms are covered in black scars which turn out to be an after-effect of Trousseau's plague.
• Sole Survivor: Of Eir's Apothecaries, given that Malaya was Dead All Along.
• Static Character: Lampshaded by the Arc Villain of her story. As Trousseau lays dying, he asks Castti how it feels to take a life. Castti, audibly shaken by this, explains that she had to kill him to save countless lives from his poison, to which Trousseau says that she hasn't changed since they first met, and wonders how long she can stay true to her beliefs before passing away.
  Trousseau: Hah. You haven't changed a whit, Chief. Not since I first met you… You…haven't…changed at all… But in this vast graveyard of decay…how long can you remain the same?
• Talking to Themself: One banter with Osvald reveals that Castti has a tendency to talk out loud as though she's holding a conversation with herself. Though it's implied that this is when she's talking to Malaya, whom she believes to be present but is actually a hallucination of hers.
• Team Mom: Towards Ochette in particular, who calls her "Mama" and "Ma" in their cross-story because Castti keeps fussing over her wellbeing and dietary habits. Agnea also calls her "Mama" in a Freudian Slip during one of their banters after Castti heals her sprained ankle, and Hikari explicitly compares her to his deceased mother in one of their banters. She's even called a mother hen by her crew.
• Thou Shall Not Kill: While Castti is more than willing to throw down with monsters and bandits, she refrains from killing them due to her firm belief in the sanctity of life. This is averted towards the end when she kills Trousseau at Timberain, accepting that the kind man she once knew was too far gone and insane to save and would only continue to kill more people with his poison rain unless he was stopped.
• Tomboy and Girly Girl: The Girly Girl to Ochette's Tomboy. Castti treats the ill and wounded, and is the gentle Team Mom of the group, while Ochette hunts for a living, loves eating meat, and is the adventurous Team Kids of the group.
• Trauma-Induced Amnesia: As Castti regains her memories in her Chapter 3, the flashbacks revealed that she nearly lost her life to Trousseau's poison rain and was only saved by Malaya's perseverance and her sending Castti away on a skiff, which led to her being taken aboard on a ship at the beginning of her story and waking up without her memories.
• Villain Takes an Interest: She ends up attracting a lot of attention from the Moonshade Order. First, Claude attempts to recruit her along with Trousseau, and was disappointed he couldn't. Then, after Castti saves Timberain by coming up with a cure for Trousseau's poison on the spot, Ori stops to interview her while later acknowledging her as someone to keep an eye on. Even Vide himself tries to corrupt Castti by exploiting her guilt over her dead patients, and would have succeeded if Ochette hadn't found her. Why exactly isn't confirmed though.
• Weakness Turns Her On: When the other female party members ask her about her tastes in romance in a tavern banter, Castti says she likes it when people show her their vulnerable side so she can take care of them.

Throné Anguis, the Thief

Voiced By: Rie Tanaka (Japanese), Erica Mendez (English)

"I take what I want."

A member of the Blacksnakes, a thieves' guild that runs the city of New Delsta in the Brightlands from the shadows. Tired of the cycle of bloodshed, Throné seeks to find the keys to her freedom, even if it means dismantling the Blacksnakes in the process.

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• Abusive Parents: Her Parental Substitutes are both highly abusive, albeit in different ways. While Father is a cold individual who spent Throné's childhood molding her in his image, Mother is openly cruel, whipping and beating Throné and others as punishment for failure. Both set her up to kill two of her fellow thieves to see which of them is the strongest, smartest, and deadliest, and therefore fit to succeed Mother and Father. Then when Throné meets her biological father, she's absolutely disgusted at what he's done to her as well as the rest of the Blacksnakes.
• Affectionate Nickname: Ochette calls her "Néné", much to Throné's bewilderment.
• Animal Motifs: Snakes. Throné grew up in the Blacksnakes, signified both by the collar around her neck and the snake tattoo on her left arm. It also fits into her personality: calm, patient, cunning and strikes without hesitation.
• Anti Anti Christ: Ori's journal reveals Claude intended for one of his offspring to surpass him and take his place as Vide's vessel. Throné becomes that successor upon killing Claude, but fortunately, she opposes Vide instead of becoming his vessel.
• Anti-Hero: Comes with the territory of being raised to be a thief and assassin since childhood. Throné is cunning and ruthless, but dislikes being forced to work for the Blacksnakes and has a kind heart underneath.
• Batman Gambit: She defeats the Slaver in his game of Russian Roulette by drinking two of the potentially poisoned glasses in a row, correctly guessing that the Slaver can tell which is the poisoned glass and thus can only lose if he's left with that as the only one to pick.
• Borrowed Catchphrase: When Throné goes after Temenos after he breaks an enemy, Throné might say, "Bravo, Temenos," as Temenos will say "Bravo, (Name of the character that got the break)".
• Casting a Shadow: Throné's skill set includes a darkness element spell named Darkest Night, contrasting Therion's Wildfire skill, as a thief with a Darker and Edgier story.
• Combat Stilettos: It's not immediately clear in her artwork, but she's wearing heels that rivals Agnea's, although somewhat less pointed.
• Cool Big Sis: Several banters she has with Ochette has her act as a supportive older sister figure towards the young Beastling, such as when they debate the effectiveness of daggers and bows, or when she offers her support during the Night of the Scarlet Moon.
• Cuteness Proximity: Though she is normally composed, Throné has a soft spot for puppies. In a travel banter during Ochette's Chapter 2 - Cateracta route, she even attempted to sneak up on Ochette for a chance to pet her fluffy tail due to being too embarrassed to ask directly.
• Darker and Edgier: While this can be applied to the protagonists in general (except Agnea) compared to the first game, Throné's route stands out as the most psychologically twisted one, with themes of slavery, abuse, and murder. Throné has been forced to steal and kill since childhood, and her journey for freedom reveals some awful secrets about the Blacksnakes' history. Not to mention, the main antagonist of her route, Claude, is one of the most disturbing characters in the entire series, being an immortal vessel for the local God of Evil who fathered the entire guild by impregnating countless women (with many cases likely being non-consensual) and forces his children to kill each other to determine who's strong enough to kill him and become the new vessel.
• Dark Is Not Evil: She dresses in dark colors, uses dark magic, is a thief and a killer, and is a distant descendant of Vide, but she is a kindhearted person and dislikes the occupation she's forced upon.
• Deadly Euphemism: She often uses "cleaning" as a euphemism for assasination and violence.
• Defrosting Ice Queen: Downplayed since Throné's more cautious than cold, but the more idealistic travelers have a positive influence on her, getting her to loosen up on the paranoid habits she's picked up; e.g. she notes to Hikari that she's instinctively uncomfortable with even friends standing behind her, but he helps her to re-frame it as trusting them to watch her back for her.
• Devious Daggers: As a thief, Throné's main weapon is a dagger.
• Ditto Fighter: Thanks to her story-unlocked EX Skill, which lets her copy the appearance and abilities of any other party member.
• Divine Parentage: She has the blood of the dark god Vide through her father Claude.
• Due to the Dead: After killing Father, she sets up a monument for him near the Abandoned Church, showing the complex side of their relationship.
• Elemental Motifs: Darkness. Throné's whole schtick revolves around dark themes.
  • Her primary color is purple, which is associated with darkness and Vide.
  • Her primary class is a Thief, which revolves around stealth, which darkness aids her in.
  • She grew up as a member of the Blacksnakes.
  • She can use dark-based magic by default.
• Everyone Has Standards: She has little to no qualms about stealing and knocking people out, but is averse to killing unless there is a good reason for it, and even then, she doesn't enjoy it.
• Everyone Is Related: Not only does it turn out that she's a half-sibling to literally every other Blacksnake by virtue of Claude being their father over generations, it's also revealed that Claude himself is a descendent of D'arqest, just like Hikari, thus making Throné and Hikari very distant cousins.
• Evil Laugh: While not evil, Throné is prone to sinister chuckling after succeeding at either of her Path Actions.
• Explosive Leash: Like all members of the Blacksnakes, Throné has a collar around her neck to mark her membership. Exploring Scrutinized/Inquired/Bribed/Coerced entries of other Blacksnakes throughout the game reveals that the collars are rigged to kill the wearers with poison if they're removed without the keys. Throné also explains this to Partitio during a banter.
• The Fashionista: She shows a keen eye for fashion in some of her banters, advising Osvald on updating his look and offering to take Partitio shopping. She also likes wearing perfume when she can.
• Feel No Pain: Due to being whipped by Mother ever since she was a child, Throné claims to have forgotten what pain feels like. This is evident when, after first returning to Mother in her prologue, Throné takes Mother's lashes without a sound.
• Foil: To Agnea. Agnea grew up in the small village of Cropdale and had a very stable upbringing, Throné grew up in the metropolis of New Delsta and suffered from Abusive Parents. Agnea has a strained yet loving relationship with her father, Garud, which improves over time, while Throné has a very complicated relationship with Father and ends up having to kill him. Agnea is an optimistic Cute Clumsy Girl with one of the lightest stories in the game (wanting to become a star like her mother and go toe-to-toe with celebrity Dolcinaea), Throné is a cynical, cautious Anti-Hero who has one of the darkest stories (wanting freedom from the Blacksnakes and finding out that she's been killing her own half-siblings.) Agnea kills none of the antagonists in her story as they do nothing to warrant death, Throné kills all of the antagonists in her route (either for practical purposes or she had to.)
  • Both of them choose to leave their homes out of their own volition (Agnea leaves to become a star, Throné leaves to kill Mother and Father.) Both of them can use Path Actions to obtain items from NPCs (Agnea uses Entreat, Throné uses Steal.) Both of their default classes allow access to daggers. Both of their mothers are deceased, though play a vital role in their backgrounds (Cuani encouraged Agnea to become a star, Marietta slept with Claude and became leader of the Blacksnakes, thus dooming Throné to the same fate.)
• Forced into Evil: She is raised by Mother and Father since her youth to be both a thief and a killer for their needs and has a collar on her neck symbolizing her bound nature to an organization she detests and wishes to escape from.
• Foreshadowing: Throné has many connections to night and darkness. She's a member of the Blacksnakes, her Talent only activates at night, she wears black and purple, and can cast dark magic. This is because she is related to Vide, the god of night and darkness.
• Fragile Speedster: Unsurprisingly, for someone who makes a living pickpocketing and hitting people in the back of the head from the shadows, Throné is bar none the fastest character in the game, and ties with Agnea for the most evasive. Her personal EX Skill is built to play on these qualities, as it's a weak darkness attack that hits everyone on the field and causes their next physical blow to miss no matter what; perfect for someone with her speed to set up so her stronger allies can bring her foes down. If she takes a hit, however, Throné will quickly show her lack of durability compared to the other party members.
• Hates Their Parent: Or rather, their Parental Substitute: while her feelings about Father are a touch complicated, her distaste for Mother is pretty straightforward. Not to mention, when she meets Claude, her birth father, and learns the truth about the Blacksnakes and his motivations, she's utterly disgusted by him.
• Heroes Love Dogs: Well, more of an anti-hero really, but she befriended a dog that she's very attached to.
• Heroic Bastard: It’s all but stated that Claude and Marietta did not wed. While they’re not good people, she tries to help those in need.
• Heroic BSoD: Upon learning from Claude that she's been killing her half-siblings, Throné is briefly left screaming in absolute horror at what she's done. Fortunately, it doesn't last long, and she then proceeds to fight Claude.
• Hiding Behind Your Bangs: Her hair obscures her right eye^note though her sprite changes which eye is obscured depending on what direction she's facing, signaling her cunning personality.
• I Just Want to Be Free: Her story revolves around trying to leave her life as a thief and "cleaner" behind.
• In-Series Nickname:
  • Ochette calls her Néné after some time together, which Throné never objects to.
  • While it is used only once by Temenos, he calls Throné Aeber after the deity Prince of Thieves, during their travel chat after reviving the Flamechurch Sacred Flame for her pursuit to stop the Moonshade Order.
• Justified Criminal: The only reason she's even a thief and assassin in the first place is because she didn't have a choice. Likewise, her killing the others is only to try and gain the keys to escape the collar she's being forced to wear.
• Made a Slave: Like the rest of the Blacksnakes, Throné has been enslaved by the guild's leaders, collared as a mark that she's the guild's property, and forced to be a thief and assassin, since childhood. Her entire journey is about getting the keys to her collar so that she can find freedom.
• Meaningful Name:
  • Her surname is just one letter away from "anguish". Fitting, given her profession.
  • An anguis is a limbless lizard and a distinct species from snakes. They may look like snakes but have eyelids and will drop their tails to escape predators. Likewise, Throné may look like her fellow Blacksnakes, a dangerous thief who will kill, but her dreams of freedom make her different from them at a core level.
  • On a couple of different levels, she was expected to follow in the footsteps of powerful people, taking their "throne".
• Ms. Fanservice: Throné is a beautiful woman who has large breasts, shows an ample amount of cleavage, wears a corset that exemplifies her bust, has a side slit in her dress that shows her leg, and more. She's also not above using her stunning good looks to get what she needs.
• My God, What Have I Done?: Throné does NOT take it well when Claude reveals the Awful Truth about the Blacksnakes, with Throné realizing she's been killing her half-siblings. She's reduced briefly to screaming in horror before she musters up the nerve to kill Claude.
• Nerves of Steel: There is rarely a moment where Throné isn't calm and composed, even in dangerous situations. In her Chapter 2, she plays a game where she has to drink cups with a risk of being poisoned with an extremely lethal and pain-inducing toxin. She drinks two at a time with no hesitation, intimidating the audience and impressing the man she's playing against. That said, learning the Awful Truth about the Blacksnakes from Claude is enough to make Throné scream in horror at the realization that she's been killing her half-siblings.
• Nice Girl: In spite of her cynicism and lack of qualms over stealing, Throné is a genuinely kind and empathetic woman.
• Not So Above It All: Some of her lighter moments, which includes party banters, has her muse and criticize anything to do with assassinations and stealing.
• Not So Stoic: Though she's usually one of the calmest party members, she has moments where she falters.
  • She's audibly disturbed when Father reveals that he raised her since childhood for the sole purpose of killing him.
  • She briefly panics when she finds out that the keys she took from Mother and Father in exchange for their lives don't fit her collar.
  • Most prominently, she loses it in her final chapter after Claude reveals the truth behind the Blacksnakes.
  • Played for Laughs in a tavern banter with Temenos and Hikari, where Hikari singing a heartfelt song from his homeland visibly moves her, as much as she tries to play it off.
• O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Throné is normally good at keeping herself composed. One of the few times she breaks is when she screams in horror at the reveals Claude drops on her.
• Platonic Life-Partners: She has shades of this with Pirro, who never expresses any romantic interest (or vice versa) but appears to be closest to her among the Blacksnakes, to the extent that Champions of the Continent even depicts him in her character artwork. Unfortunately, they're both forced to choose themselves over the other, but his death continues to serve as a lingering shadow for the rest of her story.
• Professional Killer: As Throné puts it in one of her trailers, her job is to steal what the guild's clients ask for... and kill whomever gets in their way. After the failed heist at the beginning, she is given the job to clean up a traitor in her organization.
• The Scream: When Claude reveals to Throné the Awful Truth about the Blacksnakes and she realizes she's been murdering her half-siblings, Throné screams in absolute horror.
• Self-Made Orphan: Her goal is to become this by killing her Parental Substitutes to free herself from her guild. She not only succeeds, but by the end of her story, she's managed to off her biological father in the process.
• Slave Collar: Like all the Blacksnakes, Throné has been fitted with a collar that marks her as property of the guild. Removing it by acquiring the keys from Father and Mother is the driving force of her storyline. Trying to break the collar or otherwise remove it by force will cause it to deploy a poison that will kill her. Mother and Father's keys don't unlock the collar; instead, they open the way to Lostseed and Claude. It's actually Claude who literally holds the key to Throné's freedom.
• Stealth Expert: Both of her Path Abilities focus on her being trained to act without getting caught. By day, she engages in Video Game Stealing. By night, she sneaks up on her targets to knock them out.
• Sultry Bangs: Her bangs cover her right eye, and she's a Ms. Fanservice who isn't afraid to use her looks to get ahead (such as when she disguises herself as a brothel girl to get into Diamante's manor).
• Tap on the Head: Her nightime Path Action, "Ambush", allows her to knock someone out without them suffering any ill effects when they wake up.
• A Taste of the Lash: Throné ends up on the receiving end of this from Mother, after Scaracci accuses her of being the reason their last job went wrong.
• Tattooed Crook: Though not seen on her initial rounds of concept and character art, the Father version of her second chapter reveals she has the mark of the Blacksnakes tattooed on her. Newer artwork started depicting it, with new concept art revealing that it's of a completely black snake coiled down her left arm, the tail ending below her collarbone and the head on the back of her hand.
• Token Evil Teammate: Alongside Osvald, while she has a good heart, her goal isn't about a greater good but about serving herself alone, and both of her Path Actions (stealing & knocking people out) are morally dubious or corrupt.
• Trademark Favorite Food: She mentions liking raspberries several times.
• Was It Really Worth It?: When all is said and done, when she finally gets her freedom after killing Claude, all she can do is reflect on all the death in her wake to make it happen. Her long-sought freedom had been tainted by the smell of blood she wanted to escape so badly.

Osvald V. Vanstein, the Scholar

Voiced by: Joji Nakata (Japanese), Alejandro Saab (English)

"I've gained valuable insight."

A once-renowned scholar, framed for the murder of his wife and daughter by an ex-associate named Harvey. In spite of being sentenced to life in prison, Osvald seeks to escape and exact his revenge.

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• Affectionate Nickname: Ochette calls him "Pops".
• Aloof Ally: Osvald is rather distant from the other travelers at first, though he warms up to them over time (albeit still with the grumpy attitude).
• Always Someone Better: By developing potentially world-changing theories about the nature of magic itself, Osvald became the someone better to Harvey, which is what drove Harvey to steal Osvald's research and frame him for the death of his family.
• Animal Motifs: Bears. Osvald is remarked for having a bearlike build by Captain Stenvar and is the physically largest male member of the group. He's often solitary and aloof, but can be very frightening when provoked to anger. When he finds out that Elena is alive, he focuses on rescuing her rather than taking revenge on Harvey.
• Anti-Hero: He's completely dedicated to his Revenge against Harvey.
• Awesomeness by Analysis:
  • Like Cyrus prior, he has the Study Foe ability, which allows him to glean one of the foes' weaknesses in battle. Osvald takes it a bit further by being able to reveal two more weakness should he be in a party when the same foe with more unknown weaknesses is fought again.
  • It's how he manages to craft a near-faultless plan of escaping Frigit Isle. For the entirety of his 5 years there, he's been observing everything and everyone, from warden to prisoner, to mentally map just about everything about how the prison functions. The escape goes almost flawlessly were it not for a surprise ambush from stationed guards, and even if it took a Heroic Sacrifice from his accomplice Emerald to bring the plan to fruition, it's telling how by the time he shores up, the old man picking him up says that of the three washed-up prisoners from Frigit Isle, Osvald is the only one he picked up who was still alive.
• Bad Powers, Good People: Osvald is a good person at heart, but his two path actions are not the most noble of abilities.
  • His Scrutinize path action is considered a darker action to Inquire where one gently asks for information, and failing to acquire information will resort to the reputation of the Travelers decreasing in that city or village.
  • His Mugging path action is the most violent way to acquire a person's goods. However, he does use this power for good in his final chapter when people holding cursed crystals and now are violent need to have them wrested from their grips to save them. Mugging them is the only way to save them.
• Baritone of Strength: He's got the deepest voice of the male protagonists, and several characters comment on how tall and muscular he is. While he's a Black Mage in terms of gameplay, Osvald is more than capable of reaching high damage numbers, and he also comes with the Mug path action.
• Can't Hold His Liquor: Implied in a few tavern banters. In one, he gets drunk enough to mistake Castti and Agnea for his wife and daughter (though it's unclear how much he drank). In another, he falls asleep after Partitio notes that Osvald had one sip of alcohol.
• Character Development: Osvald begins as a broken, bitter man obsessed with his Revenge on Harvey. Over the course of his journey, he learns to fight to protect those he cares about, particularly when he finds out that Elena is not dead.
• Childish Villain, Mature Hero: With Harvey, being The Stoic snarker compared to Harvey's Psychopathic Manchild.
• The Comically Serious: Osvald is the most strait-laced of the eight travelers and takes himself very seriously, which often loops right back into being silly in party banter, where he never drops the attitude even during shenanigans.
• Crusading Widower: The murder of his wife and child drives him to seek revenge on their murderer, who also framed him for the crime. As it turns out, however, they're not actually dead... yet.
• Deadpan Snarker: He can be quite blunt and sarcastic at times, such as when he snarks about Regulus "certainly tripping over...something" in his and Partitio's side story (after Partitio says it would be easy to "trip over opportunity" in a city like New Delsta). Regulus also states that Osvald hasn't mellowed out over time, suggesting that biting comments are normal for him. He also gives Harvey a real mouthful during their final encounter.
• Elemental Motifs: Fire is a central recurring element in Osvald's adventures.
• Failed a Spot Check: Played for Laughs in a travel banter during Hikari's Chapter 4. While locked up in Castle Mei's prison cell, Osvald tries to come up with an elaborate escape plan that would have taken many years to carry out. What he failed to account for is that he could have just used his fire magic to melt the steel bars, as pointed out by Hikari.
• Faking the Dead: Part of his plan to escape Frigit Isle involves having everyone think he perished in the escape, so that he can avoid being hunted down on the mainland.
• Fire, Ice, Lightning: As a scholar, he can use these. He uses these elements to travel and puts them to use in ingenious ways.
• Foil:
  • To Harvey, both being scholars driven by unhealthy emotions (revenge for Osvald, envy for Harvey). However, Osvald is able to shift his priorities from revenge to protecting Elena when he finds out that she's still alive, while Harvey never gets over his envy towards Osvald and subsequently doesn't grow as a person.
  • He's also one to Throné. Both of them are among the more morally dubious members of the group (Osvald because of his desire for revenge, Throné because of her being a thief and assassin) that have access to morally corrupt actions (Mugging for Osvald, Stealing and Ambushing for Throné). They both seek the deaths of their routes' antagonists for different reasons (Osvald wants to kill Harvey for revenge, Throné wants to kill Mother and Father for freedom). Both of them have Elemental Motifs and an Animal Motif (Bears and fire for Osvald, Snakes and darkness for Throné). Despite their ruthless natures and willingness to kill, both of them have a soft spot for children. Both of them wear something around their necks, symbolizing them being a slave (Throné wears a collar that signifies her being owned by the Blacksnakes, Osvald wears a chain and shackle as he is a slave to his quest for revenge. However, it's worth noting that it's never made clear if Osvald cannot remove the shackle like Throné or if he simply chooses not to). Their final bosses are two of the game's most notorious Hate Sink characters (Harvey for Osvald, Claude for Throné). Finally after you finish both stories, Osvald got over his revenge and found peace within himself after keeping his daughter safe, while Throné, despite getting what she wants, didn’t find peace, as she still feels that her freedom reeks of blood.
    • While Throné is a martial-based thief who wields a dagger, Osvald is a magic-based scholar who wields magic. Throné prefers to plan ahead and be graceful about her thieving while Osvald has no such tact and simply resorts to mugging when necessary. Throné's trauma comes from her abusive childhood and being raised as a thief, Osvald's trauma comes from Harvey murdering his wife and child, though he's later revealed to have abducted and experimented on them, and spending five years in a hellish prison. Throné grew up in an abusive home while Osvald was very stable-minded and optimistic before Harvey framed him for murder. Throné is a very empathetic person while Osvald struggles with emotional things outside of mathematical equations. Throné is The Fashionista, Osvald couldn't care less about his appearance.
• Frame-Up: He was framed for the murder of his wife and child.
• Friend to All Children: He has a soft spot for children, likely due to having a daughter himself. This is best shown if Osvald is the traveler used for the Tropu'hopu stage manager's side quest, in which the children in the audience encourage him to perform his role when he is getting fed up with the initial nonsense of the play.
• Good Parents: Flashbacks show that Osvald was a loving father to Elena. While Osvald himself believes he's not as good of a father, Agnea reassures him that Elena is well-adjusted thanks to him.
• Had to Come to Prison to Be a Crook: He was a law-abiding scholar who was framed for killing his family. While in prison, he developed the ability and willingness to mug people.
• Hates Small Talk: He has a few travel banters where he mentions that he dislikes rambling about irrelevant things, such as in Chapter 3 with Castti and Chapter 4 with Temenos.
• Herd-Hitting Attack: Following Cyrus's lead, all of Osvald's magic attacks strike all opponents. His Latent Power allows him to change them into a single-hit attack with greater power.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: He can be extremely blunt and aloof at times, but Osvald is still capable of offering encouragement to the other party members (such as in Temenos's fourth chapter) or admitting when they have a point. He also seems to have a soft spot for children and is shown to have doted on his wife and daughter in flashbacks.
• MacGyvering: He fashions an ice boat out of straw and his ice magic, which becomes crucial for him to escape the prison isle.
• Magitek: In one of his tavern banters with Partitio and Hikari, he proposes using magic to improve the efficiency of the steam engine.
• Manly Tears: In Castti's second chapter, seeing Melia's optimism and determination drives him to tears, which Castti remarks is proof that he's still a good man underneath his anger and bitterness.
• Meaningful Name: He starts his tale in the prison land, the "Oz vald" (using Oz as "Australia" for its penal colony origin).
• Mundane Utility: He occasionally uses his magic for practical purposes, such as creating the ice boats in his second chapter.
• Muscles Are Meaningless: Both his allies and his enemies make notice of Osvald's height and muscular build, with a banter between him and Partitio revealing that Osvald considers discipline, stamina, and willpower necessary for scholastic pursuits, and exercise is perfect for all three. However, despite this, in gameplay he's a Squishy Wizard.
• Mysterious Middle Initial: It's never stated what his middle initial "V." stands for. Weirdly enough, the Japanese dub voices it as simply "von" but still spells it as V in text.
• Outliving One's Offspring: His child was murdered, and Osvald was framed for it. Except she's actually not dead.
• Papa Wolf: He gains new resolve to stop Harvey after finding out his daughter Elena is still alive but brainwashed by Harvey.
• Paper-Thin Disguise: For someone who technically needs to maintain a low profile so that he doesn't get arrested and sent back to prison, he does very little to hide that he's an escaped convict, as he's explicitly still going around in his prison rags that are visible underneath the coat he threw on.
• Perpetual Frowner: In a travel banter with Ochette, she notes that she's never seen him smile before. He says that's just his normal face.
• Platonic Life-Partners: With Clarissa. They both care about each other a lot, with Clarissa fully believing from the start that Osvald is innocent and Osvald trusting her enough to leave Elena in her care after his final chapter.
• The Power of Love: He is finally able to tap into the One True Magic to protect his daughter from Harvey at the end of his story.
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: The Blue to Harvey's Red. As highlighted when they interact, Osvald is a laconic Stoic and is eventually empowered by The Power of Love, while Harvey is a bombastic Large Ham empowered by The Power of Hate.
• Revenge: His main drive for his journey is to find and kill Harvey for killing his family and framing Osvald for their murder. After seeing what he actually did to Rita and Elena, his priorities shift from exacting his revenge to rescuing Elena.
• Say My Name:
  • If he is fully boosted during his final boss battle, he will yell Harvey's name.
  • Averted with the other travelers, as he's notably the only one who doesn't address any of them directly in his combat lines, whereas everyone else at minimum calls out the name of anyone who gets KO'd.
• Science Wizard: Quite a bit of his research consists of applying mathematical theory to magic, considerably increasing the effect of his spells simply by performing them according to specific calculations.
• Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: His Crossed Paths story with Partitio in which he plays the role of Manly Man, lacking patience for his old friend Regulus and sternly lambasting him, while Sensitive Guy Partitio works to smooth over tensions between them, is empathetic and patient with Regulus' many foibles and tries his able best to bring his telescope project to fruition. Even extends to their coffee preferences; Osvald prefers his pure and black for the stimulating bitterness whereas Partitio likes to load his coffee up with milk and sugar. Exemplified in this exchange:
  Osvald: *sigh* That sweetness of yours is impeding our progress.
  Partitio: On the contrary, a bit o' sweetness helps everything along. As in coffee, as in life, partner.
• Significant Wardrobe Shift: He spends the vast majority of the game wearing prison rags, with the end to his second chapter seeing him throw a long coat over them to cover up his fugitive status. A second, more significant shift occurs in the epilogue where he is now wearing clean, tailored clothing showing his life has gotten back on track at last.
• The Smart Guy: Naturally being the Scholar of the group. He's also able to use the magic he's learned for purposes outside of battle such as the ice boat.
• Smart People Wear Glasses: He's The Smart Guy of the party, and he needs glasses.
• Staking the Loved One: Subverted. He thought his wife was turned into the Grieving Golem by Harvey before taking it down, but it was revealed that Harvey used her blood to power it and disposed of Rita.
• Starving Student: He mentions in travel banter with Partitio that he was one during his academy days. Osvald was low on money and had to choose between food and books. He chose books, which led to him racking up a tidy sum at the apothecary.
• Team Dad: The eldest member of the party who's stern but kind with the more naïve members of the group, particularly Ochette, Partitio, and Agnea.
• The Teetotaler: A banter between him and Partitio reveals that Osvald prefers coffee to alcohol, as he prefers to keep his wits about him at all times.
• Token Evil Teammate: Of the eight (alongside Throné), he has the most immoral goal (wanting to kill out of revenge). Plus his Nighttime Path Action Mug, which has you attack someone for their items is the most corrupt in the game. It's somewhat downplayed after it's revealed that Elena was never killed and he changes his goal to saving her from Harvey.
• Trademark Favorite Food: Goulash. Rita made it for him while she was alive and he especially enjoyed it on cold days. One travel banter even sees him get uncharacteristically mopey when the tavern runs out of goulash just as he learns that it was on the menu.
• Unusually Uninteresting Sight: Outside of one tavern banter with Throné and Hikari, the fact that Osvald is going around in his prisoner's clothes, including the chain, is never commented on.
• Vengeance Feels Empty: Notably subverted. Clarissa tries to warn him about this, but, in stark contrast to Primrose, once Osvald finally gets his revenge on Harvey, he feels very satisfied and much more at peace with himself. The fact that he was able to save his daughter in the process likely helped in this.
• Video Game Stealing: His Night Path Ability, Mug, involves fighting an NPC in battle and stealing items from them after winning.
• The Voiceless: As a prisoner, he's forced to wear a muzzle with a lock on it, since he is a mage who can conjure magic with words.
• What Does She See in Him?: Implied during one of his banters with Throné when she remarks how he found a wife when he admitted that he refused to swore a pledge of love as he didn't fully comprehend the concept. Despite the heavily implied differences between Osvald and Rita, they were shown to be in a stable, loving marriage.
• Wouldn't Hurt a Child: Children cannot be mugged by him. He even has a soft spot for kids so he wouldn't feel right hurting them.

Partitio Yellowil, the Merchant

Voiced by: Kazuya Nakai (Japanese), Jas Patrick (English)

"Time to divvy up the earnings."

A merchant from the vast wastes of the Wildlands seeking to bring prosperity to all, after seeing his pioneer hometown of Oresrush rise and fall.

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• Affectionate Nickname: His dad was fond of calling him "little chickadee" when he was young.
• All-Loving Hero: He's not above giving somebody a beatdown if they piss him off, but he also goes out of his way to attempt to redeem every single one of his antagonists because he wants to see the best in everybody. Not only does he successfully reform all of his villains, but when he finds out Ori tried to kill herself in order to douse the sacred flame he only expresses relief upon finding out she survived. Getting angry at her for being complicit in a plot to destroy the world doesn't even seem to cross his mind.
• Animal Motif: Stallions. Partitio has earned the nickname 'Wild Stallion' from his friends and workers. He is from a setting reminiscent of the Wild West, often behaves like a cowboy and can be quick to 'buck' his enemies when provoked. Stallions are also popular animals for trade and commerce, which Partitio is highly skilled in.
• Badass in a Nice Suit: While the Coat Cape adds a touch of informality, Partitio is, as a businessman, among the most sharply dressed members of the party even during combat.
• Benevolent Boss: While exact amounts aren't ever given, Partitio and his dad paid their employees very well while Oresrush was in its heyday. Even after the town was hit by a steep depression and economic hardships, the two did their best to help the town and it's people make ends meet.
• Beware the Nice Ones: While Partitio is a philanthropic Nice Guy, he's perfectly willing to throw down with those who would threaten, exploit, or otherwise harm his friends or innocent people.
• Cast from Money: The Hired Help merchant skill makes a return. Partitio also gets an exclusive EX skill called "Negotiate Schedule", which allows him to pay an enemy to take his next turn when the enemy normally would.
• Character Catchphrase: "Thankee kindly!"
• Coat Cape: He wears his coat over his shoulders.
• Contagious Heroism: Pretty much all of the villains Partitio encounters in his route end up as better people working for the good of their communities, as a result of Partitio's sheer positivity and desire to improve the world.
• The Dog Bites Back: After having his father's land taken from him through deceit and being driven into poverty along with his entire town, he and his employees decide to take back their town by force and kick the ass of the landowner's hired goons.
• Do You Want to Haggle?: Partitio's daytime path ability functions just like Tressa's did in the first game. Supplementing that, however, is his talent "Business Partners", which lets the people he Hires provide additional benefits like shop discounts or refunds at inns.
• Even the Loving Hero Has Hated Ones: In Osvald's Chapter 4, Partitio gets a travel banter after the party fights off a bunch of Harvey's chimeras. Osvald once again reiterates his desire for revenge against Harvey and Partitio voices his support, which indicates that even he can't forgive someone like Harvey.
• Fedora of Asskicking: A rather snazzy fedora: his run cycle has him holding on to it to keep it in place. That said, it wasn't his to begin with. It originally belonged to his father, who gave it to him as a going away present.
• Friend to All Children: Partitio has a soft spot for kids. He steps in to defend a child being threatened by Thurston, and he also expresses concern for the kids at Mother's Garden, claiming he wants to buy the orphanage so he can help them.
• The Friendly Texan: He's given a Texan accent in the English dub due to being from the setting's equivalent of the Wild West frontier. He's also a kind and helpful person who believes in the idea of spreading prosperity through honest business.
• Foil:
  • Oddly enough to Oboro, one of the game's main villains. Oboro, like every other member of the Moonshade Order, is a nihilist with no faith in the future, while Partitio is probably the second most idealistic and optimistic of the 8 travelers after Agnea. Both have a connection to Ori: Oboro is Ori's brother, and Ori developed a fascination in Partitio and appeared in his story multiple times.
  • To Throné. Both of them grew up in a poor manner (Partitio grew up in poverty after Roque betrayed him, Throné grew up with the Blacksnakes as a thief and assassin). They both have complicated relationships with antagonists who were also their mentors (Roque for Partitio, Father for Throné). They both have a strong desire to prevent others from suffering the same mistreatment they did. On a lighter note, they both have a great sense of fashion and have Animal Motifs (Stallions for Partitio, Snakes for Throné). Both of them are martial-oriented fighters (Partitio can wield spears and bows, Throné can wield swords and daggers.)
  • While Partitio is a Hot-Blooded, optimistic, and trusting young man who has one of the most idealistic goals in the game (using capitalism to end poverty), Throné is a calm, cynical and cautious woman who has one of the most selfish goals (killing her enemies to gain her freedom). Partitio is a very forgiving person who gives all of the antagonists in his route a second chance while Throné, though compassionate towards her friends and allies, is ruthless towards the antagonists in her route and kills them all. While Partitio reconciles with Roque and gives him a second chance, Throné is forced to kill Father in order to gain her freedom, though she does show some fear over losing him. Partitio's route has a Happy Ending where he becomes the new president of Roque's company and uses his position to improve the world, Throné has a Bittersweet Ending as despite winning her freedom, she states that it doesn't feel as wonderful as she thought due to the blood she has shed and learning that the Blacksnakes were her half-siblings all along.
  • To Hikari. Both of them start off in hot and desert-themed regions (Partitio starts off in the Wildlands which is reminiscent of America's Wild West, Hikari starts in the desert region of Hinoeuma). Both of them are looked up to as leaders in their homes (Partitio because of his well-paying leadership and valuing the welfare of his town, Hikari because of his royal lineage). Both of them leave their homes with the intent of stopping something threatening innocent people under different circumstances (Partitio leaves Oresrush after experiencing poverty to help end it across Solistia, but leaves his home because everyone encouraged him to, Hikari leaves Ku to end his nation's cycle of violence and bloodshed, but leaves because he's branded a traitor by his brother, Mugen). Both of their final bosses are people who they know from their pasts (Roque being Partitio's mentor, Mugen being Hikari's brother). Both of them are martial oriented fighters (Partitio uses spears and bows, Hikari uses swords and spears) who are associated with warm colors (Yellow for Partitio, Red for Hikari). Both of their journeys begin due to being betrayed by a former ally (Roque betrayed Oresrush by driving it into poverty and stealing all their wealth, Ritsu sided with Mugen out of pride and jealousy towards Hikari). Both Hikari and Partitio's stories end with them being in positions of great power and influence (Hikari being King of Ku and finally bringing an end to his clan's cycle of violent conquest, Partitio being the CEO of Roque's Company and using his resources to help provide jobs and prosperity across Solistia.)
• Good Capitalism, Evil Capitalism: Partitio sincerely believes in the power of capitalism to breed innovation and bring prosperity to all, so long as people use money wisely to benefit society and workers are fairly paid for their labor. Many of the antagonists he faces in his story are Mean Bosses and Corrupt Corporate Executives who hoard wealth selfishly, make unfair deals and treat their workers poorly.
• Hollywood Tone-Deaf: A tavern banter between him, Agnea, and Hikari reveals this: inspired by Agnea's singing getting them free drinks, Partitio attempts to do the same, only to be told by the tavern keeper that his voice is bothering the other customers and that he should leave, much to his dismay.
• Honest Corporate Executive: At the end of his story, he becomes the president of a new company with Roque and uses his resources to revitalize the world economy as well as offering employment to the masses. He also helps creating the locomotive in the setting for the sake of uniting the world economically and culturally.
• Hope Bringer: Partitio's kindness and drive to do right by people and help them inspires others. When Giff and the landowner lump further abuses on the broken townsfolk, it is Partitio taking up the lead to fight this injustice that frees the town. When he sees the abuses of the monopoly of the steam engine in Clockbank, he seeks a way to give people a better path. He elevates a different town in decline and despair through his ingenuity. When his Story is over and he attains wealth, power, influence beyond anything he had before, he remains his good self and isn't corrupted by it. He works to elevate everyone to a better place in life, regardless of the wrongs they might have done him. And in doing this, inspires hope in Ori's cynical view of the world and saves her life.
• Hot-Blooded: He's quite eager to throw down if the situation calls for it, which worries his father.
• Humble Hero: He genuinely wants nothing more than to make the world a better place; the fortune and fame that come with his profession and heroics mean nothing to him compared to seeing people happy. When Osvald points out that it's thoughts of him that saved Ori from killing herself, Partitio immediately downplays his role in changing her fate, seemingly wanting Ori to have all of the credit for changing her mind.
• Jack of All Stats: Merchant gives Partitio a flexible stat spread that lets him fit well into any secondary job. However, he'll always be inferior than the owner of the job due to lacking the starting stat spread they have, and he'll end up being a slightly weaker version of whoever owns the original class.
• Magic Knight: Of all the characters, his stats are the most evenly distributed between magic and physical offense. It will more than likely be the case that they have the exact same statistics when Partitio is first recruited, though his weapons of choice mean he'll skew towards physical damage at first. The only downside is that Merchant only has one elemental attack, so to do his Magic Knight job well, he'll need his secondary job to provide more.
• Manly Tears: He can't help but cry when he meets his former employees living as destitute as they are and feels responsible for everyone's plight during his 1st Chapter.
• Meaningful Name: His name likely comes from the word partition, to divide into parts - his goal is to use his merchant talents to free the world from poverty, partitioning wealth. For bonus points, his surname simultaneously evokes "yell" for his Latent Power, "yellow" for his signature coat's color, and "will" for his unending drive.
• Misery Builds Character: As difficult as his time living in destitution was, Partitio cites afterwards that he's actually glad for it, precisely because it made him realize how many people in the world are suffering — inspiring his newfound goal to eliminate poverty.
• Missing Mom: Using Path actions on Papp reveals that Partitio's mother passed away some time before the game starts.
• Nice Guy: Partitio is easily one of the kindest and most selfless of the eight heroes, always stopping to help those in need while never asking for anything in return. He's so positive and selfless that a member of a nihilistic death cult ends up changing her ways simply from watching his heroics.
• No Poverty: This is Partitio's goal: to create a world free of poverty. He does this by revitalizing the economies of the places he visits and ends up inventing the concept of Department Stores in the setting.
• Playing with Fire: In a contrast with Tressa's access to Wind, Partitio's element is Fire, aptly symbolizing his burning passion for eliminating poverty.
• Rags to Riches and Riches to Rags: Partitio, his dad, and their business partner made a killing mining silver for around 8 years. Said partner eventually left, with the Yellowils and Oresrush getting heavily taxed by the landowner for another 8 years, leaving Oresrush in poverty and on track to becoming a ghost town.
• The Redeemer: Every single antagonist and/or villain in his story—even those he wasn't aware of, like Ori— becomes a better person because of Partitio's kindness and unwavering devotion to his ideals.
• Refuge in Audacity: Partitio is often able to get things done by the sheer boldness of his actions. For example, he actually accepts Roque's ludicrous offer to buy the steam engine for 80 billion leaves... and then manages to acquire said 80 billion leaves by impressing the wealthy nobleman Alrond. Castti lampshades the latter in travel banter, teasing him over his audaciousness in barging into Alrond's manor and asking for a loan.
• Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: In his Crossed Paths story with Osvald, he plays the role of Sensitive Guy; Partitio works to smooth over tensions between Osvald and Regulus, is empathetic and patient with Regulus' many foibles, and tries his able best to bring his telescope project to fruition. Meanwhile, Osvald is the Manly Man, lacking patience for his old friend Regulus and sternly lambasting him.
• Sharp-Dressed Man: Dressed in a three-piece suit and a fedora even when adventuring through harsh environments.
• Southern-Fried Genius: Partitio is given a Southern (specifically Texan) accent in the English dub, and he's a clever man with a serious head for business. This is best shown during his Scent of Commerce sections, where he often doesn't grasp the full details of what he's working with, but is smart enough to infer the functions of a gramophone and pin the Grand Terry as a masterwork given his skills as a merchant and eye for quality.
• Thou Shalt Not Kill: Every antagonist in Partitio's story survives their battles against him.
• Token Good Teammate: Downplayed, alongside Agnea. While everyone in the party is ultimately heroic, Partitio is the sole male traveler who doesn't possess a violent or dubious Path Action. He also doesn't kill a single antagonist in his story, which in itself is much more optimistic than the more bloodstained paths of many of the other travelers.
• Villain Respect: Practically everyone that opposed Partitio, and even tried to kill him, ends up with a massive amount of respect for him—and are even happy to work for him. This also applies to Ori, as she notes in her journal (although she hadn't directly opposed Partitio in his story), who was so moved by Partitio's accomplishments and selflessness, she had nothing but good things to say about him and kept him in her thoughts even up until she sacrificed herself to douse one of the Sacred Flames.
• Wealthy Philanthropist: His ultimate goal is to become rich and use his resources to eliminate poverty from the world. By the end of his storyline, he's become an industrialist tycoon attempting to bring about the Industrial Revolution.

Agnea Bristarni, the Dancer

Voiced by: Inori Minase (Japanese), Xanthe Huynh (English)

"Even if I stumble, I'll get back up."

A dancer from Cropdale in the Leaflands who aspires to stardom and seeks to follow in her mother's footsteps.

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• Accent Slip-Up: Normally she affects a fancy city accent (General American), but when startled she can slip back to the Southern American accent everyone else in Cropdale has.
• Apologetic Attacker: Has a habit of apologizing to enemies she attacks in battle, and even when she gets the last attack that ends the fight.
• The Baby of the Bunch: At 18 years of age, she is the youngest of the eight playable characters.
• Badass Adorable: A cheerful and optimistic young woman who subdued a giant hungry boar that had to be driven out by a bunch of people, for heavens' sake.
• Beware the Nice Ones: She's a real sweetheart, even going out of her way to help someone she just met, but she won't hesitate to put her foot down when someone is acting out of line.
• Blow You Away: Agnea's element is Wind, contrasting Primrose's Darkness, symbolizing her drive to take the world by storm and bring happiness to all.
• Buxom Beauty Standard: Pala holds her well-endowed sister Agnea to this, suggesting (in the Japanese script) that she use her "peaches" to round up help for the festival.
• Combat Stilettos: Her character art reveals that she wears a pair of black high heels. It doesn't stop her from being a skilled combatant (and a fine dancer), though.
• Cute Clumsy Girl: Frequently trips and stumbles, despite being an otherwise graceful dancer.
• The Cutie: Like Tressa before her, Agnea relatively comes across as a cute and innocent kid among her companions, who in general have more serious personalities and/or stories.
• Dance Battler: As to be expected, she can use various dances in battle to provide buffs to her allies.
• D-Cup Distress: Played for Laughs in Agnea's Prologue. In the Japanese script, Pala suggests that Agnea make use of her "peaches" to round people up for the festival, clearly referring to her sister's breasts. Agnea is flustered by Pala's insinuation.^note This was rewritten in the English version to Agnea using her "talents".
• Deceased Parents Are the Best: Agnea thinks the world of her mother Cuani, who passed away before the start of the story.
• Devious Daggers: Agnea is very adept with a knife, even having the Dagger Dance skill to attack all enemies with her blade.
• Even the Girls Want Her: Like Primrose before her, Agnea's Allure ability can be used on both men and women. Lampshaded by her sister Pala in her first chapter, much to Agnea's embarrassment.
  Pala: I'm sure men and women alike would gather 'round if you put on a li'l show!
• Foil: To Temenos.
  • Both of them depart from their hometowns after fighting a monster alongside a companion (Agnea fights off a Duorduor with her childhood friend, Gus, Temenos fights off a Felvarg with his new acquaintance, Crick^note Incidentally, Duorduor and Felvarg are tied for the highest HP of all Chapter 1 bosses, at 3,600 HP).
  • Both of their default classes only have access to one weapon (daggers for Agnea, staves for Temenos).
  • Both of them have Path Actions that allow them to recruit new party members (Allure for Agnea, Guide for Temenos).
  • Both of them know female members of the Moonshade Order (Agnea meets Tanzy at Tropu'hopu, Temenos knows Mindt/Arcanette from Flamechurch).
  • Both of their introduction images show that they are a Friend to All Children (Agnea enjoys dancing for them, Temenos does paper plays for them).
  • Both of them specialize in support roles in combat (Agnea often provides buffs for her teammates, Temenos is a healer).
  • Both of them lost someone dear to them before the events of their prologues (Agnea lost her mother, Cuani, from an illness, Temenos lost his best friend, Roi, who had been hunted down by Petrichor and turned into the Dark Entity).
  • Agnea is an optimistic Cute Clumsy Girl who is quick to see the best in others, Temenos is a cynical Deadpan Snarker who is slow to trust due to having lost Roi and Pontiff Jörg. Agnea's story is about becoming a star just like her mother while Temenos's is solving a string of murders that leads to him learning the slaughter of the Kal people, the existence of the Moonshade Order, and Kaldena's plot to destroy the world.
  • Finally, both are paired up with a fighter during their Crossed Paths and also for Ship Tease (Agnea is paired up with Hikari in a journey where they help set up a festival in Ku and help a woman named Yomi regain her senses after her sister passed away, Temenos is paired up with Throné in a journey where they go on a treasure hunt after meeting with a woman named Alpates and promise to keep her mirror safe after discovering that she died).
• Genki Girl: She's often cheerful and enthusiastic.
• Girly Run: Her running animation is this.
• Hope Bringer: The best virtue to ascribe to Agnea is Hope. Through her charm, wit, and kindess, everywhere she walks she leaves it a brighter, happier place with people looking less cynical about their lot in life. From a lonely, melencholic bar owner who no longer played his piano, to a teenage cynical girl from the slums of Sai, to Dolcinaea herself, who is wrapped up in pride and self-loathing, each person becomes more hopeful to the future. When she starts her journey her purse containing 10,000 in her tips is called the "Purse of Hope." The song she preforms at the Grand Gala is "The Song of Hope" and that is the name of her unlocked skill in her final chapter.
• Jack of All Stats: Her stat spread allows her to attack or use magic effectively, although she's weighted towards magic and can be one of the best mages in the party (even doing respectable damage with just her Wind magic with the right equipment setup).
• Just Friends: With Gus. Throné teases Agnea about her relationship with Gus in a tavern banter, but Agnea insists that there's nothing going on between them.
• Kick Chick: One of her (starting!) dancer skills is Ruinous Kick, which lets her remove a shield point from an enemy while ignoring their weaknesses. It also serves as a nice high-damage skill in general, especially when Boosted.
• Lighter and Softer: Like Tressa before her and in direct contrast with Primrose, who had probably the darkest story in the original, Agnea has by a mile the most lighthearted story. The story is about Agnea trying to achieve her dreams of being a dancer as good as her deceased mother, with no higher stakes than that. The people opposing her in her route are more jerks at worst rather than straight-up villains. The antagonist she has to fight is first a wild, hungry boar which is attracted by the food from the town's festival. The second is a greedy theater owner whose worst action is to beat up a bartender for allowing Agnea to dance for free in his establishment and therefore competing with him. Then, Agnea meets the main antagonist, a rival dancer who is much more of a snobbish jerk than evil. Said dancer, Dolcinaea, does the closest we have in the route for a villainous action by attempting at one point to demolish the poor district of a village and kicking out its inhabitants and reconstructing it at her image, mostly because of her ego, as she grew up as a poor street urchin in said district, something that she deeply despises, and wants to eliminate anything which reminds her of her past. You later encounter Veronica, Dolcinaea's bodyguard, who acts as an enforcer to Dolcinaea and threatens a nice elderly couple and their adopted children with eviction, so their house can be destroyed; while it's a mean thing to do, it's clear that Veronica does that out of doing her job and being very loyal to her boss, rather than for kicks. She also fights you, but purely because Dolcinaea orders her to, and it is her occupation anyway. Finally, you fight Dolcinaea as the final boss of Agnea's route at the end chapter. Said battle is basically a duet, even if is treated as a standard boss fight. What's more, at the end, every antagonist Agnea has encountered become better people thanks to her influence and even appear in the ending congratulating her for winning, including Dolcinaea, who seems genuinely happy for Agnea. Besides, nobody dies in the route; even the duorduor is just knocked out.
• Missing Mom: It's established very early on that Agnea's mother died to an illness before the start of the game.
• Ms. Fanservice: Agnea wears a bodice that shows she's well-endowed (though not as much as Throné), and her various dancing animations show off her legs (all in a faux-16-bit-sprite presentation, granted, but the idea is there).
• Nice Girl: She’s very upbeat and friendly to just about everyone she meets.
• Older Than They Look: You'd be forgiven for believing she's much younger than 18, given her optimism and innocence.
• Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping: Agnea's spent years training to hide her countryside accent but can get shocked into slipping back into it.
• Plucky Girl: The fact that her story is essentially her putting together her experiences to complete the Song of Hope says everything you need to know about her neverending optimism. Her post-victory quote also cements it:
  Agnea: Even if I stumble, I'll get back up!
• Quirky Bard: The Dancer skillset (which Agnea defaults into and will always have access to) consists of this, with a lot of buffing moves, Bewildering Grace ^note can do anything from damage to either party, status effects, massive experience or job point boosts, to almost killing the party, and some Wind magic.
• The Redeemer: She helps Dolcinaea (and, by proxy, Veronica) loosen up and become her better self. Played for Laughs with La'mani, who's horrified in the final chapter to find that he's become Agnea's fan after being moved by her performance.
• Ship Tease: Downplayed, with Hikari. While romance is not a particular aspect among the travelers, disregarding that they have a Crossed Paths story together, her Chapter 2 traveler banter with Hikari has him pick up Gil's "hot" compliment for himself regarding her dance moves, to which Agnea admits to her cheeks feeling "hot" upon hearing his praise of it.
• Silk Hiding Steel: Despite her kind demeanor, Agnea has no problem with having to throw hands if she has to. Her first chapter has her fighting off a duorduor (an elephant-sized boar) to protect her sister and keep it from attacking the festival. Both Pala (said sister) and Gus (her bartender friend) are absolutely stunned that she was able to smack the duorduor around the way she did.
  Pala: This town really is too small for you, sis...
• Strong Family Resemblance: An old woman in Sai notes that she looks a lot like her mom.
• Supreme Chef: According to Pala, she's an excellent cook, and she's shown to do most of the cooking at home during her first chapter. Agnea also has a travel banter with Ochette where, upon trying Agnea's method of preparing fish, Ochette immediately declares it's much better than the fish she got from a stall.
• The Teetotaler: One banter reveals she doesn't drink alcohol, instead having juice when others drink. With that said, she doesn't mind watching others get drunk, as she enjoys the liveliness.
• Thou Shalt Not Kill: Every antagonist in Agnea's story survives their battles against her.
• Token Good Teammate: Downplayed, alongside Partitio. She's the sole female traveler who doesn't possess a violent or dubious Path Action^note Technically, Allure is still a "Rogue" path action as it can cause the reputation to drop if you fail to use it, but unlike Primrose who mainly uses it just to make people help her advance her goal, Agnea mainly uses it to help people out, and she enjoys making others happy with it too, and like Partitio, her story is much more idealistic and positive than most of the others, reflected in how she never has to take a single life.
• Worthy Opponent: While Dolcinea's arrogance means she often talks down to Agnea in her final chapter, she acknowledges Agnea well enough to know that the two of them competing will give a show that the audience won't forget, culminating in her admitting afterwards that Agnea was "dazzling".

Temenos Mistral, the Cleric

Voiced By: Akira Ishida (Japanese), Jordan Dash Cruz (English)

"May the Sacred Flame guide you... or... something like that."

An Inquisitor for the Church of the Sacred Flame. After a tragic incident happens in the church in the Crestlands, he sets out to solve the mystery left in its wake.

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• Animal Motifs: Two types of animals in particular help define his character;
  • Colorful birds in general. The stained glass window that's used to indicate how far along he is in his story prominently features a green bird, and his last name is associated with the wind, which is itself associated with birds. He has a fondness for refering to the Sacred Guard as 'crows,' and as his chapter 3 reveals, he has metaphorically 'fallen out of the nest' with the passing of the Pontiff and Roi, his biggest inspirations and closest allies within the church, such that he feels he can trust no one besides Crick within the organization. His position in the Church of the Sacred Flame also affords him the most freedom within the organization, as he can travel wherever he wants whenever he wants on the pretext of pursuing various leads for the sake of religious matters.
  • His detractors derisively refer to him as a hound, and rightly so; he sniffs out clues as a hound picks out scents, and the climax of his opening chapter reveals he has a strong, accurate sense of smell, if not on the level with Ochette. Fittingly, he's paired with the dog-loving Throné more than any other traveler, working closely with her in their Crossed Paths story.
• Anti-Hero: Like Osvald and Throné, Temenos is one of the more cynical and morally dubious members of the group, which is ironic considering his job as a Cleric. He is not afraid of lying, disregarding authority or even immediately resorting to violent and questionable methods. He even laughs at Crick in Chapter 3, viewing his dream as naïvety. However, he is firmly on the side of good, is willing to give advice to his fellow travelers and his goal is to discover the one responsible for the Pontiff's murder.
• Arch-Enemy: Arcanette, also known as Mindt. She orchestrated the deaths of Roi, Pontiff Jörg, and Crick, the latter through her manipulation of Kaldena. Needless to say, Temenos is not happy when he learns of his colleague's role in his friends' murders.
• Badass Preacher: He's a cleric who's more than capable of handling himself, as the heretic who tries to take him hostage finds out the hard way.
• Battle in the Center of the Mind: His nighttime Path Action Coerce does this to the NPCs; when used, he fights them mentally, and after breaking the NPCs they'll give information without fainting unlike other Path Actions involving battles.
• Beware the Silly Ones: He speaks like he's half-asleep and has forgotten important lines for his paper plays several times, but as Cubaryi, Kaldena and Arcanette find out, getting on his bad side is a really bad idea.
• Blasphemous Boast: He gets a badass one before his boss fight against Vados.
  Vados: Well deduced, Temenos… (Draws knife)
  Temenos: None can deceive mine eyes. Not even a god.
• Brilliant, but Lazy: Invoked a lot during battle, when most of his battle quotes are of him teasing that he's not a fighter but can dish out a lot of damage when need to. He can't even bother to properly send a prayer to his dead enemies without sounding like he cares:
  Temenos: May the Sacred Flame guide you... or... something like that.
• Bunny-Ears Lawyer: Temenos is somewhat lackadaisical, irreverent, snarky, and rather relentless in badgering others for information. He's also a high-ranking member of the Church, a powerful cleric, and possesses a sharp mind and strong deductive skills. This rather takes Crick by surprise in Temenos' first chapter, with him noting that he can't believe someone of Temenos' "ilk" became an Inquisitor. Turns out he deduces that the Pontiff chose him as inquisitor because he's not easy to fool, and the Pontiff even left him clues to pursue the mystery behind the Pontiff's murder.
• Character Catchphrase:
  • "Doubt is what I do."
  • "The truth...lies in the Flame." when activating his Sherlock Scan.
• Cowboy Cop: As an Inquisitor given his position by the Pontiff, he is a separate force from the Sacred Guards, whose job is the security of high-ranking members of their religious order. After the Pontiff is found dead, Temenos finds a hidden scripture book in the pulpit likely placed there by the Pontiff before his demise. He doesn't give this book or his thoughts on the crime scene to his counterparts in the Sacred Guard, choosing to set out on his own to find the truth.
• The Cynic: He distrusts authority figures, including the Sacred Guard, and even questions the motives of the gods themselves. This is because his best friend, Roi, mysteriously disappeared while investigating the church and never returned, having been turned into the Dark Entity fought at the beginning of Ochette's route by the Darkblood Bow.
• Deadpan Snarker: He often makes witty remarks in regard to his surroundings.
• Dissonant Serenity: His reaction to being held hostage by an insurgent in his first chapter is a nonchalant "Oh dear... It seems I've been captured." before proceeding to use Holy Light to knock the insurgent out cold.
• Due to the Dead: The final frame of his story's completion is Temenos gently smiling at the grave of some unnamed person, heavily implied to be Crick.
• Elemental Motifs: Light. Temenos immediately has access to Light-based Magic as a Cleric, which serves twofold as he is a Cleric of the Sacred Flame, who is called to bring light to the world. As an Inquisitor, it's Temenos's responsibility to bring the truth to light in the wake of the murders of Pontiff Jörg, Lucian, and Crick. In his story ending, he brings light on the corruption within the Church and the Sacred Guard.
• Excellent Judge of Character: His skeptical personality means he is pretty good at deducing if someone is trustworthy, and is usually right. He deduces that the Sacred Guard is not trustworthy, and sure enough, the captain and her second-in-command turn out to be heretics (though it probably helps that they are clad in red and black armor). However, he doesn't suspect Arcanette a.k.a. Mindt until the end-game.
• Foil:
  • To Hikari. Both of their journeys begin after the tragic deaths of their father figures (Mugen murders King Jigo and frames Hikari for his death, Pontiff Jörg was killed by a Felvarg, having been lured by Vados the Architect on Arcanette's orders.) Both of their final antagonists are leaders of powerful groups that are transformed into monsters by the Shadow (Hikari goes up against Mugen, King of Ku, who becomes the Enshrouded King and Temenos goes up against Captain Kaldena, leader of the Sacred Guard, who becomes a nightmarish creature, Night Kaldena.) Both of them lose a dear friend of theirs within their routes (Ritsu betrays Hikari and sides with Mugen, Crick is killed by Kaldena after he discovers the truth of the Sacred Guard's corruption.) Both of them have Crossed Paths with a female member of the group (Hikari travels with Agnea, Temenos travels with Throné.) Both have a nighttime action that allows them to gather information (Hikari's Bribery and Temenos's Coercion.) Both of them are unknowingly friends with members of the Moonshade Order (Hikari with Kazan/Oboro, Temenos with Mindt/Arcanette.)
    • While Hikari is a Nice Guy who's almost always unfailingly polite and kind, Temenos is a Deadpan Snarker who's often rude and cynical. Hikari is a warrior who utilizes spears and swords while Temenos is a cleric who wields staves and light magic. Hikari's main goal is to overthrow Mugen and take back the throne that was stolen from him, Temenos seeks to discover the mystery behind the murder of Pontiff Jörg. Hikari strongly believes in The Power of Friendship and is quick to trust others, Temenos prefers working alone and is slower to trust others and even quicker to doubt. Hikari is often the Straight Man in his dynamic with Kazan, who has no problem with questionable methods, and Temenos has no issue doing morally ambiguous things, much to Crick's annoyance.
  • To Throné. Temenos works as a Cleric within the Order of the Sacred Flame, a generally respected and beloved organization that he voluntarily joined, though it has hidden corruption within the Sacred Guard and Mindt actually being Arcanette, leader of the Moonshade Order, Throné is a Thief who serves the Blacksnakes, a group of thieves and assassins against her will and seeks to break free. Both of them have cynical yet curious personalities, which contributes to them being able to work within morally grey situations, though Temenos is working to investigate the murder of Pontiff Jörg while Throné is fighting to secure her freedom from the Blacksnakes. Despite being two of the more morally dubious members of the group, they are shown to be a Friend to All Children, with Temenos performing paper plays for them and Throné wanting to keep them out of crime. While Temenos has a great relationship with his adoptive father figure, Pontiff Jörg, Throné has a very complicated one with her adoptive paternal figure, Father. Both have Elemental Motifs and an Animal Motif (Light and birds for Temenos, darkness and snakes for Throné). Both of them aren't afraid to use something they possess through underhanded means (Temenos using his status as a Cleric to coerce information out of people, Throné using her beauty to her advantage).
• Friend to All Children: His Establishing Character Moment is him telling the story of Vide and Aelfric to kids in the Flamechurch Chapel, with the children getting a kick out of him forgetting the lines for the umpteenth time.
• The Gadfly: He just loves teasing people, and he admits to Agnea in his second chapter that he likes watching Crick's reactions to the things he says.
• Great Detective: Practically his actual job as an Inquisitor, though under a religious context, which causes his role to occasionally cross over into Occult Detective territory. Early party banter has the entire crew eventually start looking at him as a detective after Agnea realizes Temenos' job isn't just to perform paper plays for children, with Osvald and Throné especially playing off that aspect of his character. Most of his villains get in on the act, too.
• Hidden Depths: A tavern banter has Agnea surprised that Temenos writes and draws his paper plays himself, noting that his drawings are very cute.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold: While not as openly unfriendly as Osvald, Temenos is rude enough on a regular basis that Castti sincerely means well when she comments on how he's being "nice today" (to Temenos's offence), but it's clear that he cares about his friends even if he's not always good at showing it.
• Let's Get Dangerous!: Not that he wasn't a threat before, but following Crick's death, Temenos is furious and drops his snarky Troll demeanor upon confronting the boss of the chapter.
• Light 'em Up: Temenos starts with Holy Light, a light-element spell. He can also learn Luminescence.
• Major Injury Underreaction: If he is defeated by someone he attempts to Coerce, he simply says "So it goes..." and continues on his way, regardless of how much damage he took. Justified, as the implication is that his attempts to Coerce people are mental fights, since he isn't penalized as if he committed an actual crime if he loses; he's likely just exhausted after getting nowhere with an investigation.
• Meaningful Name: A "temenos" is a piece of land or property set aside from common use with the intention it is to be used by a King, Chief, or Deity. Likewise, Temenos is a deeply spiritual man, though full of doubts, but he too is cut off from the common members of the Sacred Flame and Sacred Guard. He is his own domain and has full authority in it to act as he desires.
• Mystical White Hair: He has naturally white hair, and he's a Cleric with access to Light and healing magic. He also has good elemental stats and can use any offensive magic well.
• Not So Stoic:
  • He's typically a very mellow guy, but finding Crick's killer, Kaldena, and engaging her in battle makes him uncharacteristically enraged.
  • Like Throné, he's moved by Hikari singing to the point of tears, even if he tries to claim that "[his] heart is merely sweating."
  • When Arcanette finally reveals herself as the Grandmaster of the Moonshade Order, she taunts him over the deaths of Roi, the Pontiff, and Crick, all so she could see Temenos lose his composure. It works, with fatal results for Arcanette.
• O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Fighting Kaldena, who killed his best friend and betrayed the church, is one of the few times he notably loses his tranquility, outright screaming "Kaldena!!!" with full-on killing intent.
• Older Than They Look: Given his youthful features and irreverent nature, it's surprising to learn that Temenos is actually 30.
• Phrase Catcher: When exiting his Sherlock Scan, whoever is with him will tell him "Welcome back." Usually, it's Crick, but Throné also says it in their Crossed Path.
• Pre-Asskicking One-Liner:
  • When he uses his Coerce ability, he typically starts interrogation-battle with the line "I will get answers."
  • When he faces the leader of the Heretics in his final chapter, the leader demands to know why Temenos will not submit to their will, why Temenos chooses to defy them. Temenos pauses and readies himself for battle before saying, "Because doubt is what I do."
• Say My Name: If he is fully boosted during his final boss battle, his usual dialogue is replaced with a furious “KAALDENAAA!”
• Sherlock Homage: Much of Temenos’s character and storyline allude to Sherlock Holmes stories and their adaptations, in particular his snarky Bunny-Ears Lawyer personality and his dynamic with capable but curious assistants. His theme music is also in the style frequently used by Holmes movies and TV shows.
• Sherlock Scan: Like Cyrus before him, each of his chapters involves him analyzing his surroundings and situation to deduce a solution or his next move.
• Squishy Wizard: He's not as frail as Osvald, but his HP and Defense are rather middling.
• Tranquil Fury: Temenos isn't one to really emote, but after Crick dies, he speaks to his killers with a tone of voice that, while calm, makes it very clear that he's now out to avenge his friend.
• Troll: Poor Crick has to deal with snarky remark after snarky remark coming from Temenos, who takes advantage of Crick's greenhorn status as a Sanctum Knight and subtle Cowardly Lion tendencies.
• Vitriolic Best Buds: With Crick: despite Temenos constantly and merrily giving Crick grief and Crick's exasperation with him, it's clear that the two care about each other, with Temenos trying to be a Trickster Mentor and Crick constantly stepping in to protect Temenos from harm. When Crick is killed, Temenos is horrified, and vows to bring his killer to justice.
• White Hair, Black Heart: Downplayed. Temenos is firmly heroic, but he's one of the more morally dubious and generally ruder travelers, with white hair to befit his trollish tendencies.
• White Mage: Much like Ophilia in the first game, he has access to Heal and Revive.

Hikari Ku, the Warrior

Voiced by: Yoji Matsuda (Japanese), Howard Wang (English)

"There's no need for flattery; it'll rust my sword."

The younger prince of the Ku Clan in Hinoeuma, seeking to end the ceaseless battles his lands are involved in.

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• All-Loving Hero: Hikari believes in compassion above all else and will always avoid killing if he can help it, and the amount of grudges he holds can be counted on one hand, if even that. It makes the contrast with the bloodthirsty "Hikari", brought about by the Curse of Ku, all the sharper.
• Always Someone Better: To Ritsu, who is envious of his swordsmanship. That being said, Hikari himself is second best to his brother Mugen.
• Awesomeness by Analysis: As shown in a flashback in his Chapter 4, a young Hikari was shown to be able to quickly learn and execute a Hachimonjigiri slash after witnessing Jin Mei perform it once in a sparring match, showcasing his Power Copying Talent at a young age. Hikari attributes this to having a great teacher like Jin instead of his own innate skills.
• Beware the Nice Ones: Hikari is a kind and polite young man who advocates for peace and friendship. He generally prefers to handle solutions peacefully, but he will not hesitate to draw his weapon when peace fails. He states himself that the moment his opponent draws their weapon, he will fight back without a second thought.
• The Big Guy: The most physically oriented of the eight protagonists, with the highest base HP and physical defense. The Warrior Job's skillset also encourages playing him as a tank, drawing in hits from enemies and hitting them with a counterattack that reduces their shield points regardless of weaknesses. (Ironically, official art tends to◊ consistently depict him◊ as the shortest and slightest of the four male leads.)
• The Comically Serious: He comes across this way at times due to the fact that he's one of the most formal travelers. For instance, Hikari maintains his seriousness when interacting with Ochette in traveler banters, and Agnea states that he gets "even more serious" after having a bit to drink in a tavern banter with her and Castti.
• Cursed with Awesome: The Curse of Ku does allow him to pull off terrifyingly powerful and effective swordplay, and makes folks like Ritsu seem like gnats in comparison. It also gives him a voice in his head demanding bloodshed and needless murder and cruelty which he struggles to fight off.
• Didn't Think This Through: Despite the changing political climate no thanks to Mugen, he doesn't think of the possibility that his reunion with Rai Mei could go poorly, which nearly gets him killed when Rai Mei is determined to protect her clan, even if it means following Mugen.
• Due to the Dead: His story begins with him at Ku's gravesite, thinking of his fallen friends before going off to battle, and it ends in a similar manner, with him creating a grave there for Ritsu.
• Everyone Is Related: He shares the bloodline of D'arqest with Throné, making them distant cousins.
• Famous Ancestor: On both sides. Clan Ku is descended from the archmage D'arqest. Hikari's mother, Kura, was from the Lumina bloodline, which can be traced to Aelfric himself. This means that Hikari is distantly related to Claude, Throné, Alpates, Rita Vanstein (née Lumina), and Elena Vanstein.
• Fatal Flaw: As he himself notes, Hikari's kind heart makes him far too trusting of others. Despite his openly duplicitous nature and the fact Hikari admits he often felt like he was little more then another pawn to him, Hikari never suspected that Oboro/Kazan may have had ulterior motives for his actions.
• Foil: To Osvald. Both of them were forced from their homes after being framed by the main antagonists (Hikari had to flee Ku because Mugen blamed him for killing King Jigo, Osvald was sent to Frigit Isle because Harvey killed his family and framed him for the crime). Both of them were betrayed by their best friends, kickstarting their journeys (Hikari was betrayed by Ritsu when he joined forces with Mugen, Osvald was betrayed by Harvey when he framed him for burning his family alive). Both of them tend to be The Stoic within the group, though while Hikari is genuinely friendly, polite and has one of the most idealistic goals in the game (ending Ku's cycle of bloodshed and reclaiming the throne from Mugen), Osvald is blunt, aloof and has a very selfish goal (taking revenge on Harvey for killing his family)^note It’s also worth stating that their respective predecessors Olberic and Cyrus are both Large Hams, which is the exact opposite of The Stoic. Both of them are a hard-hitting Genius Bruiser, but Hikari is a powerful swordsman who relies on martial skill while Osvald is a skilled scholar who wields magic. Both of them have access to Path Actions that allow them to gain information (Hikari's Bribe, Osvald's Scrutinize) as well as fight people one-on-one (Hikari's Challenge, Osvald's Mug). Both of them have relations with those who share the Lineage of Light (Hikari's mother, Kura, is from said lineage, thus making Hikari of the Lineage of Light as well. Osvald's wife and daughter, Rita and Elena, are of the Lineage of Light too, which prompted Harvey to fake their deaths so he could kidnap them.)
• Genius Bruiser: Party banter with Osvald reveals that Hikari is an avid reader (of war records, particularly), and that growing up he would regularly have mock war councils with Kazan to hone his mind.
• Good Is Not Soft: Despite Mugen's (and, post-timeskip, Ritsu's) belief that Hikari's kindness makes him weak, Hikari is entirely capable of ruthlessness when needed—vowing as early in Chapter 1 that he'll show Mugen no mercy, for one—and in general makes it clear that he never holds back in a fight, even if he's not out to kill.
• The Good King: His journey is about recruiting his friends to try and take down Mugen to take back the throne. And he does exactly that.
• Gratuitous Japanese: Many of Hikari's unique skills are left in untranslated Japanese; he tends to call out these attack names, as well.
• Hereditary Curse: His clan is afflicted by the Curse of Ku, which grants him incredible power as his Latent Power. But in story terms, it subjects him to a voice that tempts him to shed blood. He more or less implies that his brother Mugen can also hear the voice. It is later revealed that the "curse" is not actually a curse, but rather the result of being descendants of the archmage D'arqest, the source of the voice and the long-deceased former leader of the Moonshade Order.
• Hidden Depths: Hikari has an affinity for music. He shares his Crossed Paths story with Agnea and in his travel banter with her, he compliments her voice. Hikari may have some musical talent of his own as well - in the travel banter "Gambling" with Temenos and Throné, he sings a song from Ku well enough to move them both to tears.
• Humble Hero:
  • He's quite modest, especially when it comes to his ruling abilities. When Partitio asks him for leadership advice, Hikari replies that he's not all that special, insisting that he mostly just hangs out with the people and listens to them. This shows that Hikari cares more about his citizens than the power he'd get from being king.
  • Deconstructed in his relationship with Ritsu, as Hikari is so clearly superior to him in swordsmanship that Ritsu sees Hikari's humility as him not taking Ritsu seriously as a rival, unable to accept that Hikari truly doesn't measure himself against others and ultimately views combat as a means of protecting others and not a path to glory, unlike Ritsu.
• Instant Expert: In one flashback, he's shown doing a perfect recreation of a sword technique used by Jin Mei, on his first attempt after only seeing it used once. He modestly attributes it to Jin Mei being a good teacher.
• Interclass Friendship: He's a firm believer in demolishing class barriers, though this is an unpopular opinion in Ku that he faces criticism for. Unfortunately, it's also a key part of what destroys his and Ritsu's friendship—despite Hikari's reassurances that they're equals, Ritsu is never able to put aside his painful awareness that "it's all a lowborn urchin like [him] could hope for to simply be allowed in [Hikari's] presence."
• Jerkass to One: Compared to the nigh unfailingly polite and respectful way Hikari treats his other friends, his dynamic with Kazan is more akin to those of Vitriolic Best Buds, as Hikari can be outright sardonic towards him. Understandably so, since this is the same friend who literally shoves him into a gladiator arena and sends him off to basically commit crimes.
• Martial Pacifist: He is strongly against killing anyone if there is no good reason for it, but is willing to fight to the death if there is no alternative. Ritsu and Mugen learn this the hard way.
• Master Swordsman: Ever since he was young, Hikari was trained in combat, his preferred weapon being a katana sword. By the start of his story, Hikari is one of the best swordsmen in Hinoeuma.
• Missing Mom: His mother is gone present day, a flashback in his Chapter 4 revealing in Hikari's youth that Kura was slain in a bandit attack orchestrated by Jin Mei under Mugen's orders. Hikari would have also been killed in the ambush had the curse of D'arqest in his Ku blood not awakened.
• Meaningful Name: One of the themes of his story is light conquering the darkness. "Hikari" is Japanese for "light."
• Modest Royalty: While Hikari notes that his royal garments do intimidate some people, Throné suggests it's largely the color, and regardless his outfit is clearly meant for functionality over fashion. The final chapter also sees Hikari remove the crown from his coronation outfit altogether, to show that he's not above the people. (He also immediately goes back to his warrior's garb in his Crossed Paths chapter afterwards.)
• Muscles Are Meaningless: Hikari is The Big Guy among the protagonists, yet is rather slim and short, especially when compared to his predecessor, Olberic.
• Nice Guy: He's a kind-hearted prince who treats the townsfolk with respect and is beloved by the people for this same reason. In party banter, many of the other travelers comment on his compassionate nature, such as Partitio calling him "a kind soul" for the way he always considers others' feelings.
• Noble Fugitive: He's forced to flee Ku lest Mugen's forces kill him. To drive the point home, you cannot access Ku again until his final chapter.
• Pintsized Powerhouse: Hikari is the smallest main male character, but it doesn't hinder his combat capabilities at all; in fact, he's well-known for his swordsmanship despite this.
• Power Copying: His Talent allows him to copy specific skills from the townspeople he defeats with his path ability, which includes weapon attacks, spells or even support skills, up to five at the same time, giving him more options on top of his Job abilities.
• The Power of Friendship: He firmly believes in this by the end of his tale. This is what ultimately allows him to suppress his curse once and for all.
• Practically Different Generations: With Mugen; a flashback shows that Hikari was still a small child when Mugen was already a grown adult.
• Putting the Band Back Together: His journey is about him seeking the aid of his former allies. However, Ritsu is the only exception because he chose to side with Mugen since he deemed Mugen stronger than Hikari.
• Red and Black and Evil All Over: Inverted. Hikari is clad in red and black armor, and he is a Nice Guy who wants to create a world without pointless bloodshed. Played straight with his Superpowered Evil Side.
• Royals Who Actually Do Something: Hikari is the second prince of the Ku Clan and also serves as a military captain and overseer of the town surrounding Ku Castle. In the latter role especially, he is beloved. This is part of the reason Mugen slaughters the town during his takeover.
• Samurai Ponytail: Befitting his general samurai aesthetic, Hikari has his hair tied up in a high ponytail.
• Screw the Rules, I Have Money!: A downplayed example, but his method of getting information out of townsfolk is to simply bribe them into telling him their secrets.
• Ship Tease: Downplayed, with Agnea. While romance is not a particular aspect among the travelers, disregarding that they have a Crossed Paths story together, Agnea's Chapter 2 traveler banter with him has Hikari pick up Gil's "hot" compliment for himself regarding her dance moves, to which Agnea admits to her cheeks feeling "hot" upon hearing his praise of it.
• Skilled, but Naive: Though Hikari is almost unparalleled as a swordsman and can be fairly perceptive and worldly (reflected in his semi-dubious Bribe Path Action), he himself admits that he's probably overly trusting. It's for this reason that he's frequently betrayed. Most notably, it doesn't occur to him at all, despite the changing political landscape, that his reunion with Rai Mei could go poorly — and he ends up almost dying for this lack of caution.
• Spare to the Throne: Averted. While he is the second son of King Jigo, his father chooses to name him heir because he believes Hikari would be a better ruler than himself or Mugen. This turns out to be a complete disaster; Mugen is in no mood to even tolerate the idea of "spares", or any of Hikari's pacifism.
• Superpowered Evil Side: The nature of his Latent Power. Whereas others have various natural talents to draw on, Hikari's inborn powers seem to draw on some kind of "curse" affecting the Ku royal family, and which not only gives him an aura of glowing darkness and supernatural glowing eyes as well as causing him to literally hear a voice in his head, which sounds like his own voice, urging him to otherwise needless bloodshed and cruelty, but gives him a completely new moveset based on the skills he has equipped which allows him to achieve truly obscene damage numbers.
• Traumatic Superpower Awakening: Hikari's first use of his Superpowered Evil Side happened when he was a child, as a result of watching his mother be murdered in front of him when both of them were attacked by assassins.
• The Un-Favourite: Subverted. People—Mugen's followers, particularly—think he's this, seeing his removal from the palace to instead oversee the castle town as his father disinheriting him. In reality, it's the opposite: it was Jigo's test for him before appointing him as his heir.
• Unwitting Pawn: In Journey For the Dawn, it's revealed that Hikari's fall and later return to power were all part of Oboro's ploy to obtain the Darkblood Blade. Hikari is understandably shaken to realize that, to someone he thought to be one of his oldest friends, his dreams of peace and the lives of so many of his friends were nothing more than stepping stones.
• Walking Spoiler: The promotional material for the game actually does an impressive job at avoiding even hints of some of the stuff that gets revealed as early as Hikari's very first chapter. The nature of the Curse of Ku, the existence of The Voice, and the exact reasons for Hikari's exile and wandering are all meant to be early twists.
• What Beautiful Eyes!: Multiple characters, such as Bandelam, Rai Mei, or Ori in her journal, make special note of the look in Hikari's eyes — namely that his gaze never wavers, and the spark in it has never dimmed despite the traumas he's faced.
• Wouldn't Hurt a Child: Hikari will never use Challenge on child characters, despite otherwise making it clear that he will fight if he needs to. This is also reflected in-story, as he tells Throné in a party banter that he wishes for a world where children never have to be exposed to bloodshed.

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