Which Character to Start With in Octopath Traveler
Right from the start, Octopath Traveler gives you eight different characters to choose from. Every character has their own unique backstory and motivations for traveling around the world, and it’s worth noting that regardless of who you pick first, you can still recruit the other seven and experience their stories as well. However, what Octopath Traveler doesn’t tell you is that whoever you pick first will be your protagonist for that playthrough, and you won’t be able to swap them out of your party. This can be a little problematic for party compositions during the early stages of Octopath Traveler, so here’s a few characters you should start with in Octopath Traveler:
- Ophilia
- Tressa
- Olberic
- Therion
First off, there’s no right or wrong answer when it comes to choosing a character, but you’ll want to pick the one whose story resonates with you the most, and has a skill set that suits your play style. There are a couple of characters that are slightly trickier to use, though, and we recommend not starting with them unless you’re very familiar with the game’s JRPG mechanics.
We recommend not starting with the following characters in Octopath Traveler:
Alfyn: Apothecary class. Alfyn starts off with the Concoct ability, which allows him to mix ingredients together to either help his party or hurt the enemy – kinda similar to Rikku’s Mix Overdrive from Final Fantasy X. He can also take on the healer role to revive and heal one ally at a time. While his healing abilities are pretty potent, it can take a while before you learn how to use Concoct to its fullest potential, not to mention the fact that you’ll also need a healthy supply of ingredients to be effective in boss battles. You might not always need Concoct in your encounters either, so Alfyn isn’t exactly the best choice to start with, at least until you manage to unlock some secondary classes for him.
Cyrus: Scholar class. Cyrus is your resident black mage, which means he’s fantastic for nuking multiple enemies at once with incredibly high damage, especially if he’s buffed and boosted. However, while he is an excellent magic damage dealer, he’s also very situational in Octopath Traveler. After all, there are tons of magic-resistant enemies in the game, and he’s not always that effective in combat, outside of analyzing weaknesses. He also consumes a ton of MP, and we really mean a ton. It’s very easy to drain his MP even in regular combat, so having him locked into your party can be rough, especially when you’re just starting out.
It’s worth noting that both Alfyn and Cyrus are still very useful characters when the situation calls for them. And once you start unlocking secondary classes, a lot of the early game woes we’ve discussed here will become irrelevant. However, if you want a more beginner-friendly start to your journey, it’s probably best to avoid picking these guys as your protagonist. As for which characters you should start with in Octopath Traveler, we’ve broken them all down on the next page.
Which Character You Should Start With in Octopath Traveler
So, who should you start with? The rest of the characters are pretty solid choices for protagonists, and you’ll want to pick the one that you either like the most, or has a play style that suits you best.
Ophilia: Cleric class. You’re always going to need a healer in your party, so Ophilia’s a pretty decent choice to start with. She has powerful light magic, good party healing and revival skills (though revival does cost quite a bit of MP for only 1 HP), and some protective abilities that can come in very handy during boss battles. Her Guide Path Action also allows her to recruit temporary party members without any consequences. During harder encounters, you can also put Alfyn into your party, and no one will ever die. Probably.
Tressa: Merchant class. It’s very rare to be able to play through a JRPG with a merchant protagonist, and thankfully, Tressa can be quite the powerhouse if you play her properly. Her Purchase Path Action allows you to buy extra items from NPCs at a discount, and she can randomly find money for you as you’re traveling. Gear in Octopath Traveler can get very pricey, so it’s always good to have some extra cash. She starts off with the bow and spear weapon types, and she also has wind magic, which can be extremely deadly when boosted.
Olberic: Warrior class. If you want to go old-school, you can’t go wrong with Olberic. The warrior class makes him a strong physical attacker and defender, and he also starts with the sword and spear weapon types. Warriors and fighters are a JRPG staple for a reason – they’re hard to kill, and can brute force their way through a lot of encounters.
Primrose: Dancer class. Similar to Ophilia, Primrose has the Allure Path Action that lets her recruit temporary allies, though you do run the risk of lowering your reputation in town if you fail to pull it off. She starts off with the dagger weapon type, and also has access to dark magic. More importantly, however, she’s also your primary buffer in the party. She can raise an ally’s physical defense, attack, and speed – all of which are very useful in Octopath Traveler’s tough encounters. Only having one weapon type at the start of the game is a little annoying, but her magic and buffing skills make up for that shortcoming.
Therion: Thief class. Somewhat annoyingly, Therion is the only character in Octopath Traveler who can open locked chests in the game, which means you’ll always need him in your party at some point if you want to collect all the loot. Thankfully, he has a few other skills that make him quite valuable as a party member. The Steal Path Action lets him lift items off NPCs for free, though this can potentially lower your reputation in town. He also starts off with the dagger and sword weapon types, and he can steal items from enemies in battle, which is always a good thing.
H’aanit: Hunter class. H’aanit is the beast tamer/blue mage of Octopath Traveler. She’s armed with a bow and axe from the start of the game, but she can also summon her companion Linde, who’s capable of dealing sword and spear damage. Not only that, she can also capture weakened monsters, and then summon them in battle to deal different types of damage. H’aanit is the debuffer in the game, and she can debilitate enemies by making them slower with fewer turns in battle.
And that’s all you need to know about which character you should start with in Octopath Traveler. Be sure to check our wiki for more information on Octopath Traveler.
TLDR;
Question: Which character should you start with in Octopath Traveler?
Answer: We recommend either Ophilia for her good healing and light magic, Olberic for his strong attack and defense, Tressa as an all-rounder character for players who like experimenting with different play styles, or Therion with his Steal ability for easy money and extra chests at the start of the game.
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