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.
