One of the most exciting aspects of the Octopath Traveler games is the notion that you can start with whichever protagonist you’d like, progressing through the storyline in the order you see fit. Of course, some heroes will make for a smoother journey than others, so let’s run down a couple of options for the best character recruitment order in Octopath Traveler 2.
Best Order to Recruit Heroes in Octopath Traveler 2
Before we offer our explanations, however, we do want to alleviate some of the pressure by reminding you that there is not really any incorrect way to start off. Even if your starting unit seems flawed at first, you will quickly surround yourself with support units that can mitigate some of their drawbacks.
Considering that you will be stuck with your first choice as a permanent party leader until the completion of their story, we recommend reviewing our guide on the best starting character before diving in.
Octopath Traveler 2 Recruitment Order Option 1: Friendship is Magic
Recruitment Order: Osvald, Temenos, Throné, Ochette, Casti, Hikari, Partitio, Agnea
The first strategy for recruitment sees you starting on the eastern continent and stockpiling magic-focused units to cover as many elemental bases as possible. For this, we are going to start with Solistia’s very own Jean Valjean, Osvald.
It can be implied that he was intended to be the main character of this game, possessing arguably the most compelling story and also requiring you complete his first two chapters before moving on, as opposed to only one. His claim to fame is his wide range of magical techniques, as he can target Fire, Ice, and Lightning weaknesses, as well as clubbing fools with Staves.
Most critically, however, his Analyze ability allows him to identify weaknesses the moment he enters battle. Repeated confrontations with the same foe type will yield even more weaknesses than previously, meaning that he is always a useful party member to keep in the rotation, no matter what the situation calls for.
Following this, we are going to proceed southeast to Flamechurch, to add Temenos to the lineup. As a fellow Staff wielder, he won’t add more attacking types to your arsenal, however healers in this game are an absolute boon, and his aid will target multiple party members at once. You will also gain access to Light magic, and should you want to speed up your levelling by tackling enemies in the twilight hours, his automatic debuffs will give you a chance to start the fight off strong.
From here, you can go one of two ways: either by fast traveling back to the starting point to begin traveling west, or to continue south towards Throné in New Delsta. Though the former option will cover your party’s weaknesses more quickly, the northern ferry is also more expensive and will put us one step further from adding a second healer to the squad. For this reason, we are going to advise you stay on the eastern continent and opt for Brightlands’ finest thief.
On her own, Throné has some troubles managing, but she slots in nicely alongside Osvald and Temenos, increasing your attacking options with Swords, Daggers and Darkness magic. Her daytime Path Action, where she swipes items from innocent townspeople, is also one of the most helpful in the game. The only thing it will cost you is your conscious as you literally steal candy from babies.
Next, we’re going to visit the southern peninsula and enlist the services of Ochette. Adding the lovable beastling will really open things up for you with Axes and Bows, as well as the myriad of attacking options through her gallery of captured monsters. Choosing which of her two animal familiars to bond with is a matter of personal preference, but as far as team cohesion goes at this stage, Akalā fits better, targeting one of the enemy’s physical weaknesses. Mahina strikes elemental weaknesses, and by now you’re well covered in that field.
Moving westward, we will now arrive at Canalbrine, where Castti is trying to gather her thoughts. Her limited offensive range won’t entice you much, as you already have Axes and Ice within your toolbox, but her access to poison is a nice touch. More importantly, however, she is going to keep your team healthy and happy. Healing Touch, which targets a single party member, is the obvious one, but don’t overlook her concoctions, either. Being able to use her Latent Power for free buffs, debuffs, or crucial SP restoration can save lives.
Next in line will be Hikari, who will further bolster your melee output. You’ll get Lances as one of his chosen weapons, while also being able to learn further techniques by Duelling unsuspecting NPCs. It’s fairly academic by now, but Partitio the merchant will be next in line. His best asset will be his money saving schemes (though if you’ve been utilzing Thronè correctly, you’ll already have been getting a five-finger discount).
Finally, Agnea is last on our list, bringing party buffs and Wind magic as a secondary option. By this point, Osvald should be quite the intimidating lout, so the notion of buffing him even further could prove rather enticing.
Octopath Traveler 2 Recruitment Order Option 2: The Society of Yee-Haw
Recruitment Order: Partitio, Agnea, Osvald, Temenos, Hikari, Castti, Ochette, Throné
To go down a completely different route, we are going to begin on the western continent with Partitio. He’s a surprisingly versatile jack-of-all-trades with two weapon choices (Lances and Bows), Fire magic, an ability to spot heal himself, a capacity to maximize your funds, a strong projectile strike in Arrow of Fortune that also yields valuable Job Points, and one of the best Latent Powers in the game.
Much like Osvald, he makes for a strong party leader, but the ideal path for him isn’t quite so straightforward. Hopefully you like fast travel, because you may be doing it a lot this time. We will first move to the northwest to recruit Agnea, for her aforementioned buffs and Wind magic, but also to gain Daggers. Like Partitio, she too has a fantastic Latent Ability you will want to exploit.
With Partitio in charge, you should be able to afford that northern ferry to bring Osvald into the fray. Though he won’t be our team’s lynchpin in this run-through, he will still be of great use through his mastery of the arcane, and again, Analyze is your friend, so don’t shy away. Temenos will come next to act as your healer and comic relief, but afterwards, we’re going to fast travel back to Partitio’s hometown of Orerush. We want to move south to nab Hikari for his Swordplay, while also bringing Castti in as the next in line. You know what she does, and you’ll at last have Axes to your name, too.
Another trip across the sea will allow us to meet Ochette, and then at last, Throné completes the set. Though this method is not as straightforward, it maximizes Partitio’s benefits while strategically covering up anything he lacks (which is not much at all).
These two completely different processes are tried and true, though as we already addressed, you might find that something else works better for you. This is quite the open-ended title, so if you really wanted to, you could play the whole game just as Thronè before ever bothering with anyone else. Not our recommended master plan, but we’re not here to judge.
Now that you’ve heard our nominations for the best recruitment order in Octopath Traveler 2, we would love to know how you handled the task. There’s also some great Octopath Traveler 2 guides below, so have at it!
