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Character Evaluation Guide

by rpgfreakazoid

Suikoden V Character FAQ
*************************

By RPGFreakazoid
[email protected]

Contents
=======
1. Introduction

-A) History
-B) Copyrights

2. Characters
===============

3. Credits
===============

1. Introduction
*************
I started working on this guide on 4/25/06.
Anyways this is my first FAQ based on the fabulous
Gensou Suikoden V. I'm making this guide for everyone who has trouble
locating characters by providing recruitment information, as well as
my personal view on the 108 characters who will join your cause. I'm
not here to make enemies so if you have a problem with my views or FAQ
keep them to yourself or if you must, email me.

-A) History
=========
3-24-2006 Recieved and started playing SV
4-25-2006 Started work on the Faq. 
6-8-2006 Finished up Version 1.0 of the Faqs.
6-12-2006 Fixed some errors.
6-13-2006 Changed some Evaluations.
12-22-2007 Updated FAQ due to amazingly popular demand!

-B) Copyrights
===========
This guide may not be posted in any other website other then
Gamefaqs.com, or informational source without my approval. 
I will more then likely grant permission if you simply ask, and 
give credit where it is due. If you notice an error, or have found 
something not listed in this guide, please email me and I will 
correct the FAQ and give credit where due. Please keep in mind 
that all views on characters are my own and all recruitment is
based on what I have done and how I did it. 

2. Characters
**************
Template: This is how all characters in my FAQ will be set up: 

Name:???
How to Recruit:
Level 16 Weapon Strength:
My Views/Comments:
Rating:A-F. A being the highest, F being the lowest.

This guide is really just something I did after playing and loving
Suikoden V.  Useful information might be sparse, but you�ll get 
tons of subjective opinions on what and who I like.  So there.  Please 
note that all "grades" are subjective in just about every manner.  If 
you object to them, write your own FAQ, and prove me wrong.
Also I'm only covering the actual 108(109)Stars of Destiny, so I won't 
be including the five optional recruits and the sixth temporary one.
Also keep in mind that this guide is filled with spoilers, so don't
go complaining to me if I ruin something for you. So without further 
ado, here is my Character FAQ!

1. The Prince(You decide)
How to Recruit: Pop in the disc, there you're done...
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 255
Comments: The Protagonist of the game.  He is the eldest son of 
Queen Arshtat and Ferid. Has a younger sister Lymsleia and an
aunt, Sialeeds. Not in line for the throne, he can roam more freely
than most royalty. The best part about the Prince is that he's 
available from the beginning. That's right, just pop in your disc and 
he's at your command! The Prince is a fantastic magic user. The Dawn 
Rune affixes itself to the Prince early on, and as the game progresses
it will unlock more spells. The Rune starts out slow, but begins to
pick up speed later on.  The Prince has two other Rune slots open
and I would highly recommend putting a Water in one and a Rage rune
in the other. The Prince also sports several combo attacks with other
characters to add to his usefulness.
  Rating: A+

2. Alhazred
How to Recruit: Meet him in Rainwall and he'll talk about books.
Later, in Yashuna village go to the Tricolor Inn and meet a Fortune
Teller. He'll give you a strange book.  Put it in storage and wait
awhile, then Chuckwill give it back to you. Take it back to Yashuna
and give it to the maidin the Fortune Teller's room. Go to Estrise 
and you should find Alhazred.Tell him about the book and take him to 
Yashuna. You'll fight a boss, see a scene, and afterwards, this old 
man will join your band.
  Level 16 Weapon Strength: 230
Comments: Alhazared�s strengths lie in his high magic attack and
high magic defense. Unfortunately, for Al he joins when you already
have Zerase and Viki, who are by far the superior magic users. Pure
magic users aren�t as useful as Mage-Fighter hybrids to begin with
and with so many characters outclassing Al, he really serves no 
purpose save taking Old Books off your hands in the castle library. 
  Rating: D-

3. Ax
How to Recruit:Joins automatically with Nick and Yoran after the
events at Gordius Village.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: No weapon
Comments:This stupid looking purple dragon is probably the worst of the
Dragons. There really is no point in using him unless you desperately
want a combo with Nick. With no weapon Ax can never achieve the 
potential that some human characters have. Kick him outta your team, 
and never look his way if you ask me. If you really want a dragon, 
Lance and Flail are much cooler, and better to.
   Rating: F

4. Babbage
How to Recruit:Bring Sorenson to the gear room under your castle.
Then take Sorenson to Babbages workshop and then take Babbage
to the gear room. Leave the castle and go back and Babbage will
join.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A
Comments:Well, he's a support so I can't be too harsh...Actually
Babbage is useful with his sky-high Treasure Hunt Skill, so he's
a necessary evil if you want to collect rare items and rune pieces.
His unit in war is semi-useful as well, But if you're not doing that, 
I wouldn�t really recommend adding him to your entourage. He�ll fill
up your inventory rather quickly.
   Rating: B

5. Bastan
How to Recruit:Take a ?Painting to his shop in Haud and show it to
him. Do NOT appraise it. If you don't get a special dialogue keep
entering and exiting his shop and talking to him until he joins.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A
Comments: Well, having an appraiser with you is about as useful, as
well...Okay, its not useful at all. Never take Bastan with you, there
is no point, and a waste of an entourage slot. However,
make sure you take all your pots and paintings too him and you'll be a 
rich man/woman in no time.
   Rating: D+(For giving me so much money)

6. Belcoot
How to Recruit:Go to Yashuna village after you have your HQ, and speak
with him. Then go into the Inn and see a scene with Marina. Ask them
to join, and bam! You've got a great fighter on your side.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 255
Comments: To me, Belcoot is actually pretty boring. He's just...brown.
Vanilla ya know? Despite that, he's this Suikoden�s Falcon Rune user.
He's got good attack and defense, a strong rune (Despite how nuked
it is) and he's excellent at parrying. Slap some sort of damage 
boosting rune on this guy and he's set for the rest of the game. 
Belcoot's main strongpoint is his sky high parrying ability. It's 
not uncommon to see Belcoot guard just about every attack thrown his 
way. However other characters can do the same, with two or three free 
slots.
   Rating: B+

7. Bergen
How to Recruit:After the Doraat sequence go to the Big Hole. Speak
with Levi and Bergen and the two will join together. You may have 
neededto speak with them earlier than this to recruit them, but I'm 
not positive.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength:255
Comments:Good Hp, strength, and Physical Defense. An A in Earth magic,
and..no that's it. Bergen's not bad as far as dwarves go, but then
again dwarves aren't that good to begin with. Other characters have
higher Hp and Defense and Strength and can reach an A in Earth, and
they have the magic points to use earth spells. Use him if you've
gotta thing for dwarves I guess...
   Rating: C-

8. Bernadette
How to Recruit:Joins automatically following the events upon meeting
the island Nations.245
   Level 16 Weapon Strength:
Comments:Bernadette isn't too shabby. Great magic, okayish Hp, can do
some physical damage when it needs to be done, plus the Island
Nations outfit is cool. C'mon you know it is. However, she loses
points for me because she looks a bit too...manish. I mean look
at that hair! She reminds me of this hairy, ugly german girl.
Well, if you can get past those looks, and you don't want to use 
Zerase, Bernadette isn't a bad choice. She also starts with a 
Flowing Rune, not bad. Also, note that Bernadette may have a
Closer relation to the Prince than she lets on�
   Rating: B+

9. Boz
How to Recruit:Is with you from fairly early on, but doesn't
officially join until after the Sable events.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength:N/A
Comments:I�m a bit disappointed in Boz. How could you not be a 
combat character Boz? How? All that said, Boz is a decent general
in war, and he is important to the plot. He�s also got some great
one liners. 
   Rating: B(For plot and war)

10. Byakuren
How to Recruit:After your castle expands, you can fight heron the 
bridge leading east out of your castle. If you have Genoh or Levi 
recruited she will join. You may want to make sure they are in your 
party/entourage to make sure. You only have two shots at doing this 
I believe, as your castle only expands twice.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: No weapon
Comments:Byakuren would be pretty damn good if she didn't take
up two slots in your party. I mean, who doesn't want a friggin
huge snake pounding on the enemy? But since she does, she sucks.
You can try and try again to make her work into your party, but
in the long run, using Byakuren will only hurt and hinder, rather
than help your party.
   Rating: C-

11. Cathari
How to Recruit:Talk to the townsfolk in Port Spinnacks
to learn about Hershville Naval Base. Speak to Logg and have
him take you there. You will meet Cathari there. Talk to her and
then head back to Port Spinnacks. On the bridge connecting both sides
of Spinnacks you should meet her again. After a scene take her back to 
your HQ and speak with Lucretia, Cathari will join after that scene.
NOTE:If you haven't recruited Cathari before the Stormfist event, you
will have lost her forever.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 255
Comments: Don't let her low HP and magic fool you, Cathari is a beast. 
Sharpen her weapon and give her damage upping Runes and She'll start 
dishing thousands of damage out on each hit.Cathari's flaws are low 
defenses and HP, along with the ability to only hit once; but being in 
the back row should keep her pretty safe. Do not take her up against 
the final boss however, there is a pretty good chance she won't last 
but a round or two. Clive fans should be pretty happy; all hail the 
Howling Voice Guild!
   Rating: B

12. Chisato
How to Recruit:Be sure to watch her puppet show on Nirva Island the
first time your there. When you return get her help, during the 
kidnapping event. (Make sure you have Bernadette in your team) After 
that stay at the inn. The next morning speak to Chisato to get her to 
join.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A
Comments:St..st...st..stutter. Chisato is pretty annoying and going 
all the way back to the island, is a pain. Recruit her and forget 
about her.
   Rating: D (I was going to give her a C, but that stutter pisses
me off)

13. Chuck
How to Recruit:Following the events of the Prince getting the Dawn 
Rune, Chuck will join.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A
Comments:Well, Chuck isn't too bad as far as Suikoden Storage Guards 
go. I�m a bit disappointed that he wasn't a combatant so he loses 
points for that. Oh, and being useless in war doesn't help. He does 
store all your items which is probably the second most useful thing 
in the game someone can do for you.
   Rating: A (Storage is a good, good thing)

14. Cius
How to Recruit:Following the events at Agate Prison, Cius will join 
automatically along with Lelei.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength:230
Comments: Crappy character portrait, crappy outfit, no originality, 
and mediocre stats everywhere save defense. Just use Lelei instead if 
your dead set on using a prison guard. By the time he joins most people 
should have Shigure, who can take his spot. Let Cius hit the showers; 
he's got nothing going for him that should make you even want to 
contemplate using him. Cius is outclassed by tons of other characters, 
so using him as a serious combatant is just...unnecessary. His major
use seems to be from taking the Lightning Amulet off of him and 
giving it to Kyle.
   Rating: C

15. Cornelio
How to Recruit:Go to the Mansion in Haud Village and fight the DoReMi 
elves there. You will then see a scene with Cornelio. After another 
fight, Cornelio will join.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength:230
Comments: Being the first character you can really recruit,
Cornelio isn't that bad. In fact, he's a fantastic support mage with a 
highly underrated rune. Sure it requires you to use DoReMi elves in 
your party, but aside from that, its a decent rune. Give him a Water, 
Fire, Lightning, Earth, Shield, whatever, and he can support your team 
well. Most people will ignore Cornelio once better characters start 
rearing their heads. But if you ever need a support mage, don't 
overlook Cornelio.
   Rating: C+ (Mediocre rating for calling me a Mediocrity)

16. Craig Laden
How to Recruit:Following the events at Gordius Village, Craig will 
join automatically.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A
Comments:Ah, another character who could have been a fighter, but 
isn't. Craig is pretty kickass in war though, and he has an impeccable 
goatee. Other than that, there isn�t much too him. He joins late 
though, so you�ll only be able to use him for a few battles.
   Rating: B (For War)

17. Dinn
How to Recruit:Is with you from early on, but doesn't officially join 
until after the Sable events.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 255
Comments:He's like Belcoot, but with two free slots and fewer parrying 
abilities. As a character I find Dinn sub par. He can keep trying to be 
a good character, but he'll never reach an uber level. He's not half
bad in war, but he's not half good either. Plus, I'm pretty biased 
towards characters with ginormous swords. If you however, are fan of
those pretty boys with big swords, Dinn can be worth your while. Try
a Fury and Titan Rune and have Dinn bring the gigantic sword smack down
on the enemy party to get some use out of him.
   Rating: B

18. Dongo
How to Recruit:After you get the silver hammer, give it to Dongo and 
sharpen a characters weapon,(Preferably, the Prince)as high as it can 
go. When you get the next hammer sharpen weapons as high as they will 
go again. After that Dongo should join your noble cause.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A
Comments:Dongo is incredibly useful. He's the only blacksmith who can 
get weapons over level 12. And if you stick him in your entourage, he 
can sharpen weapons anywhere at anytime. 
   Rating:B+

19. Egbert
How to Recruit:After rescuing Lucretia go back to the underground 
mines. You'll find him down a path down there. Talk to him, but don't 
skip through the dialogue or hurry the conversation, until the button 
prompt appears, doing so may hurt your chances at recruiting him.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A
Comments: Egbert is immensly useful throughout the game. His potch 
finder ability will really help you with financial problems you'll 
encounter. My advice, stick Egbert in your entourage and keep him 
there throughout the game.
   Rating: A+

20. Eresh*
How to Recruit: After your HQ has been upgraded the second time, go 
into the Big Hole. You should meet Eresh down near where Levi and 
Bergen were. Tell her that Jeane opened the way and Eresh will join 
for a side dungeon. Complete the Dungeon and Eresh will permanently 
join.
Notes:Must have recruited Jeane. Recruiting Eresh means not recruiting 
Euram.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 200
Comments:By the time you can get Eresh, you already have so many other 
mages available, that she is just...blah. She comes with two runes 
permanently affixed to her, so you don't have much customization room. 
I'd say pass on Eresh and recruit Euram instead.
   Rating: C-

21. Ernst
How to Recruit:After you have recruited Levi, take him to the inn in 
Raftfleet. Talk to Norma and Ernst and they will both join.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: No weapon
Comments: When I first got Ernst I was excited. I thought he'd be 
pretty dang awesome. Results? He's okay, low Hp, low attack, one Rune 
slot, with his rune stuck in it, low defense, high speed. His Rune is 
actually the biggest game-breaking tool in the game, which does 
technically make Ernst the best character in the game�but you aren�t 
a cheater are you? If you like to cheat the game (You awful person you) 
go ahead and use Ernst, and while your at it, use Richard and Zerase, 
and make the game a bona fide joke.
   Rating: C (If you use him normally)
   Rating: A+ (If you abuse his second level spell)

22. Euram*
How to Recruit:After the events at Stormfist, and if  you didn't 
recruit Euram, go and see him at Rainwall. Talk with him, and to 
repent for his crimes, he will join.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A
Comments:He's recruited late, and can only be used in war. So why get 
him over Eresh? For plot. No, really that's the only reason. He 
deserves to be a Star of Destiny.
   Rating: B(For plot only)

23. Faylen
How to Recruit:She will join along with Roy after the Sable events, by 
picking the option, "I was just trying to clear my name", if you don't
pick that option, you will have to climb Mt. Ranro and help them 
return stolen goods. After helping Faylen and Faylon will join.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 250
Comments:Faylen is actually really good. Good offensive numbers, decent 
magic, and a cool weapon, make her fairly impressive. If you need a 
good long range attacker, Faylen is probably one of the best you'll 
find. I can't find anything to complain about when it comes to this 
red-haired wonder. Well, except having only one attack. Also her magic
abilities are solid, so if you're into that jazz a Cyclone Rune will
fit her well.
   Rating: B

24. Faylon
How to Recruit: See Faylen
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 250
Comments:Well, Faylon isn't as good as his sister. He's short-ranged, 
has high HP and defensive and offensive stats, and crappy magic. All 
in all, he's just another character in your roster. If you like the 
bandits, and are using Faylen and Roy, he might not be a bad addition 
to your group. Though keep in mind that there are tons of better 
options for your front-line slots.
   Rating: C-

25. Flail
How to Recruit: Joins automatically after the events surrounding 
Sauronix and Gordius.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: No weapon
Comments: Flail is the second best dragon out there, or second worst 
you could also say. If you are using Rahal and you need another short 
range character, then you could use Flail, if you wanted. But really, 
if you desperately want a dragon, go with Lance. Or, better yet, don't 
use a dragon at all...
   Rating: C

26. Fuwalufuwalu
How to Recruit: Joins automatically following the attack on Beaver 
Lodge.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A
Comments: I can't really bad mouth this old beaver too much. He's not 
annoying, he does not fight, doesn't support, and he's not great in 
war. He's just another Star...
  Rating: C+(For War)

27. Fuyo 
How to Recruit: See Oboro
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A
Comments:*CoughfatCough* Ahem, well Fuyo is another star that doesn't 
bring anything to the table. You can play a mini-game with her (Or so 
I hear) but other than that, she'll just fawn over Oboro throughout 
the game. Her War abilities aren't great either, so she really does
not bring a whole lot of new to an already growing cast of characters.
   Rating: D

28. Galleon
How to Recruit: Joins automatically after the Queen's Campaign.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 250
Comments: Alright, let me get this out right now, I hate Galleon. Not 
his character in the story, the battle character.  Frankly, he sucks. 
Don't go saying "OMG, he's teh best tank!" because first of all he 
isn't, and second of all, tank characters are about as useful as a 
knife in a gunfight. He has two rune slots, one with a Knight Rune 
stuck in it, so from the get go, he doesn't offer much. He can do 
some mediocre damage and can sop up damage meant for other
characters, but...that's really not that useful. Pass on Galleon, 
there are better characters...Seriously. With only one free slot,
Galleon will never be able to do any good for your party.
   Rating: C-

29. Gavaya
How to Recruit:Bring either Norma, Viki and Faylen, or Sialeeds, 
Jeane, and Nelis with you to Raftfleet and speak with him. Jumping at 
the chance to surround himself with women, Gavaya will join right up.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength:250
Comments:Lots of people are turned off by Gavaya's personality. And 
for good reason. Despite that, Gavaya is a decent fighter, with three
free slots, and lots of Hp and attack power. He and Nikea also seem
to work well together. Oh, did I mention that if a female party 
member falls in battle, Gavaya goes into instant Fury? Sexy.
   Rating: B+


30. Georg Prime
How to Recruit:Georg is with you from the beginning but won't actually 
join until you've cleared the events at Gordius Village.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 255
Comments: Georg is the bee's knees. He IS the Viktor of Suikoden V. 
Everyone loves him. It may be impossible for someone to not like 
Georg. He's fast, strong, has high Hp, good physical defense and is 
tied heavily into the plot. His downfalls? He has low magic and magic
defense and only one open rune slot(The other has a permanent Killer 
Rune, but that's not really a bad thing) and you won't get a ton of 
use out of him, as Georg is unavailable a lot. And if this is your 
first run through of the game, he is unusable for the Final Boss 
fight. All in all, as much as I'd like to say Georg is overrated, he
in all actuality, deserves the praise given. Don�t come complaining
to me if he runs off with your best equipment, you shouldn�t be 
it to a character who comes and goes as sporadically as Georg does
to begin with.
   Rating: SS (Fan vote, my rating A+)

31. Genoh
How to Recruit:After you have access to Beaver Lodge speak with 
Fuwalufuwalu about "The Boss" several times. Then head to the 
Waterfall Basin, which is southwards of Beaver Lodge with someone old 
in your party(Alhazred and Levi are the best). At the end of the Basin 
you should see a scene with Genoh, and if your "old" character is at 
least one level lower than the Prince, Genoh will join.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: No weapon
Comments:I'm not a big fan of characters that take up two slots to 
be used effectively. Genoh is an average fighter, and being average 
doesn't warrant taking up two party slots. Leave Genoh to relax at your 
base, and use two better characters instead of one average character.
   Rating: D+

32. Goesch
How to Recruit:Joins automatically after the restoration of Lordlake.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 250
Comments:Goesch is one of those characters that really takes you by 
suprise. Farmers in Suikoden history have never been that great, but 
Goesch comes out being an amazing character. Two free slots, the
ability to wear heavy armor, and high physical stats make Goesch a 
force to be reckoned with. He also sports the amazing Mow Down ability
letting him smack down a whole pack of enemies in one fell swoop. If 
your looking for a strong medium ranged fighter, Goesch will fit into 
your team like butter.
   Rating: B+

33. Gunde
How to Recruit:Joins automatically during the Twilight Forest/Sauronix 
events.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 255
Comments: Gunde isn't a terrible character. He's got good physical 
stats and HP and he's short ranged. His downfall is that he doesn't 
join nearly early enough. By the time you get him, you'll probably 
have better characters that you like more. If you like Dwarves he'll 
be a good addition...
   Rating: C-

34. Haleth
How to Recruit:Haleth is tricky. After your HQ has upgraded for the 
second time, go to the Hershville Harbor and meet him in the
administrators building. Go back to your castle and see a scene in the 
tavern. Now go back to Hershville and enter the leftmost house near
the armor shop and see a scene with Haleth again. Now leave Hershville 
and reenter and go back to the adminstrators building and talk to the 
man, where Haleth used to be standing. Now go back to the tavern in 
your castle to recruit Haleth (He'll be standing next to the bar). 
Note:You must recruit Haleth before liberating Stormfist.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A
Comments:Well, Haleth's mini-game is kind of interesting, and he has 
a mildly useful support skill. Other than that, he's just an 
ordinary guy. Eh...nope, there's nothing more to say.
   Rating: C

35. Haswar
How to Recruit:After the Queen's Campaign, Take Urda to talk with 
Haswar and Isato. Just keep talking with them, and Haswar will 
eventually join along with Isato and Urda.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A
Comments:Mildly interesting character, brings literally nothing to the 
table, she's really just there...good thing Isato and Urda are good
characters, or this would be a waste of time.
   Rating:D

36. Hazuki
How to Recruit: Speak to her at Port Spinnacks without Marina and 
Belcoot in your party. Then put Belcoot in your party and speak to her.
She'll join after their short conversation.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 255
Comments: She's got a cool animation, good physical strength, she's 
quick and she really has no detrimental weakness. That said, she is
not really outstanding in any area either. There is always someone 
who can do what Hazuki can do and better. She's not a bad choice, 
but there are better ones. If you really want to use her, give her
some damage upping Runes and watch as she cuts apart the enemy lines.
   Rating: B+

37. Isabel
How to Recruit:After the Coronation event head to Babbage's Workshop 
in Estrise, and you will see a scene with Isabel and Mathias. Go back
to your HQ and talk with Luserina about Euram. Now go to Haud with 3 
or less people in your party and you will see a scene. Following the
event, Isabel and Mathias will join.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 255
Comments: Isabel is my second favorite character in the game. She's 
got great Physical stats, and two rune slots, and a screamingly cool 
weapon. Once I got her she never left my party. Try her once and 
you'll be hooked. She is by far one of the best short ranged 
fighters in the game. Give her a Boost and a Double-Edge Rune and 
let her be, any enemy that gets touched by Isabel, will most certainly 
be destroyed.
   Rating: A-

38. Isato
How to Recruit:See Haswar
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 245
Comments: Isato's not too bad. He looks a tad funky, but so do we all. 
He's got 3 Rune slots, decent magic, decent attack...What can I say?
He�s a solid character. With one attack you and his three free rune
slots, you can make Isato a great fighter, a great mage, or a mix of
both. He�s solid. 
  Rating: A-

39. Jeane
How to Recruit:A little ways into the game, head over to the Big Hole 
and speak with the guard at the top of the stairs. Then head to the 
Lelcar Rune shop(After the fire) and you should meet Jeane. Agree to 
take her to the Big Hole and she will temporarily join, until you 
complete her quest, which upon completing Jeane will join permanently.
  Level 16 Weapon Strength: 200
Comments:Oh, so much the fan favorite Jeane is. Jeane is a good magic 
user, so you can load her up on strong runes and let her go to town, 
if you so desire. However, Zerase is infinitely better, and I prefer 
Mage-Hybrid characters like Miakis and Kyle over pure magic users 
Myself, and you probably will too.
   Rating: B-

40. Josephine
How to Recruit:Speak to her with Sialeeds in your party, once you can 
start recruiting characters. Or you can optionally bring other well 
dressed characters as well. She's simple.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 230
Comments: Josephine is just another bleh type of character. She can 
handle runes well, but has that craptastic Red Rose Rune stuck on her. 
She can do more physical damage that most magic users but she also 
does less magic damage than them. If you like the Narcistic type of 
characters, then Josephine's your girl. I guess you could play around
with a Rage Rune on Josephine if you were dead set on using her.
   Rating: C

41. Killey
How to Recruit:Take Cius to the Agate Prison after recruiting Lucretia 
and let Killey out of his cell. Later at your HQ you can meet him with 
Zweig and Lorelai in your party. Be kind and let him leave the castle. 
Much later at the Twilight Forest Ruins you can get Killey to 
permanently join the SoDs.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 245
Comments:Killey has been significantly downgraded since(or technically 
before)Suikoden II. His HP is low, he only gets one attack, and he's 
Long Ranged. He still has 3 Rune slots and can cause some heavy damage 
to the enemy, but he isn't as good as some other characters out there. 
Still, if you�re looking for a good L-Ranged character Killey is way up 
there. Oh, and just try and pretend his outfit isn't awesome, just 
try.
   Rating:A

42. Kisara
How to Recruit: Joins automatically following the Agate Prison events.
   Level 16 Weapon Strengths: 245
Comments:Kisara is a really lackluster character. She is outclassed by 
her husband and daughter as far as battle goes, and as plot development 
goes. Her weapon is interesting and she has a good magic stat, so if 
you like Raftfleet people she can be a good Mage-Fighter. Other than 
that, Kisara is just an average character.
   Rating: C+

43. Kyle
How to Recruit: Joins automatically before after rescuing Lucretia.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 230
Comments:Remember how I said Georg was the Viktor of this game? Well, 
Kyle is the Flik. With high magical capabilities, three free slots, 
and a decent physical attack, Kyle is probably the best Mage-Knight in 
the game. On top of that, Kyle goes into automatic Fury upon the 
falling of the Prince or any female character in battle. Add on that 
he's got a great personality and he joins extremely early on, and you 
have one of the best character in game. As much as I try
to tell myself to use someone other than Kyle in my party, I can 
never follow through with it. He's just too good. Up Kyle's Lightning
Affinity, and give him a Flowing Rune early on. Stick whatever Rune 
you want in his head slot, and I'll guarantee it will be useful. Kyle
is Class A material folks.
   Rating: A+(And he deserves every ounce of it.)

44. Lance
How to Recruit:Joins automatically with Flail.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: No weapon
Comments:Well, as far as the dragons go, Lance is the best, but that 
isn't saying a whole lot. He can combo with Roog and he's S Range in 
case you want to fill in a slot, and he's cheap to maintain. I can't
really recommend using a dragon...sorry.
   Rating: C

45. Lelei
How to Recruit:Joins automatically during the events in Agate Prison.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 230
Comments: Lelei actually isn't too bad. She, unlike Cius, has good 
stats. She can easily fit a Mage-Fighter role, with her decent magic, 
attack and HP. He clothes really put me off though, and there are 
better characters, she's also  not half bad in war. Early on, she's a 
good choice. Also check out the name of her weapon as it levels up...
boy Lelei sure knows how to bring excitement to the table. Try a 
Lightning and a Fury Rune on Lelei to make her really balanced.
   Rating: B

46. Levi
How to Recruit:After the Doraat sequence, go to the Big Hole and talk 
with him. He'll join along with Bergen.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 200
Comments:Levi is in my opinion the most easily forgotten Mage. I used 
him for the Queen's Campaign and promptly  forgot his existence. He 
does come with a Pale Gate and Mother Earth Rune you can steal from 
him though. All in all, Zerase, Viki, and Jeane can all probably do a 
better job than him. He's not bad, just uninteresting and lacking any 
outstanding abilities. He does have three free Rune slots, which no
other mage has, but still, most Mage-Fighters have three free slots
as well, and can do good physical damage upon that. Zerase and Viki
outclass Levi as being a mage goes, and Miakis, Kyle, and Killey 
outclass as far as being a character goes. He can be fairly decent in
war though, and he�s the castle Tutor.
   Rating: B+

47. Linfa
How to Recruit:Once you have done the Lelcar event you can meet and 
play cards with Linfa in Estrise. You can then meet with her again in 
Yashuna. Later after the Coronation event you should be able to meet 
her in the Inn in Raftfleet. Play with her again and help her pay off 
her debt, finally after all this, Linfa will finally join.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A
Comments:Eh, she's pretty annoying to get, I thought I missed her it 
took me so long. Her card game is boring too. Just leave her be in 
your castle and forget about her.
   Rating: D

48. Logg
How to Recruit:Joins automatically during the Agate Prison events with 
Lun.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 245
Comments:Logg actually isn't too bad. Early on and up through the 
Queen's Campaign Logg was always in my party. He's got lots of HP and 
attack power, and he's M Ranged. You won't see Logg hit for more than 
once, most of the time, but his attack is so high, he probably doesn't 
need it. Until better fighters start to show up, Logg is a good 
character to use. Also Logg seems to have been born to use the 
Violence Rune/Double-Edged Rune combination.
   Rating: B

49. Lorelai
How to Recruit:Joins automatically during the Ceras Lake Ruins events.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 250
Comments:Lorelai isn't as good as she could be. She's got three Rune 
slots sure, but what the hell is wrong with her HP? It's so frickin' 
low! To be fair, she's got a cool weapon, she's M Ranged, and she 
fills you with nostalgia as you use her. If her stats were a tad 
higher, I'd warrant Lorelai as a solid character, but since they 
aren't she's just average. I guess if your dead set on using her
you could play around with making her a versatile mage, or giving her
the uber damage Rune setup.
   Rating: B(Many of you won't like it, but tough.)

50. Lucretia
How to Recruit:Joins automatically during the Agate Prison Event.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A
Comments:Well, she is my favorite strategist of all time, just above 
Mathiu and Shu. You have to use her in the Prince's unit during war, 
which isn't that good. But she is really plot significant and she's 
brilliant. Almost too brilliant, which is why many people don't like
her as much. 
   Rating: A(For plot)

51. Lu
How to Recruit:After recruiting Babbage, take Sorenson to Babbage's 
Workshop and Help Lu find the gear. After helping her, she'll join.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 245
Comments:I find Lu extremely annoying, and she'd be getting an awful 
score if she wasn't amazing in battle. Although her physical stats are 
on the weak side, her amazingly cool weapon and her ability to dish 
out multiple hits like no other make her surprisingly good. 
Unfortunately, by the time you get Lu, you'll probably have Sagiri who 
is far superior.
   Rating: C+

52. Lun
How to Recruit: See Logg
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 250
Comments:Lun really is the her parent's child. She's better than Logg
magically, but not quite as good as Kisara. And she's better than
Kisara physically, but not quite as good as Logg. Lun is decent, not
outstanding, but decent. You can take advantage of her Rune slots and
really do whatever you want with Lun. She can really fit in and do
any role in your party you need her to perform.
   Rating:...B+(This was a tough one)

53. Luserina Barrows
How to Recruit: Joins automatically after acquiring the Dawn Rune.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A
Comments:Probably the most useful character in the game. This little 
lady is the one who will be switching out all your characters for you, 
so needless to say, you'll be seeing her a lot.
   Rating: A+ (For what she does)

54. Lyon
How to Recruit: Available from the beginning.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 250
Comments:Lyon is going to be in your party a lot. Luckily unlike many 
of the past Suikoden Hero's main companions (aka Gremio,Nanami) Lyon 
is really, really good. She can hit several times, has a great rune, 
and a few good combos with the Prince. Throw in her plot-heaviness and 
you've got a great character. If you don't like her, I urge you to put 
down the game, you'll be seeing her a lot.
   Rating: A

55. Marina
How to Recruit:See Belcoot
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A
Comments: This cheerful gal is the castle Inn keeper. Early on Marina 
is a good support character since she heals the  party a little bit 
after each round. Later on though, the healing isn't worth it. Her 
personality strikes me as bland too, so use her in support early on, 
then let her fawn over Belcoot from afar.
   Rating: C-

56. Maroon
How to Recruit:Joins automatically following the attack on Beaver 
Lodge.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 250
Comments: Well, he's not too terrible. You get stuck using him for 
awhile too, so get used to seeing him. There are better beavers, and 
better human characters as well. I'd only recommend him if your using 
all the beavers.
   Rating: C

57. Mathias
How to Recruit:See Isabel.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 250
Comments:Well, Mathias's character portrait freaks me out in a really 
disturbing way. Other than that, he's a fantastic fighter. He's better 
at magic than Isabel, and just as good at raw physical might. His 
three free rune slots give him a bit of an edge though. With Mow Down 
and plenty of damage upping runes, Mathias can be one of the most 
damaging characters out there.
   Rating: A

58. Meroon
How to Recruit:See Moroon below.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 250
Comments: Meroon actually isn't too bad, second best beaver actually. 
But she still is a beaver.
   Rating: C

59. Miakis
How to Recruit:Joins automatically following the Queen's Campaign.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 230
Comments:Miakis is one of the best characters out there. She Joins with 
three open slots, good magical power, and decent physical stats. So you 
can make her into a physical powerhouse or a good Mage-Fighter. Your 
choice. She's really versatile and can attack several times. She also 
works great with a Killer Rune. My recommended Rune setup is a Killer,
Mother Earth, and Fury Rune. Did I mention that Miakis has the best
damage potential in the game? With three damage boosting runes and
a sharp weapon, Miakis can multi-hit her way to the top.
   Rating: A+

60. Miroon
How to Recruit:After the Coronation event, speak to her at the
Tricolor Inn with Muroon in your party. Help her find the source of 
her problem and she will join.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 250
Comments:She's probably the best beaver out of the five. She has
a decent magic stat and three rune slots, but all in all, she is 
outclassed by human Mages and Mage-Fighters. Only use her if you�re 
using the rest of the Beaver cast, or a beaver fetish I guess...
   Rating: C

61. Mohsen
How to Recruit:In Lelcar buy close to one hundred thousand potch of 
equipment before it burns down. If you do, he'll join after Lelcar has
burnt down if you speak with him. If you didn't buy equipment from him, 
or told him to "Pull himself together" you must wait until you can go 
to Doraat before you can recruit him again. And then you must buy 6 
items from him. My advice? Just try and get him at Lelcar.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A
Comments:Well, he's your armor guy. You buy stuff from him and you 
sell stuff to him. Simple no?
   Rating: C

62. Moroon
How to Recruit: After the Coronation Bring Maroon, Miroon, Muroon 
with you and take the boat to the Baska Mineshaft. Talk to Moroon 
near a collapsed house and head to Beaver's Lodge for Meroon 
(she's standing in front of the trade shop). Bring the 4 of them to 
see Moroon again, then revisit Beaver's Lodge for a scene. Thank 
Moroon and he'll join you with Meroon.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 250
Comments: Average character with average stats. Two free Rune slots
and the ability to change the music in battle are his highlights.
Doesn�t sound very interesting does it?
   Rating: C

63. Mueller
How to Recruit:After he and Mueller leave during the War battle at
Rainwall you should be able to meet them in the Inn in Raftfleet, if 
you have been scoring Victory+'s on your War battles. Speak with
him and Wilhelm and they'll join. If you haven't been doing great in 
War, they will move from town to town until they deem you worthy of 
their abilities.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A
Comments:He is useful in War, but that's about it. For some reason he 
can't be used as a real combatant. Stupid Konami.
   Rating: B

64. Muroon
How to Recruit:After you have acquired your Headquarters go down to 
the port, where Logg is. Talk to her and she'll join without a 
problem.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 250
Comments: Just another beaver. As I've said, only use her if your 
planning on using all the beavers. She's also the worst looking one in 
my opinion...
   Rating: C

65. Murad
How to Recruit:Speak to Murad in different towns throughout the game
(he will show up in towns affected by war battles) and speak with him. 
After talking with him three times, he'll join your army.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A
Comments:Fairly uninteresting, mediocre support ability, and a crummy 
character portrait mark him as a C character. If you like the ability 
to be healed slightly after battle, then go for it, and use Murad. Me? 
I'll use support characters that are actually beneficial.
   Rating: C+

66. Nakula
How to Recruit:Speak to him in the Inn at Sable during your visit. 
Later, after recruiting Roy, visit him again. Then go speak to Oboro, 
and take him and his team to speak with Nakula. See a scene and then 
Nakula and Sagiri will join the SoD's.
Note:This must be done before going to Nirva Island.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 250
Comments: Three rune slots, high attack, comes with a Fury Rune,
okay, he's not bad. In fact it takes very little effort to make
Nakula into a strong member of your team. His problem? There are
probably more interesting party members to choose from at this
point, and you'll probably forget about Nakula fairly quickly.
I usually just steal his Fury Rune and give it too someone else.
   Rating: B+

67. Nelis
How to Recruit:Take Bernadette to the Inn at Nirva Island after
the initial events, and speak with Nelis and Yahr. Now go to your boat 
as if you were going to leave, and Nelis and Yahr will accompany you. 
Soon after, you will go on a side quest with Yahr and Nelis. Clear the 
dungeon and they will join.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 245
Comments:Nelis is actually quite good. Her attack power isn't the 
highest, but she comes with a Rage Rune, and has lots of Magic power. 
On top of that, she can be used to Recruit Gavaya fairly early. And 
come on, you know that hat is cool...If you like long range mages, 
Nelis is a great choice.
   Rating: B

68. Nick
How to Recruit:Joins automatically during the events at the Dragon's 
Nest.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 230
Comments:Nick isn't too bad of a character either. He's quick, fairly
strong, okay stats in all areas, but ya know, there are so many other
characters, that are just like Nick, he really doesn't stand out in
any special way. I guess you could use him if you liked the color 
purple...
   Rating: B+

69. Nifsara
How to Recruit:Joins automatically. 
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 250
Comments:Well, Nifsara has pretty decent stats as a character, but she 
just kinda...irritates me. It's probably that hair. She's another 
decent spear user, she's got a thing for the prince, but she joins 
rather late. Not much to say really.
   Rating:C+

70. Nikea
How to Recruit:After Lelcar is burnt down, go to the inn in
Estrise and duel her. If you win, she'll join.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 250
Comments:Finally, a good above average character! Nikea can
hit multiple times, she's got high stats, and always seems
to find a way into my party, when I least expect it. Her
only limiting factors is her one free rune slot(She's got a Special 
Rune in her other hand), and hard to utilize combo attack. But still,
she can hold her own in battle, and with a Fury Rune, she can really 
tear it up.
   Rating:B+

71. Norden
How to Recruit:If you do the Oboro quest at Rainwall, Norden should 
join you at then end of it. If you didn't, talk to him at the inn in 
Raftfleet after restoring Lordlake, and he'll join then.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A
Comments:If you recruit him at the earliest point, he can be useful in 
a few war battles, adding an extra Charge to a unit. If you don't, he's 
useless. So do him a favor and get him in Rainwall.
   Rating: C-

72. Norma
How to Recruit:See Ernst
   Level 16 Weapon Strength:230
Comments:Norma is pretty decent. She can be given the right runes and 
made into a strong party member, and she can get a SS in the Potch 
Finder skill. She's also got a combo with Ernst, but that really isn't 
that important. With three free Rune slots, and the uber Rune setup
Norma can become another hard hitting member of the group. So if you
like the Suikoden Cute Girls, Norma is one of the best.
   Rating: A-

73. Oboro
How to Recruit:In Rainwall, when Lucretia asks you to find Oboro
to investigate the Lordlake incident, go to the port in Rainwall 
to find Oboro's ship,and you'll get a series of scenes and several 
choices to make within. ALWAYS PICK THE ANSWER THAT ALLOWS YOU TO 
STICK WITH OBORO TO INVESTIGATE THE CASE TOGETHER WHENEVER YOU GET 
TO MAKE A CHOICE! If you did this correctly, you can recruit Oboro 
and Shigure by visiting them once the agency moves to Raftfleet.

If you didn't choose to stay with Oboro during the investigation on 
Lordlake, you'll have to visit his ship in Raftfleet from time to 
time (whenever there is an advance in story) and ask him to join you. 
He'll refuse several times before deciding to be recruited. It's 
very important that you recruit him before the Queen's Campaign, 
otherwise Oboro's ship will leave Raftfleet and will not be 
found for the rest of the game.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A
Comments:After going through the painstaking process of getting him,
Oboro does a lot for you. He can locate characters and tell you 
plenty of information about them. He also helps enrich the story with
his own small sub-plots, and is needed to recruit several other 
characters as the story progresses. However, if your reading this 
guide, you probably won't need old Oboro...
   Rating: B+

74. Orok
How to Recruit:Joins following the events at Lelcar.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A
Comments:Not much to say about old Orok here. He's mildly important to
the plot. He isn't great in war, but not bad. And he looks rather 
pathetic. Just another filler star.
   Rating: D

75. Rahal
How to Recruit:Joins automatically during the Sauronix Castle/Dino's
Nest/Headquarter takeover events:
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 230
Comments:Rahal is actually a very good character. In fact, he is built
extremely similar to Kyle, whom I gave an A+. In fact, if you look at
their stats and abilities, Rahal should be the superior character. 
That said, Rahal has terrible speed, he doesn't berserk on the falling
of a female party member, and doesn't have combo's quite as good as 
Kyle. So who is the better character? You decide. Me? I'll take Kyle
over Rahal any day of the week.
   Rating: A-

76. Raja
How to Recruit:Joins by default.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A
Comments:Raja is interesting to say the least. She's important to the
plot, useful in war, and has a personality that kind of grows on you
after awhile. You'll make a lot of use out of her abilities before the
game is done, you can count on that.
   Rating: A

77. Rania
How to Recruit:Take Miakis to her house in Sauronix, and speak with 
her. After the event, go back in and speak with her, with a Voice set.
She'll join without a problem afterwards.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A
Comments:She's boring, doesn't do much, and just really wastes a spot
for another more interesting character. She's just a necessary evil to
get that perfect ending...
   Rating: D

78. Raven
How to Recruit:After Doraat, speak with Solis in his mansion in Sable.
He'll tell you that his family tree was stolen. Speak with Oboro, and
then speak with Egbert, and then speak with Oboro again. Afterwards,
rest at the inn and you'll be pulled into a series of events. 
Investigate the Storage Room to catch Raven. Forgive him, and Raven
will join the SoD.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 250
Comments:Raven's unique rune let's him evade physical attacks with
100% success, if indoors. Which means he makes a great evasion tank
with a Firefly Rune. However, tank characters are a waste of space, so
Raven ends up just being a lackluster fighter, surrounded by many 
better characters. If for some ungodly reason you like tanks, Raven is
one of the best indoors.
   Rating: C+

79. Retso
How to Recruit:After the Coronation event, speak with Retso at the Inn
in Raftfleet and ask him to join. He will talk about a special fish.
Play the fishing game until you catch a "strange fish", then take it
to him. Take him and Shun Min to you Headquarters and they will join.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A
Comments:All in all, Retso's not that useful. He cooks, and he cooks.
His support isn't great, but his support in war is halfway decent so 
he isn't totally useless. He's just a necessary recruit.
   Rating: C

80. Richard
How to Recruit:After recruiting Mueller, go to the Waterfall Basin,
without an old character in your party. At the end you should meet
Richard. Go back and speak with Mueller, and then speak with Richard
again. He will then join.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 230
Comments:Richard is a fan favorite. He criticals a lot, he is almost
never hit with physical attacks, and he multi-hits almost all the time.
Unfortunately, he only has one free rune slot, so his damage output 
will be far below other fighters. Still, he's a decent fighter, joins
several levels higher than your hero, and can dish out decent damage,
without taking an equal amount in return. He also loses points for
giving me that dirty feeling, like how I feel after cheating on a
chemistry test...
   Rating: B+

81. Roog
How to Recruit:See Rahal
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 230
Comments:Roog is the worst out of the Dragon Cavalry. It seems like 
just about every one of his stats was nuked for some reason. He does
have three rune slots, but not even that can make up for his terrible
base stats. I really wish I knew what happened here...
   Rating: B-/C+

82. Roy
How to Recruit:Joins automatically during the events at Sable.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 255
Comments:Alright, Roy is another character I really don't like. In 
fact, I hate all the look a like characters from the Suikoden series.
Roy actually isn't terrible statwise and has a few combo attacks, but
he never seems to be available when you want to use him. Yes, that's
right, he suffers from the same "Caught up in plot events so you can't
use me" syndrome Georg is in. So his lack of availibility plus his
okayish stats equals one average character. And don't even get me 
started on his voice, oh boy, every cut scene with Roy sounds like
nails on a chalkboard.
   Rating: B

83. Sagiri
How to Recruit:See Nakula
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 245
Comments: Sagiri is another personal favorite of mine. She's L range,
she can hit several times, and her attack power isn't too shabby. She
has one free Rune slot, so she can have a pretty average damage 
output. Her outfit bugs me a lot though...Oh well, its a price I'm
willing to pay. If you want a fighter who can hit hard, several times
from the back row, Sagiri is the best, just edging out Lu.
   Rating: B+

84. Sairoh
How to Recruit:Buy six salts at a trade shop, and then check the
Rumours at the Raftfleet Trade Shop after you have recruited Shinro.
When it says the price of salt has skyrocketed, talk with Sairoh about
it. Then sell your six salts, and speak with Sairoh. In thanks for
stopping inflation, he'll join.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A
Comments:Sairoh really isn't incredibly useful outside his "Extra"
ability in war. And only because it can give you an extra spell like
Mother Earth, Star or Rage when you really need it. Other than that
amazing ability, he's not that useful.
   Rating: C

85. Sharmista
How to Recruit:Joins automatically
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 245
Comments:She's basically Sialeed's with more attack power, and less
magic. So if your into that sort of thing, she's your girl. With
the appropriate Runes and a maxed out Longthrow ability, she can
decimate an enemy party in no time at all. Or you can load her down
with powerful runes. and make her an all purpose mage. Your choice,
and neither one is a bad one. It's too bad she joins so late though.
   Rating:B

86.Shigure
How to Recruit: See Oboro
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 230
Comments:If you recruit Shigure at the earliest opportunity, he'll be
a godsend. He'll hit hard, combo a ton, and really, he'll just kick
the enemies ass...hard. I've seen Shigure run around the battlefield
and decimate everything. His outfit and ending battle quote are a tad
annoying, but what can you do? Later, when better characters become
available, Shigure stops being so orgasmic, so how long you use our
good friend, ultimately depends on you. Just give him a Boost and a
Double-Edge Rune and let him be, Shigure knows how to handle the enemy.
Early on, use Shigure and Kyle up on the front lines and watch the
enemy cower in fear.
   Rating: A-

87. Shinro
How to Recruit: After Raftfleet has joined your cause, speak with him 
in the item shop at Raftfleet and he'll join.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A
Comments:He's got the same ability in war as Sairoh. In fact, they are
nearly the same character, save Shinro runs the item shop instead of 
the trade shop. So why not give him the same rating?
   Rating: C

88. Shoon
How to Recruit:Joins automatically during the assault on Stormfist.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 250
Comments:As a character, Shoon is on the same level as Nikea. Shoon
was a really interesting character when I first met him, but then,
after meeting him, you don't get to recruit him until almost 50 hours
later! Gah! That will anger me for years to come. Still, Shoon is a 
decent character, with a few good combo's. If only he joined sooner.
Many people will pass on Shoon, thanks to him being probably the last
character many people recruit. Gah.........
   Rating: B-(For how late he shows up)

89. Shun Min
How to Recruit: See Retso
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A
Comments:Shun Min is just another character. She raises fish in your
castle which is kinda...weird. She's not that useful as a support
character, and isn't too useful in war. She's there for nostalgia
basically.
   Rating: D

90. Shula Valya
How to Recruit: Joins automatically.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A
Comments:Shula is fairly interesting, he joins extremely late, but 
there is one thing about him that makes him a worthy recruit. His war
usefulness. Shula saved my ass so many times, I think his name's on 
it. He can single-handedly decimate naval ships with his ram. No,
seriously try him out, you'll only have a couple of chances to do so.
   Rating: B

91. Silva
How to Recruit:Joins following the restoration of Lordlake.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A
Comments:I didn't expect her to be so tied to the plot, so that was
a pleasant surprise. She's not great as a support, but is decently
useful in war. Oh well, I like plot characters, so she's a worthy
character in my book.
   Rating: B

92. Sorenson
How to Recruit:Speak with the guard at the Revolving Bridge, and then
speak with Babbage and Sorenson at Babbage's Workshop. You'll then go
on a short side quest to the Bridge. After clearing it, Sorenson will
join.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 255
Comments:He's got an interesting weapon to say the least. Ahem, 
anyways, Sorenson is really just another S range character to join
your army. He's not outstanding in any way, but he can be decent. His
war unit is unique, but isn't too good overall. His combo with Lu is
rather humorous though.
   Rating: C-/D

93. Subala
How to Recruit: Take Lun to Raftfleet once you've established your
Headquarters and speak with her on the platform after the Inn. You
will have to play a mini-game with her, if you win, she'll join.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 245
Comments:She loses points for me not being able to tell what gender
she is. That said, Subala hits hard, really hard. Like Logg hard.
So she isn't totally useless. Her mini-game is mildly entertaining
as well. If you can stomach her character portrait and are looking
for a unique fighter, try Subala, she's decent.
   Rating: C+

94. Takamu
How to Recruit:After you have freed Lucretia from prison, take Cius
and Lelei to the prison's western wing and look in the cell and speak
with Takamu. Cius will free him, and Takamu will ask for your help to
find his items. Help him out(The items are in the top right corner of
the room the save point is in) and Takamu will join.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A
Comments:Takamu is a rather important recruit, as he is key to 
recruiting some other party members. He also gives you guaranteed 
escape from battle, and with the high encounter rate in this game, his
support can prove to be a godsend at times. He's a worthy entourage
character.
   Rating: B-

95. Talgeyl
How to Recruit:Joins automatically following restoration of Lordlake.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A
Comments:Talgeyl is one of my favorite Generals in the war battles.
Stick him, Alhazred, and Viki in the same unit, and you have an 
almost unstoppable Rune Archer unit. He's also decently wrapped up in
the plot, and has some pretty decent character growth. Maybe I'm just
a sucker for the Lordlake guys, I don't know, but Talgeyl is a great
character to use, and get to know. Bottom Line, use him in war, and he
won't disappoint.
   Rating: B+

96. Taylor
How to Recruit:After you have acquired your HQ go outside to see a 
scene with Taylor. After the Lelcar incident, give him permission to
conduct interviews at the following places:Outside the Inn, in front
of the Sealed Room, and in front of Georg's Room. If you speak with
him at each area, and give him permission each time, he'll join you
at the end of it all.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A
Comments:I liked Taylor as a character, but unfortunately, his support
in battle, and in war, isn't very good. His newspapers are mildly
interesting reads however, and can be humorous at times. If you liked
Lelei's Analyze skill then you might be able to make use out of 
Taylor, but if not he'll just sit in your castle.
   Rating: C

97. Toma
How to Recruit:Joins automatically
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A
Comments:I like Toma, he's funny, abrasive, and shows backbone. And he
seems like a fairly important character for awhile. However, after the
Lordlake sequence's are done, Toma falls into obscurity, and loses all
plot importance, from there on out. Oh well, his skill in war isn't
terrible, so you might be able to make use out of that.
   Rating: C

98. Urda
How to Recruit:Speak with her at the Lunas' Northern Forest and take
her to speak with Haswar and Isato after the Coronation event to 
recruit all three of them.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 245
Comments: Urda can really dish out some pain, if you take the time to 
level her up. She's got three free Rune slots, the incredibly useful
Barrage skill, and a few combo attacks. Her personality may put some
people off, but if you can stomach it, Urda can be a great L range
attacker, or a versatile mage. Your choice. You won�t have long to
enjoy that choice though, Urda and Isato join extremely late in the
game.
   Rating: B+

99. Viki
How to Recruit:Joins automatically after clearing Ceras Lake.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 200
Comments:What's a Suikoden game without our air-headed teleportress?
Viki's back and better than ever. While she still has her sub par 
Blinking Rune, she's got two other Rune slots, and the almighty Chain
Magic ability. With this ability Viki can hit the enemy with magic
spells several times in succession, making her potentially the best
Mage in the game. Viki fans rejoice! The teleportress has finally 
become a top tier character.
   Rating: A

100. Volga
How to Recruit: Joins automatically following the Lelcar events.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A
Comments:Volga's got the most personality out of the three from Lelcar
it's unfortunate that he looks like a monkey though. Volga is fairly 
important to the plot, a decent general in war, and you can always 
look forward to hearing something funny coming out of his mouth. All
in all, he's another guy.
   Rating: B

101. Wabon
How to Recruit:Joins automatically with Gunde.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 255
Comments: Wabon is well...Wabon. He's another S range fighter that 
joins up rather late, when you have better characters to choose from.
I mean Georg joins around the same time as him! Who are you gonna use,
Georg the badass swordsman, or Wabon the bald dwarf? Wabon's only
saving grace is that he has the Forge skill, so you can carry him
around and let him sharpen your weapons if you want too, but then 
again, that isn't really that great. If you like dwarves, Wabon is
a good choice, even though there are only three of them.
   Rating: C-

102. Wasil
How to Recruit:Joins automatically with Orok and Volga.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A
Comments:Just another semi-important character who joins up. He can't
be used as a support character, and he isn't useful in war. I mean what
can I say? He has no redeeming qualities.
   Rating: D+

103. Wilhelm
How to Recruit: See Mueller
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A
Comments: Another character who had great potential to be a fighter, 
but isn't. That alone was a huge dissapointment for me in Wilhelm.
Luckily, Wilhelm and Mueller kick some serious tushy in war. Their
Lindwurm Cavalry Brigade will probably be the strongest cavalry unit
in your army. Just watch as Wilhelm and Mueller decimate the enemies
infantry, just watch.
   Rating: B+

104. Yahr
How to Recruit:See Nelis
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 230
Comments: Yahr is another character that's a favorite of mine. Why? 
Well, it is mainly because of the Angry Dragon Rune. With a Boost and
a Fury Rune, Yahr will be able to use his Angry Dragon Rune again and
again, causing thousands of damage per hit to the enemy. It is a tad
unfortunate that Yahr's stats are a little low, and that he gets his
Head slot open so late, but take some time out and try out Yahr, he is
rather surprising once you start to use him. If you can ignore his 
rather bad base stats, and give him the right Runes, Yahr can be one 
of the best S range character in your group.
   Rating: B+

105. Yoran
How to Recruit:See Nick and Ax.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A
Comments: Hoo boy, another uninteresting, rather useless character.
Yoran just wants to be part of the group. He can be used in war, but
still, it doesn't make up for how pointless he is as a character.
On top of that, if I can't tell whether your a guy or a girl, your
gonna lose points. Take that Yoran.
   Rating: D

106. Zegai
How to Recruit:After you've met Urda and have recruited a pretty
healthy number of Stars, go back to where you first met Lun and Logg.
On the way you should hear a monster screech, and sure enough, you'll
encounter old Zegai. Speak with him and if you have a large enough
number of characters recruited, Zegai will join.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 250
Comments:Zegai's a good, solid interesting character, with a few major
flaws. Zegai's got lots of HP and strength, and has two free Rune 
slots, plus a Wrath Rune stuck in his head. The bad part of it all is
Zegai almost never multi-hits, his Wrath Rune takes up a valuable slot
which could be used for a better Rune, so other characters will outdo
him in the damage department. Now your probably saying, "ZOMG but teh
Wrath Rune, puts him into insta Fury, making him teh PWNZORZ111!" 
Alright, yeah the Wrath Rune does put him into a Fury state, but you
have to waste a whole turn doing that. The battles in this game will
rarely exceed three rounds, so by the time, Zegai gets to attack, the
battle will be over. Adding on that he's slow, and rarely multi-hits
Zegai falls short of being a better fighter than most B+-A+ 
characters. That said, give him a Boost and Fury/Crazed Rune and let
Zegai work without using that Wrath Rune, and he'll still be decent
maybe not dealing the most damage, but enough that it'll count.
   Rating:B-

107. Zerase
How to Recruit: Joins automatically.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 245
Comments:Zerase is one of those characters that make me feel like I'm
cheating when I use her. Her Star Rune is easily the most powerful 
Rune in the game. She can single-handedly defeat just about anything
in the game, with her Star Rune and a Magic Drain Rune. On top of that
she joins extremely early on. Zerase ultimately makes this easy game
ten times easier when you use her, so I'd urge you to pass on her,
so you can actually enjoy the game. However, if you want a character
that can sit in the back row, and just exterminate, everything that
stands in your way, Zerase is probably the best choice.
   Rating: A+ (I'd give her a B for making me feel bad but...meh)

108. Zunda
How to Recruit:After you have gotten your HQ go to the Dwarf Camp,
and speak with her behind the dwarf, near the Rune Shop. Agree to
show her a window, and then go to the Oracle's Conclave in Lunas.
You'll see a scene in one of the rooms, and then Zunda will join
the SoD.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: N/A
Comments:It took me forever to find out where to take her in my game.
It's a long painstaking process, to go to your HQ, put Takamu in your
party, get Urda in your team, go to Lunas, and then see a scene, just
to recruit the Window Changer. Yep, that's what Zunda does, changes the
Window Frame. Aren't you glad you spent all this time just to recruit
her?
   Rating: C- (For hauling me all over the world)

109. Zweig
How to Recruit: Joins automatically during Ceras Lake Ruins event.
   Level 16 Weapon Strength: 250
Comments:When I first saw Zweig, I thought, "Man, this guy's cool. I
bet he's going to be one of the best characters in the game!" Hahaha.
Yeah...not so much. Zweig gets three free Rune slots, however his 
attack power is a little low, he can't hit many times, and he's pretty
slow. He does make a great Support Mage with a Shield/Water/Whatever
you want on him. He does force himself on you several times in the 
game, and you have to use him in the final dungeon, so get used to
seeing Zweig a lot. He's not terrible, but he's nowhere near being
good either. If your craving a Support Mage, Zweig is probably the
best in the game.
   Rating: B-

*=Must choose between Eresh and Euram. You can't recruit both of them.

Credits
*************
I'd like to thank the following for their help on this FAQ.

-Vagabond Sausage for providing all Level 16 Weapon Strengths.

-My computer for holding out on me during this project.

-Blazefeeler, Darth Mordechai and SirYuber, for without their 
insight, many of these characters would have crappier ratings 
than they already have.

-CJayC for having the best dang site on the net.

-The Gamefaqs community for posting all their comments.

-Gamefaqs and for being the best site to find FAQ's and Walkthroughs.

-Me for writing this.(This dude is awesome seriously)

-The_Masamune for pointing out several judgmental errors and helping
me change a few characters ratings.

-My email should you wish to contact me for whatever reason, is
[email protected]