The JRPG genre is one of the best out there, as you can almost guarantee that you're going to be diving headfirst into hundreds of hours of magical worlds filled with engaging combat, amazing world-building, and of course, some of the best characters in all of gaming, making you want to see them on the edge of the earth.
And while this is the case for many titles in the genre, some are interesting only to party members, serving as your guiding star throughout your playthrough. However, in other cases, some party members are so strong that they carry you through every combat encounter, making you feel very safe in the grand scheme of things!
Magilou
Tales of Berseria
While the Tales Of series is known for its great characters, engaging combat, and skits that make you connect and care all the more, Tales of Berseria may be the best of the best when it comes to its characters, with Magilou being a standout. However, the downside is that she joins your journey quite late, but she more than makes up for it by being one of the strongest characters in the game.
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Not only can she literally carry late-game encounters with a solid build, but her skits, backstory, and side-quests are all top-notch, making everyone instantly fall for her the moment she's recruited. It might be impossible to introduce a character so late in a JRPG and have players shake things up, but she's the exception to that rule!
Eric
Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes Of An Elusive Age
Dragon Quest is another series with great party members, and Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age is no exception, as its characters more or less carry the entire game. That's not to say the story or gameplay is bad by any means, but they absolutely hit it out of the park with every single party member, Eric being a prime example of this.
And, unlike our last entry, Eric joins your team relatively quickly, making him ride-or-die for dozens of hours, giving you plenty of time to flesh out his true powers and dive into his remarkable backstory. Again, every character in this game is top-notch, but there's something about Eric that makes him shine a little brighter than the rest, which helps propel you through the game's early journeys until you're suddenly nearing a hundred hours!
Wazy Hemisphere
The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure
Speaking of one of the best characters in JRPGs, another is Wazy Hemisphere, who is arguably the best character in The Legend of Heroes series, and arguably the best in Trails to Azure. Sure, this game stands on its own as one of the best in the series, but we're sure it wouldn't be nearly as impressive if not for Wazy, as he single-handedly draws you in from the moment you meet him.
Although he is first met in Trails from Zero, he doesn't really shine in Trails to Azure, where he wins everyone's hearts. Wazy is an exceptionally well-written character who can also be very powerful in combat with a focused build and team composition. If it wasn't for Wazy, we don't know how invested we would have been in Trails to Azure, and we're glad he gave us, and probably many others, the push we needed to see that epic adventure through to the end!
Meru
The legend of the dragon
Ah, Legend of Dragons, a classic case of a JRPG that doesn't quite hold up in terms of gameplay, as it can quickly become quite tedious, while also having an okay-ish story. Still, despite all that, Meru puts this cult classic behind him, allowing you to push through that tedium to see that Legend of Dragons is actually a pretty solid and competent game underneath it all.
Of course, this has its problems, but Meru is not one of them, as he has the ability to eliminate his enemies, especially once he obtains his Blue Sea Dragon Dragon Spirit Soul. Her bubbly and cheerful personality is contagious from the moment you meet her, and will continue to be your source of strength even in the game's toughest spots (see youforbidden land)!
Miracle Chamlotte
Star Ocean: The Last Hope
Another title that may not hold up all that well by today's standards is Star Ocean: The Last Hope, as its overarching story is kind of all over the place, making it difficult to follow at times. However, in typical JRPG fashion, its combat system and characters more than make up for it. Or, to be a bit more specific, Meracle Chamlotte makes up for it, as she's undeniably one of the more unique and powerful party members you'll meet on your travels.
We get it, Meracle's personality and overall story may not be the strongest in the game, but he'll carry you through any combat encounter he throws at you. She's already very strong the moment she joins your party, and only gets stronger, essentially allowing her to completely trivialize the final boss. And that's even before you get into the more specialized or focused builds!
Momo
Eiyuden Chronicle: A Hundred Heroes
In similar fashion, our next entry is Momo from Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes, who might be the most powerful character on this entire list, not just from a story and narrative perspective, but also in terms of gameplay. Despite his adorable design, he's an absolute menace in combat and will allow you to quickly breeze through each combat encounter once he joins your party.
Yes, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is far from a perfect JRPG, and far from the greatness of Suikoden, but they completely crush Momo's design and backstory. Once you meet Momo and get more and more pieces about who they are and their backstory, as well as destroying everything in sight with them, despite all its flaws, this game is hard to watch!
Ryuji Sakamoto
Personality 5 Royal
Finally, we have our GOAT, Ryuji Sakamoto from Persona 5 Royal, to close out the list. You'll often hear and read from die-hard Persona fans that Persona 5 is the weakest of the bunch in terms of its story and party members, and while there may be some truth to that, the other characters don't have Ryuji, so, uh, checkmate. We guess. In all seriousness, how can you not love this character from the moment you meet him at the beginning of the game?
Ryuji Sakamoto is the definition of 'ride or die' and, hands down, the best character in Persona 5. His mischievous and defiant personality goes hand in hand with the Phantom Thieves' goals, and they quickly become best friends after witnessing the unbreakable bond between him and the Joker. As much as he has our back, we have his. He also kicks ass in a fight, so he has that going for him too. He is simply the best!
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