Shining Force II: Shining Force 2 Book

[sulfuroxp]

SF2 Strategy Guide Book
https://imgur.com/a/4gKqd9p" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

SF2 Winning Strategies Book
https://imgur.com/a/y1IXitU" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

SF2 Game Guide Book
https://imgur.com/a/HCBKrw0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Wiz]

Thank you so much sulfuroxp !
The scans are so clean ... now I'd love to find a good japanese OCR program, and then a good japanese translation program.
We have to know what the developers had to say !

[sulfuroxp]

STORY
はるか昔パルメキア大陸の西にあるグランス島では、3人の 悪魔王、ゼオン、ダークソル、ルシファーによる争いが繰り広 げられていた。アークバレイ（現在のグランシール周辺）に集ま る邪悪な力を手に入れるためだ。ゼオンはダークソルによって 光のジュエルと闇のジュエルと呼ばれるふたつの宝石によって 封印され、その後ほかのふたりの王も戦いに疲れ、神々によっ てこの地を追われていったという・・

This part don't say that Zeon win the battle

[RedArcher]

I don't get it. Why there is two pictures of Bowie's jump frame with a differently placed sword?

[Wiz]

This may look surprising but this is indeed the way his animation works.
His first jumping frame's duration with leaned sword is very short, maybe one or two frames only.

EDIT :
Just checked in SF2BattleSpriteAnimationEditor, it's actually 4 frames exactly, so 67ms at 60Hz.

[RedArcher]

Oh, so that's why. Thanks for the explanation, Wiz!

[DomingoRules!]

While I can't read a word of it, I'm fascinated looking at the arrows for the battles, and comparing them with how I've always approached the battles. Seeing which ones I play differently or the same as recommended, at least from what little I can gather with the vague arrows.

[Siel]

Most of the book is just a walkthrough guide (since it is a guidebook), but there are some short character introductions that I extracted and translated.

Spoiler

Sarah
Bowie's classmate. An elven girl with a sisterly and tidy personality. User of healing magic.

Chester (Huey)
Bowie's classmate. Has a carefree personality, but will not hesitate to charge in with spear in hand when the time for battle comes.

Jaha (Jaja)
Bowie's classmate. Mighty with a tender heart. A reliable guy who swings an axe around.

Kazin (Kazun)
Historian Hawel's disciple, Kazin, is a intellectual elven boy who can calmly recite magical spells.

Slade (Zippo)
The noble thief Slade who does evil for the sake of the poor. The perpetrator who started the Ancient Tower incident.

Kiwi
Kiwi, the pond slider who can even talk. A mascot-like creature for Bowie and friends. Adorable!

Peter
Peter, a phoenix who accompanies Bowie on his journey, decides and acts on his own!

May (Matilda)
The centaur May is a lively girl who excels at indirect attacks with the bow and arrow.

Gerhalt (Gerhard)
The beastman Gerhalt hates things that are crooked. A hot-blooded but pleasant guy who firmly believes in justice.

Luke (Lud)
Prince of Bedoe, Luke, cuts through the air with sword in one hand. A silhouette of elegance as he soars high into the sky.

Rick (Mick)
An inquisitive and playful centaur, Mick. A boy full of hope for the future.

Elric (Polnareff)
A bright and cheerful elven boy, Elric. An honest and good-natured character who never forgets a debt of gratitude.

Randolf (Dongo)
Dongo the Dwarf. Wild and quarrelsome, but is actually a kind-hearted old man.

Eric (Elric)
A centaur who used to be the king of a certain kingdom. A refined gentleman.

Karna (Twiggy)
Twiggy, quick to fill her cheeks with air and pout. Pretty and cute!

Tyrin (Piper)
While "elf" prompts the image of quickness and nimbleness, there are also this sort of exceptions.

Janet
Janet, who chased after Bowie in yearning for Elric, is quite glamorous.

Rohde (Lloyd)
A scholar who is very fond of ancient relics, Rohde. He is not just the driver of the Caravan.

Higgins
Captain of the Pacalon Army, Higgins. Boasting undisputable strength, a centaur.

Taya (Linda)
Linda, a sorceror who supports Bowie under the instructions of the Goddess Mitula. Can manipulate spirits.

Screech (Fielder)
Soaring high up into the skies to then descend in one swoop with sword in both hands. Fielder, who deals powerful single blows, is a courteous young boy.

Jaro (Falcon)
Falcon, a ex-mercenary of the Devil Army. A pro of battle needs not instructions from Bowie.

Frayja (Charolles)
Frayja, a priest of Moun who has sworn revenge against the Devil Army. Displays an ardent performance that make you forget his age.

Gyan
Gyan the hobbit may look scary, but he can't sit still when he sees someone in trouble.

Sheela
Sheela the master monk, who devoted herself to monkhood for the sake of avenging her lover who was killed by the Devil Army. Strong!

Zynk (Bacchus)
Bacchus, who, overwhelmed with anger, disabled his battle limiter. A mechanical soldier created by an ancient civilization

Claude (Murd)
Scary on the outside but compassionate on the inside, Claude the golem. He is even quite easily moved to tears.

Chaz (Oneah)
Historian Hawel's son. A youthful intellectual who possesses abundant knowledge passed down from his father.

Lemon
Galam, who spearheaded the Galam army, joins Bowie for some reason. His skill with the sword is reputed across the land.

Geshp
This irritatingly grinning man is the Devil Army Commander Geshp himself. Do not hesitate to spit in his face, as he will no doubt show himself many a time!

A very repugnant man. He attacks defenseless Pacalon soldiers and then loudly laughs as he watches them dying. He can't be forgiven!

Cameela
The one and only female captain within the Devil Army, Cameela. She shines with a devilish and coquettish charm. She may look cute, but she is super strong!

Interestingly, while they are mentioned, Zalbard and Odd Eye don't have little introduction boxes of their own (unless I missed them?).


There are also some interviews near the end of the book. of which I've translated two for now. Do take the phrasing and tone with a grain of salt though, since it's difficult to get a perfect match in a different language and I'm not particularly adept at it.

Large-volume content definitely gives a hard time(p150-151)

Spoiler

Hiroyuki: We aimed big this time.
Shuugo: We used 99.73% out of the entire capacity of a 16 megabit game.
Hiroyuki: How we managed to get it to fit remains a mystery even now.
Shuugo: Someone playing normally for the first time should take about 50 hours. Completing it all the way might take 70 hours. If one's careless, it might be bigger than a CD-ROM game... That's way too big (laugh).
Hiroyuki: Oh, come on.
Interviewer: If I recall correctly, you said the same thing when I interviewed you around the time Shining Force 1 was completed.
Hiroyuki: Did I? I guess I forgot (laugh). Everything really turned out so well. Looking at everyone's work from the side, it didn't seem like we'd ever finish. To the point that those who saw the July version were saying that even a release by the end of the year would be unlikely (laugh).
Taguchi: We didn't even have an official title during the [Tokyo International] Toy Show. In a hurry, we made a temporary logo and stuff...
Hiroyuki: In any case, we didn't have even the opening at first. The first thing we did in the game's story was from after the characters land on the mainland by boat. It's only until after we wrote all the way to their return to New Granseal and the renewal of their journey that we suddenly started creating the legend. That last one can be heard in Tristan, by the way. What a ridiculous way of doing things, isn't it (laugh). It wasn't such a convoluted story at first, but as we added new things while we worked on it, more and more things piled on.
Interviewer: While implementing such a story, were there any programming hardships?
Taguchi: ... There were a lot of modifications.
Everyone: (roaring laughter)
Hiroyuki: It was a painful position for him to be in.
Shuugo: Being the main programmer is synonymous with "suffering hardships", after all.
Hiroyuki: It's not even flashy.
Taguchi: "Please do this. Thanks!" is what you always get told in that position (laugh).
Interviewer: Were you able to leave every day?
Hiroyuki: I stayed over night at the time of the tentative version and of the definitive version, on just those two days, I think.
Yamamoto: This time was my first time at an all-nighter.
Takahashi Brothers&Taguchi: How fortunate!
Taguchi: I couldn't let myself go home on the day of the tentative version...
Yamamoto: I was lured in by the nightly pizza.
Shuugo: It was like a feast.
Hiroyuki: Hey, times like those are what pizzas are for!
Yamamoto: Ha ha ha (bitter laugh).

Summon magic has a trick to it (p151-152)

Spoiler

Interviewer: This time, will it be possible to clear the game without repeating battles?
Shuugo: We have it balanced in a way that the game can definitely be cleared without ever going back even once.
Taguchi: It'll be quite difficult though.
Shuugo: Yeah, all the meanwhile dropping countless dead bodies. They can be revived, after all.
Hiroyuki: From the mid-point on, allies get stuck and stop being able to move. They'll be done in by things like magic or sniper arrows.
Shuugo: This time, we put in effort in support magic. Enemies also inflict confusion a lot.
Hiroyuki: That one is horrifying. It was my first time getting hit by an ally and dying (laugh).
Shuugo: Concerning support magic, there's also the aspect that monsters actually using the likes of confusion and desoul teaches the extent of their effects to the player. Being shown like that should instill a drive to try out those spells.
Hiroyuki: Well, support magic doesn't work against bosses though.
Interviewer: There is summon magic this time, correct?
Shuugo: There's a specific interaction with that. The damage inflicted damage differs whether there is one enemy or multiple enemies. Concentrating on a single enemy is more bang for buck.
Hiroyuki: In the case of Apollo at level 2, it also depends on the opponent's element too, but about 60 points of damage can be dealt, if I recall correctly.
Interviewer: Apollo's attack is reminiscent of "Street Fighter 2", isn't it.
Hiroyuki: The graphics lead is a fighting game enthusiast.
Aoki: Come to think of it, Apollo reminded me of "Dragon Ball Z" (laugh). Judging by the hair.
Hiroyuki: Even his idle pose is oddly like him being in a fighting game, right? We couldn't fit in any more content and had to cut quite a bit, though.
Aoki: About his idle pose, he barely even moves, but it was really hard to draw (laugh). I thought of making a seperate animation for the master monk's critical hit, but ended not being able to. I really wanted to have them turn around and show their front side. Even though I knew some ideas weren't possible, I still do end up trying to draw them.

[DomingoRules!]

Wow. Seeing that estimate of 50 hours really makes me wonder how long it took me my first time. Granted it's hard to say since it was originally a rental for me, so I had to start over quite a few times because of my save being gone by time I rented again. It's possible though, especially when counting the time spent trying to figure out how to use the Wooden Panel, not to mention battles lost and the feeling to need to grind that were experienced in those early days.

As for tacking on another 20 hours for completion, that's probably because of the time and effort it would take a blind run to find all the mithril.

[Siel]

Here are the next two interviews and some extra tidbit. Converting so many Japanese sentence fragments into sensical English is confusing

A difficult barrier! The chessboard battle (p152)

Spoiler

Shuugo: On maps with a boss, players can't go thinking they'll deliciously feast on the entire map for EXP. Otherwise, they'll be the ones to be feasted on.
Hiroyuki: Many say the chess battle was the hardest one.
Shuugo: The most interesting one is also the chess battle. One has a hard time thinking in that storm of exceptions. Normally, one moves about while considering the terrain, but that map, it's just a square. All the while squirming around and spewing blood, wondering what to do... We made an algorithm specifically for that battle, after all. Using the same tactics as on other maps is going to end badly (loud laughter).
Interviewer: Zalbard's battle is also quite unpleasant, isn't it?
Shuugo: That one's also a feature map. It's similar to "1"'s Mishaela.
Hiroyuki: This time, the decision making of enemy spellcasters is quite smart.
Taguchi: They'll aim where it'll target as many people as possible and where it'll be most effective.
Shuugo: We made them shy away from attacking a single target, but whenever they can absolutely get the kill, they'll definitely aim for that target.

Unacquirable through regular means! The strongest weapons (p152-153)

Spoiler

Hiroyuki: This time, there are a lot of missable elements if one plays through straightforwardly.
Shuugo: Like Sheela, one can't get her to join normally.
Interviewer: The monastery. One wouldn't notice it, huh? The birdbattler Screech is hard too.
Everyone: Yeah, that one!
Shuugo: The person who was creating that event weeped "almost no one's going to see this..." as he worked.
Hiroyuki: In Bedoe, if one goes somewhere in particular, they help a mother who drops their baby, but it's not something that's going to be discovered on a first playthrough. Even though Screech is more useful than Luke. Even for going to the last battle, the entrance is pretty small. Although there is a hint in Galam about it.
Shuugo: We increased the number of weapons and weapon categories since there are a lot of battles, but with that blacksmith mechanic, having to build them myself gave me some trouble.
Hiroyuki: The location of the blacksmith is hidden too.
Interviewer: People aren't going to immediately realize they have to use the ******* Stone at the entrance of the hidden Dwarf village either, are they.
Hiroyuki: Not without a guidebook (laugh).
Shuugo: That the best items from the blacksmith are hard to get is going to be frowned upon, isn't it?
Taguchi: It does have hits and misses.
Shuugo: The Guisarme [jp: Murasame] is by no means easy to make. My apologies.
Taguchi: The rate is 1 in 16, after all.
Shuugo: There were even devs pressing the reset button as if their lives depended on it.
Taguchi: "That's weird! It's always the same weapon coming out!" I felt almost like throwing my controller.
Shuugo: You'd think it was bugged. Gotta save before handing over the materials. There was someone who was happily thinking they had hit the jackpot with the Katana (jp: Kikuichimonji), but that's actually the booby prize (laugh). For people who can't get a good weapon from the blacksmith no matter what, I think that equipping Evil weapons is also an interesting choice. Enemies drop items an unexpectedly lot. Even Taros drops his item. Cameela drops hers too. Well, regular characters can't equip them though.

screenshot caption p153

Spoiler

Top: The character Aoki-san dedicated himself to is Sheela. He supposedly had wanted to have her turn around and face the screen.
Middle: Concept art for the Evil Spirit, by character designer SUEZEN-shi. A precious item.
Bottom: Have you seen this scene?

[RedArcher]

Hm. So, as it seems, there are also mistranslations in the weapon names and there is no Gisarme whatsoever, but Murasame?

Siel, thank you for your hard work! I appreciate your effort!

[Siel]

Of the weapon names, there are a few other different ones too. Most differences are minor and probably just from space constraints or lessening religious references, but here:

Levanter - Laevateinn
Force Sword - Force Blade
Grand Cannon - Shut Cannon
Guardian Staff - Providence Staff
Wish Staff - Prayer Staff
Holy Staff - Saint Staff
Freeze Staff - Blizzard Staff
Giant Knuckle - Gigant Knuckle
Katana - Kikuichimonji
Ninja Katana - Shinobi Katana
Gisarme - Murasame

[DVthemaster]

Is this a strategy guide or something different? This thing is really cool and I'm probably gonna look for one.

[DomingoRules!]

Spoiler

Hiroyuki: Many say the chess battle was the hardest one.

Pretty sure that applies to the fans, as well.

[Siel]

Here's the rest of the interviews!

Treasure hunting is like looking for a needle in a haystack? (p154)

Spoiler

Hiroyuki: Shimizu's the man in charge of treasure chests and hidden items, but he's quite the deviant, you see.
Shuugo: I'd tell him, "it'd be great balance-wse if you could place so-and-so roughly between this battle and this battle", and he'd place the items in locations that just absolutely make you wonder "why somewhere so difficult!?". A piece of mithril on a stone mountain on the overworld? Who'd find that!?
Interviewer: Oh my! (speechless)
Shuugo: You'd have somewhere on the map with nothing around it, and he'd say "It was lonely here, so I placed it there". It was just the overworld without even a battle nearby.
Interviewer: The pegasus knight promotion item is also hidden, isn't it. Where is it?
Taguchi: Inside a wall. At Pacalon.
Interviewer: That's so cruel (laugh).
Shuugo: Also, there are times when the item can't be found without actually using the command menu.
Hiroyuki: The Achilles' Sword doesn't display a different message either unless the "search" command is used. The Force Sword too. When handing over items too, you can't hand it over unless you're facing the other person, and even I sometimes thought "Ah, it's not letting me hand it over. It's bugged!". Oh, right. Were you able to get the ring in Creed's mansion?
Interviewer: That one also requires the right facing, doesn't it. I found it after returning to my regular size.
Shuugo: Did you see the broken wall at Creed's mansion?
Interviewer: Huh? There is one?
Shuugo: Ah... (sigh). You have to look properly! We went through the trouble of breaking it, after all.
Hiroyuki: Then you must not have realized why Creed was in "that" place!

There are even hidden maps... (p154)

Spoiler

Shuugo: Also, there are hidden battle maps that aren't normally visible, too.
Hiroyuki: I can't give specifics, but there's a map with a time attack.
Interviewer: By the way, what is SEGA's own highest score?
Hiroyuki: Fast enough to discourage everyone if I said it. There are specific tricks in how to tackle it. I'd wager it'd be difficult without mapping it out.
Interviewer: The stage for the other bonus content was also unexpected.
Taguchi: I'd like for players to look at that one through the mini-map.
Shuugo: We set up a little something there.
Interviewer: Even the map graphics are to be doubted, aren't they. That place at Mitula's shrine, too, I presume.
Shuugo: The area where there are clouds reflected in the water gave me some trouble.
Hashimoto: The map size's maximum is 64x64, but an entire half out of that is used for the background. The pattern for the floating clouds had to be drawn at the same size, which was rather difficult.
Shuugo: The entirety of the map graphic artists was made up of only him alone! (laugh)

Abnormal player Yamamoto's modus operandi (p155)

Spoiler

Shuugo: This time, for people who've cleared the game once, we implemented difficulty modes. Amongst them is "OUCH" (jp: Ultra Evil), which was created for Yamamoto.
Hiroyuki: He has an odd way of going at things.
Shuugo: He'd throw away weaker characters that died and not revive them. It was awkward to look at. "Are you having fun playing like that?", I'd ask, and he'd reply affirmatively... (laugh).
Hiroyuki: He was dragging around dead bodies after himself. A bit like a lion.
Yamamoto: Y'know, those without any potential. Can't be bothered with them (laugh).
Shuugo: Your Slade ended up staying dead at 0 EXP, didn't he? (laugh) Had you persevered and raised him, he could've become able to land those critical hits with the Gisarme...
Hiroyuki: It's as if you're completely ignoring the creators' intentions (laugh).
Shuugo: Going straight to the Kraken without getting the Achilles' Sword, though, does end up being a bad time for the player.
Hiroyuki: Yamamoto would end up winning. Even without sending out everyone (laugh).
Shuugo: That sure is troubling.
Interviewer: Yamamoto-san, do you have any recommended ways to deal with battles?
Yamamoto: Something I'd definitely like anyone to try out is to assemble burst rocks together and to trigger their explosion. It's magnificent sight, that it is.
Shuugo: The battle scene ends up continuing on for around 3 minutes. Lining up a line all the way to Geshp and then lighting up the fuse on our end.
Hiroyuki: All the enemies die when pulled off successfully.
Yamamoto: Also, counterattacks and double attacks are the epitome of battles.

What are the selling points of the world of SF2? (p156)

Spoiler

Hiroyuki: We put in effort in the story and aimed for a richness in plot, so we'd like for players to enjoy that aspect. On the character side, we put in a lot of effort in Zeon and Odd Eye. I didn't want it to become a monotonous story, so this time, we included plenty of subplots and foreshadowing. I hope players enjoy it.
Shuugo: We sometimes see some places introducing "Shining Force" as a strategy game, but we don't think of it as a strategy game, but entirely as an RPG bundle. It's not a game fought by units devoid of personality, but a game fought by characters. In other words, we want players to feel pain when they lose a character. We also included lots of elements that would be unnecessary in a strategy game, like monsters doing bizarre actions. We've emphasized the story to instill feelings like laughter, sadness, or awe, and would very like the game to be enjoyed as an RPG. Anyway, it can be played for fun on whim, or it can be played over and over while discovering many things. That's the idea I have of the game that we made.

screenshot caption p155

Spoiler

Top: The broken wall in Creed's mansion. Please do have a look at it.
Middle: Can you measure up to this record?
Bottom: The map of a town that didn't make it into the game.

[DomingoRules!]

I want to see that Burst Rock thing.

[Wiz]

Thank you so much for your translation work, Siel. This is the kind of thing that I've been hoping for a long time.

Really happy to see that these interview are talking about funny details and giving more details about who did what in the team !

I think the SFC SF2 website would deserve to be updated with those precious pieces of interviews.

[MXC]

I love seeing these old guides years later. Nice find!

[Diego_Didakus]

Hey Siel, can you tell if the character part, near the ending of the book, where they show growth, tells interestings things about the characters? Did you see any monster description interesting too?

[Siel]

The character bios are very partially backstory and mostly just gameplay descriptions. If I had to say between them being interesting or not, I'd say more towards the mundane side. Well, you can check and decide for yourself: I translated parts of the former type, skipping over the parts of the latter type, and I also added in other possibly relevant portions of the book.

STORY (p2-p3)

Spoiler

(p2)
Long ago, on Grans Island, situated to the west of the continent of Parmecia, there was fought a battle between the three devil kings: Zeon, Dark Sol, and Lucifer. It was a battle over obtaining an evil power that gathered in Arc Valley (in the vicinity of present-day Granseal). Zeon was sealed by Dark Sol by using two jewels, called the Jewel of Light and the Jewel of Darkness. Soon after, the other two devil kings were exhausted by their battle and were driven out of these lands by the Gods...

(p3)
This story begins from the house of Granseal's protagonist, Bowie. On Grans Island are the two countries of Granseal and Galam, where people have been living peacefully. Bowie is a young lad studying, together with his friends, at a school opened by the Great Sage Astral.

SYSTEM GUIDE: Playing Guide (p4)

Spoiler

(p4)
Welcome to the world of Shining Force II
The adventure is set in world of the previous game, hundreds of years later.

With the continent of Rune as their backdrop, the "Shining Force" was an army of the Light led by a hero named Max that fought an ardent battle with the army of Runefaust. Hundreds of years since then, in a different place and time of the same world, takes place the story of "Shining Force II". With elements such a a town where live the descendants of immigrants from the continent of Rune, there will be many scenes that will bring spontaneous smiles to those who have experienced the previous game. Of course, the game can be enjoyed even without knowing of the previous game, so there is no need to worry. However, the previous game's stage was the continent of Rune and the protagonist's name was Max. By being aware of just these two facts, one should be able to fully enjoy the depth of the story. The unreasonably vast world of "Shining Force II": please experience if carefully from end to end.

WALKTHROUGH: Part 1: TOWN GUIDE & EVENT CHECK POINT (p12-p13)

Spoiler

p12 Granseal Town
It's once again a peaceful morning even today in the Grans Island kingdom of Granseal. The storm from yesterday has come and gone and has been replaced by good weather. Hurry to school or you'll be late!

p12 Granseal Castle
Granseal has not known war for many years. As a consequence, the soldiers seem to have nothing to do...

p13 Ancient Tower
An ancient tower of beautiful scenery, accessible from the western tower of Granseal Castle. Its official name is "Ground Seal", which is rumored to mean "that which seals the ground".

p13 Ancient Shrine
A small shrine situated to the south of Granseal. It is ruins from ancient times and is known as the Ancient Shrine. Ancient ruins like these usually have treasures, but possibly due to the repeat occurrence of thieves, nothing of value remains.

p13 Yeel
A small town surrounded by mountains. A peaceful location devoid of soldiers. An idyllic rural area with lots of animals.

p13 Hawel's House
Historian Hawel, considered to be an eccentric by the villagers of Yeel. He stays in a solitary cottage a ways off from the village. He immerses himself day and night in his research, unperturbed by anyone. His disciple Kazin will show you the way, so just follow him.

p13 Galam Castle Town
Galam, which should be on friendly terms with Granseal. The two populaces seem to be friendly to each other as usual...?

CHARACTERS: Characters (p118-p128)

Spoiler

Bowie
A hero who keeps a balance between offense and defense
This game's main character, born in Granseal. Having lost his father, he currently lives with his mother. He specializes at swordsmanship, but thanks to the teachings of the sage Astral, he can also use magic.

Sarah
Divinely punish with (Hell)blast!
A classmate of Bowie who joins from the start. An elven girl and a user of priest-type magic. A feisty lady, she can masterfully use not only healing magic, but also attack magic such as Blast.

Chester
Charge valiantly into enemies that stand in the way!
A centaur knight in the making.

Jaha
His single axe strike crushes even mithril!
Strictly speaking, he's a classmate of Bowie's, but he seems to not be taking attending school too seriously. In the game too, thanks to oversleeping, he doesn't join until the second battle.

Kazin
Flames from hell, burn my enemies to ashes!
The first magician-type character that joins Bowie. His specialty is Blaze magic, but he flawlessly handles support magic such as Muddle as well.

Slade
Think you can catch me?
A noble thief who steals for the sake of the poor. On one hand the very perpertrator behind the revival of Demon King Zeon, on the other a streetwise man who completely settles into the party before long.

Kiwi
A turtle who repays his debts
A pond slider who was captured by humans on Parmecia and made into an exhibition.

Peter
Hey, Bowie, you're pretty down to earth, aren't you?
A descendant of the legendary phoenixes.

May
A comet dashing through the wild... That's what I am.
Longing for adventure that would make her heart race, she joins Bowie at Ribble.

Gerhalt
A gentle wolf-man filled with a sense of justice
-

Luke
Think you can take on my dive bomb technique!?
Prince of Birdman Kingdom Bedoe and at the same time a childhood friend of Peter.

Rick
A young centaur brimming with curiosity
-

Elric
One shot one hit! I never miss my target!!
An aquatically-challenged archer who was in a pinch in a forest spring.

Karna
Please leave healing magic to me
A priest girl Bowie meets at Creed's mansion.

Eric
By my pride as a knight, I lend you my aid!
Originally the king of a certain country. It is said that, amidst his journey in the search of a legendary sword, he was saved by Creed when he got caught in a volcanic eruption.

Tyrin
A middle-aged mage who doesn't look like an elf
One of the four people Bowie meets at Creed's mansion. Despite his appearances, he is an elven mage, specialized in Freeze magic.

Randolf
Attacks like that won't work against me!
Tyrin's partner, as well as his comrade-in-arms who left the Desk Kingdom to journey the Floor Kingdom.

Janet
Waaah! Elric left without me!
An impulsive girl who came chasing after Elric. Her prattling at headquarters is an annoyance, but on the battlefield, she is of use even more than Elric.

Rohde
The lining on this barrel is a feast for the eyes.
-

Higgins
Detestable devils, I'll make skewers out of you!
The prideful captain of the Pacalon army. He was about to have his body taken over by devils, but he narrowly escapes with this life thanks to Bowie.

Taya
Come forth, Atlas! Answer to my call!
-

Screech
I will never forget my debt towards you for saving me.
A birdbattler who joins in Tristan.

Jaro
Today in the East, tomorrow in the West, I am a wanderer of the battlefield.
A magnificent professional of the battlefield, that is what Jaro the pegasus knight is.

Frayja
Oh God! Hear my prayer!
A middle-aged vicar of fiery blood and bright cranium who joins for the sake of avenging the people of Moun. He may look like a slovenly old man, but depending on the choices of the player, he might become the only character who can use Aura.

Gyan
My wife and son, wait for me a while longer!
A dwarven warrior who comes from Ribble. All the while leaving his family behind at the village, he ends up following Bowie.

Sheela
Converting my entire vessel into strength... Hah!
-

Zynk
I won't let you call me a tin soldier!
A high-performance mechanical soldier that was created by the advanced technology of the Ancients. Picked up by Petro as he lied about in some ruins, he regained his functions after being carefully repaired. As expected from the excellence of Ancient technology, Zync's specs are of terrifying high quality. His appearance does leave something to be desired, though.

Claude
Olrrrn! Keep magic away from me!
A monster created by Ancients breathing life into mud.

Chaz
Was it that...? No, no, that isn't it.
The son of historian Hawel. A young, entrepreneurial magician who inherited his father's research. After level 20, his defense increases greatly, so he'll surely become quite reliable. However, although Blaze-type magic is said to be the easiest one to learn, he's apparently inept at it. It could be said to be a charm point.

Lemon
My King... You have my faith.
A loyal and ardent militant who spread his name as commander of the Galam army. He was thought to have gone missing on the occasion of Granseal's collapse, but, as if guided by the threads of fate, he joins Bowie.

CHARACTERS: Other Characters (p129)

Spoiler

Astral
Race: Human // Class: Sage
Yo! Unparalleled great sage
A man of integrity who keeps a school open in the town of Granseal for youngsters such as Bowie. Keeping his calm no matter the situation, a man of justice and truth who eliminates any kind of obstacle... or so he tries to appear to everyone, but the truth is that he also has quite a lecherous and irresponsible side to him as well. There's proof of that on the bookshelf in his study.

Granseal King
Race: Human // Class: King
Red-faced benevolent king
While he is an absolute monarch, there is kindness in this king who speaks words of gratitude to patrolling soldiers, down to the individual. There is no doubt that the populace of Granseal is happy. Well, is his somewhat lack of eminence a weak point, or a strong point...? He dotes on his only daughter, Elis.

Elis
Race: Human // Class: Princess
Like a rose of splendor
A princess whose beauty and splendor are famous even in neighboring countries. It would certainly be no exaggeration to say that everyone of the Granseal populace is a fan of Princess Elis. It's a good thing that her looks take after her mother. She is a year older than Bowie and co. She is a kind and earnest girl who cares for her father.

Oddler
Race: Human? // Class: ?
Friend or foe...?
A young man of unknown origins who joins Bowie on his journey after unexpected circumstances. He got caught in a volcanic eruption and lost his memories due to those injuries. In addition, he received injuries to both his eyes and is now blind. His senses sharpened ever since the accident, he helps Bowie in some way or other, but...

Creed
Race: Devil // Class: Hermit
The old devil is a mystery collector?
An ex-devil living out a retirement life at a peninsula called Devil's Tail. All rumors say that his image from when he was a devil has faded away and that his personality has mellowed out. However, he's even now still in contact with the underworld and conveys important information to Bowie. By the way, his hobby is his miniature collection.

Mitula
Race: Deity // Class: Goddess
Captivatingly beautiful Goddess of Harvest
A motherly goddess who resides at the temple in Tristan. Parmecia is under the protection of Goddess Mitula and the fatherly God Volcanon. She looks young, but as she is a goddess, her actual age is unknown. It could be around tens of thousands of years. She gives hints for sealing the Devil Zeon.

CHARACTERS: Monsters (p130-p141)

Spoiler

Gizmo
Goes on stage in the opening battle at the spacious room inside the Ancient Tower. Its role ends there.

Huge Rat
A giant rat that inhabits the surrounds of Yeel of Grans island. While it is just a rat, it possesses strength that cannot be underestimated.

Ooze (Paste)
A soft-bodied creature that makes an appearance in the vicinity of Yeel of Grans Island. It can be said to be a monster just for gaining EXP from.

Galam Archer
-

Galam Soldier
With his tempered body, he swings around an axe with all his strength. But, in terms of scariness, the Huge Rat might take the cake.

Huge Bat
-

Galam Mage
Can cast Blaze 1, but that's it.

Galam Knight
-

Priest
-

Witch
-

Dark Smoke
Dark Smokes do not have physical bodies. Their existance can be nullified by erasing their evil spirits with righteous energy.

Goblin
It's a one-track-minded monsters whose only redeeming ability is brute strength, but every one of its attacks is powerful. Its destructive power is not be trifled with.

Hunter Goblin
A rather skilled monster that stands at the top even amongst goblins.

Green Ooze (Green Paste)
-

Vampire Bat
-

Dark Dwarf
A villainous monster whose only redeeming trait is their ridiculous strength.

Hobgoblin
-

Death Archer
-

Evil Cloud
-

Death Monk
Evil priest who darts across backalleys.

Master Mage
-

Zombie
-

Black Monk
-

Golem
Its defense is as hard as stone and the destructive power of the punches launched by its solid arms is to be feared.

Arrow Launcher (Bowshooter)
Its outward appearance is that of a tank, but whether there's a person riding it inside or not is unknown.

Gargoyle
-

Kraken Leg
A leg of the legendary monster, Kraken. The Kraken is an octopus monster, so it of course has 8 legs.

Kraken Arm
There are of course two of them.

Kraken Head
-

Soulsower (Innsmouth)
-

Taros
A powerful foe guarding the legendary vehicle, the Caravan.

Dark Madam
Stand dazed at her somewhat dark but bewitching charm and you'll be frozen by Freeze.

High Priest
-

Orc
Its movement is surprising dull, perhaps due to being cursed by a short and stout body. On the other hand, it excels in arm strength and comes stabbing at Bowie and gang in full force with its Steel Lance.

Harpy
-

Skeleton
With bones rich in iron and calcium, it is quite durable at 40 DEF. Skillfully commanding its Broad Sword, it has a bone to pick with Bowie.

Queen
Unlike regular chess, there are 3 of them here. The reason for that is uncertain, but it is certain that they are strong.

King
-

Bishop
-

Knight
-

Rook
-

Pawn
-

Willard
Its strength is barely any different from the rats that appear in the same battle. While it is a boss, its actual strength is quite low compared to other monsters. Why exactly it was chosen to be boss is not clear, but it is undisputedly number 1 in filthiness.

Rat
-

Bubble Ooze (Bubble Paste)

Lesser Demon
-

Dark Bishop
-

Dark Sniper
-

Dark Soldier (Hell Soldier)
-

Lizardman
Perhaps due to its lizard blood, its mobility is high and its agility is also excellent.

Wizard
An old man who displays ample cunning. Elders are to be treated with respected, but one that nonchallently chants Blaze 3 at you is a different matter. Hit him with everything you've got.

Wyvern
-

Worm
Possessing a stomach able to digest anything, it is a glutton that is even willing to eat a bridge. Coming into contact with its stomach fluids can cause poisoning, so stay vigilant.

Master Monk
-

Dark Knight
-

Orc Lord
-

Harpy Queen
-

Zalbard
The first Devil Army Leader to be confronted. He plots to take over the Mitula Shrine. Standing in the way of his ambitions, he fights back against Bowie with Bolt 2 (Spark 2). Zalbard, who has the power to wield Bolt, a spell that is hard to learn and that regular enemies cannot cast, should prove to be a tough opponent. The first taste of Bolt will be bitter.

Devil Soldier (Devil Army)
-

Necromancer
-

Bowmaster
-

Jaro
A mercenary hired with gold by the Devil Army. He possesses excellent prowess, fitting of a profession of the battlefield. As fast as his 7-MOV legs (wings?) can carry him, he assertively cuts into enemy lines.

Pegasus Knight
-

Cerberos
Its tackle might not be that strong, but it can breathe out a Fire Breath, so approach it carefully.

Shaman
-

Mudman
-

Bowrider
-

Dragonnewt
-

Cameela
The only female commander among the Devil Army, confronted on Nazcan land. She is powerful enough to easily swing around an iron ball that even few men can handle. Underestimating her because she's a woman will end badly. Disliking underhanded tactics, she challenges head on fair and square. That she, who firmly awaits Bowie's arrival, is on the Devil Army's side might be a regrettable fact.

Mist Demon
-

Gryphon
-

Chaos Wizard
-

Purple Worm
-

Executioner
-

Prism Flower
A biological weapon said to have been planted for defensive uses by ancient civilizations.

Red Baron
Clad in armor dyed red by the blood splatter of his victims, a horrifying murderer sent by Geshp.

Geshp
A devil army commander who calls himself a tactician. The only time he joins the fray of battle himself is in battle #38, but even outside of that case, he plots against Bowie through various means. A foe of unimaginable strength despite his usual grinning face.

Cyclops
-

Minotaur
Befitting of its cow brain, it lacks cleverness, but it makes up for it with the strength of a human.

Evil Bishop
-

Hellhound
-

White Dragon
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Dark Gunner (Hell Gunner)
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Burst Rock
-

Hydra
-

Odd Eye
The last of the Devil Army leaders. The destructive power of his Counter Sword is also fearsome, but what requires even more caution than that is his Odd Eye Beam. It deals around 20-30 points of damage. Those may not feel like spectacular numbers, but one cannot feel safe eating Beams after taking attacks from the many surrounding monsters.

Demon Master
-

Demon
-

Chaos Warrior
-

Reaper (Death God)
-

Blue Shaman (Blue)
-

Chaos Dragon
-

Evil Beast
An evil beast that appears right before the final battle. Rumors say they are raised as pets among the Devils, or maybe not. What is true though, is that it definitely has the attack power one would want in a guard dog.

Pyro Hydra
-

Zeon Guard
Battle flowers that securely protect Zeon in the final battle.

Devil Gryphon
-

Arch Demon
-

Horseman
-

Galam
Galam, second in command of the Devil Army. Is it just a coincidence that he shares his name with a kingdom? Nay, one would wish it were a mere coincidence when they become on the receiving end of his intense attacks. Bashing with his Demon Rod one moment, and spewing the Demon Breath another. Ever-changing, his intentions must be hard to read.

Zeon
The top manager of the Devil Army, confronted in the final battle. His HP, MP, and every other data is unknown. The intensity of the Demon Breath that he spews out is tremendous and it is certain that allies' vitality will deplete in no time against it. Can you defeat Zeon, he who has latent strength incomparable to any other monster thus far!?

CHARACTERS: Arbitrary Rank Assignment Committee! (p141)

Spoiler

Terrifying Monsters Top 5
1. Harpy Queen
2. Arch Demon
3. Mist Demon
4. Prism Flower
5. Bow Rider

The number 1 terrifying monster is the Harpy Queen. There might be people tilting their heads at this, but people that know about it should come to understand. The Bolt-3 using Arch Demon comes in at number 2.


Make-into-a-pet Monsters Top 5
1. Cerberos
2. Hellhound
3. Pyro Hydra
4. White Dragon
5. Ooze

Between the closely similar in nature that are Cerberos and Hellhoud, the Cerberos comes out ahead by a hair's breadth.　Its glistening and round body captivating the hearts of reptile maniacs, the Pyro Hydra comes in at number 3.

Arm Strength Monsters Top 5
1. Taros
2. Kraken Arm
3. Orc Lord
4. Hobgoblin
5. Pawn

As large as the Buddha statue in Nara, Taros comes out by a large margin at number 1. Number 2 and below were a close race, but it can be said that the Kraken Arm, whose entire existence is being an arm, comes out in the lead by a head.

Have-as-a-boyfriend Monsters Top 5
1. Wizard
2. Chaos Warrior
3. Pegasus Knight
4. Lizardman
5. Pegasus Knight

A boyfriend should surely be someone reliable. With the tolerance of a senior in life as his charm point, the Wizard probably comes out at the top. Being tightly hugged by the four arms of the Chaos Warrior could be a wonderful experience as well.