Character Classes

Level One Classes

Squire

Requirements: None

One of two default classes, the squire class will lead your character down the road to other physically oriented classes, such as Knight, Lancer, and Monk. A lot of the skills from this class can be used to help your fighters later on in the game. Accumulate and Throw Stone are great skills at the beginning of the game. Gained JP Up is probably the most essential skill at the beginning of the game.

Chemist

Requirements: None

As with the Squire class, the Chemist class has a lot of skills that are useful later on in the game. Potion, Hi-Potion, X-Potion and Phoenix Down are great for any character and Ether is great for magic users. Auto-Potion is essential later in the game. Be careful with Chemists though, they are low on HPs and can't use anything decent in the way of weapons until later in the game when you can purchase guns.

Level Two Classes

Knight

Requirements: Squire LV2

The Knight class is probably one of the strongest physical-type classes in the game. They have a high amount of HPs, defense and attack. You will probably want to have at least one or two characters as a Knight throughout the first part of the game until you gain other classes. The only real drawbacks for the class are a lack of MP and that most of the skills are not really essential. The Break Skills have a low hit % making them almost not worth the effort.

Archer

Requirements: Squire LV2

Being the first physical class that lets you attack from a distance, the archers are really good if you want to have a person move to the high ground and attack from a distance. With weapons that lack the power of a sword, gaining Charge Skills is essential in this fight (Please note that the higher the Charge, the longer it takes to attack.). When arming bows, note the difference between crossbow and long bows. Long bows will let you shoot over walls at hidden enemies, while crossbows will let you hit a close enemy by aiming just behind them (Trust me ¿ try it.).

Priest

Requirements: Chemist LV2

The Priest allows you to cure your allies without the use of items. Cure, Cure 2 and Raise are great skills to pick up. If you wish to develop this character, skills like Shell, Protect and Wall are great for raising the character's defense. Holy is that only attack spell for this class, but it's a good one. For only 600 JP, it's actually the cheapest heavy damage spell available. The real drawbacks for this class are a lack of HP and no ability to cause physical damage (the staff is one of the weakest weapons in the game).

Wizard

Requirements: Chemist LV2

Easily the best magic-based class, you'll want to have a number of people learn Black Magic. It has a wide range of spells, from the cheap Fire, Bolt and Ice spells all the way up to Death and Flare. With very weak HP, physical damage and defense, Wizards can be a liability in the heat of battle, but if you give them Auto Potion and keep them away from the enemy, they can help eliminate whole groups of enemies.

Level Three Classes

Monk

Requirements: Knight LV2

Except for the lower defense and HPs due to a lack of armor, the Monk is probably the best, all-around class in the game. Their hand-to-hand attacks cause more damage than most weapons and they have distance attacks in Wave Fist and Earth Slash. Stigma Magic acts like Esuna for your character and everyone surrounding him. Chakra heals both HP and MP and Revive allows the monk to raise characters from the dead. Move HP Up is one of the best move skills that doesn't increase distance. Note: the higher the character's Brave is, the more damage they can cause with attacks.

Thief

Requirements: Archer LV2

You will probably make a couple characters Thieves just so you can learn Steal Armor and Steal Weapon. Also get Steal Accessory, because there are a lot of great items to be stolen in battle late in the game. Other than these skills and a high speed, the Thief can be a real liability. The Steal Skill is a great secondary skill, but may force your battles to extend dangerously long while you make attempt after attempt to get that single precious item.

Oracle

Requirements: Priest LV2

The Oracle has the ability to cause all sorts of status ailments. "So what?" On its own, this class is really weak. For you to use this class effectively, give the Oracle either the Summon Magic or Black Magic secondary skills. The only skills worth using this class are Paralyze (causes Don't Act) and Move MP Up. Other than these, wait until you get the chance to use the Mediator. Their skills are a little bit better.

Time Mage

Requirements: Wizard LV2

Time magic is a great secondary skill for Wizards and Summoners. Haste, Slow and Don't Move are all good, cheap skills to get. Down the line, you'll want to get Meteor and the best skill for the Time Mage, Short Charge. This skill will let you cast large spells and summons in a fraction of the time it would normally. Imagine being able to cast Bahamut, Lich and Cyclops in a turn or two. Makes you want to go out a gain the 800 JP as soon as you can, doesn't it?

Level Four Classes

Geomancer

Requirements: Monk LV3

The Geomancer is a hybrid class. They can use swords and axes like knights but have Elemental Skills that act like spells. The Elemental Skills are activated by the type of terrain the character is standing on. Therefore, you have to get a number of the skills before you can use the class effectively. Don't bother getting Blizzard or Lava Ball until the end - neither skill will see much use.

Lancer

Requirements: Thief LV3

Mediator

Requirements: Oracle LV2

Not the best class in the game, but the Mediator has some useful skills. Plus, they can equip guns, which makes them useful from a distance. Praise, Threaten, Preach and Solution allow you to manipulate your characters Brave and Faith points. Invitation lets you turn an enemy into an ally, but I find Train is better. It allows you to automatically Invite with a near-fatal attack.

Summoner

Requirements: Time Mage LV2

Think of Summoners as Wizards that cause more damage over larger areas, but take longer to cast, more MP and lower HP. On its own, this class suffers some severe handicaps, but add either Half MP or Short Charge and the Summoner can be a great long distance addition to your party.

Level Five Classes

Samurai

Requirements: Knight LV3, Monk LV4, Lancer LV2

Much like the Monk, the Samurai is an excellent physical class. With a higher level of armor and a good attack, the main gist of the Samurai is using katanas in the Draw Out skill, which casts both attack and beneficiary skills. Understand, though, that this is probably the most expensive class to have. Since you must have a katana in your inventory to use Draw Out, you'll have to buy a number of them for the skills to be useful.

Ninja

Requirements: Archer LV3, Thief LV4, Geomancer LV2

The ninjas are light, quick, have a distance attack with their Throw skill and attack twice with their regular attack. The real drawback to this class is the lack of armor. The speed and attack capabilities of this class really make it an asset. When buying skills, only bother to get Shuriken and Ball. Anything else is just an expensive accident waiting to happen. Also, get the Two Swords skill and attach it to any of the physical classes as an added benefit.

Calculator

Requirements: Priest LV4, Wizard LV4, Time Mage LV3

This class takes some time and work to really get the benefit from it. Calculators are slow and weak, making them extremely frustrating. If you can develop one or two, the Math skill is an excellent secondary skill for any class. You can cast almost any skill instantly and for free. The drawback is that it will hit anyone who meets the criteria of the casting parameters.

Dancer

Requirements: Geomancer LV4, Lancer LV4

Dancers are weak. Even with the ability to Dance, causing spells that attack all enemies regardless of distance, keeping a character as a Dancer is asking for trouble. The only Dance worth mentioning is the Nameless Dance, which adds various status anomalies.

Bard

Requirements: Mediator LV4, Summoner LV4

The Bard is only a little more useful than the Dancer in that his Songs aid all allies on the field, raising speed, HP, MP, attack strength. Nameless Song causes positive status effects like Reraise and Regen and the Move +3 is a great movement skill.

Mime

Requirements: Squire LV8, Chemist LV8, Geomancer LV4, Lancer LV4, Mediator LV4, Summoner LV4

The Mime is a mixed bag. If you don't have a game plan when you use one of these, you're not going to like the Mime. The Mime has no skills; they just mime what the character before them did. This is great if you want to plan out a strategy. Imagine having four mimes and a Summoner with the Short Charge ability and the Cyclops Summon spell. Not much would be left alive after the first round.