The world of Salistia in Octopath Traveler II is full of adventures to get lost in for tens of hours. The most important of which are the main quests following the eight titular travelers of the game. In a freeing breath of fresh air, Square Enix’s retro-inspired RPG lets the player shape the path of the narrative from the very beginning with the first choice being what party member to start as. But after picking your first traveler you will need to navigate the world in hopes of collecting the rest of the game’s protagonists. Here is the best order to follow when wrangling all of your eight party members in Octopath Traveler II.
1. Throné
Looking at the map of Solistia with the eight travelers spread out across it in the very first shot of Octopath Traveler II is incredibly intimidating. It can be scary to make a decision and then not be able to change your mind if you feel like it was a mistake. To avoid this, you should pick Throné first. Not only is her story as a thief hoping to escape the world of crime she is trapped in a good hook to get you invested in the world, but Throné’s Path Actions (Steal and Ambush) can get you past many early game trials with ease. She also happens to be incredibly close to your next stop on this journey.
2. Temenos
Throné can deal out a good amount of damage, but she can’t heal herself. Like any RPG you will want to get a healer as fast as possible. This is where the cleric, Temenos, comes in. he is located in Flamechurch, which is northeast of Throné. Now with two in your party, you have the basics needed to survive. So let’s try to thrive.
3. Osvald
Staying on the eastern continent of Solistia and heading further north from where you pick up Temenos, you will run into a man nearly dead on the side of a wintery road. This is Osvald. Recently escaped from prison with a chip on his shoulder, Osvald packs a massive punch with his arsenal of elemental magic that can hit every enemy on the battlefield in one move. His scrutinize Path Action is also helpful for revealing secrets throughout the world.
4. Hikari
It’s time to leave the eastern continent behind, for now. Hop aboard a ship and head to the western continent. You will be tempted to stay a while in Canalbrine, the port town, but just keep heading west into the desert until you come upon the lone warrior Hikari. Up until now, Throné will have been your major damage dealer but now you have a bonified soldier. Hikari can unleash loads of physical damage on enemies and can bribe people or challenge them one on one to a duel which avoids longer fights. Now it’s time to face the music.
5. Agnea
In the north of the western continent lie the Leaflands and the aspiring dancing star Agnea. At this point, you will have a full party of four that check the major boxes of what you want in your toolset to face any obstacle. Agnea is a great reserve member who if needed can pull her weight in buffing your party. If you want to really unravel the boost and break system, Agnea has the skills to do this.
6. Partitio
If you are more interested in bolstering the size of your wallet then the next place to go is Partitio, just south of Agnea but not so far south that you wind up back in Canalbrine. He resides in an old-west-style town and when he joins your party you can make frequent use of his Collect ability which will take money from weakened enemies. Put this nest egg into purchasing some powerful weapons and armor.
7. Castti
Up until now your main healer will still be Temenos, and he is not bad at that job. Early on when you have fewer tools at your disposal it also helps that he can wield some magic. But now you can get a dedicated healer in Castti. She can be helpful as the difficulty ramps up thanks to her pure healing output that relies on having ingredients rather than enough SP.
8. Ochette
Nobody likes to be the last pick, but sadly Ochette gets this dishonor in Octopath Traveler II. You will head back over to the eastern continent to find her on the isolated isle of Toto'haha. Her Pokémon trainer-like ability to capture weakened enemies in battle requires more powerful enemies to ever truly become worthwhile to use in combat and she can’t compete with other party make-ups. It also doesn’t help that her story might be one of the blandest in the game.
