Suikoden II , a character's effectiveness is primarily determined by their rune slots (up to three), and rune affinities . While the game is flexible enough to allow for many viable teams, certain characters stand out as elite based on their damage potential and versatility. God Tier: The Game-Breakers These characters possess exceptional stats and access to three rune slots, allowing for the most powerful combinations (such as Double-Beat Double-Strike Tir McDohl : As the protagonist of the first game, he has arguably the best stats and the powerful Soul Eater rune. He remains a top-tier physical and magical powerhouse. : Widely considered the best mage in the game due to his massive magic stat and speed. He is highly effective with : Both are elite physical attackers because they gain three open rune slots early and have high speed and power, making them the best candidates for pure damage setups. : Joins late but arrives with incredibly high magic stats and multiple rune slots, rivaling for magical dominance S-Tier: Top-Tier Combatants Highly reliable characters that often anchor most endgame parties. Georg Prime : Boasts some of the highest physical stats in the game. Although he lacks a third rune slot, his innate power and rune make him a monster on the front lines. : Similar to , he has massive defense and attack power. He is a "tank" who can dish out heavy damage without much setup : A powerful mage and fighter with a unique rune that provides high sustainability. Riou (Hero) : While forced into the party, his Bright Shield Rune makes him the best healer and a solid all-around combatant. A-Tier: Strong & Versatile Characters that are consistently strong but may be slightly outclassed by the God/S-tiers in raw output. Who is Best in Suikoden II (Tier List) 7 Jul 2021 —
Suikoden 2 Tier List: The Best Characters to Recruit and Use Suikoden 2 features over 70 recruitable Stars of Destiny, but not all are created equal. Whether you’re storming Luca Blight’s army or clearing the Beast Rune’s dungeon, party composition matters. Below is a definitive tier list for in-game performance (not PvP). S-Tier (Game-Breaking) These characters dominate in every situation.
Riou (Hero) – Mandatory in party for much of the game. His Bright Shield Rune offers healing (kindness) and a screen-wide revive. Equip a Double-Beat or Double-Strike Rune to make him a physical powerhouse. Viktor – Massive HP and strength. His Mother Earth Rune (if assigned) boosts his tankiness, and the Star Dragon Sword enables powerful Unites. Excellent for clearing random encounters. Flik – High speed, solid magic, and great damage. Give him a Rage or Cyclone Rune to exploit elemental weaknesses. His Unite with Viktor is one of the strongest in the game. Luc – Best pure mage. High MAG stat, end-game Dark Bishop Rune (or Cyclone ). Can one-shot enemy groups with high-level spells. Fragile, but kills before getting hit. Hanna – Underrated physical beast. She has the highest natural Strength growth. Give her a Fury Rune + Double-Strike to kill bosses in 2–3 turns.
A-Tier (Excellent) These characters are top choices for most of the game. suikoden 2 tier list
Clive – Fastest character. High TECH means constant critical hits. Needs a Double-Beat Rune to maximize damage. Weak magic, but pure physical efficiency. Killey – Second-best physical damage dealer due to his three Rune slots. Can equip Double-Strike , Fury , and Killer for absurd damage. Sheena – High MAG and SPD. Can equip Violence Rune and use powerful elemental spells. Also great with Mother Earth for tanking. Eilie – Solid balanced stats. Good with Cyclone or Flowing Rune . Unite with Riou (Double Leader) is useful early. Sierra – Best tank mage. High MAG and high HP for a caster. Her Moon Rune offers unique abilities, but avoid using her in sunlight zones.
B-Tier (Solid and Reliable) Good characters, but require more setup or are outclassed by S/A.
Nanami – Fast and evasive, but low damage. Best as an item user or support (Water Rune). Unites with Riou. Shu – Great magic growth, but joins late. Best as a second mage behind Luc. Gengen – High DEF but low damage. Good early tank, falls off later. Tuta – Excellent MAG growth but low HP. Glass cannon mage. Yam Koo – Balanced, reliable. Unites with others for decent damage. Suikoden II , a character's effectiveness is primarily
C-Tier (Situational or Niche) These shine in specific roles but aren’t general-purpose.
Hix – Low damage unless paired with Tengaar (Unite attack is strong). Alone, he’s mediocre. Tengaar – Strong magic, but only truly great when with Hix. Without him, she’s average. Mukumuku – Fun squirrel. Can be useful early for free healing, but low stats overall. Lorelai – Decent stats but joins late and unremarkable Rune slots. Rikimaru – Very high HP but poor accuracy and speed. Needs accuracy-boosting gear.
D-Tier (Avoid) Weak stats, poor Rune slots, or arrive too late to matter. He remains a top-tier physical and magical powerhouse
Tomo – Low everything. No standout features. Gadget – Joke character. Terrible speed and accuracy. Karen – Worse version of other mages. Fragile and weak spells. Shiro – Good early game, but falls off hard. No Rune slots hurts.
Honorable Mentions