MostJRPGsare pretty restrictive with your party options. While I love the classicFinal Fantasy-style"four people standing in a row" games, sometimes you want to alter the lineup.
Fortunately, plenty of games exist to scratch that party-composition itch. Whether you’re building a tactical army or customizing the classic team-of-four, today we’ve got a little bit of something for everyone.
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But does every party member need to be a combatant? Some games say yes, others disagree. In addition to gameplay style, this list also explores different ways JRPGs imagine “party members.”
With all that diversity, we’ve got loads of potential games to cover. So, let’s dive in and explore the genre’s best option-dense parties!
We’re going to focus on large casts of characters withpersonalities. I love building characters (like inEtrian Odyssey)and catching monsters, but I ain’t taking the cheap option of counting all those Pokémon as “potential party members.”
10Eternal Sonata
Dreaming Up A Party
Eternal Sonata
What if a dying pianist isekai’d himself into a JRPG? Themed around Frédéric Chopin’s music,Eternal Sonatafeatures a lively cast of musical characters.
Although you’re limited to using three characters during combat, throughoutEternal Sonatayou’ll recruit 12 party members. Each is entwined with the game’s theme, featuring names, personalities, and gameplay stylesinspired by music styles or elements of composition.
Whether your party includes the rebellious Jazz, thecalienteSalsa, or other characters,Eternal Sonata’scast consistently shines due to how well-integrated the characters are with the theme.
9Xenoblade Chronicles X
AI Party Allies
Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition
Even ifthe game’s AI controls party members during battles,Xenoblade Chronicles Xstill puts you firmly in control. Each character’s build of skills and arts is selected by you, plus choosing which three party members will fight alongside you.
The originalXenoblade Chronicles Xfeatured a healthy cast of 19 potential party members. However,the recentDefinitive Editionpumps that up to 22.
To recruit them, though, you’ll almost always need to complete a side mission. Ranging from lighthearted to somber, these stories help the characters avoid fading into the background as you settle into your “comfort” roster.
8Romancing SaGa 3
Open Party Options
Romancing SaGa 3
Romancing SaGa 3has a small cast—merely eight characters—compared to most of this list. However, this game’s non-linear plot proves some games can actually pull off both quality and quantity.
Similar to the more modernOctopath Travelergames,each character begins with a different starting locationand emphasizes different aspects of the game’s story. However,Romancing SaGa 3explores the concept in more depth, with gameplay elements like Mikhail’s war, which are unique to specific characters.
The more you explore, the more characters you’ll unlock, increasing the options for building your party. Another interesting twist is the game’s “Commander” mode, allowing you to sit in the back line and give orders to other party members.
While the execution can be a bit rocky—and some mechanics feel archaic—Romancing SaGa 3is an old-school gem with a lot of party customization for its (comparatively) limited cast.
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7Chained Echoes
Mix Of Simple And Complex
Chained Echoes
2022’s indie JRPGChained Echoeswasa critical hitfor a whole slew of reasons. For our purposes, of course, the most important element is the characters.
Yes,Chained Echoes’cast of 12 party members are well-written. Whatreallymakes this game’s character options excel, though, is how each character’s mechanics vary.
Working within a familiar turn-based framework,each character’s abilities don’t fit tidily into a single stereotype.Their unique variations—especially since the cast includes both simple and complex characters—make choosing your party feel more dynamic.
6Valkyrie Profile
Catch And Release
Valkyrie Profile
InValkyrie Profile,your goal is to gather as manyeinherjar—slain warriors destined for Valhalla—as possible to help Odin win the coming Ragnarök. Eacheinherjarhas a scene describing how they died, which connects with how they fight when included in your party.
What makesValkyrie Profiledistinct, though, is that you mustsend party members to Odinto avoid divine consequences. While the game includes 24 recruitableeinherjar(on Hard, anyway), you’ll have to choose carefully which members of that robust cast to keep.
This adds an interesting tension to the game. Combined withValkyrie Profile’stime-restricted campaign, the party-building mechanic does a great job of fostering interesting decision-making.
5Suikoden II
Find The Stars Of Destiny
Suikoden II
“Gigantic playable cast” in JRPGs is practically synonymous with theSuikodenseries. Each game featuresa whopping 108 “Stars of Destiny"to recruit (plus a few other characters, too).
Widely regarded as the best in the series,Suikoden IIshines in no small part because of how well it handles the cast. I can’t reasonably claim thateverycharacter is a gem. However,Suikoden 2doesn’t just have “eight main characters, and 100 random people” either.
Ranging from combatants to merchants, musicians, and even a gang of anthropomorphic squirrels, the game takes full advantage of its lengthy roster.
How do non-combatants impact gameplay? Well, recruiting these characters unlocks new shops and services back at your headquarters. Recruiting more characters enlivens your HQ, making it feel like a settlement filled with people you actually know.
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4Radiata Stories
Seriously, More Characters Than Suikoden?
Radiata Stories
The honor of “how do you have this many party members?” for this list goes toRadiata Storiesat a whopping 176 members. All of them can be included as AI-controlled party members, but the game’s branching story limits how many can be recruited in a single play-through.
Every single character is detailed with a biography, and most require completing a mission to add them to your roster. To be honest, the character writing inRadiata Storiesis a bit weak. I find the game noteworthy, though, becauseyour party feels like your character’s loadout.
While party memberscangrow stronger, they don’t learn new spells or skills. Consequently, party members inRadiata Storiesrotate more frequently than in other games when you gain a new character. It’s an interesting dynamic, one I thinkdeserves a second chance.
3Valkyria Chronicles
Names Make Death Matter
Valkyria Chronicles
Blending a strategy JRPG together with action elements,Valkyria Chroniclestells the story of Squad 7’s soldiers during fantasy World War II. you may gain up to 54 named characters throughout the story, even if the most you’ll usually deploy is 10.
And that’s good, because characters are expected to die. War is hell, even in fantasy.Valkyria Chroniclesdoesn’t always go deep on its characters, but their names and personalities establish that each squad member is a “person,” not a statistic.
Certainly makes sacrifice tactics more somber.
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2Chrono Cross
Dimension-Spanning Friendships
Chrono Cross
The little brother to the JRPG iconChrono Trigger,inChrono Crossyou explore two parallel realities instead of warping through time. Each character exists in both worlds, with separate backstories, memories, and relationships with other characters.
Recruiting any of this game’s 45 characters, though,depends on how your choices affect each world.Some characters can only be recruited in your reality, and for others, you’ll have to cross into the other dimension. Either way, your choices will matter because you can’t recruit everyone in one playthrough.
Chrono Cross’sparty members shine because the dimensional variations make it feel like you really impact the world around you. You can see what the world might look like if youdidn’tget involved in a party member’s problems. It’s easy to feel immersed in an RPG when the game actuallyshowsyour impact on the world at large.
1Fire Emblem Franchise
Can’t Pick Just One
Fire Emblem: Three Houses
TheFire Emblemseries immediately came to mind when brainstorming large-party JRPGs. I quickly realized it would either conquer half our list, or the franchise would have to be condensed into a single entry.
Why? Not only is this tactical JRPG seriesone of the best strategy games around,the majority of characters in each installment havememorable personalitiesand areactually viable at all difficulties.
Character supports provide dialogue snippets which establish relationships (and sometimes reveal story secrets). They also connect the story with tactics, since support bolsters the characters' abilities on the battlefield.
Meanwhile, the variety of unit types and characters to pick from makes aFire Emblemgame very replayable as you focus on new character combinations. Each game’s cast is larger than a chapter’s available units, which encourages investing XP in a “main group” during each playthrough.
Decades later, I still return to the old GBA games every few years to find new ways to get crushed by “Night of Farewells” on Hector Hard Mode.
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