In Suikoden 2, you must enlist 108 characters, referred to as the Stars of Destiny, to help you fight the Kingdom of Highland. Regretfully, a lot of these are missable, and the game may be harsh when it comes to recruiting. Thankfully, you can make sure you get every character in the game as soon as possible by following our spoiler-free guide below.
How does recruitment work in Suikoden 2?
Many of the characters in Suikoden 2 require you to complete a quick side quest in order to recruit them, unlike in the original game. Filling the complete roster becomes a little more difficult as a result. The characters are listed in the guide below in the order that you can recruit them first. For those who possess them, you will also find alternative prerequisites for recruitment.
Spoiler-free Suikoden 2 recruitment walkthrough
A list of every Suikoden 2 character that can be missed, along with a few extras that don’t count toward the 108 Stars of Destiny, is provided below:
- Riou: He’s the main character!
- Mukumuku: Find the large tree north of Riou’s home in Kyaro and examine it.
- Alternate: If you don’t recruit Mukumuku in Kyaro you’ll need to walk on the road between Two River and Greenhill until he randomly joins your party during battle.
- Nanami: Joins during the story.
- Gengen: Joins during the story.
- Zamza: Put Nanami in your party and speak with him at Toto Inn.
- Alternate: You can find him at South Window Inn later in the game.
- Rikimaru: Find him in Ryube and pay for his 3,000 Potch tab.
- Alternate: If you miss him at Ryube, you can find him in the same situation in Coronet later in the game.
- Millie: Talk to her in Ryube and fight Bonaparte in Ryube Forest.
- Kinnison: When passing through Ryube Forest, choose to put the baby bird back in its nest. Leave the screen and return later to find Kinnison and Shiro to recruit them.
- Shiro: See #8.
- Hanna: Speak to Hanna after Toto is destroyed and choose to fight together.
- Tsai: Joins during the story.
- Tuta: You can recruit Tuta early by speaking to him at Dr. Huan’s house in Muse after leaving the White Deer Inn. Otherwise, he’ll join automatically when you get your HQ.
- Anita: After meeting Anabelle, have a conversation with her in Muse Tavern. Talking to Leona will allow you to replenish her wine when she asks you to. After then, leave Muse and go back to the globe map. Then she will say that it is uncommon to find a female swordsman. “But I’ve never seen one so beautiful,” you reply, then go back to the world map. After that, she will ask for Antitoxin. Respond with the first or second option to recruit her, then leave and come back.
- Alternate: Anita can be found at Banner Village’s Tavern if you are unable to recruit her at Muse. You can either skip this step by talking to her with Valeria in your party, or you can complete the same steps as above.
- Templeton: Go to the Mercenary Fortress and talk to him when you receive the mission to spy at the Highland Camp. He will then relocate to Toto, where you can speak with him in order to recruit him.
- Gilbert: When you defend Muse City in the third army battle, you will face him. He will defect and join your side if you cause him even the slightest harm.
- Ellie: Joins during the story.
- Rina: Joins during the story.
- Bolgan: Joins during the story.
- Viktor: Joins during the story.
- Flik: Joins during the story.
- Freed Y: Joins during the story.
- Apple: Joins during the story.
- Leona: Joins during the story.
- Oulan: After unlocking the HQ make a party of all girls. Head to Kuskus and go down the stairs to the left of the entrance. She’ll inform the party that a gang that attacks only women have been plaguing the area. Leave the area and return. Head to the left and cross the bridge and some men will attack the party and knock them out. When the group awakens, Oulan will show up and help fight off the gang. After this, you can ask her to join.
- Shu: Joins during the story.
- Huan: Joins during the story.
- Luc: Joins during the story.
- Barbara: Joins during the story.
- Tai Ho: Talk to him and play Chinchirorin with him near the docks of Kuskus. To recruit him and his sibling Yam Koo, you must defeat him in a game and win 5,000 Potch.
- Yam Koo: See #29.
- Yoshino: Go to Radat with Freed Y in your group. The residence in the town’s southeast is where Yoshino is.
- Richmond: Lose when you play the coin game with Richmond in Radat. Talk to a man in the tavern after that, and he will offer you a coin that you can use to win. Richmond will join the team following the game’s victory.
- Amada: Fight him in single combat in Radat to recruit him.
- Clive: He’s going to turn up to South Window after witnessing the scene between Clive and Elza. To recruit him, take your boat to the globe map and go to South Window.
- Alex: Both Alex and Hilda can be recruited on the second floor of the South Window Inn.
- Hilda: See #35.
- Adlai: Get a Sacrificial Jizo, a Wind Rune, and a Wooden Shield, then proceed to South Window. Adlai lives in a home to the north. He will join you if you give him the Sacrificial Jizo and Wooden Shield, then decide to toss the Wind Rune at him.
- Taki: Speak to Taki in Lakewest to recruit her.
- Hans: Hans can be recruited by speaking with him in Two River on the second level of the New Leaf Inn. It will take some time for him to arrive in your headquarters, though, if you ask him for money.
- Fitcher: Joins during the story.
- Ridley: Joins during the story.
- Chaco: Joins during the story.
- Tetsu: Go to Two River and visit the Kobold District and buy some Fried Tacos. Then, go to Lakewest and use the Fried Tacos to make Riou toasty. You can then speak to Tetsu in the middle house in the north of the village to recruit him.
- Hai Yo: You’ll find him on the second floor of the HQ.
- Stallion: Race him in Radat and win to recruit him. If you lose you’ll need to leave the area and fight a few battles before he’ll let you rechallenge him.
- Shilo: Head to the Lakewest Inn and win 5,000 Potch from him in a game of Chinchirorin to recruit him.
- Gabocha: Add Gengen to your party and visit Gabocha in the tent in the Kobold District of Two Rivers to recruit him.
- Sid: Put Chaco in your party and head to the Two River sewers. You’ll need to go down the first ladder, then head left beneath the waterfall to find Sid. Speak to him and he’ll join.
- Meg: Speak to Meg at the Muse-Greenhill Border to recruit her and Gadget.
- Gadget: See #49.
- Tony: Speak with Tony at the chief’s house in Forest Village to recruit him.
- Wakaba: Once Riou hits level 30 you can speak with Wakaba near the armory in Forest Village to recruit her.
- Hix: Go to Lakewest and speak with Hix and Tengaar. You’ll need to follow them to the Kobold Village where you’ll get a quest to gather items from several locations. After the quest is over, Hix and Tengaar join up.
- Tengaar: See #53.
- Emilia: You’ll enroll in New Leaf Academy in Greenhill and Emilia will give you a tour. Speak to her afterward and tell her the truth to recruit her.
- Jeane: Visit her in the Two River Rune Shop to recruit her.
- Yuzu: Assist her in finding her lost sheep in Kobold Village, and she’ll join.
- Teresa: Joins during the story.
- Shin: Joins during the story.
- Nina: Joins during the story.
- Viki: You’ll meet her on the path to Matilda. Invite her to the HQ to recruit her.
- Humphrey: Go to Highway Village and speak with him. He’ll send you on a side quest, and afterward, both he and Futch will join.
- Futch: See #62.
- Miklotov: Joins during the story.
- Camus: Joins during the story.
- Kiba: Joins during the story.
- Klaus: Joins during the story.
- Simone: Buy the Rose Brooch at Banner Village and go to the dock in Radat. You can give Simone the brooch there and he’ll join.
- Lebrante: To recruit Lebrante, bring a Celedon Urn with you to his Appraiser Shop in Radat.
- Valeria or Kasumi: You get a choice between these two during the story. If you choose Kasumi, you can recruit some characters earlier (and this is the order we’ll be following).
- Sheena: Joins during the story.
- Lorelai: Speak to Lorelai in Gregminster, and she’ll join.
- Gordon: Speak to him at the Gregminster Trading Post, and he’ll challenge you to earn 50,000 Potch from trading. This counts your total throughout the game, so you may have already sold this much already. Return to Gordon whenever you hit this point, and he’ll join you.
- Mondo: Bring Kasumi to Rokkaku by heading to the area past the ladders in Banner Pass and going south. If you chose Valeria instead of Kasumi, you’ll have to wait to recruit Mondo and Susuke until you unlock the level 4 HQ.
- Sasuke: See #74.
- Badeaux: Bring Shiro or Mukumulu to the Forest Path to Matilda and speak with him. He’ll give you Listening Crystals and join your group.
- Connell: Make sure a Sound Set is in your inventory and speak to Connell at Forest Village to recruit him.
- Feather: After getting the Listening Crystals, head to Forest Village and help Ayda save Feather. You can then use a crystal to recruit both of them.
- Ayda: See #78.
- Sigfried: After getting a Listening Crystal from Badeaux add a “maiden” to your party (Nanami is an example) and go to the end of Unicorn Woods. You can head up the tree there and use a Listening Crystal to recruit Sigfried.
- Bob: After recruiting 80 characters talk to Bob in the Two River Kobold District.
- Tomo: When Tsai asks you to take him to Ryube and get his tools you can take him to his house to recruit Tomo.
- Max: After defeating a major foe you can recruit Max by just heading to South Window.
- Annallee: Head to the South Window Inn and follow her after speaking with her to recruit her.
- Killey: Go to the South Window Trading Post and speak with Killey. Tell him Alex knows about the Sindar Ruins and then head to your HQ to see a sceen between them. After that, go back to South Window and talk to him again to recruit him.
- Hoi: Speak to Hoi at the bar in Radat to recruit him.
- Karen: Go to Kuskus Inn and tell Karen you’ll dance with her. Pull off the moves right and she’ll join the group.
- L.C. Chan: Place Wakaba in your party and go to Crom. When you approach the Inn, L.C. Chan will run out. You can recruit him by speaking to him behind the item shop.
- Tenkou: Place a Window Set in your inventory and speak with Tenkou in the northeast corner of Crom to recruit him. Don’t ask him for money or you’ll miss out on an exclusive item.
- Raura: Go to Tinto and speak with Raura at the entrance to the mine. If you tell her Jeane is part of your group she’ll join you.
- Hauser: Joins during the story.
- Sierra: Joins during the story.
- Jess: Joins during the story.
- Gijimu: Joins during the story.
- Lo Wen: Joins during the story.
- Koyu: Joins during the story.
- Marlowe: Joins during the story.
- Kahn: Joins during the story.
- Georg: He’ll join your group when you talk to him at the Drakemouth-Tigermouth Pass.
- Gantetsu: If you speak to him at South Window he’ll challenge you. Win, and he’ll join.
- Tessai: Put Viktor in your party and speak with Tessai at Kuskus to recruit them.
- Pico: Go to the Greenhill Inn and tell Pico that Annallee is a member of your group to recruit him.
- Jude: Go to Greenhill Academy and speak with Jude. He’ll say that he’s out of clay. To find some, go ot Forest Village and take the path between the Trading Post and another building. You’ll soon find a man who will give you some clay you can take back to Jude to recruit him.
- Alberto: Once you hve Pico, go to Tinto and speak with Alberto. Tell him Annalle and Pico are part of your group and he’ll join.
- Mazus: Go to the Tinto Mine save point and speak wtih Mazus to recruit him.
- Vincent: Place Simone in your party and speak with Vincent at the Radat dock and he’ll join you.
- Pesmerga: Go to the area in the Cave of the Wind where the boss battle against the Star Dragon Sword occured. You can talk to Pesmerga there to recruit him.
- Genshu: Level anyone’s weapon to level 14 and take them to the Coronet dock. Speak to Genshu there and he’ll join the team.
Optional Characters
- Abizboah: If you didn’t recruit Sigfried, then Abizboah will be the alternate #80 recruit. You can find them by going to the watery area in Tinto Mine after defeating a particular fanged enemy and using a Listening Crystal to recruit them.
- Boris: If you run away in Tinto, Ridley will die before they can join your party. If this is the case, Boris will be your alternate #41, and he’ll be waiting for you at HQ.
The squirrels
- Makumaku: After recruiting Mukumuku, walk the road between Two River and Greenhill with at least one party slot open, and Makumaku will eventually join you during a random battle.
- Mikumiku: After recruiting Makumaku, you’ll need to walk the road between Greenhill and the Forest Path with at least one party slot open, and Mikumiku will eventually join you during a random battle.
- Mekumeku: After recruiting Mikumiku, you’ll need to walk the road between Greenhill and the Forest Path with at least one party slot open. Mekumeku will eventually join you during a random battle.
- Mokumoku: After recruiting Mekumeku walk around the area south of the Forest Village with at least one slot open. Mokumoku will eventually join your party during a random battle.
Tir McDohl
If you load completed save data from the original Suikoden you can visit Banner Village after fighting a particular foe to start a side quest to recruit Tir McDohl. However, he won’t permanently join you. If he is removed from the party you must head to his house in Grenminster to add him to the party again.
Miscellaneous
- Rulodia: After you recruit Abizboah you can return to the spot where you recruited him to find Rulodia. You can spend a Listening Crystal to recruit her, but it’s highly recommended you save it for a Star of Destiny.
- Chuchara: If you recruit Abizboah and Rulodia you can find Chuchara at the HQ docks.