Astonishia Story All Characters: Full Roster & Class Guide

The Astonishia Story all characters roster blends a 1994 Korean RPG's classic job-based design with a fresh HD pixel-art redraw, giving new players a tight 7-hero main party plus late-game recruits. Knowing which knight, wizard, monk, and archer joins your grid formation shapes how every fight against the Elven Queen feels, because each class contributes a different stat curve, skill tier, and synergy. This guide breaks down every confirmed party member, what they do on the battle grid, and how to build the strongest possible team before the final chapter lands.

The Complete Astonishia Story Character List at a Glance

The Astonishia Story character list in the HD remake centers on seven core party members plus a separate antagonist route tied to Francis de la Cross, giving players a focused cast rather than a sprawling roster. According to community data sourced from the original 1994 release and updated for the 2027 remake, the party breaks down into one Knight protagonist, two Wizards, two Monks, one Dwarven Warrior, one Archer, and an optional hidden late-game branch. Every name below is a confirmed playable or recruitable ally, with the Elven Queen and Francis de la Cross serving as the primary antagonists you face on the grid rather than allies you recruit.

The first four names form the default party that the player controls through the opening chapters, and the remaining three join as the narrative widens. The Francis de la Cross entry is special: rather than joining Lloyd's side, he anchors a separate branch that the HD remake expands with new dialogue and encounters, and the official Steam listing for Astonishia Story confirms that the conflict between Lloyd and Francis is the central narrative spine of the game. If you want a deeper breakdown of the grid-based party mechanics and stat growth for each of these classes, the character levels and EXP curve guide covers how every member levels up across the campaign.

Default Party vs. Late-Game Recruits

The default four — Lloyd, Ylenne, Rudoug, and Rendalf — are mandatory, meaning you cannot permanently bench any of them during the opening chapters. They are the emotional core of the relic quest and the units the grid tutorial teaches you to use. Lezail, Akra, and Jenas each unlock through specific story beats or optional encounters, and the remake preserves this gating so that mid-game players still feel progression as new roles appear in the formation. The total of seven party members is consistent with the 1994 original, which also topped out at seven heroes before the final dungeon.

The Knight and the Frontline: Lloyd, Rudoug, and Rendalf

The three melee-leaning members of the Astonishia Story character list anchor the front of your battle grid, absorbing hits, controlling engagement range, and dealing the consistent physical damage that most early encounters demand. Their stat profiles differ in important ways even though they share the same general "fighter" identity, so choosing how to position them matters from the first dungeon onward.

Lloyd von Reuental — The Protagonist Knight

Lloyd is a 24-year-old Knight, the son of a noble house, and the character the player controls for almost every story beat. His starting stat spread favors HP, DEF, and a balanced ATK rating that scales steadily with each level, which is why he is widely considered one of the Astonishia Story best party members for new players who are still learning the grid system. Because his growth is even rather than specialized, Lloyd never falls off in the late game, although specialized casters like Lezail will out-DPS him on magical fights. He carries the relic quest forward, and according to the Steam store page for Astonishia Story, his journey is the framing device for the entire remake.

Rudoug — The Monk Trained by Carrahan

Rudoug is a 25-year-old Monk and the best pupil of Carrahan, the martial arts master who appears in optional encounters. His stat profile skews slightly higher on ATK than Lloyd's, but he trades a small amount of DEF for it, so he works best as a secondary damage dealer who can also take a hit. Many community guides note that Rudoug hits harder than Lloyd on a single-target basis, but his lower durability means he benefits from Rendalf's frontline presence. This trade-off is what makes the Knight-Monk pair one of the most stable front formations in the game.

Rendalf — The 180-Year-Old Dwarven Warrior

Rendalf is 180 years old, a Dwarven merchant and veteran warrior, and the party's defensive backbone. Despite his age, his HP and DEF both lead the front three, which lets him soak up boss patterns that would otherwise one-shot a Knight or Monk. Players who want a stable mid-game run typically park Rendalf on the center-front grid square and let Lloyd and Rudoug rotate around him. For a deeper look at how the Knight and Warrior stats diverge across the level curve, the class stat profile and stat priorities guide compares every frontliner side by side.

The Backline: Ylenne, Lezail, Akra, and Jenas

The backline is where the Astonish Story all characters roster shifts from physical fighters to casters, ranged attackers, and hybrid support. Because the grid system punishes clumping, these four members are typically placed on rear squares, where they can target enemies without being intercepted. Each has a distinct role, and the best party compositions blend at least two of them so the backline can both deal damage and support the front.

Ylenne — The Apprentice Wizard

Ylenne is 22, an Apprentice Wizard, and the granddaughter of Lezail. She is the only mandatory caster in the default party and the primary source of magical damage through the early chapters. Her starting stat profile is low on HP and DEF, which is normal for an Apprentice Wizard, but her INT scaling is the fastest among the four default members. Many players rank her among the Astonishia Story best characters precisely because she unlocks a tier of spells that no physical fighter can replicate, even at low levels. For an in-depth build on her stat priorities and skill rotations, the Ylenne character build guide covers her recommended leveling order.

Lezail — The Master Wizard

Lezail is 135 years old, a Master Wizard, and one of the eight Nestors of Astonishia, a council of legendary figures referenced in the original 1994 lore. He joins as a late-game unlock and immediately becomes the highest single-target magical nuker on the roster, because his starting level and INT both exceed Ylenne's mid-game peak. Players who want to optimize the late game typically slot him in the rear to replace or complement Ylenne, since his spell list reaches tiers that Ylenne only approaches near the level cap. Because his role overlaps with Ylenne's, the choice between the two is usually decided by your current roster: dual-cast for a magic-heavy final dungeon, or rotate him in for harder single-target boss damage.

Akra — The Magic Monk

Akra is a Magic Monk who detests discrimination against magical practitioners, and his in-story motivation often shows up in optional dialogue during the mid-game chapters. On the grid, he functions as a hybrid support: he can cast lower-tier spells, but his primary value is in buffing allied fighters and debuffing enemy stats. This is why many experienced players consider Akra one of the Astonishia Story best party members for a balanced run, even though his raw damage never matches Lezail's. His flexibility keeps the party viable through encounters that would otherwise demand a full healer or a full nuker.

Jenas — The Archer From Halken Village

Jenas is 118 years old, an Archer, and the last survivor of Halken Village, a settlement that the antagonist route burns down during the Francis de la Cross branch. His role on the grid is backline physical DPS, which means he competes with Ylenne for the rear squares rather than the front. The trade-off is that Jenas can hit flying or high-DEF enemies that Ylenne's spells struggle against, so a Ylenne-Jenas backline gives you both magical and physical coverage. According to community reports from players replaying the 1994 original, Jenas also has one of the most reliable single-target DPS rotations in the late game, because his bow attacks ignore some front-row DEF scaling.

Class Comparison and Best Party Compositions

Because the roster is small, every grid formation you build has to account for the Astonish Story all characters overlap between roles. The strongest parties usually pair a tanky front with a hybrid back, then rotate in specialists for boss fights. The table below summarizes how each class performs in the most common party compositions, drawing on community-tested rotations and the class stat profile from the original release.

The "Late-Game" composition is what most players converge on before the final chapter, because it pairs Rendalf's durability with Akra's hybrid support, then layers Lezail and Jenas on the back for a balanced mix of magical and physical damage. The "Francis Route" composition is unique to the hidden branch and is what allows players to experience Francis de la Cross as an allied unit rather than the final obstacle. The Francis de la Cross final boss guide explains how to unlock that branch and which stat checks the antagonist-route battles impose on your formation.

How the Elven Queen Shapes Roster Choices

The Elven Queen is the story's recurring antagonist, and according to the official Steam store description, she sits at the top of the faction opposing Lloyd's party. Because her encounter patterns mix magical and physical damage, a roster that handles only one of the two will struggle. This is why the most recommended Astonishia Story best party members lists always include at least one caster (Ylenne or Lezail) and at least one physical backliner (Jenas). A pure-magic or pure-physical team can clear early content but typically hits a wall in the final dungeon, where the Queen's mixed damage output and stat buffs punish single-formation strategies.

Recruitment, Hidden Characters, and the Francis Route

Beyond the seven core allies, the Astonishia Story character list also includes hidden mercenaries that the HD remake surfaces through optional dialogue and grid interactions. While the 1994 original had limited optional recruitment, the remake's announcement trailer on YouTube confirms that the "Round Up and Recruit" hook is a deliberate design pillar, meaning players who explore every node on the map can expect extra party options. If you want a full breakdown of the optional roster and how to unlock each hidden mercenary, the hidden mercenaries and recruit-everyone guide walks through the step-by-step process for each optional ally.

How to Unlock Every Party Member

Recruitment in the remake follows the same chapter-gated pattern as the original, with each ally tied to a specific story beat. Lezail joins after a mid-game narrative event tied to the Nestors, Akra is unlocked through a side dialogue chain that emphasizes his anti-discrimination motivation, and Jenas is recruited as part of the Halken Village rescue arc. Hidden mercenaries require more effort, typically involving an extra grid encounter or a specific NPC interaction that the original 1994 release did not feature prominently. The table below summarizes the recruitment triggers so you can plan a single playthrough that sees every party member join your roster.

The Francis de la Cross entry is the most complex, because he does not join the standard party; he anchors a separate branch that the player chooses to pursue near the end of the game. This route lets players experience the relic quest from the antagonist's perspective, which is a major addition for the HD remake given that the 1994 original did not feature a fully developed antagonist path.

Roster Mistakes That Cost You Party Slots

Players who try to speed-run the campaign often miss Akra and the two hidden mercenaries, because each requires a specific dialogue or grid choice that the main path does not flag. Another common mistake is benching Rendalf in favor of Rudoug's higher ATK, which leaves the front of the grid without a dedicated tank and makes several mid-game boss patterns much harder. A third pitfall is assuming that Ylenne and Lezail are interchangeable, because their spell tiers do not overlap cleanly: Ylenne's lower-tier spells stay useful for trash fights, while Lezail's higher-tier spells are wasted on encounters that die in one cast. Building a roster that respects these role differences is the single biggest factor in a smooth run.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Lloyd von Reuental in the Astonishia Story character list?

Lloyd von Reuental is the 24-year-old Knight protagonist who leads the relic quest, and he is the first playable character in the default party. He anchors the front of the grid with balanced HP, DEF, and ATK, which makes him one of the Astonishia Story best characters for new players who are still learning positioning. His growth is steady rather than specialized, so he remains viable through the final chapter even as casters like Lezail reach higher single-target peaks.

What is the difference between Ylenne and Lezail in the Astonishia Story all characters roster?

Ylenne is a 22-year-old Apprentice Wizard and the default caster, while Lezail is a 135-year-old Master Wizard and one of the eight Nestors. Lezail joins later with a higher starting level and access to higher-tier spells, which makes him the better single-target nuker, but Ylenne's lower-tier spells stay useful for early trash fights. Most players run both at the same time in the late game, with Ylenne handling multi-target encounters and Lezail focusing on boss patterns.

How does Francis de la Cross fit into the Astonishia Story all characters roster?

Francis de la Cross is the primary antagonist and the anchor of a hidden late-game branch that the HD remake expands with new dialogue and encounters. He does not join the standard party, but players who trigger the route choice can field him as an allied unit for the antagonist-path content. This branch is one of the biggest additions in the remake, and the Francis final boss guide covers the stat checks needed to clear his encounters.

Who are the Astonishia Story best party members for a first playthrough?

The most stable first-playthrough formation is Lloyd, Rendalf, Ylenne, and Jenas, which pairs Rendalf's durability with Ylenne's magic and Jenas's physical backline coverage. Once Lezail and Akra unlock, swapping Rudoug in for a brawler slot and adding Akra as a hybrid support gives you access to the late-game composition that most experienced players converge on. Players who want to see the Francis de la Cross branch should plan a second run rather than forcing the route choice on a first attempt, because the hidden branch locks out some default story beats.

How does the Elven Queen fight change the recommended roster?

The Elven Queen encounter mixes magical and physical damage, which is why single-formation strategies tend to fail against her. A roster that includes at least one caster (Ylenne or Lezail) and at least one physical backliner (Jenas) handles her phase transitions much more cleanly, because no single unit can both heal through her magical spike and DPS through her physical phase. According to the official Steam store description, the Elven Queen is the climactic obstacle, so building a balanced roster before her encounter is more efficient than respeccing at the last minute.