Astonishia Story Protagonist: Lloyd, Ylenne & Core Party

The Astonishia Story protagonist is Lloyd von Reuental, a 24-year-old knight who sets out to recover a stolen relic and ends up pulling together one of the most eclectic rosters in any classic Korean RPG. This guide walks through every core party member confirmed for the upcoming HD remake, so you know exactly who joins Lloyd's band, what role each one fills on the grid-based battlefield, and how their backstories thread together. Drawing on the Astonishia Story Wikipedia page and the official Steam listing, we'll cover Lloyd, Ylenne, Rudoug, Rendalf, Lezail, Akra, and Jenas — the seven characters that anchor the journey from chapter one to the confrontation with the Elven Queen.

Lloyd von Reuental: The Knight Who Starts It All

Lloyd is the Astonishia Story protagonist in the strictest sense — every quest, every recruit, and every plot twist circles back to his oath. At 24 years old, he is one of the youngest knights in his order, which explains why the relic theft hits his career so directly. The opening chapter sends him chasing a stolen artifact, and the NIS America release-date trailer frames his march across the overworld as the visual spine of the remake.

His combat kit leans on durability rather than flashy spellwork, which makes him the safest pick for new players learning the grid-based system. Because the remake retains the original recruitment flow, Lloyd never permanently leaves the active party, so his stats effectively become the baseline against which every companion is measured. If you want a deeper look at how he stacks up against the other knights and fighters on the roster, the character backstory guide breaks down his early-game edge in more detail.

Lloyd's growth path also doubles as the game's tutorial arc. The first few dungeons are tuned around a single knight, so once Ylenne and Rudoug join, the formation starts requiring actual positioning rather than brute force. Players returning to the remake after the 1994 original will notice that his sprite is redrawn in the HD style, but his stat identity is unchanged.

Ylenne: The Apprentice Wizard at Lloyd's Side

Ylenne is the most important magical recruit in the first half of the game, and she is the reason the Astonishia Story protagonist has a credible answer to enemy casters. At 22, she is the granddaughter of Lezail, one of the eight Nestors of Astonishia, which is a fancy way of saying her family pedigree grants her access to spells most adventurers never see.

Ylenne joins relatively early in the remake's chapter structure, and from that point forward she becomes the party's main answer to groups of armored enemies. Her spell list is built around offensive elemental damage, but she also carries enough utility to keep the formation alive when Lloyd is locked in melee. Because she is the only confirmed apprentice-tier caster at the start, she is essentially irreplaceable for the first dozen hours.

The relationship between Ylenne and Lezail is one of the remake's quieter narrative threads, and it sets up the eventual handoff when her grandfather joins the party. Players who want to see how Ylenne fits into a wider formation can check the party building guide for recommended lineups that pair her melee-heavy companions with her back-line casting.

Rudoug: The Monk Who Carrahan Trained

Rudoug rounds out the core trio that the Astonishia Story protagonist recruits in the opening chapters. He is a 25-year-old monk, and the wiki notes that he is "Carrahan's best pupil," which means his fighting style is rooted in hand-to-hand technique rather than weapons. The HD redraw in the remake makes his stance animations noticeably more dynamic than the 1994 originals, but his combat role is unchanged.

Rudoug is most useful in the parts of the map where the grid spawns enemies on adjacent tiles, because his positioning lets him absorb pressure without replacing Lloyd as the main tank. Community reports from the 1994 release describe his damage output as surprisingly high for an unarmored class, and that balance appears to carry over to the HD remake.

One of the more interesting tactical decisions is whether to keep Rudoug on the front line or push him into the second row once heavier melee allies arrive. The answer depends heavily on which companions you recruit next, but in the early chapters he is essentially mandatory if you want any damage variety beyond Lloyd's sword swings.

Rendalf: The Veteran Dwarven Merchant

Rendalf is one of the most distinctive characters in the entire cast, and his age alone — 180 years old — sets the tone. A dwarven merchant and veteran warrior, he is recruited mid-game and instantly changes the economic texture of the party. While Lloyd, Ylenne, and Rudoug handle combat, Rendalf's role is more strategic.

Rendalf is where the Astonishia Story protagonist finally gets a true wall. His stat block leans toward defense and HP, which makes him a natural fit for the front line once the difficulty curve steepens. He also opens up merchant interactions that the earlier companions cannot, which is important in a remake that has kept the original's economy intact.

The combination of his merchant skills and combat durability means he almost never leaves the active party once recruited, which is why most formation guides rank him as a permanent slot rather than a situational pick. Players building a balanced team should treat him as the second pillar after Lloyd.

Lezail, Akra, and Jenas: The Allies Who Fill the Late Game

After the core trio and Rendalf, the Astonishia Story protagonist picks up three more companions that round out the formation: Lezail, Akra, and Jenas. Each one brings a specific tactical and narrative role, and the wiki confirms them as the late-game anchors.

Lezail is the most powerful pure caster in the game, and the fact that he is one of the eight Nestors of Astonishia means his spell list eclipses Ylenne's. The remake's redrawn sprite reportedly leans into his elder wizard aesthetic with longer robes and staff animations, and his recruitment feels like a proper narrative payoff because of how heavily his granddaughter's story is seeded earlier. Players who use him alongside Ylenne get a back line that can handle almost any magical encounter.

Akra is a Magic Monk, a hybrid class that mixes hand-to-hand combat with low-tier spellcasting, and her personal motivation — fighting discrimination — gives the party its most thematically grounded member. The wiki describes her stance as one of the more emotionally charged character beats in the original, and the HD remake retains her as a fully voiced presence.

Jenas anchors the ranged physical damage slot. As the last survivor of Halken Village, his recruitment carries narrative weight, and his archer kit gives the party a reliable answer to flying enemies and back-line threats that the melee characters cannot reach.

How the Seven Fit Together

The seven-member roster covers every combat niche the grid-based system throws at the player, and the remake's "Round Up and Recruit" hook (showcased in the official trailer) is built around swapping in the right companion for each encounter. If you are new to the series, the beginner guide walks through the early-game progression so you know exactly when each of these characters becomes available.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the main Astonishia Story protagonist?

The Astonishia Story protagonist is Lloyd von Reuental, a 24-year-old knight tasked with recovering a stolen relic. His quest is the narrative spine of the 1994 original and the 2027 HD remake, and every named companion joins his party because of choices he makes along the way.

When does Ylenne join Lloyd's party?

Ylenne joins early in the campaign, typically within the first few chapters. As Lezail's granddaughter, she is recruited to support the relic hunt and brings the party's first real magical damage option, which is essential once the enemies start resisting pure physical attacks.

Is Rudoug a frontline fighter or a support?

Rudoug is best described as a mid-line physical damage dealer and off-tank. As Carrahan's best pupil, he absorbs pressure without replacing Lloyd as the main anchor, and his high agility lets him reposition quickly when the grid spawns enemies on adjacent tiles.

Why is Rendalf such a popular party member?

Rendalf is popular because he combines massive HP with merchant utility. At 180 years old, he is also a veteran warrior, so he doubles as a lore carrier and a frontline wall, which makes him a permanent slot in most late-game formations.

Do Lezail, Akra, and Jenas all appear in the HD remake?

Yes. According to the Wikipedia character roster, all three are confirmed for the remake, with Lezail joining as Ylenne's grandfather, Akra as a Magic Monk, and Jenas as the last survivor of Halken Village and the party's dedicated archer.