Valkyrie Profile Character FAQ
==============================
Written by: Chief Ug (
[email protected])
Version 1.1 (23.5.2001)
- Some fixes, item updates, tip updates. Almost all the questions marks gone.
Version 1.0 (25.1.2001)
- First release, finally. Some leftovers from the Japanese versions still
exist. So don't freak out if you see some items or techniques with strange
names. And yes, a few things are missing but I'll complete them eventually.
1---5----0----5----0----5----0----5----0----5----0----5----0----5----0----5----
===============================================================================
Contents:
I. Introduction
II. Miscellaneous Hints & Tips
III. Sometimes Asked Questions
IV. Characters
V. Instant-kill weapons
VI. Item locations
VII. Challenges
VIII. Changes from Japanese to English
IX. Conclusion
===============================================================================
I. Introduction
---------------
Valkyrie Profile sports quite a cast. So, this FAQ tries to explore them a bit
further. Every character deserves some thorough examination. The bottom line
is, no character in Valkyrie Profile is completely worthless. Even those you
thought weak can be surprisingly strong if used right. I have spent hours
trying to discover the strengths of each character, and this is what I ended up
with. Feel free to disagree, of course. And if you spot mistakes in this FAQ,
please do send me corrections.
I have included the original Japanese names in parenthesis. Though, they are up
to debate since they are originally in katakana.
This is not meant to be a complete FAQ. I only cover a few things here. Read
other FAQs for combat basics, etc.
Of course, this FAQ will contain some spoilers. Namely, you will see who will
join you. None of the plot is given away so you're safe on that. Almost.
The layout of this FAQ is extremely ugly. Live with it.
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II. Miscellaneous hints & tips
------------------------------
So this is a character FAQ. Still, why not have some useful information?
- Kill those annoying spellcasters!
Enemies love to put their mages in the back row. They can be quite a pain when
casting spells at you while you have to go through the enemy frontline first.
Solution: archers can shoot enemies in the back row. If you equip Valkyrie with
a bow, and attack a backrow enemy at the same time as your mage and another
archer, chances are you can pull off a Finisher combo and consequently kill the
mage. If your archers are not powerful enough, build up their Noise Arrow
skill. With a skill level of 8, you have a good chance of silencing the enemy
spellcaster when attacking. Beware of the Wise Sorcerers and their lookalikes,
though, since their physical attacks are even more devastating than their magic.
- Chaining for maximum damage
If you are fighting an enemy with a lot of HP, try to pull off Finishers from
all the characters at once. Damage is increased each time you chain a new
Finisher. If you start your 4th Finisher when you have enough (about 50) hits
already racked up, you will end up doing double the normal damage! So practice
chaining. Just remember, the first Finisher needs to give at least 20 energy,
the next 40, and the next 60.
- Circling fun
The skill Dark allows your characters to quickly leap behind the enemy before
striking. If you have 3 fighters in your party, all with the Dark skill
activated, press left on your controller before hitting all of their buttons
at once. Also, give all of them 3-hitting weapons if possible, so you can keep
mashing those buttons away. Your characters will end up running in circles
around the enemy, which not only looks funny but will break through any
Combo Guard. This works best with characters whose attacks cause them to go
behind the enemy naturally (Valkyrie, Suo).
- Last dungeon (normal ending)
Jotunheim is a breeze with the correct spells. All you need Poison Blow.
Gandar is good for this, as he starts with it. Simply select Poison Blow from
the spellcasting menu, and BAM! No more enemies. Actually, this doesn't quite
work for the stationary soldiers (they will only take half damage) but it's
enough to kill ordinary soldiers along with enemy mages.
- Becoming invincible
There is a way to configure your party to be near-invincible. What you need
is for everyone to have the skills Guts and Auto Item active. Set the Auto Item
to use 100% Union Plumes, and if you feel like it, some Elixir variations.
Finally, equip an Angel Curio in both accessory slots. This combination will
last for a LONG time, and even the toughest boss will die before you run out
of luck.
- How to defeat that annoying dragon
Blood Bane is the most difficult boss you will face in Valkyrie Profile. Not
counting bosses of the Seraphic Gate, of course. However, if you prepare your
characters correctly, he's actually quite easy. There are two basic ways you
can go about defeating him: one is to make yourself invincible, the other is to
kick his ass. Or both. For making yourself (almost) invincible, see above.
The second way needs more planning:
Have in your party:
* Valkyrie (duh...) with a 3-hitter sword
* A combo builder character (Lucian, Janus)
* A character with a powerful Finisher (Lawfer, Aelia)
* A spellcaster with a multi-hit attack spell (Mystic Cross, Prismatic Missile)
with a NORMAL staff (i.e. not a Massive Magic one)
This strategy involves relying on one character doing almost all the damage,
and the others being simple support. With Might Reinforce combined with
chaining 4 Finishers, your powerful character should be able to deal plenty of
damage so Blood Bane won't last long. Just pound on him with everything you
have. The best way to chain 4 Finishers is to have your first 2 fighter
characters do their Finishers, followed by your spellcaster. This should get
you enough hits, and still be able to start your last Finisher, by your
damage-doer. Best of all, Bloodbane will never use Gravity Blessing on you
this way.
Example: (Valkyrie, Lawfer, Lucian, Shiho) - the best team IMHO
Everyone - Stun Check. Why? It reduces fire damage by 50%!
Valkyrie - Gram sword (or most powerful 3-hitter)
Lawfer - Dinosaur spear, Power Bangle
Lucian - Valkyrie Favor sword, or the most powerful sword that uses attack 3
Shiho - Adventia staff
Turn 1 - Shiho casts Might Reinforce. Others attack. Lawfer uses Finisher.
Turn 2 - Shiho casts Reduce Guard. Others attack.
Turn 3 - Everyone attacks, begin with Shiho using Prismatic Missile. Finishers
in the following order: Lucian, Valkyrie, Shiho, Lawfer. Blood Bane
croaks.
Now, if you have Lawfer with the Dinosaur spear and Power Bangle, he alone
should do well over 100,000 damage, plenty to toast the dragon.
One little thing: if Blood Bane's HP goes to around 50%, but not low enough for
him to start casting Gravity Blessing, he will use Heal. Annoying. So make sure
to hold back when his HP gets around 60%, and wait until you can unleash a
powerful combo.
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III. Sometimes Asked Questions
==============================
Q: What's the best party?
A: There isn't one party that is best for every situation. Ordinarily, having
party consisting of Valkyrie, one mage, one combo builder, and one
heavy-hitter is a good choice. For this kind of setup, I would say
Lawfer and Lucian (or if he's absent, Janus) are your best choices for
fighters. If you want to be cheap or are stuck in a tough spot, having two
mages casting dual Celestial Stars/Meteor Swarms is enough to level almost
any resistance. Inside the Seraphic Gate, Brahms and Freya work well.
Q: How do I get past that annoying statue in the Dragon Halls?
A: It's a bit tough. Once you get to the final statue, do this. First follow
him around until he reaches the left side of the screen. Keep a distance
of about 1/3rd of a screen at all times. When he turns around, he will
start chasing you. Run, while keeping your distance. When you get close
to the right border, jump, and let the statue pass under you. (This sounds
easier than it actually is.) Now the statue will chase you to the left.
Keep repeating until he stops. This happens after about 3 jumps.
Q: Where are the 8 Flame Jewels?
A: First, you must be playing in HARD mode. The Flame Jewels are found in
different dungeons, inside treasure chests. Equip a Treasure Search to
make finding them easier. Here are their locations:
Salerno Academy - in a room with red perfume (2nd red room)
Dark Tower of Xervah - when jumping into one of the "jaws" which
takes you to a subterranean room
Citadel of Fire - near the end, you must fall into a leftside pit and
create an ice crystal that you can jump on, then
fall again from the top, on the crystal
Water Shrine - after swimming up the long pit with walls closing in
Tombs of Amenti - very beginning, on the top of a doorway
Tombs of Amenti (again) - near the end, out in the open, easy to find
Arianrod Maze - room 11
Celestial Castle - near the beginning, out in the open, easy to find
Q: What is a good way to get MP?
A: One good way is to wait until you have finished chapter 4 and acquired
the Creation Jewel. Collect Broken Spears, they are dropped by a few
monsters. Transform them into Crimson Edges, and once you have at least
one for your fighters, sell the rest. They are worth 6250MP each! Also
collect other Broken equipment, each one is worth a good amount of MP
once transformed with the Creation Jewel.
Q: Why don't I have Lyseria in the Seraphic Gate?
A: This is a known bug. If you sent Lyseria up to Valhalla, you will NOT get
her back. There is no fix other than loading a game where she still is
with you and playing to the end from there.
Q: What characters should I send up to Valhalla?
A: Send whoever you won't miss too much. If you want ending A, you have
to send up Lucian (to see how to get ending A refer to other FAQs.)
The character does not have to meet ALL of Freya's requirements, just
try to meet as many as possible. Above all, max out Traits (hero value).
This is very important. Otherwise your Einherjar could die. Permanently.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IV. Characters
===============
Spellcasters are mostly the same. Their only differences are in stats, and in
the spells they start with. That's why this section focuses on fighters.
I've put up some kind of a rating system. It goes like this:
Hit: (1-5)
Attack: Power (1-5)
Combo (1-5)
Finisher: Power (1-5)
Combo (1-5)
Hit implies how well the character can connect attacks. Many attacks tend to
miss if not timed correctly. Some characters are better than others at
connecting in a multi-hit, all-out combo.
Attack values are for normal attacking. Power is the damage caused, and Combo
is the amount of technical energy built up.
Finisher is the same as above for "Purify Weird Soul" combos.
Some characters have skills and equipment which really help them out. I have
marked those down separately. I have left out the obvious, like Reverie and
Guts (which all of your characters should have if possible.)
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________
Fighters
________
-------------------
Valkyrie (Valkyrie)
-------------------
Class Chooser of the Slain
Race Aesir
Age 23 (Midgard Reckoning)
Gender Female
Home Valhalla
________________________________________________
Sword Attacks
Bolt Slash Energy +25, Hit +1
Moment Slide Energy +15, Hit +1
Vertical Raid Energy +24, Hit +2
Nibelung Valesti Energy +60, Hit +9 [CT +4] (varies)
Hit ****
Attack power ***
Attack combo ****
Finisher power ** to ***** (depending on weapon)
Finisher combo ***
Bow Attacks
Spread Shot Energy +20, Hit +2
Tri-Blast Energy +9, Hit +3
Infinity Blast Energy +24, Hit +4
Nibelung Valesti Energy +85, Hit +12 [CT +4] (varies)
Hit *****
Attack power ****
Attack combo ***
Finisher power ** to ***** (depending on weapon)
Finisher combo *****
Pros: Good at combos, can equip both swords and bows, she's just plain cool.
Cons: Rather low damage for most of the game.
As the main character, you would expect Valkyrie to be pretty good at
fighting. And yes, she is pretty good. Not the strongest, nor the best combo
builder, she is very well-balanced in combat. She has to be in your party at
all times, but fortunately she isn't someone you would really want to replace.
She can equip both a sword or a bow, and her weapon changes her combat role
quite a bit.
When equipped with a sword, she can hit with great accuracy for good damage.
She is quite adept at giving you a good amount of energy needed to start up a
combo. However, Valkyrie's damage isn't all that great with most swords. Her
damage becomes significant only near the end of the game.
With a bow, Valkyrie will do less damage compared to a sword but also hit
more reliably, and more importantly reach those ever-annoying enemy mages in
the back row. Do not underestimate Valkyrie's power with a bow. Sometimes good
swords are hard to come by, and Valkyrie will simply be better off with a bow,
no matter what. Don't be afraid to try out bows with her.
Eventually, as the game goes on, Valkyrie will outrank the other
characters simply because her levels will be higher. Her Finisher will also
power up as she gets more powerful weapons. Valkyrie recovers from
status abnormalities at the end of a combat automatically, and also seems to be
more resistant to them than other characters. Overall, you can choose whether
you want Valkyrie as combo support, or a heavy damage-doer. She does well
enough in both categories, though I would say she works better with combos.
Most of the game, I have her equipped with a multi-hitting sword. However, once
in a while you will find a good bow, and in this case you should consider
switching.
Useful equipment / skills:
Nibelungen Ring - 50% damage from Dark elemental, unequip during Sacred Phase!
Timer Ring - enemies move at 50% speed
Mighty Check - she's the one person you don't want with a bad status
Treasure Search - it's better to have this on all the time. This way you will
not miss treasure chests.
Enemy Search - handy for knowing beforehand if enemies are close by
Splash - the perfect skill for Valkyrie! Since it's easy to connect with her,
why not add more damage? Of course, once you get Reverie, ditch this.
Cure Condition - with Mighty Check, Valkyrie is great for healing your party's
status
----------------
Arngrim (Aryuze)
----------------
Class Heavy knight/Merc
Race Human
Age 26
Gender Male
Home Artolia
______________________________________________
Attacks
Spinning Back-knuckle Energy +15, Hit +1
High Wind Energy +30, Hit +1
Wrenching Swing Energy +25, Hit +1
Finality Blast Energy +80, Hit +8 [CT +6]
Hit **
Attack power ****
Attack combo ***
Finisher power ****
Finisher combo *****
Pros: High DME, good damage, can equip 2-handed swords.
Cons: Hard to connect, long charge time.
Arngrim is pretty much a powerhouse, at least that's your first impression.
Well, not through and through. He is not quite as great as you would first
think, but he is still one of the better fighters. For starters, a very high
DME keeps him alive for a long time. Next, his special is one of the most
powerful ones in the game. Great damage, plus the energy gain of 80 means you
are guaranteed another combo to follow it up. Too bad it has a charge time of
6. It will be one of your best attacks against bosses, until later in the game
when some other characters will get more powerful weapons. Arngrim is a good
choice for almost any situation, given his durability and strength. Connecting
attacks with him is a bit hard, though, so be careful.
Useful equipment / skills:
Power Bangle - makes his damaging attacks even more damaging
-----------------
Belenus (Belinas)
-----------------
Class Knight/Guard
Race Human
Age 37
Gender Male
Home Gerabellum
______________________________________________
Attacks
First Slash Energy +15, Hit +1
Rising Slash Energy +24, Hit +2
Piercing Crusade Energy +20, Hit +2
Extreme Void Energy +30, Hit +2 [CT +3]
Hit ****
Attack power ***
Attack combo ***
Finisher power ****
Finisher combo **
Pros: Great damage, good for close-range melee.
Cons: Not the best for building combos.
Easily the second-most underrated character in the game. Most players never
give Belenus a chance. Since your choices on sending up a character in chapter
1 are rather limited, Belenus is usually the one who gets sent up to Valhalla.
Too bad, really, since Belenus is actually a good fighter. Connecting attacks
with him is easy enough, and they do decent damage as well. His best asset,
however, is his Finisher which very powerful. Only Lawfer and Aelia can match
the damage done at similar levels and with similar weapons. Belenus is
certainly a worthy addition to any party, since he does rather well on both the
combo and damage departments. Give him a chance, you might be surprised.
-----------------
Llewelyn (Laurie)
-----------------
Class Archer
Race Human
Age 18
Gender Male
Home Crell Monferaigne
______________________________________________
Attacks
First Shot Energy +5, Hit +1
Twin Shot Energy +10, Hit +2
Aiming Wisp Energy +10, Hit +2 (varies)
Layer Storm Energy +35, Hit +5 [CT +2] (varies)
Hit ****
Attack power *
Attack combo **
Finisher power ** to *****
Finisher combo *** to *****
Pros: Can shoot back row enemies, great damage against large enemies.
Cons: Dies easily, useless against small enemies.
Llewelyn's usefulness depends largely on the type of enemy you are fighting.
His attacks are great against large enemies, but tend to miss the smaller ones.
If fighting a large monster like a Dragon Zombie, he can be really helpful. He
can hit at least 15 times, raising a great amount of energy in the process. His
usefulness does wear out as the game progresses, mostly because powerful bows
are hard to come by. He is a pretty good choice for a combo builder (though as
far as archers go, I prefer Janus.) Since normally you can send up either
Llewelyn or Belenus in chapter 1, I'd recommend sending Llewelyn to the gods.
--------------
Lawfer (Roufa)
--------------
Class Knight/Spearman
Race Human
Age 20
Gender Male
Home Artolia
______________________________________________
Attacks
Smash Axe Energy +24, Hit +1
Prisoner Fang Energy +30, Hit +1
Triple Thrust Energy +30, Hit +3
Justice Stream Energy +25, Hit +10 [CT + 2]
Hit ***
Attack power *****
Attack combo *****
Finisher power *****
Finisher combo *
Pros: Damage king, combo king, short charge time.
Cons: Hard to chain anything after his finisher (not that you would need to...)
Here is the most underrated character in the game. FAQs generally totally
trash Lawfer, because few people take the time to actually size him up. This is
something I can't understand. Lawfer absolutely, positively ROCKS! Yes. He
totally owns you. He is in fact the best fighter in the game, hands down.
With a multi-hitting spear, he can easily build up a combo nearly all by
himself. That's not even the best part of him, not by far. With a
single-hitting, more powerful spear, he can absolutely decimate enemies with
his Finisher. If we forget about the Seraphic Gate, Lawfer has the most
damaging Finisher of all the characters. We're talking about 10 powerful hits
here. So what if the energy gain is only 25? If you are fighting enemies that
can survive his Finisher, equip him with a Combo Jewel it's easily boosted up
to 45. Normal enemies don't usually survive his attack, so it's not really a
big issue anyway. The quick Charge Time of 2 helps too.
If you don't believe me, feel free to try him out. You thought Aelia had a
powerful Finisher? Give Lawfer the same weapon and have him at the same level
and watch. When facing a tough boss with plenty of HP, you can't have a better
choice in your party than Lawfer. Even for exploring, he's great for tearing
apart enemies without ever using his Finisher.
Lawfer's true power is not revealed until chapter 4. At first you will have
to use ordinary spears. However, once you get the Crimson Edge in chapter 4
he will rise above all the others. And in Chapter 8, the Dinosaur spear will
complete his supremacy. And don't come to me crying because Lawfer is actually
stronger than your favorite character.
Useful equipment / skills:
Power Bangle - unleash the true power of Lawfer! 120,000 damage, awe yeah!
Combo Jewel - you need this if you want to chain Finishers with Lawfer
Charge - This is actually useful when using the Triple Thrust attack. Works
nicely in conjuction with the Dinosaur spear, you can do close to
25,000 damage with a normal attack when paired with Reverie.
------------------
Janus (Jake Linas)
------------------
Class Knight/Archer
Race Human
Age 40
Gender Male
Home Crell Monferaigne
______________________________________________
Attacks
Diseased Needle Energy +2, Hit +2
Tri-Stinger Energy +3, Hit +3
Restrain Flame Energy +50, Hit +1
Guilty Break Energy +72, Hit +9 [CT +2]
Hit *****
Attack power ***
Attack combo ****
Finisher power ***
Finisher combo *****
Pros: Great for combos, poison attack.
Cons: Low DME, damage becomes low near the end of the game.
Janus is right up there with the most useful characters. Not a powerful
fighter by any means, he is an awesome combo builder. One of his attacks
raises energy by 50 points! Great for starting combos. His Finisher is
decent in power until later, when bows start to suck. However, you can
almost certainly connect another Finisher once he's done with it. Plus,
it is really cool-looking! An added bonus is his Diseased Needle attack, which
randomly inflicts enemies with the Poison status. Especially handy against
monsters with lots of HP, like Dragon Tooth Warriors. Like all archers, Janus
has low DME, so protect him appropriately. Janus is someone you will definitely
want to keep with you all the way through the game. The best archer, if you ask
me.
Useful equipment / skills:
Protect Jewel - Janus needs all the protection he can get
----------------
Kashell (Kashel)
----------------
Class Heavy Knight/Adventurer
Race Human
Age 24
Gender Male
Home Gerabellum
______________________________________________
Attacks
Low Swing Energy +10, Hit +1
Beast Tackle Energy +5, Hit +2
Air Pressure Energy +24, Hit +1
Flashing Blade Energy +69, Hit +3 [CT +5]
Hit ***
Attack power ****
Attack combo ***
Finisher power **
Finisher combo ****
Pros: High DME, good for combos, can equip 2-handed swords.
Cons: Weak finishing strike.
Kashell is a cool character, with a cool voice, but unfortunately he is not
nearly as good as he could be. He gets powerful weapons, and has a good base
strength, but his Finisher is disappointingly weak. Not only does it get a mere
3 hits, but the second hit also has a tendency to miss. It is good for chaining
combos, but that's it. He has a very high DME, on par with Arngrim. For the
most part, you don't really need Kashell since Arngrim is better than him in
just about every category. He is good at building combos if you can connect his
attacks, but like Argrim, they are a bit hard to pull off. Air Pressure is a
good move though.
One good use for Kashell is to team him up with Arngrim, when fighting a
tough boss. If you need every last bit of DME you can get, Kashell and Arngrim
are the ones who last the longest. Also, since he can equip 2-handed swords, he
is a good choice for unique weapons such as the Infernas, which kills Fire in
one hit. He's better at connecting than Arngrim (but not as good as Grey.) He's
someone you use when you feel like it, not because you would need him.
---------
Jun (Jun)
---------
Class Samurai
Race Human
Age 21
Gender Male
Home Hai-Lan
______________________________________________
Attacks
Senko-Zan Energy +10, Hit +2
Koei-Zan Energy +5, Hit +1
So-Enbu Energy +24, Hit +2
Senko-Jin Energy +30, Hit +15 [CT +2]
Hit ***
Attack power ***
Attack combo ***
Finisher power ***
Finisher combo **
Pros: Can equip katanas, short charge time.
Cons: Has nothing outstanding about him.
Jun is a rather average fighter. He would be a lot better if only he could
cause more damage. You will not find many useful katanas in the game, so if you
want to use Jun effectively just give him a sword. His finisher hits many
times, but is not too powerful, nor does it give you a lot of energy. However,
he does have one good use. Since his Finisher hits 15 times, it is good for
building up hits in a combo for a more powerful character. He is another
character whose role is to be used only occasionally, when you decide better
characters need a break.
Useful equipment / skills:
Combo Jewel - raises the energy of his Finisher to 60
-----------
Aelia (Amy)
-----------
Class Spearman/Adventurer
Race Dragonian
Age 25
Gender Female
Home Gerabellum
______________________________________________
Attacks
Roundkick Energy +6, Hit +2
Sonic Edge Energy +1, Hit +1
Spinning Edge Energy +24, Hit +3
Dreaded Dragon Energy +45, Hit +1 [CT +3]
Hit *
Attack power ***
Attack combo *
Finisher power ****
Finisher combo ***
Pros: Great damage.
Cons: Sucks at connecting hits, outclassed by Lawfer.
Aelia is a heavy-hitting character through and through. She has one of the
most damaging Finishers in the game, and gets powerful weapons as well.
However, for the most part she is not as good as Lawfer. They are about
equivalent functionally, but Lawfer comes out on the top in most categories.
Trying to hit enemies with normal attacks can be a real nightmare. Her
Spinnind Edge is good for collecting gems, but trying to pull it off in mid-air
is very hard indeed. Normal attacks are hardly the best part of Aelia. Her
strength lies in her Finisher. It is the most damaging single-hitter in the
game by far, but in total damage not equal to Lawfer's. Other than her
Finisher, though, she's about average. Combine that with the fact that Lawfer
can do just about everything she does, and better, she's not quite that great.
It's not her fault, really - she is good, but Lawfer completely overshadows
her. If you get bored with Lawfer, Aelia makes a good alternative.
Useful equipment / skills:
Power Bangle - good if you want to hit hard
--------------
Lucian (Lucio)
--------------
Class Swordfighter
Race Human
Age 19
Gender Male
Home Villnore
______________________________________________
Attacks
Air Slash Energy +25, Hit +1
Slanting Blow Energy +15, Hit +1
Shining Bolt Energy +36, Hit +12 (!)
Round Rip Saber Energy +40, Hit +5 [CT +3]
Hit **
Attack power *****
Attack combo *****
Finisher power **
Finisher combo ***
Pros: SHINING BOLT!
Cons: Weak finisher, can't keep him for long if you want ending A.
Lucian might seem weak at first. He doesn't hit too hard and his Finisher is
rather weak. This happens if you don't give him an appropriate weapon. To
unleash the true power of Lucian, he MUST have a weapon that will let him use
Shining Bolt (attack #3). This move is easily the best normal move in the game,
for several reasons:
* It does great damage all by itself - more than his Finisher!
* With a Combo Jewel, this one move gives you 60 energy
* With 12 hits, it is easy to do build up combo damage with more hits
* If an enemy Combo Guards against this move, a Guard Crush is very likely
* You have a very good chance of getting a pile of violet orbs/treasure
chests/mystic gems. Great for cancelling the charge time of your mages.
* If Lucian's weapon has a status effect, there is a very high chance of it
being activated. Remember that you hit 12 times, therefore you get many
more chances of causing an effect. Icicle Sword means a near-guaranteed
freeze, for example.
Lucian is probably the best combo builder you can get. He is also a
magician's best friend, allowing them to cast spells nearly every turn. It's
too bad you will not be able to have him for long (you are trying to get the
best ending aren't you?) Being a pure, selfless hero, he starts with a sky-high
hero value, as if to give you a hint as to what you should do with him. So,
enjoy Lucian. While you can.
Useful equipment / skills:
Combo Jewel - THE accessory for Lucio. A Finisher is almost guaranteed.
Charge - good for getting more damage out of Shining Bolt
-----------------
Badrach (Badluck)
-----------------
Class Archer/Thief
Race Human
Age 40
Gender Male
Home Villnore
______________________________________________
Attacks
Flare Shot Energy +15, Hit +1
Fifth Way Energy +5, Hit +5 (varies)
Lunatic Shot Energy +7, Hit +7 (varies)
Sphere Strike Energy +30, Hit +1 [CT +2]
Hit ****
Attack power *
Attack combo **
Finisher power **
Finisher combo **
Pros: Great for gem/treasure hunting, good for causing bad statuses.
Cons: Everything else.
Badrach... well, sucks. His attacks are weak, and he's not hot at doing
combos either. He still does have some uses, namely against big monsters. He
gets in several weak hits, and as a result usually collects a good amount of
gems/stones/chests. Those can also be good for inflicting bad status ailments
on enemies, and getting your mages ready to cast spells quickly. Against
smaller enemies, though, he will only be able to connect with one or two hits.
His Finisher is weak as well. It is a single hit, but in total damage it's
behind both Janus's and Llewelyn's.
The only advantage in fighting that he has over Janus and Llewelyn is that
some weapons are better for him. For example, Bolt Aqqar has an attack power of
1200 but only gets off attack #1. This is worthless for Janus, since his #1
attack is weak, while it is decent for Badrach. Still, Janus is far better than
Badrach except when you are hunting gems and treasure chests. If you want to
use him, make sure the other 3 characters can hold the monsters at bay on their
own because Badrach will not contribute any significant damage or energy.
-----------
Grey (Grey)
-----------
Class Heavy Knight
Race Human
Age Unknown
Gender Male
Home Unknown
______________________________________________
Attacks
Razor Edge Energy +15, Hit +1
Mortal Razor Energy +25, Hit +1
Energy Cannon Energy +15, Hit +3
Icicle Disaster Energy +58, Hit +8 [CT +2]
Hit ****
Attack power ****
Attack combo ***
Finisher power *
Finisher combo ***
Pros: Can equip 2-handed swords, hits easily.
Cons: His attacks deal pitiful damage.
Grey is a decent swordfighter, but he is way too weak to be considered
good. Connecting hits with him is easy, and the damage he does is not
bad at all. Unfortunately, his Finisher is the weakest in the game. The
amount of damage done is simply laughable. This means that Grey is essentially
useless, as all other swordfighters overshadow him. Well, if you are relying on
others to do the damage, Grey can be a decent combo builder and supporter but
then again there are better combo builders out there. He can act as an
alternative to Arngrim and Kashell if you are trying to kill monsters with a
unique two-handed sword, but nothing much else.
-------------
Jayle (Jayle)
-------------
Class Swordfighter
Race Human
Age 20
Gender Female
Home Crell Monferaigne
______________________________________________
Attacks
Gleam Charge Energy +25, Hit +1
Round Dance Energy +15, Hit +1
Hind Edge Energy +10, Hit +1
Eternal Raid Energy +56, Hit +7 [CT +4]
Hit ***
Attack power ***
Attack combo ***
Finisher power ***
Finisher combo ***
Pros: Average at everything.
Cons: Average at everything.
Jayle is yet another fighter who falls into the category of "average
swordfighter". She's average at connecting hits, the damage she does is
average, for building combos she's average... you get the idea. Another
character whom you will use for fun, rather than really needing her.
-----------
Suo (Suhou)
-----------
Class Samurai
Race Human
Age 24
Gender Male
Home Hai-Lan
______________________________________________
Attacks
Shisen Energy +25, Hit +1
Hyo-Rappa Energy +10, Hit +1
Yasha-Uchi Energy +16, Hit +2
Hyoso-Hojin Energy +48, Hit +6 [CT +3]
Hit ****
Attack power ***
Attack combo ***
Finisher power ***
Finisher combo ***
Pros: Can equip katanas, good to hit with.
Cons: Rather weak compared to the stronger characters.
And for the last of the normal characters, I present you with Yet Another
Average Fighter. Nothing much can be said about Suo, except you get him late in
the game, he's good to connect with, he deals average damage and has nothing
outstanding about him in combat. He does have a very high hero value, though.
That means, send him up.
--------------
Brahms (Brams)
--------------
Class Lord of the Undead
Race Vampire
Age Unknown
Gender Male
Home Unknown
______________________________________________
Attacks
Bloody Knuckle Energy +30, Hit +1
Deadly Raid Energy +30, Hit +2
Immortal Blow Energy +30, Hit +3
Bloody Curse Energy +42, Hit +17 [CT +2]
Hit *****
Attack power ****
Attack combo ****
Finisher power ****
Finisher combo ***
Pros: Great for combos, good damage, short charge time.
Cons: Not as powerful as some other characters.
The first of the secret characters. He hits for the highest number of times
from any fighters, 17 on his Finisher. He also is quite strong. He wouldn't
overshadow your best characters though, if it were not for the fact that he
gets an insanely powerful weapon. By all means stick to him once you get him,
at least once you find him his best weapon.
------------
Freya (Fray)
------------
Class Giver of Life
Race Aesir
Age 26 (Midgard Reckoning)
Gender Female
Home Valhalla
______________________________________________
Attacks
Critical Flare Energy +24, Hit +9
Aerial Burst Energy +21, Hit +3
Thunder Sword Energy +50, Hit +5
Ether Strike Energy +10, Hit +1 [CT +6]
Hit ****
Attack power *****
Attack combo **
Finisher power *****
Finisher combo *
Pros: Unbeatable damage queen.
Cons: Can't chain anything after finisher (like you would need to), SLOW!
The other fighter-type secret character. Freya does accompany you in the
beginning, where you get a small demonstration of her power. Now this power is
finally yours, at least once you find her a better weapon. Her Finisher is by
far the most damaging in the game (can go over 500,000 in ideal conditions).
Her attacks are S-L-O-W, so most likely you will only see her first attack
before having to start the Finishers.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
____________
Spellcasters
____________
----------------
Jelanda (Sherad)
----------------
Class Sorceress/Princess
Race Human
Age 14
Gender Female
Home Artolia
Starting spells: Fire Storm
Heal
--------------
Yumei (Yumeru)
--------------
Class Sorceress
Race Mermaid
Age 16
Gender Female
Home Hai-Lan
Starting spells: Stone Torch
Frigid Damsel
Icicle Edge
---------------
Nanami (Nanami)
---------------
Class Sorceress/Maiden
Race Human
Age 17
Gender Female
Home Hai-Lan
Starting spells: Lightning Bolt
Fire Storm
Normalize
-----------------
Lorenta (Lorenta)
-----------------
Class Sorceress/Teacher
Race Human
Age 36
Gender Female
Home Flenceburg
Starting spells: Fire Lance
Mystic Cross
Heal
Sap Guard
Invoke Feather
-----------------
Mystina (Meltina)
-----------------
Class Sorceress/Researcher
Race Human
Age 23
Gender Female
Home Flenceburg
Starting spells: Dark Savior
Mystic Cross
Ignite Javelin
Normalize
Sap Guard
-------------
Shiho (Shiho)
-------------
Class Sorceress/Song-maiden
Race Human
Age 21
Gender Female
Home Hai-Lan
Starting spells: Might Reinforce
Guard Reinforce
Invoke Feather
Heal
Normalize
-----------------
Lyseria (Lyseria)
-----------------
Class Sorceress/Seeress
Race Human
Age Unknown
Gender Female
Home Unknown
Starting spells: Mystic Cross
Ignite Javelin
Might Reinforce
Guard Reinforce
Invoke Feather
Note: only in HARD mode, find her in the Archdain ruins in chapter 7.
----------------
Gandar (Ganossa)
----------------
Class Sorcerer/Officer
Race Human
Age 67
Gender Male
Home Villnore
Starting spells: Prismatice Missile
Shadow Servant
Poison Blow
Fire Lance
Shield Critical
Note: to recruit him you must clear the Dragon Halls in chapter 8.
-----------------------------
Lezard Valeth (Lezard Valeth)
-----------------------------
Class Sorcerer/Necromancer
Race Human
Age 24
Gender Male
Home Flenceburg
Starting spells: Dark Savior
Poison Blow
Stone Torch
Fire Lance
Prismatic Missile
Mystic Cross
Invoke Feather
Guard Reinforce
Dampen Magic
Shield Critical
Note: only at the Seraphic gate
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
V. Instant-kill Weapons
------------------------
Notice how some weapons say "DEATH" next to an elemental icon? That means
an enemy which has the corresponding elemental weakness will be killed
instantly with a hit. Instant-kill can be a lifesaver many times. In
addition, there are weapons which instantly kill certain types of monsters
with a hit. Here is a list of them, and where they can be found:
Dragon Slayer - Arngrim's house, various chests in dungeons
Demon Slayer - various chests
Beast Slayer - various chests
Mage Slayer - Dark Tower of Xervah, hidden room you enter by dropping
into jaws
Raven Slayer - Janus' house
Glance Reviver - Seraphic Gate. This weapon can instant-kill nearly any
non-boss monster and heal you in the process!
Fire:
Infernas - Artifact at the end of the Citadel of Fire (HARD mode, chapter 6)
Ice:
Icicle Sword - Transmutate a Book on Everlasting Life (first dungeon)
Lightning:
Jewelled Blade "Grimrist" - Artifact at the end of the first dungeon
Poison:
Glare Sword - Transmutate a Broken Armor
Dark:
Gram - Transmutate an Orihalcon (buy for 100000 MP). Also, sometimes
given by Freya in the Sacred Phase between chapters 7-8.
Holy:
??? - Found at the Seraphic Gate
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VI. Item Locations
-----------------
You have probably wondered where to find all these important items I keep
mentioning. So here you go, a list of all important items that you can't Divine
or find easily:
Creation Gem - find in Lezard's Tower, you must activate the two lights to make
a teleporter appear. Don't use the teleporter next to the last
save point (yet), but find another by tracing your route back
towards the start.
Creation Jewel - transmutate an Orihalcon while equipping Creation Gem. This
item is a MUST, since without it you will not be able to get
any of the more powerful items. Once you have both Creation
items, you can have hours of fun experimenting with all the
new possible transmutations that are available to you.
Orihalcon - you can buy it for 100,000MP starting from chapter 6. Or, you can
transmutate a Fairy Bottle or Manual of Resurrection with the
Creation Gem.
Fairy Bottle - artifact at the end of the Black Dream Tower (NORMAL, chapter 4)
Manual of Resurrection - artifact at the end of the Dark Tower of Xervah (HARD,
chapter 4)
Icicle Sword - transmutate Book on Everlasting Life with the Creation Jewel
Glare Sword - transmutate Broken Armor with the Creation Jewel
Crimson Edge - transmutate Broken Spear with Creation Jewel
Unicorn Staff - transmutate Unicorn Horn with Creation Jewel
Broken Armor - dropped by ?
Broken Spear - dropped by Dragon Zombies in chapter 4 (among others)
Unicorn Horn - find in Brahms' castle, which you can find on the left side of
the world map in chapters 3-8
Elven Bow - artifact at the end of the Forest of Spirits (chapter 7)
Apocalypse staff - chest in the Arianrod maze (HARD mode, chapter 8)
Treasure Search - in the very first dungeon, find it near the end in a large
hall. To reach it, you must use ice crystals to be able to
climb the rightside wall. Then, you must first succeed in
connecting an ice crystal with the edge of the leftmost
platform while jumping back down, and then climb up again
and this time step on the ice crystal.
Enemy Search - transmutate Lapis Lazuli
Timer Ring - find in Lezard's tower next to the Creation Gem
Dinosaur Spear - you must first clear the Dragon Halls of chapter 8. After
opening up the artifact chests, stack them on the top of each
other at the left edge of the screen. Then, you must use your
ice crystals to get Valkyrie to the top left of the screen, by
having her step on the crystal dust. It's hard, but very well
worth it. Once you finally reach it, be careful because the
chest is trapped. If you don't move out of the way, the
explosion will send you back down and you will have to climb
all the way back up again. DON'T GIVE UP! :)
Dimension Slip - transmutate Bark of the Dryad with the Creation Gem.
WARNING: DON'T EVER EQUIP THIS ITEM!
It completely ruins the gaming experience. If you really have
to use it, ONLY use it in the Seraphic Gate.
Bark of the Dryad - artifact at the end of Netsov Swamp (chapter 2)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VII. Challenges
---------------
Think you have mastered Valkyrie Profile? Think again! Here are a few nice
challenges for a true master of the game. Try these if you have done
everything else.
* Maximum possible hits
Just how many hits is it possible to get in one combo? I have not tried
this myself too much, but a combo of over 100 hits should be possible.
(My best is a mere 85).
* Surviving against the Iseria Queen's attacks
Sure you can beat the Iseria Queen, when you have Guts, Angel Curio, and
Auto Item. But can you do without them? Try to survive a Queen's War
Dance. Or try to survive a Cosmic Spear. Both are possible.
* Beat Gabriel Celesta in one round
It's possible. 800,000 damage or so.
* Beat Iseria Queen without having her transform
About the same as above. I don't think it's possible to kill her in
one round.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VIII. Changes from Japanese to English
--------------------------------------
Did you know that the American release of Valkyrie Profile had quite a few
things changed from the original Japanese version? Here is a list of them:
* Language and voices changed from Japanese to English
Er... duh.
* Some namechanges
</pre><pre id="faqspan-2">
Besides the player characters, some other names were changed too. Hrist was
known as Alia (Arlia?) in the Japanese version. Freya and Fray were
interchanged. Genevieve's name was J.D. Wallace (sounds weird doesn't it?)
* Random bugfixes
The Japanese version was prone to crashes at some points. Some lesser weird
bugs also made appearance. Although not all bugs have been fixed, the USA
release is still more stable, and suffers less from crashes. One funny bug
present in the Japanese version occurred after the fight against Iseria
Queen. The music speeds up, but after that it never slows down. After that
fight, EVERY SINGLE MUSIC until reset is played too fast. Even in the sound
test.
* Language fixes
Valkyrie Profile contained a fair amount of English here and there in the
Japanese version. Some of it was quite awful, though. There was a famous
phrase in the logo, "Should Deny the Divine Destiny of the Destinies" which
was removed. Not all of the language was fixed though as you can see from
"Step on it press button" and "Congratulation!" (finish the Seraphic Gate).
* Interface tweaks
The American release also features a slightly improved interface. For
example, equipment could only be changed from your 4 party members in the
Japanese version. The USA release lets you change equipment on everyone,
whether or not they are in your party. Also, you are warned when you change
Valkyrie's weapon from bow to sword, or vice-versa, that skills are reset.
They are also kept in memory, and returned once you re-switch weapons. In
the Japanese version, no warning existed meaning it was easy to forget to
change skills back to active after a weapon change. Previous skills were not
kept in memory either.
So, in short, small but nice interface improvements were made to the American
release.
* Extra FMVs
The USA release contains 2 extra FMV clips not seen in the Japanese version.
The first is in the beginning, with the huge doors opening. The second is when
Lezard's tower starts, and you see a clip of his tower (windmill?). Neither of
these was present in the Japanese original.
* Voice variety
A small detail, but in the American release Valkyrie has multiple voice
clips in the field when swinging a sword. She only had the one, same sample
in the Japanese version. Then again, speaking of variety, the Japanese
version had one character for each voice actor. In the american version one
voice actor had to voice 2 to 4 characters.
* Censorship
Censorship sucks. We all agree on that. Valkyrie Profile has thankfully
avoided most of it. However, not completely. And the way it was done is
beyond me. All the violence and gore from the Japanese version was kept
intact. Even the very mature talk between Lezard and Mystina was kept intact.
Sex and violence, that's good. But why on Earth did Enix of America have to
censore SMOKING? Badrach was always seen with a cigarette in his mouth in
the Japanese version. His battle poses were different (taking whiffs now and
then). Even his Finisher was changed! In the USA version, after throwing ashes
around his enemy he merely shoots them. In the Japanese version, after throwing
the ashes he takes a whiff and then throw the butt into the ashes. This results
in the explosion. He never shoots. So, you have to wonder... why censore
smoking if everything else was (thankfully) kept intact?
So, a surprising conclusion is that for the most part, the USA version is
actually superior!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
IX. Conclusion & Stuff
----------------------
Thanks to:
* Tri-Ace for making what is probably the best PSX RPG ever.
* Enix for publishing it.
* Steven Bruck's FAQ for helping me out with the Japanese game before I was
able to get the english version.
* duckroll for all his help.
* Masta_D and Hyu for ideas and contributions.
This article Copyrighted 2001 Chief Ug. If you wish to post this FAQ somewhere
or even parts of it, please ask me for permission first or I'll send a Nibelung
Valesti down your way.
