With the recent announcement of Octopath Traveler 2 thanks to a September Nintendo Direct, many fans will be flocking to stores and the Nintendo eshop on February 23rd of 2023 to buy the second entry in a beloved RPG series.
For players who are new to the genre and returning fans alike, there's one important thing to remember about Octopath Traveler: it's a very character-driven game. The eight main characters and their individual stories are the highlights of Octopath Traveler, even above the lovable turn-based RPG combat. With that in mind, many fans want to know what the new cast of the game will be, and Nintendo gave a nice sneak peek into their stories.
Agnea
Agnea appears as the dancer class for Octopath 2, with the tagline "A journey for stardom." She seems to be a young woman from a much lower initial stature than the dancer from the original Octopath Traveler, Primrose.
Interestingly, Octopath 2 went for a more traditional trajectory for a performing arts journey. The original dancer, Primrose, had her heart set on revenge. Agnea's story seems to be more rooting in a path to becoming a famous dancer known throughout the realm. It will be interesting to see what type of enemies she'll face on her journey, as the original Octopath had no characters with a similar journey.
Castti
Having a great cast of characters was part of what made the original Octopath one of the best party-based RPGs out there, and few characters were as wholesome as the traveling apothecary Alfyn. Now, his role is succeeded by Castti.
Castti seems to lean more on the "battlefield nurse" side of healer rather than the traveling apothecary story that Alfyn had. Her journey for memories could take her many places in the game, and any party will benefit greatly from having a healer. If apothecary as a class from the first game was any indication, she'll be a valuable asset.
Hikari
The warrior class in the original Octopath Traveler, Olberic, leaned more towards a very western knight. The class seems to have gotten revamped at least on an aesthetic level, with the smooth samurai Hikari joining the fray.
In Japanese, the word hikari translates to "light." The way this reflects on the character is yet to be seen, but it's a potent enough name that it likely has something to do with Hikari's character and it may have something to do with his "journey for home." The samurai also seems to have a horse companion, and Octopath is no stranger to having important animal NPCs.
Ochette
After having such a serious, borderline Shakespearian hunter in H'aanit, Ochette seems like a breath of fresh air for the class in the sequel. She also seems to be the youngest character thus far in Octopath, which so far has only had adult characters.
A young person's journey to becoming a legend is a staple of any RPG, and Ochette seems to fulfill that role perfectly. Her glorious adventure also has a companion: a mystical fox whose name is yet to be revealed. The character seems like a lot of fun, and will likely be even more fun to play if the power of hunter in the original is anything to go by.
Osvald
Octopath takes influence from many classic games, and few RPG classes are as classic as Scholar. Like his predecessor in Cyrus, Osvald appears to be one of the older members of his party.
Journeys of revenge seem common for thieves or warriors, so giving a plot centered around revenge to the scholar character is a fun twist. The main revenge plot in the previous game went to the dancer character, Primrose, and she arguably had one of the best stories. Hopefully, Osvald will deliver just as well with his revenge plot.
Tronè
Thieves have been a staple in Square Enix games. This includes Bernard, one of the main antagonists Bravely Default II, one of the best 2021 RPGs. This also includes Octopath Traveler's Therion and Throné.
Throne's story is about freedom, which interestingly is similar to Therion's journey. While Therion tried to complete quests to have a "fool's bangle" removed from him. There are a wide variety of ways to take a journey about freedom, however. Throné also seems different from Therion in that she appears to be a street thief and pickpocket rather than a professional high-end burglar.
Temenos
Octopath Traveler's first cleric, Ophelia, was a unique character with many interesting facts about her. Her successor, Temenos, seems to also have ties to a church based on the setting of his initial image.
Temenos's journey is for truth. This seems similar to the scholar Cyrus's journey from the original Octopath, but they are many directions it can be taken.
Uncovering corruption, discovering some dark magic, or both have been examples of truth seeking moments in Octopath, and Temenos seems like the type that could fulfil a role like that perfectly.
Partitio
Octopath Traveler's first merchant was Theresa, a wholesome young woman in her late teens trying to make it on her own in a competitive market, all while trying to find adventure. Compared to her, Ocotopath 2's Partito seems a bit more disingenuous.
Slimier merchant character are usually reserved for villains, like Erutus Profiteur in Bravely Default. However, playing one could also be a ton of fun depending on the character. Partitio seems charismatic enough, and his journey for prosperity could come in any form. One thing is for sure, he seems like one of the most unique Octopath heroes so far.