This page covers characters that can join your party in the Plus Disk or Special Disk (21F - 30F). The recruitments assume that you have already completed the game and installed the Plus Disk or Special Disk.
Very weak, but ignores MND. Unlike what the notes say, does not halve ally gauge.
Charge
124
Ally (All)
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50% MAG
Halves active gauge. ATK, DEF, MAG, MND + 75%
0%
Note that it hurts your party members and cuts their active gauge by half
Debilitate
88
Enemy (All)
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ATK, DEF, MAG, MND
-100%
0%
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Character Overview and Comments
Recruitment
1-20F: Achieve 5 stars
(Star achievements can be viewed in Hieda no Akyu's House)
20F: Unlock all the seals, then defeat Maribel Han Ver. 2
She will show up in the Scarlet Devil Mansion (post-game)
Play Notes
While Renko has by far the lowest damage capabilities of any character in the game, she is nearly unmatched when it comes to crippling enemies with status effects and debuffs. Galaxy Stop is the strongest paralysis spell you can have in your arsenal, and even if the paralysis effect misses it can still wreck havoc on an enemy's SPD. Debilitate acts as a reverse to Rinnosuke's World-Shaking Military Rule inflicted upon all enemies - it heavily punishes all enemy stats that Galaxy Stop doesn't except for EVA. Take note that all her spells reduce stats by 100%, even though debuffs are normally capped at -50%. This means they can be used to nullify large buffs such as Strengthen Jutsu and can potentially still have large effects even on enemies with good debuff resistance. Aside from her highly useful offensive spell cards, Renko possesses a powerful group buff spell, but beware of its heavy drawbacks. Selecting a safe time to cast it may mean life or death. Renko's stats may not look impressive, but she only needs SPD to perform her extremely effective supportive role. Definitely avoid raising her MAG, though, since Charge can hurt your party, and Galaxy Stop shouldn't be used for its damage anyway. Although all of her spell cards put her active gauge back to 0%, she should not be seeing much combat if any at all, and relies on tanks or fast characters for switching her in and out unless she has very high SPD. If your party can adjust for her support, then she is a welcome addition to any team.
(Star achievements can be viewed in Hieda no Akyu's House)
20F: Unlock all the seals, then defeat Maribel Han Ver. 2
She will show up in the Scarlet Devil Mansion (post-game)
Play Notes
Maribel's stats and spell formulas may seem average at first, but similarly to Reisen she happens to possess a powerful spell card that buffs all of her stats - Overflowing Unnatural Power, which grants nearly double the buffs that Reisen's Grand Patriot's Elixir gives at the cost of setting Maribel's action bar back to 0%. As long as she has the time and SP, she should try to keep herself buffed, which turns her spells from mediocre (especially given their post-use delays) to quite potent. Maribel has a solid selection of attack spells spanning three different elements, covering an impressive spectrum of delays and formula types. She can do damage in addition to applying a wide variety of debuffs, or use Hyperdimensional Flying Object to hit high MND targets. Wielding a versatile arsenal and backed by a strong self-buff, Maribel is a character who may require a bit of extra effort and time to be at her best, but her self-sufficiency makes her stand out as a character who can, once buffed up, stand out on the front line and hold her own in the thick of combat.
Raises Utsuho's MAG by 35% Lowers Utsuho's DEF/MND by 20%
50%
Relatively low delay, statdown resistance does not protect you.
Hell's Tokamak
112
Enemy (All)
FIR
450% MAG - 150% T.MND
May lower enemy's MND 25%
30%
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Character Overview and Comments
Recruitment
21F: Recruit Kanako
21F - 24F: Find events to set up Control Rods, one on each floor
21F: Return to where Utsuho is held and defeat her
Play Notes
Like an overloaded nuclear reactor, Utsuho is a character who grows more and more powerful as battles drag on. Her spells may not seem incredibly strong when first used, but they come with effects that will increase her damage output turn after turn. Uncontained Nuclear Reaction isn't particularly strong, but has relatively low delay and boosts Utsuho's MAG each time it's cast. Hell's Tokamak is a stronger option, and can weaken an enemy's MND stat to further aid her magical onslaught or weaken an enemy's MND for others if it is too dangerous for her to stay in. Once Utsuho is sufficiently buffed, feel free to unleash Giga Flare, which ignores enemy MND and is capable of impressive numbers if backed by her MAG boosts. If you're using Utsuho, be aware that although her overall stat growths are solid (high SPD and higher-than-average HP and defenses), she has low resistances to most status effects, three low affinities, and tends to weaken her own defenses with her spell cards. Careful switching may be necessary to keep her out of danger, but in return she will provide a strong source of FIR and MYS damage.
Low delay composite spell, but isn't affected much by enemy DEF
Misayama Hunting Ritual
96
Enemy (All)
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350% MAG - 87.5% T.DEF
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35%
Targets DEF instead of MND
Beautiful Spring Like Suiga
88
Enemy (Single)
CLD
625% MAG - 125% T.MND
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25%
Powerful CLD-element nuke
Virtue of Wind God
148
Enemy (All)
WND
600% MAG - 150% T.MND
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20%
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Character Overview and Comments
Recruitment
1-20F: Achieve 3 stars
21F: Find an event regarding a sigil and Kanako. Then find Kanako
Play Notes
The vicious Guncannon goddess possesses well-rounded stats that make her a decent mage character with great survivability. Unlike most mages, she has a diverse selection of offensive spell cards that makes her effective against a wide variety of enemies. Beautiful Spring Like Suiga is the most powerful CLD nuke in the game and will usually be her primary weapon in boss battles, although whether it's worth using it then leaving her in to act as a tank while recovering from its relatively low delay is something worth experimenting with. She can hit multiple foes hard with Virtue of Wind God, but if faced with opponents with high MND or WND resistance, she's got a reliable physical option that targets DEF instead. Kanako's best assets for your party will be her versatile offense, her powerful CLD nuke, and her ability to take a few hits while out. However, like others who possess such flexibility in battle, it may be difficult to scrounge up the resources to boost her nuke, trash-clearing and strong tank abilities.
Halves stat debuffs for all allies. In-game description says it is a single target spell, but it is multi-target. Relatively low T.MND influence
Master Spark
160+
Enemy (All)
MYS
(550% to 1100% MAG) - (50% to 100% T.MND)
Uses all remaining SP
0%
The original Master Spark. Slightly weaker, but hits all enemies. Gains an extra 55% MAG and 5% T.MND to the formula for every extra 160 SP consumed
Character Overview and Comments
Recruitment
1-20F: Achieve 4 stars
21F - 23F: Find a sunflower, rhododendron and daisy
24F: Use the 3 flowers to get to Yuka's location, and defeat her
Play Notes
Boasting great stat growths and an array of unique nukes, Gensokyo's resident flower offers several perks as an offensive mage. Unlike most magic-users, she possesses better DEF than MND, but the weaker defensive stat isn't pitiful. She also possesses high ATK even though her spell cards rely on her MAG stat. All but one of her spells may be of the NTR element, but they each have very different uses. Flower Shot isn't very strong, but it is cheap and can be spammed quickly if you need Yuka's turn again soon or if she's buffed up for quick, powerful blows. Gensokyo's Reflowering isn't a replacement for a dedicated healer, but it does help while still doing solid damage - every bit of HP counts in boss battles! Beauty of Nature can be valuable if faced with debuff effects, and is a great option against high MND targets as well. The added effects of these spells may not be particularly powerful, but they come attached to already strong spells. And then there's the infamous Master Spark. Yuka's version may not be as strong as Marisa's, but it does hit all targets. While she lacks a self-buff spell card like Marisa has Concentrate, Yuka is durable enough to stay out and receive buffs from others, particularly Iku's Thundercloud Stickleback thanks to her fantastic PAR resistance. Just watch out for her two FIR and CLD affinity weaknesses as well as her SIL, StatDrop and slight DTH ailment weaknesses; otherwise, you've got a durable party member with large damage output and wonderful spell card perks.
Don't be fooled by her lackluster stat growths and easy recruitment: Mystia is a great addition to many parties because of her perks and flexibility in battle. Not only does she level very quickly, but her spells are surprisingly strong and useful. Ill-Starred Dive is cheap and remarkably powerful for a low-delay attack, and can be spammed quickly for decent damage. Poisonous Moth's Dark Dance doesn't do great damage, but it does inflict fairly powerful paralysis and poison effects. Combined with her great SPD, Mystia can use it to disable fast enemies with ease, especially on the upper floors of the Plus Disk. Midnight Chorus Master has a much weaker paralysis effect, but its surprisingly high damage formula makes it great if you need Mystia to sweep foes off their feet in random battles. Against bosses with status effects and debuffs, Mysterious Song may well be your best single-target supporting spell. Not only is it the fastest status healing spell in the game, but it transforms debuffs into buffs. Tack on Mystia's amazing resistances to all ailments except instant death, and you've got yourself a useful character for both random encounters and boss battles.
24F: Take the now-unsealed teleporter and find Keine
Play Notes
Keine's balanced stats and seemingly typical spells may not make her stand out much, but she performs much better than she looks on paper. Her offensive spell cards deal moderate damage and are compounded by their abilities to strike at either DEF or MND with non-elemental damage, but this is more suitable for clearing floor trash than for boss fights. However, she truly stands out because of her wide array of buffs backed by wonderful durability. Admittedly, her defensive buff is mediocre compared to Great Hakurei Barrier, but her offensive buffs are a different story. No other character can raise an entire active party's offensive stats so quickly and with no drawbacks. Keep in mind that ATK and MAG buffs are useful even for tanks and healers like Meiling and Sanae, as these buffs can be used to augment the potency of their healing spells. Keine boasts solid survivability thanks to her fantastic HP growth, decent defenses and great elemental affinities, letting her stay out on the front lines while charging up your party's offensive stats turn after turn. The durability and flexible buffing skills that she brings to the table (even her party DEF buff, when Reimu or Yukari can't use their defensive spell cards due to Magic Drain, Destroy Magic or other nasty attacks and conditions) turn Keine into a fantastic unit that won't go down before greatly aiding the rest of the party.
The Judge of Paradise offers you one of the most consistent offensive arsenals in the entire game, if not the most consistent. No amount of defensive stats or elemental affinities can stop the relentless assault of Last Judgment. Thanks to her high ATK and its great damage formula, you can expect Last Judgment to be an excellent single-target nuke in every battle. If for some reason her damage output is not enough, she can inflict an enormous array of debuffs and status effects with Wandering Sin, giving her an all-purpose support option. Wandering Sin is a stronger choice than Komachi's Narrow Confines of Avici and produces a variety of reliably-inflicted statuses and debuffs, including DTH, but is generally a tangent to Shikieiki's offensive potential. If you want to use her for random encounters, you'll need to boost her MAG for her expensive multi-target nuke. Trial of the Ten Kings shares the same damage multiplier as Mystia's Midnight Chorus Master spell and is three times more expensive, but don't be put off - the Enma's nuke is backed by her considerably higher MAG growth rate compared to Mystia's ATK growth rate. Despite her multi-target nuke and ability to inflict everything nasty in the book to enemy parties, Shikieiki's ATK is still more important as she will always shine the most in boss fights, especially against targets with daunting defenses. Regardless of her attack of choice, the Enma will usually smash through anything and everything in your way with her impressive offensive arsenal - just mind her lower defenses, generally large post-use delays and medium speed. Despite her mostly impressive defensive growths and great HP, she can't stay in and take as many hits as one would expect the final usable character to take due to her focus as an offensive character.
