How to Recruit All 35 Companions in Octopath Traveler 0 (Locations, Conditions & Arc Order)
Verified against the released game (v1.0.7.0). Where sources disagree, we say so.
Octopath Traveler 0 gives you a custom protagonist plus 35 recruitable companions — 36 playable characters in total — spread across every story arc, a string of "An Encounter" side stories, several one-off quests, and one post-true-ending recruit. This guide lists all of them, grouped by when you can realistically get them, with the location and condition for each. Where the major guide sources disagree on a recruitment chapter, we flag the conflict explicitly and give you the conservative plan.
Two housekeeping notes before the list. First, this game is a prequel to the original Octopath Traveler and rebuilds the Orsterra arc of the mobile game as a premium JRPG, so you will meet returning series favorites (Olberic, Tressa, Cyrus and friends) alongside new faces — all of them are recruited in OT0's own structure, not imported. Second, with ~100 hours of content and companions gated behind four different arc families, the realistic question is not "can I get everyone" (you can, in one playthrough) but "in what order should I hoover them up." We end with a recommended sweep order.
How recruitment works
Companions arrive through four doors:
- Automatic / story recruits. The prologue and main arcs hand you characters at fixed beats. These are unmissable if you finish the arcs.
- "An Encounter" side stories. The bulk of the roster — roughly 21 of 35 companions per community estimates — is recruited through side stories of this name found in towns across the eight regions. Most are short: meet the character, complete their vignette, they join.
- Quest-gated recruits. A handful sit behind specific named quests or multi-step collectibles (Heidne's quest, Isla's Letter Fragments).
- The true ending. Sazantos joins permanently only after the true ending, which also grants the "The Summoned" achievement. He gets his own guide on this site.
Party management happens at the tavern; the active battle party is eight (four front, four back), with swapping unlocked at 5+ members. Recruiting everyone is therefore never a roster-space problem — only the bench exists, and the Training Ground keeps benched characters passively gaining EXP/JP.
Prologue and Kindlers of the Flame recruits
Stia — Architect (Prologue, automatic)
- Where: Joins during the prologue (the fall of Wishvale).
- Condition: Unmissable; she is your first companion and the staff of the Workshop once town building begins.
- Notes: Her exclusive job, Architect, is one of ten character-exclusive jobs. She also anchors the town-rebuild storyline, so she stays relevant long after better combat units arrive.
Phenn — Hunter (Kindlers of the Flame)
- Where: Recruited during the Kindlers of the Flame arc, the parallel town-rebuild storyline (Ch.1–5).
- Condition: Progress the Kindlers chapters; he is also the required staffer for the Hub building in Wishvale.
- Notes: Early Hunter coverage (Bow) is valuable for shield breaking before your roster fills out.
Ludo — Merchant (Kindlers of the Flame)
- Where: Kindlers of the Flame arc; he is tied to the Shop building (unlocks in Kindlers Ch.3).
- Condition: Progress the Kindlers arc.
- Notes: Merchants double as economy engines; Ludo's Shop line is also your in-town source of Mastery items and recipes.
Laurana — Cleric (Kindlers of the Flame, Ch.4 or Ch.5 — sources differ)
- Where: Kindlers of the Flame arc; tied to the Church building line in Wishvale.
- Condition: Source conflict. Guides place her recruitment at Kindlers Ch.4 or Ch.5. Conservative plan: expect her by the end of the Kindlers arc, and do not schedule plans around having her before Ch.4 is done. Her quest line also awards one of the three Azure Flamestones for the Sacred Flame Dias.
- Notes: One of several Cleric options; if you recruit her late, Ophilia or Pius can hold the healer slot meanwhile.
"An Encounter" recruits by region
These are the bread-and-butter recruits, listed with their town. Most require nothing beyond finding and completing the side story; specific conditions are noted where they exist.
Alexia — Scholar (Theatropolis)
- Where: Theatropolis, "An Encounter" side story.
- Condition: Complete the side story.
- Notes: Usually your first Scholar; early elemental coverage for Fire/Ice/Lightning-class weakness checks.
Viator — Warrior (Valore)
- Where: Valore, "An Encounter" side story.
- Condition: Complete the side story.
- Notes: Early sword coverage; pairs well with the protagonist if your protagonist picked a non-physical job.
Celsus — Thief (Valore tavern)
- Where: The tavern in Valore.
- Condition: "An Encounter" side story.
- Notes: Convenient because you recruit him exactly where you manage your party; Dagger coverage and Thief utility.
Macy — Apothecary (Emberglow)
- Where: Emberglow, "An Encounter" side story.
- Condition: Complete the side story.
- Notes: Early sustain option before the Clerics arrive.
Delitia — Hunter (Emberglow, duel)
- Where: Emberglow.
- Condition: Her "An Encounter" involves a duel — expect a fight gate rather than a dialogue gate. Come back leveled if it walls you.
- Notes: Second Hunter option; useful if Phenn is benched.
Saoirse — Dancer (Theatropolis)
- Where: Theatropolis, "An Encounter" side story.
- Condition: Complete the side story.
- Notes: Her named Ultimate is Ruinous Aria. Dancer utility (party-wide support) makes her a flexible back-row swap.
Tressa — Merchant (Rippletide)
- Where: Rippletide, "An Encounter" side story.
- Condition: Complete the side story.
- Notes: Returning OT1 favorite; second Merchant for economy-focused builds.
Pius — Cleric (Cragspear)
- Where: Cragspear, "An Encounter" side story.
- Condition: Complete the side story.
- Notes: His named Ultimate is Scales of Justice. One of the strongest healer candidates in the mid-game.
Therion — Thief (Cragspear)
- Where: Cragspear, "An Encounter" side story.
- Condition: Complete the side story.
- Notes: Returning OT1 Thief; second Dagger specialist.
Primrose — Dancer (Sunshade)
- Where: Sunshade, "An Encounter" side story.
- Condition: Complete the side story.
- Notes: Returning OT1 Dancer.
Olberic — Warrior (Shepherds Rock)
- Where: Shepherds Rock, "An Encounter" side story.
- Condition: Complete the side story.
- Notes: Returning OT1 Warrior and a front-row anchor for most of the game.
Alfyn — Apothecary (Clearbrook)
- Where: Clearbrook, "An Encounter" side story.
- Condition: Complete the side story.
- Notes: Returning OT1 Apothecary; sustain with Axe coverage.
H'aanit — Hunter (Victors Hollow)
- Where: Victors Hollow, "An Encounter" side story.
- Condition: Complete the side story.
- Notes: Returning OT1 Hunter; pairs naturally with the Victors Hollow arena content where Reime is found.
Esperre — Apothecary (Sufrataljah)
- Where: Sufrataljah, "An Encounter" side story.
- Condition: Complete the side story.
- Notes: Third Apothecary; Sufrataljah is reached later, so treat Esperre as roster depth rather than a plan.
Cyrus — Scholar (Atlasdam)
- Where: Atlasdam, "An Encounter" side story.
- Condition: Complete the side story.
- Notes: Returning OT1 Scholar; with Alexia and Xerc, this is your elemental coverage core.
Ophilia — Cleric (Flamesgrace)
- Where: Flamesgrace, "An Encounter" side story.
- Condition: Complete the side story.
- Notes: Returning OT1 Cleric (spelling "Ophilia" per current sources). Flamesgrace is reachable early, which makes Ophilia many players' first true healer.
Quest-gated and special recruits
Heidne — Thief (quest: "Heidne and the Man-Eating Miser")
- Where: Recruited through the named quest "Heidne and the Man-Eating Miser" rather than a standard "An Encounter."
- Condition: Find and finish that quest. It is easy to walk past — if your roster count is stuck at 30-something late, this is one of the first places to check.
- Notes: Third Thief; more Dagger coverage.
Goodwin — Dancer (Shipwreck Isle)
- Where: Shipwreck Isle.
- Condition: Recruit side content on the isle.
- Notes: Off the main road; sweep optional islands before the Bestower arcs.
Isla — Cait Scholar (Isle of Sages, 5 Letter Fragments)
- Where: Isle of Sages.
- Condition: Collect all 5 Letter Fragments first. This is a deliberate collectible hunt — the fragments are scattered, and the Isle of Sages content is one of the game's collectible threads (alongside the 40 Music Scores and the treasure sets).
- Notes: Her exclusive job, Cait Scholar, is one of the ten character-exclusive jobs and a nod to the series' Cait mascot. Worth the hunt for novelty alone; plan the fragment sweep as its own session.
Carinda — Merchant (Donescu — chapter conflict)
- Where: Donescu.
- Condition: Source conflict. Sources place her recruitment at Bestower of Power Ch.1 vs Ch.3. Conservative plan: visit Donescu the moment the Bestower of Power arc opens, and if she is not recruitable yet, retry after each chapter.
- Notes: Her named Ultimate is Trick of the Trade. Third/fourth Merchant, valuable for money-farming setups.
Xerc — Scholar (Grandport)
- Where: Grandport.
- Condition: Recruit side content in Grandport. While you are there: Grandport's traveling ore merchant sells one of the three Azure Flamestones for the Sacred Flame Dias — bundle the errands.
- Notes: His named Ultimate is Soulstone's Might. Third Scholar.
Reime — Warrior (Victors Hollow arena — prerequisite conflict)
- Where: Victors Hollow, tied to the arena.
- Condition: Source conflict on the exact prerequisite (what arena progress is required before she joins). Conservative plan: push the Victors Hollow arena content as far as you can when you first arrive, then re-check after each Master arc. Sources also differ on El's chapter (below); treat the two arena-adjacent recruits as "verify in-game."
- Notes: A strong Warrior option; if her gate is late, Olberic and Viator cover the role meanwhile.
El — Warrior (Cragspear — chapter conflict)
- Where: Cragspear.
- Condition: Source conflict on the recruiting chapter. Conservative plan: re-visit Cragspear at each arc boundary (after the Master arcs, after Master of All, after each Bestower arc) until her recruit content appears. You will be passing through Cragspear for Pius and Therion anyway.
- Notes: Fourth Warrior; the abundance of Warriors means missing El for a while never blocks you.
Bestower of All recruits (the exclusive-job seven)
The Bestower of All arc (prologue + Ch.1–8, "At Journey's End") hands you seven companions with exclusive jobs, all story-gated through the arc. These are unmissable if you finish the arc, and they arrive right when the game is hardest — that timing is deliberate.
| Companion | Exclusive job | Role note |
|---|---|---|
| Richard | King | Exclusive-kit heavy; front-line anchor |
| Bargello | Lord | Exclusive kit; role-compression slot |
| Alaune | Queen | Exclusive kit |
| Tatloch | Empress | Exclusive kit (note: Tatloch the Lady of Grace is also a Bestower-of-Power arc antagonist — the arc resolves into her recruitment) |
| Rondo | Knight Ardante | Exclusive kit |
| Solon | Wise King | Exclusive kit |
| Eltrix | Captain | Exclusive kit |
Because there are no subjobs in OT0, these exclusive jobs are what they are — you select them for what their fixed kits already do, then extend with Action Skills. Our party composition guide discusses how to re-template around them.
The true-ending recruit
Sazantos — Flameguard (post-true-ending, permanent)
- Where: Joins permanently after you clear the true ending — the route that runs past the Bestower of All default finale: after the third boss of The Heavens, complete the Aelfric trials at the Flamebringer's Shrine, illuminate the three people in the snow house, and the final boss becomes Galdera (a full-party fight).
- Condition: Finish the true ending. Grants the "The Summoned" achievement.
- Notes: He is the game's 35th and final companion and the only one gated behind the true ending. Full walkthrough in our Sazantos recruitment guide; story context (he is the Master-arcs boss and Saint Sazantos in Bestower of All) is spoiler-heavy, so we keep it there.
Recommended sweep order
Recruitment is gated by arcs, but within that constraint this order minimizes backtracking:
- Prologue → Stia (automatic). Start Kindlers Ch.1 as soon as town building opens ("A Flame Rekindled" → Workshop; then Rekindling the Flame Pt.1).
- Early ring: Ophilia (Flamesgrace), Viator + Celsus (Valore), Alexia + Saoirse (Theatropolis), Macy + Delitia (Emberglow), Alfyn (Clearbrook). That is a functional eight with a healer, Scholar, and weapon spread before the Master arcs get serious.
- Kindlers Ch.1–5 in parallel with the Master arcs for Phenn, Ludo, and Laurana — the town buildings they unlock (Hub, Shop, Church) pay for themselves all game.
- Mid sweep: Tressa (Rippletide), Pius + Therion + El attempts (Cragspear), Olberic (Shepherds Rock), H'aanit + Reime attempts (Victors Hollow), Primrose (Sunshade), Cyrus (Atlasdam), Xerc + ore merchant (Grandport), Esperre (Sufrataljah), Goodwin (Shipwreck Isle).
- Collectible hunt: Heidne's quest and Isla's 5 Letter Fragments as a dedicated session between arcs.
- Bestower arcs: Carinda checks at Donescu each chapter; then the Bestower of All seven through the finale.
- True ending: Sazantos. Roster complete at 35.
Pitfalls
- Assuming "An Encounter" stories are level-gated. Most are found, not earned — the walls are geography and arc progress, not your level (Delitia's duel is the notable exception).
- Never re-visiting towns. Reime, El, and Carinda all reward re-checking at arc boundaries; their sources conflict precisely because their gates are non-obvious.
- Ignoring the Kindlers arc. It runs in parallel and quietly holds three companions plus the buildings that make the rest of the game smoother.
- Hoarding recruits you never use. With 35 companions, the Training Ground's passive EXP/JP slots (4→8→12) are how your bench stays relevant — park rotated-out characters there.
- Expecting Sazantos before the true ending. He is the one companion who cannot join early, no matter what you do.
Roster at a glance (all 35)
Use this as a checklist. "Conflict" marks the four recruits where published sources disagree — see their entries above.
| # | Companion | Job | Arc / source | Where |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stia | Architect (exclusive) | Prologue (auto) | Wishvale |
| 2 | Phenn | Hunter | Kindlers of the Flame | Wishvale arc |
| 3 | Ludo | Merchant | Kindlers of the Flame | Wishvale arc |
| 4 | Laurana | Cleric | Kindlers Ch.4–5 (conflict) | Wishvale arc |
| 5 | Alexia | Scholar | An Encounter | Theatropolis |
| 6 | Viator | Warrior | An Encounter | Valore |
| 7 | Celsus | Thief | An Encounter | Valore tavern |
| 8 | Macy | Apothecary | An Encounter | Emberglow |
| 9 | Delitia | Hunter | An Encounter (duel) | Emberglow |
| 10 | Saoirse | Dancer | An Encounter | Theatropolis |
| 11 | Tressa | Merchant | An Encounter | Rippletide |
| 12 | Pius | Cleric | An Encounter | Cragspear |
| 13 | Therion | Thief | An Encounter | Cragspear |
| 14 | Primrose | Dancer | An Encounter | Sunshade |
| 15 | Olberic | Warrior | An Encounter | Shepherds Rock |
| 16 | Alfyn | Apothecary | An Encounter | Clearbrook |
| 17 | H'aanit | Hunter | An Encounter | Victors Hollow |
| 18 | Esperre | Apothecary | An Encounter | Sufrataljah |
| 19 | Cyrus | Scholar | An Encounter | Atlasdam |
| 20 | Ophilia | Cleric | An Encounter | Flamesgrace |
| 21 | Heidne | Thief | Named quest | "Heidne and the Man-Eating Miser" |
| 22 | Goodwin | Dancer | Side content | Shipwreck Isle |
| 23 | Isla | Cait Scholar (exclusive) | Collectible hunt (5 Letter Fragments) | Isle of Sages |
| 24 | Carinda | Merchant | Bestower of Power Ch.1–3 (conflict) | Donescu |
| 25 | Xerc | Scholar | Side content | Grandport |
| 26 | Reime | Warrior | Arena (prerequisite conflict) | Victors Hollow |
| 27 | El | Warrior | Chapter conflict | Cragspear |
| 28 | Richard | King (exclusive) | Bestower of All | Story |
| 29 | Bargello | Lord (exclusive) | Bestower of All | Story |
| 30 | Alaune | Queen (exclusive) | Bestower of All | Story |
| 31 | Tatloch | Empress (exclusive) | Bestower of All | Story |
| 32 | Rondo | Knight Ardante (exclusive) | Bestower of All | Story |
| 33 | Solon | Wise King (exclusive) | Bestower of All | Story |
| 34 | Eltrix | Captain (exclusive) | Bestower of All | Story |
| 35 | Sazantos | Flameguard (exclusive) | True ending | Post-Galdera |
Troubleshooting: roster count stuck?
The count you are working toward is 35 companions (36 playable with the protagonist). When the number stops moving, the cause is almost always one of these four situations:
- Stuck at 33–34 with everything else done. You are missing Sazantos (true-ending gated — see his entry above) or one of the seven Bestower of All story recruits. Both are fixed by story progress, not by more sweeping; check which arc you have left unfinished.
- Stuck in the high 20s with towns swept. One of the four conflict recruits is the likely gap: Laurana (Kindlers Ch.4–5), Carinda (Donescu, Bestower of Power Ch.1–3), Reime (Victors Hollow arena prerequisite), or El (Cragspear chapter). All four reward re-checking at arc boundaries — their gates are exactly why published sources disagree on them.
- One missing and you cannot think who. The four easiest recruits to never stumble into are Heidne (a named quest, "Heidne and the Man-Eating Miser," not an "An Encounter"), Goodwin (Shipwreck Isle, off the main road), Xerc (Grandport side content), and Isla (Isle of Sages, requires all 5 Letter Fragments first). Check these before re-sweeping towns you have already cleared.
- Not sure the count itself is right. Companions are managed at the tavern; benched characters still count toward your 35. If the tavern roster shows fewer than you expect, remember the active battle party is eight (four front, four back) and everyone else sits on the bench gaining passive EXP/JP at the Training Ground — they are recruited, not lost.
Decision table: which duplicate to recruit first
Every standard job family ends up with three or four representatives, so the real question is rarely "which Warrior" but "which Warrior first." Order by when their town realistically opens to you:
| Job | First | Then | Last | Why this order |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warrior | Viator (Valore) | Olberic (Shepherds Rock) | Reime / El (conflict-gated) | Valore is an early-ring town; Reime and El need re-checks at arc boundaries |
| Thief | Celsus (Valore tavern) | Therion (Cragspear) | Heidne (named quest) | Celsus is recruited where you already manage the party |
| Scholar | Alexia (Theatropolis) | Cyrus (Atlasdam) | Xerc (Grandport side content) | Theatropolis is early; Grandport is a later stop |
| Cleric | Ophilia (Flamesgrace) | Pius (Cragspear) | Laurana (Kindlers Ch.4–5, conflict) | Flamesgrace is reachable early, and a healer is the first role to fill |
| Merchant | Ludo (Kindlers arc) | Tressa (Rippletide) | Carinda (Donescu, conflict) | Ludo arrives automatically with town building |
| Apothecary | Macy (Emberglow) | Alfyn (Clearbrook) | Esperre (Sufrataljah) | Sufrataljah opens late; treat Esperre as depth |
| Hunter | Phenn (Kindlers arc) | Delitia (Emberglow duel) | H'aanit (Victors Hollow) | Phenn is automatic; Delitia's duel may need a level check |
| Dancer | Saoirse (Theatropolis) | Primrose (Sunshade) | Goodwin (Shipwreck Isle) | Goodwin sits off the main road by design |
The exclusive-job characters (Stia, Isla, the Bestower of All seven, Sazantos) are not in this table because they have no duplicates — with no subjobs in OT0, their fixed kits are unique by definition and their timing is story-set.
Worked example: the early ring, concretely
What does step 2 of the sweep order actually look like in one play session? After the prologue hands you Stia, route Flamesgrace first for Ophilia — a true healer changes every fight that follows. Then Valore, where one stop yields Viator and Celsus (his side story starts in the tavern, the same building you use for party management). Emberglow next for Macy, plus Delitia if your level handles her duel — if it does not, note it and move on; the duel waits. Clearbrook adds Alfyn, Theatropolis adds Alexia and Saoirse.
That ring gives you eight playable characters — protagonist, Stia, and six recruits — which unlocks the full 4-front/4-back formation (swapping opens at 5+ members) and covers Sword, Dagger, and Axe physical coverage, a Scholar for elemental weakness checks, a Cleric for sustain, and a Dancer for party-wide support. From here the Master arcs stop being a survival exercise and the mid-game sweep (step 4) becomes collection on your own schedule.
Frequently asked questions
Are any companions permanently missable? Nothing in our verified sources flags any of the 35 as permanently missable in the current patch; the only hard gate is Sazantos behind the true ending. The cautious exception is any content tied to choices we could not verify — see the missables guide for the full "confirmed vs unconfirmed" breakdown.
How many companions come from side stories? Community estimates put it at roughly 21 of 35, which matches the "An Encounter" pattern above. There is no official side-story count; estimates run ~45–55 side stories total.
Do I need all 35 for any achievement? The confirmed achievement tied to party size is "Octopath Battler" (field an 8-member battle party). Whether a full-roster achievement exists among the 37 total achievements is not confirmed in our sources — do not trust lists that claim one without a patch-verified source.
Who should I recruit first if I am rushing? Ophilia (healer), one Scholar (Alexia or Cyrus), and one Warrior (Viator or Olberic). That trio plus your protagonist covers the early weakness map; everything else is optimization.
Do returning OT1 characters play like their originals? They keep their job families (Olberic is still a Warrior, Cyrus still a Scholar), but OT0 has no subjobs and a different skill economy (7 skills per job, JP costs 30–1500), so builds do not transfer one-to-one. Treat them as new characters with familiar silhouettes.
Expected results
Follow the sweep order and you should field a full eight with complete role coverage before the Master arcs end, hold roughly 25+ companions entering the Bestower arcs, and finish the roster with Sazantos after the true ending — all 35 in one playthrough, no NG+ required.