Welcome and thanks! I had actually created and posted this tier list last year on Reddit, and my opinions were based on having played the original Japanese release about 6 times. This includes the most recent version released in 2021 that this Steam release is based on. Having completed the Steam version recently, I can confidently say that its contents have not changed.

Unfortunately, some storyline spoilers are unavoidable since the tier list won't be complete, and it would be difficult to explain some characters' rankings without them. You have been warned.

2.8.2022
First release.

3.8.2022
Added stats to each character showing the minimum and maximum no. of chapters you can use them, if they do not die.

Based on only a character's gameplay strengths and viability, I'm of the view that there are just 3 tiers, with no one in S tier (though some come close) nor C+ and below. This is how I would rank them all, *at level 20+*.

Note: characters are not ranked within each tier, and are arranged in order of appearance.




What the last tier for?
I've placed several characters including our main hero Zade in the "Unranked" group because you're either forced to use them whenever they're available (no choice = pointless to be ranked), or they are available in too few maps to matter. As for Jonathan, I don't consider him an actual character and more of a placeholder to make the stockpile management process more personal. Its a shame really since it would have been nice if he gave some aura buffs like weaponguard, damage/healing bonuses or regenesis, even without any offensive capabilities.

These are characters that have ranged attacks (sorry Haldyn), can generally still function well without bond bonuses, and would almost always be picked over everyone below them if given a choice.

SUJATA/IRENE
Chapters available (min/max): 8/17
Whether by design or accident, Sujata's durability right from the start lets you cheese many maps that would otherwise be a decent challenge. With her PW dancing dagger equipped, her HP cannot go below 1 unless she eats a poison tick or takes damage from enemies that are able to bypass skills (e.g. Horatio the bandit). Since she can't counterattack while wielding her PW, there's no need to worry about durability. Sujata can hold off an entire convoy of enemies, or block a chokepoint singlehandedly, while your other characters pick them off. While Sujata does go berserk at 1HP, this should only happen for a single turn before the regenesis feature of her PW kicks in, and its rare that she'll actually kill one of her allies during that time. Her cheese factor goes into overdrive after chapter 17, when she loses the berserk debuff and gains a 2nd PW that is functionally the same as VS1 Lyttia's - a 2-range attack that lets her strike first, and guarantees a stun on her opponent. To top all that off, she has great evasiveness, agility growth and even has a chance to level up her mobility. She has two minor disadvantages however - weak damage due to poor strength (even with daggers ignoring defenses), and poor survivability when not equipping a PW. Levelling her can also be slow if you keep using her as a roadblock. But this can be fixed by giving her the taskmaster skill.

ZAYID
Chapters available (min/max): 7/16
Zayid is noticeably better in this game compared to in VS1, where he stagnated somewhat as his comrades levelled up. He faces no such problems in VS2, and will always remain a reliable damage dealer from start to finish so long as he keeps levelling and is given a strong weapon (aka a cutlass). He also has better agility and strength growth in this game, but still has mediocre magical defense. His PW is obtained only in Chapter 11, and its tailormade to destroy demons wielding Devil Pilums. To maximize his potential, always try and make use of his bond buffs with Sheela and (later) Penneloupe. The latter in particular should often be standing next to Zayid for him to enjoy the +3 damage boost.

SLAYNE
Chapters available (min/max): 4/15
Slayne is top tier in this game. As your only long range attacker for the first 20 chapters, he is never a bad pick and in fact is must-have for some maps unless you're a masochist. His default movement has been buffed to 5, and his new acumen skill syncs up well with his good dexterity and strength growth. Talking to Hilda in chapter 3 gets him a ridiculously powerful arbalest weapon that makes the first third of the game a little too easy. As for downsides? He's still quite fragile (enemies will prioritize targeting him) and should rarely be made to fight at range 2 unless its against weak enemies. Pirate ships with flame bows are also a threat since they can match his range and exploit his weak magical defence. Although Slayne will permanently leave the team from chapter 20 onwards (unless you let Accorte die before the end of chapter 20), its worth investing in him because of the utility he brings to any map.

DRAKE
Chapters available (min/max): 7/15
Drake is what players wished Cezar was. He has all the solid stats and mobility expected of the thief class, combined with a fantastic array of base skills including lockpick, multistrike, high evasion and double march (hit-n-run). Despite being proficient in only swords, he's blessed with a ridiculously good starting PW that has 2-RANGE and critical reprisal. After chapter 21, he acquires an even more ridiculous 2nd PW that gives 50% damage reduction, a charisma buff (functionally the same as Commander I but with more range), +6 defense and +15 (WTF) resistance. Even with his rather low strength cap (15) and no bonds, Drake is a solid top tier character, even before getting the 2nd PW.

BENNETTE
Chapters available (min/max): 9/18
Imagine VS1's Neira, but with steroids pumped into her horse. Bennette is what you get if Neira ate the horse. Bennette probably has the best skillset among all your characters, and her signature 3-tile range Inherited Will buff (after chapter 15) makes her a must-pick for any map. Thanks to her good magic AND strength growth rates, she is effective at both healing and damage dealing. Bennett both gives and receives good bond bonuses with 5 characters, with one in particular receiving bonuses that are so crazy, its the equivalent of him gaining about 10 character levels. Towards the end of the game, you'll have to make the tough choice between letting Bennette leave until the last Chapter, or keeping her throughout but not getting Roleck in the final chapter. There are pros and cons of both choices, but if you choose to let her go, her absence will be clearly felt.

BERTOULLIA
Chapters available (min/max): 3/10
I call her the flying Troy. You can't go wrong with a flying unit that has high armor, 2-range attack, acumen, multistrike, hit-n-run and UNLIMITED AMMO. At high levels she's almost tough enough to take on a whole army of physical damage attackers solo and kill them all on the counterattack. Since Bert will often be sent on solo missions outside of healing range, she's the best recipient of the regenesis ring. Giving her the nullify effects tome will also greatly increase her survivability and let her confidently take on archers. She may cost 20 gold each turn but its definitely worth it. Just send her away once the tough parts are done, and don't get too aggressive against mages since all her attacks are magical, and her magic defence is average at best.

KARAJAN
Chapters available (min/max): 5/14
Its easy to dismiss this capturable Sphirian mage as a throwaway healer at first, given his weak stats and ZERO starting skills. But being able to cast both damaging and healing spells is still useful, and he is the only character capable of casting ranged heals for the first half of the game. Once Karajan learns multichance at level 15 and gets his second PW Nocturne at Chapter 8, he suddenly becomes a serious contender for best mage on your roster. Speaking of Nocturne, its one of the best PWs in the game since it strikes twice, has a 3-range, gives him +1 mobility and LIFE DRAINS. He is your solution to all heavy knight and dragon problems. Definitely worth investing in.

ABRAHM
Chapters available (min/max): 8/13
Guardians are much more useful in VS2 due to the game having a lot more defence missions. What makes Abrahm clearly better than Lucion and Claude is that he starts with 5 movement and is the only Guardian with the Good Neighbor skill, which you absolutely need to rely on for some maps. His HP, strength and defense growths are good, and when leveled high enough, food buffed and equipped with an iron duke, he can even tank ballista shots. By far the best physical damage tank you have. In chapter 20, a buffed Abrahm+Phoeve team can clean out the southern artillery camp all by themselves. His weakness? He enjoys no bond bonuses, and has practically no magical defense, as is the case with most heavy knights.

PHOEVE
Chapters available (min/max): 7/13
A mage with TRIPLE THREAT, a mount and can hit-n-run? What were they thinking? Phoeve is incredibly strong once leveled up, and if she procs triple threat while using her PW you're looking at a minimum of six hits on her target. Her defense isn't shabby either, since she has the Aegis skill and can use holy magic for 50% DR. I've read somewhere that Phoeve has a hidden skill/stat that makes her a low priority target, and based on my experience, I'm inclined to agree. She WILL get targeted, but curiously not as often as another mage would in the same situation. With this advantage, you can more confidently park her in the front line and ideally next to a knight with the good neighbor skill...which Abrahm, whom she shares a bond with, conveniently has!

ROLECK
Chapters available (min/max): 4/5
Was this character inspired by Ned Stark? Daddy Roleck is basically Zade with ranged attacks. Good stats, good HP, access to throwing spears, triple threat, taskmaster, and having an unlimited range aura buff that grants +1 attack, defense & resist? Automatic top tier...and like poor Ned, a prime candidate for early elimination. He's only available for 4 chapters, but can return in the final chapter if you make the tough choice of dismissing Bennett in chapter 21. If you plan to bring him back, make sure to sufficiently level him prior (to at least level 18).

PENNELOUPE
Chapters available (min/max): 4/10
This girl is nastier than Amber Heard. Perpetually pissed off, Penneloupe's high agility and stat growth rates easily makes her the 'Dune' of VS2. Combine that with her skillset that includes Troy's triple-threat, Aynellia's glamor and critical edge, she is useful against every enemy type. She can safely trade hits with dragons or pilum knights thanks to the life-draining feature of her powerful PW Fell Fury. As an archer, she should never be placed in a position where she can be attacked from an adjacent square, since she won't be able to life-drain on the counterattack. Penny should always be partnered with Zayid and Sheela for maximum bond bonuses.

A tier - This is where the majority of the characters I feel should be placed. Reliable but not perfect, they are slightly weaker than their A+ counterparts and better than those in B tier, but not by alot.

ACCORTE
Chapters available (min/max): 7/14
Zade's no.1 simp now has a base mobility of 6. Other than that, she is more or less the same as in VS1, and while that may seem like a positive thing, Accorte sadly gets left behind by the 3 other mages and even Lilia as they level up. Though she still hits hard and holds up well at during the first half of the game, she eventually loses out in terms of survivability since she can't enjoy 50% damage reduction from wielding holy magic (Phoeve, Ezrel), or self-heal (Karajan, Ezrel). Worse, she's stuck with just 1 mediocre skill (orison) throughout the game, which doesn't boost her damage dealing capabilities, and doesn't gain any new ones. Perhaps its a good thing that she permanently leaves from chapter 20 onwards. She doesn't deserve such poor treatment from the game nor from Zade.

ASHRAM
Chapters available (min/max): 7/17
Despite having no ranged attacks, an annoying critical illness 'skill' and only 23 levels to grow, Ashram is a strong and accurate damage dealer who can remain relevant even at the later stages of the game. Starting with multichance and the extremely important First Blood skill is enough to counter his otherwise average stat growths. Once he gets his illness cured in chapter 11 and earns his PW in chapter 17 (which gives him 50% damage reduction), he becomes one of your best range-1-only attackers. Ashram should be kept near Sujata whenever possible for powerful bond buffs.

SHEELA
Chapters available (min/max): 7/16
Neglected by many in VS1 mostly because there were better choices, Sheela really shines in this game. To start off, her base mobility has been buffed to an incredible 7 tiles, and she starts with all her VS1 skills and her PW Soaring Flame. Her stat growth rates are decent across the board and notably high for agilty and dexterity. Though her HP and defense are still average, she becomes more hardy when paired up with Zayid and Penneloupe. Still a good character despite IMO being the 'weakest' of the 3 female archers. Her PW Soaring Flame is a magical weapon and should be reserved for armored knights and dragons.

CASTORE & PORRUCK
Chapters available (min/max): 5/14
I put these two together because they're almost the same save for some minor differences in stat growth percentages. They both can traverse water, can only use axes before promotion, and have high HP and strength growth. Of the two, I find Castore slightly better due to him getting a guaranteed +1 HP at each level up, while Porruck has an 80% chance. Porruck has better agility growths but its not 100%, and accuracy is not an issue for both when deployed together since they get a 35% accuracy buff when within 3 tiles of each other. In chapter 22, both get a chance to class change into pirate ships, losing their axe skills but each gaining arbalest weapons, HUGE defensive buffs and several new awesome skills, including unlimited weapon durability and grand regenesis! Its too bad they can only be used as A+ tier pirate ships for 2 chapters, but it makes keeping them alive and sufficiently leveled worth the payoff.

NELKE
Chapters available (min/max): 2/12
Functionally, Nelke can be considered as the Athol of VS2 aka a pure healer with poor movement and defense. But her upgraded PW Taskmaster staff makes her more useful in certain time-sensitive maps like chapter 13, and allows her to level up more easily since it gives 75 exp for each use. Be sure to have Barzelphen talk to her in chapter 17, in order for her to gain +1 mobility and the extremely important Strong Will skill. With this skill, she becomes your only silence-immune healer. Overall, her character's playstyle is straightforward as it comes. Keep her far behind the frontline and strategically use her taskmaster staff/heal accordingly.

ALEXANDER
Chapters available (min/max): 5/10
Alexander is your only playable Lancer and is a blend of Urven and Troy, but with slightly weaker stats. He shares the same problem as his comrade Hestion in that they are pitifully weak (HP and strength wise) at lower levels, and will require significant handholding. Fortunately, Alexander has good growths in both of these stats, and once he crosses level 15 and learns triple threat, he will suddenly become one of your best damage dealers. Because VS2's cavalry weapons now allow you attack without being counterattacked (but also prevent you from counterattacking), equipping a sufficiently leveled Alex with powerful lance like the Xyston will turn him into an effective hit-n-run mage killer. Just avoid letting him get hit by magic or anti-cavalry weapons. And always try to group him with Hestion and later Mia for excellent bond buffs.

HESTION
Chapters available (min/max): 5/10
Hestion can be regarded as a weaker Troy, but with the potential to develop into a speedy, above-average damage dealer. He's slightly stronger than his comrade Alexander at the start, thanks to his multichance skill, but eventually gets overtaken. Still, he should be given the promotion (1500 gold) over Alexander in the first instance, because it unlocks the use of throwing spears. He and Alexander start off very weak and will need to be handheld until at least level 15, but its worth the effort. Both are intended to be played together for the bond buffs, and once Mia joins in chapter 20, their cross buffs will make them almost as formidable as the Zayid-Sheela-Penelope combo.

LAFFINE
Chapters available (min/max): 6/11
This lass is basically VS2's slightly weaker equivalent of Paladin Meridia, and should be played in a similar manner. With high mobility, magic growth and the ability to use throwing spears upfront, Laffine excels in taking down slow enemies with weak magical defense. Don't bother equipping her with non-magical weapons apart from Pilums, and pair her with her boyfriend Amlute as a hit-n-run squad. Be wary of assassins or artillery as her defences and HP are only average. And don't rely on her chance-based life drain skill for clutch saves.

AMLUTE
Chapters available (min/max): 6/11
Bootleg Cyltan? Pretty much. He can already use swords at the start, but like Cyltan, its preferable to stick with bows since his defenses aren't good enough for frontline combat. He's got decent to above-average stats across the board but doesn't excel in any particular area. However, his Strong Will skill makes him immune to annoying status effects like poison and paralyze. He's your best choice against the killer doll enemies who would otherwise firststrike-paralyze everyone else.

ASLANNE
Chapters available (min/max): 3/10
This purple party pooper is now a permanent addition to your team and can finally get a chance to reach her maximum potential. Stats wise Aslanne is a mix of Rubina and Yaeri from VS1, so expect good accuracy and evasiveness, but average defense and HP. Her critical dodge skill gives her a little more leeway against archers and assassins but its still not worth the risk. She's got Zade's commander buff (version 1) so she blends well with any team combination. Overall, she's best used as pilum/doyenne tossing hit-n-run unit in areas with challenging terrain. And depending on how her stats grow, she can potentially specialize in using magical weapons. I wouldn't have her dismount unless she's forced to take some anti-flier damage since she loses some agility and becomes restricted to using swords only.

EZREL
Chapters available (min/max): 4/11
If you like seeing a character grow from earthworm to earthquake as you level him/her up, then Ezrel is the perfect candidate. He gains a useful skill every 5 levels or so, including multichance at level 10 and miraculous save (a 20% chance life-drain) at level 22. His stat growths are comparable to Phoebe, but unlike her, Ezrel has a better chance for mobility growth. Ezrel still has the same liabilities of the mage class (low HP and especially bad physical defense), but these can be mitigated somewhat by always equipping a holy spellbook for 50% DR. He's worth investing in, because with Accorte gone after chapter 20, you'll need all the mages you can get for the final stretch.

ORPHELIA
Chapters available (min/max): 3/9
Another VS1 cameo turned full-timer, Orphelia is a highly versatile character who can serve multiple roles adequately, but does not excel in any of them. Like Aslanne, she can switch between riding and dismounting her gryphon. When dismounted, she gets access to healing staves, but can no longer use spears. Its important to remember that Orphelia cannot use throwing spears at all, so she has no ranged attacks apart from her Doyenne, which cannot be used while dismounted. In my playthroughs, I found most success using her as Zade's personal healer or secondary attacker due to the strong bond buff he gives, so she's mostly on foot. Orphelia low HP cap makes her poor at absorbing damage whether on or off her gryphon, but she does at least have decent evasion and magical resistance, plus the handy nullify effect skill. She's also pretty much crit-immune due to her high luck. Overall, her flexibility makes her a useful character in every map, but you will need to plan ahead and equip her accordingly.

FAUVE
Chapters available (min/max): 5/10
What is it with Lilia and woodcutters? The suspiciously familiar character portrait aside, Fauve is your typical Axemaster with decent stats expected of his class type, and surprisingly above average agility. He even has the same two skills as Jean. Axe defend can come in clutch at times, but until he's close to max level, he's a little risky to put at the front line unbuffed, especially against spellcasters. Gets overshadowed by Zayid, but otherwise still an acceptable fighter.

LILIA
Chapters available (min/max): 4/10
Like many returning VS1 characters, Lilia became better in this game and is (still?) your best healer. She retains her awesome Industry skill, and has traded her herb forager for Siegfreid's battle hymn. Stat growths are still good, though she no longer has Ash around to receive bond buffs. If you somehow manage to get Lilia to level 30, she will learn multistrike, which when combined with her holy magic and high resistance, will turn her into a demon killer. Her main weakness in VS2 is her relative fragility since she starts with low HP and has poor HP growth, which cannot be adequately mitigated by the 50% DR from holy spellbooks. Note that if she was using a healing staff just prior to getting hit, the 50% DR will not kick in. If you do use her to attack, make sure its with the first strike holy tome (Chimnir).

HALDYN
Chapters available (min/max): 6/10
Amazingly, Haldyn is even better in VS2 despite having the same flaws (no ranged attacks, and average magical defense). He now has a personal weapon that does average damage, but has unlimited durability. He's gained a couple new useful skills including Parry (same as greatshield) and a melee version of Sheela's flurry but only if you talk to Ashram in Chapter 11. And he's not a loner anymore since he now has bonds with Ravinia and Ashram. Haldyn's most glaring issue in VS2 however is that he's only at level 2 when he joins you in Chapter 8, so you need to put in some work to get him up to speed.

MIA
Chapters available (min/max): 1/3
If there was one character who is defined by her weapon and is otherwise gimped without it, that would be Mia. Her holy pitchfork PW is essentially a magic-based pilum that also grants her many useful skills and defensive buffs. It should never be unequipped, and you probably won't need to since its...blessed with very high (80) durability. Mia with her pitchfork can be regarded as a dismounted doyenne tossing gryphon knight, but with terrible mobility (4). While she only joins at chapter 20, she'll level quickly thanks to being near her two bondmates, having plenty of enemies to kill, and being able to access a shop that sells diligence tomes.

RAVINIA
Chapters available (min/max): 1/2
I prefer her old portrait honestly. But that aside, I find her functionally to be the same as her brother, with weaker HP and strength, but better evasion and a stronger PW (that like Haldyn's, has unlimited durability). What really handicaps Ravinia however is that she is an absolute pain to recruit, joins way too late (chapter 21) and is IMO not really worth the effort and risk to powerlevel. She can use magical swords, but her subpar magic and strength rarely makes it worthwhile. You can give her a Warmaid sword during downtimes for the HP regen, but other than that, she should always have her PW equipped for the defensive bonuses. She can be a formidable damage dealer if you do get her to level 20+, so its up to you. As with Haldyn, keep her away from mages.

B tier - These characters aren't terrible, but have flaws that make them slightly less favorable compared to those in A tier, and are clearly outclassed by those in A+ tier. Despite being in the lowest tier, these characters are *still usable* and way better than any VS1 low tier character (LOL Cezar).

HILDA
Chapters available (min/max): 1/4
Not too different from her VS1 version, which is actually a bad thing here since her low starting level only highlights her VS1's flaws - relatively low HP and over reliance on her personal weapon. Still, you won't need to deal with her shortcomings that much since you only get to use her for 4 chapters before she permanently leaves to search for umm...Vesta's greatest love machine. See you in Norden Civil War, perhaps.

BAYMONK
Chapters available (min/max): 5/15
He may have given you some problems in VS1 but sadly he's not too fantastic in this game IMO. While Baymonk still has his powerful Euphoria greatsword and high agility, he has only 1 skill, doesn't gain any new ones, and his weak defense stat growths eventually become a serious problem considering his total lack of a ranged attack or hit-n-move ability. In the later chapters I found it hard to keep him alive as a frontliner unless he was buffed, and even then, mages and dragons can still drop him quite easily. I ended up using him as a filler and anti-assassin unit mostly. Though he's overshadowed by Ashram, Haldyn and Zayid, he's still worth the 2000 gold to hire at Chapter 3 for the rest of the game.

LUCION & CLAUDE
Chapters available (min/max): 8/13
Bland, boring fillers. At the core, these two are VS1 guardians, with low mobility, zero magic defense and heavy on HP and defense. In terms of skillset, both have shieldblock but Lucion is more defensive oriented (mettle, crit immunity), while Claude levels faster thanks to the Potential skill. You will need to promote them to Royal Knights if they are to remain viable late game since they will gain much needed additional stats including the extremely important +1 mobility. As for who should get the promotion first, I tend to choose Claude since he has two ranged weapon options (axes and throwing spears). Their only bonds are with each other and the bonuses are mediocre, so you can deploy them separately if need be.

BARZELPHEN
Chapters available (min/max): 4/11
Urrgh...this guy. At first glance, Bars appears to be a troll/joke character that you're better off not capturing because of his almost useless PW (that grants a 5-turn death immunity buff to whoever it hits), a 5-range stench debuff that reduces only his allies' accuracy by 20, and being too weak to function solo. Since there's no way to get him to love-buff his allies (no berserk potion in this game as far as I know), there's no reason to equip the PW. But if you're prepared to..hold your nose and level him past 15, enjoy the free gold at each level up AND wait until chapter 17, he can be a decent A tier character *when receiving the insane bond buff from Bennette*. At chapter 22, he finally loses his stench debuff, gains a powerful new personal accessory and in the final chapter, receives an actually good 2nd PW that pushes him to A+ tier. I suppose Kaga wanted Bars to have his defining moment in the final chapter, holding off hordes of demonic cavalry alongside Bennette while buffed to the moon. But to me it comes too late. He would have ranked high if there was a character development/storyline tier list.

OURON
Chapters available (min/max): 4/8
As your only light cavalry unit, Ouron's incredible speed (10 move), lockpicking skills and ability to scale cliffs makes him well suited for delivery and tickle-n-run operations. I say tickle because his terrible strength (capped at 13) mean he barely does anything to enemies. Coupled with his poor physical defense and almost no magical defense to speak of, attacking anything that can hit back puts him at serious risk of death, even with his evasiveness. His industry skill, which he can learn only at the final chapter, is too little too late. The male Hoelun.

Overall, I'm genuinely impressed by the improved character balancing and variety over VS1. While some characters are still clearly better than others, I think the gap between the tiers is much smaller now compared to VS1 (e.g. you'd never pick Jamulan over Helme), and almost every character is viable when sufficiently leveled.

I hope this guide has been helpful to you. Would be happy to hear your thoughts in the comments, but please remember that this tier list is based on my opinion, and I'm sure everyone has their own preferred characters to use in their playthroughs.

May Kaga and his team complete VS3...