What's the point of this guide?

To act as a reference for any player who wants to platinum Suikoden II in a single playthrough. I've noted down every annoyance they'll want to avoid. But I'll give no big hints as to what can be accomplished that doesn't have a deadline looming.

Do I need to beat the game on the hardest difficulty?

Yes. When prompted on starting a new game, choose the hardest difficulty. You cannot change the difficulty setting afterwards.

Suikoden II is a touch harder than its predecessor. At thirty hours it's twice as long, and it's most climactic bosses will catch you off guard if you're not prepared. Hard mode only gives enemies a 20% buff to their hit-points. While random encounters should never give you trouble, the real difficulty is in hitting the deadline with all 108 Stars. After that point come a handful of esoteric choices you need to make to witness the True Ending.

Do I need to load a save from Suikoden I when I start Suikoden II?

Yes. Either load up an endgame save file from Suikoden I or get one from a friend. This guide will assume you took three actions:

• That you loaded a save file file from Suikoden I.
  
• That this save file had you recruit all 108 Stars there before the deadline.
  
• That you equipped the Star called Humphrey with the Windspun Armour.

Transferring a save file that fits this criteria will entitle you to an exclusive side-quest, a collectable you can't find elsewhere, and will give Humphrey the best possible armour. Humphrey's armour cannot be changed when he joins your party.

What else is needed for the Platinum?

For Suikoden II you will need to:

• Finish the campaign. Obviously.
  
• Recruit all 108 stars before a certain endgame mission. Very missable.
  
• Complete Hai Yo's cooking contest. Missable if you fail a round. Reload in that case.
  
• Beat the 10,000 Potch Rope-Climbing mini-game. This is a luck-based challenge akin to a board-game.
  
• Make 100,000 Potch through trading.
  
• Recruit all five flying squirrels.
  
• Collect four types of livestock.
  
• Build a Guardian Deity.
  
• Build a garden.
  
• Sharpen the hero's weapon to the maximum level of 16.
  
• Complete Clive's quest. Highly missable unless you take two actions at the start of the game.
  
• Catch every fish. This will take a while. The fish are caught in order, and the last one is a tricky QTE. Do note that your stats will affect your success rate.
  
• Win the hard, but not ultimate, level of the Whack-a-Mole mini-game.
  
• Win every level of the dancing mini-game.

Those last two challenges are an ungodly pain in the cheeks. Nobody will judge if you take alternate means to win their respective trophies.

When does my headquarters upgrade?

The headquarters upgrades when the number of Stars you've recruited hits a certain threshold, and you've progressed the story past a certain point.

Level 2: 31 Stars. After the events of Two Rivers.
Level 3: 62 Stars. Before the events with the Toran Republic.
Level 4: 101 Stars. After the second set of events at Greenhill.

If you're unsure as to the level of your headquarters, go to the bath-house if you've recruited the appropriate Star from Lakewest. You can remodel the bath to more themes depending on your headquarters level. One theme per level, so level 3 means 3 bath themes.

Where the hell is my blacksmith?

Due to a quirk of development, you cannot recruit a blacksmith Star until near the close of the game. Until that point you will have to sharpen your weapons in the neighboring town of Kuskus. The blacksmith there gradually improves as the story progresses.

Why am I losing at the dice mini-game?

While playing at dice was an effective money-maker in the first Suikoden, here it is no longer biased in the player's favor. You only need to win at dice to recruit three Stars. There are more efficient ways of earning Potch to be found.

What is this Guardian Deity?

A star you can recruit is a sculptor, and you can hand them plans to create a statue for your headquarters. You need plans 1, 2, 3, and 4. These come in four types: Unicorn, Turtle, Rabbit, and Dragon. Some of these plans can be missed.

There are 256 possible rewards depending on which plans you choose the final statue will be made from. You can only pick one reward, which subsequently gives you an achievement.

Do note that you recruit the sculptor at the same time as the blacksmith, so you only meet them near the end of the game. Thus, even the most powerful runes you could be rewarded with will not be terribly useful at this point. I will not be listing if a missable item can be acquired through the Guardian Deity.

What's the issue with collectables?

You have limited inventory space in Suikoden II. Your bag holds 30 items, and your stash 60. While you can't discard collectibles, they will take up space in your inventory until you recruit the Star who will accept them. In total there are:

• 16 Guardian Deity plans. One achievement for making the statue from any combination of four of these plans.
  
• 4 Hammers. Necessary to be able to sharpen hero's weapon to the max level for an achievement.
  
• 12 Livestock. Achievement for delivering all four kinds to the Star who accepts them.
  
• 12 Vegetables. Only one needs to be handed in for an achievement.
  
• 12 Old Books. No achievements.
  
• 23 Recipes acquired outside the cooking contest. No achievements.
  
• 5 Sound Sets. No achievements.
  
• 5 Window Sets. No achievements.

I'll bite. When is the earliest I can turn in these collectibles?

Recipes: After the events at Two Rivers. Level 2.
Vegetables: After the events at Two Rivers. Level 2.
Old Books: During the events at Greenhill. Level 2.
Livestock: After the events at Greenhill. Level 2.
Sound Sets: Before going to Gregminster. Level 3
Window Sets: On reaching Crom Village. Level 3
Plans & Hammers: After liberating Greenhill. Level 3

What should I know about shopping?

As in Suikoden I, merely browsing a shop's stock means those wares will be added to the shops at your headquarters. This applies retroactively, so be sure to look at every shop upon arriving at a new town.

Before inspecting a shop's Rare Finds, you should save your game. One or two rare or unique items will be available to buy from a small pool restricted to that shop. The Rare Finds will not reset until thirty in-game minutes have passed. Save-scumming beforehand is the most convenient option.

Anything else?

There are a number of items not tied to any achievements that will become unavailable as you progress the story. I'll note them down in italics.

There were a number of collectables in previous versions of the game that were missable due to scripting errors, as well as an opportunity to sequence-break and undergo a major side-quest meant for later in the game. These bugs and exploits have since been fixed.

Finally, due to the volatile direction of the plot; Stars, shops, and items can become unavailable for long stretches of time.

Missable Achievement Alert!

The difficulty chosen at the start must be Hard.

This guide assumes you loaded a Suikoden I save file on starting a new game in Suikoden II. If all 108 Stars were recruited there, you can also unlock a unique collectible that is missable here.

This guide also assumes that you turn off the Event Timer in the Options Menu as soon you can move your hero! Suspending the Event Timer does not affect the time for Rare Finds to reset or for Yai Ho's side-quest to continue.

Extra Flint

You can request for more flint than you need to progress the main story. This extra flint serves no purpose and can be safely discarded from your inventory.

Optional Star Rikimaru

There's a Star here who's not missable, but can be inaccessible for a long period of time. They're found in Ryube Village, and later Coronet. Simply pay off their restaurant tab of 3,000 Potch to recruit them.

Before leaving this village for a long while, there are three places you can investigate in your father Genkaku's house. You can only return here upon reaching the final dungeon.

Early Optional Star Mukumuku

This Star is not missable, but they can be recruited here early if you wish. Simply inspect the lone tree in the upper-right corner.

??? Book

This book is found by searching the desk in the lower-left room. This item must be appraised to be become Old Book Vol. 1.

Choice of Three Vases

When you visit this house a second time, you can pick one of the three vases in the center room. This vase can be sold for Potch or later displayed in the headquarters bath-house. No quests or achievements are tied to it.

Fire Lizard Orbs

You can acquire one orb by exploring this dungeon. Extra orbs are rarely dropped by the Salamander enemies here. Random encounters are disabled after defeating the boss of the Sindar Ruins.

Missable Star Alert!

There are three matters to take care of before heading to the Muse-Highland Checkpoint when the story directs you there. But first there's also an optional Star.

Early Optional Star Anita

This Star is not missable, but they can be recruited here early if you wish. Speak with the Star seen in the tavern and fulfil their minor requests.

??? Book

Inspect the bookshelf in the upper-right room of Muse city hall. This location soon becomes unavailable. This item must be appraised to become Old Book Vol.4.

The city hall can be briefly revisited towards the end of the game, giving you one last opportunity to collect this book.

Recipe #3

Speak with the Star called Tuta seen walking around the main street in the center of Muse. He'll direct you to Dr. Huan. Speak with Dr. Huan again to receive this recipe. This is after the first visit to City Hall.

Sound Test #1

You must walk up and down the alley under the two arches in the upper-right hand corner of the map. A woman called Elza will speak to you, then a man called Clive. Afterwards head to the entrance of Muse, where you will witness a third scene and be awarded the Sound Test #1.

It's essential you do this. This unlocks a Star recruited later as well as their personal quest. Also remember that you should have turned off the Event Timer when you started playing.

Fire Sealing Orb

This Orb is found as a treasure in the Highland camp. Extra copies can only be found as rare drops from a common enemy fought later in the game, so don't miss this easy one.

Silence Orbs

This orb can only be acquired as a rare drop here from the Highland soldiers at one single point. When Nanami asks about Jowy, select the option to stay silent. This will respawn more soldiers. Bear in mind this rune is crap.

Gale Orbs

You acquire one copy of this rune from a Star recruited later in the game. Extra copies can only be found as drops from the Sickle enemies fought in the Muse area. These enemies are no longer available after the major events in Muse.

Missable Star Alert!

Sadly, Suikoden II falls short in one way compared to its predecessor, and it's the Army Battles. Instead of a Rock-Paper-Scissors match, you must instead engage in the poor man's Fire Emblem. Or is it Advance Wars? I don't play that genre, so who even cares?

These battles are slow-paced and heavily scripted, but still random enough that any Star who falls can permanently die! The game will tell you there and then if a Star perishes. If they get injured or retreat, they'll be fine. Be sure to check the tablet in your headquarters to see if any names get greyed out. Reload an earlier save if necessary. You are saving in multiple slots, yes?

You can let your strategist Apple take care of this battle, and most of the battles from then on. Here, however, you must ensure that the enemy commander called Gilbert gets injured. This should trigger a conversation where they defect. So long as you don't kill them, and they're not listed as dead during the battle, this Star will automatically join later when you finally acquire the headquarters.

Remember from now on to never let a Star die in a War Battle,

This dungeon becomes your headquarters after defeating the boss here. Thus, it's a one-time area.

Stone of Magic Defence

Found along the way.

Darkness Orb

Darkness Orbs can only be purchased late into the game. A missable one can be acquired early in this dungeon by moving the first and third statues out of place when you come to the statue puzzle.

Blue Ribbon

You will acquire multiple copies of this limited accessory. When you reach the candle puzzle, light the bottom row to match the top row. Lighting the missing candle in the top row will direct to the boss.

Spinach Seedling

After defeating the boss in the sewer there will be a scene where Chaco tells you to meet his granny, Susu. This scene is actually optional and can be missed if you head to the inn instead. Thus, you cannot be given the seedling afterwards as you were never introduced to Susu.

Missable Achievement!

Hai Yo the chef can be recruited after the events of Two Rivers and having 31 Stars on the tablet. He's easy to miss, being on the second floor of your headquarters in a room accessed by a door at the bottom of the screen. From now on you can hand Hai Yo the recipes you've found across the world.

After every thirty minutes spent outside the headquarters, Hai Yo will be challenged to a cook-off by a rival chef.

Just win the mini-game and the thirty-minute timer will reset. Hai Yo has a dozen opponents, the last two being consecutive. It's best to unlock this side-quest early and do it in tandem with your other adventures. Recipes are automatically handed to Hai Yo when challenged.

You must win every round of the mini-game!

To my knowledge this quest will fail if you lose a cook-off to any of Hai Yo's rivals. Just walk into the restaurant to see the challenge, walk out to save your game, then come back and start cooking.

If you want to collect every recipe, then you must not defeat the tenth opponent just yet!

His name is Lester, and when you see him just leave the scene. More on that later.

This is a long linear chapter where you are barred from recruiting any new Stars, with one exception. While they are not missable, I recommend picking them up now, as they will take in the old book collectables that can clog up your inventory. Otherwise you cannot recruit them until near the end of the game.

Early Optional Star Emilia

Inside the Academy, keep speaking to this Star until you admit your real purpose. This Star will then join at the end of this mission. Requires your headquarters to be at level 2.

Missable Stars Alert!

This is a lengthy side-quest that, while not technically missable, can only be undertaken in the first visit to Matilda if you want to recruit all the Stars before the deadline. The Matilda region is sealed off after the story visits Rockaxe Castle a second time.

This quest begins in the Highway Village, and is triggered by speaking to two of the returning Stars from the first game. One of them will be wearing the best possible armour, the Windspun Armour, if you remembered to equip it to that same Star in the previous game. Their armour cannot be changed in Suikoden II.

The two Stars are formally recruited when you complete the nearby dungeon, Rakutei Mountain.

Black Urns

This item is rarely dropped by the Hawkmen fought on Rakutei Mountain, during the first visit to the Matilda Region. Black Urns can be sold for Potch or displayed in the headquarters' bath-house. No quests or achievements are tied to acquiring Black Urns.

Sylph Runes & Skunk Runes

This is your first opportunity to acquire Sylph Runes and Skunk Runes, which are both dropped by Pink Birds in the Matilda region.

Missable Stars Alert!

Badeaux is a Star found in the Path to Matilda, when your headquarters reaches level 3. You need an animal companion who is a Star in your party to recruit them. This new Star will hand over two Listening Orbs. These orbs are consumed when recruiting new animal companions.

It's possible to screw yourself out of the True Ending if you waste a Listening Orb on the wrong animal companion! Two orbs are all you get, and some recruits do not count as Stars!

Semi-Mandatory: Visit the Forest Village and use an orb to recruit the two Stars there. If you lose the fight then you will recruit only one Star, but still keep your Listening Orb.

Optional: Visit the Unicorn Woods after completing the initial side-quest there with returning Stars Hix and Tengaar. Bring a Listening Orb and whichever Star passes for a "maiden."

Optional: Visit the Tinto Mines when the story takes you there later. Use a Listening Orb to recruit the kraken you meet there.

Never: Use your second Listening Orb to recruit the previous Star's wife and child, from the same area. This will lock you out from reaching the True Ending!

From these two Listening Orbs you must recruit three Stars if you want the True Ending!

Mutually Exclusive Stars!

Two excellent Stars returning from the first game can offer to join you when you first visit Gregminster. Alas, you can only recruit one. If you pick Kasumi, then you can recruit two optional stars immediately. If you pick Valeria, then you must wait until your Headquarters reaches Level 4.

The choice is up to you. No achievements are affected.

Missable Achievement if you didn't transfer a save file!

This game is nearly 30 years old, but I still won't spoil the Big One. After the Big One you can undertake a side-quest, provided you loaded a save-file from Suikoden I. This quest begins in Banner Town. At the end of this quest you get an achievement and can now recruit the hero of the first game. Though they won't reside in your headquarters. Hope you enjoy hiking.

Recipe #39

If you want all the recipes, then you must complete this quest before Hai Yo faces his tenth opponent, Lester. Provided the transferred save file had you witness the 108 Star event (Gremio's revival) then you can do this quest, and then defeat Lester in a cook-off. Lester will now mention a new recipe and where you can find it.

Missable Star Alert!

There's a Star who will offer to buy a Window Set if you have one in your bag. Recruit them instead.

Mutually Exclusive Stars!

There will be a scene here at night-time where your actions can lead to three different outcomes.

• 1. Choosing to abscond with Nanami leads to the bad ending of the game.
  
• 2. Choosing to abscond with Nanami, only to return and fight Neclord. This leads to the death of the Star Ridley. Ridley will be replaced by his son Boris from then on.
  
• 3. Choosing to remain in Tinto means Ridley survives.

It makes no difference to the True Ending whether you pick Options 2 or 3.

Missable Star!

At the end of the story in Tinto, a particularly annoying fellow named Jess will offer to join your headquarters. Since they are a Star, you must recruit them.

Turtle Plan #2

This collectable is dropped by Ragged Ones, an enemy encountered in the Greenhill area at any time before engaging in this War Battle.

Chicks

This item is also dropped by Ragged Ones. Chicks can be sold for Potch or displayed in the headquarters' bath-house. No quests or achievements are tied to acquiring Chicks.

Iron Boots

A single pair of Iron Boots will be permanently equipped by a Star recruited around the endgame. The only way to acquire more is during the second mission at Greenhill. They are dropped by Highland spearmen.

You must have all 108 Stars recruited at this point!

Resting and saving at your headquarters after the events at Muse will lock you into the endgame. You must have all 108 Stars recruited when you tell Shu "We must fight."

If you play your cards right then Leknaat will appear and grant you the final spell of the Bright Shield Rune, the Sign of Forgiveness.

Sylph Runes

This is your last opportunity to acquire Sylph Runes and Skunk Runes, which are both dropped by Pink Birds in the Matilda region. They disappear after the events at Rockaxe Castle.

The True Ending is still missable!

Simply recruiting all 108 Stars before the deadline is not enough to earn the True Ending this time. There's a set of hidden criteria you must fulfill after that point.

There will be a Star in your party at Rockaxe Castle who must:

• Be wearing armour in either the head or body slot. Preferably both.
  
• Have a Defence stat of at least 121.

The Star in question is Nanami. They will leave permanently at this point, so you can just give them store-bought equipment.

There will be a climactic moment in Rockaxe Castle you are given three dialogue options. It doesn't matter what you say, but you must choose whatever option the third time immediately.

You will know that you've succeed if you get the following scene at headquarters. Dr. Huan asks Shu to speak with him in his office. If this seemingly minor scene occurs, then you are good to go for the True Ending.

The point of no return is when you meet Leon Silverberg at L'Renouille.

After the final boss you'll be in the Epilogue. You can still explore the world, but can no longer ask Leona to rearrange your party. Be sure to make a save at this point before deciding your ending, so you don't risk having to defeat the final boss again.

Ending A

Take the crown that is offered to you.

Ending B

Refuse the crown. Instead head to the place that you promised. Win the duel.

True Ending

Having recruited all 108 Stars before the deadline, and having taken the proper course of action at Rockaxe Castle: Head to the place you promised. Always defend. Always refuse.

This short guide should help you find all the easily missed stuff that can negate achievements. If you have any further questions, or there are additions to be made, then please comment below.

Please don't lift the written content of this guide without crediting the proper source, or host it on another page entirely. But I just know some shrub rocketeer will try.