This is a guide for recruiting every character in Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition.
There are 48 (+1) possible characters to recruit, although not all are available in a single playthrough. This page outlines how to recruit all of them.
Part 1: Up to Viper Manor¶
| Character | Location | How to Recruit |
|---|---|---|
| Poshul | Arni Village (Home World) | Find the Hecklan Bone in the back room of the village tavern, then show it to Poshul outside the chief’s residence. Otherwise, joins with Leena later on. |
| Leena | Arni Village (Another World) | At Cape Howl, decline Kid’s request to join your party. Leena will join the next day. You can recruit Kid moments later, so don’t worry. |
| Mojo | Arni Village (Another World) | Obtain the Shark Tooth from the fisherman in the upper-right house in Home World. After the battle at Cape Howl, show the Shark Tooth to the same fisherman in Another World. |
| Kid | Termina (Another World) | Inspect Viper’s statue in Termina. Kid will suggest breaking into the manor. She’ll then offer to join. If you decline, she’ll join later on still (refer to her page for more info). |
| Nikki | Shadow Forest (Another World) | After recruiting Kid, head to the Magical Dreamers boat in the docks of Termina. Speak to the guy in the top-right corner and Miki will come in. Agree to her plan. Head to Shadow Forest and save Nikki from the monsters. Cannot recruit Pierre or Guile. |
| Pierre | Termina (Another World) | After recruiting Kid, visit the back room of the smithy in Termina. Speak to Pierre. Head out to the garden and grab the Hero’s Medal from the running kid, then give it to Pierre. Cannot recruit Nikki or Guile. |
| Guile | Termina (Another World) | After recruiting Kid, visit the bar near the entrance of Termina. Guile is hanging near the counter, ready to be invitied. Cannot recruit Nikki or Pierre. |
Part 2: Up to Fort Dragonia¶
| Character | Location | How to Recruit |
|---|---|---|
| Greco | Termina (Another World) | After Viper Manor, head to the shrine area in Termina. Watch the funeral, then visit Greco in his home. |
| NeoFio | Viper Manor (Another World) | Grab the Green Tinkler from the dwarf in the tavern at Guldove. Use this to progress through Hydra Marshes (Another World) and obtain the Life Sparkle. Return to Viper Manor and use the Life Sparkle at the pond on the roof. |
| Razzly | Hydra Marshes (Home World) | Available in the Save Kid branch. While exploring Hydra Marshes, head west from the entrance. Beat up the Beeba, Wingapede and finally the Pentapus to rescue Razzly. |
| Korcha | Termina (Another World) | Available in the Save Kid branch. Temporarily joins when you leave Guldove. Permanently joins after Kid recovers and you borrow his boat. |
| Glenn | Termina (Another World) | Available in the Leave Kid branch. Joins after leaving Guldove and you borrow Macha’s boat. |
| Macha | Termina (Another World) | Available in the Leave Kid branch. Joins immediately after Glenn. |
| Mel | Guldove (Another World) | Available in the Save Kid branch. After Kid recovers, chase after Mel. Once you get Korcha’s boat, return to Guldove and visit her with Kid. |
| Skelly | Termina (Another World) | Obtain Skelly’s bones (please check his page for their locations), then visit the house to the right of Viper’s statue. |
| Pip | S.S. Invincible (Another World) | In the area right before the second save crystal (before the boss fight). You don’t need to open Pip’s cage in Viper Manor, but do it if you want. |
| Doc | Guldove (Another World) | Available in the Leave Kid branch. After the S.S. Invincible and before completing Mt Pyre, return to Guldove and check up on Kid. |
Part 3: Up to Tower of Geddon¶
| Character | Location | How to Recruit |
|---|---|---|
| Lynx | Fort Dragonia (Another World) | Automatically when you reach the endpoint of Fort Dragonia. |
| Sprigg | Temporal Vortex | Automatically joins while you’re stranded in the strange world. You need to shake loose the berry, then run into her house while she’s outside. |
| Harle | Temporal Vortex | Automatically joins while you’re stranded in the strange world. After Harle’s long-winded speech, keep opening the doors in the same direction as the Serge illusion. |
| Radius | Arni Village (Home World) | When you’re back in the real world, head to Opassa Beach to try and use the Astral Amulet. When it doesn’t work, go back home. Radius will come along and fight you. Beat him and he’ll join. |
| Zappa | Termina (Home World) | Visit the smithy in Termina. |
| Van | Termina (Home World) | Visit the house past the smithy in Termina. |
| Funguy | Shadow Forest (Home World) | Enter the tunnel that leads towards Viper Manor. You can rescue a man who gives you a Mushroom. Show this to the man inside the hidden cave where you found one of Skelly’s bones (and where Nikki was hiding). |
| Norris | Viper Manor (Home World) | Automatically joins when you visit him inside his make-shift base deep within the basement. |
| Draggy | Fort Dragonia (Home World) | Obtain the Big Egg from Fossil Valley (Another World). At Fort Dragonia (Home World), deactivate all the crystals (again) to make the central elevator appear. Or wait until you recruit Steena, so you can skip all this. Ride the elevator down and place the egg in the working incubator. |
| Starky | Sky Dragon Isle (Home World) | Obtain the Star Fragment from El Nido Triangle (Home World). Head to Sky Dragon Isle (Home World) and inspect the chest to fight a supersized Starky. Beat him and he’ll join. |
| Janice | S.S. Zelbess (Home World) | Defeat her in Grand Slam 3 times. |
| Irenes | S.S. Zelbess (Home World) | After defeating the Sage of Marbule, ride the cable car to the Magical Dreamers ship to speak with Nikki. This will also initiate the sidequest to restore Marbule. |
| Sneff | S.S. Zelbess (Home World) | After beating the Sage of Marbule, visit the casino, then visit the backstage room where Sneff and his performers are. |
Part 4: Rest of the Game¶
| Character | Location | How to Recruit |
|---|---|---|
| Karsh | Termina (Another World) | After the Tower of Geddon, visit the bar at Termina and enter the secret room. You can choose Karsh or Zoah to assist you. The other will join with Viper and the others later. |
| Zoah | Termina (Another World) | See Karsh. |
| Orcha | Viper Manor (Another World) | During the mission to rescue Riddel, you’ll fight him as Hell’s Cook in Riddel’s prison cell. He’ll join afterwards. |
| Grobyc | Viper Manor (Another World) | After rescuing Riddel, you’ll fight Grobyc while escaping. He’ll automatically join up when you reach the dragon horse stable. |
| Riddel | Hermit’s Hideaway (Another World) | After rescuing her, speak to her at Hermit’s Hideaway. |
| Viper | S.S. Invincible (Another World) | After meeting him at Hermit’s Hideaway, he’ll automatically join when you’re on board the S.S. Invincible, moments later. |
| Fargo | S.S. Invincible (Another World) | Joins immediately after Viper. |
| Marcy | S.S. Invincible (Another World) | Joins immediately after Fargo. |
| Miki | S.S. Zelbess (Home World) | After defeating the Black Dragon, find her at the diner below deck. |
| Leah | Gaea’s Navel (Home World) | Return to Hydra Marshes (Home World) and beat up the Beeba again. Go east one screen and use the Ancient Fruit near the other Beeba to summon the Wingapede. This will take you to Gaea’s Navel. Leah will temporarily join upon your arrival and she’ll permanently join after beating the Green Dragon. |
| Steena | Guldove (Home World) | After obtaining the six dragon relics, visit Steena at Guldove in Home World. You need the Dragon Emblem from Guldove in Another World. |
| Turnip | Hermit’s Hideaway (Home World) | At Hermit’s Hideaway (Another World), use the Ice Breath at the patch of soil that’s too hot for plants to grow. After getting Serge (and his party members) back, hop to Hermit’s Hideaway (Home World) and inspect the same patch with Poshul in your party. |
| Orlha | Guldove (Another World) | When you return to Guldove to seek the Dragon Emblem, you’ll fight Orlha. Afterwards, she’ll give you the Sapphire Brooch. After getting Serge back, show the brooch to her. |
Postgame¶
That’s how to recruit every character, but as mentioned, some characters are only available in certain branches. So you can’t have them all at once… During your first playthrough at least.
To recruit every character simultaneously, please check this page, which explains how to use the Chrono Cross to do so, through multiple playthroughs. We hope you kept those saves we recommended!
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