So, you've left Aion, and now you're running around in a cyberpunk Japanese city as Ringo. But who else do you meet? What party members are at your disposal? Here's our intro to Soul Hackers 2 characters and their recommended builds just in time for the game's release.
Soul Hackers 2 is a 'sequel' of sorts to Devil Summoner: Soul Hackers, a 1997 Sega Saturn game that was later ported to the PlayStation and Nintendo DS. Devil Summoner itself is a spin-off from the pivotal Megami Tensei series, pioneered by Atlus, that has it itself birthed the core Shin Megami Tensei JPRG series and the pop-culture landmark that is the Persona brand.
To get you even deeper into the new Soul Hackers adventure, here's how to fuse demons and how to get more demons into your roster. Both of those guides will help you build an overpowered team. For even more, our helpful Soul Hackers 2 tips page can point you in the right direction.
Soul Hackers 2 characters
Let's dive into the characters we meet in Soul Hackers 2. They're all introduced quickly and form your party, with side-character Figue acting as navigation and a remote warning system.
Ringo
- COMP: Antikythera
- Weaknesses: Force, Poisma
- Strengths: Bufu, reflect Zio
- Recommended Mystique: Electro, Almighty
First up is Ringo. She's who you play as, a humanoid being created by Aion, a digital hivemind containing all of humanity's data. Ringo, along with agent Figue created in the same way, is sent into the world to prevent a potentially world-ending disaster. She has the ability to Soul Hack, which can bring people back from the verge of death by entering their subconscious.
Ringo is equipped with a COMP - a weapon that channels Demon energy - that resembles a katana, but also appears as a gun. Unlike other party members, on top of a demon and a melee weapon, Ringo also has Commander Skills as the party leader. By upgrading her COMP, you'll gain these skills. They don't cost anything and can be used at any time.
At the end of a turn, Ringo can also use a Sabbath move, if a target's weakness has been hit at least once. This will deal extra damage and doesn't cost anything.
Ringo is best off using a Demon with Zio (electro) powers, or Almighty.
Arrow
- COMP: Mk90 Summoning Gun
- Weaknesses: Agi
- Strengths: Healed by Bufu
- Recommended Mystique: Bufu, healing or status effect
The first Soul Hack that Ringo performs is on Arrow, a Devil Summoner with the Yatagarasu. Arrow's skills lie with his high stamina stat, though his luck is a little lacking. Arrow works very well with healing and support moves, as he can withstand hits and resurrect teammates.
In terms of damage, you're gonna want to equip Arrow with Bufu (ice) Demons, or those capable of Gunfire damage. If he gets hit with a Bufu attack, he will absorb it and heal himself.
Milady
- COMP: Stigma
- Weaknesses: Bufu
- Strengths: Healed by Agi
- Recommended Mystique: Agi
Milady, pronounced mill-addy, is the third member of your team. She comes across as cold, but is a great party member. Despite some resemblances, there doesn't seem to be a connection between her and Haru's Persona of the same name in Persona 5. Both get their name from the term associated with greeting a noblewoman, or perhaps the character Milady de Winter as seen in the Three Musketeers.
Moving on: Milady is the best defensive team member, thanks to her high intelligence and agility stats she can avoid attacks and land crit hits on the opposition. She specialises in Agi (fire) and will heal if she is hit with it. Her only weakness is ice. She wields sai as her COMP.
Saizo
- COMP: Tommy Gun
- Weaknesses: Gunfire
- Strengths: Reflect Force
- Recommended Mystique: Force, healing
Last, but certainly not least, is Saizo. We find him after a confrontation with his now ex-girlfriend. Ringo brings him back with a soul Hack, and he joins the party. Saizo is a freelance Devil Summoner and doesn't belong to either of the two warring factions.
In terms of build, he has high agility, meaning he moves quick. He also avoids a lot of hits coming his way. He can be a good option for healing moves given his speed. He uses a Tommy Gun COMP, and deals good gunfire damage, though is also weak to it. The best element to arm him with is Force, as he reflects any damage from the affinity.
COMP Smith and Accessories
Each party member's COMP can be upgraded at the COMP Smith, allowing different skills and stats to be added. The best options to purchase, at the start of the game, are the attack and affinity boosts. Any added attack will benefit you in battle, and the affinities can mean your elemental damage will be boosted too.
The Accessories shop, Zafiro, sells items to equip your characters with. These will add to certain stats but can come at the cost of reducing others. All party members can use the available options.
If you're looking for more out-of-this-world adventures, we suggest our Tower of Fantasy tier list, or our Genshin Impact tier list. If you're playing either one, those guides will help you work out the worth of your gacha pulls.