Dissidia Duellum Final Fantasy, the latest mobile game in Square Enix’s storied franchise, has now officially arrived. Offering an unconventional MOBA experience set in a version of real world Tokyo, it may be a bit of a culture or genre shock for some fans, but at its heart lies a pretty interesting twist on the genre and the source material.
After a week of duking it out against monsters in the streets of Shibuya, there are a few characters that appear to be a cut above the rest, or at least a great way for new players to learn the ropes. Here are our five favourite characters in Dissidia Duellum Final Fantasy‘s launch roster:
5. Warrior of Light (Support)
The original Final Fantasy protagonist may not have a name of his own, but as in previous Dissidia games, he can be quite a tank in Dissidia Duellum.
His natural kit features some reliable area-based attacks, and the UR ability Supreme Soul has big Gandalf “you shall not pass” energy, making zones around allies that cause damage to any enemies that get too close to them. He buffs nearby allies’ attacks, and can hold his Unique Ability Shield of Light to bolster their defenses.
But Warrior of Light may just be the character who needs his unique abilities the least. Selphie’s Wall plays into his defensive capabilities so well, it might as well be one his personal techniques. Heal also helps him reinforce the team from afar with a handy cure. This makes him easy to start playing with once you’ve unlocked him from the Tutorial Season Pass, or the initial character hand-out.
4. Prompto (Ranged)
New to this subseries is Final Fantasy XV‘s photographer and bodyguard, Prompto. Between his newcomer status and the complicated legacy of his home game, people may be overlooking this talkative gunslinger, but they do so at their own peril.
Prompto’s passive buff increases the amount of damage inflicted if you can pull off a burst chain (playing into the comeraderie between him, Noctis, and the others), while he can lay down covering fire with Rapidus SMG, his Unique Ability. Don’t underestimate the range on this skill, in particular.
The real kicker with Prompto in Dissidia Duellum, however, is his Lumen Flare SR ability. This stuns enemies for a brief period, allowing him to chain into either of his UR abilities, Crackshot (which lowers Defense while dealing severe damage) or Trigger-Happy (which deals high damage). In the current state of the game, getting tossed into the air or outright stunned can be a major setback, which makes this flashbang attack a real threat.
3. Krile (Support)
Krile may be one of the least recognizable characters for casual Final Fantasy fans, as she hails from the criminally-overlooked Final Fantasy V, which didn’t get localized for English audiences in its own time. Some may recognize her from the character who pays her homage in Final Fantasy XIV. But in Dissidia Duellum, Krile is a small but mighty force to be reckoned with if played correctly.
“Take advantage of Dissidia Duellum‘s Training, Casual Play, and Challenge modes to test out some builds, and see what the abilities you have can do for you. You may just be surprised by the results.”
Her passive ability alone helps supercharge the team by increasing the bravery they receive from purifying crystals. From there Krile has two big tricks: healing the team, and sharing her own bravery points with her allies. She achieves the former with her R skill, Nightingale, and UR skill, Legend of the Deep Forest—the rarer of which is a sort of Regen effect. Any brave she racks up on her own can be passed to allies with her Unique Ability, Encourage.
It’s not unheard of to see a skilled Krile player hang very far back from the boss monster and the chaos, buffing the team from afar. If an enemy closes in, UR Sealed Sacred Light can help her make a quick escape to safety.
2. Lightning (Agile)
The heroine of the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy lives up to her name in Dissidia Duellum, charging across the arena at record speed. This allows her to dart to wherever she’s needed most to secure a point, charge in for a Brave Burst, or otherwise disrupt the enemy. Her SR skill Grav-con Unit is a huge help in this department, buffing her action speed considerably.
However my favourite part of playing Lightning in Dissidia Duellum may just be her Unique Ability, Spinning Blitz. Holding the attack button while moving allows her to dash forward, and when you finally release it, she performs a quick area attack that can devastate a command point full of monsters. Always be moving, never strike in the same place twice, and Lightning can take your team far.
1. Rinoa (Ranged)
It breaks my heart as a diehard Final Fantasy VIII fan to not have Squall in the game right at launch, but Rinoa is representing their game very well in Dissidia Duellum in his stead.
The sorceress’ first UR, Angel Wing, gets better every time you use it, stacking up to three times to increase her attack (with a clutch heal once you hit the third stack). This pairs very nicely with her other UR skill, Meteor, enhancing its already commendable damage—but once you have the full buff active, any attack in her repertoire will be lethal.
Like Lightning, Rinoa can use her Unique Ability Sorceress’ Leap to get around the battlefield easier via teleportation. At max range, you can fling her well into your screen’s horizon, which may be all the edge you need to get out of a bad situation, or catch opponents off-guard with her SR skill Aqua Burst. And if you should happen to get stuck in that bad situation and knocked out, Rinoa’s passive allows her to respawn with a head start on Bravery.
Rinoa stood out for me right away in the beta last fall, and thankfully she’s ever bit as fun in Dissidia Duellum‘s full release.
A Caveat
In Dissidia Duellum, how well a character works for you depends greatly on the abilities you give them. If the RNG has given you several of the abilities for one of these characters, or someone else you really want to try, equip them all and go nuts!
That being said, a character isn’t necessarily useless if you haven’t gotten their unique skills from the gacha draws. More generic abilities can still complement characters’ skillsets. For example, Warrior of Light or Krile can benefit greatly from Ramza’s Cheer Up ability, leaning into their role as Support. Ace’s Fire RF is a devastating spell, regardless of who equips it. And even the regular magic can be a big help; it’s fun to drop a Firaga on someone who isn’t expecting your character to launch them into the air, for example.
Take advantage of Dissidia Duellum‘s Training, Casual Play, and Challenge modes to test out some builds, and see what the abilities you have can do for you. You may just be surprised by the results.
Fans won’t have to wait long for Dissidia Duellum‘s roster to expand either, fortunately. Onion Knight from Final Fantasy III and Iroha from Final Fantasy XI are on the way soon, with Firion, Balthier, Rikku, and Clive following into May, and their kits will surely shake up the playing field as they arrive.
