Best Job for Main Character in Octopath Traveler 0

Octopath Traveler 0 is a great game to experience a JRPG adventure. With eight different classes (Jobs) to pick from, and dozens of characters to recruit and form a party with, players might be wondering which starting class to choose.

This guide explains each class’ potential, and is divided into three Tiers (S, A, and B), so that players know which are the best classes to choose for their Main Character. Plan ahead for a long and challenging journey through Osterra with the optimal choice according to your playstyle and party composition.

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S Tier Starting Jobs for Main Character in Octopath Traveler 0

Warrior

• Strong Points: Easy To Master, Resilient, Deals Tons Of Damage
• Best Class Combo: Cleric, Thief

The Warrior is the Optimal Choice for a starting Job, more so if players picked the Twin Shot Mastery Skill at the start of the character creation. Needless to say, it’s a good and balanced class that can switch between tank, offensive physical DPS, and counterattack all the time.

A high-level warrior will deal absolutely insane amounts of damage, and snowballs early, so it’s the strongest class to pick for beginners. Plus, most enemies at the beginning of the adventure are weak to either Sword or Spear damage, which is a big plus.

Cleric

• Strong Points: Heals Party Early, Sustain, Snowballs Into A Powerhouse
• Best Class Combo: Warrior, Apothecary

All in all, the best support in Octopath Traveler 0. Early on, it provides a much-needed support to the party, since players won’t find many healers as companions in the first chapters of the story. It later becomes evident that the Cleric is the pillar of the party, keeping everyone alive during the harshest of combats.

It pairs nicely with Apothecary or Warrior, the first grants even more healing power, and the second, survivability, and the possibility to rotate between Vanguard and Rearguard without dying.

Scholar

• Strong Points: Best Elemental Damage Dealer, Strong At All Game Stages
• Best Class Combo: Apothecary, Cleric, Merchant

Scholar is the spellcaster Job in the Octopath series, and it’s a tricky one to play. Wielding Tome and Wand, it will not be a decent Vanguard attacker, but put it in the Rearguard, and its Fire, Ice, and Lightning spells will decimate the foes when at maximum boost.

Some like to build their Main Characters as Scholar/Apothecaries, though Cleric, Merchant, and even Warrior (Spellblade build) work like a charm as well.

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A Tier Starting Jobs

Merchant

• Strong Points: Raises JP For All Party, Easy To Level Up, Great Support
• Best Class Combo: Thief, Dancer

The Merchant class is optimal for beginners, since it increases gains of Gil (Gold) items, and even eases the burden of purchasing gear and other necessities from shopkeepers and travelers. It also increases the chances of persuading NPCs, or diminishes the cost of hiring ‘Helpers.’

Pairing it with Thief will result in a Pivot Support with high speed and access to incredible skills that turn it into a Dodge tank. It’s a decent picking, and it can also go well with extra Support skills from the Dancer Job.

Apothecary

• Strong Points: Excellent Support, Good Alternate Healer
• Best Class Combo: Cleric, Scholar

The second-best Healer Support in the game, with a bit better SP economy than the Cleric, but less overall healing power. The Apothecary is an expert at keeping its party alive, and players will thank having a leveled character with this Job later during the adventure.

Pairing it with Cleric will result in the ultimate healing force, and if players pick Scholar as an alternative Job, they will have the closest thing to a Red Mage in the game.

B Tier Starting Jobs

Thief

• Strong Points: Fast, Critical Based, Deals Decent Physical Damage
• Best Class Combo: Warrior, Dancer

The Thief is strong, fast, and deadly with daggers and swords. It’s a decent class to pick, but since recruiting dagger-wielding characters early during the adventure is quite easy, there’s not much a Thief Main Char can do for its party.

Not that it will ruin the balance, but still, having Celsus or even Stia (Companions) will be enough for most of the early game. The Thief is only good for a Main Character when combined with other classes like the Dancer, Warrior, or the Apothecary.

Hunter

• Strong Points: Range Physical Attacker, Great Speed
• Best Class Combo: Thief, Warrior

Picking Hunter as the starting Job is not such a good idea, since players will recruit Phenn almost immediately, and the only purpose of having this Job is to get Bow/Axe/Wind damage.

Still, if players want to pick it no matter what, combining it with Thief for extra speed, critical, and evasion is a good choice. Warrior is also a good alternative for having the big four physical weapon groups in only one character.

Dancer

• Strong Points: Good Support, Hard To Master, But Comes Out Strong In Late Game
• Best Class Combo: Thief, Apothecary

Dancer is a tough class to master, and requires fine-tuning and lots of equipment that are hard to get (usually in the hands of Lvl. 50/60 NPCs that are impossible to challenge early).

It won’t be as useful as other support classes early, and its attack skills are subpar compared to the Scholar or Thief. Still, a highly leveled and properly equipped Dancer will take the party a long way, with its incredible buffs and elemental attacks.

Octopath Traveler 0

Released

December 4, 2025

ESRB

T For Teen // Blood, Fantasy Violence, Language, Suggestive Themes

Franchise

Octopath Traveler

PC Release Date

December 4, 2025