Summary
The JRPG genre is not the easiest one to get into, so we need to give credit to old-modern titles like the firstGolden Sungame. Although it is a JRPG, it bases a lot of stories and ideas on Western fantasy and style, which led to a memorable game about super-powered teenagers going on an epic adventure.
It also has the good sense not to be too convoluted and presents a story that even an alien baby could follow. Gameplay-wise, it provides a strong challenge with some intense battles you may’t just magic spam your way through. You need to learn how classes work and that some are better than others.
7Dragoon
The Power Of Fire And Earth
AlthoughFinal Fantasyclaimed the Dragoon class decades ago (and supposedly the Conquistadores centuries earlier), it has made a notable appearance in Golden Sun. It gets marks right out the gate for being one of the few classes that is accessible to three kinds of adepts, being Venus, Mars, and Mercury.
It requires a balanced combination of Djinn of the same types, with Mercury adepts needing either mostly Venus or Mars types. The Dragoon is a powerhouse that has a nice range of strong attack psynergy, culminating in Fiery Blast and Nettle, which hit multiple targets, and it also gets access to the strongest healing moves in the game, through Pure Ply for a single target and Pure Wish for the group.
6Samurai
Balance Between Attack And Defense
If you’re playingJRPGsand you haven’t heard of the Samurai class, then there’s a possibility that you’re playing them wrong. In the realms of fantasy, those following the way of the Samurai are commonly defined as having high attack and defensive power at the cost of speed, but in Golden Sun, speed isn’t so important, allowing both Venus and Mars adepts to focus on the good side of being a Samurai.
By balancing Mars, Jupiter, and Venus with Djinn, you can create a class that hits hard and helps others hit hard as well. It can boost ally Attack and Defense power using the Angel Spear, and Magic Shield respectively while striking back with psynergy like Quick Strike, Magma Storm, and Avalanche, and it’s also a class with some of the highest HP values in the game.
5White Mage
The Original Healer
Once again, Final Fantasy may have called “Shotgun” on the White Mage minivan, but Golden Sun was able to stuff itself into the trunk; with some slight adjustments, you can turn either your Jupiter or Mercury adepts into a beacon of healing and support. With some matching Djinn mixed with Venus types, the adepts benefit quickly from a significant boost to PP and a nice increase in Agility.
This is a pure support class, and it stands high and mighty among similar classes. The White Mage gets access to all the best support abilities, from Cure Poison and Revive to Pure Wish, also having high power output in psynergy like Spark Plasma and Freeze Prism.
4Ninja
From The Shadows Into The Light
Where there are Samurai,Ninjaare lurking in the shadows nearby, and even though they were historically recorded as peasant spies, games like Golden Sun have reimagined Ninjas as fast and lethal warriors relying on a diverse array of abilities. Another class that is accessible to three adept types (Venus, Mars, and Jupiter) works by combining their associated Djinn to provide a selection of assorted abilities.
Having a solid attack score, the Ninja have their psynergy tailored to dish out damage, with the unique Annihilation specifically dealing damage by multiplying the character’s attack score. They max out with Punji Strike, Carpet Bomb, and Thunderhead, providing good elemental coverage that hits groups of enemies hard.
3Conjurer
Bringing Power Into Reality
Fantasy and, specifically,Dungeons & Dragons, have ideas about Conjurers, and Golden Sun has some ideas of its own. The Conjurer is one of several split classes that is available to Venus, Mars, and Jupiter adepts, but will have different abilities based on Djinn combinations, and both will get access to a range of offensive and defensive support abilities like High Impact and Psy Drain, but their attack psynergy will change.
By having a majority Jupiter with a few Venus or vice versa, you’ll get Grand Gaia, a powerful Venus-type move that hits all enemies. By having a majority Jupiter with a few Mars or vice versa, you’ll get Pyroclasm, which is one of the strongest Mars-type attacks in the game.
2Druid
The Natural Choice
Druids all across the various fantasy worlds share a few distinct similarities: They’re connected tonature and/or animals. Well, Golden Sun saw this and thought, “Yeah, we can work with that”, and the Druid class is another split affair that is shared between the Jupiter, Mercury, and Venus adepts.
No matter which one you assign it to, they’ll get access to the fairly strong Wild Growth, the useful support ability Revive, and support abilities like Bind, Resist, and Psy Drain to boost allies and inhibit enemies. By swapping Jupiter Djinn for Mercury ones, you’ll get far more healing power, like Restore and Pure Wish, as well as some potent ice attacks like Froth Spiral.
1Swordsman
It’s Dangerous To Go Alone
So it’s come to this, the backbone of any adventuring party is the guy whoswings a swordbetter than the average person… the Swordsman. Both Venus and Mars adepts benefit the most from this, with Mercury also getting some bonuses from it, and in terms of stats, it’s one of the most balanced classes out there, creating a sturdy and capable warrior.
No matter which combination you go with, both will be able to use supportive and healing Mercury-type skills like Avoid, Restore, Pure Ply, and Pure Wish, so with the Mercury lead and Venus support or switching to attacking, you’ll be attacking mostly with plants, eventually getting up to the damaging group attack Nettle. By letting Mars step in for Venus, you’ll do decent group damage with Fiery Blast but also be able to raise team defenses with Protect.
