Chrono Trigger/Characters

Characters and Techniques

Characters and Single Techs

Crono

Crono is the classic mute protagonist, a simple avatar for the player. He uses swords, and learns lightning magic once he reaches the End of Time. You'll be forced to have him in your party up until Chapter 24, The Time Egg but during the last portion of the game based around sidequests you can choose whomever you want.

Cyclone – A useful early attack technique which hits all enemies in a radius around the one you target.
Slash – Hits all enemies on a line between Crono and the enemy you target.
*Lightning – Strikes a single enemy with Lightning magic.
Spincut – Hits a single enemy for double damage.
*Lightning 2 – Strikes all enemies with Lightning magic.
*Life – Brings a single character back to life.
Confuse – Hits a single enemy for 4x damage.
*Luminaire – Hits all enemies with Lightning Damage

Cyclone is a useful tech for taking out groups of enemies early in the game, although it's even better when combined with some of the double techs you'll have. Life is particularly handy since Crono is a fixture in your party, and just keep in mind what your best physical attack or magic spell currently is. Luminaire is the most powerful Single tech in the game under normal circumstances.

Lucca

The brainy genius, you'll have the option to keep her in your party for most of the game. She uses guns which rely on her hit rating, and fire magic.

Flame Toss – Hits all enemies on a line between Lucca and the target.
Hypno Wave – Puts a single enemy to sleep.
*Fire – Attacks a single enemy with fire magic.
Napalm – Attacks all enemies in a radius around the target with a fire attack
*Protect – Increases physical defense of an ally
*Fire 2 – Damages all enemies with a fire attack
Mega Bomb – Damage all enemies in a radius around the target with a fire attack
*Flare – Damages all enemies with the strongest fire magic.

You'll mostly just want to use the best fire spell Lucca has available.

Marle

One of four characters in the game who doesn't give their real name, Marle's actually Princess Nadia, heir of Guardia castle. She uses bows which depend upon her hit rating and Ice Magic.

Aura – Heals one ally
Provoke – Confuses one enemy
*Ice – Ice magic against one enemy
*Cure – Restores more health to one ally
*Haste – Cuts wait time of one ally by 1/3
*Ice 2 – Attacks all enemies with Ice
*Cure 2 – Restores all health to an ally
*Life 2 – Revives and restores all health of an ally

As you can see she's almost entirely support spells. Haste is an extremely useful tech against long, drawn-out bosses like the Black Tyrano. and Life 2 is the best revival method in the game. Her drawback is the lack of healing spells that affect the whole party, but she does get a lot of Double Techs that compensate for that.

Frog

Also known as Glenn, a medieval swordsfrog who's essential in the fight against Magus. He'll learn water magic.

Slurp – Restores the health of one ally.
Slurp Cut – Attacks a single enemy
*Water – Attacks a single enemy with water magic
*Heal – Restores health of the whole party
Leap Slash – Attacks a single enemy
*Water 2 – Attacks all enemies with water magic
*Cure 2 – Restores the full health of one ally
Frog Squash – Deals damage to all enemies, the lower your HP the higher the damage

Frog is required for the whole sequence in Magus's castle, and he has a good physical attack otherwise. The Heal spell is very useful, and Frog Squash is a killer, doing extreme amounts of damage when HP is low, for example after using a Revive... keep this in mind.

Robo

Also known as R-66Y or Prometheus, Robo is a resident of the apocalyptic future whose weapons can have a physical or shadow element.

Rocket Punch – Attacks a single enemy
Cure Beam – Restores the health of a single ally
Laser Spin – Hits all enemies for Shadow damage
Robo Tackle – Attacks a single enemy
Heal Beam – Restores the health of the full party
Uzzi-Punch – Hits a single enemy
Area Bomb – Attacks a single enemy
Shock – Damages all enemies

Robo is very slow, so he needs a lot of Speed uppers before he can unleash his full potential. He learns a damage-all tech early, which is useful during the Factory section where he must be in the party. Heal Beam is also useful.

Ayla

Ayla uses entirely physical attacks since she predates the existence of magic on the planet.

Kiss – restores a single ally's HP
Rollo Kick – Attacks a single enemy
Cat attack – Attacks a single enemy
Rock Throw – Attacks a single enemy
Charm – Steals items from a single enemy
Tail Spin – Damages all enemies around the targeted area with a Tail Spin
Dino Tail – Attacks all enemies, does greater damage at low health
Triple Kicks – Attacks single enemy three times.

In general you'll probably be best off using the most powerful physical tech she has, and charm can be very useful for getting rare items. Dino Tail functions much like Frog Squash.

Magus

*Lightning 2 – As seen with Crono, attacks all enemies for lightning damage.
*Fire 2 – As seen with Lucca, attacks all enemies for fire damage.
*Ice 2 – As seen with Marle, attacks all enemies for water damage.
*Dark Bomb – Damages all enemies in radius around target for shadow damage
*Magic Wall – Raises magic defense of a single ally
*Dark Mist – Damages all enemies for shadow damage
*Black Hole – Attempts instant death of single enemy
*Dark Matter – The ultimate shadow magic attack on all enemies

Magus has every kind of magic available to him and a strong physical attack. What's not to love?

Characters and Double Techs

Every set of two characters which doesn't include Magus has three double techs between them.

Characters and Triple Techs

One rule of thumb is that every three character set which includes Crono and doesn't include Magus has a triple tech. Thus, Crono Marle Frog have one, Crono Marle Lucca, etc. In addition to these triple techs however, there are some hidden ones that can only be activated by finding a hidden "rock" accessory somewhere in the game and equipping it on one of the characters involved in the triple tech. To use any of the special triple techs you'll need to wait until Chapter 24 when you're finally able to choose your party without Crono.

Dark Eternal

Requires: Marle, Lucca, Magus. The black rock which activates it is found by going to Kajar in 12,000 B.C. before the disaster, and activating the "water"-"wind"-"fire" books to reveal a secret area.

Spin Strike

Requires: Frog, Robo, and Ayla. The silver rock which activates it is in 65M B.C. at Laruba ruins, talk to the Nu there to receive it.

Grand Dream

Requires: Frog, Marle, and Robo. The gold rock which activates it is in 600 A.D. at the Denadaro mountains. After completing Frog's Sidequest put him at the front of the party and have him catch one of the Free Lancer's rocks. The rock must be equipped on Frog and he must have the upgraded Masamune.

Omega Flare

Requires: Lucca, Robo, and Magus. The blue rock which activates it is found in a chest in the Giant's Claw, in the raised version you explore in 600 A.D. while doing Marle's Sidequest.

Poyozo Dance

Requires: Marle, Lucca, and Ayla. The white rock which activates it is found in a chest in the Black Omen, see Chapter 25 for more details. This also has the distinction of being one of the two non-elemental attacks in the game, along with tailspin, which works regardless of magic defense or defense, it also affects the ghost version of Cyrus in 1000 A.D. at the Northern Ruins.