Spend your first ordinary Crewmate Card on Eustace if you want a safer ranged experiment, or Beatrix if close-range combo play is already your favorite part of Relink. Then keep progressing: Gallanza and Maglielle have a free progression route, while Fraux and Fediel can be earned through the Endless Ragnarok story instead of rushed with two cards each. The right first character is the one you will actually take into repeat quests—not the one another player ranks highest.
Endless Ragnarok adds six playable characters: Beatrix, Eustace, Gallanza, Maglielle, Fraux, and Fediel. PlayStation's hands-on report confirms the full group; the decision below is about access and fit, rather than a context-free tier list.
The six characters: pick by the job you want to do
| Character | First impression | How to unlock | Choose them when | Hold off when |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beatrix | Active melee fighter with changing self-buffs | One ordinary Crewmate Card | You like staying near the boss and actively managing your next move | You want to learn encounters from a comfortable range |
| Eustace | Mobile ranged gunner | One ordinary Crewmate Card | You want to keep attacking while repositioning and test a different rhythm | You specifically want melee commitment and combo routing |
| Gallanza | Heavy, durable frontline attacker | Story/progression scene after Chapter 0 Hard quests | You enjoy deliberate, wide-reaching hits and trading speed for presence | You need an instant recruit; his route is worth progressing instead |
| Maglielle | Sword-and-magic hybrid with utility | Same special-card route as Gallanza | You want offense with support-minded options | You only want a pure, simple damage character |
| Fraux | Stance-based close-range fighter | Story progression, or two ordinary cards early | You already know you want to learn a more involved manual character | You are card-limited and happy to play the story |
| Fediel | Mobile dark-element attacker with short- and long-range tools | Late story progression, or two ordinary cards early | You want her now for a planned main or regular group | You are only curious; the story route is more efficient |
The playstyle descriptions are practical summaries of hands-on and gameplay-guide coverage, not a claim that one character is stronger in every build or mode. For a quick roster reference, see the complete six-character unlock list.
The no-regrets unlock order
Most players should not try to recruit all six immediately. The low-risk route preserves cards for choices that still matter after you have tested the expansion.
- Pick one immediate recruit. Choose Eustace for ranged comfort or Beatrix for proactive melee. One new character is enough to tell you whether you want to invest in a different moveset.
- Clear the relevant Chapter 0 Hard quests. Gameplay coverage reports that the resulting scene awards Gallanza and Maglielle's special Crewmate Cards together. If you have already cleared that point, trigger a quest or return to Folca to check for the scene.
- Play the Endless Ragnarok story before buying shortcuts. Fraux is reported to arrive around the middle of its story and Fediel near the end. That makes normal-card spending a time-saving choice, not the default way to access them.
- Use two-card shortcuts only with a plan. Spend them on Fraux or Fediel if you want that character for the story now, have watched enough gameplay to know they are a main candidate, or need them for a group you play with regularly.
- Test before building. Run several familiar quests with a recruit before committing weapons, sigils, and Master Trait materials. A character that feels awkward in your hands will not become a good investment just because the unlock was expensive.
This route uses only two ordinary cards if you are content to let Fraux and Fediel arrive through the story: one for Beatrix and one for Eustace. Mobalytics' current unlock guide reports six cards are needed only if you choose every available early shortcut.
Beatrix or Eustace for your first card?
Choose Eustace for a beginner-safe new main
Eustace is the better default when you have no firm preference. As a mobile ranged specialist, he gives you room to keep contributing while you read a boss, reposition, or recover from a missed dodge. That makes him a useful first experiment for players who usually lose their damage time because they are not sure when it is safe to stay close.
This is a comfort recommendation, not a universal power ranking. If you already enjoy close-range characters, a ranged first card can be a poor purchase simply because you will not replay him.
Choose Beatrix if you enjoy making decisions in melee
Beatrix rewards a player who wants to stay in the boss's space and make frequent choices about offense, defense, and recovery. PlayStation's hands-on coverage describes her as a technical fighter who cycles self-buffs and asks for quick situational decisions. Pick her when learning that rhythm sounds exciting, not because you expect a passive damage upgrade.
Start by taking her into a familiar quest. Focus first on maintaining safe uptime and recognizing when to use a defensive or recovery option; do not chase an ideal rotation while you are still learning a new encounter. Her dedicated Beatrix profile is the next stop once that playstyle clicks.
Why Gallanza and Maglielle should usually wait
Gallanza and Maglielle are best treated as progression goals, not normal-card purchases. Their reported Chapter 0 Hard-quest scene provides their special cards together, so moving that route forward unlocks two characters without consuming the ordinary cards that can otherwise buy an earlier Fraux or Fediel.
Choose Gallanza when you want a heavier frontline feel: wide, deliberate attacks are more important to you than constant movement. Choose Maglielle when a sword-and-magic character with team utility better matches your solo party or co-op group. Test both before deciding who receives deeper upgrades; a free unlock does not require an immediate material commitment.
Fraux and Fediel: wait, pay cards, or buy a set?
Fraux and Fediel offer the real resource decision. Their story special cards let patient players recruit them without spending ordinary cards, but each can also be recruited early with two cards. The sensible default is to wait unless the character will immediately change how you play.
| Situation | Best choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You want to see the new story naturally | Wait for the story card | You preserve four ordinary cards across the pair |
| You know one will be your manual main | Spend two cards on that one | You gain play time with your intended main now |
| You only want to sample their moveset | Wait, then test in familiar quests | Curiosity alone is rarely worth two cards |
| You value a paid instant-start package | Compare the optional character set on your platform | Cygames lists separate Fraux and Fediel sets with their named card and starter items |
Cygames says each optional character expansion set requires Endless Ragnarok (or its upgrade kit), an active internet connection, and claiming the add-on from Sierokarte in town. It is a paid convenience option, not a requirement to add either character to the roster. Read the Fraux profile or Fediel profile before choosing a shortcut.
Common mistakes and quick fixes
Buying both immediate recruits before playing either. Recruit the style you expect to use most, then give it several quests. Saving a card is more valuable than expanding a roster you have not tested.
Assuming Gallanza and Maglielle need ordinary cards. Advance Chapter 0 Hard quests and check town or the quest counter for the associated scene first.
Paying two cards because a character sounds strong. A two-card shortcut buys earlier access, not mastery. Spend only when you have a specific character, team, or story playthrough plan.
Dumping materials into a fresh recruit immediately. First use a familiar quest to check your comfort with positioning, dodges, camera pressure, and skill cadence. Build after the character has earned a regular slot in your rotation.
Once you have a recruit you enjoy, use the Endless Ragnarok systems hub to plan its new progression layers. If your choice is between a returning main and a newcomer, compare that feel directly with the Zeta character guide rather than treating the new roster as an automatic replacement.
