Main Walkthrough

Below is a guide to the seven playable characters in Chrono Trigger. Included is a general breakdown of their stat progression, uses in combat, and Techs. It's important to note that none of the characters are terrible, and you can make it through Chrono Trigger using any combination of characters that you like.

Anchor Links

The party adds Crono to the team at the End of Time, a location in Chrono Trigger.

Crono

Weapon: Katanas
Element: Light
Stat Growth:
  • HP: Good
  • MP: Good
  • Strength: Good
  • Accuracy: Good
  • Speed: Great
  • Magic: Poor
  • Evasion: Good
  • Stamina: Good
  • Magic Defense: Poor
The main character and primary protagonist for much of Chrono Trigger. Crono is a silent character, reacting to the events of the game with gestures, though his strong sense of justice and love of fair play shines through nevertheless. A wielder of Light magic, Crono is a mandatory member of your party for a little over half of Chrono Trigger.

Crono is one of the best characters you'll recruit, which is a good thing given how often he's forced into the party. On average he's a good character, and his high Speed stat allows Crono to rip up enemies before they get a chance to attack. His Tech pool in general is great, and Crono tends to pair well with other characters for high-damage Dual Techs. Crono's also a vital component of most Triple Techs, so you'll need him around to dish out top-tier amounts of damage. (Usually.)

Crono's only notable weakness is in the Magic category. That said, Crono's primary magic Tech, Luminaire, does so much damage that his lacklustre Magic stat almost doesn't matter.

Single Techs
  • Cyclone - 2 MP. Deals physical damage to a small area. A solid, early-game crowd control move.
  • Wind Slash - 2 MP, Light element. Deals Light damage to a line of enemies. Situational move that won't get much use, though you'll need Wind Slash for the Masa & Mune fight.
  • Lightning - 2 MP, Light element. Inflicts Light damage on a single enemy. Good at first, overshadowed within a few dungeons.
  • Cleave - 4 MP. Inflicts double damage to a single enemy. Good for mid-game bosses and stronger enemies.
  • Lightning II - 8 MP, Light element. Hits every enemy for Light damage. Decent early on, but expensive. Rendered pointless by Luminaire.
  • Raise - 15 MP. Revives one ally with 50 HP. Better to stock Athenian Water, given the high MP cost.
  • Frenzy - 12 MP. Strikes one enemy four times. Good for battles where you need to only hit one enemy.
  • Luminaire - 20 MP. Hits every enemy for Light damage. Crono's best Tech by a fair stretch, but expensive. Give Crono a Silver or Golden Stud to offset the cost.

Marle joins the party at the End of Time in Chrono Trigger.

Marle

Weapon: Crossbows
Element: Water
Stat Growth:
  • HP: Poor
  • MP: Great
  • Strength: Poor
  • Accuracy: Good
  • Speed: Good
  • Magic: Great
  • Evasion: Poor
  • Stamina: Poor
  • Magic Defense: Great
A rambunctious young woman with a major secret. Marle joins the party very early on, though she doesn’t stick around permanently until after the first two dungeons. From that point on she’s at Crono’s side until the end. Marle uses Water magic.

Marle is a decent party member, but not amazing. She's reasonably fast and can sling spells reasonably well, but her physical damage with her crossbows is abysmal. Marle's poor HP and defenses will see her getting knocked out on a regular basis if you don't keep her healed. Her Techs are also less-than-fantastic, as she lacks a top-tier damage-dealing Tech, and despite being a healer Marle can’t restore everyone at once, like, say, Robo or Frog. Good for some support work and her Dual Techs, but not vital to your overall strategy.

Single Techs
  • Aura - 1 MP. Restores a small amount of HP to one character. A good early-game healing option, or for restoring your party in the menu.
  • Allure - 1 MP. Confuses a single enemy. It's quicker to just defeat enemies, so don't bother with Allure.
  • Ice - 2 MP, Water element. Inflicts Water damage on a single enemy. Marle's first solid attack ability. Not great in the long run. 
  • Cure - 2 MP. Restores a moderate amount of HP to one character. Arguably Marle's best healing move, given the low MP cost.
  • Haste - 6 MP. Doubles a character’s speed in combat. The main reason to put Marle in the party, assuming you don't equip Haste Helms on your party members.
  • Ice II - 8 MP. Inflicts Water damage on every enemy. A great mid-game spell, and the hardest-hitting move Marle gets.
  • Cure II - 5 MP. Restores a large amount of HP to one character. Good at first, overkill later. Save Cure II for emergencies.
  • Arise - 15 MP. Revives and fully heals a single ally. The best way to revive a character, but expensive. Save Arise for emergencies, as well.

Adding Lucca to the party in Chrono Trigger.

Lucca

Weapon: Guns
Element: Fire
Stat Growth:
  • HP: Poor
  • MP: Great
  • Strength: Poor
  • Accuracy: Good
  • Speed: Poor
  • Magic: Great
  • Evasion: Poor
  • Stamina: Poor
  • Magic Defense: Great
Inventor extraordinaire, and one of the reasons Chrono Trigger takes place at all. Lucca is one of Crono’s lifelong buds, and her natural curiosity and powerful brain drive her to investigate the Gates, time travel, and the possibilities of a calamitous. Lucca uses Fire magic.

Statistically Lucca does not shine. She's abysmal as a physical attacker, both frail and slow, and doesn't really come into her own until she learns magic. Teach Lucca Fire, however, and she's off to the races. Lucca has some of the better Techs in the game, and by the end of Chrono Trigger she’s one of the few characters who can match - and sometimes surpass - Crono's damage output with her magic.
  • Flamethrower - 1 MP, Fire element. Inflicts Fire damage to a line of enemies. Great until Lucca learns Fire. After that, only useful for clusters of weak enemies.
  • Hyponowave - 1 MP. Puts every enemy on the screen to sleep. Usually better to just try and kill enemies.
  • Fire - 2 MP, Fire element. Inflicts Fire damage on a single enemy. Given Lucca’s high magic stat Fire will probably be your most powerful attack spell for a few dungeons.
  • Napalm - 3 MP, Fire element. Inflicts Fire damage to a small area. Great for crowd control, even after Lucca learns Fire II.
  • Protect - 6 MP. Boosts a single ally’s defense. Good for some boss battles.
  • Fire II - 8 MP, Fire element. Inflicts Fire damage on every enemy. Great spell for crowd control, possibly the best you’ll get for the first half of the game.
  • Megaton Bomb - 15 MP, Fire element. Inflicts Fire damage to a small area. Does more damage than Fire II, but can't hit as many enemies. Situational.
  • Flare - 20 MP, Fire element. Inflicts Fire damage on every enemy. One of the most powerful Techs in Chrono Trigger. Give Lucca a Silver or Golden Stud and she can wreck most enemies with Flare.

The team adds Frog to the party in Chrono Trigger.

Frog

Weapon: Swords
Element: Water
Stat Growth:
  • HP: Good
  • MP: Good
  • Strength: Good
  • Accuracy: Good
  • Speed: Great
  • Magic: Good
  • Evasion: Good
  • Stamina: Good
  • Magic Defense: Good
An amphibious swordsman with a strong sense of honor and a sorrowful past. Frog joins you twice, both times in 600 AD, and his personal tragedies drive a large quest that spans much of the game’s first half. Frog uses Water magic.

Frog is the definition of 'average'. His stats and Techs make him a jack-of-all-trades, capable of filling most roles but not excelling at anything in particular. Frog's only great advantage is his high critical hit rate with the Masamune while wearing the Hero’s Badge, which robs him of the use of any other accessory. (Fetching the Champion’s Badge from the Lost Sanctum in the PC / Mobile / DS versions helps.)

Single Techs
  • Slurp - 1 MP. Restores a small amount of health to a single character. A good subtitute for Aura while Marle is out of the party.
  • Slurp Slash - 2 MP. Inflicts damage to a single enemy. Better than Frog’s normal attack, but largely forgettable.
  • Water - 2 MP, Water elemental. Inflicts Water damage to a single enemy. Frog doesn't have the Magic stat to make this spell useful.
  • Heal - 2 MP. Restores moderate amounts of health to all characters. Not quite as good as Robo's Heal Beam, but still quite handy if Frog is your primary healer.
  • Aerial Strike - 4 MP. Inflicts damage to a single enemy. A good physical strike, but eclipsed later in the game when Frog gets the Masamune upgraded and can deliver many critical hits without expending MP.
  • Water II - 8 MP. Inflicts Water damage to every enemy. Useful in the Sunken Desert and a few other places, but the worst of the second-tier elemental Techs.
  • Cure II - 5 MP. Restores a large amount of health to a single character. A bit of overkill later in the game, but good for emergencies.
  • Frog Squash - 15 MP. Inflicts damage on every enemy, dependent on Frog's HP. The lower his HP, the more damage Frog Squash does. A last-ditch, situational move overshadowed by many other Techs.

Robo joins the party in Chrono Trigger.

Robo

Weapon: Arms
Element: None
Stat Growth:
  • HP: Great
  • MP: Poor
  • Strength: Great
  • Accuracy: Great
  • Speed: Poor
  • Magic: Poor
  • Evasion: Good
  • Stamina: Great
  • Magic Defense: Poor
A robotic servant from a ruined future. Robo joins the party in 2300 AD, and aside from a side quest he won’t ever leave. Sturdy, polite, and pure of purpose, Robo is dedicated to helping his friends stop Lavos. Though Robo doesn’t technically wield magic, his Techs inflict Shadow, Fire, or Light damage, depending on the move you use.

Robo is pretty good, filling the role of a tank. His physical stats besides Speed are all quite beefy, and Robo lines up well with Crono as a frontline fighter. He’s also not a bad healer for large parts of the game, slightly edging out Frog and Marle, and he has a few Dual Techs that do even better in that regard. Robo gets demolished by magic attacks, however, so you'll want to outfit him with appropriate defensive gear. A few Speed Capsules wouldn't hurt, either.

Single Techs
  • Rocket Punch - 1 MP. Inflicts damage to a single enemy. Mediocre.
  • Cure Beam - 2 MP. Restores a small amount of health to a single character. A handy healing option for much of the game, especially in the menu.
  • Laser Spin - 3 MP, Shadow element. Inflicts Shadow damage on every enemy. Good for early crowd control, and during the first battle against Magus.
  • Robo Tackle - 4 MP. Inflicts damage to a single enemy. A great option for fighting bosses without draining Robo’s MP.
  • Heal Beam - 3 MP. Restores a moderate amount of health to all characters. A useful healing Tech for much of the game, especially the midgame. Eventually outdone by items.
  • Rapid-fire Fist - 12 MP. Inflicts damage to a single enemy. Robo’s go-to Tech for solo attacks against bosses, though if you want to use it regularly you should equip a Silver or Golden Stud on Robo.
  • Proximity Bomb - 14 MP, Fire element. Inflicts Fire damage to an area surrounding Robo. Strong but situational. If Robo's sitting by himself this move is useless.
  • Electrocute - 17 MP, Light element. Inflicts Lightning damage to every enemy. A poor man’s Luminaire, and not worth using given Robo's lackluster Magic stat.

Ayla

Weapon: Fists
Element: None
Stat Growth:
  • HP: Good
  • MP: Poor
  • Strength: Great
  • Accuracy: Great
  • Speed: Great
  • Magic: Poor
  • Evasion: Great
  • Stamina: Great
  • Magic Defense: Poor
The vigorous, flirty chieftain of 65,000,000 BC. Ayla plays a role in the saga of the Masamune, and joins permanently after your final battle with the Reptites. She’s feisty, unapologetic, cheerful, and utterly fearless. Ayla cannot wield magic.

If you don't want to use Crono then Ayla has you covered. She's got the highest physical strength in the game, and her damage output rivals - and sometimes beats - Crono’s. Ayla’s terribly fast, her HP and Defense are healthy, and her Techs tend to be quite useful. Ayla is also a component in a large number of painful Dual Techs, ensuring painful deaths for most bosses. Ayla’s only major drawback is her poor Magic Defense, so be sure to equip her appropriately.

Unlike other party members, Ayla does not equip weapons. Her Fists receive upgrades as she gains more levels.

Single Techs
  • Kiss - 1 MP. Restores a small amount of HP to a single character, also healing status ailments. Good if you don't have any Panaceas.
  • Roundillo Kick - 2 MP. Inflicts damage to a single enemy. A good choice if you want critical hit-level damage.
  • Cat Attack - 3 MP. Inflicts damage to a single enemy. A strong, cheap move for mauling strong enemies or bosses.
  • Boulder Toss - 4 MP. Inflicts damage to a single enemy. Slightly better than Cat Attack, though Boulder Toss can't be used against large, immobile enemies, such as Giga Gaia, the Tyrannos, or Lavos.
  • Charm - 4 MP. Steals an item from an enemy. An amazing utility Tech that should be used on virtually every boss, as they tend to carry valuable gear.
  • Tail Spin - 10 MP. Inflicts damage to a group of enemies surrounding Ayla. Situational, and not that great.
  • Dino Tail - 15 MP. Inflicts damage to all enemies, dependent on Ayla's HP. The lower Ayla's HP, the more damage Dino Tail does. Situational, and not that great.
  • Triple Kick - 20 MP. Inflicts three strong hits’ worth of damage to a single enemy. Quite powerful, but the high cost limits Ayla's uses of the move. Tends to work into very strong Dual Techs.

Magus joins the party in Chrono Trigger.

Magus

Weapon: Scythes
Element: Shadow
Stat Growth:
  • HP: Good
  • MP: Great
  • Strength: Good
  • Accuracy: Great
  • Speed: Great
  • Magic: Great
  • Evasion: Great
  • Stamina: Poor
  • Magic Defense: Great
The villain of the Middle Ages. Magus plays the villain for a large section of Chrono Trigger, and you’ll have to fight him at least once. If you turn down the opportunity for a rematch in 12,000 BC Magic instead joins the party, and is the only member of the team to never leave. Magus wields Shadow magic, though he also starts with second-tier Lightning, Fire, and Water spells.

Magus is an oddity. He has no physical Techs, instead utilizing a full roster of spells, and can perform no Dual Techs with your other party members. (He has some Triple Techs, but you need to be wearing specific accessories.) That said, Magus wields some of the best damage-dealing Single Techs in the game, and his high Magic stat allows him to thrash enemies as an independent character. He’s also surprisingly good as a physical hitter, and his Speed stat allows Magus to take frequent turns. Give him good armor to make up for his poor durability.

Single Techs
  • Lightning II - 8 MP. Inflicts Light damage to every enemy. Magus is much better than Crono at using this spell.
  • Ice II - 8 MP. Inflicts Water damage to every enemy. Magus is about on par with Marle at using this spell.
  • Fire II - 8 MP. Inflicts Fire damage to every enemy. Magus is slightly worse than Lucca at using this spell, though the difference is almost negligible.
  • Dark Bomb - 8 MP. Inflicts Shadow damage to a small area. A good Shadow spell until you get Dark Matter.
  • Barrier - 8 MP. Boosts one character’s Magic Defense. A good utility spell in long boss battles (Queen Zeal and Lavos, for example) where your physical characters keep getting hit by magic.
  • Dark Mist - 10 MP. Inflicts Shadow damage to every enemy. Quickly eclipsed by Dark Matter.
  • Black Hole - 15 MP. Has a chance of instantly killing one or more enemies in a group. Useless against bosses, of variable usefulness against normal enemies. Don't bother most of the time.
  • Dark Matter - 20 MP. Inflicts Shadow Damage to every enemy. A go-to attack for most late game boss battles, on par with Luminaire (Crono) and Flare (Lucca). Give Magus a Silver or Golden Stud so Dark Matter doesn't gobble up his MP too quickly.
Main Walkthrough