All Characters & NPCs - Full Guide

This page covers every significant character in Chrono Trigger—the seven you can play and the NPCs who drive the plot. A sprite that talks isn't necessarily significant; these are the ones who matter to the story or affect gameplay in meaningful ways.

Crono

Element: Lightning | Weapon: Katana | Joins: Start of game

The silent protagonist. Crono never speaks a single line—he's your avatar, "a typical teenager whom fate chooses to save the world." He wakes up late for the Millennial Fair, bumps into a princess, and accidentally gets pulled into a time-traveling adventure that spans millions of years. Classic RPG stuff.

In battle, he's the most balanced character. High Speed means he acts first; solid Strength makes physical attacks hit hard. His Lightning Techs combine with Marle's Ice and Frog's Water for devastating Dual and Triple Techs. Luminaire is his strongest spell and one of the best in the game.

You're stuck with Crono until the Ocean Palace event. After that—assuming he's still around—you can swap him out.

Best equipment: Rainbow (Sun Stone quest) or Dreamseeker (Dream Devourer). Prism Spectacles for crits.

Lucca

Element: Fire | Weapon: Gun | Joins: Millennial Fair

Crono's best friend and a genius inventor. Her father Taban built the Telepod that kicks off the whole adventure; Lucca's scientific curiosity keeps the plot moving. She loves machines, builds clever weapons, and figures out the Gate Key that lets the party control their time travel.

In battle, she's a glass cannon. Highest base Magic in the game, but also the lowest HP. Fire Techs deal massive damage, though many late-game enemies resist Fire—something to watch for. Hypnowave puts enemies to sleep; Protect buffs physical defense. But mostly you bring her to nuke things.

Best equipment: Wondershot (damage varies wildly but can one-shot bosses) or Spellslinger for consistency. Taban Suit from her dad. Gold Stud is mandatory.

Marle

Element: Ice/Water | Weapon: Crossbow | Joins: Millennial Fair

Her real name is Princess Nadia, heir to Guardia Castle. She hates royal life, sneaks out to the fair, and bumps into Crono. When Lucca's Telepod malfunctions, Marle's pendant reacts and she gets pulled through a time gate—starting the whole adventure. She's a tomboy who grows impatient with court protocols.

As for combat, she's your primary healer. Cure patches up the whole party; Arise brings someone back at full HP; Haste doubles a character's Speed, which is absurdly good. Offense isn't her strength—lowest Strength stat in the game—but reliable party-wide healing only she can provide.

Best equipment: Valkyrie Bow (Northern Ruins) or Venus Bow (Dimensional Vortex). Prism Dress for magic defense.

Frog

Element: Water | Weapon: Broadsword | Joins: Manolia Cathedral (600 A.D.)

His real name is Glenn. He was a squire to the legendary knight Cyrus until Magus killed Cyrus and transformed Glenn into a frog. That backstory drives much of the 600 A.D. plotline. Frog struggles with guilt over failing to save his friend; reclaiming the Masamune and defeating Magus is his redemption arc.

In gameplay, Frog's a tank/healer hybrid. Highest HP growth in the game; good Strength and Magic. His Water Techs combo with Crono's Lightning for Spire and other Dual Techs. He's the only character besides Marle with healing (Slurp, Slurp Kiss). And Frog Squash deals damage that scales with missing HP—when he's nearly dead, it hits like a truck.

Best equipment: Masamune (upgrade via Northern Ruins). Hero's Badge for his best Triple Tech.

Robo

Element: Shadow (technically none) | Weapon: Arm | Joins: Proto Dome (2300 A.D.)

Serial number R-66Y; the party names him Robo. He's a robot from the ruined future, originally built to serve humans. When Lavos devastated civilization in 1999 A.D., most robots turned hostile. Robo was shut down and forgotten until Lucca repairs him. He's "trying to remember his master's directions" and decides to help the party stop the apocalypse.

In battle, he's bulky support. Second-highest HP, high Strength, no elemental Techs. That last part matters—nothing resists his damage because it has no element. Heal Beam gives single-target healing; Uzzi Punch and Robo Tackle deal consistent physical damage. His Crisis Arm weapon can hit 9999 under specific conditions.

Best equipment: Teraton Arm (Geno Dome) for consistency. Apocalypse Arm for 9999 crits.

Ayla

Element: None | Weapon: Fist (none equipped) | Joins: Ioka Village (65M B.C.)

Chief of the Ioka tribe in prehistoric times. Ayla holds her own against men of her era—and every other era for that matter. She's trying to save her people from the Reptites, the intelligent dinosaur species competing with humans for survival. Strong, direct, and fiercely protective of her tribe.

Ayla predates magic entirely; it doesn't exist yet in her time. She fights with pure physical power. Highest Strength and Speed in the game. Her fists upgrade automatically at level 72 (Iron Fist) and 96 (Bronze Fist). Bronze Fist has 9999 crit potential. Charm lets her steal rare items from enemies—essential for getting boss-only equipment.

Best equipment: No weapon slot. Prism Spectacles and Dragon's Tear for crits.

Magus

Element: Shadow | Weapon: Scythe | Joins: North Cape (12,000 B.C.) — optional

The dark wizard waging war against Guardia in 600 A.D. But Magus was originally Janus, the young prince of Zeal in 12,000 B.C.—Schala's younger brother. When Lavos erupted at the Ocean Palace, Janus got thrown through a time gate and landed in the Middle Ages. Ozzie found the lost child in the woods, recognized his magical power, and raised him into the mage you fight at Magus's Castle.

He's optional. At the North Cape, you can fight and kill him or spare him. Sparing adds him to your party. He has no Dual or Triple Techs with anyone—he works alone—but his solo damage is excellent. Highest raw Magic stat; Shadow element means few enemies resist him. Dark Matter is one of the strongest spells in the game.

Best equipment: Dreamreaper (Dimensional Vortex) or Judgment Scythe (Lost Sanctum). Gloom Cape for Shadow absorption.

Key NPCs

Not playable, but these characters drive the story. Organized by the era where they're most significant.

Prehistory (65,000,000 B.C.)

Kino. Ayla's close friend and fellow tribesman. Considered the ancestor of the Guardia royal line. His name comes from the Japanese word for "yesterday"—a play on his prehistoric existence.

Azala. Leader of the Reptites. Azala hates humans and leads her species in their battle for survival. Her fortress, the Tyranno Lair, gets destroyed when Lavos crashes into the planet. The DS version confirms Azala is female.

Lavos. The main antagonist. An extraterrestrial parasite that crashed to Earth in 65,000,000 B.C. It burrows into the planet's core, slowly drains its energy, and in 1999 A.D. erupts to destroy civilization. Your goal is to stop that future from happening.

Antiquity (12,000 B.C.)

Queen Zeal. Ruler of the magical Kingdom of Zeal. She discovered Lavos buried beneath the ocean and became obsessed with harnessing its power. Under its influence, she ordered the Ocean Palace built to extract more energy. Her ambition destroys her kingdom and endangers her own children.

Schala. Zeal's princess and Janus's older sister. Kind-hearted, sympathetic to the Earthbound Ones, and trapped between loyalty to her mother and doing what's right. Her magical pendant—formed from Dreamstone—interacts with the Mammon Machine and other sealed artifacts. The DS/PC ending ties her fate to Chrono Cross.

Janus. Magus's younger self. A quiet, sullen child with a purple cat named Alfador. He senses the coming disaster but can't stop it. When Lavos erupts at the Ocean Palace, he's thrown through a time gate to 600 A.D.

Dalton. Queen Zeal's power-hungry assistant. After Zeal falls, he seizes the Blackbird and the Epoch. Gets defeated when his own summoning spell backfires. The DS version gives him a much larger role in the Dimensional Vortex.

Middle Ages (600 A.D.)

Queen Leene. Queen of Guardia. Gets kidnapped by Yakra, rescued by the party, and later helps Marle reconcile with her father.

Cyrus. The legendary knight who wielded the Masamune. Magus killed him in the Denadoro Mountains; his death haunts Glenn. You can put his ghost to rest during the Northern Ruins side quest.

Glenn. Cyrus's squire before becoming Frog. Struggled with killing—a problem for a knight's apprentice. Watched Magus kill his mentor and got transformed as a cruel joke.

Ozzie. Elder of the Fiends. Found young Janus in the woods of Truce Canyon and raised him into Magus. Acts as general of the Fiend army. You fight him multiple times; his final stand is at Ozzie's Fort.

Fiona. Resident of the southern continent. She dies trying to protect the forest southeast of Dorino. With time travel, you can help restore it.

Tata. A kid who finds the Hero's Badge and pretends to be a hero. He's actually terrified of monsters and drops the badge as soon as things get real.

Yakra. A monster working with the Fiends. Kidnaps Queen Leene and impersonates the Chancellor. His descendant Yakra XIII pulls the same trick in 1000 A.D.

Present (1000 A.D.)

King Guardia XXXIII. Marle's father. Lost his wife shortly after Marle's birth and struggles to connect with his daughter. His favorite food is jerky; his health is poor.

The Chancellor. The king's advisor. In 600 A.D., a chancellor gets kidnapped and replaced by Yakra. In 1000 A.D., the current chancellor is Yakra XIII in disguise—you expose him during the Rainbow Shell side quest.

Taban. Lucca's father and a fellow inventor. Throughout the game, he builds special equipment only Lucca can use.

Lara. Lucca's mother. Her legs got crushed in an accident when Lucca was a child. You can prevent this by entering the right password during a Telepod event.

Melchior. The Guru of Life. Exiled from Zeal to 1000 A.D. during the Ocean Palace disaster. Works as a weaponsmith; forges the upgraded Masamune if you bring him the right materials.

Fritz. Son of the Truce market owner. Imprisoned in Guardia Castle for unexplained reasons. If you rescue him, he helps run the family shop.

Pierre. The lawyer who defends Crono during The Trial. His competence depends on your actions at the fair.

Future (2300 A.D.)

Doan. Final descendant of the Guardia line. Acts as elder for Arris Dome's survivors. Used to race the Jetbike as a kid; gives you the key in exchange for giving his people hope.

Belthasar. The Guru of Reason. Exiled to 2300 A.D. during the Ocean Palace disaster. He builds the Epoch—the time machine that gives your party freedom to travel anywhere.

End of Time

Gaspar. The Guru of Time. Exiled to the End of Time when too many entities tried to travel simultaneously. Acts as your guide throughout the game, pointing you toward your next objective.

Spekkio. The self-proclaimed "Master of War." A shape-shifting creature who teaches your party magic and fights them to test their skills. His form changes based on your lead character's level—defeat each form for better prizes. See the Spekkio guide for details.