Octopath Traveler Classes: All Jobs, Skills, and Secret Class List

Octopath Traveler aims to be a throwback to the golden era of Japanese RPGs, and it's generally pretty successful. It's no surprise, then, that it has job classes in the finest classic RPG tradition - and early on in the game, you'll be faced with some difficult choices that we're going to try to make easier by breaking down each job class and its skills. 

• Job Classes Explained
• Main Classes
• Advanced Classes

Octopath Traveler Job Classes guide: The Class System Explained

As we explain in our guide to the best starting character in Octopath Traveler, each of the eight characters in the game fits one of the eight basic starting classes. There's a twist, however: each of these classes can later be discovered anew and equipped to a new character as a secondary class.

This is a powerful system that's at the heart of Octopath Traveler's RPG mechanics - but more on that in just a moment.

The RPG classes will feel largely familiar if you know the genre tropes. Where Octopath differs is in how these jobs interact and mesh together when you get deep into the systems - which this page is here to help you with.

On this page we're going to break down everything about each Octopath Traveler character class and job: the skills, the weapons they can use and the stat bonuses each class carries. But before we do that...

How to unlock Secondary Jobs Unlocking Secondary Job Classes in Octopath Traveler

As we mentioned earlier, the job system split between the eight cast members has a twist of sorts, and that's that once a character has reached chapter 2 of their personal story you can actually find shrines out in the world that let you find a second copy of each of the starting Job Classes. These can then be equipped to characters to create unique job combinations. 

This second copy of a job will let you, say, give Dancer Primrose the abilities of a Warrior, or Merchant Tessa the abilities of a Hunter. Secondary jobs will grant you the attribute bonuses of that class, plus let you unlock its active and passive skills, which we list below. Path Actions and Talents, however, do not carry over.

There are some restrictions on this - each new job can only be equipped once, and if you unequip a job from a character you lose that job's active skills and stat bonuses - however, you get to keep their passive skills. This is important as it can let you build truly unique teams if you plan ahead.

There are also advanced classes hidden away in the world behind high-end, end-game bosses... but we'll get into those another time.

How to unlock new Active & Passive skills for each Job Class

Before we get into breaking down every class in the game, it's important to note the difference between active and passive skills. In case it's not obvious, Active Skills are used in combat (and for some heals, in the menus too) while Passive Skills can be equipped and have their effects remain active consistently until unequipped. As mentioned above, unlocked passive skills stick with characters once unlocked even if the associated job is removed from them.

Here's how it works: progressively, more passive skills will unlock in each job as you unlock active skills. You'll learn a new passive skill after unlocking your fourth skill, then one more passive skill for each active skill you learn after that.

Skills, meanwhile, get progressively more expensive. You can unlock them in any order you like (except for Divine Skills), but the cost rises. Your First and Second Skills are free, but the Third onwards will cost the following: 30 JP, 100 JP, 500 JP, 1000 JP, 3000 JP and finally 5000 JP. JP is earned through successful combat, so get grinding!

Octopath Traveler Classes list: All 8 Base Classes

Below, we list all 8 base Job Classes in Octopath Traveler - and their skills, plus other key information you'll likely want to know about each.

• Warrior
• Hunter
• Scholar
• Cleric
• Apothecary
• Dancer
• Merchant
• Thief

Warrior Character Job Class: the tank

Warriors are all about dishing out physical damage while soaking up large amounts of damage themselves. This class doesn't heal and don't have any elemental attacks, but they make up for that with raw power. Warriors can Equip Swords and Polearms.

Olberic is the game's default Warrior, but you can unlock the job for another character once you reach and find the Warrior subclass Shrine.

Warrior Active Combat Skills

• Abide (4 SP) - Increase physical attack strength for three turns.
• Cross Strike (12 SP) - Attack a single enemy with your sword.
• Incite (4 SP) - Draw enemy attacks for three turns.
• Level Slash (9 SP) - Attack all enemies with your sword.
• Spearhead (6 SP) - Attack one enemy with a polearm and get to move earlier on the next turn.
• Stout Wall (4 SP) - Increase physical defense for three turns.
• Thousand Spears (20 SP) - Attack random enemies 5-10 times with a polearm.
• Brand’s Thunder (Divine Skill, 30 SP) - A potent sword attack on one enemy.

Warrior Passive Skills

• Cover - Take damage for allies who are near death. 
• Summon Strength - Increases physical attack by 50.
• Endure - If your character is hit with blindness, confusion, poison, silence, sleep, terror, or unconsciousness their physical and elemental defenses are raised.
• Surpassing Power - Increases the maximum damage limit to 99,999.

Warrior Stat Attribute Bonuses

• Max HP - 18%
• Physical Attack - 5%
• Physical Defense - 5%

Hunter Character Job Class: devastating power - with micromanagement

The Hunter Job Class is able to capture weakened enemies in battle and then later summon them to unleash their abilities on enemies. This means the class requires a lot of micromanagement as you constantly juggle the limited number of beasts you can carry and capture new foes for beter skills, but the class is also a powerful physical attacker with Bows and Axes, with a variety of skills to match.

H'aanit is Octopath Traveler's default Hunter, but you can unlock the job class for another character by finding the Hunter subclass Shrine.

Hunter Active Combat Skills

• Rain of Arrows (8 SP) - Attacks random enemies 5-8 times.
• True Strike (10 SP) - Guaranteed critical hit to one enemy with a bow.
• Thunderbird (7 SP) - Cause massive damage to one enemy with a bow.
• Leghold Trap (6 SP) - The targeted enemy cannot act until the end of the turn for two turns.
• Mercy Strike (4 SP) - Attack one enemy with a bow. Cannot kill the target, will leave them with 1 HP.
• Arrowstorm (24 SP) - Attack all enemies 5-8 times with a rain of arrows.
• Take Aim (8 SP) - Increases all party member’s critical and accuracy rates for two turns.
• Draefendi’s Rage (Divine Skill, 30 SP) - A powerful bow attack targeting all enemies.

Hunter Passive Skills

• Heighten Senses - Increased chance of a pre-emptive strike at the beginning of a battle.
• Eagle Eye - Increases critical rate by 50.
• Second Serving - Character has a 50% chance of attacking twice when using a normal attack.
• Patience - Character gets a 25% chance of getting a bonus action at the end of a turn.

Hunter Stat Attribute Bonuses

• Accuracy - 6%
• Critical - 6%
• Evasion -  5%
• Physical Attack - 8%
• Speed - 5%

Scholar Character Job Class: the offensive mage

Octopath Traveler's Scholar job class is all about study of the arts - and in this instance, for combat, this means magic. The Scholar gains access to powerful elemental magic of Fire, Ice and Lightning, and can be used to absolutely annihilate enemy weaknesses to lock them down in a stunned, broken state. They can only use staves, so are by no means physical attackers.

Cyrus is the default Scholar in Octopath Traveler, though by finding the Scholar Class Shrine you can give another character these skills and stat bonuses.

Scholar Active Combat Skills

• Fireball (8 SP) - Deals fire damage to all enemies.
• Fire Storm (22 SP) - Deals fire damage to all enemies twice.
• Icewind (8 SP) - Deals ice damage to all enemies.
• Blizzard (22 SP) - Deals ice damage to all enemies twice.
• Lightning Bolt (8 SP) - Deals lightning damage to all enemies.
• Lightning Blast (22 SP) - Does lightning damage to all enemies twice.
• Analyze (1 SP) - Reveals the HP and one weakness of a single enemy.
• Alephan’s Enlightenment (Divine Skill - 30 SP) - Target party member’s spells that typically target all enemies will instead only target one, but with increased intensity.

Scholar Passive Skills

• Evasive Manuvers - Less random encounters.
• Elemental Augmentation - Boosts elemental attack strength by 50.
• Percipience - Prevents enemies from surprise attacking the party.
• Vim and Vigor - Regenerate a small amount of HP each turn.

Scholar Stat Attribute Bonuses

• Elemental Attack - 10%
• Elemental Defense - 5%
• Max SP - 13%

Cleric Character Job Class: the healing, holy mage

The Cleric is Octopath Traveler's White Mage class, thus having access to both potent healing magic and offensive Holy-element powers - as is Japanese RPG tradition. The Cleric has the skills you'd expect and is entirely focused around them - only able to equip staves, they won't be looking too tasty in any physical face-off.

Ophilia is Octopath Traveler's default Cleric, though you can find a Cleric subclass Shrine out in the world and unlock these abilites for another character. 

Cleric Active Combat Skills

• Heal Wounds (8 SP) - Restores a bit of health to the whole party.
• Heal More (25 SP) - Restores a significant amount of health to the entire party.
• Holy Light (6 SP) - Attack one enemy with light-elemental damage.
• Luminescence (9 SP) - Attack all enemies with light-elemental damage.
• Sheltering Veil (6 SP) - Raises a party member’s elemental defense for two turns.
• Reflective Veil (22 SP) - Imbues one party member with the ability to reflect a single elemental attack.
• Revive (50 SP) - Revives all downed party members.
• Aelfric’s Auspices (Divine Skill, 30 SP) - Allow a single party member to trigger twice per turn for three turns.

Cleric Passive Skills

• Persistence - Increases status-enhancing buff length by one turn.
• Inner Strength - Increases SP by 50.
• Evil Ward - Increases success rate when trying to flee.
• Saving Grace - Allows the equipped character to be healed above their max HP.

Cleric Stat Attribute Bonuses

• Elemental Attack - 5%
• Elemental Defense - 5%
• Max SP - 18%

Apothecary Character Job Class: the mixer

In some other RPGs the basic Concot ability of the the Apothecary job class is known as 'Mix' - and it's basically the ability to mix together items in your inventory to create a new item with a special attack. The Apothecary is a great back-up healer and also has access to ice skills - though in truth, the class only comes into its own if you're good at mixing. The Apothecary equips axes.

In Octopath Traveler Alfyn starts out as an Apothecary, but the job can be unlocked for other characters by finding the correct Apothecary shrine.

Apothecary Active Combat Skills

• First Aid (4 SP) - Restore health for a single party member.
• Empoison (6 SP) - Poisons an enemy for two turns.
• Amputation (8 SP) - A powerful axe attack on a single enemy.
• Icicle (7 SP) - Deals ice damage to one enemy.
• Last Stand (16 SP) - Attacks all enemies with your axe. Deals an amount of damage inversely proportional to the users current HP.
• Vivify (16 SP) - Revive a single party member.
• Dohter’s Charity (Divine Skill - 30 SP) - Items used by the target will affect the entire party for three turns.

Apothecary Passive Skills

• Inspiration - With each successful normal attack you’ll gain SP equal to 1% of the damage you inflict.
• Hale and Hearty - Increases max HP by 500.
• Resist Ailments - Improved resistance to blindness, confusion, poison, silence, sleep, terror, and unconsciousness.
• Heightened Healing - Gain 30% additional SP when being healed.

Apothecary Stat Attribute Bonuses

• Critical - 1.5%
• Elemental Attack -: 1.5%
• Max HP - 20%
• Physical Attack - 1.5%
• Physical Defense - 1.5%

Dancer Character Job Class: the buff queen

Dancers have some useful Path Actions and Talents, but in combat and skill they're all about supporting others, and can only use Daggers, making them competent but weak physical attackers. They also have extremely useful Dark Element magic attacks. Dancers are a difficult class to master, but buffs can really turn the tide of a difficult boss encounter.

Primrose is the first Dancer in Octopath Traveler, though you will be able to get these skills for another character via the Dancer secondary class Shrine out in the world.

Dancer Active Combat Skills

• Lion Dance (4 SP) - Raises a party member’s physical attack stat for two turns.
• Mole Dance (4 SP) - Boost a party member’s physical defense for two turns.
• Panther Dance (4 SP) - Boosts a party member’s speed for two turns.
• Peacock Strut (4 SP) - Boost a party member’s elemental attacks for two turns.
• Moonlight Waltz (7 SP) - Deals massive dark-elemental damage to one enemy.
• Night Ode (10 SP) - Deals dark-elemental damage to all enemies.
• Bewildering Grace (25 SP) - Causes a random effect to happen once.
• Sealticge’s Seduction (Divine Skill, 30 SP) - Target party member’s skills that usually target one enemy will target all for three turns.

Dancer Passive Skills

• The Show Goes On - Buffs your Dancer casts on party members will last one more turn.
• Eye for an Eye - Character has a 50% chance to counterattack when damaged with a physical attack.
• Second Wind - Gain a small amount of SP every turn.
• Encore - Once per fight, if your Dancer’s HP is depleted they will revive with 25% HP.

Dancer Stat Attribute Bonuses

• Elemental Attack - 8%
• Evasion - 10%
• Speed - 10%

Merchant Character Job Class: all about that money

The Merchant might not seem like it might be that useful a job class at first glance, but this class actually is a pretty decent jack-of-all-trades in battle once you get them to the right place, with the ability to use Bows, Polearms and Wind element magic - plus an absolutely amazing self-heal ability in Rest. 

Tressa is Octopath Traveler's sweet initial Merchant, but there is of course a merchant subclass shrine to find out there that can bequeath these skills to another character. As an aside, the combination of Rest and SP Saver skills makes this an obvious secondary class for your offensive mage of choice - or makes Tressa an obvious mage. Your choice!

Merchant Active Combat Skills

• Collect (2 SP) - Collect cash from the enemy you're currently fighting.
• Donate BP (3 SP) - Donates one BP to the targeted ally.
• Sidestep (10 SP) - Dodge the next physical attack with 100% success.
• Rest (0 SP) - Skip your turn to restore your HP, SP, and status ailments.
• Tradewinds (7 SP) - Deals massive wind-elemental damage to one enemy.
• Trade Tempest (10 SP) - Deals wind-elemental damage to all enemies.
• Hired Help (0 SP) - Pay to summon hired help to fight on your side. Costs cash - you choose from a list of options based on price.
• Bifelgan’s Bounty (Divine Skill, 30 SP) - Hits an enemy with one non-elemental attack and gives you cash equal to the damage you dealt.

Merchant Passive Skills

• Endless Items - When you use an item there is a 25% chance that it won’t actually be consumed.
• Grows on Trees - Get additional money after a battle.
• Hang Tough - If not in near-death status, any attack that would knock the character out instead leaves them with 1 HP.
• SP Saver - Character will use half the SP they usually would.

Merchant Stat Attribute Bonuses

• Elemental Attack - 3%
• Elemental Defense - 3%
• Max HP - 8%
• Max SP - 8%
• Physical Attack - 3%
• Physical Defense - 3%

Thief Character Job Class: stealing and debuffs

To be honest, we'd argue that the Thief class is a more useful character out on the field in Octopath Traveler than in battle. It has a great path action and skill, but as a battle combat member it's a bit weaker, though the thief is able to debuff enemies, steal HP and SP and use Swords and Daggers.

Therion is Octopath Traveler's default Thief, though these abilities can be given to a second character by tracking down the thief subclass shrine - and many of these abilites would fare better as a secondary skill than a primary one.

Thief Active Combat Skills

• Steal (2 SP) - Steal one item from one enemy.
• Steal SP (6 SP) - Attack a single enemy twice with a dagger. Attacker gains SP equal to 5% of the damage dealt.
• HP Thief (6 SP) - Attacks one enemy twice with a dagger. Attacker gains HP equal to half the damage dealt.
• Wildfire (7 SP) - Deal massive fire-element damage to one enemy.
• Armor Corrosive (4 SP) - Reduces an enemies physical defense for two turns.
• Shackle Foe (4 SP) - Reduce a foe's physical attack strength for two turns.
• Share SP (0 SP) - Give 50% of your current SP to another party member.
• Aeber’s Reckoning (Divine Skill, 30 SP) - Attack all enemies with a dagger. Damage dealt is proportional to the user’s speed stat.

Thief Passive Skills

• Incidental Attack - When using a non-damage-dealing skill on an enemy there is a 50% chance you will also attack.
• Fleetfoot - Increase speed by 50.
• Snatch - When using steal or collect, the character will gain double the loot.
• Insult to Injury - Debuffs inflicted on enemies will last one additional turn.

Thief Stat Attribute Bonuses

• Accuracy - 5%
• Critical - 5%
• Evasion - 8%
• Physical Attack - 2%
• Speed - 8%

Octopath Traveler Advanced Classes List

In addition to the eight basic classes above, Octopath Traveler also features four special, advanced job classes... and they're hidden away deep inside advanced class shrines you have to find, and guarded by hugely powerful late-game bosses - one of whom is pictured above.

Below, however, we list the four advanced job classes - and details about their skills.

• Warmaster
• Sorcerer
• Runelord
• Starseer

Warmaster Advance Class: the ultimate physical class

The Warmaster is the ultimate physical class. AOE abilities with all weapons you can imagine - Swords, Spears, Daggers and Bows, and even the ability to throw unequipped weapons from your inventory at enemies as a method of attack. Focused on attacking only - this class is powerful, but definitely needs to be supported by other characters.

Warmaster Active Combat Skills

• Guardian Liondog (35 SP) - Attack 5-10 times against random foes with your sword.
• Tiger Rage (35 SP) - An axe attack that hits all foes.
• Qilin's Horn (35 SP) - A polearm attack that skewers a single foe.
• Yatagarasu (35 SP) - Use a dagger to attack all enemies.
• Fox Spirit (35 SP) - A staff attack that hits all foes.
• Phoenix Storm (35 SP) - A bow attack that targets all enemies.
• Nightmare Chimera (35 SP) - A powerful attack on a single foe - but the weapon you use will be destroyed.
• Winnehild's Battle Cry (Divine Skill, 50 SP) - use all six different weapon types to level six attacks upon all enemies.

Warmaster Passive Skills

• Extra Experience - Gain extra EXP from battles. Does not stack with similar skills.
• Stalwart Defense - Raises physical defense by 50.
• Fortitude - Deal more damage when your current HP is low.
• Physical Prowess - raises physical attack and physical defenese in battle, like an indefinite buff.

Sorcerer Advanced Class

The Sorcerer Advanced Class wields unbridled magical power unleashed with absolutely insane magical damage - perfect for natrual mages like Cyrus or Ophilia. Has access to Fire, Ice, Thunder, Wind, Light and Dark elemental attacks - plus a debuff and a Divine Skill that offers an absolutely enormous buff. Phew.

Sorcerer Active Combat Skills

• Ignis Ardere (36 SP) - Attack all enemies 3 times with Fire element damage.
• Glacies Claudere (36 SP) - Attack all enemies 3 times with Ice element damage.
• Tonitrus Canere (36 SP) - Attack all enemies 3 times with Lightning element damage.
• Ventus Saltare (36 SP) - Attack all enemies with 3 times with Wind element damage.
• Lux Congerere (36 SP) - Attack all enemies 3 times with Light element damage.
• Tenebrae Operire (36 SP) - Attack all enemies 3 times with Dark element damage.
• Elemental Break (36 SP) - Hit a single for with a powerful staff attack that also lowers their elemental defense for 2 turns.
• Dreisang's Spell (Divine Skill, 50 SP) - A 3-turn buff that guarantees critical hits from elemental attacks from an ally of your choice - but only for 3 turns.

Sorcerer Passive Skills

• Extra Experience - Gain extra EXP from battles. Does not stack with similar skills.
• Stalwart Defense - Raises physical defense by 50.
• Fortitude - Deal more damage when your current HP is low.
• Physical Prowess - raises physical attack and physical defenese in battle, like an indefinite buff.

Runelord Advanced Class

The Runelord advanced class uses runes that imbue powers with an elemental twist, and you can use runes for every major element in the game - Fire, Ice, Thunder, Wind, Light and Dark. You can even spend a decent chunk of SP to ensure that your runs impact the entire party, thus allowing you to turn any party into an elemental weakness nightmare for even the hardiest of bosses.

Runelord Active Combat Skills

• Fire Rune (15 SP) - Imbues the user's weapons with Fire element damage for 3 turns.
• Ice Rune (15 SP) - Imbues the user's weapons with Ice element damage for 3 turns.
• Lightning Rune (15 SP) - Imbues the user's weapons with Lightning element damage for 3 turns.
• Wind Rune (15 SP) - Imbues the user's weapons with Wind element damage for 3 turns.
• Light Rune (15 SP) - Imbues the user's weapons with Light element damage for 3 turns.
• Dark Rune (15 SP) - Imbues the user's weapons with Dark element damage for 3 turns.
• Transfer Rune (25 SP) - A 3-turn buff that makes skills which would usually only target the user also target their allies.
• Balogar's Blade (Divine Skill, 50 SP) - Attack a single foe with mixed damage from all six elements.

Runelord Passive Skills

• Stat Swap - Swaps the user's Elemental and Physical Attack stats over.
• SP Recovery - Gain a small amount of SP back when you take damage, with the amount based on the damage taken.
• Dauntless - When afflicted with a Status Ailment, physical and elemental attack stats will be buffed.
• Elemental Edge - A constant passive buff raising Elemental Attack and Defense stats.

Starseer Advance Class: the ultimate support role

The Starsee r advanced job class is able to heal and buff - but the Starseer isn't quite an epic white mage alone. In fact, this advanced class is something of a cross between a hugely powerful cleric and a buff and debuff beast. The Starseer also has access to some offensive abilities, so it can totally hold its own as a class aside from the team buffing.

Starseer Active Combat Skills

• Shooting Stars (35 SP) - Attack all foes with a mixed attack of Wind, Light, and Dark elemental damage.
• BP Boost (25 SP) - Allows an ally to gain 2 BP per turn, for two turns.
• Divination (25 SP) - Raise an ally's critical hit rate for two turns.
• Starsong (25 SP) - Buff an ally to raise their defenses, speed, and evasion stats for two turns.
• Celestial Intervention (25 SP) - Cast on foes to prevent them from receving any buffs for two turns, or on an ally to prevent them from being debuffed for two turns.
• Ethereal Healing (30 SP) - Give all allies a HP regeneration buff for two turns.
• Moon's Reflection (30 SP) - Cast on an ally to allow them to counter-attack upon being hit with physical damage.
• Steorra's Prophecy (Divine Skill, 50 SP) - A powerful elemental attack that deals damage to all enemies based on the party's current BP.

Starseer Passive Skills

• Hard Worker - Gives extra JP after battle. Does not stack with similar skills.
• Boost-Start - Start battles with 1 BP extra.
• BP Eater - Skills that are Boosted by the user deal extra damage.
• Divine Aura - A permanent buff that has a 25% chance to nullify all incoming damage.