Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin had a very mixed reception upon its reveal. Right off the bat, it was clear that this game would not be our typical Final Fantasy-style game. From the edgy main character, Jack, to the heavy emphasis on action gameplay rather than the typical JRPG affair, this spinoff is perhaps the most divergent game to bear the title of Final Fantasy, even if it is just in the subtitle. Even with all those changes, Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin still makes an effort to include many of the most popular elements from the series, even if they need to be tweaked quite a bit to fit the new gameplay flow.
Jobs have been a popular inclusion, not just in. Final Fantasy, but many JRPGs for decades. This system of allowing characters to take on various roles, rather than each one being stuck in one style the entire game, adds a brand new layer of choice and tactics to the game. Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin brings back the Job system, but revamped to flow in the action-heavy mechanics the game is based around. Still, the game has an almost overwhelming number of Jobs, plus each one has its own strengths, weaknesses, skill trees, and more. Rather than make it feel like a job in itself to learn on your own, here’s a full Job guide for Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin.
Note: There will be minor spoilers for all the Jobs in Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, including one Job you unlock after beating the game.
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How Jobs work
If you’re new to Jobs, here’s a quick primer for how they function in Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin. Essentially, you can think of Jobs as classes in any other RPG. Each Job has its own abilities, strengths, and weaknesses tied to it, such as Mage, Swordfighter, and Lancer. In total, there are 28 Jobs to pick from for Jack and his party, though you will have to unlock the vast majority of them. You can also only have two Jobs available to swap between on the fly during any given mission. Like your character, whatever Job you’re currently using will earn XP you can use to level it up and unlock new buffs and moves on its respective skill trees.
Anima Shards are material you can earn as mission rewards that you can also spend to level up Jobs, even if you’ve never touched them before. As you play the game, each Job has a max level of 30, however, once you beat the main campaign and unlock Chaos Difficulty, you can raise that level cap to eventually hit 99.
Before a mission, you can assign your Jobs in the Battle Settings section of the main menu. Here you can choose which two Jobs you want to equip for your next mission. You will start with just one Job per character but will unlock new ones in various ways while playing the game. They can be broken down into three categories: Basic Jobs, Advanced Jobs, and Expert Jobs. The higher tier the Job, the harder it is to unlock. Here are all the Jobs in Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, what they can do, and how to unlock them.
Basic Jobs
Swordfighter: This is Jack’s default Job that comes with the Interception ability. This makes you invincible for a brief moment and lets you counter after getting hit. You unlock it by getting your first sword.
Swordsman: Not to be confused with the prior Job, this Job gives you the Spinning Slash ability. It’s not all that elegant — it has you spin your giant sword around like a tornado — and is best used when clearing a bunch of smaller, weaker mobs. You get this Job by picking up a greatsword.
Ronin: Your first Samurai style Job is the Ronin, which comes with the Iai-Giri skill. It has a bit of a long start-up time but is a very nice sweeping slash that has a deceptively long range to it. Get this Job by finding a katana.
Duelist: Fast and agile, you can use the Weak Spot ability with this class to guarantee a critical hit on an enemy with your next strike. Grab some daggers to unlock this Job.
Pugilist: An old-fashioned name for a boxer, the Explosive Fist is a relentless series of strikes you can use to pummel your target. Unlock this Job by getting the knuckle weapons.
Marauder: Coming in with the Upheaval ability, this massive attack not only deals good damage but also applies a weakened status on the enemy it hits, assuming they survive. Once you find an ax, this Job is open for business.
Mage: Our first magic-focused Job is the basic Mage. It doesn’t have a specific ability like the others, instead just letting you access a bunch of spells to toss out in battle. For whatever reason, you get this Job when you get your first mace.
Lancer: This class may not have a very fancy ability, by practically there’s nothing to complain about. Lance Hurl, well, hurls your lance at your target. This is a fantastic tool to have ready when those annoying flying enemies start showing up. Just find a Lance to unlock this Job.
Advanced Jobs
You will need to unlock specific parts of previous Job’s skill trees to unlock these, rather than accessing them after finding a weapon.
Knight: This gives you the Blessing of Light, which creates an AoE around your character after blocking an attack. Unlock it by going through the Swordsman and Swordfighter Jobs first.
Warrior: Another fighting type, we come to the Warrior Job and its War Cry ability. When used, it will not only deal AoE damage to all enemies but also slowly regenerate your own HP, making it great for offense and defense. You will need to level up the Swordsman and Ronin to become a Warrior.
Berserker: What else could this Job’s ability be but one called Berserk? When used, your damage and chance to stagger an enemy will be buffed, as well as lowering your own chances of getting staggered. Usually, these types of abilities have bigger downsides, but this one is basically all positive. Go berserk once you master the Marauder and Swordsman.
Thief: For all you sticky-fingered players out there, the Theif’s Steal ability works a bit differently than it typically does. Instead of snatching an item from an enemy, this skill lets you snag an instant ability from said enemy. Get your hands on this Job the legit way by earning it through the Pugilist and Duelist Jobs.
Monk: Calm yourself with the Monk’s Focus ability. When used, you can trade some of your MP to restore HP and your Break Gauge. It’s another not very exciting ability, but still super useful. Work your way through the Lancer and Pugilist trees to reach enlightenment.
White Mage: Another of the most recognized Jobs in Final Fantasy history, this iteration is exactly how you would expect: equipped with tons of healing- and buff-focused spells, but can also deal heavy damage if you use your healing spells on any undead type enemies. This is the evolution of your starting Mage Job.
Black Mage: On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Black Mage is focused on dishing out the pain with offensive elemental magic. Again, you get this one through the basic Mage.
Red Mage: The last of the colored mage types, Red Mages ride the line between the White and Black variants for those who don’t want to hard commit to one style over the other. You can use both types of spells, only weaker versions of both. However, you do get the Chainspell ability that lets you cast spells in rapid succession to help make up for lower damage. This Job asks you to go through the Mage and Swordfighter Jobs.
Dragoon: A lesser-known but just as old Job is the Dragoon, which, as expected, comes back with the Jump ability. Again, it’s about as basic as it gets. You leap into the air and bring your lance down on your target for big damage. This Job comes after Lancer and Marauder.
Samurai: The evolution of the Ronin, your Samurai learns the Meikyo-Shisui ability that makes your normal attacks recover more MP than usual, plus gives you MP if you pull off a parry. Once your journey as a Ronin is complete, this Job opens up.
Expert Jobs
The last and highest tier of Jobs is the Expert level. Just like before, the requirements will ask you to get through at least two of the Advanced or Basic Jobs to unlock, but the power these Jobs come with is well worth the time investment.
Dark Knight: The edgelord Job is here in all its dark glory. The Souleater ability works how you might have assumed the Berserk ability would, where it gives you a huge damage buff, but slowly chips away at your health. Naturally, you need to go through the Berserker, Black Mage, and Warrior Jobs to unlock this one.
Paladin: For the more noble and pure of heart, the Paladin has the Holy Fang ability is still quite strong. It will give you HP back for every hit you land, but also deal extra holy damage on hit if your HP is full. It does drain MP as long as you keep it on, so use it wisely. Become a true warrior of light by mastering the Knight and White Mage Jobs.
Ninja: Get ready to ninja-run and perform your hand signs, because the Ninja is coming in with its Ninjutsu ability. These are actually several abilities you can pick from that cost Ninja tools rather than MP, which is a neat change. This is the final form of the Samurai and Theif Jobs.
Assassin: The Ninja’s more deadly brother, the Assassin Job has, well, the Assassinate ability. When used, the ability will deal bonus damage on an enemy depending on how many marks are applied to it. Marks are applied based on the number of critical hits that have landed on an enemy. This Job comes from both the Thief and Monk trees.
Liberator: This one, by name, is probably the least clear about what it does. It does sound strong, which is appropriate since it comes with the Might Guard ability. Pop this skill to make an aura around your character that restores HP to you, and any party members in range, over time, as well as reduce any incoming damage. Liberate yourself by mastering the Warrior and Dragoon Jobs first.
Breaker: If you’re having just one of those days, the Breaker Job might be just what you need. The Zantetsuken unleashes a massive blade to rip through enemies. If it gets a kill, or even just depletes an enemy’s Break Gauge, it will automatically trigger a Soul Burst as well. This much power means you will need to go through the Berserker, Dragoon, and Samurai Jobs to be deemed worthy.
Void Knight: Another edgy name, but still strong Job. Here you get the Runic ability that allows you to absorb any spells targeting you and turn them into MP for yourself, or use them to do a special attack that cancels out any buffs on whatever it hits. This Job comes after the Knight and Red Mage.
Tyrant: Perhaps a bit of foreshadowing with this class. Regardless, Tyrant has the Enchant skill that buffs your weapon with the element of your choice. Very versatile and useful, but again a less flashy move. For whatever reason, the Tyrant is locked behind the Monk and Red Mage Jobs.
Sage: Your peak magic class is the all-powerful Sage, packing the Magic Sigil ability. When used, you gain access to all the most powerful White and Black Mage spells in the game, and landing a hit with each respective magic type will reward you with an emblem of that spell’s color. Get three of each and you can cast one of, if not the, most powerful spells in the game: Ultima. You will need to be a master of both the White and Black Mage Jobs to reach this level of sorcery.
Cyclic Warrior: The only expert Job that doesn’t have to be unlocked through any other Job is the Cyclic Warrior. Your ability with this class is the Soul of Chaos, which uses one of the four elemental magic attacks, but lowers your max MP. To get this class, you just need to fulfill Jack’s greatest desire and kill Chaos.
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