The story of Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma puts you in the shoes of a mythical Earth Dancer who must regain their lost memories and save the lands of Azuma from an existential threat. However, you don't have to face every threat on your own, thanks to the game's incredibly reliable party system.
There are numerous unique characters you can recruit for your party in Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma, but you'll need to know how to unlock them first. Here's how to get started and find every party member in the game.
10 Beginner Tips For Rune Factory: Guardians Of Azuma
Any players just starting Marvelous Inc.'s life-sim RPG Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma should look to these beginner tips to help them progress.
How to Form a Party in Rune Factory Guardians of Azuma
The following guide contains character and story-related spoilers, as varying degrees of story progression are required to unlock and recruit each character. The Party option becomes available to you during the early part of the main story in Spring Village, once you've become acquainted with most of its locals and pledged to revitalize the village as its chief. You can form your party by selecting the Party tab in the pause menu (seen above). Initially, you can have up to three members in your party at any given time, aside from yourself. However, that limit will increase to 6 party members once you complete the 'Matsuri's Summons' main quest.
Keep in mind that you can only make adjustments to your party loadout while in a safe area, such as one of the villages. However, once you've unlocked the 6 party member limit cap, you can switch between those 6 party members while out in the field in combat, to help adapt to offensive and defensive situations. Don't forget that you can customize their outfits as well, depending on what you have unlocked.
How to Unlock All Party Members in Rune Factory Guardians of Azuma
There are a total of 21 different party members that you can currently recruit and bring on adventures in Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma. Their availability first depends on when you encounter them in the main story. Once you become acquainted with them, you then need to raise your Bond Level with them to at least Level 1. This will officially unlock the option to recruit them to your party via the Party menu.
Iroha
- Party Member Type: Defender
- Recruit Location: Spring Village
Iroha is one of the very first party members you can recruit in the game, as they're virtually the first character you meet after crashing into Spring Village at the start of the story. Her younger sister, Suzu, can also be recruited as a Buff-style party member, but they don't have to be paired together.
Suzu
- Party Member Type: Buffer
- Recruit Location: Spring Village
Suzu is introduced in tandem with her older sister, Iroha, early in the game in Spring Village. She surprisingly becomes an available party member, by proxy, but you don't need to have Iroha in the party to recruit her. She's also a unique party member in that she can't be incapacitated like others can.
Murasame
- Party Member Type: Attacker
- Recruit Location: Spring Location
Murasame is another party member that you can unlock early in the game after rescuing Takumi at the Abandoned Shrine near Spring Village during the 'Searching for Takumi' quest.
Takumi
- Party Member Type: Attacker
- Recruit Location: Spring Village
You can unlock Takumi for your party fairly early in the game's main story, when you're tasked with finding him during the 'Searching for Takumi' quest in Spring Village. After defeating Mezuki at the Abandoned Shrine and returning to the village, Takumi will become available both as the local Carpenter and a party member for your protagonist.
Sakuna
- Party Member Type: Attacker
- Recruit Location: Autumn Village (if you have Sakuna DLC downloaded)
Sakuna is a special party member that will only unlock if you download the free Sakuna: Of Rice of Ruin DLC. Once you have, you'll be able to unlock her for the game and your party once you reach Autumn Village, complete the 'Mikoshi Hunt' story quest, and complete her special Ema Plaque quest called 'A Farmhouse for a Princess'.
Ulalaka
- Party Member Time: Healer
- Recruit Location: Spring Village
Ulalaka is someone you can recruit early in the story, as she's the deity of Spring Village and the first one you revive.
Hina
- Party Member Type: Attacker
- Recruit Location: Spring Village
Hina is another helpful attack-type party member that you can recruit early in the game during your first stint in Spring Village, as you meet her and Mauro almost immediately after leaving the Dragon Shrine in the prologue.
Mauro
- Party Member Type: Healer
- Recruit Location: Spring Village
In tandem with Hina, Mauro is another early recruit you can pick up early in the game at Spring Village after getting settled and becoming its chief.
Kotaro
- Party Member Type: Debuffer
- Recruit Location: Autumn Village
Likely a choice you wouldn't expect, Kotaro is one of the younger potential recruits you can pick up while continuing the main story in Autumn Village and becoming its chief. He's a surprisingly handy Debuff-type that fits in with any team setup.
Kurama
- Party Member Type: Attacker
- Recruit Location: Autumn Village
After you settle in at Autumn Village and revive Kurama, the god of Autumn, you can turn around and recruit him as an Attack-type party member.
Pilika
- Party Member Type: Attacker
- Recruit Location: Winter Village
Pilika first becomes available as a recruit after reviving Fubuki, the god of Winter, and taking over Winter Village as its chief. She's an impressively reliable ranged attacker that should be used in tandem with close-range attackers.
Sakaki
- Party Member Type: Debuffer
- Recruit Location: Spring Village
Sakaki is another potential early recruit that you can pick up for your party after completing the game's prologue in Spring Village. While his stats aren't the strongest, he's the earliest Debuff-type you can get in the game, so it's worth getting used to the dynamic as soon as possible.
Matsuri
- Party Member Type: Attacker
- Recruit Location: Summer Village
Matsuri can be recruited as a party member after you successfully resurrect her in Summer Village as part of the main story. Like any other party members, you need to raise your Bond with any of the God characters to at least Level 1 to make them an option.
Fubuki
- Party Member Type: Buffer
- Recruit Location: Winter Village
Fubuki can be recruited as a party member after you successfully resurrect him in Winter Village as part of the main story. Like any other party members, you need to raise your Bond with him to at least Level 1 to make him an option.
Zaza
- Party Member Type: Defender
- Recruit Location: Winter Village
Zaza can be recruited in her hometown of Winter Village after the initial story events there to resurrect the Winter God, Fubuki. She's an impressive Defender-type party member that can be a reliable choice for the remainder of the main story.
Cuilang
- Party Member Type: Defender
- Recruit Location: Autumn Village
Cuilang can be recruited in Autumn Village after the initial story events there to resurrect the Autumn God, Kurama. Remember to raise your Bond with him to at least Level 1 to make him an option in the party menu. While not the strongest Defender-type, Cuilang can be good in a pinch.
Tsubame
- Party Member Type: Debuffer
- Recruit Location: Summer Village
Tsubame can be recruited in her hometown of Summer Village after the initial story events there to resurrect the Summer God, Matsuri. She's a formidable Debuffer-type party member, which you should always try to have in your group against regular enemies or bosses.
Watarase
- Party Member Type: Buffer
- Recruit Location: Winter Village
Watarase can be recruited in his hometown of Winter Village after the initial events there to resurrect the Winter God, Fubuki. He's one of the stronger Buffer-type party members, so he can be a good choice for either offensive or defensive groups.
Kai
- Party Member Type: Defender
- Recruit Location: Autumn Village
Kai can be recruited after the initial events in the Underworld as part of the main story. You'll usually find him hanging out at Yachiyo's Izakaya in Autumn Village. He's a formidable Defender-type party member that's recommended for the later events of the story.
Ikaruga
- Party Member Type: Attacker
- Recruit Location: Any Village
Ikaruga becomes recruitable from any of the seasonal villages after you defeat him in battle during the story-related quests to find the Astral Shrines. Increase your Bond to at least Level 1 to make him an option via the Party menu.
Clarice
- Party Member Type: Attacker
- Recruit Location: Any Village (after the main story is complete)
Clarice is one of the last party members you can recruit, as you'll initially need to defeat them in battle during the last quests of the main story. Afterward, you can find them in any of the seasonal villages and increase your Bond to make them an available party member. They're also an exceptionally strong attacker, so bringing them along is highly recommended.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 81 /100 Critics Rec: 81%
- Released
- June 5, 2025
- ESRB
- Teen / Fantasy Violence, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol
- Developer(s)
- Marvelous
- Publisher(s)
- XSEED Games, Marvelous
WHERE TO PLAY
- Engine
- Unreal Engine
- Franchise
- Rune Factory
- Number of Players
- Single-player
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Verified
- PC Release Date
- June 5, 2025
- Nintendo Switch Release Date
- June 5, 2025
- Nintendo Switch 2 Release Date
- June 5, 2025
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PC
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
