Disgaea: Hour of Darkness/Special Classes

Laharl
''Laharl (ラハール, Rahāru) is the son of King Krichevskoy, who plans on becoming overlord after his father's death. He is incredibly arrogant, and always tries to prove that he is the top demon in the Netherworld, often at the expense of his sensitive side. He becomes physically sick when hearing optimistic sayings, especially "Eternal love", and when he sees women with sexy bodies.'' Joins: Start

Laharl is an offensively-aligned character designed with Swords in mind; though he has a lot of other customization options. He can use any weapon in the game effectively, (sans Guns, in which he only has a C Rank; though Armsmasters rectify this) and has extremely high Stat growth. Laharl's Special Attacks are some of the most powerful in the game and hit multiple enemies at once; making him great for crowd-clearing. He will most likely remain the head of the player's fighting force well into the post-game.

Etna
''Etna is the leader of the Prinny squad, and one of the few vassals who remain in the Overlord's Castle after King Krichevskoy's death. She serves Laharl, though in a very sarcastic and insincere manner. She is very abusive toward the Prinny Squad, often using excessive violence and fear to keep them in line. Her actions and demeanor suggest an alternate agenda.....''

Joins: Start

Unlike her Overlord, Etna is a rather balanced character that specializes in Spears and Axes; While her Weapon Mastery is a bit less open than Laharl's, her balanced stat growth makes her a perfect candidate for any weapon. Her stats grow about as well as those of a generic character and as such, she is best used as a supporting attacker. Etna's Special Attacks rely on the ATK stat (sans Sexy Beam, which relies on the INT stat); keep this in mind if she's using a Staff or Gun.

Flonne
''Flonne (フロン, Furon) is an Angel Trainee sent on a mission to assassinate Overlord Krichevskoy. After learning that her target is already deceased, she becomes determined to follow Laharl and determine if demons truly are incapable of love. She is very innocent and naive, though she is deeply devoted to Lamington and the concept of spreading love to others. She is obsessed with tokusatsu series.''

Joins: 2-4/3-5

Flonne is one of the only Special Characters designed with Magic in mind, with a high INT and RES output; while her other stats grow at an average rate. She specializes in the usage of Bows, Guns, and obviously Staves. Of course, the player will have to teach her Magic with Extra Gain, as she has no Magic of her own. If she's using a Bow or Gun, Reincarnation will be the only way her stats will be able to keep up with the rest of the party's. Flonne's Special Attacks rely on her INT stat, so using her as a Magic caster is a common move.

Hoggmeiser
''Hoggmeiser is the former vassal of Krichevskoy. Upon Krichevskoy's death, Hoggmeiser steals huge amounts of treasure from the Overlord's castle, and builds his own mansion with that fortune. He has a son named Porkmeister.''

Hoggmeiser is the game's first Monster-type Special Character the player receives. He is ATK-Oriented, and like Laharl, has multi-area-of-effect Special Attacks. Despite these seemingly good qualities, he has a rather low stat growth and most generic characters will easily beat him out in terms of statistics. His only saving grace is his rather high HP; making him a good tank-like character.

Joins: 3-4/2-4

Maderas
''Maderas is a vassal of Krichevskoy, who is exiled after stealing Krichevskoy's black pretzels. Maderas is one of the many demons competing for the throne. Interactions with Etna suggest that the two may know each other.''

Joins: 5-4

Maderas is one of the game's most unbalanced characters due to the ATK-oriented nature of Monster weapons. Maderas is a Special version of the Nosferatu class and should be treated as such. Like his kin; Maderas' Special Attacks are both ATK and INT-based. So unless the player actively seeks out Tutor Specialists in the Item World; Maderas will only fight with half of his strength. Maderas also has a rather high Movement range; making him a decent performer in the Item World.

Gordon
''Captain Gordon is 37th "Defender of Earth", sent to the Netherworld to stop a potential invasion. Gordon has a great sense of justice, but is dim-witted. He is also blind to the true intentions of others, and never realizes when he's being tricked until it's too late. However, his sense of justice and duty constantly motivates him and those around him even in the darkest hours.''

Gordon is a Special version of the EDF Soldier, specializing in Fists and Guns, but lacking the expertise of the Axe weapon. Gordon starts out with a Gun. This implies a long-range, sniper-like character. However, his Special Attacks rely on the ATK Stat. How Gordon fights ultimately depends on the player's preference. Like most of the game's Special characters; he has a low capability for Magic. Gordon works great in tandem with Jennifer and Thursday; and their Team Attack Chance will always be at 100%.

Joins: 9-5

Jennifer
''Jennifer is Gordon's beautiful sidekick. Jennifer is a rather sexy woman, and she often jokes around in a very flirtatious manner. Despite her appearance, however, her intelligence and technical knowledge surpasses most scientists, having created a fully functioning robot at the age of five and earned her PhD at the age of ten. She is also skilled at martial arts, specializing in Kung-Fu.''

Joins: 9-5

Jennifer is the only one of three Special Characters that specialize in the Fist Weapon. (The others being Laharl and Gordon) Jennifer has a high ATK output and decent HP, making great at close-range. She's also decent with Guns, in case the Player wishes to make her a long-range attacker instead. Jennifer's Special Attacks, like Laharl's, rely on ATK and can hit multiple enemies. Jennifer's main weakness is her low DEF and RES outputs, her high HP being her only defense against powerful enemies. Jennifer works great in tandem with Thursday and Gordon; and their Team Attack Chance will always be at 100%.

Thursday
''Thursday is an "All Purpose Robot" created by Jennifer. He is very focused on bringing about justice, even to the point of breaking down. He also seems to be very calm when dealing with various obstacles and can be very sarcastic at times. He does not seem incapable of feeling human emotions, having forged a close bond with Gordon and Jennifer. Thursday usually begins or ends his sentences with 'blip beep'.''

Joins: 9-5

Thursday's strength lies in his high DEF and RES capabilities. This ensures that he can take a lot of punishment, leaving the way clear for the player's other soldiers to enter the fray. He can also use the Hand items to steal statistics from enemies the way Thieves do, though his Steal rate for items only maxes at 50%. Thursday works great in tandem with Jennifer and Gordon; and their Team Attack Chance will always be at 100%.

Thursday is also the only character in the game that cannot Reincarnate. Keep this in mind when developing him.

Kurtis
''Kurtis is from Earth, and he views himself as more worthy of the title of Defender of Earth than Gordon. After a traumatic experience that cost him over 70% of his body in addition to his wife and daughter, he becomes a cyborg. The incident scarred him mentally and caused him to follow a skewed path towards achieving his goals.''

Joins: 14-5

Kurtis is a powerful ally with a high ATK growth and multi-target Special Attacks. However, he has a rather low HP output and his DEF and RES are only average. The fact that you receive him late into the game also makes him a possible victim of neglect, as only a curious or serious player will take the time to properly customize him. He works well in tandem with Jennifer, Thursday, and Gordon; and their Team Attack Chance will always be at 100%.

Priere
''Was once the main character from the PS2 Game La Pucelle: Tactics. She eventually gave in to a lust for power, and now wanders the Netherworld seeking battle.''

Joins: Alt. Netherworld

Priere joins the party very late into the Post-Game; and will have extremely high stats. She is an ATK-Oriented character with a high amount of Counters and very high HP. Best used at close-range. Her Team Attack Chance with all Special Characters will always be at 50%.

Marjoly
''Marjoly is the villaness from the Rhapsody series of games for the original PlayStation. Being a Witch known for a mixture of cruelty, vanity, and a powerful sense of humor; She coveted the prince of a rival kingdom and encased him in stone to preserve him, only for the spell to become permanent. An unknown charm seems to have rendered her mute.''

Joins: Beauty Castle

Marjoly, like Priere, joins the party late into the game and will have extremely high stats. She is the statistical opposite of Priere, specializing in Magic....Though due to the nature of Monster-Type weaponry, will end up becoming a jack-of-all-trades type character. She sports a high number of Counters as well, making good at fulfilling any role. She comes equipped with accessories reminiscent of her minions which boost her stats further.

Antoire (PSP/DS)
''An assassin hired to protect Maderas. She turns on him the moment Etna defeats her and her minions in combat.''

Joins: Etna Mode 4-1

Antoire is a Monster-type character that joins Etna's Party in Etna Mode upon starting the Final Episode. She will initially join the party at Level 25 or 65 depending on whether Etna Mode is being played for the first time or as a New Game Plus. (Though if she's been customized in prior playthroughs, she'll retain her current statuses) Antoire has the exact same strengths and weaknesses as a Succubus character and should be treated as such. Her greatest strength comes from her Resistance to Status Ailments. Being immune to all Ailments makes her great against Archers or enemies with Status-inducing Special Attacks, such as Treants and Gargoyles.

Note: Antoire has the highest Reincarnation costs of any Special Characters due to a programming bug in the PSP version of the game. When she Transmigrates, the game will add a "Killed #" counter normally reserved for generic Monster classes, thus locking her Mana Costs at the level a newly-unlocked monster's would be. Manager Specialists can somewhat alleviate this.

Pleinair (DS)
''The gatekeeper for the Dark Assembly in the Overlord`s Castle. Seems to have a cult following in the Netherworld.''

Joins: New Game+ (playable on the DS Only: see Disgaea DS)

Pleinair is available on the Nintendo DS only, and stands as one of the strongest Special Characters in the game. Specializing in Guns, Pleinair has high HIT and SPD Aptitudes; making her a fast, spindly character good at attacking from long range and evading attacks coming her way. Her Special Attack relies on her ATK stat, though it's rather lackluster compared to the other characters' attacks. She also has an odd affinity for Spears; in case one chooses a less defensive style for her. Every time one starts a new cycle, she will have to be re-recruited.

Adell
''A silent, red-headed warrior from an unknown dimension. Etna predicts that him and his female friend are the main characters of the game's sequel.''

Joins:Demon Hall Mirror Map 7 (playable DS Only: see Disgaea DS)

Adell is a Monster-type character specializing in close-range fighting. Sporting a high number of Counters and having a high HP growth, he is good at close-range.

Rozalin
''A silent female warrior from an unknown dimension. Etna predicts that her and her male friend are the main characters of the game's sequel.''

Joins: Cave of Ordeals/Demon Hall Mirror x7 (playable DS Only: see Disgaea DS)

Rozalin is a Monster-type character specializing at long-range fighting. She joins the party with a rare monster-type weapon; and comes better-equipped than Adell. She has a much higher INT output than Adell, but her ATK-oriented Special Attacks and her starting weaponry suggest an offensive character.

Zetta
A sentient book claiming to be the Overlord of an alternate Netherworld.

Joins: Stellar Cemetery (Pass all 20 "Stronger Enemy" bills, then talk to the Gate Keeper)

Zetta has the game's highest ATK output, and a very high HP count. His major weakness is his movement range. A movement range of only one panel will not get him anywhere. Giving Zetta a pair of shoes is a very smart move, as it will allow him to more easily reach his targets. His multi-target Special Attacks and high HP make him an extremely powerful character, despite his glaring flaw.