Golden Axe II/Characters

All characters deal roughly the same base damage, the difference between them is the strength of their magic and the speed and effectiveness of their attacks.

Tyris Flare

 * Japanese: テイリス=フレア (romaji: teirisu-furea)

Combo: Her combo has less reach than Ax Battler and is slightly slower to hit as well (i.e. if Tyris and Ax Battler were to attack each other at the exact same moment, then Ax Battler's attack would hit first).

Jump attack: Tyris has is the shortest and slowest to hit jump attack in the game.

High jump attack: Tyris has the highest running jump in the game, but otherwise this move is identical for all 3 characters.

Special attack: Tyris's special attack is a flip kick that hits enemies in front of her and then behind her as she lands. The reach on the first part of the attack is minimal, and the second part is easily hit out of. Therefore, Tyris's special attack is the least effective special attack in the game.

Dash attack: Unlike the first game, dash attacks in Golden Axe II have a longer recovery, and unfortunately Tyris suffers from the longest recovery on her dash attack. Therefore, although her dash attack is the most effective when used against single enemies, it is actually the least effective when used against multiple surrounding enemies. Dash attacks are rarely necessary when facing a single enemy, so ironically it's arguable that Tyris has the least useful dash attack in the game.

Throw: She has the second longest throwing distance in the game.

Overall: Tyris is not as effective as the other characters when it comes to physical attacks. Her attacks have the worst reach, and she lacks a move that is perfectly reliable regardless of situation and enemy (such as Gilius's special attack); furthermore, her once trusty dash attack has been toned down compared to the first game. To succeed with Tyris in a no-continue game, the player must conserve her powerful magic and unleash its devastation against difficult enemies, and learn and exploit faults in the enemy AI.

Ax Battler

 * Japanese: アックス=バトラ (romaji: akkusu-batoraa)

Combo: Ax Battler's combo has less reach than Gilius, but is the quickest to hit in the game. Unfortunately, Ax Battler's overall weapon reach has been reduced from the original game (Genesis version only) and now he has the same weapon reach as Tyris. However, his weapon attacks are still better than Tyris because they are slightly quicker to hit.

Jump attack: His jump attack has the same reach as the other characters, and is the second quickest to hit. Note: Ax Battler has a higher normal jump than the other characters.

High jump attack: His high jump is lower than Tyris, but there are no differences between the attack itself.

Special attack: The first part of Ax Battler's special attack has an extended reach, so it is very safe and useful to throw out when the distance is properly gauged.

Dash attack: Although Ax Battler's dash attack does not have the reach and priority of Tyris, it has much quicker recovery, allowing him to repeatedly dash attack twin bosses without getting interrupted.

Throw: He has the longest throw in the game.

Overall: Ax Battler is well-rounded and more effective than Tyris in physical combat, but lacks an overpowered move.

Gilius Thunderhead

 * Japanese: ギリウス=サンダーヘッド (romaji: giriusu-sandaahedo)

Combo: Gilius's combo has the longest reach in the game. However, compared to the first game, the reach of his combo has been greatly reduced. Furthermore, his combo is slightly slower to hit than the other characters. Note: Gilius deals double damage (or more accurately, a single axe swing hits twice) against other characters when playing The Duel in two-player mode.

Jump attack: Gilius's jump attack has the same reach as the other characters, but it is the quickest to hit.

High jump attack: Gilius high jumps the same height as Ax Battler. There are no differences between the attack itself between the characters.

Special attack: Gilius's special attack is extremely effective. It should be primarily used as a back attack; it has excellent reach in both directions, has excellent priority and deceptive quickness when initially attacking behind him, and even possesses frames of invincibility, allowing Gilius to outprioritize most enemy and boss attacks. This attack hits to the back, front, and back again. Learn the distance and timing, and try to hit enemies (who are behind you) with the first part of the attack.

Dash attack: His dash attack has less reach and priority than Tyris, but has better recovery, allowing him to handle multiple enemies better. Note: All characters have the same walking speed, but Gilius has the fastest dashing speed.

Throw: He has the shortest throw distance in the game.

Overall: Gilius's special attack is game-breakingly good, akin to the elbow attack in the original arcade Double Dragon. He has the weakest magic, but can cast the most level 1 spells, which means that he can use magic more often for crowd-clearing purposes to get out of sticky situations (rather than to use it for damage). However, even when surrounded, his magic is often unnecessary due to his excellent special attack. Gilius is easily the best character in the game.