Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories/Special characters

Special Classes, also called "Story Characters" or "Named Characters", are made up of unique, one-of-a-kind characters obtained through the storyline or through secret events. These classes cannot be renamed or deleted, and include both humanoid and monster-type characters. With the exception of Adell and Rozalin, all of these classes will be lost after beginning a new cycle, but can regained again in the current cycle. After lost characters are regained, they will have the same stats and equipment as when you last saw them.

All special classes only have one tier. Most fall along the lines of a tier 4 or tier 5 generic class by aptitude, but are closer to tier 3 for base stats. Because of this, all of these classes (with the notable exceptions of Adell and Laharl) will fall well behind the more advanced unlockable classes later in the game. There is, however, one distinct advantage to the Special Classes: they have by far the cheapest re-incarnation cost. All special classes can be re-incarnated as Genius for 5000 Mana, making it possible to re-incarnate them far more frequently than any other class in the game. Frequent reincarnation is somewhat of an artform of its own, but if done well these classes can achieve competitive base stats with a comparatively low amount of applied effort.

Storyline Characters
The following special characters will force themselves into your group through normal story stages, and cannot be avoided.

Adell: Demon Hunter

 * Ability: Damage to higher-leveled foes increases by 25%.
 * Lover: Ability increases an additional 1% per lover
 * Obtain: Available from Start
 * Type: Humanoid (Male)


 * Move: 5
 * Jump: 25
 * Counter: 1
 * Throw: 5 Panels, 32 dm
 * EXP Rate: 5


 * EXP: 10
 * HL: 10

He'll probably be the strongest in your party for most of the first cycle, and the rest of the game if you play your cards right. His underdog ability speaks for itself.

Rozalin: Zenon's Child

 * Ability: Increases stats of adjacent allied male characters by 20%.
 * Lover: Stat increase to males increases by another 1% per lover.
 * Obtain: Available from Start
 * Type: Humanoid (Female)


 * Move: 4
 * Jump: 15
 * Counter: 0
 * Throw: 3 Panels, 26 dm
 * EXP Rate: 5


 * EXP: 10
 * HL: 10

Rozalin will be outranked by a generic class pretty fast, and all her specials can be matched by a weapon skill or spell. Although you might not care to keep her level up-to-par, her innate ability will always be useful, especially since it works for all males, human and monster. That includes somewhat ambiguous characters such as Prinnies and Winged, and pretty much every other monster that isn't a Succubus, Felynn, or Flora Beast. Just be sure to move-cancel her back into the Base Panel after you've had use of it.

Tink: Dirty Frog

 * Blue Ability: Move range extended by two.
 * Red Ability: Stats increase by 20% for every adjacent female.
 * Blue Lover: Move range increases by one for every ten lovers.
 * Red Lover: Powers up an extra 1% when adjacent to allied female human characters.
 * Obtain: Finish stage 2-2
 * Type: Monster


 * Move: 5
 * Jump: 25
 * Counter: 2
 * EXP Rate: 3


 * EXP: 10
 * HL: 10

Red Side: When you first get him early in the game, Tink has the potential to be by far your strongest attacker, but it requires using a Beastmaster and Rozalin (Rozalin gives Red Tink both her male boost and his female boost, and the Beastmaster's Wild Groom special in conjunction with Tink's low exp rate grants him levels at a super-accelerated rate). While this works well for most story stages, the downside is that his red side isn't very useful in the Item World or Dark World since you usually won't have an opportunity to waste a turn turning him red.

Blue Side: His blue side easily has the highest movement in the game, and can be increased even more with Lovers. For that reason alone, he can be great at charging towards gates in the Item World... although you won't need to keep his level up to do it.

Hanako: Adell's Sister

 * Ability: Receives 50% damage from monsters.
 * Lover: Decreases damage from monsters by another 1% per lover.
 * Obtain: Finish stage 4-4
 * Type: Monster


 * Move: 5
 * Jump: 25
 * Counter: 0
 * EXP Rate: 3


 * EXP: 10
 * HL: 10

Fighting monsters? Send Hanako to the front lines. Her stat boosts don't increase more than a Cleric's spells, and the set combinations of two different stats isn't that helpful, nor is the limited range. Pretty Bazooka is definitely a solid attack, but since she doesn't have any attacks striking multiple panels, it can be harder to level her.

Her stats lag behind the generic classes more than usual, so that's the last thing you'll want her for. The ability helps keep her in your party for a while, but her HP and DEF are so low, a tier 6 Heavy Knight can match her against monsters, let alone against humans.

Taro: Rozy's Slave

 * Ability: When in danger, raises DEF and RES by 20%.
 * Lover: When in danger, DEF and RES increases by another 1%.
 * Obtain: Finish stage 5-4
 * Type: Monster


 * Move: 5
 * Jump: 25
 * Counter: 4
 * EXP Rate: 3


 * EXP: 10
 * HL: 10

Taro's all about defense, and he'll be your best defender early in the game. But by the time you can afford a tier 6 Heavy Knight, he'll be severely outranked, especially considering H-Knights can equip DEF-boosting spears.

Yukimari: Kunoichi

 * Ability: Normal attacks (including team attacks) have a 20% chance of causing Amnesia.
 * Lover: Chance to inflict Amnesia increases by another 1% per lover.
 * Obtained: Complete episode 7-2
 * Type: Humanoid (Female)


 * Move: 5
 * Jump: 35
 * Counter: 1
 * Throw: 4 Panels, 29 dm
 * EXP Rate: 5


 * EXP: 10
 * HL: 10

Yukimaru's innate ability is negligible, and her stats aren't really worth keeping her levels up either. Midare Fubuki is pretty powerful, so it's too bad her attack is too low to make full use of it.

Etna: Beauty Queen

 * Ability: Strengthens adjacent ally Prinnies (does not affect Prinny Kurtis) by 50%.
 * Lover: Prinny boost increases by another 1% per lover.
 * Obtain: Complete episode 9-4
 * Type: Humanoid (Female)


 * Move: 5
 * Jump: 20
 * Counter: 1
 * Throw: 4 Panels, 29 dm
 * EXP Rate: 5


 * EXP: 10
 * HL: 10

She starts with a spear, but exchanging that for an axe works just as well. The range of her Prinny Raid, and AoE of Sexy Beam/Chaos Impact make up for some of the axe's weaknesses.

If you're the type who likes to use Prinnies, keep her around and whore up that innate ability. Otherwise, her stats and specials aren't great enough to have her in your main fighting force after you've reached tier 6.

Extra Characters
The following two characters can only be obtained by defeating optional stages which must be opened through the Dark Assembly. Both are returning characters from the original Disgaea, and retain many of the same stats and attributes.

Flonne: Fallen Angel

 * Ability: Healing spells are strengthened (does not affect Power of Love) by 50%.
 * Lover: Healing spells strengthened another 1% per lover.
 * Obtain: Unlock and complete the "Overlord's Descent" extra stage
 * Type: Humanoid (Female)


 * Move: 4
 * Jump: 15
 * Counter: 0
 * Throw: 3 Panels, 26 dm
 * EXP Rate: 5


 * EXP: 10
 * HL: 10

There are two basic reasons to keep Flonne: more healing potential than you'll ever need (if you pupil-teach her the proper spells), and Power of Love, which is the only special that can heal and cure simultaneously. Just teach her some Cleric buffs and she's the best human-supporting unit in the game. Plus she can defend herself better than a Cleric or Kunoichi, thanks to her specials.

Laharl: Overlord

 * Ability: Inflicts 25% more damage to monsters.
 * Lover: Damage to monsters increases another 1% per lover.
 * Obtain: After obtaining Flonne, unlock and complete the "Summon Laharl" extra stage
 * Type: Humanoid (Male)


 * Move: 5
 * Jump: 20
 * Counter: 2
 * Throw: 5 Panels, 32 dm
 * EXP Rate: 5


 * EXP: 10
 * HL: 10

Laharl arguably has the best stats of the special characters, so if there's anyone you're going to keep based on pure strength, it'll be him. His innate ability (especially combined with lovers) is even more reason to keep him in your party. The combination of his specials and sword prowess make it seem like he can target virtually any group of panels, which is just another plus.

Land of Carnage Characters
The characters listed below can only be used while in the Land of Carnage optional area, and only during certain periods of episodes of the Carnage cycle (marked by "Available"). You can only simultaneously have all three after clearing the Carnage Stage 13-4.

Axel: Dark Hero

 * Ability: Receives 20%(?) less damage from human characters.
 * Lover: Decreases damage from humans by an additional 1% per Lover.
 * Available: Episodes 3, 9, 10, and 11
 * Type: Humanoid (Male)


 * Move: 5
 * Jump: 20
 * Counter: 2
 * Throw: 5 Panels, 32 dm
 * EXP Rate: 5


 * EXP: 10
 * HL: 10

Once again, his innate ability is probably the only reason you'll want to keep him, but by the time you can actually use him, you'll probably have a few tier 6 characters, which shames any reason to use Axel.

Fubuki: Ninja Master

 * Ability: Regular attacks (including team attacks) reduce SP by 20% of the damage done to HP.
 * Lover: SP damage dealt is increased by 1% per Lover.
 * Available: After stage 13-3
 * Type: Humanoid (Male)


 * Move: 5
 * Jump: 35
 * Counter: 2
 * Throw: 4 Panels, 29 dm
 * EXP Rate: 5


 * EXP: 10
 * HL: 10

His stats are lame by the time you get him. By the time his ability decreases a foe's SP to 0, they'll probably be dead already anyway. The only reason you would ever want to keep him around is to prevent some of the secret bosses from using their specials more than once... which... actually might be a good enough reason to keep his level up. Maybe.

Kurtis: Defender

 * Ability: Receives 50% less damage from enemies with higher levels. Explodes like a Prinny when thrown.
 * Lover: Decreases damage from stronger foes by an additional 1% per Lover.
 * Available: Anytime
 * Type: Monster


 * Move: 5
 * Jump: 35
 * Counter: 2
 * EXP Rate: 5


 * EXP: 10
 * HL: 10

His stats are average at best, but his aptitude is high in all the areas you need it to be, and his specials are useful. But if you're going to keep him around, it'll mainly be because of his innate ability (godly defense with enough lovers) and general coolness.