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
Tyris Flare has the most powerful magic but the weakest attack, making her a somewhat difficult character. Her dash attack is flying kick which almost never misses. Her special attack is a back flip that hits enemies behind as well as in front.
 * Japanese: テイリス=フレア (romaji: teirisu-furea)

Ax Battler
Ax Battler is a middle-of-the-road character; both his attack and magic are fairly even, making him a good character choice for new players. His dash attack is a shoulder barge, which is slow and may well miss. His special attack is to hit in front, turn around, and jump-attack to the rear.
 * Japanese: アックス=バトラ (romaji: akkusu-batoraa)

Gilius Thunderhead
Gilius Thunderhead sacrifices magic strength for combat prowess. He is the strongest fighter, and the favoured character of many experienced players. His dash attack is fairly decent. His special attack is a spin attack that hits enemies on both sides. For some reason Gilius deals double damage against other characters when playing The Duel in two-player mode.
 * Japanese: ギリウス=サンダーヘッド (romaji: giriusu-sandaahedo)