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). Furthermore, all 3 characters have the exact same walking speed, so Tyris does not have anything to offset her short reach.

Jump attack: Tyris has 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 does not have the best 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, and is arguably the weakest character in the game. 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, rely heavily on Bizarrians, 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.

Jump attack: His jump attack has the same reach as Gilius, but is slower 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 reasonably safe and somewhat 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 is more effective than Tyris overall, but is slightly lacking physically when compared to Gilius. However, one unique and powerful advantage that Ax Battler has is that his level 2 magic gathers all on-screen enemies and tosses them directly in front of him in one single pile (in addition to doing damage), setting up perfect wakeup/okizeme opportunities to repeatedly use his downward stab against an entire group of downed enemies. This spell is especially useful when facing bosses to prepare them and their lackeys for okizeme away from the border of the screen (where they are relatively safe from the downward stab). Ax Battler's level 2 magic is arguably the most useful spell in the game, and this ability easily makes Ax Battler the best boss killer in the game when used by a player who is able to utilize the downward stab infinite.

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. His combo is slightly slower to hit than the other characters, but is still the most effective combo attack in the game by far. Note: Gilius deals double damage (or more accurately, a single axe swing hits twice) against other Ax Battler and Tyris when playing The Duel in two-player mode.

Jump attack: Gilius's jump attack has the same reach as Ax Battler, but it is quicker 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 due to its excellent reach and deceptive quickness when initially attacking behind him; it even possesses frames of invincibility, allowing Gilius to out-prioritize many enemy and boss attacks. This attack hits to the back, front, and back again. 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, and his long-reaching combo is always reliable. He has the weakest magic in the game, so his magic should be used for crowd-clearing purposes to get out of sticky situations (rather than for damage). However, even when surrounded, his magic is often unnecessary due to his excellent special attack. Gilius is a powerful character who is recommended for beginners.