Summary
- Healers are vital in RPGs like Kingdom Hearts' Donald, who can cast powerful spells and heal.
- Unique healers like Shionne in Tales of Arise can also be powerful attackers with sniper rifles.
- Princess Peach in Super Mario RPG showcases offensive abilities along with healing powers.
A healer is a very important class in a JRPG, or RPG for that matter. As the name suggests, they help support the party with healing magic and buffs. There are plenty of games that let players inhabit classes, like a generic healer from Final Fantasy 5 to Dragon Quest 3: Seeds of Salvation.
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Then there are games with no swappable class systems, where instead players are assigned roles for their party members. Which JRPG healer characters have gone down as some of the most important in history? From funny moments to great sacrifices, these healers have earned themselves a spot in the hall of fame.
Donald (Kingdom Hearts)
Duck Amuck
Kingdom Hearts
- Released
- September 17, 2002
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E for Everyone: Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Donald is one of the core party members who helps Sora in Kingdom Hearts, along with Goofy. He’s the mage of the group, meaning he can cast his own versions of spells like Fire, called Donald Fire, and Cure, called Donald Cure.
Donald Cure is Donald’s only healing ability, but he is always a good character to keep in the party, even though his AI in the first game is a bit wonky. The AI improved over time, and overall, Sora would not have progressed as far as he did without Donald and Goofy in tow.
Shionne (Tales Of Arise)
Beware Her Scope
Tales of Arise
- Released
- September 10, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Alcohol Reference, Blood, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Shionne is a princess from Tales of Arise and is not a typical cowering female character. Shionne wants change and takes action to help free her land from monsters and tyrannical lords. She has one of the most unique weapons for a healer in a JRPG: a sniper rifle, and she’s quite adept with it.
Magic in Tales of Arise is known as Artes, and Shionne can heal, support the party, and revive them, but she’s quite powerful as an overall attacker, too, thanks to her potent firearm equipment.
Peach (Super Mario RPG)
A Damsel In Distress No More
Super Mario RPG
- Released
- November 17, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E For Everyone Due To Mild Fantasy Violence
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Princess Peach is a damsel in distress in most Mario games, but one of her coolest roles was in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars on the SNES. Those who missed out originally can check out the remake on Switch, which is just as good, maintaining the integrity of the game for a modern age.
Peach is the healer of the group—along with the new character, Mallow—but she isn't just a healer. Peach has some devastating offensive attacks too, such as throwing Bob-ombs at enemies, and she can also be sassy in the story, which gives her a new edge.
Flonne (Disgaea: Hour Of Darkness)
An Angel In Disguise
Disgaea: Hour of Darkness
- Released
- August 27, 2003
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Genre(s)
- Tactical, Strategy, RPG
Flonne is an angel sent to the underworld in Disgaea: Hour of Darkness to defeat evil demons. She thinks the main character, Laharl, is out to destroy her heavenly kingdom, but it's all a misunderstanding. Flonne is a bit ditsy, but she means well and sees the good in everyone, which is a great character to bounce off Laharl, who is excessively grumpy.
Players can create generic healers in this tactical PS2 RPG, but as far as main characters go, Flonne has the best healing and support magic in the party. She can target multiple squares, and she possesses some strong offensive skills as well.
Marle (Chrono Trigger)
By Your Powers Combined
Chrono Trigger
- Released
- March 11, 1995
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Marle is also a princess from the SNES era of JRPGs, and she is one of the party members in Chrono Trigger. Marle is the best healer in the game, by far. She strikes the perfect balance between support, healing, and offensive ice magic.
Marle can combine her healing skills with others for Double or Triple Techs, including Aura Whirl with Crono, which will heal the group, and Lifeline with Crono and Robo, which will cast Auto-Life on the party. She may start out as a damsel in distress, but Marle has attitude and does not quiver in the face of danger.
Lissa (Fire Emblem: Awakening)
Weak At First, Strong In The End
Fire Emblem: Awakening
- Released
- February 4, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Alcohol Reference, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes
- Genre(s)
- JRPG, Strategy
Lissa is one of the core party members in Fire Emblem: Awakening, and sister to the protagonist, Chrom. Like most Clerics in the Fire Emblem series, it can be hard to level Lissa up, as she can only progress through healing or attacking, but her attacks are very weak. For her class, Lissa can either become a War Cleric and have more physical strength on top of healing skills, or she can become a Sage and master magic too, which is the better route for her.
One of the key elements of Fire Emblem: Awakening is having characters mate to produce babies, and many fans choose to pair Robin, the player-character, with Lissa to produce Owain. Suffice it to say, while Lissa starts weak and is a bit timid, she’s a vital member of the party and becomes extremely powerful later on.
Yukari (Persona 3 Reload)
An Important Member Of SEES
Persona 3 Reload
- Released
- February 2, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- Mature 17 / Blood, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence
- Genre(s)
- JRPG, RPG, Life Simulation, Strategy
Yukari appears in all versions of Persona 3, with the latest being Persona 3 Reload. Every character has a Persona in the game, and her’s is Io, which can later evolve into Isis. Either way, Yukari will have access to a lot of healing skills, like Dia, along with wind-based magic like Garu.
She’s not the strongest of the group as, like Marle, she uses a bow as a weapon. That said, her healing skills are unmatched, and she has one of the greatest character arcs in the game, especially in the remake, which adds more to her development.
Aerith (Final Fantasy 7)
Goodness Gracious Great Gospel Of Healing
Final Fantasy 7
- Released
- January 31, 1997
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Fantasy Violence, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Technically, players can turn characters in Final Fantasy 7 into any archetype they want by equipping Materia. Individuality comes through Limit Breaks, and Aerith’s are focused on healing and buffs. Her greatest Limit Break, Great Gospel, can heal the party and grant Auto-Life, which is huge and not an easy Limit Break to unlock.
Aerith’s healing abilities were best showcased in Final Fantasy 7, and her character is fun, but her personality got a big upgrade in Final Fantasy 7 Remake. No matter which version is being discussed, Aerith is an all-time great JRPG healer and character. Without saying anything more, fans know exactly why Aerith is a star.
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