Star Ocean: First Departure R - Character Artworks and Bios

by Adam Vitale on 15 November, 2019

Square Enix has updated the official English website for Star Ocean: First Departure R, giving us our first clean renders of the new character artwork done by Katsumi Enami (Star Ocean 4: The Last Hope, Ys Seven, Ao/Zero no Kiseki). We also have their official character bios.

Star Ocean: First Departure R is a remaster of 2007's Star Ocean: First Departure on PSP, which itself is a remake of the original 1996 Star Ocean on Super Famicom. One of the primary additions made to the remaster is that of a new artstyle for the character portraits, though the older PSP version art will also be available to select. The game will also offer three voice tracks, the PSP English and Japanese tracks, along with a new Japanese voice track featuring the voice actors from the original JP-only Super Famicom game.

For those new to Star Ocean, the earlier games in the series have a large pool of potential party members, and players can only select a handful of them to permanently join the team in one playthrough depending on certain choices made during the game. Some characters are mutually exclusive to others as well. In Star Ocean: First Departure, Roddick, Millie, Ronyx, and Ilia are required members, while the other characters vie for the final four spots of the full party roster.

Check out the official character bios below, with the PSP version artwork on the left and new version artwork on the right. Individual character artworks for each version can be found in the gallery.

Star Ocean: First Departure R is set to release for PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch on December 5. You can find more information and a trailer here.

Roddick Farrence

A Fellpool living on Planet Roak. At first glance, he appears deeply thoughtful and reticent, but is in fact quite passionate. He is a part of the Kratus Defense Force, along with Millie and Dorne among others. His father was a leader in the Defense Force, but was killed in action when Roddick was still young. He is a skilled swordsman, and appears to secretly possess a unique and unparalleled talent.

Race: Fellpool
Hometown: the Kingdom of Muah, border town Kratus
Age: 19 years
Weapon: Sword
Height:174 cm
Weight: 68 kg

Millie Cliette

A Fellpool apprentice symbologist. Roddick's childhood friend, and a member of the defense force. Her youth holds her back from being honest with herself about her feelings, but she grows gradually as she experiences various events. She has received instruction on symbology from her father, and has the ability to cast healing spells.

Race: Fellpool
Hometown: the Kingdom of Muah, border town Kratus
Age: 18 years
Weapon: Rod
Height: 164 cm
Weight: 46 kg

Dorne Murtough

A Fellpool swordsman. A close friend of Roddick and Millie since childhood, he also belongs to the defense force. He brings the group together with his joviality, but he also possesses strong conviction and a keen eye for observation. He secretly has feelings for Millie, but this also means that he has a deeper awareness of what's in her heart.

Race: Fellpool
Hometown: the Kingdom of Muah, border town Kratus
Age: 19 years
Weapon: Sword
Height: 181 cm
Weight: 75 kg

Ronyx J. Kenny

A captain in the Terran Alliance sent as the leader of a reconnaissance mission to Planet Roak. He is a logical soldier who keeps his cool and sees the bigger picture, but he is also surprisingly sentimental. Additionally, he has a stubborn side to him, and won't hesitate to violate orders if it's for something he believes is right.

Race: Human
Hometown: Earth
Age: 38 years
Weapon: Bow
Height: 179 cm
Weight: 64 kg

Ilia Silvestri

Ronyx's second-in-command who is always by his side. She's a brilliant woman who earned her PhD at a young age, and she is also a master of hand-to-hand combat. She has a cheerful and Lighthearted personality, so she doesn't appear very soldier-like.

Race: Human
Hometown: Earth
Age: 23 years
Weapon: Fist
Height: 171 cm
Weight: 48 kg

Cyuss Warren

A youth of the race known as Highlanders. He has a coarse but compassionate personality, and wanders the continent seeking pure strength. He recognizes Roddick's hidden talent and considers him a rival.

Race: Highlander
Hometown: Astral Kingdom
Age: 20 years
Weapon: Doublehanded sword
Height: 190 cm
Weight: 90 kg

Phia Melle

Phia is a female knight who is a member of the Astral Knight Corps. She has known Cyuss since childhood and is deeply attached to him. She uses male speech patterns and has a stern personality, but this appears to stem from Cyuss' influence as well. She uses the Raven Sword, manipulating her flying swords at will.

Race: Highlander
Hometown: Astral Kingdom
Age: 20 years
Weapon: Hisho-ken sword
Height: 173 cm
Weight: 50 kg

Ashlay Berndbeldt

Known throughout Roak as a one-armed mercenary. A master of the Edarl Blade Arts, he is looked up to and respected by every tactician. He is a person who possesses deep experience and humanity, and is on a journey seeking someone deserving of inheriting all the power he has mastered.

Race: Highlander
Hometown: Astral Kingdom
Age: 57 years
Weapon: Sword
Height: 188 cm
Weight: 87 kg

Joshua Jerand

A Featherfolk symbologist. His family was massacred and he was separated from his younger sister when he was young. He journeys the world in search of her. Although he is a young man with a gentle and calm demeanor, with a handsome face, he tends to become irrational when his younger sister comes up in conversation.

Race: Featherfolk
Hometown: Silvalant
Age: 20 years
Weapon: Rod
Height: 172 cm
Weight: 56 kg

Mavelle Foresson

A beautiful woman who lives for revenge. She travels the world seeking to avenge her parents, who were killed by the Crimson Shield when she was young. Information about her is shrouded in deep mystery. It seems that there is a big secret hidden in this mysterious woman's past, but...? She possesses the unique ability to maneuver a magic orb called the Raven Orb.

Race: Unknown
Hometown: Unknown
Age: 19 years
Weapon: Raven Orb
Height: 164 cm
Weight: 42 kg

Pericci

A half-beast girl who has inherited her ancestors' characteristics more strongly and is more primitive than Roddick and the other Fellpool. She has the ability to transform into a kitten. She has an innocent personality, and shows her talents in music-related fields such as dancing and playing the ocarina. Perhaps because members of her race are so uncommon, she has received horrible treatment at the hands of other races in the past, rendering her unable to trust other people..

Race: Lesser Fellpool
Hometown: Muah
Age:16 years
Weapon: Fist
Height: 155 cm
Weight: 41 kg

T'Nique Arcana

A boy who is part of the race known as the Lycanthropes. Normally, his appearance resembles that of a human, but when his spirit is incited the activity in a virus he harbors internally transforms into a werewolf. Not one to succumb to his fate, he aims to become a martial artist.

Race: Lycanthrope
Hometown: Silvalant
Age: 18 years
Weapon: Quarterstaff
Height: 172 cm
Weight: 63 kg

Erys

A Featherfolk girl. She has golden hair and beautiful wings, with an angel-like loveliness to her outward appearance, but in her past lies a big secret...?

Race: Featherfolk
Age: 17 years
Weapon: Rod
Height: 156 cm
Weight: 42 kg

Welch Vineyard

A girl who quietly continues working on her inventions somewhere on Planet Roak. It seems as though she was waiting for Roddick and his companions, but...? Everything about her is shrouded in mystery.