Final Fantasy Tactics – Job Guide: Best Builds & All Secret Characters

Your ultimate guide to the Job System in Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles. We’re breaking down how to unlock every single job, some totally busted character builds, and the step-by-step process to recruit all the secret characters.

Aight, let’s be real: the Job System in Final Fantasy Tactics is the GOAT. No cap. It’s one of the deepest and most rewarding character customization systems in any RPG, ever. But with so many jobs to unlock and skills to master, it can be a little overwhelming when you’re just starting out. Where do you even begin? What jobs lead to what? How do you create a build that absolutely slaps?

Bet. This guide is your complete cheat sheet. We’re gonna cover how to unlock every single job in the game, showcase some of the most OP builds that will make the game a breeze, and give you the full scoop on how to find and recruit all the legendary secret characters, including Cloud from FF7.

Unlocking Every Job: The Grind is Real

In FFT, your characters start as either a basic Squire or a Chemist. To unlock the cooler, more powerful jobs, you have to level up your current job. When a job reaches a certain level, it unlocks access to one or more new jobs. This progression is what’s known as the Job Tree.

This flowchart gives you a sick visual breakdown of how all the jobs connect. The numbers on the lines show the required Job Level you need to hit to unlock the next one.

This guide is based on the The War of the Lions version of the job requirements, which the Ivalice Chronicles version of the game uses. So if you’re looking at an old-school PS1 guide, the levels might be a little different.

Here’s the full, no-nonsense list of what you need to unlock every job.

All Job Unlock Requirements

• Knight: Squire (Level 2)
• Archer: Squire (Level 2)
• Monk: Knight (Level 3)
• White Mage: Chemist (Level 2)
• Black Mage: Chemist (Level 2)
• Thief: Archer (Level 3)
• Mystic: White Mage (Level 3)
• Time Mage: Black Mage (Level 3)
• Geomancer: Monk (Level 4)
• Dragoon: Thief (Level 4)
• Orator: Mystic (Level 3)
• Summoner: Time Mage (Level 3)
• Samurai: Knight (Level 4), Monk (Level 5), Dragoon (Level 2)
• Ninja: Archer (Level 4), Thief (Level 5), Geomancer (Level 2)
• Arithmetician: White Mage (Level 5), Black Mage (Level 5), Time Mage (Level 4), Mystic (Level 4)
• Bard: Summoner (Level 5), Orator (Level 5) – Male units only
• Dancer: Geomancer (Level 5), Dragoon (Level 5) – Female units only
• Mime: Squire (Level 8), Chemist (Level 8), Geomancer (Level 5), Dragoon (Level 5), Orator (Level 5), Summoner (Level 5)

What About Onion Knight & Dark Knight?

If you’re a PSP veteran, you might be looking for the Onion Knight and Dark Knight jobs. Quick heads-up: those were special additions for the War of the Lions version and are not in this Ivalice Chronicles version of the game.

The Meta: Totally Busted Builds

Okay, now for the fun part. Here are some of the most OP, game-breaking builds that you can put together.

Ramza the Magic God This build turns Ramza into an absolute monster who is nearly invincible and hits like a truck from anywhere on the map.

• Primary: Squire (Ramza’s unique “Guts” version)
• Secondary: Draw Out (Samurai)
• Reaction: Blade Grasp (Samurai)
• Support: Magic Attack Up (Black Mage)
• Movement: Teleport (Time Mage)
• Why it’s so OP: With Blade Grasp, you’ll be dodging almost every physical attack. Magic Attack Up juices your Samurai Draw Out skills to insane levels, and Teleport lets you reposition anywhere. It’s high-key unfair.

Ninja with Martial Arts Simple, effective, and deals absolutely bonkers damage.

• Primary: Ninja
• Secondary: Punch Art (Monk)
• Support: Two Swords (Ninja)
• Reaction: Blade Grasp (Samurai)
• Why it’s so OP: The Two Swords support ability lets you attack twice. Give a Ninja Martial Arts, and now they are punching twice with their insane speed stat. You’re basically creating a one-man army who can also heal and revive teammates.

White Mage with Math Skill This build is straight-up cheating. You become a god of the battlefield who can instantly cast any spell on any unit, anywhere.

• Primary: White Mage
• Secondary: Math Skill (Arithmetician/Calculator)
• Support: Magic Attack Up (Black Mage)
• Why it’s so OP: Math Skill lets you cast spells that hit targets based on conditions like their level, CT, or height. With the right setup, you can cast Holy on every enemy on the map at the same time, instantly. It completely breaks the game’s difficulty. IYKYK.

How to Recruit All Secret Characters

On top of all the jobs, FFT is loaded with secret characters you can recruit. Here’s how to get ’em all.

Beowulf Cadmus (Temple Knight)

1. Go to the bar in Goland Coal City and read the rumor “Haunted Mine.”
2. Head to Lesalia Imperial Capital and talk to Beowulf.
3. Go back to Goland Coal City and complete the series of battles there. Beowulf will join you after.

Reis Duelar (Holy Dragon)

1. During those same battles in Goland Coal City, you’ll have to rescue a special dragon. That’s Reis. Make sure she survives.
2. Much later in the story, she’ll regain her human form and join you permanently. She starts as a crazy powerful dragon and becomes an even crazier powerful human unit.

Construct 8 (Automaton)

1. After completing the Goland questline and getting a Zodiac Stone, travel to Goug Machine City.
2. A cutscene will trigger where your buddy Mustadio uses the stone to activate the ancient robot, Construct 8, who then joins your party.

Cloud Strife (Soldier)

Getting Cloud is a whole journey, but it’s totally worth it. You have to do this in Chapter 4.

1. Go to Zeltennia Castle and listen to the rumor about the “cursed island.”
2. Go to the Zarghidas marketplace and buy a flower from the flower girl (yes, it’s Aeris).
3. Go to Goug Machine City for a cutscene with Mustadio.
4. Now, go all the way back to Goland Coal City and complete the entire Beowulf/Reis questline if you haven’t already. You must have rescued Reis.
5. After that, go back to Goug Machine City. Another cutscene will play where the party tries to send Cloud back to his own time.
6. Next, travel to Nelveska Temple. You’ll get into a unique fight against a robot. Win this fight to get another Zodiac Stone.
7. Finally, return to Goug Machine City one last time. The stone will activate the machine, and Cloud will properly join your party.

Byblos (Unique Monster)

1. Find and enter the optional super-dungeon, the Deep Dungeon.
2. Fight your way through all 10 of its brutal floors and defeat the final boss at the bottom.
3. After the battle, Byblos will automatically join your team. He’s a powerful and unique monster with a killer moveset.