Best JRPGs Where You Level Up Attacks & Skills, Ranked

The combat system in most JRPGs typically requires players to earn XP and level up their skills in order to conquer more powerful enemies, progress through the game, and even unlock certain areas on the map. Upgrading abilities allows players to perform basic tasks more easily, as well as defeat higher-level enemies without painstakingly chipping away at their HP over time.

Typically, JRPGs encourage upgrades in line with how powerful the enemies can get in one particular segment of the storyline. If characters are too underpowered or overpowered, the experience either becomes more daunting or far too easy. A lot of JRPGs have some interesting progression trees and upgrade mechanics that make it less of a chore to grind away for hours to improve weapons, skills, and attacks. Here are some of the best JRPGs that involve leveling up parts of a character’s loadout.

8 Tales of Vesperia

Skills Are Tethered To Specific Weapons

In Tales of Vesperia, character abilities can be affected by elemental attributes, and skills are upgraded with the use of certain equipment. Skills are categorized into offense, defense, movement, and healing. Some of them can be learned by all characters, whereas others are specific to certain party members. Players gain LP from fighting battles, and once they’ve collected enough, their characters can learn new skills.

In general, enemies are worth three or four LP, so grinding low-level monsters can help players gather LP quickly. To learn skills on a weapon or sub-weapon, it’s as easy as equipping it and charging head-first into battle. Once the LP accumulates, the character will learn a new skill that’s tethered to that weapon.

7 Scarlet Nexus

Encourages XP Grinding At Certain Locations

There are numerous ways to level up in Scarlet Nexus, including completing side quests, unlocking the Brain Crush XP bonus and Overkill skill, and even finishing Bond episodes. It’s fairly straightforward to level up. All players need to do is travel to a location that’s rife with enemies, slay them, and collect their skills and Brain Points (BP). BP is one of the biggest commodities in Scarlet Nexus, as these are as essential to the game as V-Bucks to Fortnite.

Another strategy for farming BP involves backtracking to wipe out lower-level enemies after plowing through the game’s main objectives. Some of the best areas to level up are Hieno Mountain, Togetsu’s sublevels, and the Sumeragi Tomb.

6 Mana Khemia

The Grow Book Makes Leveling Up Less Confusing

• Platforms: PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 2
• Released: June 21, 2007
• Developer: Gust
• Publishers: Gust, NIS America, Nippon Ichi Software

To level up in Mana Khemia, players have a Grow Book, which allows characters to learn specific skills. In addition, the Grow Book allows characters to develop their HP and SP stats as an alternative method of progression separate to the leveling system. There are rules to abide by when using the Grow Book. For example, Roxis cannot learn certain skills earlier in the game, because he has yet to make a pact with Mana. However, once his Character Quest progresses far enough to allow him to do so, he will be permitted to learn those skills.

Leveling up involves synthesizing new items, navigating to the Grow Book, and exchanging AP for new abilities. Once the Grow Book is unlocked, players can simply grind to get stronger, like the grid system in Final Fantasy X.

5 Chained Echoes

Numerous Methods For Earning Skill Points

Most JRPGs have their own in-game currency or some other kind of unique collectible that aids with increasing levels. In Chained Echoes, there are countless ways to level up, but one of the most effective is the use of Grimoire Shards. These award three perks: Battle Skills, Passive Skills, and stat boosts. Players can also pay Skill Points to level up abilities, but these points are only given to equipped skills.

Finding buried treasure, collecting Chain rewards, and completing Deals at Merchant Points also contribute toward leveling up abilities by farming Skill Points. Another option is to hunt more powerful monsters after joining the Adventure’s Guild.

4 Bravely Default 2

JP Bonuses Make Grinding Less Of A Hassle

Wiki-Wiki enemies are a huge part of the Bravely Default series, as they often award more EXP. Orbs can be found, too, that award considerable EXP to characters. By reaching Level 9 in the Freelancer Job, players can unlock the JP Up ability, which will increase JP earned by x1.2 and subsequently cut the amount of JP required to level up Jobs to turn a profit. However, in order for each character to benefit from the JP Up skill, they will all need to reach Level 9 Freelancer themselves.

Focusing on the Freelancer, White Mage, and Mok Jobs will make tougher enemies easier to take down. Therefore, the grinding process becomes a lot simpler and less strenuous. The Dealer’s Choice effect also has a chance of randomly increasing EXP and JP, so it’s worth taking a chance occasionally.

3 Pokemon Scarlet and Violet

Pokemon Can Learn Dual-Type Moves & Environmental Moves

Pretty much any Pokemon could be headlined as a JRPG featuring simple yet effective level-up mechanics. Different Pokemon Types can learn different Pokemon Moves, such as Electric, Fire, Water, Grass, etc. Many Pokemon can learn moves outside their type, but moves that align with their own type get a boost.

Pokemon learn more moves as they increase levels by battling and earning XP, but their evolved forms typically have a wider selection to choose from. Moves can be learned or forgotten, which changes the Pokemon’s skillset at various intervals throughout the game. EXP can also be shared among Pokemon in a trainer’s party using an Exp. Share.

2 Honkai Star Rail

Level Caps Keep All Party Members On The Same Page

To progress through Honkai: Star Rail, it’s important to level up characters consistently to increase their durability in battle. XP is earned by using characters during fights, but Character EXP Materials can speed up the process. Once a level cap is reached, players will need to “ascend” their character, which involves expending materials in order to lift the level cap.

It is occasionally required to complete certain Trailblaze Level or Equilibrium Level before it becomes possible to ascend characters. To do so, complete Daily Activities and Daily Training, which provide 1450 EXP upon completion. Other methods include using Fuel where possible, opening Treasure Chests, and completing Operation Briefing tasks.

1 Final Fantasy 13 – Lightning Returns

The Crystarium Allows Players To Customize Character’s Abilities At Will

Leveling up in Final Fantasy 13 isn’t the same as previous installments. Instead of getting a set amount of XP for defeating a certain enemy, players gain points to upgrade classes. The level-up system is identical to the sphere grid in Final Fantasy 10 through a mechanic later in the game called a “Crystarium.” Characters can be assigned “Paradigm roles,” and CP obtained from winning battles can be spent in the Crystarium. CP can be spent on anything from HP to new abilities.

Final Fantasy 13 gives players a lot more freedom this way. Characters aren’t simply being leveled up with no say on the player’s part, but instead, the Paradigm roles can be upgraded as and when they see fit. Character stats can be leveled up any way a player chooses, so some characters can specialize in attack, defense, healing, etc.