Each chapter in Live a Live has one main character and a few side characters for you to play as and journey with throughout the story. With these characters, you can level up by defeating enemies and bosses. By doing this, you'll gain access to new skills that are more powerful with every one or two levels that you go up, except for Masaru.
But, the game does something tricky and caps your level in each chapter, preventing you from gaining the maximum level and subsequently gaining the best skills. After completing the Middle Ages, only in the game's final chapter, can many of these skills be obtained..
8 Pogo: Bing Bang Boom
The best and highest level attack is the Bing Bang Boom technique, which is only obtained once Pogo reaches level 16. While this attack may not do an incredible amount of damage on the surface, it is his most valuable and ultimate attack for any situation in the game.
Bing Bang Boom is an attack that does medium damage seven times to a target one tile away from Pogo. The only downside to this attack is the apparent part: you have to be very close to your enemy for it to work, but the other, and even riskier, downside is that it debuffs all of Pogo's stats. The best strategy for this attack would be to wait until an enemy is in an acceptable range of health for Pogo to one-shot them so that the debuffs won't carry into the next encounter.
7 Oboromaru: Death Blossom
Death Blossom is a potent attack only allowed for the ultimate shinobi, Oboromaru. And while the story may pertain that Oboromaru is firmly against killing anyone other than who is needed, it's best to kill as many enemies as possible in his level for the upcoming boss battles later on.
This attack is unique due to its area-of-effect range and high damage attack power that can damage enemies in any direction. To gain the technique, your character must be level 16, so it's recommended to farm as much as possible in their respective chapter. However, because of the maze-like interior and countless enemies to face, it shouldn't be hard to reach that in a short amount of time. There's only one downside to this attack: the close-range combat.
6 Shifu And Disciples: Heavenly Peaks Descent
Shifu is the main character in the Imperial China chapter, and depending on who you choose to be your priority disciple later on, they will then become your main character. However, the final skill for each chapter won't change no matter who you choose because it's the last skill that Shifu will decide to give you at the end of the chapter. The basic starting skills that do low damage are the only change in skills for each character.
Heavenly Peaks Descent is an attack that becomes regularly usable at level 16. It deals massive damage to a single enemy, and like many of the attacks in martial arts combat, the attack will be very close range, leaving a lot of space for the enemy to counterattack and kill you if the attack fails. However, because of this massive damage, it's safe to assume that any enemy you fight will be dealt with in one hit, except for boss fights.
5 Masaru: German Suplex
Masaru's techniques are unique in that none are considered the best through leveling, unlike what every other character can achieve. Because the game sets up the story and gameplay to mimic a typical fighting game, many techniques you learn are obtained through brawling matches against your opponent. So, as long as you don't kill your opponent instantly, the best one is up to the player.
With that said, in terms of raw attack power and also how usable Masaru's attacks are, the best one without a doubt is the German Suplex. This attack is gained after defeating Max Morgan and will be the most damaging attack in your arsenal, next to Worldbreaker's Wrath. What makes this attack stand out from the rest is the status effect that comes with it — paralysis. This effect can stun your enemies and leave them defenseless while you release multiple attacks in a row.
4 Sundown: Hurricane
Like Shifu in Imperial China, Sundown's level is capped when entering the chapter and can not be leveled any further until the end of the game. Because of this, many of the attacks you use when completing this chapter are basic and won't help you later. But, once sent to the last chapter, you'll be able to get many potent techniques that are great for long-range battles.
Hurricane is a technique that acts as a more robust version of the technique Wildfire. With the Wildfire attack, Sundown can fully utilize his long-range capability, mixed in with an area-of-effect attack that Sundown usually wouldn't have. Sundown is able to shoot for up to three diagonal tiles away six times, shrapnel bursting with each shot. But Hurricane, as the name implies, does more damage, with up to 12 bullets and higher attack power shrapnel.
3 Akira: Judgement Day
Akira is known for having large area-of-effect attacks that can span the entire board. However, most of them are attacks that mainly work around status effects, lowering stats, or some form of healing. But one attack stands above the rest and can be helpful in any situation due to how massively overpowered it is in combat.
Judgement Day spans the entire board in sequences of two, going from left to right. While the damage is only medium power and may not seem like a lot, it's one of Akira's highest damaging attacks. But that's not what makes Judgement Day special — this attack also gives every negative status effect to any enemy caught in the attack, while lowering all their stats.
2 Cube: Showa Chick Launcher
When playing through the Distant Future chapter as Cube, you won't attack anyone until the very end when fighting the final boss in the virtual world. Because Cube is a robot, Cube's level is permanently decided on, and the possibility of leveling up by fighting monsters is impossible. However, like the robot turtle in the Near Future chapter, you can upgrade Cube through parts collected by fighting enemies.
But, because many of Cube's attacks are non-level based, unlocking them is pretty easy, especially if you go through the dungeon of wisdom. Out of all of its attacks, Chick Shot is the most powerful overall. Many of Cube's attacks focus on some elemental damage, Chick Shot is the only one that focuses on a spirit attack and does massive damage. In addition, it applies debuffs to the enemy by applying vertigo and petrification.
1 Oersted: Archon's Mark
While Oersted may not be completely playable in the final chapter, this character still has many mighty powerful attacks that you will undoubtedly quickly achieve just by playing through the story. The Middle Ages chapter is very long, with encounters that will automatically activate every few steps you put forward. Because of this, it's easy to achieve their most potent attack, Archon's Mark.
Archon's Mark is a technique you first encounter not by obtaining it yourself, but by playing as the side character, Hasshe, a kingdom hero. Through leveling up to 16, you will receive it yourself. Any enemy two diagonal tiles away from Oersted will be hit with massive damage that can easily one-shot many enemies throughout the level. The only downsides are that it takes a long time to cast, and many of the monsters you encounter will take up multiple tiles, making it easier for them to attack you.