Recruiting NPCs is one of the best ways to step up your combat skills in Octopath Traveler 2. NPCs can be guided by Temenos or allured by Agnea during the day. At night, Partitio can hire NPCs for various amounts of Leaves, and Ochette can befriend them with different types of jerky.
Of course, while a lot of NPCs can deal damage in battle, that may not always be the best way to go. To let your star traveler shine, the best summon might be a supporting one who pushes them to the front of the line or who constantly buffs you and debuffs the enemies. Some NPCs make you work to obtain their amazing summons, and others are ready to follow you at the drop of a hat.
10 Empty Vessel - Lostseed
With a 1/10 strength, the Empty Vessel may seem like a horrible choice, but they're just the opposite. Able to be recruited during the day and the night, the Empty Vessel can use their summon ability, Fixed Gaze, to ensure that their recruiter is at the front of each round for nine summons.
Being at the top of the round can make or break difficult battles, often keeping your healer at the forefront. Partitio can hire them for 400 Leaves, and Ochette can befriend them for ten bones.
9 Elderly Man - Winterbloom
The Elderly Man can be found in Winterbloom's tavern during the day and on the bench in front of Rosa's manor during the night. His strength of 2/10 may be deterring, but this NPC's ability, Sweet Hard Cider, can ruin the battle for your enemies. With each round, he donates one BP to every member of the party.
His location in Winterbloom means you can grab the Elderly Man in the early stages of the game. He can be summoned up to nine times and, if hired by Partitio for 600 Leaves, gives a one percent chance for anything you purchase to be free. Ochette needs three regular jerky to befriend him.
8 Diviner - Wellgrove
Wellgrove's Diviner can only be found at night, meaning only two travelers can recruit her. Partitio can hire her for 15,360 Leaves, and Ochette can befriend her for three Beast Livers. The Diviner has a 7/10 strength, and she can be summoned six times, but it's her summon ability that truly makes the difference.
Ill-omened pendulum raises your party's defense and lowers enemies' defense, blinding your enemies on top of that. Admittedly, her summon is a bit expensive, especially if you're not in the late game.
7 Childhood Friend - Ku
The Childhood Friend in Ku offers the side quest, The Strongest, in Ku. They can only be accessed after you have finished Hikari's story, but they're worth recruiting. The 7/10 strength may not seem the most impressive when you can pick up characters with 10/10 strength in the late game. Yet, their six summons and their ability, Squall of Arrows, offer a strong secondary attack.
When you're facing tougher and tougher bosses, utilizing strong summons is going to be your best option to get through each battle as unscathed as possible. The Childhood Friend can only be recruited during the day, restricting you to Agnea and Temenos.
6 Guard - Montwise
Able to be picked up whenever you pay a visit to Montwise, the Guard at the end of the steps leading into town has a 9/10 strength. He can only be recruited during the day, leaving him subject to the whims of Temenos and Agnea. He can be summoned up to five times to use his Last Gasp ability.
Last Gasp can completely demolish some foes in a single hit. So, if you're dealing with a boss who keeps summoning creatures to protect it, guiding or alluring Montwise's guard can save you a lot of time.
5 Tough Warrior - Southern Ku Sands
The Tough Warrior isn't part of a side quest, but you will have to work to recruit him. When you first meet the Tough Warrior, he will be inexperienced and new to the ways of the sword. Hikari or Ochette will need to challenge him over and over again until he has become strong enough.
At that point, the Tough Warrior will have a 10/10 strength and know the ability, Crimson Slash. He can be recruited both day and night, though he will cost Partitio 10,000 Leaves and Ochette one Superior Jerky. He can be summoned into battle up to four times.
4 Prisoner 186666 - Frigit Isle
In order to get back to Frigit Isle to recruit Prisoner 186666, you need to have a ship. Likely you won't be picking him until the late game. Found inside of the prison complex at night, this prisoner has a 10/10 strength and can be summoned three times to use his skill, Deicidal Fang.
He can only be hired by Partitio for 150,000 Leaves or if he's given 20 rotten meat by Ochette. The extreme amount of money probably means you're paying for his freedom. The 20 rotten meat implies that you're probably faking his death, kind of like what Osvald did.
3 Young Man - Tropu'hopu
The Young Man in Tropu'hopu has a 10/10 strength. He will enact the ability Merciless Blade after being summoned. He can be found outside during the daytime, where he can be recruited by Temenos and Agnea.
However, if you are determined to recruit him with Partitio or with Ochette, you can hunt him down and find him in one of the many huts during the night. To get the highest reward with the least amount of effort needed, you should probably snag him during the day, though.
2 Judge - Timberain
The Judge is going to be a late-game snag, as you should probably be at level 45 before you waltz into Timberain, whether it's for Castti's final story or otherwise. He has a 10/10 strength with the Scales of Justice ability.
Timberain's Judge can be summoned up to five times and can only be recruited during the day. You're best recruiting the Judge with Temenos because, while Agnea can allure him, even at a high level, she is going to have a very low chance of succeeding.
1 Alrond - Wellgrove
In order to recruit Alrond, you're going to have to take a few steps. First, you need to finish Partitio's chapter three, and then you need to finish Misha's side quest. Afterward, Alrond can be recruited at night by Partitio for 160,000 leaves or befriended by Ochette for three octopath bowls. He is only available for three summons, but he makes leveling up a breeze in the late game.
Where thousands of EXP are needed to level up, Alrond can increase your EXP gain by 100x in the late game. He is essential for EXP grinding and can get your characters up to 20 levels, if not more, after a single battle. The key, however, is summoning him three times in the same battle.