Octopath Traveler II is out and we have seen great reviews on how the 2D-HD game plays out. With eight different journeys to choose from, it may get a little tricky as to how you can accomplish each and unfold the mysteries in the game. In this Octopath Traveler II Guide, we’ll talk about how you can finish Hikari’s chapter 1 in the game.

Who is Hikari Ku?

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This playable character's name is Hikari and you are a warrior. Your tale begins in the desert region of Hinoeuma. You are the younger prince of Ku, a nation ever at war, and worry for your people who have suffered greatly from the ceaseless battles. Hoping to bring peace to your nation, you strike out on a journey for your like-minded allies. “I pray for a world without conflict. Without bloodshed.” You have the ability “Challenge” which lets you challenge townspeople to duels and claim victory to learn skills to use in battle.

Introduction

Chapter 1 of Hikari's story in Octopath Traveler II opens with Hikari and Ritsu discussing the fallen, but players take control of Hikari as he sprints through a battlefield. Following the only path available will lead to a battle against enemy soldiers who are weak to swords and polearms, which are Hikari's weapons and skills. Ritsu, Hikari's friend, has his own weapons and skills but is only a temporary ally.

A series of cutscenes introduce players to Clan Ku's characters. In the second combat, Rai Mei becomes another temporary companion for Hikari. This time, an officer joins the fight, but he's just as vulnerable to swords and polearms as the basic soldiers.

Hikari confronts the enemy general and attacks him, who is weak to swords but not to polearms. Players can use one of Rai Mei's skills to exploit the general's weakness to lightning.

After the Time Skip

After a peaceful three years, Hikari is now the leader of the town near Castle Ku. As soon as players gain control, they can visit the provisioner and armorer at the bottom of the hill where Hikari starts. In addition, players can find treasure chests throughout the town. One is located to the left of the children on the road leading to the castle, while another can be found by climbing a ladder on the wall next to the tavern.

Inside the tavern, a soldier from General Mugen's army is causing a commotion. This presents an opportunity for players to learn Hikari's Challenge ability, which allows him to fight NPCs to learn new skills. Players should avoid forgetting Hachimonjigiri, the skill Hikari starts with. They can challenge three tavern patrons and then the Mugen soldier to progress the game. There's a healer upstairs from the tavern who can teach the First Aid healing skill and an old man on the road to the castle who can teach Ignition, a fire skill. Once players are finished learning skills, they can proceed up the stairs on the west end of town to continue the story.

Uncovering the Plot

Once the cutscene is over, Hikari will decide to investigate Mugen's scheme and players can now enter the castle grounds, except the castle itself. By entering the building on the left, players will learn about Hikari's nighttime action, Bribe. This is a new way to obtain secret information from NPCs without risking the party's reputation or requiring a minimum level, by paying them.

For instance, a merchant will ask for 300 leaves. Players can easily obtain this by opening the chest behind the merchant, which contains 1,600 leaves. This is also enough money to Bribe all the other NPCs in Ku. However, there is another chest on the far side of a divider that cannot be reached yet.

The merchant's information will take Hikari to the desert. Before leaving, players should Bribe some people in town to obtain hidden items. For instance, the Ku soldier by the gate leading to the castle will tell Hikari about a hidden item for just 50 leaves, which is a Healing Grape hidden halfway up the stairs on the west side of town. The Citizen on the western wall above the stairs can also be Bribe with 100 leaves to find a Critical Ring inside the house on the eastern hill.

To uncover an Herb of Light, players need to Bribe the Apothecary standing in front of the tavern with another 100 leaves. It can be found in a pile of food on the road leading to the castle. Lastly, a Boy in the house with the Healing Grape chest will take 50 leaves to reveal the location of a piece of Candy. This Candy is located in the same house on the left.

Players should head back to the tavern after obtaining all the hidden items to progress with the story.

Fighting with Hikari

After leaving Ku, Hikari will encounter random enemies in the next area. Although players might already be familiar with Hikari's combat style, here are some tips for fighting with him.

Hikari's Job is a Warrior, and his skills focus on sword and polearm attacks, physical buffs, and the ability to draw enemy attacks toward him. While this list is limited, Warrior skills can deal significant damage.

Hikari's Talent is Learned Skills, which provide him with much-needed versatility. Learned Skills can include status effect attacks, weapon attacks for weapons that Hikari cannot equip, and even magic skills that can deal elemental damage or heal himself and his allies.

However, there is a limit of five slots, with Hachimonjigiri being difficult to replace, so Learned Skills' versatility is capped. Moreover, Hikari can only learn skills by defeating specific NPCs. As a result, he may not be the best option as the player's first party member.

On the bright side, Hikari can relearn old skills by challenging NPCs again. If an NPC is defeated, the player can reset them by leaving the area and returning or switching between day and night.

Players must remember that Challenge fights are always one-on-one duels, regardless of the number of party members Hikari has. Players should plan accordingly. When challenging an NPC, the game only shows the name and the element or weapon of a Learned Skill. After defeating the NPC, players can see the full description and SP cost of a Learned Skill when deciding whether to replace an existing skill.

Hikari's Latent Power is called Shadow's Hold, which grants him access to powerful skills that do not require SP and are effective against both single targets and large groups. Like regular skills, Shadow's Hold abilities become even stronger when Boosting.

Exploring the Southern Ku Sands

To progress the story, players need to start at the gate and follow the path down, left, down, right, and then climb the hill. However, there are some chests to be found along the way.

Starting at the gate, players can head right to find a staircase leading to the water. Stepping onto the water triggers a canoe to appear beneath Hikari's feet. They can go straight up to return to Ku or head left and pass under the bridge to discover a chest with an Energizing Pomegranate.

A chest that most players will come across is located directly left of the gate and contains a Fire Soulstone. Moving down and right from here leads to the other side of a barricade. A wooden tower stands to the right of the barricade, and below it is a chest with an Herb of Light.

After climbing the hill, players will come across a save point. A peddler is to the right of the save point, and players should purchase and equip all the weapons and armor available if they haven't bought anything better from town. Moving right from the peddler leads to one last chest containing an Inspiriting Plum. At this point, players can either restore their HP and SP to prepare for a boss fight or level up once more, which will also fully restore their stats.

Boss Fight: Ritsu

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The first chapter of Hikari's story culminates in a boss fight against Ritsu, who is revealed to value fame over friendship and is willing to kill Hikari. In the background, the city burns as the battle begins.

Ritsu is aided by two Footmen, with Ritsu being vulnerable to swords and the Footmen to both swords and polearms. To reduce the number of enemy turns per round, players should prioritize defeating the Footmen one by one.

Taking down the Footmen also has the benefit of causing Aggressive Slash to focus on Ritsu, dealing more damage to him while saving up Boosts. When Ritsu starts to emit a murderous aura, players should always Defend before his next turn.

When Ritsu's health reaches half, he will use a special ability to blind Hikari, triggering a mid-battle cutscene that unlocks Hikari's Latent Power. Players should avoid using this power while Hikari is blind.

Once defeated, Ritsu drops a Healing Grape Bunch.

Return to Castle Ku

After the fight is finished, Hikari still has unfinished business in Chapter 1. Despite the burning town, Hikari rushes to the castle, but players should first talk to the injured guard near the gate to receive an Empowering Lychee.

Upon entering the castle, a cutscene will play, but players should not immediately rush up the stairs. Instead, they should head left from the entrance to find a chest containing a Thunder Soulstone. Then, they should head down to enter a new screen and find a chest in the merchant area containing a second Critical Ring.

After acquiring these items, players can proceed upstairs, but not all the way. On the left side halfway up the stairs is a room with a Healing Grape inside, and on the right is a ladder leading back down to an area with a Fortifying Nut. Additionally, players will notice a blue sparkle on the table behind the nut. Interacting with it will provide a key item called Oboro's Journal, which contains interesting hints about a larger plot. Players should take the time to read the journal before continuing.

There's a total of 5 chapters per playable character in Octopath Traveler II. We have just shared with you the Octopath Traveler II Guide – Hikari Chapter 1 so make sure to check in for the release of the next 4 chapters on how to complete Hikari's story in the game. We hope that this Octopath Traveler II Guide Hikari Chapter 1 guide is a good source of information for you and that you enjoy playing the game. Octopath Traveler II Hikari's Chapter 1 story and other guides of the game on ClutchPoints Gaming!