Character Guide
This is a good character to start with - his shield magic and the magic sword are handy against bosses.
Well-balanced stats and good white magic, the barrier spell can absorb a pile of damage. The reflect spell, on the other hand, is more annoying than useful.
Not a great character, the extra hit points don't last long when you can't outrun anything. His magic is not real impressive either.
A good support character but difficult in a solo quest at first. His thunder spell is very useful when you're badly outnumbered.
Similar to Efrem but with a healing spell which gives her the edge in my book.
Just like in the original Dungeon Explorer, his black magic is completely useless. If you really want a challenge then give him a try.
The fastest of the initial characters which can get you through some dungeons without much fighting. Still, I can't recommend her for a solo quest because she's just too weak.
This is usually who I start with because of his strong healing magic...
...and then I switch to Gwen right away. Her healing magic isn't quite as good at Sorn's but the other stat upgrades are worth it.
Shun is another secret character worth a look at. He is very fast and can run through many dungeons without a scratch.
Miriam is a good character to switch to once you find her.
This is my favorite character. Forget the number next to the agility score, this little guy is fast. His barrier magic is very strong, one potion will last a long time.
High hit points and power but too slow, similar to Dorz.
Xan is the easiest character to win with. His high initial stats mean you'll be able to max-out his agility and attack once you transfer all your crystals to him (assuming you fought all the optional bosses along the way).
Character Upgrades
About 3/4 of the way through Dungeon Explorer II you receive the orb which allows you to upgrade all the initial characters. It requires backtracking to the Undersea Cave for each character you want to upgrade but is well worth it because their attack is upgraded and they gain some speed.
They also receive a stylish new look.
Alex upgrades to a Knight.
Ardin upgrades to a Sniper.
Dorz upgrades to a Dwarflord.
Efrem upgrades to a Warlock.
Fina upgrades to a Highelf.
Riot upgrades to a Hermit.
Sepi upgrades to a Rogue.
Sorn upgrades to a Master.
Secret Character Passwords
One very cool feature of Dungeon Explorer II is the secret characters scattered throughout the world. If you don't want to go through the effort of finding them, here are the passwords:
NCPHH
PAAKP
BGKPP
CAAKP
GCIPG
KHENP
BOOIE
GBPAE
CAGPK
AEKGF
CDLEN
BCDHP
AAKKJ
JGGKA
AIMOK
BOHEB
EDHIE
PBGAA
NHBAG
ANJEE
BBKBB
NNEMH
AKGBJ
GHKPB
GENBM
KMFFF
KBFHJ
NDFOO
ILAKL
GHLNL
Secret Character Upgrades
Each of the secret characters also have an upgrade hidden in the game. Like with the initial characters, you don't see the stat changes until you change characters but they appear to take effect immediately.
In Brem Village there is an old man who teaches Gwen the Crescent Moon spell which upgrades her attack.
In Trial Valley there is a cave that's a little hard to spot. Inside the cave is a monk who teaches Shun the Dragon Claw.
When you start as Miriam you need to backtrack through the cave south south of Norville. On the other side you can take the boat back to Solis.
Enter the throne room for a scene and weapon upgrade.
Enter the first house you see in Mireville to (accidentally) receive the upgrade for BE.
Yuri's upgrade is in the top left corner of Sef village.
After freeing Xan, head over to Bax and speak to his father.
Then go to the statue in the center of the village to receive his upgrade.