"The initial form of a mage-type Innocent Devil. The wooden rod it wields is the mark of an inexperienced mage."

Its the low-level mage and the whole of its I.D. class that supply Hector the Time Stop ability, which is a power necessary for breaching the magic seal that blocks off the Eneomaos Machine Tower from the edge of Cordova Town. The Wood Rod and its kind, which are all similar in how they operate, will on the battlefield assist with a variety of deadly magic spells; they're not conventional fighters, but they're highly destructive. This, the weakest form of mage, hovers overhead and periodically blasts foes with single fireballs; it has to its name, also, the aforementioned Time Stop, which is high in heart concentration but long-lasting and a great tool to use against enemy groups; and Lightning Strike, which for a cheap price does roughly twice as much damage as its fireball. Mage-types increase Hector's strength considerably with a bonus boost to his constitution.

"Wields a sharp, sword-like rod. Has the potential to unleash powerful magic."

Since there is little difference in appearance between respective mage evolutions, we'll simply say that the Scissor Rod is noted as having more heart potential than its predecessor though less of an offensive force than any other mage type. It's another case of an Innocent Devil whose designation is that of holdover while you decide a desired course of evolution. In the meantime, the Scissor Rod will continue to blast enemies with rod-created fireballs and, eventually, two new spells: Floating B, which provides Hector a temporary rotating shield of flames, and Sorcery Flame, which is the game's typical "large concentrated blast," a giant beam that inflicts unto enemies repeated damage.

"Wields a rod made from a mythical bird's talon. Its strong spiritual power makes it very rare."

Compared to the Scissor Rod, the Talon Rod is blessed more in the way of magical disposition and deadliness (its trident-like rod perhaps a symbol of its prowess). Where it differs more tangibly is in the area of learned abilities, of which it has two different: The Circle Scissors, a rotating shield that differs little from Floating B except in aesthetic, and Freeze, with which the Talon Rod creates a small field of frost that damages multiple enemies; in a random event, single or multiple enemies within the field will be temporarily encased in ice, ripe to be attacked repeatedly until shattered.

"Wields a rod made from a fabled deep-sea beast. Countless sailors have perished in search of it."

What's true of the mage class of Innocent Devils is that each entry adds in two-plus new spells while retaining those learned from lesser forms, which starts to add up and present a nice variety of offensive and defensive options. The Nautilus Rod is a testament to this. While its fighting abilities are of course static (except for a boost in defense, which allows it to absorb some punishment), it learns the free-to-use Purify, which allows it periodically banish even the toughest minor enemies in one wave of its rod; it's the only power in the game that can eliminate Blood Skeletons, a set of which holds and maintains a magical seal over a certain doorway in the Baljhet Mountains that can only be opened through its defeat.

"Its rod is made from the hand of a red ogre, and the eye in its grip can see for hundreds of leagues."

The middle-of-the-chart Ogre Rod, with its club-like rod on display, will during its tenure prove to be a nice resting stop for those who want to add big individual boosts to the mage's heart meter as it gains levels. The Ogre Rod will retain the abilities of either your previous Scissor or Talon Rod and add into the mix two spells: (1) Agnea, which sends out lightning bolts that strike multiple foes assuming that many are bunched together; the lightning will hit the individual enemies about three times and inflict considerable damage. And (2) Synchron Saucer B, a rotating three-saucer shield whose individual components lunge at enemies that get too close for their liking.

"This mage wields a rod set with the head of a black goat, its sharp gaze filled with mystical power."

The Goat Head, which of course has for its rod-tip the head of a slain goat, is most experienced where it counts--in the category of magical propensity, where this I.D. class is most judged; that is, its many spells will inflict upon unfortunate victims a high level of pain, more so than the spells (many of them the same) used by lesser forms of mage. Goat Head will learn two more: Argent B, which creates a rapidly spinning blade that will for a long period continue to target individual enemies and damage them repeatedly, and Salamander, a spell that takes much time to learn but when attained will allow Goat Head to summon a flaming serpent that attacks random enemies by unexpectedly popping up from below.

"The countless ever-staring eyes decorating the rod of this mage imbue it with an eerie feeling."

Where tier-four mages differ is in the final two spells that they add to the now-sizable respective lists. For the Eyeball Rod, it's Tension Boost, which for a brief period raises Hector's destructiveness, and Homing, which fires a number of purple lasers that attack multiple enemies at a time or single enemies for combined damage. The Eyeball Rod is otherwise the exact same ally (attack- and stat-wise) you knew in the Nautilus Rod, which is its direct (and only) link to this final evolution. At the tier-four level of mage, it's all a matter of which of the final two spells are to you most appealing.

"Wields a rod containing the souls of demons. The screams of its prisoners can almost be heard."

The Embryo Rod, whose rod looks to have implanted on its edge the skull of some undeveloped creature, is stat-wise the most well-rounded of the tier-four mages and closest thing to the Ogre Rod in terms of heart potential--of all your evolved mages, this will likely be the representative with the highest heart-total. The Embryo Rod will learn through Hector's battles two new spells: Explosion B, which is another protective shield, this time consisting of three mines that explode upon enemy contact; and Demonic Disaster, which targets an enemy and causes it to explode disastrously over a large area, engulfing all nearby enemies and critically damaging them, too.

"Those who wield the crystal rod carved with intricate runes is said to possess ultimate power."

The Crystal Rod--named so for its rod, whose magical tip is a spiky crystal--is the least gifted of the tier-four mages in terms of stats (trumped specifically by the Embryo Rod, which has higher heart potential and whose learned spells are similar to yet arguably more effective than the Crystal Rod's) but still a quality ally since it will in any event have a long list of spells. Its unique contributions to the list include two: Shield, which surrounds Hector with a rotating barrier that can't damage foes but will nullify one enemy attack, no matter how powerful it may be (an ability whose usefulness can't be denied); and Meteo, which causes a meteor to crash down to the earth and severely damage even enemy groups.

"A star motif graces the rod of this mage. Its owner dreams of one day becoming one with the stars."

The female Twinkle Rod is physically and aesthetically the most unique-looking of mages, its name chosen by its use of colorful two-pronged staff with a star implanted between them. The Twinkle Rod isn't as well-rounded, statistically, as the Embryo Rod, but it has both high heart potential and magical propensity, which is a winning combination. While unique in look, its fighting abilities are typical of this I.D. class except for the addition of two new spells: Twinkle Star, which (similar to Meteo) causes a star to crash down into the earth and severely damage all enemies at impact point, and Dancing Star, which temporarily surrounds Hector with a three-star shield that inflicts on enemies considerable damage.

"The lowest class of devil, but still violent and deadly. Hard to handle, so not for the beginner."

Gale, your impish little devil, will like all evolutions of its type hover overhead and attack enemies by charging at them with its tiny spear. Since Gale is so diminutive and such a small target, it will with its zipping movements be successful in antagonizing, striking, and bouncing around even groups of enemies; however, when it does take damage, it will do so in heavy doses, and you can quickly lose Gale's services if you're not careful (its charted "defense" in this case a faux). In addition to the aforementioned spear charges and swipes, which it executes in one- or two-step bursts, Gale will hover at bay and utilize a Dracula-like attack: It will release toward enemies three pulsating spheres of dark energy. Mainly, you'll want a Devil-type I.D. for its Magic Circle ability, which will allow Hector to pass underneath low-lying walls while serving as a surprisingly useful defensive move. Devils effect Hector's stats (from most to least) in the order of strength, constitution and luck.

"Its kind heart shows in its pure eyes, but once enraged it becomes a monster of relentless violence."

Brow's physical appearance, physical attributes and style of attack are reminiscent of Gale's; though, as per the nature of its evolution, Brow is speedier, craftier, more enduring, and if possible more hyperactive. Brow moves in an absolute blur--spinning, tumbling and stabbing away through open space, its spear always on display--as it charges at enemies. The luxury of its added speed and ferocity, which is considerable, is the extent as to its added attack power; that is, its overall usefulness is about the same. Where it makes up for its limited attack potential is in the area of special abilities, of which it has two more compared to its previous form.

"A terrible devil, but a powerful ally -- if you can keep it under control. Fires breams from its eyes."

At its final level of evolution, your once little friend will become a terrifying devil-bat creature. The End, slyly hovering about, will dart toward single enemies with either an overhead roundhouse punch or a gliding dropkick--both flame-charged. When there's more in the way of group activity, The End is prone to channel its energy and instead charge headfirst at enemies in a flaming missile, a quick and impactful move that has the propensity to send floes flying in all directions. The End clearly enjoys bullying enemies with its superior strength, which is why Isaac, too, has chosen this very Innocent Devil as its main ally.

"It's me, Pumpkin! Thanks for the invite! I'll do my best to help you out!"

Why, it's Pumpkin, the famed unlockable hero from Lament of Innocence! Now that may at first sound like good news, but it seems as though our old pal because of the three hundred-plus year layoff has either lost a step or has become incredibly lazy; gone is his version of the Vampire Killer whip and anything relating to what we'd call "offense." Instead, the overly zealous Pumpkin is eager to hum while showing off his new array of poses, which include aimlessly running and diving onto the ground, twirling like a ballerina, blowing up into a giant pumpkin, and taking a short nap. Pumpkin is incredibly fragile due to extremely low heart potential (with no stat potential of any kind, really) and dies quickly and often. "Then what's the point?" you ask. While largely a joke character with only a rarely used stun-inducing "crying" ability, it's important to note that the seemingly useless Pumpkin types will while on the field of battle add huge boosts to Hector's stats, which is why having them present might be worthwhile. It's all a matter of how hard you want to work to keep them alive.

"It's me, Pumpkin! I was aiming for a more grown-up feel, but I'm only a kid and not sure what that is!"

Pumpkin, all grown up and ready for Mardi Gras, is what you should expect from all evolutions of this I.D. class: A nothing fighter but valuable if you're looking for a big stat boost. In the Queen's case, you'll during its tenure see a large increase given to both Hector's strength and luck with a nice bump given to his constitution. The Queen is stat-wise still lacking in all areas, but it does showcase for you (in addition to those noted) some new poses, including a spinning head stand, a sideways handstand, a resting crouch, and the thank-you-very-much Elvis bow.

"It's me, Pumpkin! Don't worry, I'm not injured. This is all fake blood."

Bloody, ever the jokester, has lodged into his head a carving knife, but it's for show and the proliferation of his poses. Bloody's contribution to Hector's stats is again a much bigger increase to his strength and luck with a nice boost given to his overall constitution. Sadly, to the relief of the game's many enemies, Bloody doesn't have any new poses, but he does have the innate ability to instantly teleport to another part of the room. Using this teleport ability, Bloody manages to escape danger and endure longer than most other pumpkin forms.

"It's me, Pumpkin! My horse, my horse, my tiny kingdom for a horse... no, that's not right..."

The Tiny King, with its crown and tiny scepter (recognized as a hammer when used by other pumpkin forms), will as a non-maxed tier-two pumpkin form provide the usual large boost to Hector's strength and luck stats while improving his constitution--not as large a boost as, say, the Queen, a maxed-out tier-two form. The Tiny King will actually chip in, also, and occasionally attack enemies by flailing away with said scepter (though, this tends to get him in trouble, as he leaves himself wide open to counterattack). All of his poses are similar to those of Bloody's, and he, too, has the instant-teleport ability.

"It's me, Pumpkin! I wanted to be a clown, but could only find this nose. Still, pretty cool, isn't it?"

Our little friend dons some makeup and a funny nose and becomes a clown, as if its prior antics didn't already paint this picture. Clown Nose is all too similar to the Tiny King, with the same learned attack and about the same boost to Hector's stats. Clown Nose brings to us no new poses and in fact seems to lack the teleport ability. He does more often utilize the whining-cry technique, which spouts tears in two directions and manages to stun any minor enemies in the vicinity. Overall, it's best to describe Clown Nose as mandatory holdover form as you build toward its direct final evolution.

"It's me, Pumpkin! I've recently become addicted to spices. But I still hate spicy hot food."

Pumpkin's addiction has led to his embrace of New Delhi's culture, which he honors with his fine garb and a turban. New Delhi has some fighting ability, but it's all too timid, and he like most other Pumpkin forms exists to run around aimlessly and get himself in trouble. Where New Delhi is of most value is in the area of stats, where it provides a more-than-solid boost to the expected categories. It even has a new pose: A margic-carpet-like seated hover, using which it spins wildly through the air.

"It's me, Pumpkin! This costume, when I've finally got it all on, just makes me wanna be bad!"

Hector will have to put in a ton of work killing, stealing and combining to earn Death's Scythe, which is the weapon necessary for evolving to a Cursed Pumpkin. The reward: Pumpkin gets into the swing of all this madness, wrapping around its huge noggin a normal-sized hockey mask (another reference to Jason Voorhees). If you're hoping that the little guy is going to emulate the horror-movie icon and terrorize the game's enemies, you'll be disappointed to find that this is just another typical pumpkin form. His presence will supply Hector heightened strength and and luck with a helping of constitution; he'll throw in some random jabs and the blocking of attacks while posing his way to infamy.

"It's me, Pumpkin! I'm being as good as an angel. So go on, buy me a new toy. Please, please, please!"

As it was with the Cursed Pumpkin, you're going to have to do some work (though obviously not as much) with a Short Sword to earn the services of the Whimsical Angel, which is the next logical step to the Tiny King form. Though it trades up its crown for a halo, the Whimsical Angel retains its basic style: It will use on occasion its weapon, its little hammer, to attack enemies; otherwise, the Angel now has the ability to block enemy attacks, increasing its longevity on the battlefield.

"It's me, Pumpkin! Actually, I'm a genius in the kitchen. Pumpkin pie is my specialty. I'm starving!"

A little effort with the assistance of a frying pan will turn a mad clown of a pumpkin into a Genius Chef. The Genius Chef seems even more reluctant to fight than its tier-three brethren, and it's among them the worst increaser of stats--that's to say Hector's will benefit from its appearance but not as much as expected. The Genius Chef, for all of the effort you put into evolving toward it, is really nothing special.