"The initial fairy-type Innocent Devil, strong in healing. Having just left its cocoon, its body is still soft."

The fairy types are best described as Curse of Darkness' white mages; they're largely non-combatal and assist mainly through their healing powers. And like Navi, from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, fairies always hover overhead, awaiting command. The Infant Fairy is the base example of this principle: It will simply follow Hector around and assist him through the use of its weak healing spell and its unlock ability. Since it's weak, low in HPs, and afforded only a bare minimum of defensive measure, the Infant Fairy is sure to suffer quick deaths if not used sparingly and kept away from hectic fight scenarios (during boss battles, mainly).

"A fairy with a leaf for a hat. Desires only to live a simple life. Attracted to beautiful decorations."

The Infant Fairy's evolution into a Leaffle represents a slight jump. Leaffle is largely the same Innocent Devil you knew from the previous fairy form, but it's usefulness will be bumped up a bit when it learns its Poison Power ability, which is to Leaffle free to use and will thus become its recurring attack; it will target one or multiple enemies and spray them with poison mist, at which point they will continue to lose small amounts of energy until the poison's effect wears off. You'll find, through gaining levels, that Leaffle has high heart potential, which is good news for those who like to put Innocent Devils on "Auto."

"Its leaf and clothing mimic those of a fairy in order to win acceptance by humans."

Likewise, the Infant Fairy's evolution into an Herbest, an almost static form in terms of attributes, doesn't bring about much change. The Herbest will be the first to learn Heal Lv.2, which as its name suggests is more potent than its former level; also earning its way into the ability list is Antidote, which when used will heal Hector of a poison effect. Otherwise, without any learned attacks, there's not much unique about the Herbest compared to all other fairy types.

"Has large, compound eyes like a dragonfly, specially developed to watch carefully for predators."

The Honey Bee is just another typical fairy form, another in what is a short stop toward full fairy evolution--it doesn't stand out in either statistics or abilities. In the meantime, the Honey Bee will assist with its power of healing, adding into the mix the Healing Field, which presents an unusual but more abundant source of energy replenishment. The Honey Bee retains the tier-two Poison Powder attack, which it will use against enemies or groups thereof.

"Its characteristic large eyes are hidden by a hood. It can see in any type of light, bright or dark."

The Killer Bee is your purveyor of health replenishment--it's all healing all the time. The Killer Bee is the first of its kind to learn Heal Lv.3 while also (possibly) employing the two previous levels of the spell. It adds in, too, the Curse Breaker, which will restore Hector's status if he falls under a curse. The Killer Bee, unlike the Honey Bee, is attack-free and best utilized only as a healing source. Aiding its liberal use of magic is high heart potential, which will do well to fuel these efforts. It's wise, in that sense, to switch off Evo Crystals and do most of your level-gaining with the Killer Bee.

"Its apparent eyes are just for show. It mainly navigates using its highly advanced feelers."

The Hornet is your prototypical just-passing-through Innocent Devil evolution. Though the Hornet is the physically strongest fairy type (which means effectively nothing), the Hornet is the least useful of the tier-three fairy types: It's not as packed, healing-wise, as the Killer Bee, and it has no form of attack, unlike the Honey Bee. It's altogether the very median between a tier-two fairy type and the Comet Star, a final-tier form. The Lucky Slot, which it could be said is pretty advanced considering its potential for big-time healing, is its only saving grace; in reality, you'll want to upgrade to a more useful form.

"Its appearance as a middle-aged man is just a disguise, and it is said to have secret powers."

The Proboscis Fairy (no doubt inspired by Tingle from The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask) is the most disturbing-looking of all the fairy types. It's no matter--the Proboscis Fairy will assist Hector all the same, with a variety of old and new healing spells, the devastating (even sometimes to Hector) Skull Bomb, and the main reason you've probably evolved it to this point: Its Press It and See ability, which you will need to gain access to certain parts of the castle (these beuing optional). The Proboscis Fairy will otherwise use the Poison Powder attack you've already seen.

"The most knowledgeable race of fairy, rich in ancient culture, always ready to help and advise."

Tiramisu, like all of the fully evolved fairy types, has to its credit an ability that will help Hector achieve a 100% completion rate: Decipher, which allows it to read ancient script and provide him clues as to certain accessibility. It's not too shabby, either, as an ever-present ally; its healing abilities are reminiscent of the Killer Bee, and yet it has more in the way of unique energy replenishment. While it has no attack propensity of note, its Invincible Vase ability will greatly assist an overwhelmed Hector.

"The most popular fairy, due to its extremely cute appearance. Just looking at it is restorative."

While Tiara has no extra-special abilities (read: means of increased castle accessibility) or any type of attack, it is the most packed in regard to status-restoring spells. While it has the capacoty for both Heal Lv.2 and 3, which are good enough as is, its very presence will save Hector a ton of gold that might have gone toward healing potions; a Taira on-hand can quickly free Hector from any negative state without him having to painfully wait it out. Otherwise, its Crystal Skull ability will help to make Hector invisible to enemy eyes and, if you take advantage, aid in his stealing ways.

"A fairy variant, a stylish girl who continues to dream the impossible dream of becoming human."

Comet Star is both the most well-rounded and the most useful of all fairy types. It has up to three levels of healing, including Heal Lv.4, the ultimate of its kind; it has two status-restoring abilities, which are always helpful in how they save Hector some gold; and it will through enemy defeats learn two "free" attacks: The Twinkle Shot, which it will use to blast enemies with successive jolts of star-shaped rings, and Lullaby, using which it will sing a song and put any and all nearby enemies into a deep sleep, ripe to be pounded upon.

"Initial form of a battle-type Innocent Devil as it has just been born. Its body still contains boiling magma."

The formless Magmard lumbers about with a fearsome swagger. It will charge at enemies with a combination: A one-two punch consisting of a left then a right hook, and then a follow-up finisher best described as a jumping fist slam--a ground pound that will surely flatten enemies. While very strong and well-rounded in terms of statistics, Magmard is slow to execute all of its attacks, which allows groups of enemies to eat away at its heart-energy by striking between moves and picking their spots; Magmard can absorb these blows and fight through it, yes, but it'll in the process take a beating. If not managed correctly, Magmard will die quickly, less so in one-on-one fights against larger foes, where it excels.

"The features of this Innocent Devil are reminiscent of a knight's armor. It has a snake carved onto its comb."

The Speed Mail is what its name suggests: A speedy form of knight that favors relentlessness over strength. The Speed Knight is in that regard a no-nonsense fighter; it will speedily evade enemies and enemy clusters and attack with a consistent combination--a rising sword thrust followed by a backhand swipe and then a charging backhand-shoulder block combo. In the more rare instances, it'll execute the shorthand combination of a crouching front kick followed by the same charging backhand-shoulder block. Since it has low heart potential and thus questionable endurance, its abilities should be used scarcely.

"An earthen soul formed into a living being by magic. Easy for a beginner to handle."

In terms of speed and movement, Golem is most derivative of the Magmard form. It throws a similar punching combo--a right cross followed by a left uppercut empowered by the large red crystal embedded onto its arm; Golem follows up the combo using an unstoppable shoulder charge that damages enemies that lurk over a fairly large area. More rarely, Golem attacks with what we'll call the "marching Russian dance," a fairly quick bulldozer-like maneuver executed with its arms folded and its legs kicking away. If an enemy is a out of direct striking range, Golem will sometimes forgo the combo attack and surprise the foe with the very same jumping fist slam. Golem makes up for its lack of speed with superior defense, high heart potential, and abilites well-charged in terms of magic.

"A gentle beast. The fur on its entire body is amazingly soft, as are the pads on its paws."

Iytei is both the bulkiest and slowest of the golem-type battlers, in regard to both its movement and attack speed. Its combination attack is a right uppercut followed by an overhead haymaker and then an enemy-squashing hand clap. While great in strength, Iytei is nothing special as a fighter--it's just too slow and too large a target in any combat scenario while too similar to previous forms, making evolution in the opposite direction a no-brainer. Instead, Iytei's value is based mostly on its special abilities, which Hector can use to access some cordoned-off areas.

"The transmogrification of a king from far away, with a powerful sense of justice and honor."

The Juggernaut, while high in all statistics outside of agility, is a clearly a holdover whilst you build away toward more evolved golem types, but it's a decent fighter all the same. The painfully slow but considerably strong Juggernaut will attack enemies with an expected combo: A left uppercut followed by a right hook and then a long-gliding shoulder charge out of a three-point stance; also, Juggernaut has as a surprise for grounded foes the very same (yet more devastating) jumping fist slam. The homing eye, one of its special abilities, will help it to counter enemy clusters.

"The light glittering from its armor pierces all who see it. Equipped with ominous blades called Murasame-maru."

The samurai-based Rasetz is speedy (though not as much as Speed Mail) and resourceful; it will during combat parry about in quick flashes, successfully dodging attacks--confounding enemies--while setting up its own. Its has two combination attacks: (1) A spinning backhand slice followed by an overhead swipe, which in any instance will cover great range and overwhelm even enemy groups. And (2) for close-combat assault is a rising upthrust, a quick slice, and then a quick spinning hack. While its offensive and defensive statistics impress, the Speed Mail's lack of endurance carries over.

"A killer corpse seething with murderous intent. Its sword overflows with great rage and anger."

The fierce corpsey has two attack types: (1) A paced combination wherein it hits with one or two sword-slashes, a slow upward-swipe and then a swift stab. (2) Otherwise, it goes berserk with a bevy of quick-thrusts, which concludes with an equally painful stab. Corpsey is stronger and more fearsome than the similar Rasetz, but it's a bit slower in how it moves and executes its attacks. Still, Corpsey is a strong option to use against large groups of enemies and giant bosses; its strength and long-range special abilities only help to exemplify this. Plus Corpsey can endure for long periods thanks to its above-average heart potential and its high level of defense. This boy is possibly the game's best I.D.

"A giant, its entire body is plated in thick iron. A single attack can shatter rock and bone."

Compared to the Liquid Golem, Ironside is tops in terms of strength and durability (or "high heart potential," which measures this)--no doubt due to its composition of pure iron. Its combination attack is left roundhouse, a right roundhouse, and then a combined jumping double-stomp plus double axe-handle. However, in tradition, Ironside is a large target, painfully slow, and too often slumps into a defensive position when surrounded. Where Ironside has all other battle types beaten is in the area of special abilities, like the Machine Gun Shot, which if used thoughtfully will bring unto enemies and their groupings much pain.

"A demon coated in a fluid silver alloy. The origin of the symbols on its body are unknown."

The Liquid Golem is the swiftest of the golem-type battlers. Its combination attack is an amalgamation of moves taken from earlier golem forms: A left haymaker, a right uppercut and then an unstoppable shoulder dash; for added measure, it, too, will attack semi-distant enemies with a jumping fist slam. The Liquid Golem, as is its family's trait, takes quite the beating due to its large size and sloth, but it's superior to earlier golem forms in pure strength, defense, and pacing its attacks so that it takes minimal damage from enemy swarms; while still not what one would call "speedy," it manages to hold its own in any combat scenario.

"A black bird said to feast on corpse flesh, and hated for it. Rumors of death follow in its path."

The Crow, your basic bird I.D., has immediate value to the mission in that it has the Glide ability (an ability that all evolved bird forms retain), which is the only means of transportation that will allow Hector access to the Forest of Jigramunt and beyond. In the meantime, it serves pretty well as an offensive force against minor enemies. The Crow, which flies overhead at a safe distance, will use its small size and evasiveness to pester foes that never seem prepared for its assaults. The Crow has one attack that has to it some variation: That is, It will charge or dive-bomb at enemies in a sonic wave, its beak extended, and knock them back with sheer force; other times, the Crow will strike multiple times for repeated damage that quickly adds up to enemy defeat. Due to its speed and small size, which makes it less of a target, it's a rare event when the Crow receives damage.

"A southern bird with golden plumage. Said to bring good fortune from the heavens."

The Goldfinch is as an assistant and an offensive force not much different from the Crow. While more agile (more swift in its movement) with higher heart potential, its Glide ability and beak attacks will aid all the same. Goldfinch has a unique attribute in that its slaying of enemies will sometimes result in the appearance of a gold coin, a remnant not typical. The other plus is its quickly learned Caltrops ability, an attack long-lasting and spread over a wide range; by using Caltrops, Goldfinch will drop onto the battlefield several small explosives, each having the propensity to destroy minor enemies in a single blast.

"Comprised of fleshless bones, this winged dragon is presumed to be a relative of skeletons."

Likewise, the Skull Wing is derivative of the crow in its basic movements and attacks, which include the very same dive-bombs and their variants. Though Skull Wing doesn't have the heart potential or the endurance of a Goldfinch, it's on par agility-wise and its attacks pack more of a punch. It's a tradeoff, really--it's Carpet Bombs ability is similar to Caltrops, but this version sees Skull Wing drop bone-bombs one-by-one according to its current flight pattern. Giving it a slight edge, perhaps, is the Bone Shot, which is similar to Corpsey's Bone Storm in how it targets multiple foes and weakens them for Hector.

"Pure rage in corporal form, it is chaos with wings. Many find its anguished form hard to look at."

Khaos, your typical winged legion of hate and suffering, is despite its grueling appearance the next logical incarnation of a Goldfinch. It has the very same charge and dive-bomb attacks, but it adds into the mix a rapidly-rotating ball-bash, which as it twists through the air will strike for repeated hits. Its extra attack is justified because Khaos is much stronger than past bird formations (and some future formations, for that matter) though more methodical. Its returning Caltrops ability plus the Sphere of Darkness will certainly help Hector to tear through groups of minor enemies if not tough single foes and bosses.

"A legendary bird of flame, said to be immortal. Surrounded by myth, its history remains unknown."

The Phoenix, an all-around solid bird-type I.D. that sees no further evolution, retains all of the abilities of its direct descendant, the Skull Wing. The Phoenix has two types of dive-bomb attack: It will strike with a quickly executed concussive head-bash that will knock enemies back, or it will swoop toward an enemy and hit for repeated blows, often lifting the enemy into the air as it piles on the damage (as a variant to this attack, it will target an enemy and repeatedly strike from this time different angles). Its special abilities are just gravy, especially the Big Bang, with which you can sacrifice the Phoenix and deal tremendous damage to enemy groups and tough boss creatures.

"A winged dragon with a striking crest, feared as the Hunter of the Skies. Its main diet is fish."

Wingosaurus is a decent bird-type representative, but it's ultimately obsolete upon arrival. The problem is that it's too derivative of lesser forms while future evolutions can retain its most desirable move (this screams "upgrade immediately"). That move is the "Long Glide," which is a more advanced form of the normal Glide; it will allow for more-increased accessibility and most importantly entrance into the Tower of Evermore. To its credit, Wingosaurus has high heart potential and it's surprisingly tough; it has afforded to it all of Skull Wing's special abilities, and it attacks with the expected array of dive-bombs.

"Has a beautiful, golden aerodynamic body. Attacks unleashed by its claws can tear foes apart."

Blagsdeth, one of two humanoid-form bird types, is from its abilities a less-typical evolution of Khaos. In terms of statistics, Blagsdeth has higher heart potential and good agility, but it's not as strong or as durable--this compared to even other tier-four bird types. Its attacks include two types of dive-bombs: A limb-first burst using its spiked legs, and a head-and-shoulder charge whose execution is an unexpected blur; both hit for about the same amount of damage. Strangely, its repeated-blow maneuver is now in the class of "Learned Ability" rather than inborn, which doesn't really hurt unless you're cheap with the hearts.

"An evil statue brought to life as a winged fiend. Its zigzag patterns of flight create total fear."

It's instead the Gargoyle that falls more in line with what Khaos was working toward. As a fighter, it's altogether similar to Blagsdeath, what with its two types of dive-bomb attacks (though, it doesn't have an attack that strikes for repeated blows thanks to no learned Beat Progress), but it's a more useful form because Gargoyle is arguably the strongest of the tier-four bird types, and it has the most attack potential. It has Conflict Fall, which renders an "overrated repeated-blow attack" null when it instead lumps all the damage into one strike that routinely deals damage in the thousands; also, Force Cannon, which has the Gargoyle fire three large beams, has the propensity to hastily clear away enemy packs.

"A winged dragon that wields the power of ice. Its Eternal Freeze Blast stops anything in its tracks."

Indigo, the first of two dragon-sized bird forms, is arguably (compared to the Gargoyle) the strongest and most powerful of this I.D. class, and it certainly has more in the way of heart potential. Indigo attacks with two types of dive-bombs: The usual swooping skull bash to knock enemies back (with a stretch-winged-tackle variant that manages to take down more enemies), and the repeated strike (which hits, measurably, three times) for cumulative damage. Indigo can retain all of Wingosaurus' abilities, and it adds in the heat-seeking Icicle Shot and the more effective Blizzard Breath, which freezes multiple enemies at once.

"A winged dragon instilled with the power of fire. Reduces everything to ash with its Flames of Hell."

Crimson as a fighter is nothing more than Indigo in a fiery skin. It has all of the same dive-bomb attacks and, like Indigo, can retain all of Skull Wing's special abilities. Even its new abilities are altogether similar to Indigo's: The Ignition Blow releases toward enemies heat-seeking balls of flame, and Flame Breath, which is spewed out in a similar giant ray yet its effect purely destructive. While it has the same heart potential, it differs from Indigo in statistics, where it's beat in terms of strength but superior in magic and how its abilities deal more devastation. Deciding between the two is at best a toss-up.