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{{trope}}
In an RPG, you're allowed to switch any character out of your party. Any character except Bob, because he's the protagonist. Depending on the [[Character Level|leveling system]], this could be a problem if you want to train
From a story standpoint, this makes sense. The game's not about Alice, Charlie, Dave, or Emily even if they do have more interesting stories than Bob.
See Also: [[Required Party Member]], when it's Alice, Charlie, Dave, or Emily that's forced into your group; and [[We Cannot Go
{{examples|Exceptions:}}
==
* Most of the ''[[Dept. Heaven]]'' games play this straight. ''[[Knights in The Nightmare]]'' is a bit unusual in that while you're always required to have the heroine in your party when she's with you, battles where she actually accompanies you only take up about a third of the game. ''[[Yggdra Unison]]'' notably averts this
==
* After beating the main plot of the ''[[
==
* In ''[[
* In ''[[
** Alternatively, you can always choose to fight the [[Final Boss]] (and win) without resolving the crisis, thus beating the game without actually having your main character in your party.
** In ''[[
* [[Final Fantasy]]:
** ''[[
*** The fact that [[Decoy Protagonist|it's not as clear cut who the main character is]] than in some of the previous games doesn't hurt.
*** You still have to control Vaan in towns however in XII and Tidus when on the map anywhere (Except for that one scene where you play Yuna).
** ''[[
*** Terra, Celes, and Locke probably have the most instances where they have to be in the party but [[FF 6]] is the only one in the series that is mostly completely devoid of this trope. This mostly have to do with the fact that there really is no main character. Though many would agree that Terra is the most plot important character, you don't even have to get her for 2nd half of the game. Heck Terra's probably the one character who spends the most time out of your party.
** ''[[
** In both versions of ''[[Final Fantasy VII]]'', members of the party will leave and rejoin frequently for a variety of reasons, such as needing to do something "offscreen", an accident or brutal fight separating them, one member captured by an enemy (and requiring rescue) or {{spoiler| even, in one case, death}}. However, Cloud is ''always'' present and under the player's control.
* Both ''[[Knights of the Old Republic (
** ''[[Jade Empire]]'' used the same technique in {{spoiler|the siege of Dirge}}, ensuring that ''all'' party members had a role to play in the event. It should be pointed out that all three games otherwise followed this trope, although the party probably doesn't want to leave {{spoiler|Revan}}, the Exile, or {{spoiler|the last Spirit Monk}} behind.
* Surprisingly, ''[[
** The spin-off ''[[
** Even in ''[[Pokémon Red and Blue
* In ''[[Sonic Chronicles]]: The Dark Brotherhood'', Sonic is a permanent fixture in the team's lineup for almost all of the game. There ''are'' two instances where the team splits into two groups, but in both those cases, You instead have ''two'' [[Required Party Member
* Later games in the ''[[Tales
** ''[[Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World]]'' allows you to remove Emil and Marta from the party, but they're the only 2 that can be in the on screen character slot (the top slot) (you can switch characters in battle, but as soon as the fights over you switch back to the on screen character). As with the previous one it too allows non-active characters (in this case the monsters in your party) to gain levels without going into battle. Also, if you keep one of them out of the main line up for long enough they complain about it in a skit.
*** The [[Final Boss]] battle has special [[Boss Banter]] for every character, not just Emil and Marta, if that character is the party leader. However, because you can't have anyone but Marta or Emil as your party leader, [[Dummied Out|you can't hear them without hacking]].
* In ''[[
* In ''[[
* ''[[
* ''[[Brave Story]]: New Traveler'' plays this one straight. Like ''[[
** There are "Triple Techs" in ''[[
* ''[[
* Although the Xbox version of ''[[
* ''[[Might and Magic]] I-V'' averts this by letting you switch out all members of the party. VI, VII and IX averts it by not letting you switch ''any'' member of the party. VIII plays it straight, however.
* ''[[Black Sigil]]'' regularly switches up the party. [[Badass Normal|Kairu]] is the protagonist, but often you'll be leading a party without him in it.
* The second ''[[
** Not to mention you didn't even start the game as Felix, but rather as his sister Jenna, though you only play as her briefly.
*** The battle theme only has 2 factors: Felix and Isaac. If Felix is in the party, his theme will play. If Felix isn't but Isaac is, Isaac's theme will play. If neither Isaac nor Felix is in the party, Jenna's theme will play, even if Jenna isn't either.
** They probably allowed Felix to switched out because Isaac is also the main character, probably more so than Felix.
* The ''[[Icewind Dale]]'' series allows you to switch out and add new party members at will (up to the maximum of six characters), even the person in the first
* ''[[Dragon Age Origins]]'' has two sequences near the end of the game where you can take control of a group of characters without the Warden, once to {{spoiler|break the captured Warden out of prison}} and once to hold Denerim's gate while the Warden hunts the Archdemon.
* Played straight in the ''[[Suikoden]]'' series until being partially subverted in the fifth game. You cannot remove the main character from the party, but since it is made up of six battle slots and two follower slots meant for non-combatants and [[NPC
* In ''[[Endless Frontier]]'', Haken is basically the character the plot revolves around. Doesn't mean you have to put him into battle, though. The game only ever forces character use when the enemy is of particular importance to one of your party members (for example, when Suzuka confronts {{spoiler|her possessed lover}}).
* In ''[[Digital Devil Saga]]'' you can freely switch around your party members, and there are times when Serph won't be in your party at all.
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* Averted in ''[[Shadow Hearts]]'', although the third game will make you unable to switch out whatever party member is important to the dungeon (like Mao during the Alcatraz dungeon). In addition, you need Natan in the party to do his sidequests.
* [[Legend of Dragoon]] averts this only when there's no battles to be fought. It happens once when you're traveling by ship for the first time in disc 2, having you control every party member and get some plot-based dialogue happening. It happens again when the party is split late in disc 4 during a series of character-specific boss battles. When the hero is out of the party though, random battles are turned off entirely.
* In [[Riviera:
* In ''[[Super Mario RPG]]'' you can switch up your party however you like, but Mario can never be swapped out at all, most likely due to him being tasked to solve whatever problems the game presents.
** ''[[Paper Mario]]'' and ''[[Paper Mario:
* The ''[[Inazuma Eleven]]'' series allows you to set a "Story" team and a "Connect" team, each of which can have 11 to 16 members of your party of up to 100 characters (and overlap is allowed between the two teams). Endou is locked to the first slot of the Story team, but you can rearrange the Connect team however you please. The Connect team is meant primarily for multiplayer matches (hence the name), but you can also use it for optional sidequest matches.
** After beating the main story of ''[[Inazuma Eleven]] 3'', you're also allowed to rearrange your Story team as you please, which also allows you to have 4-on-4 mini-battles without Endou (since mini-battles use the first 4 slots of your Story team).
* In ''[[Star Ocean]] First Departure'' you can swap any party member in and out of the main party and even choose which one you directly control while the others go to their AI script.
* Averted in ''[[Xenoblade Chronicles]]'', where anyone can be the party leader, and is also the only character you control directly in combat and on the field.
* Downplayed in ''[[Monster Girl Quest Paradox]]''. Luka has to be in the party at all times. However, he doesn't have to be in the active party (the four members who actually participate in combat) and can be moved to the reserve party.
==
* In ''[[Final Fantasy Tactics]]'', you can play without Ramza in random encounters, but not story battles. More importantly, if you try to actually dismiss Ramza from your party, you get specifically told you can't. If you try it in the endgame, Ramza outright tells you "I'm you. This is my story."
** This also applies to ''[[Final Fantasy Tactics Advance]]'' and ''[[Final Fantasy Tactics
* In ''[[Disgaea]]'' and its sequels, you can send any party of ten people into battle. (But the ensuing cutscenes assume that the main characters were in it.)
** Ditto ''[[
* In ''[[Makai Kingdom]]'', the only required "character" is Book-form Zetta, who serves as the "base" from which your playable generics are summoned, but he doesn't count towards your character limit and can't move or defend himself.
* Similarly in ''[[Phantom Brave]]'', Marona is the only character who 1) doesn't disappear after an Arbitrary Time Limit and 2) can Confine the other characters.
** Her stat growth is some of the worst in the game, but her ability to confine makes her something of a living home base who can barely fight. At least her speed is good, and with the right weapon in Phantom Brave, any stat can become your damage dealing stat...
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