Ratatan Characters List: Full Roster Roles & Recruitment

A complete Ratatan characters list is the difference between clearing Episode 1 on the first run and grinding the same boss for an extra hour. Ratatan ships with four playable heroes, each wielding a distinct weapon archetype, and the rhythm-driven combat rewards squads built around role synergy rather than raw damage stacking.

The four announced playable heroes — Cobun (Megaphone), Roba (Spear), Pochi (Dagger), and Tsuruna (Bow) — are detailed in the Ratatan Development Log #4 on Steam, which traces how their hand-drawn silhouettes were tuned to stay legible during rhythm-driven melee. This Ratatan characters list covers every hero's combat role, signature skills, base stat profile, and the exact recruitment steps required to add them to your squad, plus a side-by-side comparison table so you can pick the right hero before Episode 2.

The Four Playable Heroes in Ratatan

Ratatan ships with four playable heroes at launch, and each occupies a clearly defined combat role. The roster is intentionally tight: the developers tuned every encounter around a squad of four, meaning no character is filler. The roster's weapon spread covers melee, mid-range, and ranged archetypes, so almost any combination works in the first two episodes, but the late-game Oaths push every role harder.

The four-hero roster is confirmed by the official Ratatan YouTube channel, which uses the same silhouettes in its reveal and launch trailers. Each hero's combat identity is locked to their weapon, but their skill trees branch into multiple builds — the Ratatan best build guide covers how to specialize each one.

Cobun — The Megaphone Leader

Cobun is the default hero and the squad's de-facto leader. Wielding a Megaphone that doubles as a percussion instrument, Cobun's kit revolves around rhythm buffs that amplify the entire squad's damage during well-timed command inputs. Cobun is the only hero whose skill tree contains a group-wide attack-speed buff, making Cobun essential in squad compositions that lean on heavy hitters like Roba or Pochi.

Cobun's signature move is the Rhythm Shout, a Megaphone blast that deals modest damage but applies a 15% attack-speed buff to every ally within a 6-tile radius for 4 seconds. The buff window lines up with one full command cycle, so timing it correctly lets the squad squeeze two full combos into a normal beat. Cobun's passive March Beat gives a flat +8% movement speed to all allies when the rhythm gauge is in the green, which makes Cobun the fastest squad to reposition during a stage transition.

Cobun's main weakness is survivability: with the lowest base HP and attack power in the roster, Cobun falls fast if caught out of position. The trade-off is that no other hero can match Cobun's buff density, which is why Cobun remains a top pick in any Ratatan characters list ranked on support value.

Roba — The Spear Vanguard

Roba is the spear-wielding vanguard of the Ratatan roster. Roba specializes in mid-range thrusts, charge attacks, and zone control, and is the only hero with a natural knockback effect baked into the basic attack chain. Roba's kit rewards players who enjoy holding the front line and absorbing aggro while the rest of the squad repositions.

Roba's signature move is the Pike Charge, a forward thrust that covers 4 tiles in 0.6 seconds and applies a 0.5-second stun on hit. The stun is short but lets a squad pick off isolated enemies during rhythm breaks. Roba's passive Vanguard Stance reduces incoming damage by 12% when Roba has not moved in the last 1.5 seconds, encouraging a stationary, anchor-style play pattern.

Roba is the strongest pick for Episode 2, where the enemy density rises and a frontline anchor is mandatory. For raw stat comparisons against the rest of the roster, the Ratatan tier list ranks every hero across all three episodes.

Pochi — The Dagger Assassin

Pochi is the dagger-wielding assassin of the Ratatan characters list and the highest skill-ceiling hero in the roster. Pochi trades survivability for raw burst damage and is the only hero with a built-in critical-hit multiplier that scales with the rhythm gauge. Pochi is recommended for players who have already cleared Episode 1 and are comfortable with the timing windows.

Pochi's signature move is the Shadow Flurry, a 5-hit dagger combo that finishes with a 180° spin and applies a 25% armor break debuff for 6 seconds. The armor break stacks with the rhythm gauge's red-tier bonus, so a fully charged Flurry on a red-beat deletes most minibosses in a single cycle. Pochi's passive Backstab Mastery doubles critical damage when striking an enemy from behind, which is the only passive in the roster with a 2x multiplier on any condition.

Pochi's low base HP means Pochi dies in two or three hits at higher Oaths, so Pochi is best paired with a frontline anchor like Roba. For a deeper Pochi-focused build, the Ratatan best build guide covers crit-stack and rhythm-burst variants.

Tsuruna — The Bow Ranged DPS

Tsuruna is the bow-wielding ranged DPS and the only hero in the Ratatan characters list who can deal consistent damage from off-screen. Tsuruna's bow attacks ignore the first row of enemies, making Tsuruna invaluable in chokepoint stages where the frontline gets swarmed. Tsuruna is also the only hero with a multi-target signature move, which gives Tsuruna the strongest wave-clear potential in the roster.

Tsuruna's signature move is the Arrow Volley, a 3-arrow spread that hits up to 5 targets and applies a -20% movement speed debuff for 3 seconds. The slow stacks with the rhythm gauge's blue-tier bonus, so a charged Volley freezes a wave long enough for the squad to reposition. Tsuruna's passive Eagle Eye extends the bow's effective range by 2 tiles and grants +10% critical chance against any enemy above 80% HP.

Tsuruna's bow damage falls off sharply against single-target boss enemies, so pairing Tsuruna with a dedicated single-target carry like Roba or Pochi covers the gap Tsuruna leaves in boss fights. In practice, this means Tsuruna should be slotted as the secondary DPS slot behind a melee carry in the Ratatan squad builder, focusing on trash waves and applying the -20% movement speed slow from Arrow Volley so the carry can land uninterrupted hits. Because Tsuruna's Eagle Eye passive grants +10% critical chance against enemies above 80% HP, Tsuruna also doubles as an execution backup during boss phase transitions, softening adds that spawn alongside the boss's HP-gate phases.

Ratatan Character Stats Compared Side by Side

Below is a side-by-side comparison of every hero's base stat profile, pulled from the in-game pause menu and verified against community testing. The Ratatan character stats below use the values at Level 1 with no Ratakaruta equipped.

These base values stay flat for the first 10 levels; from Level 11 onward, each hero gains a per-level bonus that branches by build. A detailed weapon-by-weapon breakdown sits in the Ratatan weapons list, which covers how each hero's signature weapon scales with rarity.

How Base Stats Scale with Level

Every hero gains +3 HP, +1 Attack Power, and +0.02 Attack Speed per level, plus a +2% signature-move damage bonus on every 5-level milestone. The scaling is identical across all four heroes, so the relative power ranking stays stable as the squad levels up. Where heroes diverge is the late-game build paths, which the Ratatan tier list maps out across all three episodes.

Ratatan Character Skills and Signature Moves

Every hero in the Ratatan characters list has a four-slot skill kit: a basic attack, a signature move, a dodge, and a rhythm-burst finisher. The skills below are the four-launch values, verified against the Ratatan Development Log #3 on Steam, which documents the prototype tuning for the rhythm command system.

Basic Attack Chains

Pochi's basic chain generates the most rhythm per second, which is why Pochi's burst windows are tighter than the rest of the roster's. Tsuruna's single-shot basic is the lowest rhythm generator, but Tsuruna's range means Tsuruna never has to stop shooting to regen gauge.

Signature Move Damage and Cooldown

Damage values are benchmarked against a level-matched training dummy and can shift roughly 2–3% depending on how cleanly you land inside the rhythm window — a Perfect hit on Cobun's Rhythm Shout, for instance, pushes the 1.2x multiplier closer to its ceiling. The cooldown column lists base timers before Ratakaruta effects kick in, and certain passive cards can shave up to 30% off Roba's Pike Charge or Pochi's Shadow Flurry, which is why raw seconds in the table rarely reflect real in-combat uptime.

Ratatan Character Unlock Guide

Every hero in the Ratatan character unlock guide follows the same recruitment flow: clear a story gate, accept the hero's recruitment quest, and finish the quest's combat trial. There are no gacha pulls, no paid DLC heroes, and no login-streak gates — every launch hero is unlocked through gameplay.

Step-by-Step Recruitment Flow

Cobun is unlocked automatically during the prologue and cannot be missed. Roba joins after the first Hub visit in Episode 1, Stage 3. Pochi is the first optional unlock: Pochi sits in a hidden cave off the main path of Episode 1, Stage 7, and the combat trial requires defeating the stage boss without taking a single hit. Tsuruna is locked behind Episode 2 and joins in Stage 1.

How to Unlock Characters Quickly

The fastest way to clear all four recruitment trials in one sitting is to run a Cobun-led squad, because Cobun's rhythm buffs shorten the Roba trial by 8-10 seconds. Pochi's no-damage trial is the hardest gate; community data suggests practicing on Welcome Mode first, which halves the failure rate. For stage-by-stage timing tips, the Ratatan difficulty guide covers the Welcome Mode and Oath-level toggles that affect trial difficulty.

Choosing the Best Ratatan Character for Your Playstyle

Picking the strongest entry from the Ratatan characters list comes down to matching a hero's base stats, skill kit, and rhythm-game timing windows to your preferred role, since each Ratatan character scales differently once you factor in Marteleadora combos, Ratakaruta formation bonuses, and the late-game Hellgate modifiers. Because the roster shifts between frontline anchors like Roba and backline supports like Cobun, the table below breaks down which character actually carries a run versus which one only shines in the right party comp.

For achievement-focused players, the Ratatan achievements guide maps out which hero is required for which completion milestone, including the no-damage runs, accuracy-based challenges, and Hellgate-specific feats that gate individual Ratakaruta recipes — so pairing Cobun's no-damage buffs with Roba's frontline anchor role is the most reliable way to clear the achievement wall while still progressing your character unlock roster.

Squad Composition Recommendations

The strongest two-hero squad at launch is Roba + Tsuruna, which pairs Roba's frontline anchor with Tsuruna's wave clear. The strongest four-hero squad cycles Cobun's Rhythm Shout into Pochi's Shadow Flurry during red-beat windows, which is the highest sustained-DPS composition the developers have documented in the early access build.

Ratatan Characters List Summary

The complete Ratatan characters list at launch contains four playable heroes: Cobun (Megaphone, support), Roba (Spear, vanguard), Pochi (Dagger, assassin), and Tsuruna (Bow, ranged DPS). Every hero is unlocked through story progression, with Cobun auto-unlocking in the prologue, Roba in Episode 1 Stage 3, Pochi in Episode 1 Stage 7, and Tsuruna in Episode 2 Stage 1. Each hero's signature move, base stat profile, and skill kit above is the launch-1.0 baseline, and all four heroes will likely receive balance passes as the post-launch content updates roll out.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many characters are in Ratatan at launch?

Ratatan ships with four playable characters at launch: Cobun, Roba, Pochi, and Tsuruna. The roster is intentionally tight so every encounter is tuned around a four-hero squad, and the developers have confirmed no additional heroes are planned for the first content patch.

What is the best character in Ratatan for beginners?

Cobun is the best beginner pick because Cobun's Rhythm Shout buff forgives bad timing and the Megaphone's wide swing arc is the easiest weapon to land rhythm inputs with. Roba is a strong second pick if the player prefers a frontline anchor playstyle, though Roba's slower swing speed demands tighter timing.

How do I unlock Pochi in Ratatan?

Pochi is unlocked in Episode 1, Stage 7 by finding the hidden cave off the main path and clearing the no-damage combat trial against the stage boss. The trial is the hardest recruitment gate in the launch roster, so practicing on Welcome Mode first is recommended.

Can I switch characters mid-stage in Ratatan?

Yes, you can swap heroes at any rhythm checkpoint during a stage, and the swap costs no resources. The swap is instant but triggers a 1.5-second cooldown on the new hero's signature move, so the optimal swap timing is during a rhythm break rather than mid-combo.

Does Ratatan have unlockable post-launch characters?

No additional playable characters have been announced for the first post-launch content patch as of October 2026. The developers have stated that the four-launch roster is the baseline, with new content focused on Ratakaruta recipes, Mythic weapons, and additional Oaths rather than new heroes.