Metaphor ReFantazio Followers and how to unlock them
How to get every Follower and what you need to deepen their bonds.
Finding Metaphor: ReFantazio's Followers and unlocking all their bond ranks is essential as you progress through Atlus' fantasy RPG.
Followers grant you new Archetypes to use in battle, and the different ranks of their Follower bonds also reward you with new passive abilities, such as additional Inherited Skill slots or the chance that an ally might save the protagonist from a critical strike. Metaphor: ReFantazio has more than a dozen Followers to track down, though convincing a few of them to offer their support takes you to some dangerous places.
Our in-progress Metaphor: ReFantazio Followers guide lists every Follower we've recruited so far and what you need to do to get them on your side. We'll be updating with the final three once we've completed their ranks, so check back soon.
All Metaphor ReFantazio Followers listed
Metaphor: ReFantazio has 14 Followers to help you on the road to save Euchronia's prince, though several are missable unless you pursue certain side quests. The rest unlock as Metaphor: ReFantazio progresses, so adding them to your retinue is only a matter of time.
All the Followers are:
Followers who are also party members, such as Junah and Heismay, reach rank one without you having to meet Royal Virtue requirements. Others, including Brigitta and Alonzo, only open up to you once you reach level two of a specific Virtue.
That said, maxing out a party member's Follower bond will require you to reach high levels of an associated Virtue as well. In short, don't neglect your Royal Virtues.
How to start More's Follower bond in Metaphor ReFantazio
More's Follower bond is the first one you forge, and it happens automatically on June 5, early in Metaphor: ReFantazio. More's Follower bond works differently from most others.
Rather than seeing it level up after conversations or quests, you improve it by fulfilling specific Archetype-related tasks More sets you. These include requests such as reaching level 15 with the Merchant Archetype or studying a set number of Archetypes in general.
How to start Strohl's Follower bond in Metaphor ReFantazio
Strohl's Follower bond is the second to unlock, and it starts on June 6 before the final battle in Nord Mines.
You can speak with Strohl after completing major story missions to advance his Follower bond further, though to unlock rank six, you need to complete the quest A Noble's Legacy and reach level three Imagination.
How to start Gallica's Follower bond in Metaphor ReFantazio
Gallica's Follower bond also starts automatically on June 6, this time after you clear the Nord Mines.
Her bond deepens as you progress through the story, and there's nothing you can do to level it up faster.
How to start Maria's Follower bond in Metaphor ReFantazio
Maria's Follower bond has two beginnings. The first is automatic and happens on June 10 after you read to her from More's book, though you can't deepen the bond until after June 29 when Neuras gives you the tree drawing.
You also need to reach Tolerance level two before you can initiate the rank two conversation. Ranks four, five, and seven are also tied to receiving certain drawings, which happens automatically as your party travels in the Gauntlet Runner.
Finally, you also need to reach Tolerance level four to initiate Maria's rank seven conversation.
How to start Hulkenberg's Follower bond in Metaphor ReFantazio
Hulkenberg's Follower bond begins on June 11 after the events during the royal funeral.
That's all it takes, but you'll eventually need to reach level four Wisdom to unlock her Follower bond's seventh rank.
How to start Brigitta's Follower bond in Metaphor ReFantazio
You can technically begin Brigitta's Follower bond as soon as the royal funeral is over, though you won't be able to thanks to stat requirements. Starting it requires Wisdom level two. Once you meet that requirement, speak with Brigitta in front of the Lycaon Magic Association on Sunlumeo Street, and accept her quest A Bullish Embargo, where she asks you to slay the Grotesque Guptauros.
The Guptauros battle is tough - even more so if you ignore the Informant's advice and bring the Mage Archetype along. If you don't have Ice Chunk items to deal damage, consider putting Blizz as an Inherited Skill for one or two characters. However, if it proves too difficult before you clear Grand Trad Cathedral, you can level up in that dungeon and try again later, as A Bullish Embargo has no deadline. You need Courage level three to start her Follower bond's fifth rank, and you must unlock the Prince Royal Archetype before you can begin the final rank.
How to start Catherina's Follower bond in Metaphor ReFantazio
Catherina's bond starts when she enlists your help in Grand Trad Cathedral. She gives you the quest A Friend In Need, a hostage rescue mission that you have to complete to move forward in the dungeon.
Once you clear the cathedral, Catherina will occasionally ambush your Gauntlet Runner in the countryside and challenge you to a battle, though these fights stop about midway through her Follower bond.
You need Tolerance level five to start her later bond ranks.
How to start Neuras' Follower bond in Metaphor ReFantazio
Neuras' Follower bond is easy to miss if you forget to handle the side quest Providing a Spark, which unlocks once you reach Martira. Getting the Gunner Archetype that Neuras' Follower bond unlocks is required for advancing More's Follower bond, so it's a good idea to start as soon as you can.
Anyhow, on June 29, Neuras mentions an old mentor of his, some relics, and Komero Village. Travel to Komero in the Gauntlet Runner, purchase the items he mentioned in the shop there, and give them to Neuras to start his Follower bond. After that, you'll have to find Lost Relics, strange items scattered around certain dungeons throughout the land, to rank up his bond. Read the journal in the Gauntlet Runner's engine room - it's pinned above the walkway at the room's entrance - for clues about where to find the next relic.
How to start Bardon's Follower bond in Metaphor ReFantazio
You can begin Bardon's Follower bond the day after you finish Martira's dungeon, whether it's before the deadline or not. Speak with Bardon in the town's square, spend the afternoon with him, and you'll unlock rank one and the Commander Archetype.
You need level three Eloquence to start his rank five bond, and you'll have to complete The Right to Rule side quest he gives you after reaching rank six to unlock rank seven.
How to start Heismay's Follower bond in Metaphor ReFantazio
Heismay's Follower bond can begin on July 4 after you finish dealing with the situation in Martira Castle, though you need to reach Eloquence level two before you can actually start it.
You also still have to wait until July 4 to start it, even if you clear the dungeon early. Later, you'll need Imagination level four to start his rank seven bond event.
How to start Alonzo's Follower bond in Metaphor ReFantazio
Starting Alonzo's bond rank - Alonzo is Cuculus' real name - is rather more difficult, and it takes you to a dungeon filled with dangerous monsters. Speak with Alonzo in Martira's square at any time after you first reach the town and attain Imagination level two, and after events unfold, he'll give you the side quest A Dagger, A Ring, and A Rake.
This quest takes you to the Abandoned Tomb mini-dungeon, a place filled with Pyrite Imitec chest mimics and, near the end, a much more dangerous Trove Imitec enemy. The smaller Imitecs are optional, but you have to defeat the Trove Imitec to finish the quest. You may want to wait until you finish Martira's dungeon, so your party is strong enough to handle it, and you definitely want to take the Merchant Archetype along. Their money throw skill distracts Imitec enemies for one turn.
Bring the ring to Alonzo to start his Follower bond. You need Wisdom level three to start the third rank, Tolerance level three to start the fourth rank, and Courage level five to start the seventh rank.
How to start Junah's Follower bond in Metaphor ReFantazio
Junah's Follower bond unlocks after she joins your party, but you have to put in some effort before it gets going. Junah joins as an ally automatically once you infiltrate Louis' skyrunner, the Charadrius, in Brilehaven - at the end of July, if you're very well-prepared, but probably sometime in early or mid-August. However, her Follower bond, and the chance to unlock the Masked Dancer Archetype's advanced lineage, only becomes available on Virga Island starting August 18.
Speak with Junah on or after August 18 to get the quest Save the Mourning Snakes. This side quest pits you against a boss whose attacks cause instant death unless the target ally has a defense-boosting buff active. The Commander's Marakukaja is essential for this fight, since it increases the entire party's defense with one cast, so make sure to bring that Archetype along or have at least one ally learn Marakukaja as an Inherited Skill. You'll reach rank one automatically once you defeat the boss and report back to Junah.
You'll need Imagination level four to start her rank five conversation, and Junah's rank six conversation can only happen while the party is traveling aboard the Gauntlet Runner.
More to come...
Good luck finding every Follower in Metaphor: ReFantazio!