If you grew up playing the original PlayStation release of Agrias Final Fantasy Tactics, you probably remember the exact moment she joined your party. It wasn't just the cool knightly sprite or the fact that she was a "Holy Knight" while your Ramza was likely still a struggling Squire or a generic Knight. It was the "Stasis Sword." That satisfying thwack of the ice block, the chance to Stop an enemy in their tracks, and the realization that the game's difficulty curve just shifted in your favor.
She’s legendary. But she’s also deeply misunderstood by a lot of players who just treat her as a "Thunder God Cid-lite."
Agrias Oaks is the moral compass of Ivalice. While the War of the Lions descends into a mess of political assassinations, demonic possession, and betrayal, Agrias remains the one constant. She is a bodyguard to Princess Ovelia, sure, but she’s also the character that teaches the player what actual chivalry looks like in a world that has completely forgotten the concept. Honestly, without her, Ramza Beoulve probably would have lost his mind somewhere around the middle of Chapter 2.
The Holy Knight kit: Beyond the basics of Agrias Final Fantasy Tactics
Most people slap a Ribbon on her and call it a day. That’s a mistake. To really understand how to optimize her, you have to look at how her "Holy Sword" skills actually function. Unlike many other physical classes in the game, her skills are reliant on the physical attack (PA) stat and the weapon’s power, but they can also be boosted by elemental strengthening.
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Wait. Did you know that her skills are actually "Physical" but they calculate damage using a formula that benefits immensely from the "Attack UP" support ability? Many people think she's a hybrid mage because she uses "Holy" sword techniques. She isn't. She’s a pure physical powerhouse.
If you’re playing the War of the Lions PSP/mobile port, her utility goes up even further because of the Tynar Edge. This is a female-only accessory that is arguably the best item in the entire game. It gives a massive +3 Physical Attack, +3 Magical Attack, and grants permanent Shell, Protect, and Haste. When you give this to Agrias, she stops being a support knight and starts being a walking nuke.
But let's talk about the original PS1 version for a second. Back then, we didn't have the Tynar Edge. We had to rely on the "Chantage" or the "Kaisershield." The beauty of her kit is the range. Judgment Blade (Stasis Sword in the original) hits at a range of 3 and has a 25% chance to proc Stop. In a game like Final Fantasy Tactics, where turn economy is everything, stopping an enemy is basically a death sentence for them. It doesn't matter how much HP they have if they never get to move.
Why her character arc hits harder than the gameplay
Agrias isn't just a unit. She’s a symbol. When we first meet her at Orbonne Monastery, she’s rigid. Professional. She’s a Holy Knight of the Lionsguard, and she takes that seriously. But watch her dialogue as the game progresses.
The relationship between Agrias and Princess Ovelia is the emotional heartbeat of the first half of the game. It’s one of the few genuine bonds in a story defined by people using each other. When Agrias realizes that the Church of Glabados—the very institution she serves—is corrupt to its core, she doesn’t have a breakdown. She just pivots. She decides that her loyalty belongs to the person, not the title. That’s a huge distinction in a game about the "Lion War."
There's this one specific scene—often missed if you rush—where she talks about her duty. She knows she’s a pawn. She knows Ovelia is a pawn. But she chooses to be a shield anyway. It’s a quiet kind of heroism that stands in stark contrast to the loud, world-ending ambitions of villains like Wiegraf or Delita.
Actually, let's talk about Delita. Delita is the "hero" the world sees, but Agrias is the hero the world actually needs. She doesn't need to manipulate entire kingdoms to do the right thing. She just draws her sword.
The "Cid" Problem: Is Agrias actually worse than Orlandeau?
Look, we have to address the elephant in the room. Count Cidolfus Orlandeau (T.G. Cid) joins your party later and he has every single one of Agrias's moves, plus Gafgarion’s moves, plus Meliadoul’s moves. He is, objectively, a broken character that ruins the game's challenge.
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Because of this, many "pro" guides tell you to bench Agrias the moment Cid joins. Those guides are wrong.
First, Agrias is available for almost the entire game. Cid is a late-game addition. By the time you get the Thunder God, Agrias should already be your most versatile unit. Second, Agrias has access to female-only gear. I mentioned the Tynar Edge, but there’s also the Barette and Cachusha. These items provide status immunity that Cid can't get without wasting an accessory slot.
If you build her right, Agrias has higher survivability than Cid. By the end of the game, I usually have her running the "Geomancy" or "Items" secondary skill set. This makes her a hybrid who can heal, inflict status from a distance, and still one-shot most generic enemies with Holy Explosion (Divine Ruination).
She’s more interesting to play. Cid is a "win" button. Agrias is a tactical choice.
Optimizing the Build: The Expert Setup
If you want to make her truly terrifying, you need to step away from the Holy Knight job for a while. It sounds counter-intuitive, but hear me out.
- The Ninja Grind: Switch her to a Ninja to build up her Speed. Speed is the most important stat in Final Fantasy Tactics. A Holy Knight with 8 Speed is okay. A Holy Knight with 12 Speed is a god.
- The Knight Core: You eventually want her back in her unique Holy Knight class because it has the best equipment options, but you should equip the "Vehemence" (or "Attack UP") support ability from the Dark Knight or Monk classes.
- The Move +3: Don't settle for Move +1. Get her into the Bard or Thief tracks to unlock better movement. Agrias with high mobility is a nightmare for the AI because she can kiting enemies while dropping Judgment Blades from safety.
A lot of players also forget that her skills are based on the element of the weapon. If you equip an Excalibur, her sword skills deal Holy damage. If she’s wearing a 108 Gems accessory (which boosts all elemental damage), her damage output skydives into the thousands. It’s a simple interaction that many people miss because they just look at the raw PA stat.
Common Misconceptions and Lore Errors
You’ll often see people claim Agrias is a "Paladin." She isn't. In the world of Ivalice, "Holy Knight" is a specific rank within the templar structure, and it carries heavy political weight. Calling her a Paladin ignores the fact that her powers aren't necessarily "divine" in the traditional sense; they are techniques of the blade that channel mana.
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Another big one: people think she’s "loyal to the Crown." She isn't. She’s loyal to Ovelia. If the Crown told her to kill Ovelia, she’d burn the kingdom down. That’s what makes her such a compelling foil to characters like Gafgarion, who is only loyal to the coin, or Ramza, who is loyal to his own burgeoning sense of justice.
Why She Still Matters in 2026
Gaming has changed a lot since 1997, but the writing in Final Fantasy Tactics remains some of the best in the genre. Agrias represents a type of female character that was rare then and is still refreshing now. She isn't a love interest. She isn't a "damsel." Even when she’s protecting Ovelia, she’s doing it as a peer and a guardian.
She’s basically the Brienne of Tarth of JRPGs, but with better hair and magic swords.
The lasting impact of Agrias is seen in how many times she’s been brought back. She’s in Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, Dissidia, and even Final Fantasy XIV during the "Return to Ivalice" raid series. Square Enix knows she’s a fan favorite. They know that when people think of Tactics, they think of the blue and gold armor and the "Life is short... Bury! Steady Sword!" quote (or the "The heavens' blessing fill the air... Stasis Sword!" for the purists).
Actionable Steps for your Next Playthrough
If you’re booting up a fresh save tonight, here is exactly how to make the most of her:
- Don't ignore her Brave stat. Her sword skills don't rely on it for damage, but her reaction abilities do. Get a Mediator (Orator) to talk her Brave up to 97 as soon as possible. This makes her nearly invincible if she has "Shirhadori" (Blade Grasp) equipped.
- Prioritize the "Confuse" and "Silence" sword skills in the early game. Everyone loves the damage of the later skills, but being able to shut down a mage from 4 tiles away is how you win the harder battles in Chapter 2.
- Give her the Aegis Shield. It gives a boost to Magic Attack, which slightly nudges her skill damage and makes her more resistant to the nasty spells the late-game bosses throw at you.
- Finish the "Birthday" event. In the War of the Lions version, there is a special hidden scene that occurs if you have Agrias, Alicia, and Lavian in your party on the 1st of Cancer. You need 500,000 gil. It’s a lot of money, but it’s the only way to get the Tynar Edge. It also gives Agrias some much-needed character flavor outside of the main plot.
Agrias is the heart of the game. She’s the bridge between the high-fantasy nonsense of the Zodiac Stones and the grounded, gritty reality of the common soldier. Use her, build her right, and stop benching her for Orlandeau. She’s earned her spot on the front lines.
Key Takeaways for Final Fantasy Tactics Fans
- Agrias is a PA-based attacker, not a magic user. Focus on Physical Attack boosting gear.
- The Tynar Edge is her "ultimate" weapon/accessory combo in the PSP/Mobile versions.
- Vary her jobs to pick up Speed and Move bonuses, but always return to the Holy Knight class for her unique skills.
- Elemental boosts (like 108 Gems or the Black Robe) are the "secret sauce" to doubling her damage output without leveling up.