All Ratatan Characters & Skills Guide

Character System Overview

Each Ratatan is more than just a cosmetic choice - they fundamentally change how you approach every encounter. Your chosen Ratatan determines your Melodium skill (a powerful ability unique to each character), influences your Cobun's behavior and stats, and shapes your overall strategy. There's no "best" Ratatan, but there's definitely a best one for your playstyle.

The four playable Ratatan cover the classic RPG archetypes - aggro tank, defensive support, burst assassin, and ranged specialist. But what makes Ratatan interesting is how the rhythm system interacts with these roles. An assassin who misses their beat window loses their burst damage. A defender who can't keep rhythm fails to shield their team. Your mechanical skill with the rhythm system matters just as much as your character choice.

Fortrun - The Ship

Fortrun isn't a playable character in the traditional sense - it's the ship that carries the Ratatan across the seas of Redo. Voiced by the legendary Tomokazu Sugita, Fortrun is a carefree, shanty-singing vessel that serves as your hub between worlds. While you can't directly control Fortrun in combat, understanding its role in the story helps piece together the world of Ratatan.

Originally drawn by the goddess's song to seek The Everafter, Fortrun got scared of the wild Chorus and wandered into the Nowhere Sea instead. It's only when the Ratatan arrive that Fortrun finds the courage to sail toward adventure again. The ship's theme song is one of the best tracks in the game - you'll be humming it for days.

Cobun Types & Pairings

Understanding Cobun types is crucial for building an effective army. Here's a breakdown of the main types you'll encounter:

• Sword Cobun: Melee fighters with balanced attack and defense. Good all-rounders that work with any Ratatan.
• Shield Cobun: Tanky defenders with low attack. Essential for Harigitan builds and any defensive strategy.
• Archer Cobun: Ranged attackers with low health. Keep them behind the frontline and they'll deal consistent damage.
• Spear Cobun: Mid-range fighters that can hit from behind shield walls. Great synergy with defensive builds.
• Special Cobun: Rare types with unique abilities. Always pick these up when you find them.

Recommended Builds

After extensive testing across dozens of runs, here are the builds that consistently perform well:

The Steamroller (Gagarumba)

Full sword Cobun + Agitate Blast + FEVER mode. This build is pure aggression - buff your damage, hit FEVER, and watch bosses melt. Weak against enemies with heavy burst damage since you have no defensive tools. Pick up attack upgrades and FEVER extension items whenever possible.

The Fortress (Harigitan)

50/50 shield and archer Cobun + Resonance Shield. This build is nearly unkillable but clears slowly. Perfect for learning boss patterns since you can survive mistakes. Stack defense and healing items. In multiplayer, this is your team's anchor.

The Blender (Myadora)

Fast-attacking spear Cobun + Shadow Dance. Burst the boss down during Shadow Dance windows while your spearmen keep pressure on. Requires intimate knowledge of boss patterns. High risk, highest damage potential in the game when executed perfectly.

The Sharpshooter (Mimisnipe)

Full archer Cobun + Eagle Eye Lock-On. Consistent ranged damage that chips away at enemies safely. The safest build for learning new content since you're always at range. Pick up attack speed upgrades to maximize your damage windows.

Complete Weapon & Cobun Type Guide

Your weapon choice determines your Cobun type, and your Cobun type determines your entire strategy. This guide breaks down every weapon in Ratatan, the Cobun it produces, and exactly when to pick each one during your roguelike runs.

Sword Weapons — Melee Cobun

Swords produce the most straightforward Cobun type: melee fighters that charge into the frontline and deal consistent damage up close. They're the bread and butter of any army composition.

• Attack Pattern: Sword Cobun swing in wide arcs, hitting multiple enemies in front of them. During FEVER mode, their attack speed doubles and each swing hits in a larger area.
• Best Paired With: Gagarumba (Agitator). The attack buff from Agitate Blast turns sword Cobun into a lawnmower. A full sword army under Agitate Blast + FEVER can shred bosses in seconds.
• Weakness: No range and no defense. Sword Cobun take full damage from every hit because they're always on the frontline. If you're facing a boss with heavy burst attacks, a pure sword army will get wiped.
• When to Pick: Always pick swords in the early game (Worlds 1-2) when enemies don't hit hard enough to threaten your frontline. Transition to a mixed composition in later worlds.

Bow Weapons — Archer Cobun

Bow weapons create ranged Cobun that attack from a safe distance behind your frontline. They're the safest damage dealers in the game but require protection from melee units.

• Attack Pattern: Archer Cobun fire arrows in a slight arc, allowing them to hit enemies behind other Cobun. Their range is excellent — they can hit targets that melee Cobun can't reach yet.
• Best Paired With: Mimisnipe (Sniper). Eagle Eye Lock-On marks enemy weak points, and archer Cobun automatically focus fire on the marked target. This combo delivers the most consistent ranged DPS in the game.
• Weakness: Extremely fragile. Archer Cobun have the lowest health of any type. If enemies break through your frontline and reach your archers, they'll die fast. They also deal less damage per hit than sword or spear Cobun.
• When to Pick: Pick bows when you already have a solid frontline of shield or sword Cobun. Never run a pure archer army unless you're extremely confident in your rhythm timing — one missed defend command and your entire backline is gone.

Shield Weapons — Defender Cobun

Shield weapons create tanky Cobun that absorb damage and protect the rest of your army. They deal very little damage but are essential for surviving boss encounters.

• Attack Pattern: Shield Cobun have a weak bash attack, but their real value is in their defend command. When you input Chaka Chaka Pata Pon, shield Cobun raise their shields and reduce incoming damage by approximately 60%. During FEVER, their shield coverage expands to protect nearby allies.
• Best Paired With: Harigitan (Defender). Resonance Shield + shield Cobun creates an almost unbreakable wall. This is the safest build in the game and the one most new players should start with.
• Weakness: Practically zero damage output. A pure shield army will survive forever but take ages to kill anything. You need at least some damage-dealing Cobun behind them.
• When to Pick: Always have at least 2-3 shield Cobun by the time you reach a boss fight. In Worlds 3+, prioritize shields heavily — enemies hit much harder and you need the damage mitigation.

Spear Weapons — Mid-Range Cobun

Spear weapons produce Cobun that attack from behind the frontline with extended reach. They're the perfect middle ground between swords and bows.

• Attack Pattern: Spear Cobun thrust over the heads of frontline Cobun, hitting enemies from mid-range. They can attack from behind shield walls, making them the ideal complement to a defensive formation.
• Best Paired With: Myadora (Assassin). When Shadow Dance sends Myadora behind enemy lines, spear Cobun keep up consistent pressure from the front. The dual threat from both sides overwhelms most enemies.
• Weakness: Jack of all trades, master of none. Spear Cobun don't hit as hard as swords, don't have the range of archers, and don't tank like shields. They're versatile but never the best at any single role.
• When to Pick: Pick spears when you need to round out a mixed army. A shield + spear composition is incredibly stable — shields tank while spears deal damage from safety. This is the most beginner-friendly mid-game setup.

Special & Rare Weapons

Throughout your runs, you'll occasionally find special weapons that create unique Cobun types with abilities not found in the standard four categories:

• Music Note Weapons: Create Cobun that buff nearby allies' attack speed. Rare but incredibly powerful in large armies.
• Hammer Weapons: Create slow but devastating Cobun that deal massive area damage. Perfect for clearing waves of weak enemies.
• Dagger Weapons: Create fast-attacking Cobun with critical hit chance. Synergizes with Mimisnipe's weak point targeting.