History Main / OptionalPartyMember

*** There's also Mog, who appears more than Umaro or Gogo, since Mog appears and fights with you at the beginning of the game.

** Yuffie and Vincent in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' were subject to this trope, and did not appear in the closing FMV of the game. This was eventually [[JustifiedTrope explained]] in the spinoff game ''VideoGame/DirgeOfCerberus''.

* Technically, everyone but Ramza is an Optional Party Member in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics'' as you can kick anyone out of the party at any point and even refuse them when they try to join up. The game has five actual optional characters (Cloud, Beowulf, Reis, Worker 8/Construct 8, and Byblos), and one more (Balthier) in the PSP version.
** Also Luso from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTacticsA2'' is added in the PSP version, but unlike Balthier, he's mandatory.

* In ''VideoGame/DeadInVinland'', only the four starting party members are required: [[TheQuietOne Eirik]], [[ActionMom Blodeuwedd]], [[TheRedMage Moira]], and [[ArcherArchetype Kari]]. Everyone else is optional, and the ArbitraryHeadcountLimit means you don't have space for all of them. If an optional character dies, they're gone for good but you can still continue the game; if any of the starting four dies, it's GameOver.

*** A WhatCouldHaveBeen example with Ammon Jerro, whom you discover in a hospital ward in Thay with his soul missing. He was originally supposed to rejoin you, but there was apparently trouble with his voice actor and they didn't want to OtherDarrin a major supporting character.

** There are four in ''VideoGame/ShinMegamiTenseiIIINocturne''; Black Frost, [[VideoGame/DevilMayCry Dante]], [[VideoGame/RaidouKuzunohaVsTheSoullessArmy Raidou Kuzunoha]], and Samael. Black Frost can be recruited a while after you defeat him as an [[BonusBoss optional boss]], Dante / Raidou automatically joins you in the Fifth Kalpa (which is entirely optional, but unavoidable if you're going for the [[spoiler:True Demon Ending]]), and Samael will only join you if you chose to side with Shijima.

* In ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2'', only a small number of the [[LivingWeapon rare Blades]] are necessary for the party. Most are received at random from Core Crystals or rewards for side quests. Wulfric is a noticeable example, as the party obtains his Core Crystal during the story after defeating his Elder Arachno Driver, but it's entirely optional to awaken him once his Core regenerates. There's even an example with story Blades, as the final form of Poppi is locked behind a optional sidequest near the end of the game.

* In ''VideoGame/XenobladeChronicles2'', only a small number of the [[LivingWeapon rare Blades]] are necessary for the party. Most are received at random from core crystals or rewards for side quests. There's even an example with story Blades, as the final form of Poppi is locked behind a optional sidequest near the end of the game.

** Similarly, in the remake of ''VideoGame/FireEmblemShadowDragon'', the only character who is a dark mage by default is available only in a Gaiden chapter more than halfway through the game (said chapter requires the player to kill off most playable characters to access. Of course, in this game, most characters can switch classes, but almost no one else is actually designed to be a dark mage.

* The ''VideoGame/{{Suikoden}}'' series is king of this trope, with there being 108 characters, only a fraction of whom are required to actually finish the game. About half of these optionals barely differ in appearance to normal townsfolk.

* Every. Single. ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}''. Well, except your starter, and even then you're allowed to catch something else and get rid of it if you so choose. And in ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'', [[spoiler:Reshiram/Zekrom]], unless you took the extremely tedious route of filling your entire PC before fighting them.

Super-secret character mentioned directly in the manual and [[EquipmentSpoiler whose weapon of choice is conspicuously for sale]] before you have a [[PlayerParty party]] member who can use it. They aren't required to stay in the party, but may temporarily join you. If you really want them back, some games will let you hunt them down again, often by [[GuideDangIt some non-intuitive and convoluted means]].

The biggest problem with these characters is getting them can happen very late in the game. Although most games are kind enough to have them [[LeakedExperience near the same level as your characters]], special skills or weapons that need to be built up are going to take a long time to get. In addition, since they're optional, the majority of the plot can't assume you have them. Thus they'll have less impact. If the game offers more than one of these, they may be MutuallyExclusivePartyMembers of whom you can only choose a limited number (possibly via some never-explained mechanic or minor choice several hours earlier).

*** You can optionally recruit Shadow at certain points in the first half of the game, but he'll always leave your party sooner or later, sometimes even randomly after a battle. He does join your party for two plot-related events though. In the second half of the game [[spoiler: [[PermanentlyMissableContent he can only be found again]] [[GuideDangIt if you wait for him]] on the FloatingContinent. If you do, you can recruit him permanently from that point forward.]]

** In the third game, you can turn both Tali and Ashley / Kaidan down when they offer to rejoin. [[spoiler: Or, alternatively, get them killed.]] Garrus has to join you if he's alive, but you can do something about that in the second game. You can also pass up Javik by not doing his mission, though as with Kasumi and Zaeed, it's unlikely a player would buy a DLC pack and deliberately not use the content.

** In ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsCompact'', [[spoiler: Shin Getter]] is unlockable if you reach Scenario 28 under 250 turns.

** However, the only time where that character is obviously missing is in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemRadiantDawn'': No dark magic users are available until the NewGamePlus, despite dark magic tomes being available. [[spoiler: And that dark magic user? None other than ''Pelleas'', who as said above can only be saved from the Blood Pact in a NewGamePlus.]]

** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'' there are plenty of characters that are this trope: Anna is only recruitable through DLC, the amiibo characters can only be gotten if the player, well, [[ShapedLikeItself uses their amiibo]], certain characters can only be recruited if certain buildings or structures are upgraded all the way in My Castle (and often those characters are ''only'' available on certain paths), Mozu is found in an optional mission, and, like ''Awakening'', [[spoiler: children characters]] are recruited through side missions one might not even unlock. And in ''Birthright'', Midori is a particularly special case of this [[spoiler:as you have to have Kaze up to an A-support with the Avatar ''before'' chapter 15, or else he will die and Midori becomes [[PermanentlyMissableContent lost]], regardless of whether he's married or not.]] Two others also are particularly special: [[spoiler:Kana and possibly Nina will be lost if the female or male Avatars exercise their respective [[GayOption Bi Options]], Rhajat and Niles.]]

** If you didn't use the stun grenade and keep walking toward his shelter, he'll kill himself: [[spoiler: you just lose Medusa and won't be able to replace him.]]

* The entire ''VideoGame/{{SaGa}}'' series of games (the ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyLegend'' trilogy, ''VideoGame/RomancingSaGa'', ''VideoGame/SaGaFrontier'', ''VideoGame/UnlimitedSaga'') are filled with optional characters you can recruit, often at almost any time during the plot.

* Every. Single. ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}''. Well, except your starter. And in ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'', [[spoiler:Reshiram/Zekrom]], unless you took the extremely tedious route of filling your entire PC before fighting them.
** After you've caught your second mon, you can retire your starter. The games only require you to have at least one Pokémon in your party at all times, though most pre-Gen VI installments necessitate you to have at least one other Mon due to [[AbilityRequiredToProceed overworld progression in those games being linked to your moveset]].

* ''Franchise/ShiningSeries'':

* In ''[[VideoGame/PuyoPuyo Puyo Puyo Chronicle]]'''s story mode, in addition to the required plot characters and recruitable enemies, 5 characters ([[HollywoodToneDeaf Harpy]], [[DanceBattler Suketoudara]], [[InsufferableGenius Klug]], [[RoyalBrat Ocean Prince]], and [[NervousWreck Serilly]]) can only be encountered in optional side missions in each of the 5 main areas. ''VideoGame/PuyoPuyoTetris2'' also features a single optional party member in [[LoveFreak Ally]].

** In ''VideoGame/MassEffect2'', the player can progress to the endgame after recruiting Tali, Thane or Samara, skipping the other two characters entirely, and it's possible to either sell Legion to Cerberus and/or not wake Grunt from his tank. You can also recruit Morinth, who joins you only if you [[spoiler:let her kill Samara during her loyalty mission.]] There's also DLC characters Zaeed and Kasumi, who can also be ignored. Of course, it's very likely that people will die during the assault on the [[TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon Collector Base]] if you skimp on party members, as some of their skills and ship upgrades may be necessary.

*** There's also Mog, less so than Umaro or Gogo, since Mog appears and fights with you at the beginning of the game.
*** You can optionally recruit Shadow at certain points in the first half of the game, but he'll always leave your party sooner or later, sometimes even randomly after a battle. He does join your party for two plot-related events though. In the second half of the game [[spoiler: he can only be found again if you wait for him on the FloatingContinent. If you do, you can recruit him permanently from that point forward.]]

* In ''[[VideoGame/PuyoPuyo Puyo Puyo Chronicle]]'''s story mode, in addition to the required plot characters and recruitable enemies, 5 characters ([[HollywoodToneDeaf Harpy]], [[DanceBattler Suketoudara]], [[InsufferableGenius Klug]], [[RoyalBrat Ocean Prince]], and [[NervousWreck Serilly]]) can only be encountered in optional side missions in each of the 5 main areas. ''Puyo Puyo Tetris 2'' also features a single optional party member in [[LoveFreak Ally]].

** ''VideoGame/UltimaVII'' starts you with Iolo, who will leave if asked. Two other characters join you temporarily. The remaining eight characters fill the rest of your slots, though the game is [[StopHelpingMe easier without them]].

** The initial eight characters are the only ones that can be in the main party. However, after completing a character's story, the most prominent people from their adventure can be encountered as NPCs across the world, now capable of being Guided/Allured.

** [[JokeCharacter Yves] the [[VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOcarinaOfTime Deku Scrub]]. Unlocking him requires you to give Tingle a total of 20 Deku Seeds in a single playthrough.