Mokka


"A dry and deadpan robot who does earth magic." Mokka has to be my favorite character in Magical Starsign, not least because of the tension between his devotion to his friends and an insidious secret of robotkind. His nihilistic tone belies a deep sense of duty to his friends and their mission; he sacrifices time and time again on their journey to save Miss Madeleine. Love you, Mokka!

Still soil, sturdy earth, Solid rock, release your grasp! You are the chains that bind! You are the hands that hold! Release your grasp, And let the world crumble!

Chai is supposedly the only salamander capable of magic. Far from feeling lonely in that regard, he finds comfort with his friends - he goons around with Pico constantly. As a fellow goon and outsider in many regards, I see a lot of myself in him. He's rather quiet but often steps forward to mediate conflict; Chai is probably the most emotionally competent person in this game and a real role model.

Little leaf, green leaf, Gather light to you. Little root, deep root, bind the earth to you. Mind the trunk that holds you high! Mind the branches, long and proud! So strong stands the forest!

Chai

Lassi


Lassi is a scientist at heart, inquisitive and always searching for questions and answers in equal measure. She is the first to commandeer a spaceship to track down Miss Madeleine. She is also rather impulsive and scatterbrained, which is how she ended up accidentally rocketing herself to another planet in the first place.She's a bit of an anxiety ball, but Lassi's quick thinking gets the team through a few tough jams, and her care for them all helps to keep them together.

Hear me, wind! Hear my call! Dancing in the sky... Shaping the clouds... Whispering to the heavens... Hear my plea, And send your gale!

Pico is exactly what you'd expect of a young fire mage: hot-headed and impulsive. He is either super passionate about something or doesn't care at all. But he is also a total dork and would absolutely quote Vines in 2020. Looking at the game as an adult, I'm critical of Pico's background: he is from a poor household (his father is a fan of get-quick-rich schemes) and a poor student who has been held back several times; far too often, dark-skinned characters are given such backgrounds in media from JRPGs to TV shows to novels. Nevertheless, I have always figured myself for a fire mage, and seeing someone with skin like mine be a valuable friend and part of a team was always inspiring to me. Oh, also he has a thing for Sorbet, who a) isn't into him, and b) isn't good enough for him, so. Get it together, Pico!!

Fire burning in my belly! Fire burning in the stars! Roiling, boiling, Churning, burning, Cover us, and cleanse the world!

Pico

Sorbet


As a kid, I couldn't STAND Sorbet. She is as impulsive as Pico, but her aloof nature makes her seem like she has a plan... until she has to get bailed out by her friends. Replaying the game now, there are a lot of moments I don't remember from my childhood that paint Sorbet as deeply conflicted about her ability as a magician and whose independent streak clashes with her desire to belong. I get that. That hits me deep. But I still don't like her. Also, she becomes a cop in the epilogue of a game that consistently criticizes cops??? What do these writers want me to think?

Cool water, giver of life, Our thoughts run clear with you. Shine bright, run deep, Bide time against the tide! Come again and cleanse my sands! Crash in waves upon my shore!

Like most JRPG protagonists, the player character of Magical Starsign doesn't talk beyond "Yes" or "No" selections once every two hours. You can choose light or dark magic; significantly more enemies are dark-aligned, so light playthroughs are generally easier. I don't have much to say on them except that the costumes are fire, but the "male" character is uncomfortably abbed up. Don't like that.

[literally can't be bothered to say an incantation]

Heroine/Hero