Finishing a hero's Part I path does not finish the main story. Part II is War; Part III is Salvation. Before moving on, decide which armies you want available later.
This guide explains progression without chapter titles, boss names or plot outcomes. Optional Paralogues have their own route windows and are outside the main-story count below.
How many chapters are there?
| Story stage | Main-story entries | Counting rule |
|---|---|---|
| Prologue: Descent | 2 chapters | Shared opening |
| Part I | 12 chapters per hero | Cai, Dietrich, Theodora and Leda each have a separate path: 48 across all four |
| Part II: War | 6 chapters | The War sequence can be played with different hero armies |
| Part III: Salvation | 6 Sections | The game uses Section labels here |
26 main chapter/section entries is the count for the opening, one Part I branch, War and Salvation: 2 + 12 + 6 + 6. 62 distinct main-story entries counts all four Part I branches once: 2 + 48 + 6 + 6. Repeating War with another army does not add six new chapter labels to that distinct-entry total.
The 62-entry figure is a way to count the available branches, not a requirement to play 62 chapters in one campaign. It also excludes optional encounters. The counts come from the original walkthroughs linked under Sources, with the two totals calculated from those stage counts.
Can you switch Part I hero paths?
Yes. Nintendo's official tips say you can visit the Pale Raven's perch between matches to move between the four hero stories. Use the route overviews to choose another path, then check its recruitment requirements.
That official tip confirms switching; the chapter counts and later-part mechanics here are sourced separately from RPG Site and VGC.
Part II: War — play it or use Skip?
Completing Part I opens the Strife Obelisk. RPG Site explains that a particular Part I army becomes available for Part III after its Flame Lord completes the corresponding War path.
Play War once, then use Skip for later armies when the Strife Obelisk offers it. RPG Site places subsequent skips after a first clear; VGC also recommends seeing War before skipping repeat runs. Follow the option shown on your save rather than assuming Skip is available immediately.
Skipping awards experience, but a manual run can provide more training. There is no fixed experience or completion-time promise here. Repeat runs share the main War sequence, with differences in hero dialogue.
War removes the usual Part I Free Time loop, but Preparations still exist. Only equipment worn by your Part I units is usable during War. Unequipped Part I items are preserved for Part III; weapons supplied temporarily in War are not permanent Part III loot.
For the full battle walkthrough, see RPG Site's War guide. VGC's Skip discussion explains the training trade-off.
Part III: Salvation — prepare the armies you want
The Door of Destiny leads to Salvation. You can enter without finishing every hero path, but missing paths can leave characters or functions unavailable. Process each army you want through War, or its offered Skip, before entering.
RPG Site's Salvation walkthrough places re-recruitment of earlier units around Dagsion in the Second Section, provided their path was processed through War. Do not assume every Part I unit automatically joins the starting Part III party.
If you have multiple versions of a character, you can choose a version or use Merge Causality with Karma Shards. For stats, higher values replace lower ones: stats are not added together. This guide does not promise a shard price or a detailed experience-transfer formula.
Before leaving Part I
- Check your desired recruits in the Recruitment Planner, including route restrictions and extra conditions.
- Review missable characters and Paralogue accept windows and completion deadlines before advancing past the last available turn.
- Equip the gear you want to use in War.
- Complete War, or use an available later Skip, for each army you want in Salvation.
- Enter through the Door of Destiny when those armies are ready. Plan supports and paired endings separately from the chapter count.
Sources
The stage counts were checked against RPG Site's original Prologue, Cai, Dietrich, Theodora, Leda, War and Salvation walkthroughs. VGC's progression guide provides a second explanation of the four paths and later-part structure.
These are source-based progression notes, not a claim that every save has been independently tested. Check the choices and quest log on your current save before advancing.