How to Recruit Gilbert in Suikoden 2

Gilbert is one of 108 recruitable Stars of Destiny in Suikoden 2, required to achieve the 108 Stars ending and earn the “108 Stars Together” Achievement/Trophy. Recruitable only in one specific battle in the game, Gilbert is a missable character, so pay close attention to this guide and don’t miss out!

How to get Gilbert to switch sides in Suikoden 2

To recruit Gilbert in Suikoden 2, you must attack him during the battle for Muse City, which happens during the story. This Major Battle is the third in the game, and the first where you have free reign. Make sure to save before entering this battle, so you can reset if something goes wrong.

Gilbert is hard to miss in Suikoden 2 HD, though it is technically possible. There’s no way to recruit him in the future if you fail to do so during this battle, locking you out of the 108 Star ending.

I was able to recruit Gilbert on my first turn by keeping my party waiting in Muse and moving both City-States Army units to the left. This caused Flik to automatically attack Gilbert and recruit him. If this didn’t work, rush your party toward Gilbert and attack him until you trigger dialogue between Flik, Viktor, and Gilbert about switching sides.

Ensure that Gilbert does not die during the battle, as he will stay permanently dead for the rest of your playthrough. The good news is that Gilbert can be defeated during battle without dying. If he says the line “This is enough. Fall back.” you’re safe. If not, reset.

Gilbert represents the Chisatsu Star, and while he can’t be used as a party member, he’s a solid unit in War Battles with +7 Attack and +8 Defense.

How to reset in Suikoden 2

To revert back to the previous save in Suikoden 2, close the game and re-open it. If you’re playing on Xbox, PlayStation, or Nintendo Switch, ensure the game is fully closed rather than just suspended, which you can do by pressing +/Start/Menu on your platform’s home screen.

Save scumming has no drawbacks, other than losing progress, and doesn’t lock you out of Achievements/Trophies. Make sure to keep backups and save at every opportunit because Suikoden 2 has plenty of similiar missable moments. We won’t tell anyone!

Suikoden I and II HD Remaster Gate Run and Dunan Unification Wars is available on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch.