How to Switch Characters in Final Fantasy XV

Through ascension you can play as any of Gladiolus, Ignis or Prompto in Final Fantasy XV.

Final Fantasy XV gives players a chance to not only play as Noctis, but as those accompanying him too. It’s really simple to do but will cost you a fair amount of AP to be able to play as Gladiolus, Ignis and Prompto.

By going into the techniques ascension tree you are able to unlock the ability to play as them. Here’s everything you need to know about how to switch characters in Final Fantasy XV.

Gladiolus

The right side of the tree will lead you to “Change to Gladiolus” which when used in mid-battle gives the control of Gladiolus to the player, and Noctis becomes AI controlled.

To get there, you’ll need to go past Downhammer and Royal Guard before getting to Change to Gladiolus. All told this will set you back 46AP which you get from levelling up.

Playing as him unlocks abilities unique to Gladiolus; he uses rage as a means to deal more damage to enemies. During battle, pressing B on PC brings up the menu of those you can switch to.

Ignis

The bottom section of the three leads you through Ignis’ techniques. If you unlock the ability to play as Ignis, you’ll again access his abilities by pressing B mid-fight and selecting him in the menu.

To get to Ignis’ “Change to Ignis” ability you’ll need to go down the right side of this tree after taking Regroup; Overwhelm then leads into Change to Ignis, again setting you back 46AP all in all.

Ignis can imbue his daggers with elemental properties of fire, ice, and storm. Stringing attacks together increases damage done, and filling the yellow meter to achieve total clarity allows you to attack multiple targets at once.

Prompto

#TeamPromptoOrGTFO. Finally, the left side of the ascension tree leads you through Prompto’s techniques.

You guessed it! It will cost 46AP to unlock the ability to play as Prompto. To get to his ability “Change to Prompto” you’ll have to first go through Starshell and Gravisphere before coming down to Change to Prompto.

Prompto can use a few weapons, including a bazooka. Also when an enemy is vulnerable Prompto can use crackshot which does a significant amount of damage.

Playing as these characters in the main game of Final Fantasy XV almost prepares you for their respective DLC which you may get around to playing. It also gives you more of a sense of these characters and how they fight.

More Final Fantasy XV

Did you find this guide helpful? Please consider making a one-off donation to GameSpew. All money raised goes directly towards the running costs of the site and helps us continue to make guides, walkthroughs and more content.