Samurai class series

The Samurai class series is a tri-elemental class series available to Venus and Mars Adepts, with the exception of Himi. All Adepts require a large number of Djinn to access these classes, split evenly between Jupiter Djinn and another element (Mars Djinn for Venus Adepts and Venus Djinn for Mars Adepts). This class is similar in structure to the White Mage class series; both class series' feature only two classes each due to the large number of Djinn required.

In general, this class is quite powerful, having elements of the Guard class series, Squire class series, and Wind Seer class series. It has a powerful physical elemental attack in Quick Strike, while Dragon Cloud and Epicenter are very powerful Mars attacks. Combine that with the ability to beef up Attack, Defense, and Resistance in one class, along with plenty of Psynergy and the best HP score in the game, this class is very effective. The class's main drawback is that its focus on offense leaves it with a lack of healing Psynergy. Thus, the Samurai benefits from having a healer such as a Hermit or White Mage in the party.

This class series, when at its highest stage of Ronin and compared to other series' at their highest respective stages, has the highest HP rating of any class (tying with the Savage Fiend), very high Attack (tying with the Paladin and surpassed only by the Master, Chaos Lord, and Savage Fiend), stronger Defense, and average Agility, but below average PP and Luck. Noteworthy Psynergy from an endgame perspective includes Quick Strike, Skull Splitter, Demon Spear/Angel Spear, Guardian/Protector, and Magic Shell/Magic Shield, and the heaviest area-of-effect Psynergy it has is Thorny Grave. Average stats from an endgame perspective are 150% (162% if you don't factor in Luck).

Notes on Class Names

 * Hover your cursor over class names for alt-text of series' Japanese names.

Analysis
General: Both the Samurai and the Ronin are among the best classes in their respective games, almost entirely due to the Quick Strike Psynergy that is both very powerful and completely reliable. While the Ninja class series emphasizes maximum Attack and Agility, the Samurai series trades the Agility and a little bit of the Attack for great sturdiness - but oftentimes, Quick Strike will cause the Samurai or Ronin to consistently output even more damage than the Ninja series, particularly when levels are higher.

In the later stages of a game (barring very high levels), the Ronin specializes in single target moves such as Quick Strike, while the Ninja specializes in multi-target moves, and together, the two compliment each other quite well: the fast striking Ninja will soften enemies up, while the Samurai will pick off any survivors. It should be noted that the Samurai class is the only Tri-Elemental class with Psynergies that boost Attack, Defense AND Resistance of other Adepts in battle.

By Game
Golden Sun: Since most end-game parties will not be leveled high enough to access Quick Strike, the Samurai is used more for its array of buffing Psynergy as opposed to offense. The sturdiness of the Samurai is excellent, but its offensive Psynergies may seem to pale in comparison. However, should the party be leveled high enough, Helm Splitter can be a reliable yet cheap offense while supporting the party. For overall damage dealing, however, the Ninja class is superior at this point due to its access to Annihilation.

Golden Sun: The Lost Age: The newly introduced Ronin class expands on the strengths of the Samurai. The Samurai becomes an excellent endgame damage dealer, thanks to the availability of Quick Strike, which is often favored over its buffing capabilities. If the entire party is leveled up to 99, it will be very likely that the warrior Adepts will have reached the 999 Attack rating cap programmed into the game whether they are in the Master class or the Ronin class. At that point, since the Master class will have lost its Attack advantage over the Ronin, the Ronin becomes all the better in dealing damage than even the Master, launching damage-multiplying Quick Strikes off the prized 999 Attack rating. There are enough Djinn available to allow both the two Venus Adepts and the two Mars Adepts to be Ronins at the same time, providing the "Four Ronin" setup; a max-level party with four Ronins can, with a little luck, successfully defeat Dullahan without needing to summon at all.

Golden Sun: Dark Dawn: The Samurai class can be considered one of the most reliable classes in the game when it comes to offense. The Samurai's Quick Strike becomes the best attack for most boss battles, due not only to its power and reliability but also to adjustments made to the Unleash system. This class series is an option for Matthew, but competes with the Chaos Lord and the Master, due to the higher Attack ratings of both classes and Matthew's access to the Sol Blade. This class is an excellent option for Tyrell and Eoleo, however, as it is often more reliable than their weapon Unleashes. It should be noted that the Venus Adept Himi is unable to access this class by any means. For this reason, the "Four Ronin" setup popularized in The Lost Age is unavailable.

Trivia

 * Himi, the second Venus Adept of Dark Dawn, cannot access the Samurai class series. Instead, having the same Djinn setup grants her access to the Curse Mage class series, due to the abundance of Mars Djinn. Coincidentally, Himi is also the only playable female Venus Adept.
 * The Samurai series is one of two series, the other being the Pierrot class series, that learns no Psynergy at level 1.