Kraden

Kraden is a scholar studying alchemy in Golden Sun and Golden Sun: The Lost Age, and accompanies Felix's party all throughout his quest in the second game as an NPC that takes part in cutscenes as opposed to an actual party member and Adept. His knowledge of alchemy and related matters is such that even those of Lemuria are impressed by his knowledge.

He makes a return appearance in Golden Sun: Dark Dawn, but has a slightly smaller role.

Background
Kraden was born in a poor village, the name and location of which is unknown. Apparently, even by the time he was a mere four years of age, he had already demonstrated a particularly promising degree of intellect; the ruler of the city of Tolbi, Lord Babi, heard about him and took an interest in him. Babi decided to have the young Kraden taken away from his home to live in his personal palace in Tolbi, where he would begin his long education and research as a scholar of Alchemy in service of Babi. Babi was himself very interested in Alchemy because he was once at the secluded, legendary island society of Lemuria hidden in the center of the Great Eastern Sea, and fled there with a stockpile of a mystic draught which carries Alchemy's alleged effect of extending life beyond its normal years. Babi has been using this fluid to extend his life beyond its normal years artificially, but he knows that his stockpile will run out in the future; as such, he hopes that something else that can continue to extend his life can be found or otherwise somehow determined through intensive research on Alchemy. Hence, Babi saw in Kraden one of the brightest and most promising future scholars he could hope for.

Kraden apparently spent the entirety of his years in Babi's Palace in Tolbi, studying what available information there is to know about the legendary concept of Alchemy and the various subjects connected with it. As well, he practiced Alchemy-relevant experiments in collaboration with groups of fellow scholars also collected by Babi. By the present day and age, Kraden is an old, gray-bearded man that can be warmly characterized as a kind-hearted old coot who is as knowledgeable about his field of study as an individual can seemingly be. Several years before the present, Babi, who knew that his time was running short, commanded Kraden to set out and travel abroad to study Alchemy as close to its source and core as possible. Kraden traveled north into Angara and moved into Vale, the town at the foot of Mt. Aleph, the mountain believed to be directly connected to the deepest secrets of Alchemy.

Kraden lived in a cottage at Vale over the next several years. Of course, he was initially not allowed by the elders and mayoral body of Vale anywhere near the sacred shrine within the mountain, Sol Sanctum; it took him years before he eventually earned the personal trust of the village elders, and even then he was only allowed to make infrequent and very brief visits into Sol Sanctum's interior with escorts. In the meantime, Kraden became very dear friends with the adults of the village, including Kyle and others that had their own families.

In Golden Sun
Kraden was present in Vale three years before the present when the Mt. Aleph boulder disaster transpired, in which a giant boulder collapsed and crashed through the town; Two of Kraden's friends, their son Felix, and Kyle were swept away over a waterfall and presumed lost forever, leaving Felix's sister Jenna behind alone and traumatized. Kraden shared in the mourning of Jenna, Kyle's son Isaac, and their friend Garet. From that point on, the three youngsters studied and developed their abilities as Adepts of Psynergy, another field Kraden is studying in relation to Alchemy. They continued like this over the next three years, and during this time period Isaac visited Kraden in his cottage frequently.

By the present day and age, Kraden doubtlessly believes that he is running out of time in his search for the relevant information on Alchemy his lord and master Babi requires. Thus, he proposes to the young adepts Isaac, Garet, and Jenna that they carry out an in-depth investigation of Sol Sanctum of their own, without the authorization of Vale's elders, and he passes this off to them as part of their studies of Psynergy. In a rather incredible coincidence, however, on the day this investigation is planned to be carried out, Kraden is approached by a strange pair of foreign Mars Adepts named Saturos and Menardi. Saturos and Menardi grill Kraden for information about Sol Sanctum, and they demonstrate an unnerving amount of knowledge of Sol Sanctum's inner workings, things that not even Kraden and the elders of Vale are aware of; it is as though they had been in the sanctum before. They also say things about the subject of Alchemy that even Kraden doesn't know, such as how the Elemental Stars are the "keys" to setting the four elements of Alchemy "into motion", which the Mars Adepts intend to do. Kraden makes use of his natural cunning to weasel his way out of telling the Mars Adepts any information about Sol Sanctum, and he is able to send them away by announcing that he is waiting for some other people.

Shortly after Saturos and Menardi leave, Isaac, Garet, and Jenna arrive at his cottage, having bumped into the two strangers themselves. Kraden and the three young Adepts discuss the pair and come up with the suggestion that they might be thieves who came to rob the sanctum, in which case they should warn the high elders and the villagers. Kraden, however, notes that they don't know how accurate were the things the Mars Adepts told him, and he uses this as an additional reason why they should conduct their own investigation of Sol Sanctum first; if they can confirm from the Mars Adepts' statements that they were in Sol Sanctum previously and that they are intending to invade and loot the sanctum, Kraden and the Adepts would be able properly warn Vale. So, Kraden and his three students sneak into Sol Sanctum to commence their investigation.

Kraden's group explores Sol Sanctum, and Kraden makes use of the information given to him by Saturos and Menardi to delve deeper into the sanctum than previously possible. The Adepts eventually determine that Saturos and Menardi do intend to rob the sanctum, but Kraden insists they explore a little further, believing that they are very close to a great secret. The explorers end up gaining access to the Elemental Star Chamber at the heart of Mt. Aleph, and Kraden can hardly contain his excitement as he observes the four Elemental Stars situated on their pedestals. He tells his students about how each of the Stars contains the purified essence of its respective element, and how the four elements together make up all reality and how that can be manipulated by something known as the Stone of Sages. Kraden's curiosity and excitement overcomes his better judgment at this point, and he orders Isaac and Garet to remove each Star from its pedestal and place them in Mythril Bags he prepared in advance, so that he may study the Stars on his own.

By the time Isaac and Garet have collected the Mercury Star, Venus Star, and Jupiter Star, fate suddenly intervenes: Saturos and Menardi arrive into the chamber and take Jenna and Kraden hostage, and demand Isaac and Garet give them the Elemental Stars. Kraden calls them thieves, which the pair finds amusingly ironic because it was Kraden who had stolen their information on how to explore Sol Sanctum in the first place. The pair is accompanied by two accomplices, a Mercury Adept named Alex and a young man in a mask, who assures the hostages that they won't be hurt if they comply with their demands; when Kraden asks the intruders what guarantee he and the young Adepts have for this, Menardi orders the man to remove his mask and reveal his identity: Felix, revealed to have been rescued by Saturos and Menardi right after the disaster three years ago took place, and he is now sworn to serve Saturos' cause. Everybody is shocked enough that Isaac and Garet submit and hand their three Stars to Saturos' group.

When Isaac and Garet remove the last Star from its pedestal, the entire area suddenly quakes under the influence of a volcanic eruption, and a powerful boulder-like entity emerges into view, which Kraden is able to identify as the Wise One from the healers' tales at Vale. Saturos and his group must flee Sol Sanctum while they can, even though this means leaving Isaac and Garet and the Mars Star behind. Saturos and Menardi take Kraden with them as a captive of their group because his knowledge of Alchemy and related matters makes him an important asset for them to have on their objective, which is nothing less than using each Elemental Star to activate the four Elemental Lighthouses situated across the world and break the seal on Alchemy. They also take Jenna captive because, if Isaac and Garet survive the volcanic eruption, they will pursue Saturos and attempt to save Jenna from them, and they would bring Saturos the Mars Star. With all things measured and considered, Saturos, Menardi, Alex, Felix, Jenna, and Kraden flee Mt. Aleph and immediately begin on their worldwide journey.

Kraden and Jenna are obviously not happy about everything that has just transpired, and Kraden feels particularly guilty for having had the idea to disturb the sanctum, which ended up causing a volcanic eruption and endangering both Vale and the lives of Isaac and Garet. He and Jenna are now forced to accompany Saturos' band of Adepts as they travel to and climb the first lighthouse on their quest, Mercury Lighthouse, and the activation of the Mercury Beacon is eventually achieved with the Mercury Star. Following that, the course Saturos' group takes towards the next lighthouse, Venus Lighthouse, leads them across the entire continent of Angara, then into Gondowan. Whether they stop by Kraden's hometown of Tolbi before traveling southeast in the lighthouse's direction is unspecified. While they travel through Suhalla Desert on the way to the Lighthouse, Saturos happens upon the young girl Sheba lost in the desert, and he and Menardi take her captive just like they did with Jenna and Kraden. Felix begins to disapprove of Saturos and his procedures in response to him kidnapping yet another uninvolved party.

Saturos' band reaches and enters Venus Lighthouse, and at some point Saturos and Menardi order Felix and Alex to lead themselves and Jenna and Kraden back outside and wait for them at Idejima, a peninsula where Menardi moored the group's personal Lemurian Ship before their journey began, while the Mars Adepts go to the Lighthouse's aerie to light the Venus Beacon, bringing Sheba along with them. Felix, however, decides to head back up to the aerie to confront Saturos over the involvement of Sheba in their quest. After a short discussion, Jenna, Alex, and Kraden exit Venus Lighthouse, but are faced with large groups of soldiers and ruffians from Tolbi and Sheba's hometown Lalivero, who demand that they give Sheba back. While Alex holds off the Tolbi soldiers, Jenna fights her way through and Kraden accompanies her safely. As soon as Alex rejoins Kraden and Jenna at Idejima, the Venus Beacon is lit; all of a sudden, the tower wracks itself and the landscape with a violent earthquake as part of an automated process triggered by the beacon's activation, which tears a rift that separates Idejima from the rest of the Gondowan mainland, turning it into quite literally a buoyant island which begins floating out east into the Great Eastern Sea. Kraden, Jenna, and Alex are now marooned on Idejima as a result of rather fantastic circumstances; some time afterward, to everyone's great surprise, Felix and Sheba wash up ashore on the island, alive but unconscious.

In Golden Sun: The Lost Age
Kraden is present for most of the cutscenes that transpire in The Lost Age because he travels with Felix's party and is somewhat of a key player in the plot, despite only ever appearing as an NPC. Whenever Felix and the other Adepts find themselves in a physical battle with wild monsters and whatnot, Kraden merely stands aside to avoid getting hurt. In cutscenes, he functions essentially as a voice of wisdom and an inquirer for Felix's party. Considering his age, Kraden demonstrates a remarkable degree of vitality and stamina in that he is able to travel with Felix across entire continents on foot.

In search of a ship
Now on the buoyant island of Idejima floating out east into the sea, Sheba and Felix reawaken and report to Alex, Jenna, and Kraden everything that transpired on the aerie of Venus Lighthouse, including the incredible news that Isaac and Garet and their own group of companions, in their pursuit of Saturos since Sol Sanctum, came to stop Saturos and Menardi, and managed to slay them in battle after the Venus Beacon was lit. Afterwards, a tidal wave is suddenly generated from within the Sea of Time in the center of the Great Eastern Sea, and it washes over the island and drives it south into the continent of Indra, knocking the Adepts and Kraden unconscious (albeit without injuries). When everyone comes to, they find that Alex has disappeared, presumably having traveled into Indra in search of a ship.

Felix becomes the de facto leader of his remaining group of adventurers, consisting of himself, Jenna, Sheba, and Kraden, and they set out south into the new continent in their own search for a ship. The reason Felix and the others are set on continuing Saturos' original objective, and Kraden is entirely willing to support them the whole way, is because Felix and Jenna's parents and Kyle are, in fact, alive and well at Saturos' hometown of Prox far to the north. Saturos had originally made a deal with Felix: Prox would keep the parents "imprisoned" at their town until the quest to light the four Elemental Lighthouses would be complete. So, Felix and Jenna journey to break Alchemy's seal so as to win their parents' freedom. Sheba accompanies claiming it is her destiny to do so, and Kraden accompanies them believing this is his great opportunity to continue his global search for information and discoveries about Alchemy in general.

Kraden accompanies the party of Adepts as they come to a town named Madra, where they see that a man named Piers has been imprisoned on an unfounded accusation that he is affiliated with the pirate Briggs. They see he is a Mercury Adept, and Kraden suggests they should learn more about him, which eventually leads to Felix's decision to travel to where Briggs was last seen headed toward, the town of Alhafra on Osenia. After Felix's group has their run-in with Briggs and comes out of it having secured Briggs vow that he's not affiliated with any "Piers", and after a thorough exploration of Osenia, they travel back to Madra.

During the period of time when Felix's party is in Osenia, they catch sight of a werewolf. This shocks and excites Kraden: Apparently, he knows about a reclusive society of people somewhere in the world that are born with special powers not unlike Adepts, but have their powers based on beasts instead of the elements, and thus they take the forms of humanoid wolves. Sheba points out how odd it is that Kraden could have known about them if there's only werewolves in Osenia, and Kraden is reluctant enough to give an answer that he snaps back and merely declares he's happy to find werewolves and get a closer look at them. When they reach the town, Garoh, they meet with its ruling figure, an aged werewolf named Maha, who is very much an intellectual and theorist just like Kraden, and the two enjoy discussing things with each other.

The party returns to Madra only to find that the town was attacked once again, this time by warriors from the Kibombo tribe in lower Gondowan, who stole one of Piers' possessions, and as they retreated Piers was set free from his prison and immediately pursued them into lower Gondowan. Felix and Kraden decide to follow Piers into Gondowan, and upon meeting Piers, they introduce themselves and discover Piers is, to Kraden's great surprise, a former resident of Lemuria itself. Piers was driven out of the Sea of Time within which Lemuria is located by the tidal wave from earlier, and his objective is to return to Lemuria. Kraden insists that Felix and his party help Piers so that they may all journey to Lemuria itself together; Piers initially states he cannot permit it because Babi is viewed with disdain by the Lemurians, for Babi had stolen a Lemurian ship from them and fled the isle long ago, but Kraden insists it is not just for Babi's sake; as a scholar, he wants to see for himself how the influence of Alchemy is still present in some form in Lemuria. After Piers is helped, Felix's group accompanies Piers to his own Lemurian Ship; By this point, Piers has decided that the others are virtuous people, and thus it would be okay for them to go to Lemuria together, to Kraden's great happiness.

The Great Eastern Sea and Lemuria
Felix, Kraden, Jenna, Sheba, and their newest companion Piers, sailing upon Piers' ship, proceed on an extremely lengthy exploration of the Great Eastern Sea and all the lands and locales encompassed within. Over the course of their exploration, the Adepts refine and develop their aptitude in combat and Psynergy capabilities, while Kraden acquires and absorbs knowledge of the world in general for him to ponder over.

At one point in their oceanic exploration, however, in the seaside town Champa they encounter Alex - but this time, he is accompanied by a new pair of Mars Adept warriors from Prox, Karst and Agatio. The pair have come to intimidate Felix's group into hastening their effort to make their way to the Jupiter Lighthouse and light it with the Jupiter Star, which is currently in Felix's possession. Alex also gives Kraden a piece of news that is most disconcerting: Lord Babi has passed away. Kraden is very much taken aback, but the others realize this means that technically Kraden should have no further reason to keep putting his life at risk to accompany Felix's quest, since Kraden no longer has to conduct research on Alchemy for the sake of his "master figure". But Kraden assures the others that this is not the case: By this point, he has created a theory concerning Alchemy, and he hopes that he can confirm it once they make it into Lemuria. Kraden promises the others that he will let them in in on his theory once they arrive there.

The party eventually manages to sail their ship into the heart of the Sea of Time and reach Lemuria, and Kraden's excitement peaks as they enter the mythic society. While they wait for their opportunity to seek counsel with the Lemurian king Hydros, they meet with the famous Lunpa the Righteous Thief. Kraden takes the opportunity to reveal to the others at this point his theory about Alchemy: Kraden believes that Alchemy having been absent ever since it was sealed in the world's ancient past is the reason civilization and culture nowadays is so primitive; none of the settlements and cultures Kraden has observed on his journey seem capable of having constructed the great sanctums and Elemental Lighthouses they have also seen. Kraden is startled when Lunpa tells him that both he and Hydros have long held the same theory, and Lunpa tells him that that is not the only effect the absence of Alchemy has had on the world. Lunpa and Felix and Kraden's party bring themselves to Hydros' chambers in Lemuria's palace so that they can hear the rest from the king himself.

Hydros first compares and discusses a map of Weyard as it was in the ancient past against a map of Weyard as it was a century ago. The second map shows visibly smaller and broken-up continents, and Piers, having been able to explore much of the Great Eastern Sea during his journey with Felix, reports that that map is the more accurate of the two - but as of the present, the continents are even smaller. This evidence points to a conclusion that shocks everyone: The world of Weyard has been physically withering and decreasing in size over the past ages because Alchemy, which is in fact the nourishment that sustains Weyard as an entity with a life force, has been sealed away since the ancient past. So, Hydros believes that the only possibility of averting the eventual but certain destruction of the world is to activate the Elemental Lighthouses, which Felix and Kraden have already achieved two of by this point. Felix and his party leave Lemuria on this note, now knowing that the completion of their objective is even more important than what they previously imagined, and they sail into the Great Western Sea in the direction of their next Lighthouse, Jupiter Lighthouse.

The Jupiter and Mars Lighthouses
Kraden continues to accompany and advise Felix's party of Adepts and is present at every event Felix's group takes part in up until the end of The Lost Age. He is there when the party explores Jupiter Lighthouse, activates it, and save Isaac's pursuing party from Karst and Agatio. Following that, the two parties hold a meeting in the nearby town of Contigo, and Kraden helps mediate the two sides by explaining to Isaac's side both the original reason why Felix joined Saturos on this quest (which was to earn the freedom of his parents and Kyle) and what they later learned in Lemuria about Alchemy being a commodity that must be restored to the world lest the world gradually physically wane to nothingness. By the end of the discussion, Isaac swears his full support to Felix's quest, and the two parties join forces. Kraden accompanies the full group of eight Adepts as they set out toward Mars Lighthouse, the last Lighthouse that remains to be lit in order for the seal on Alchemy to be broken.

In one brief scene shortly after the full group of Adepts depart on their ship, Sheba expresses sadness over how she had hoped to find answers to her unknown past and origin by accompanying Felix on his quest to Jupiter Lighthouse, but did not get any. Kraden consoles her by explaining how he had a somewhat similar situation early in his life where he was taken from his parents and hometown by Babi at the extremely young age of four to live his many years in Babi's palace, and thus had never known the comforts of a true home; Sheba, at least, was raised with loving kindness by her adoptive family at Lalivero.

The Adepts eventually make it to Prox, the hometown of Saturos, Menardi, Karst, and Agatio, and soon climb Mars Lighthouse, eventually making it to its top. At the aerie of Mars Lighthouse, the party is suddenly confronted by none other than the Wise One, who was the one that originally tasked Isaac and Garet to prevent the Elemental Stars from being used to activate the Elemental Lighthouses. The Wise One demands to know why Isaac has disobeyed his command, and Kraden joins everyone else in explaining everything they now know about how the world would be destroyed if they don't bring Alchemy back. The Wise One counters with the scenario that mankind may very well destroy Weyard themselves if mankind is allowed such power, and he reveals that the Adepts were being used from the start: the entire effort of the Adepts to restore Alchemy has been taken advantage of by the Alex, who is now at Mt. Aleph awaiting the restoration of Alchemy to take place so that he can gain supreme power for himself. Though everyone is shocked, neither Kraden nor any of the Adepts lose their resolve in declaring that the beacon must be lit regardless.

The Wise One, proclaiming that they can only light the beacon if they can "defeat a miracle", summons a colossal dragon with three heads to battle them. As the Adepts charge into battle and engage in a spectacular clash with the beast, Kraden recalls what he had heard about Isaac fighting a dragon with two heads at the aerie of Venus Lighthouse that was really Saturos and Menardi merged together as one entity; it dawns on him the true nature of this dragon, but his calls to the Adepts to refrain from killing the monster is fruitless. When the dragon is defeated, the Adepts are surprised to see it transform into the bodies of three adults, which Kraden proclaims are what he was trying to warn them about; the Adepts are horrified and aggrieved to discover that they were deceived into killing none other than Felix and Jenna's parents and Kyle. Kraden explains that the Wise One, in a last-ditch attempt to dissuade the Adepts from lighting Mars Lighthouse, "played a cruel, wretched trick on [them] instead."

As the Adepts mourn, Kraden attempts to console Jenna by explaining that, because of the way the parents were forcibly transformed into a dragon, they would not have survived in the end even if the Adepts lost the battle. Isaac then declares, however, that he knew what he was fighting and killing even before the battle started, but he went through with the battle anyway because this is ultimately a price worth paying to save the millions of people living on the world of Weyard; Kyle and the other parents would understand their choice, and the others find it in themselves to agree with Isaac that they they finished this quest to bring back Alchemy not for just themselves. With the quest almost at its conclusion, Felix casts the Mars Star into the Mars Lighthouse's well.

With all four Lighthouse Beacons now lit, the process that facilitates the return of Alchemy to the world of Weyard begins in earnest. In a miraculous event attributable to fate, the bodies of the parents are revived by the energy generated by Mars Lighthouse, and Felix and Isaac and the others immediately transport themselves and the parents out of Mars Lighthouse and back to Prox. The people of Prox nurse the adults back to health. With the world now saved from its own self-destruction, Felix, Isaac, and Kraden are personally thanked by the Elder of Prox and Prox's chieftain Puelle for saving their town and the entire world, and for effectively bringing about a new, golden age where civilization may once again advance. During their conversation, Kraden muses that a time may come soon when he is no longer of this world, but Puelle states that he's certain Kraden has a long life ahead of him.

As everyone boards the ship due back home to Vale, Isaac asks Kraden and Felix why everything happened at Mars Lighthouse the way they did: The Wise One had turned the parents into a dragon that Isaac and the others were forced to fight and pretty much kill, yet the way the parents were revived back by the beacon's light suggests the Wise One had to have known that would happen in advance. Kraden hazards a guess with wild implications: The Wise One's actions were all part of his grand scheme to test Isaac, Felix, and their companions as individuals capable of the great responsibility of ensuring that throughout the world, Alchemy is not abused and used for evil. The Lost Age ends when everyone returns to Vale to find it has been destroyed by the release of Alchemy from Mt. Aleph, but all of its townspeople survived because they were warned away by the Wise One beforehand.

In Golden Sun: Dark Dawn
Kraden is still alive during Dark Dawn. Despite being over 100 years old, he has aged very little during the last thirty years, due to the influence of the Golden Sun event. It is later revealed that this influence extends toward all the Warriors of Vale. In the years since the Golden Sun event, he has continued to explore much of the Angara region studying the ancient past. At some point, he would visit the newly founded country of Morgal with the Warriors of Vale, where he would meet the king. As time passed, Kraden would take Mia's children, Nowell and Rief as apprentices. Together, the three would travel into Ei-Jei for a time, where they would learn of the region's Alchemy Machines.

During his travels, Kraden is contacted by Isaac, who requests that the scholar help his son Matthew in his search for a Mountain Roc feather to fix the Soarwing that Tyrell had broken at the start of the game. He obliges, traveling from Bilbin to meet with Matthew at Carver's Camp. However, by the time Kraden arrives, he learns that the bridge that connects the Goma Plateau to Bilibin has been destroyed by a Psynergy Vortex. Luckily, Kraden knows of another route into Bilibin, and leaves a message that Matthew and his party are to meet them in the Konpa Ruins.

At the ruins, Nowell's Mercury powers allow them to take a shortcut into the cavern, where they discover a large Psynergy Vortex. Just as Matthew meets with them, the group is set upon by Blados, along with a Masked Man. Rief is kidnapped by Blados, and forces the group to split up by revealing the existence of a second exit out of the ruins. Blados tells the group of his intentions to leave Rief at one of the exits, however, Blados refuses to let Kraden know which exit. To this extent, Kraden and Nowell decide to take the northern exit, which leads into Bilibin, directing Matthew's party to take the southern exit. Kraden tells the Adepts to meet him in Belinsk, as the Psynergy Vortex would make the northern route too dangerous by the time Matthew's party returned.

Kraden and Nowell would travel north to Bilibin, but the two would not be able to cross into Morgal, as the Bilibin-Morgal border had been closed due to political tensions. Kraden would send a pigeon to Piers, who had been sailing the Great Eastern Sea. Piers agrees to give the two passage to Belinsk on his ship. At Belinsk, Kraden disembarks, but Nowell chooses to remain with Piers. By this point, Matthew's party had been manipulated into triggering the Grave Eclipse.

Kraden doesn't blame them, but admits his suspicions that the group's actions had been manipulated for some time. He also hints that he knows the identity of the masked man, but refuses to go into detail at that time. After Matthew rescues Eoleo, Briggs' son, and the Sanan princess Hou Ju, who had both been held prisoner by the Morgals, Kraden urges the group to flee Belinsk, which had been set up by monsters empowered by the Grave Eclipse. They manage to do so by sailing from Belinsk on Briggs' ship, which the pirate had conveniently been moored at the pier. However, the move had cost Briggs his life, as he was killed by the monsters.

While the group is planning their next move, Kraden notes that his studies of the ancient past aren't necessarily useful. Instead, he leaves the decision making up to Matthew, but offers advice and wisdom when necessary. Upon Kraden's advice, the group travels outside of the Eclipse's influence, to meet with various leaders. These travels help Matthew's group gain the knowledge and equipment necessary to stop the Grave Eclipse. Upon reaching Yamata, Kraden reveals that once of his specific goals had been to meet with Susa, Yamata's king. However, at the time, Kraden had been uncertain if that would be possible.

Upon reaching Apollo Sanctum, where the group can access the machine necessary to stop the Grave Eclipse, Kraden is able to determine the necessity of the Umbra Gear they collected during their travels. Apparently, the Umbra Gear was used to protect the ancients who were helping to build the Sanctum. In the game's finale, he reveals that Arcanus is in fact Alex, whom he had thought deceased during the Golden Sun event. After the Grave Eclipse is resolved, he decides to allow Rief to direct their future studies, citing saying many mysteries still left to be researched.

Trivia

 * In the second The Lost Age Debug Room, "Psynergy Test", a Kraden NPC stands two spaces to the right of a flame. Cast Blaze on the flame to shoot fire upon Kraden, and he will generate a "!" icon, hop twice, yell "GAH!", move two spaces up and left, generate a "head bump of annoyance" icon, hop twice again, and yell "What are you doing???" Now move below the flame and cast blaze again, and Kraden will exclaim "YARG!" and move back to his original position in exactly the same fashion, yelling "What are you doing???" again. You may apply the incendiary treatment upon the elderly scholar as many times as you might desire.

Hidden "angry" scene in The Lost Age
Kraden has some hidden, hard-to-view lines of dialogue included as a sort of Easter egg in Golden Sun: The Lost Age that occurs if, throughout your quest up until you get to Lemuria, you give specific answers to specific yes/no questions in cutscenes. Ordinarily, when you first arrive in Lemuria and encounter the two guards that only let you into the city after an extended cutscene, when one guard asks "Do we have your word?" your answer will cause either of these responses from Kraden right before Piers says "Oh hush. I'll keep a close eye on them. You have nothing to fear.":
 * (Yes) "Ooo! Ooo! Finally! What could be waiting for me in Lemuria? I can't wait another moment!"
 * (No) "We've come a long way to see Lemuria. I won't have anything ruin it for me now!"

However, in the game's story arc that spans Indra, Osenia, and Lower Gondowan all the way up until you gain the Lemurian Ship, if you answer "no" to certain cutscene questions, then at that scene in front of Lemuria the available yes-no responses Kraden will give will be different. The latter response is understandably the more well-known of the two:
 * (Yes) "But thank you for speaking honestly. Sometimes, you can say the weirdest things... I was actually a little bit worried, to tell you truly."
 * (No) (Hops twice) "What!? Are you INSANE!? Or maybe you think you're funny? Because you're not! Maybe this whole quest is just a game to you, but it's not to me! Are you bored!? Do you want to go home!? FINE! That's it! Then let's go home!"

Pretty much the only way you can ensure this happens is that in every cutscene that occurs up until you set sail into the Great Eastern Sea for the first time, you always give to every yes/no question the answer that even remotely seems like it would be in disagreement with Kraden and/or the party's objective to bring back Alchemy to the world. Example answers include, but are possibly not limited to:
 * At Idejima right before leaving it to begin the game's main quest, say no when Jenna asks "Is that where we're going, Felix?"
 * In Kandorean Temple when talking with Master Poi, say no when Kraden asks "Felix, am I imagining it, or does he seem perturbed?", when Kraden asks "Lash looks quite a bit like Psynergy, doesn't it?", and when Kraden asks "Felix, do you think this cave was designed to test one's control of Psynergy?"
 * At East Indra Shore, say no when Kraden asks "Do you think it could have drifted here?"
 * At Madra's jail, say no when Kraden asks "This man... He must be an Adept!"
 * At Garoh, say yes when Jenna asks "Is it just me... Or does Kraden seem a little TOO happy to have found werewolves?"
 * At Alhafra, in the scene right before the boss battle with Briggs, say no when Kraden asks "Isn't that right, Felix?" After the battle, when talking with the Mayor of Madra, say yes when Kraden asks "Oh, pish posh! We don't need any reward, do we, Felix?"
 * At Kibombo, in the scene where the party meets Piers in person, say no when Jenna asks "We've got to help Piers. Right, Felix?", when Piers asks "That power... Was that Psynergy?", and when Kraden asks "I want to aid Piers so that he will take us to Lemuria... What do you say, Felix?"
 * In the Gabomba Statue, say yes when Kraden asks "Felix... Do you have any idea exactly what this "Great Gabomba" really is?" and no when Kraden asks "Wouldn't it be quite fortunate if we were to get our hands on that power ourselves?"
 * At East Indra Shore before returning to Madra to encounter Karst, say no when Kraden asks "And if not, well, we'll just have to get ourselves a boat and find our own way to Lemuria. Right, Felix?"and when Kraden asks "What do you say, Felix? Shall we go see the mayor?"

Golden Sun and The Lost Age

 * In Vale:
 * Menardi: "Kraden... Can we use him?"
 * Saturos: "Hmmm... His knowledge is no meager thing. ...We can use him."
 * Menardi: "But he's more stubborn than we expected..."
 * Saturos: "And cunning, too... Cunning beyond measure."


 * Kraden: "The elements of Alchemy: earth, water, fire, and wind... They plan to set them into motion? And the four Elemental Stars are the key? These are things even I, a trained Alchemy sage, do not know."


 * Garet: "...Do you mean we should go into Sol Sanctum ourselves?"
 * Jenna: "Isn't that impossible?"
 * Kraden: "Why would it be? Just because climbing Mt. Aleph is forbidden?" (If Isaac says yes) "We're just going to see whether they've been to the mountain. Surely, that would be acceptable!"


 * In Sol Sanctum:
 * Kraden: "We've come all the way to the heart of Sol Sanctum. To turn our backs on it and leave..."
 * Garet: "There's something wrong with that?"
 * Kraden: "Sol Sanctum holds the origins of Alchemy. It would be a waste to... What do you think? Shall we go a little farther?" (If Isaac says no) "Then you can all go back to the village without me."
 * Jenna: "If you put it that way, we don't have much choice."


 * Kraden: (In the Elemental Star Chamber) "As I have told you many times, the elements are the source of all matter. Earth, water, fire, and wind--these are the four elements. Legend holds that the four Elemental Stars contain the purified essence of each element. And now, those legendary stones are before us! The Venus Star... the elemental stone of earth! Mercury Star, possessing the power of water's many forms! There is the Mars Star, glowing red with the fire contained within! And Jupiter Star, bound with the wind's fury!!!"
 * Jenna: "Kraden... Why are you getting so excited?"
 * Kraden: "How can you be so calm in the face of such wonders!? You're looking at the very source of all Alchemy!"


 * Kraden: "Do what you will with me. Just let Jenna go!"
 * Saturos: "Your bravery speaks well of you, old man, but you cannot help Jenna now."


 * In Gateway Cave:
 * Kraden: (After Jenna defeats a wild Punch Ant) "My! That was invigorating! He wasn't too strong... I never knew fighting could be so fun! Ah, but we'd better get on to the peninsula..."


 * On Idejima:
 * Kraden: (Referring to Menardi's Lemurian Ship) "At first glance, it seems like a normal ship, but... There's something odd about it..." (Darts onto the ship)
 * Jenna: "Kraden, wait! Oh, I swear! You're like a kid with a new toy!"


 * Jenna: (Idejima has now broken away from the mainland and is floating east out to sea. Jenna and Kraden are lying down on their backs passing time) "Oh, Kraden... How long will this island continue to drift?"
 * Kraden: "I don't know... I wish you could tell me."
 * Jenna: "Sheesh... You're no help in times like this."
 * Kraden: "Hey, I'm hungry..."
 * Jenna: "How can you even think about food?"


 * Sheba: "Nobody knows what lies beyond the Eastern Sea."
 * Kraden: "Unfortunately, I am a student of Alchemy, not geography..."


 * In Kandorean Temple:
 * Kraden: "Felix, do you think this cave was designed to test one's control of Psynergy?"
 * Poi: (If Felix says no) "You are quite mistaken... You should listen to the old man. He speaks wisely."
 * Kraden: "Tha--HEY! Who are you calling an old man? You're no schoolboy yourself!"


 * In Alhafra:
 * Kraden: (To Briggs) "Oh-ho! I was hoping we could avoid any ugliness, but you leave us no choice! We'll bring you in against your will if we must, but either way, you're coming with us! Isn't that right, Felix?"


 * Kraden: (To the Mayor of Madra) "Oh, pish posh! We don't need any reward, do we, Felix?"


 * Kraden: "So... Maybe we should start searching for another ship then... ...Not that I was planning on "borrowing" the Madran's ship!"


 * In Garoh:
 * Kraden: "Adepts borrow their abilities from the power of the elements... While lycanthropes borrow theirs from the power of beasts... This is why they take the forms of animals... They may look frightening... But we must try to communicate with them. Lycanthropes... Werewolves... A whole village in hiding..."
 * Jenna: "Is it just me... Or does Kraden seem a little TOO happy to have found werewolves?"
 * Kraden: (If Felix says yes) "What? Me? Happy to find werewolves? You must be joking! I guess I'm just curious about all the secrets of these new lands..."
 * Jenna: "Any real scholar would be thrilled to explore a new land full of mystery, huh?"
 * Sheba: "So, are there werewolves only on Osenia?"
 * Kraden: "Ummm..."
 * Sheba: "If so, how could you even have known about them, Kraden?"
 * Kraden: "Er... I, uh..."
 * Jenna: "Yeah... That is weird."
 * Kraden: "All right, so I lied! I'm glad we found werewolves! There! Are you happy!? And you know what!? I even want to get a closer look if I can! So let's go! Let's find us some werewolves!"


 * Kraden: "Hrmm, well...To be honest, I hadn't thought of it that way before..."
 * Maha: "Perhaps you simply did not give it enough thought."
 * Kraden: "How insulting! I, sir... am a SCIENTIST!"


 * In Kibombo:
 * Kraden: "I am on this quest for many reasons... one of them being that I wish to see Lemuria. If you would allow it, that is... I'd like to visit Lemuria myself."
 * Piers: "If this is something you would do for Babi, then I cannot permit it."
 * Kraden: "What? Why not?"
 * Piers: "Babi is a thief. He is not well loved in Lemuria."
 * Kraden: "It is partially on behalf of Babi... ...but there's more to it than that! I want to go to Lemuria so that I can see the full power of Alchemy! I want to aid Piers so that he will take us to Lemuria... What do you say, Felix?" (If Felix says no) "Why, Felix? Why? Please, we simply have to!"


 * Kraden: "Felix... Do you have any idea exactly what this "Great Gabomba" really is?" (If Felix says yes) "If you have unraveled that which I cannot, then perhaps you are the greater scholar. But doesn't this witch doctor magic seem not unlike some kind of Psynergy? Wouldn't it be quite fortunate if we were to get our hands on that power ourselves?" (If Felix says yes) "Oh! You didn't need much convincing at all, did you, Felix? I needn't remind you, but... We're going to need every kind of Psynergy we can muster to complete this quest..."


 * At East Indra Shore:
 * Kraden: "Well? Well!? It's not nice to test the patience of an old man. Will you take us or not?"
 * Piers: "We will go to Lemuria, Kraden."
 * Kraden: "I figured it was too much to... What did you just say!?"
 * Piers: "I will take you to Lemuria." (Kraden visibly shakes with glee)
 * Jenna: "Kraden? Are you OK?"
 * Piers: "Is he OK!?"
 * Kraden: "Piers! Are you... Are you serious?"


 * On the Lemurian Ship:
 * Kraden: "Then it's decided!"
 * Piers: "What's decided?"
 * Kraden: "The sea is vast... We can go wherever we please! So, let's explore a bit, Felix!"


 * Back in Alhafra:
 * Kraden: (In regards to the Mayor of Alhafra and the tantrum he just threw over Briggs stealing his ship) "What an awful person. Do you suppose he's always this self-centered?" (If Felix says yes) "Yes, he's terribly irritating. You're quite right, Felix. I'll wager Briggs is returning to Champa, personally. Well, it doesn't matter. I think I've had enough of this town. Shall we be leaving?"


 * At Lemuria:
 * Kraden: "So, you people really take your kings seriously, don't you?"
 * Guard #1: "Insolent pup! Do not dishonor the king of Lemuria! We are peaceful, but quick to anger!"
 * Kraden: "Pup? I must be twice your age! Who are you calling "pup"?"
 * Guard #2: "You wish to see Lemuria, and yet you know so little of us! I am far older than you. Show respect!"
 * Kraden: "Pah! Older than me?! Inconceivable!"
 * Piers: "Er... Actually, Kraden, these two are perhaps older than all of you combined... Babi must have spoken of this to you. In Lemuria, time passes quite slowly."
 * Kraden: "Ah... Well...I suppose I recall something of that sort or another... Maybe... But to imagine for a moment that these two gentlemen are older than I am? It's a bit much! But perhaps I was rude, and I hope you accept my apology. My ignorance misled me."


 * Kraden: "What a fascinating coincidence! We've stumbled across Pier's uncle's house!"


 * On Jupiter Lighthouse:
 * Isaac: "All right, Felix! We want to know what's going on!"
 * Kraden: "It's all quite complicated, Isaac. There are a number of extenuating circumstances."
 * Garet: "What are you talking about, Kraden?"


 * In Contigo:
 * Isaac: "Wait for the end of the world to come or wind up accidentally triggering it ourselves... What a choice..."
 * Kraden: "Nothing is certain. There is no way to prevent the world from reaching its natural end. However, we can fight to save the world from withering away due to the actions of men."


 * On the Lemurian Ship:
 * Kraden: "Sheba, you may not know this, but you and I are very similar..."
 * Sheba: "What do you mean?"
 * Kraden: "Well, it's not exactly the same situation, but... I was born in a poor village. My memories are hazy, but I still remember it. I was only four when Babi took me under his wing. You see, even though I was young, I was quite intelligent. Babi had heard about me..."
 * Isaac: "And Babi took you to Tolbi to further your education, to raise you as a scholar..."
 * Kraden: "I was separated from my parents so early in life... I've never known the comforts of a true home."
 * Sheba: "Faran has always been like a father to me... I must have been very lucky."
 * Kraden: "I should say so."
 * Sheba: "Thank you, Kraden... I feel better now..."
 * Kraden: "I'm glad I could help."


 * In Prox:
 * Kraden: "We've climbed three lighthouses already... What's one more? Let's go to Mars Lighthouse!"


 * On Mars Lighthouse:
 * Kraden: "Wise One! You can't continue to protect the lighthouses! You know what's happening! It is your duty to protect all of Weyard! If Weyard is destroyed, you will have failed us all!"


 * Kraden: "Both Kyle and your parents were very dear to me. My sorrow joins yours, friends. We must light the beacon, if for no other reason than to provide them with a proper funeral."


 * Kraden: (If Felix tries to run away from the aerie) "Do not let your sadness overwhelm you, Felix! Go! Once the beacon been ignited, you can mourn as much as you need. I will protect you."


 * Back in Prox:
 * Kraden: "You know, I shall always regret that I didn't get to look upon the beacon's light from afar..."
 * Elder of Prox: "I understand your regret... As a scholar of Alchemy, you would have been most impressed."


 * Elder of Prox: "Our village will not soon forget that you saved us from the edge of destruction. Do visit us again."
 * Kraden: "When that time comes, I may no longer be in this world."
 * Puelle: "Don't say such things... I'm sure a long life awaits you."


 * Kraden: "This ancient ship of ours actually flies above the ocean... It's quite a cozy ride."


 * Kraden: "What's the matter, boys? Are you reluctant to depart?" (If Felix says yes) "After all that we've been through, you can't possibly be nervous about this small trip!"


 * Isaac: "Kraden... Why did the Wise One change our parents into a dragon? Why did he make us fight them? I mean, we almost killed them... He tried to make us kill our own parents. Why?"
 * Kraden: "Do you think that he intended for them to die from the start?" (If Felix says yes) "I cannot speak for him, but I think he knew that they would be revived by the beacon's light. We cannot hope to fathom the motives of a being as all-powerful as the Wise One..."
 * Isaac: "You don't know either, Kraden?"
 * Kraden: "I can only hazard a guess... The Wise One... wanted to test you."
 * Isaac: "What do you mean, test us?"
 * Kraden: "I cannot tell you more... It is up to you to find the answer. Will we use Alchemy to wage war, to raise armies? Or will we use it to grow wise, to rise above our petty feuds and perform great deeds? You were willing to sacrifice everything for this quest. I'd say you've risen to this challenge. Oops! Is everyone else that far ahead of us? We'd better hurry and catch up to the others before they leave us behind! After all, I'm not terribly interested in trying to walk all the way back to Vale. If you feel the same, then we'd better be hurrying. Isaac! Felix! We're off!"

Dark Dawn

 * In Konpa Cave:
 * Nowell: "We've been in this infernal cavern forever! Why don't we just leave a note for them? They could take the north cave here and meet us in Bilibin. Or better yet, in Belinsk!"
 * Kraden: "We mustn't let Isaac down. Besides, who knew that we'd see a vortex down here? What a prime opportunity!"
 * Nowell: "If I may be so bold, master, you oblige people far too easily. We're doing a lot for Isaac..."
 * Kraden: "Isaac and I go back a long way. There isn't anything I wouldn't do for that fine fellow."


 * Kraden: "If only I hadn't been distracted by that machine! Then I wouldn't have lost track of Rief!"
 * Nowell: "You're a scholar, master. You can't be blamed! It is entirely MY fault!"


 * In Belinsk:
 * Kraden: (Off-screen, after Hou Ju is freed from her cell to be with Ryu Kou) "Ah, a lovely and touching reunion... Still, I imagine Eoleo would appreciate it if you'd wrap things up and release him."


 * Kraden: "I was greatly saddened to hear of the former king and queen's deaths. I grieve for your loss."
 * Volechek: "Thank you. It was a terrible blow."


 * Kraden: (Addressing both Matthew's group and the three Sanans) "Activating Luna Tower was a terrible mistake, and one that will likely bring calamity to the world. This is primarily my instinct speaking, but that tower closely resembles the Elemental Lighthouses. And when those lighthouses were activated, the consequences were disastrous and far reaching. You three don't appear to be Adepts. In the disaster I fear, you would likely not survive."


 * Rief: "Kraden, you should know... We were involved in the tower's activation..."
 * Kraden: "Thank you for your honesty, but I believe you bear less blame than you might think. I've suspected for sometime that someone has been manipulating you and your actions."


 * Kraden: "Arcanus? Is that what he's calling himself now? Why would he choose that name...? ...Of course. Now it makes sense. Very droll. Naturally, if he's going to associate with the Tuaparang... Ah, forgive me. I was lost in thought, but we really mustn't dawdle any longer."


 * Kraden: (To Eoleo) "You should know that it's not polite to stare at the elderly."


 * Eoleo: "If that's true, I gotta say I'm a little jealous."
 * Kraden: "Don't be. It's true that I don't age, but it's not quite as glamorous as it sounds."
 * Tyrell: "Yeah, it must stink to get to live forever after you're already super old."
 * Kraden: "That's enough about me."


 * Kraden: (Watching Briggs' death) "I never imagined that this would be how Briggs would leave us. Truly, death is unpredictable."


 * Out at sea:
 * Kraden: "Sometimes the surest path to knowledge is simply to start moving." (If Matthew responds with sadness) "Don't worry, Matthew. Most of the great discoveries began with less to go on than we have!"

In Harun Village:
 * Kraden: "All right, we'll need more information. What can you tell us about the tower itself?"
 * Ikan: "Nothing. I'm the village storyteller for an island you've probably never heard of before. What else do you want from me?" (Ikan and Kraden exchange frowns for a moment, but soon start laughing)
 * Kraden: "Hahahahaha! You have me there, sir!"
 * Ikan: "Heeheeheehee! I do what I can!"
 * Kraden: "Wahahahah!" / Ikan: "Nyeheheheheh!"
 * Kraden: "Ah, too rich!" / Ikan: "Ohoho, it hurts!"
 * Kraden: "Hee hee hee hee!" / Ikan: "Oh, someone make it stop!"
 * Sveta: "Umm..."
 * Kraden: "I like this old fellow!"
 * Ikan: "And I like you as well!"
 * Karis: "EXCUSE ME!"


 * In Yamata Palace
 * Karis: "Do you really trust important messages to Captain Piers to a bird?"
 * Kraden: "Against the vast array of options for a non-Adept such as myself to send a message many miles? Yes, I did."
 * Karis: "But if your pigeon couldn't find him, you would have just waited for an answer forever!"
 * Kraden: "I suppose so, but my pigeon hasn't failed me yet."
 * Tyrell: "But how could that little thing find him with the whole world to pick from? I wouldn’t know where to start!"
 * Kraden: "Then I suppose my pigeon has you at an advantage, Tyrell. Perhaps if I can teach it to throw fireballs, it will put you out of a job..."
 * Tyrell: "Hey! Are you saying that pigeon is smarter than me?!"


 * Himi: "Luna Tower consumes light, casting a Grave Eclipse that chases away all that is holy."
 * Kraden: "It chases away the holy, eh? Who would have thought holiness could be chased?"


 * In Tonfon:
 * Kraden: (After telling Rief of Nowell having fallen in love with Piers and traveling with him) "If we stand here reflecting on every one of our worries, we'll never leave. Onward!"


 * Unan: "Words seem inadequate. The fate of Sana-no, the fate of the whole continent, rests with you."
 * Kraden: "Saving the world is sort of the family business for them." (All of Matthew's group exchange looks with him.)


 * Kraden: (Concerning Arcanus) "Is he our enemy? Or does he simply help in his own way? He's always been entirely inscrutable..."


 * Kraden: "I once knew a man... No, that story will have to wait."
 * Karis: "I understand. You don't want to say until you're sure. After all, he is an Adept and might be related to one of us."


 * At the Apollo Lens:
 * Kraden: (Steps forward to address Arcanus) "Hello, Alex."
 * Rief: "Alex?! The Mercury Clan's traitor? My mother's betrayer? THAT Alex?!"
 * Arcanus: "What makes you think I am this "Alex"?"
 * Kraden: "We traveled together for some time, Alex. I haven't forgotten."
 * Alex: "You flatter me, Kraden."


 * Kraden: (After the final battle) "Excellent work, everyone. You've done your parents one better."


 * Kraden: (Thinking) ''"Extraordinary! Somehow Sveta is borrowing Matthew's vitality..."

Golden Sun: Dark Dawn's encyclopedia entry for Kraden:

''This old scholar is one of Weyard's foremost authorities on Alchemy, Psynergy, and ancient cultures.  He traveled with the Warriors of Vale, and now conducts his research with two young apprentices.''

In fan circles
Kraden is a popular character in the fandom for his blend of snarkiness and gentlemanly demeanor, and for his oftentimes warm, grandfatherly role to the rest of the younger main characters. He is noted for being just as important to the overall series' plot as a lot of the playable party members, appearing in most cutscenes and contributing to their plot progression, prompting suggestion that he could be considered one of the various main characters of the games. Since he is well past the usual age for courtship, he is hardly involved in the various shipping scenes.

Kraden was adopted as the mascot of the Golden Sun community message board, The Temple of Kraden, and the members there make it an endearing tradition to revere him as a godlike figure with comically extreme devotion. RyuKenshin, author of the infamous mock Wheat Sword FAQ and prominent member of the Temple, created a FAQ in a similar vein describing a method on how to get Kraden as a playable character in Golden Sun: The Lost Age. Though it is clearly impossible to achieve this in the actual games, the FAQ is nonetheless reprinted here