You cannot have an RPG without some form of progression, and classes tend to be the most popular method. Not every game needs to go down this route, but many turn-based RPGs implement traditional or experimental class systems to brilliant effect; crucially, the best ones know how to avoid obvious traps and early-game broken builds, all the while prioritizing class synergy between characters and rewarding optimization over endlessly grinding for stats.

Considering Dragon Quest's iconic archetypes and the influence of tabletop games on the genre, it's not remotely surprising that JRPGs and Western RPGs rely on these systems, but that doesn't mean putting one together is simple. No, most attempts are good but not amazing, and only a few turn-based RPGs have pitch-perfect class systems.

To keep things interesting and varied, I'm going to cover 5 different types of turn-based RPGs, going over subgenres like JRPG and tactics.

No games based on tabletop RPGs like Baldur's Gate 3. Let's prioritize games that have their own class systems.

Finally, I will include sections that discuss each system's flaws, as they are "virtually," not "objectively," perfect.

Admittedly, this one is somewhat of a historical pick, but Final Fantasy 5 deserves to be celebrated for essentially fixing a major issue with early RPGs : starting over. Back in the genre's formative years, switching jobs often forced a stat reset, disincentivizing the process altogether. FF5 turned class progression into a cumulative journey in which everything leads to an end-game build.

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