Dadao
At a glance
Dadao is a playable unit, recorded in the Commoner class at level 4. Available on all four routes; recruitment on 4 routes has a condition to meet (renown, a support level or a chapter). Highest growth rates: Str 55% and HP 50%. Personal ability: One Chance. 31 liked gifts documented, 8 of them loved. 7 support partners documented.
Guide rank C. An axe unit with 55% Strength growth but 35% Dexterity and 30% Speed. The lists run from KeenGamer's A through Pocket Tactics' B to Game8's C; the guide moves him one step below the middle because the author finds axe users who miss and cannot double weak.◇ our recommendation: the guide author's own play† unverified Tier list
Gifts and meals
Loved
Jamel Milk++ loved
Poems of the Greats++ loved- Portrait of Yu Phas++ loved, single source† unverified
- Rugged Blade++ loved, single source† unverified
Strategy Manuscript++ loved
Tales of Adventure++ loved
Weak Cervi++ loved
Kitten Figurine++ loved, single source† unverified
Liked
Arrowhead Gem
Board-Game Tactics
Coffee Pastries
Crimson Ghosh
Eastern Black Silk- Flower Painting
Fragrant Pastries
Ginji Cervi
Honey Milk
Honey Pastries
Huge Fish Eyeball
Mature Dried Cervi
Mellow Pastries
Pastry Cookbook
Potted Vegetables
Pure-White Cervi
Saraminian Sweets
Simple Pastries
Strong Cervi
Yarc Milk
Secret Ghosh
Blue-Rose Bouquet
Rare Spices
Likes: Women (especially Anatolia), machines, good food, fighting
Meals
Recorded from the guide author's own game on Dietrich's route, across 12 dishes.
Likes
- Goat Roastloves
- Garlic Seared Scallopsloves
- Pumpkin Souplikes
- Salt-Crusted Hamloves
- Fish-Sauce Souploves
- Madazinslikes
- Sand Boar and Beansloves
- Cheese-Coated Crayfishloves
- Honey-Poached Pearloves
- Sweet-and-Sour Stick Bugsloves
- Charred Fish Grillloves
- Coffee-Berry Pastelikes
Dislikes
None recorded.
Bird-time answers
How Pale Raven sessions are scored is explained in how to read a character page.
Show 10 questions
Anatolia's always so hard on me. You think it's her way of flirting with me?
Answer: Tilt your head.
Back in the village, we hunted and ate sandworms. I'll bring you some sometime!
Answer: Nod.
Being hungry can make ya sad. You ever need food, you let me know.
Answer: Nod.
Everyone in the village is always hungry. I wanna make it so they can all eat whenever they want.
Answer: Gaze intently.
I can tell how a building is put together with just a glance. What about you?
Answer: Tilt your head.
I can tell you're interested in me. I'm a good-lookin' guy, so I can't blame ya!
Answer: Gaze intently.
Know what? I like you. How about if you join the Dadao Gang? I'm strong, and I'll take care of you!
Answer: Spread your wings.
My parents are gone, but I don't really feel lonely. I'm stronger than anyone, ya know!
Answer: Spread your wings.
Nothing personal, but you don't really look that tasty. You're all bones for one thing. I'll save you for last.
Answer: Be intimidating.
Ya know, Anatolia was doing fortune-telling to earn money. I oughta teach you some tricks!
Answer: Do a somersault.
Bird-time reactions (IGN wiki)† unverified
A fuller prompt->reaction table for this character, from IGN’s guide. See every character, searchable.
Show 10 prompts
“Being hungry can make ya sad. You ever need food, you let me know.”
Nod
“I can tell how a building is put together with just a glance.”
Tilt your head
“Nothing personal, but you don't really look that tasty. You're all bones for one thing.”
Be intimidating
“Back in the village, we hunted and ate sandworms.”
Nod
“Know what? I like you. How about if you join the Dadao Gang?”
Spread your wings
“Anatolia's always hard on me. You think it's her way of flirting with me?”
Tilt your head
“Everyone in the village is always hungry. I wanna make it so they can all eat whenever they want.”
Gaze intently
“I can tell you're interested in me. I'm a good-lookin' guy, so I can't blame ya!”
Gaze intently
“My parents are gone, but I don't really feel lonely. I'm stronger than anyone I know!”
Spread your wings
“Ya know, Anatolia was doing fortune-telling to earn money. I oughta teach you some tricks!”
Do a somersault
Recruit
Plan
On Cai's route Dadao requires 3 support levels, renown level 7, and 2x Kothar Gar, with the earliest recruitment opportunity at Part I chapter 5.
Part I, chapter 1
Prioritise every available quest and Cai's route-specific Kindness Quests from the start of the route to bank renown towards level 7.† unverified
Part I, chapter 1
Give Dadao a gift and share one meal, arena session or equivalent support activity with him each in-game week until his support reaches level 3.† unverified
Part I, chapter 1
Fish up 2x Kothar Gar at low-current freshwater spots and hold them in the convoy for Dadao's recruitment.† unverified
Research notes
- Prioritise every available quest and Cai's route-specific Kindness Quests from the start of the route to bank renown towards level 7. Why: Satisfies the 7R renown component of Dadao's Cai-route gate.
- Give Dadao a gift and share one meal, arena session or equivalent support activity with him each in-game week until his support reaches level 3. Why: Satisfies the 3S support component of Dadao's Cai-route gate, aimed at Dadao himself rather than a third party.
- Fish up 2x Kothar Gar at low-current freshwater spots and hold them in the convoy for Dadao's recruitment. Why: Satisfies the 2x Kothar Gar component of Dadao's Cai-route gate. Fishing catch from low-current freshwater — not shop-sold, per planning-inputs.md Items table
Missing plan details
- no chapter/renown-level correspondence found for Cai's route, so the chapter at which 7R is reached cannot be stated
- no chapter-to-free-time-week mapping and no support-points-per-action or points-per-rank values found, so the 3S start point is a pacing assumption only
- Kothar Gar first-availability chapter, price and catch limit NOT FOUND
Where to get the items
2x Kothar Gar: best spot Zeet Lake (Thaleia), nearest posthouse Aragona Posthouse via Merak Pass, Grand Aragon
- Zeet Lake (Thaleia), nearest posthouse Aragona Posthouse via Merak Pass, Grand Aragon○ observed
- Kothar Lake (Amalthea), nearest posthouse East Amalthea Posthouse via Valeri Gorge○ observed
Best odds first is this guide’s own guess, not a published drop rate.◇ our recommendation: ranked by fewest other listed items
Cai
Recruitment chain
Step 1 of 1
Give Dadao 2 Kothar Gar. Search at Alcineus Span, just left of Dagsion on the world map; the fish turn up at random.
Dietrich
Recruitment chain
Step 1 of 1
Give Dadao 2 Kothar Gar. Search at Alcineus Span, just left of Dagsion on the world map; the fish turn up at random.
Theodora, Leda
Recruitment chain
Step 1 of 1
Give Dadao 2 Kothar Gar. Search at Alcineus Span, just left of Dagsion on the world map; the fish turn up at random.
Build
Rank
Pick your route on the home page to see this unit’s tier on it.
- Game8C
- Game8 JapanC
- GameWithB
- AppMediaBin tanks
- Pocket TacticsB
Each site uses its own scale, so read a label against that site’s list. Read on 2026-10-10.
An axe unit with 55% Strength growth but 35% Dexterity and 30% Speed. The lists run from KeenGamer's A through Pocket Tactics' B to Game8's C; the guide moves him one step below the middle because the author finds axe users who miss and cannot double weak.◇ our recommendation: the guide author's own play† unverified
Strengths
- Strength growth 55%
- HP growth 50% and Defence 45%
- Gains attack when neither he nor his foe can double
Weaknesses
- Dexterity growth 35% on a low-accuracy weapon type
- Speed growth 30%
- Resistance growth 20%
More published ratings
- KeenGamer tier list (read through a text mirror): A-Tier source
Recommended class path
Gladiator → Armored Knight → Dreadnought → Battlemaster† unverified
Base stats
Growth rates
Abilities
Full ability cataloguePersonal ability
One Chance: If unit and foe cannot make a follow-up, grants Atk+5 to unit during combat.
Guide rating 2 out of 5 stars◇ our recommendation: this guide's own judgement, not a sourced fact The no-follow-up-on-either-side condition is narrow, so this rarely comes up. Rate it yourself
- Level 20: Full Strength: Multiplies damage by 1.3 when attacking. Trigger % = Str÷2.
- Level 35: Full Strength+: Multiplies damage by 1.5 when attacking. Trigger % = Str ÷ 2.
Skills
Preferred
Axe Skill, Heavy Skill
Non-ideal
White Magic Skill, Black Magic Skill, Spear Skill
Spells and arts
Combat arts† unverified
Every combat art Game8 lists for this unit, in Game8’s own order. Where the Japanese guides (GameWith and gamecap) say when the unit learns an art, the weapon skill and rank sit beside it.
- Defense Stance(Armor D)
- Shove(Command D)
- Spike(Axe D)
- Crash(Axe B)
- Wild Abandon(Axe C)
- Mighty Fist(Gauntlet D)
Show all 9 combat arts
- Chop(Sword D)
- Tiger Slash
- Tempest Spear(Lance D)
Supports
0 of 17 support conversations watched
- BuccarB rank† unverified
- EshmelA rank† unverified
- EsmeraldaB rank† unverified
- InyoniB rank† unverified
- NezhaA rank† unverified
- PeterB rank† unverified
- SetethA rank† unverified
How support ranks are raised and what they unlock is explained once, in how to read a character page.
Story and profile
Who they are
Dadao has a reputation for trouble back in Kunlun, and he is travelling with Anatolia. He chases women, Anatolia most of all, and is turned down every time. Under the bluster he looks out for people weaker than himself. Machines and tinkering, good food and a fight are what he likes.
He is an axe fighter built on bulk. Strength grows at 55%, HP at 50% and Defence at 45%, and One Chance gives Atk+5 when neither he nor his foe can follow up. The cost is accuracy. Dexterity at 35% on a weapon type that already misses, plus Speed at 30%, means he rarely doubles and does not always connect. Resistance at 20% leaves him exposed to mages. He prefers Axe and Heavy skills and dislikes both magic schools and Spear. The guide rates him C, with the path Gladiator, Armored Knight, Dreadnought, Battlemaster.
Profile facts
- Male
- Human
- Kunlun
- 18-19 (Pre-Timeskip), 23-24 (Post-Timeskip)
- 172cm (5'8")
- May 4
- JP: 山口勝平 · EN: Y. Chang
- Tinkering with machines, watching out for the weak† unverified
- —
- —
Background
- ダイトウ, Daito
Personality
Names, relatives and first appearances
Art
Dadao, art from Game8's recruitment guide
Endings
Not yet documented: exploration talent.