Minh: I might level up his MP a bit. I usually have him cast defensive spells when I'm leveling up by fighting the monsters NW of Phin, so some of his spells might gain a level. Otherwise, he doesn't really need leveling up.

Josef: I have him use his fists and train with them for a while. I may teach him a spell or two.

Gordon: I usually level him up a bit until he gets a bit of MP for casting spells and enough HP to survive. Gordon is actually a pretty good character after you've leveled him up for a while. I usually have him fight with a spear, though I often give him a few basic spells too.

Layla: I usually give her the basic spells and have her develop the Bolt spell since that one starts on a higher level. She's mostly a fighter, though.

Richard: He's my tank. I may give him a few spells, but mostly it's his attack and defence that shine, while everything else about him isn't really that great. He's got a lot of HP, he doesn't take much damage and he hits for a lot of damage.

Lionheart: I know you shouldn't do this, but he's a bit like a red mage character. He has some of the basic spells, and I level up some of them, such as Cure, Life and Holy. Otherwise, he's a left-handed sword fighter with a shield. He seems to develop very quickly.