Grim Trials is built around Avelin's Reaper journey, but the Academy cast is also part of progression rather than background decoration. Pytra, Milyun, Ivanya, Iskra, Kai and Breone & Nameles each have a released maximum-Affinity achievement, while John guides important story and Academy progression. Timmy sits outside the Academy relationship system but gives Avelin's Purification journey its central emotional motivation.
Avelin
Avelin is the playable protagonist. The official store describes her as a young woman who met an untimely end and was recruited as one of Death's Reapers. Her task is to hunt impure souls, face the demons connected to her own past and complete the Trials so she can become a full-fledged Reaper and see her still-living love again. Her character page focuses on Purification, the Seven Sinful Souls and how story progression is tied to the roguelite structure.
Pytra
Pytra is one of the Academy mentors most directly connected to weapons. Released-game review coverage identifies her with the weapon workshop, while the achievement Friendly Fire confirms that she has a full Affinity track. Current post-launch walkthrough evidence also ties her chain to weapon recipes and the Three Headed Snake quest for the Snake Charmer achievement.
Milyun
Developer material identifies Milyun as Milyun the Spinner, while Tailored Teaching confirms that she has a maximum-Affinity route. The released achievement Mentor Makeover further connects her to crafting a new set of gear for John, making her one of the clearest links between Academy relationships and equipment progression.
Ivanya
The Witch's Apprentice is Ivanya's maximum-Affinity achievement. Post-launch review coverage and developer promotion connect her to potion brewing and the Academy's consumable workshop. Her side-content network overlaps with Courier Girl through The Special Delivery and Girls' Night Out through the Final Toast with Iskra, making Ivanya one of the strongest links between relationships, quests and potion progression.
Iskra
Research Assistant is Iskra's maximum-Affinity achievement. Current post-launch walkthrough documentation places her in the Academy library and connects her side-content to The Special Delivery, the Camouflage Cloak route, the Secret Chamber and the later Final Toast with Ivanya. That makes Iskra one of the strongest bridges between relationship progression and Grim Trials' hidden completion content.
Kai
Kai is a fellow Cocoon and senior Grim Reaper trainee introduced before release and retained in the full game. His achievement is From Foe To Fellow. Public demo coverage also connects him to the endless Training Ground used to test weapons, builds and abilities, while the released quest list includes a Fellow Apprentice spar. The existing Kai page already separates those confirmed roles from later player-tested quest details.
John
Official developer material identifies John as the mentor of Grim Reapers before Avelin and the person who guides her journey after her first Trial Ground attempt. Post-launch completion routing adds a practical pattern: after defeating a major boss, returning to the Academy and speaking with John commonly points Avelin toward the next batch of character side quests. Mentor Makeover also directly ties John to Milyun by requiring a new set of gear to be crafted for him.
Breone & Nameles
Official developer material names Breone the Cat and Nameles the Dog as Academy denizens, while Furry Friends requires maximum Affinity with both. Their late side content has unusually high completion value: the best current post-launch route ties Nameles and Breone to the two keys used for the first Grim Reaper Chest inside the Secret Chamber, overlapping directly with Buried Knowledge. Exact potion hand-ins and boss gates remain labeled as player-tested rather than official quest requirements.
Open the Breone & Nameles guide →
Timmy
Official story material identifies Timmy as the love of Avelin's life and the first person who made her feel genuinely wanted. Their last conversation before Avelin's accidental death ended badly, leaving her with unspoken feelings and a reason to pursue Purification. Timmy is not part of the Academy Affinity system; he is the still-living person Avelin hopes to see again after becoming a full-fledged Reaper.
How character Affinity works
The official Steam description says Academy quests build relationships and unlock advice, knowledge and support from peers. The released achievement list then provides six concrete maximum-Affinity targets: Pytra, Milyun, Ivanya, Iskra, Kai and Breone & Nameles. A current post-launch trophy route reports that completing each character's side quests raises Affinity and that progress can be checked in the Knowledge/Characters interface.
For the full six-character completion route, use the Affinity Guide. For the order in which Academy content opens around boss progression, use the Quests Guide.
Characters and the True Ending
The game officially confirms a normal Ending and a True Ending through separate achievements. It does not publish a detailed character checklist for End of All Cycle. The strongest current player-tested route recommends completing the Academy characters' side content before Superbia. Timmy is unquestionably central to Avelin's narrative motivation, but public achievement data does not establish a separate Timmy-specific True Ending trigger.
Character coverage status
Phase 4 character expansion is now complete for the planned priority set: Pytra, Milyun, Ivanya, Iskra, John, Breone & Nameles and Timmy all have dedicated current-version pages, alongside the existing Avelin and Kai guides. Minor NPCs will stay on hub pages unless there is enough unique verified information to avoid thin content.
Related character and progression guides
Sources & verification
- Grim Trials on Steam — Avelin's still-living love, Academy and relationship framework.
- Official Grim Trials developer story log — John, Timmy, Breone, Nameles and Academy cast context.
- Steam achievements — six maximum-Affinity objectives and ending milestones.
- TrueTrophies — cross-platform trophy confirmation.
- Gamerbase post-launch trophy guide — supporting character quest and True Ending routing.
