Thinkers are the player character of Kainga. They are the only unit capable of discovering new technologies, (generally) cannot fight, and must survive in order to succeed on a mission. They can be found in the Skyloft when not playing a mission.
Wise with experience, this Thinker considers the future of his people carefully. Expect an early establishment with the resources needed to get a head start. — Kainga Encyclopedia
Sumac is the newest Thinker to join the Skyloft. He was tasked with finding 6 relics across the lands: a fossilized skull, a Darkwood branch, a teal pearl, Trunkwood sandals, the royal sash and a seeing stone. After having spent his entire life looking for these items, he was given the impossible task to "build a town on a Crustacean". During the tutorial segment of Kainga, Sumac accidentally awakens a Crustacean granting his acceptance into the Skyloft. After having arrived, he wonders why no others had to go through such a difficult journey to become a Thinker... — Thinker Deep Dive: Sumac
Sumac is the first Thinker available to the player upon starting Kainga for the first time. The player takes control of Sumac during the tutorial of the game, walking through his final steps in his journey to be elevated to the Skyloft as a Thinker. His starting resources and Feast festival help support a burgeoning village, and the Structure Safety passive makes building placement a bit more forgiving. He otherwise has no other unique features or gameplay quirks to be aware of, making him a very good Thinker for the beginner player.
This Thinker's mind darts from one activity to another. Speed and combat strength are assured at the start, but a wary mind lingers to festivities. — Kainga Encyclopedia
Garam was welcomed to become a Thinker after his father, the great woodworker, constructed the Skyloft for the other Thinkers. Garam sees himself as a diplomacy master but is quite hot-headed and his attempts at negotiations lead to combat just as often as friendship. Being quite young, Garam was worried his followers wouldn't take him seriously, so he fashioned an impressive fan on his back which he tells his followers allows him to fly! — Thinker Deep Dive: Garam
Garam is a very fast-moving Thinker, who starts each mission with two Warriors and the incredibly powerful Sharpened Axes passive technology. The combat prowess of his Braves has a leg up on others, in some cases negating the need for Combat technologies at all. Starting with Garam can be difficult, as he starts with no food and only three Braves. Two of his festivals require fabric, and he doesn't start with enough to build the Skylamp Festival. This all but necessitates using one of his Resource inspirations on a fabric-producing technology, which may or may not appear in the list. (Alternatively, remembering a technology such as the Lotus Pond makes this trivial.)
Of note, Garam cannot fly using his fan, but he does move faster than all other Thinkers.
Accompanied by his protector, this small Thinker uses strength to get ahead. Slow but able to fend for himself, this Thinker dreams of construction. — Kainga Encyclopedia
Achiote, being a royal, was promised Thinkership before he was even born. He accepted at a very young age and thus became immortalized as a child. It was agreed that Achiote could be accompanied by a "guardian" and so the blind guard guides this little Thinker everywhere. Now, unfortunately, Achiote regrets accepting being a Thinker at such a young age as he deems his own body useless... — Thinker Deep Dive: Achiote
Achiote is accompanied at all times by his guardian, who has not taken the same oath of pacifism as all Thinkers must. This means Achiote is able to defend himself when necessary, unlike all other Thinkers. However, because his physical body is so small and vulnerable, once the guardian is defeated Achiote is banished as well. The guardian moves more slowly than any of the Thinkers, including Jeera when not riding Kala. Achiote begins missions with more Braves than others, and his festivals are centered around resource creation and construction. Blessed Scaffolding lets his Braves build any structure—even if they lack the resources to do so.
Ajowan
Ajowan
the invulnerable
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Ajowan
the invulnerable
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Being composed of smoke, this Thinker is not affected by mortal pain. However the jar that houses this Thinker's soul must be accounted for. — Kainga Encyclopedia
Ajowan himself has no physical form, his soul residing inside a large ceramic jar called an albastron. Because of this, it is easier for Ajowan to make riskier moves (such as attempting to take inspiration away from other villages), since attacking his smoke form simply causes him to vanish and reappear above his albastron. However, the albastron cannot move on its own; it must be carried by a Brave and protected from physical attacks. Because it is immobile, keeping it safe can be a little more difficult than protecting other Thinkers.
Ajowan's Ceramic Mandate (and starting ceramics) makes it easier for the village to develop with those technologies in mind. Fire suppression and other synergistic technologies (such as ceramic roofing or walls) are a good direction to move in when playing as Ajowan.
Charnushka
Charnushka
the balanced
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Charnushka
the balanced
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Equipped with a relic of a long-lost time, this Thinker is able to boost production speed and inspire others to bear burdens with ease. — Kainga Encyclopedia
Charnushka carries a large pack with him, which enables him to speed up production of nearby buildings (including houses and other unit-producing buildings). This boost is indicated by a small ritual aura that spreads around him, accompanied with a chiming sound. They are the only Thinker capable of producing new inspiration at will (via the Boardgame Challenge festival), and one of two to start with a ranged combat unit. The use of Celebratory Firework early in a mission can help ease food requirements, but Charnushka only begins the mission with enough blastpowder to perform this festival once.
Kala & Jeera
Kala & Jeera
the protected
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Kala & Jeera
the protected
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This Thinker is mentally bound to their beast after a new shell was fashioned to protect it. Defense and stability is the focus of these two. — Kainga Encyclopedia
Kala & Jeera are both Thinkers who share memory with each other. Most of the time, Jeera rides atop Kala, but if Kala is banished then Jeera continues on alone. This can be dangerous for Jeera, as they have the least amount of health of any Thinker (besides Ajowan's smoke form). If Kala is banished (and Jeera survives the combat), the Beast Spirit House festival can be used to re-summon Kala if placed on their back. Otherwise the festival can be used to locate the nearest Crustacean, and even summon it if desired.
Galanga
Galanga
the elevated
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Galanga
the elevated
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Food comes easy to this Thinker as cooking is a passion, drawing the attention of wildlife and an ease of taming. — Kainga Encyclopedia
Galanga does not walk on the ground; rather, they walk atop a pair of stilts. Because of this, they are not hindered by difficult terrain (such as flooding or snow). The starting Beastmasters and Braided Rope passive can give Galanga an edge by taming certain beasts early in the mission.
Serrano
Serrano
the first thinker
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Serrano
the first thinker
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Not much is known of this Thinker, as they never speak! Eyes always peering into books, this Thinker uses ancient knowledge of the past to grow their town in unconventional ways. — Kainga Encyclopedia
Serrano is one of the most difficult Thinkers to master. Their Braves do not require food thanks to their Silk Outfits passive, but will require a fabric-producing resource technology. This is also necessary to construct the Skytrade Festival, which summons a trader just for Serrano.
Serrano's movement is tricky: instead of moving themselves, they send out a floating orb that travels to their destination. Once it reaches the location Serrano teleports directly to the destination, avoiding any hazards or combat. The orb is bound by traversible terrain (i.e. they can't send their orb across chasms or over water), and can be a little difficult to direct as it can be blocked by trees, ruins, and other resources found around the map. In addition, while the orb is moving Serrano remains still; this can make him vulnerable to attack or wildlife if the player does not carefully keep track of Serrano's position.
