Dragon Quest IX/Characters

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Dragon Quest IX has lots of characters, as well as a Job System for The Hero and their True Companions to use, as outlined below:

Protagonists

The Apprentice

The Hero (or Heroine) of Dragon Quest IX, a Celestrian who has recently begun their training to become a guardian, protecting the mortal realm and tending to the Great World Tree, Yggdrasil. But when something goes horribly awry, the trainee winds up stranded in the mortal realm, and at the start of a perilous journey to learn the root of the world's problems...

• Can't Drop the Hero
• Character Customization: Mix and match your favorite Eye, Hair and Costume Tropes!
• Chronic Hero Syndrome: That's their job, after all.
• Hello, Insert Name Here
• The Hero: Duh.
• Heroic Mime
• Humanity Ensues
• I See Dead People: Part of your job as an Celestrian is to help restless souls to the afterlife.
• Our Angels Are Different
• Rookie Red Ranger
• Spoony Bard: Always starts as a Minstrel. Amusingly, this is due to the people of Angel Falls taking one look at your character's Celestrian uniform and thinking, "Well, they're dressed like an idiot, what else could they be?".
• Third-Person Seductress: A shockingly well supported option for customization.
• Vague Age: Age is never brought up (beyond being one of the younger Celestians at "less than 300 years old").
• Virtual Paper Doll
• Winged Humanoid
• You Can See Me?: Hears a lot of this, thanks to their Celestrian abilities.

Stella

A spunky, pink-winged Fairy Companion who accompanies the hero on their travels, keeping a record of everything that occurs.

• Brown Eyes
• Cannot Spit It Out: She tries to tell you her dream, but keeps tripping up on the words. You eventually find out after she's done it and become a nail artist. Interestingly, while that might be doing nails in a salon (which fits her personality), the game also gives you that title for getting Rank 4 in Claws. So maybe she was doing weapons training?
• Darkskinned Blonde
• Dub Name Change: From Sandy to Stella.
• Everything's Better with Sparkles
• Fairy Companion
• Hair Decorations: Wears a big pink flower that's nearly the same size as her face on the side of her head.
• Invisible to Normals
• Malaproper
• Multiple Choice Past: In the same game, numerous bonus quests hint at different origins for her. She's either the reincarnation of a young girl, the reincarnation of a very nasty Gittish Queen named Stellestria, or Celestria's little sister. Stella believes the "little sister" one, but Celestria says she feels all of Zenus' creations are her siblings.
• Pungeon Master: Chances are that if she's not speaking in Unusual Euphemisms, she'll be punting frequently. She manages to give Teddie a run for his money.
• Unusual Euphemism: "Flap", or "Flapping". Used every other flapping sentence. Just how flapping foul-mouthed is she, really?
• Valley Girl: Kogal, actually, a specific Japanese variant.
• Verbal Tic: See Unusual Euphemism above. She says it that much.
• Winged Humanoid
• Zettai Ryouiki

Classes - Basic

Their Companions

Adventurers who have all gathered at the Quester's Rest, seeking companions and work. Who will the hero bring along on their various travels? Who will become their closest companions?

• Arbitrary Headcount Limit: You can only take up to three others with you at a time, for the usual total of four adventurers per party.
• Character Customization: Just like The Hero, you can pick and choose their Personal Appearance Tropes at will.
• Player Mooks
• Virtual Paper Doll
• You All Meet in An Inn

Classes of Choice - The Basics

Warriors are your basic fighters, who have chosen to pick up a sword, spear or knife and fight to protect what they believe in. Naturally, this means that any good Warrior has great Courage that will support them through the toughest times. If they choose to hone that Courage, they learn how to defend their allies from enemy attacks, prepare themselves to launch a more powerful attack, or even brazenly whistle to attract monsters' attention!

• Badass Normal
• Chainmail Bikini: The Femiscyran Mail, a Shout-Out to the town of the same name in Dragon Quest IV.
• Limit Break: Critical Claim, an automatic Critical Hit.
• Mighty Glacier
• Taking the Bullet: Whipping Boy lets the user protect one of their companions like this, even against attacks that would normally hurt everyone.
• Weapon of Choice:
  • Blade on a Stick
  • Heroes Prefer Swords
  • Knife Nut
  • Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me

Martial Artists naturally can train in the art of fighting with their bare hands, though that may not be what attracts everyone to this class. Trainees may instead choose to learn how to handle claws—they're one of only two classes who specialize in handling these dangerous weapons—or to wield staves or even fans. Their Focus grants them great agility, as well as give them the fortitude necessary to withstand even the most powerful enemy assault, whether physical or due to horrendous breath. Martial Artists who have almost completely mastered their Focus can also learn to heal themselves through Meditation.

• Badass Normal
• Fantasy Counterpart Culture: The standard outfits are vaguely Chinese in origin. The female fighters definitely resemble a classic Chinese Girl.
• Lightning Bruiser: Boast the highest agility of all the classes, though they can also tend towards Glass Cannon early on.
• Limit Break: Roaring Tirade, which stuns all opponents into losing their turn while also giving the user's Tension a small boost.
• Weapon of Choice:
  • Bare-Fisted Monk
  • Paper Fan of Doom
  • Wolverine Claws
  • Simple Staff

Priests are dedicated healers who are supported by their Faith. The stronger their Faith, the more powerful their blessings become, and they may eventually learn how to withstand instant death attacks. Every party may not need one, but they certainly make the going a whole lot easier.

• Fantasy Counterpart Culture: The outfits resemble Japanese Buddhist monks.
• Limit Break: Choir of Angels, which restores some HP to the whole party while curing any negative status effects at the same time.
• The Medic: Even moreso than previous incarnations; unlike most Dragon Quest Priests, they do not learn Woosh or any other combat spells besides Thwack. All of their magic is meant for support, though they can still be a Combat Medic if they use a spear or staff.
• One-Hit Kill: Their only offense is the the Thwack line of instant death spells.
• Useless Useful Spell: Averted and played straight. The instant death line is actually fairly accurate, making it useful enough for clearing crowds, but given that the endgame is all about boss fights, and bosses tend to not be affected by such, it's not as good as a damaging spell would be.
• Weapon of Choice:
  • Blade on a Stick
  • Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me
  • Magic Wand
  • Simple Staff

Mages are all about learning how to control and use powerful Spellcraft. Training boosts their MP and magical might considerably, as well as enables them to resist enemy spells and weaken their magic, as well as recover a little MP on the go by simply concentrating. They may prove a bit of a Glass Cannon, but that's presuming their opponents can get to them without a fireball exploding in their faces.

• Bare Your Midriff: Seen on both class reps, with the male wearing an open shirt with short sides to get the effect while the female goes the more traditional route of a tiny top.
• Black Mage
• Elemental Powers: They get to play with Frizz and Crack spells.
• Fantasy Counterpart Culture: The outfits are vaguely Persian, with men sporting fezzes and women donning belly dancers' tops.
• Limit Break: 0 Zone, which completely eliminates the cost of all spells and skills for a brief time.
• Robe and Wizard Hat: The Nice Hat isn't pointy.
• Shout-Out: To Jessica from Dragon Quest VIII: they equip all the same weapons that she does and have a knack for Fan Service.
• Squishy Wizard
• Weapon of Choice:
  • Knife Nut
  • Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me
  • Magic Wand
  • Whip It Good

Thieves steal (haha, see what we did there?) their weapons of choice from Soldiers and Martial Artists: they can carry swords, knives or even claws, or go bare-handed so their nimble fingers aren't preoccupied. Of course, they have a knack for using their Acquistiveness for shadier purposes, and can steal from their enemies or set traps for them. They can also learn how to hone in on hidden treasures and lead their party to them.

• Enemy Scan: The Eye For Trouble skill provides an extra snippet of information for a monster's Bestiary entry.
• Fragile Speedster
• Insistent Terminology: It's not Thievery, it's Acquistiveness.
• Limit Break: Itemized Kill, which ensures that the affected enemy will automatically drop treasure when they drop dead.
• Video Game Stealing
• Weapon of Choice:
  • Bare-Fisted Monk
  • Heroes Prefer Swords
  • Knife Nut
• Wolverine Claws: The only other class aside from Martial Artists who can train with Claws.

Minstrels are jacks of all trades, dabbling in various arts without really mastering any particular one. Their specialty is Litheness: they're nimble and quick-thinking, willing and able to improvise with skills that might surprise their opponents with their deadliness... or laughing at the absurdity of it all. Don't underestimate these resourceful entertainers.

• Combat Medic
• Death of a Thousand Cuts: Have A Ball: each individual ball doesn't do a lot of damage, but the juggler throws a lot of them.
• Distracted by the Sexy: Minstrels develop Charm more quickly than other classes, which has a chance of causing monsters to lose a turn out of infatuation.
• Elemental Powers: Their repertoire includes Woosh and Crackle spells.
• Fantasy Counterpart Culture: The outfits are evocative of Gypsies, an ethnicity classically known for their traveling stage shows.
• Get a Hold of Yourself, Man!: One of their Litheness abilities, Sobering Slap, is quite simply a bitch-slap that cures confusion and sleep. Amusingly, you can use it on yourself, but if you ARE in a position to use it, it probably won't do much good.
• Guile Hero
• Limit Break: Rough 'N' Tumble, helping the user evade and counterattack with greater ease.
• Spoony Bard : Semi-Averted. The skills they learn are varied and unique, with some of them being just a tad useless; however, their 82 point ability Have A Ball is the best skill in the game for killing Metal Slimes.
• Weapon of Choice:
  • Heroes Prefer Swords
  • Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me
  • Paper Fan of Doom
  • Whip It Good

Classes - Advanced

Classes of Choice - The Advanced

Gladiators are masters of battle, physically and mentally fit for any challenge thrown their way. Aside from the classic swords, they may also arm themselves with massive axes or clubs, or simply take on opponents bare-handed. Those who train their Guts learn a host of powerful slash attacks, and can willingly eschew defense for a doubled offense, for a hopefully quick and decisive end to any battle.

• The Berserker
• Cast from Hit Points: Their Signature Attack Double-Edged Slash does incredible damage... and 25% of it right back to the Gladiator. It's entirely possible (and likely) to kill yourself outright when using this, especially if combined with Tension and Double Up.
• Glass Cannon: A rare melee variant. While able to equip heavy armor, their Double Up ability lowers defense and maxes offence, and by default, they cannot use shields.
• Limit Break:
  • Tension Boost: their Tension level jumps sharply, with a good chance of automatically maxing itself out!
  • Working together with a Martial Artist allows for Omnipotense, giving everyone's Tension a serious spike.
• Linear Warriors, Quadratic Wizards: Averted HARD. Gladiators are far-and-away the best attackers in the game, able to deal damage in the thousands with the proper buffs and Falcon Slash (which costs 2 MP) while wielding an Uber Falcon Blade, thanks to their stupendous Strength. Having a pair of these in your party is essential to victory in the toughest battles.
• Mighty Glacier: Almost tied with Paladin for slowest class in the game.
• Prestige Class
• Weapon of Choice
  • An Axe to Grind
  • Bare-Fisted Monk
  • Drop the Hammer
  • Heroes Prefer Swords

Paladins balance the art of fighting with healing and defending their dear companions, routinely putting themselves on the line to keep their allies safe. Their Virtue is unparalleled: a well-trained Paladin can even siphon off their own HP or MP and give it to their companions. And if the worst should happen, and an enemy tries to finish off a nearly fallen friend, the master Paladin may step in and bear the blow themselves.

• Chainmail Bikini: The Holy Femail armour is considerably more revealing than its male only "Holy Mail" counterpart.
• Combat Medic: Mixed with Mighty Glacier. However, due to the soul-crushingly hard Bonus Boss and Bonus Dungeon content in the post-game, this class is almost a requirement.
• Knight in Shining Armor
• Limit Break:
  • Knight Watch, which makes the Paladin completely immune to enemies' attacks while also drawing attention toward them.
  • If a Paladin is in the group when all four members have a Coup De Grace ready, they can unleash Soul Asylum, which renders EVERYTHING useless, even the battle-plan shattering Disruptive Wave.
• Prestige Class
• Stone Wall: Has the highest resilience of all the vocations. At higher levels, Paladins can go into battle practically naked and still take only Scratch Damage.
• Taking the Bullet: Selflessness and Forbearance enables the paladin to do this for the rest of their team. It can happen even sooner if you teach them the Warrior's Whipping Boy (which is required to unlock the class in the first place).
• Weapon of Choice
  • Blade on a Stick
  • Drop the Hammer
  • Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me
  • Magic Wand

Armamentalists combine magical might with superb swordsmanship... though they may prefer a sturdy bow or wand to a blade. Whatever their Weapon of Choice, an experienced Armamentalist can imbibe themselves with elemental Fource, be it fire, ice, wind or even the very force of darkness or light itself...!

• Elemental Powers
• Fantasy Counterpart Culture: Evocative of 17th century French fencers.
• Limit Break:
  • Voice of Experience, summoning a wheel of fortune that boosts how much experience the party earns from that battle.
  • Thieves and Armamentalists can pull off an improved version offering the chance to gain more experience, treasure and gold... Haulellujah!
• Magic Knight: The class was even originally called "Magic Knight" before the Dub Name Change to the more distinct Armamentalist.
• Magikarp Power: While at first they are fairly sub-par, in the deep post-game, they do come into their own as being the Jack of All Trades. It helps that Fource spells are almost required to effectively handle the stronger post-game bosses, having a very noticeable effect... provided you look up what elemental effect to use.
• Master of None: Lets just say that compared to some of the other classes, Armamentalists are a bit... sub-par. Fource has tiny upgrades to a handful of different stats, as well as the Fource spells themselves... which rely on the hidden Elemental Damage system and as class skills (however, these Fource skills are percentage boosts, so if you do master the Elemental Damage system, they are very, very powerful at high levels).
• Nice Hat
• Power-Up Letdown: Maxing their skill tree gives you the awe inspiring and unique HP +30 (a boost to your max HP by 30, where even an easy Bonus Boss will deal damage in the high 100s with good defenses). The progression from the previous part of the tree costs a heavy 18 points to make it worse. This reward is not unique in anyway (half the classes give HP bonuses at some point, all doing it earlier, for fewer points and or higher bonuses), or substantial (like the other bonuses for finishing a tree).
• Prestige Class
• Shout-Out: To Angelo from Dragon Quest VIII: they equip all his same weapons and the males have a surprisingly similar outfit plus a Nice Hat (though as an inn guest, he recognizes priests as being his class).
• Spoony Bard: The other reason they're considered a bit sub-par. They are, however, the earliest you are likely to get to use bows, and mastering Fource provides buffs to just about every ability.
• Weapon of Choice:
  • The Archer
  • Heroes Prefer Swords
  • Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me
  • Magic Wand

Rangers have attuned themselves to nature. When it comes to evading monsters on their home turf, and even turning that terrain against its own denizens, no class can match their Ruggedness and survival skills. Want to calm a rampaging enemy with a little smooth talk, evade their attacks or even avoid combat entirely? The Ranger is easily your best bet. Of course, they're certainly no slouch when it comes to fighting either...

• The Beast Master: Their ultimate skill Wolf Whistle summons two wolves that immediately launch a random double-attack.
• Fantasy Counterpart Culture: The Rangers and the people of Batsureg are reminiscent of Mongolians.
• Limit Break:
  • Brownie Boost, summoning three faeries to raise the Ranger's attack, defense, and resistance to breath attacks.
  • Warriors and Rangers can rally their comrades to perform Quadraslash, a devastating all-out assault.
• Prestige Class
• Ranger
• Shout-Out: Their Coup De Grace is this for The Legend of Zelda.
• Talking The Monster to death into not killing you: Soothe Sayer, one of their first abilities.
• Weapon of Choice:
  • The Archer
  • An Axe to Grind
  • Bare-Fisted Monk
  • Precision-Guided Boomerang

Sages have a long and illustrious history, the most ancient of all Prestige Classes. A Sage's Enlightenment is dazzling, much like their incredible magical skills. With their vast knowledge, they can change their classes at any time, continuously heal their allies, remove their opponent's hard-won enhancements, boost their own skills, and conserve their magic so that they can spend it even more effectively. However, such power can be quite difficult to earn...

• Casting a Shadow: Their main attack magic is the Zam line of Darkness elemental spells.
• Limit Break:
  • Spelly Breath, which restores spent MP.
  • Sages and Mages can combine their magical might for Cast Away, spreading the Mage's 0 Zone to the whole team so that nobody has to spend any MP for a while.
  • Combine with Magic Burst, a VERY powerful spell that costs ALL your mana for extra-easy boss battles.
• Prestige Class
• The Red Mage: Learns (most of) the Mage's attack spells and (most of) the Priest's healing spells.
• Reduced Mana Cost: The ultimate Enlightenment skill cuts the character's mana cost by 25%.
• Weapon of Choice:
  • The Archer
  • Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me
  • Magic Wand
  • Precision-Guided Boomerang

Luminaries are perhaps the rarest and most elusive of all the advanced classes. Their focus? Why, a certain STYLE, of course! Every good Luminary has a winning Je Ne Sais Quoi, and know all the tricks of the trade, from passing out autographs to stealing the spotlight, instant makeovers and even inspiring scandals... and watch out for those backstage dances: they're simply killer.

• Everything's Funkier With Disco
• Limit Break:
  • Disco Tech, turning up the user's Tension while getting the enemy grooving.
  • Minstrels working with Luminaries can trigger the surreal Electro Light effect, which turns all their enemies into metal monsters!
• Master of None: They're essentially Minstrels with lower stats but better abilities.
• Meaningful Rename: Luminaries in astrology are the brightest and most important celestial bodies, the Sun and the Moon. In other words, the Superstars of space!
• Nice Hat: Male Luminaries can wear a gigantic top hat.
• Prestige Class: Of the more typical variety, as it's essentially a Minstrel who trades Swords for Boomerangs, higher charm, lower stat gains and better skills.
• Spoony Bard: Boasts an array of unique and unusual abilities.
• Summon Backup Dancers: Their ultimate ability Disco Stew, which is a ten-second, five-man dance routine that somehow creates a damaging whirlwind
• Unnecessary Makeover: Played with in-universe via their Extreme Makeover skill: they already boast the highest natural Charm of all the classes, yet learn how to take it even further.
• Weapon of Choice:
  • Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me
  • Paper Fan of Doom
  • Precision-Guided Boomerang
  • Whip It Good

Other Celestrians

Other Celestrians

Aquila

A seasoned guardian who has taken the hero under his wing and been showing them the ropes. Known to be one of the best, Aquila takes his job very seriously, and is known for being strict, yet not unkindly so. Once oversaw Angel Falls himself, but has just passed that duty down to his apprentice.

• Bald of Awesome
• Crutch Character
• Eleventh-Hour Ranger: Joins during a post-game DLC quest.
• Expy: His character design is Tenshinhan from Dragon Ball with wings instead of a third eye. It could be Piccolo as well, seeing as he's the hero's teacher. Also, the way he saved the life of said hero.
• Failure Knight
• Fake Defector: Pretends to side with the Gittish Empire in order to infiltrate it and free Corvus. Arguably doubles as Honor Before Reason.
• Heroic Sacrifice
• The Mentor
• Mentor Occupational Hazard
• Mentor Ship: Was quickly shipped with the hero. Of both genders.
• Our Angels Are Different
• Sempai-Kohai
• Stern Teacher
• Winged Humanoid

Columba

A friend of Aquila who can usually be found in the library. Instead of becoming a Guardian of the Protectorate, she chose to remain at the Observatory, working as their bookkeeper. Despite their mostly good-natured disagreements about the different ways they have found to serve their land, Columba also serves as Aquila's most trusted friend and confidant.

• Meganekko
• Red Oni, Blue Oni: Her dynamic with Aquila.
• You Gotta Have Blue Hair: Purple.

Apus Major

The eldest and most respected of all the Celestrians, he acts as their leader, overseeing the Observatory and guiding the guardians. A truly benevolent figure who sets an example for all.

• Elderly Immortal
• Expy: Bears a strong resemblance to Borya of Dragon Quest IV.
• The Good Chancellor
• Our Angels Are Different
• Reasonable Authority Figure
• Winged Humanoid
• Wizard Beard

Corvus

Aquila's former mentor, who went MIA centuries before the events of the game. Held up as a specific example of what happens to guardians who are too close to their human flock, of Celestians who are made guardians before they are ready, and what not to do while in the Protectorate.

• Chekhov MIA
• Expy: The details of his backstory are surprisingly similar to that of Psaro from Dragon Quest IV.
• Hair of Gold: In flashbacks featuring him and during the ending.

Other Characters

Angel Falls

Erinn

A young girl with big shoes to fill and even bigger dreams. At one time, her father was a famous innkeeper, and after learning of this legacy, she wishes to follow in his footsteps and develop a world-renowned inn of her own...

• Blue Eyes
• Eleventh-Hour Ranger: Joins during a post-game DLC quest.
• Expy: Her character design is similar to Pan's, instead with purple hair and an apron.
• Ill Girl: A key part of her and Edwinn's backstory.
• Oblivious to Love
• Plucky Girl
• Punny Name: Erin + Inn = Erinn.
• You Gotta Have Blue Hair: Purple.

Edwinn

Erinn's late father. Once ran an amazing inn, but left all of that behind upon moving his family to the out of the way paradise of Angel Falls. Passed away two years before the hero's journey begins.

• Theme Naming: Has the same sort of pun as his daughter.

Ivor

As Mayor Litlun's son, Ivor demands a certain amount of respect... and receives none. Viewed as an aimless layabout, he frequently fights with his father over his refusal to work. Has a blindingly obvious crush on Erinn, which he expresses by... mocking her belief in the Guardians and antagonizing her. This works about as well as you'd expect.

• Butt Monkey: Nobody in town likes him. Even his pal Hugo is quick to insult him.
• Cannot Spit It Out: Even though it's completely obvious he's got a crush on Erinn. Who does that moron think he's fooling?
• Crutch Character: Prevents the random monsters from killing or massively injuring the Level 1 equipment-less main character and struggling to fight back, but by the time he leaves he isn't needed.
• Flat Earth Atheist: Doesn't believe in the Celestrians, and mocks Erinn for her faith.
• Guest Star Party Member: Could double as a Crutch Character, but can almost immediately be hit by Can't Catch Up since he doesn't gain any experience and is stuck at Level 3.
• Jerk with a Heart of Gold
• Punny Name: Ivor Litlun? Oh, come on...
• Tsundere
• "Well Done, Son" Guy
• Won't Work On Me: Interesting that the biggest atheist in Angel Falls is the only one who seems to remember that the guardian statue was labeled "Aquila" a short while ago...

Quester's Rest

Patty

Head of the fantastic Quester's Rest establishment, Patty has a reputation for being quite the organizer. She's even earned the playful nickname 'Patty the Party Planner'. Anyone who needs help setting up a solid group just needs to consult her, and she'll set them straight in no time!

• Alliteration: Her nickname.
• Cool Big Sis: To Erinn.
• Curtains Match the Window
• Dark and Troubled Past: She used to be an adventurer like the hero, but after her beloved partner was butchered by monsters with Patty utterly powerless to save her, she retired in despair. She tries her damndest not to let it show, but the hero's exploits end up making her nostalgic, leading to her DLC recruitment quest.
• Eleventh-Hour Ranger: Joins during a post-game DLC quest.
• Hair Decorations: Catches her hair back in a dark ribbon.
• Mythology Gag: She's a reference to Ruida, who ran the tavern back in Dragon Quest III: originally, they shared the same name, but now she shares her name with Patty the Party Planner of Dragon Quest V (who was also named Ruida in the Japanese version of that game).
• Shout-Out: Probaly unintentional, but there's another person working in the inn named Sellma.
• You Gotta Have Blue Hair

Ginny

Runs the Rainbow's End Gold Bank inside the Quester's Rest. Briefly protests Erinn's arrival, reminding Patty that she made the same promises about Ginny helping the inn re-establish itself after she first showed up.

Pavo

A Celestrian who has the ability to open the Rapportal, which bridges the gap between alternate universes and allows people to cross between them, however briefly. Rather than hanging out at the Observatory, she prefers the Quester's Rest.

• Bare Your Midriff
• Invisible to Normals: She hangs out in an inn full of people, but only the Hero can see her. There's a portion of the game where your character loses the ability to see spirits and Celestrians, but for some reason, you can still see Pavo.
• Our Angels Are Different
• White-Haired Pretty Girl
• Winged Humanoid
• You Can See Me?: Always says this to the hero no matter how many times you talk to her.

Al Capinne

The nefarious leader of the Inntouchables, the infamous innkeeping mafia (no, seriously, there's an inkeeping mafia). It turns out that Sellma's been trying to arrest him for years, and with the hero's help, she finally has her chance...that is, if the hero can best Al's bigass Drackal guard dog first.

• The Mafia: An innkeeping mafia!
• Mythology Gag: After Sellma defeats him the hero is attacked by his pet dragon. This mirrors Dragonlord's pet dragon attacking after his master's defeat.
• Punny Name: Al Capone, anyone?
• Serious Business: Again, he runs an innkeeping. MAFIA.

Sellma

An intrepid merchant who runs the exclusive service known as the DQVC, which offers exclusive items for tantalizingly brief periods of time. Postgame DLC reveals that she's also a secret agent working to capture the notorious Al Capinne.

• Eleventh-Hour Ranger: Joins during a post-game DLC quest.
• Hair Decorations: Wears her hair up in a green bow.
• Hair of Gold
• The Men in Black
• Punny Name
• Shout-Out: While possibly unintentional, she works in the inn with a girl named Patty.

Stornway

King Schott

The sharp-tongued ruler of Stornway, King Schott is not precisely patient. He wants to take care of the recent Wight Knight problem as quickly as possible, but seems to be suffering a surfeit of able-bodied men. So, he has set out to hire any able-bodied adventurers willing to lend his troubled kingdom a hand.

Princess Simona

The well-loved princess of Stornway, and target of the Wight Knight. Unlike her father, Princess Simona thinks that he could actually be reasoned with, if she just had the chance... But her father certainly won't permit that!

• Go Mad from the Revelation: She does not take learning the truth of Brigadoom's destruction well. Thankfully, she gets better after Yore's defeat.
• Identical Granddaughter
• Pimped-Out Dress
• Princess Curls
• Rapunzel Hair
• Rebellious Princess: A well-mannered and polite one, at that.
• Well-Intentioned Extremist: Tries to atone for her ancestor's part in the destruction of Brigadoom by freeing Yore and asking him to restore it to its former glory... and in exchange, destroy Stornway instead. Citizens and all.

Wight Knight

An undead horseman who has begun terrorizing Loch Storn, defeating all of the soldiers sent after him and demanding to see the princess. Yet despite his fearsome appearance, his reign of terror appears to be merely that, without the usual accompaniment of death and destruction. What drives him, then, to such actions...?

• Black Knight
• Knight in Shining Armor
• Red Eyes, Take Warning
• Reluctant Monster
• Resurrected Romance
• Time Abyss: While he's aware he is undead, he initially doesn't realize its been centuries since his time. When he does realize this, he doesn't take it well.
• Tragic Monster
• The Undead

Morag

A witch that lives in the ruins of Brigadoom and claims that the Wight Knight is her slave.

• Evil Gloating
• Expy: Bears a strong resemblance to Ultimecia, the main villain of another of Square-Enix's games.
• Femme Fatale
• Knife Nut: Wields one during her battle.
• Lady in Red
• Mythology Gag: She does the once-a-game "puff-puff" gag (in this case, seducing your party members and making them lose a turn). A young girl in the Iluugazar Plains does it also. ...But with sheep.
• Stalker with a Crush: Towards the Wight Knight.
• Yandere

Yore

The first postgame story-Bonus Boss. 300 years ago, King Schott's predecessor King Nonus, in an act of desperation, summoned a powerful demon named Yore and begged him to defend Stornway from the advancing Gittish Empire. Yore agreed to do this, but in return demanded a terrible price: that he be allowed to wipe out the kingdom of Brigadoom. Desperate to save his kingdom, the king was forced to agree to his terms, and Yore wiped out Brigadoom in a single night. He kept his word and repelled the Empire, but the king grew fearful of Yore's power and sealed him inside a coffin in the depths of the palace cellar. Were he ever freed, he would surely take his vengeance on not just Stornway, but all of humanity. Lately, the magics that keeps Yore imprisoned have seemed to weaken...

• Big No
• Bonus Boss
• Deal with the Devil
• Expy: Arguably of Nokturnus. Both are frighteningly powerful demons that were summoned by a desperate king in order to save the king's nation from a great evil, both end up completely destroying at least one nation before being resealed, and both are fought as powerful Bonus Bosses in their respective games' postgame.
• Palette Swap: Looks just like the Master of Nu'un, only gold.
• Sealed Evil in a Can
• This Cannot Be!

Zere

Alanna and Petra

A pair of elderly women who have been friends for most of their lives. Alanna used to work in Castle Stornway as Princess Simona's maid.

• Absence Makes the Heart Go Yonder: Petra. To be fair, she waited 10 years before getting fed up and marrying someone else.
• Chekhov's Gunman: Petra.
• I Will Wait for You: At first, but no one can be expected to wait as long as she did.

Coffinwell

Doctor Phlegming

The resident doctor, Phlegming is great at all forms of research and studying... it's people he really struggles with. The only one he really cares for is his wife Catarrhina; everyone else gets shut out while he focuses on whatever topic has currently arrested his attention. Doesn't help that the mayor seriously hates him for taking his precious daughter away...

• Adorkable
• Heroic BSOD
• Hikikomori
• Loners Are Freaks
• Not Good with People
• Punny Name

Catarrhina

The doctor's lovely young wife, and the only one in town capable of getting his attention... and even she struggles in that area sometimes. Despite this, she remains deeply devoted to him; her greatest wish is to help him learn how to connect with others and for him to get the respect she feels he deserves.

• Expy: Looks surprisingly like Hina Kagiyama, right down to the same hair color and a similar style of dress.
• Housewife
• Incurable Cough of Death: Sadly, she does not get better.
• Morality Pet: Inverted, as it is actually her death that helps to open Phlegming's eyes.
• Punny Name: "Catarrh" is mucus membrane swelling caused by a cold or other infections.
• You Gotta Have Blue Hair: It's a light shade of green.

Mayor Laria

The leader of Coffinwell, he has been struggling to deal with two major problems: first, the outbreak of a strange disease in town. Second, coping with his distasteful son-in-law, whom he absolutely despises.

Alltrades Abbey

Abbott Jack

The heart and soul of Alltrades Abbey. This elderly priest has the power to help others change their profession, becoming whatever they wish to be with the blessings of the Almighty.

• The Computer Is a Cheating Bastard: When you fight him, his Woosh spell always goes haywire, while the chance of your spells going haywire is much lower. On top of that, it hits all your party members for 40 damage, while your party probably has about 70-95 HP.
• One-Winged Angel
• Punny Name: "Jack of Alltrades". And his One-Winged Angel form? "Master of Nu'Un".
• Tragic Monster: Thankfully, he gets better.

Tom Foolery

A cheerful spirit haunting Alltrades Abbey, searching for a talented minstrel to take on as his student.

• Ghostly Goals
• Mythology Gag: Tom Foolery played a minor role in Dragon Quest IV as a Guest Star Party Member.
• Posthumous Character
• Punny Name

Wanda and Wandine

A pair of mischievous fairies who appear in the dreams of any sufficiently skilled mages staying at the Abbey.

• Dream World
• Punny Name: Names starting with "wand" are very appropriate for the ones giving the mage quests.
• Sealed Good in a Can: They refer to themselves as being stuck in the Faeries Wand. Though some dialogue suggests it may be out of their sense of duty, rather then a literal seal.
• You Gotta Have Purple Hair

Brusque Lee

A student of Grandmaster Wun Tun Punch who will help any Martial Artists who impress him gain an audience with his master.

• Punny Name: On "brusque" (abrupt, blunt manner) and Bruce Lee.
• Shout-Out: To Bruce Lee, natch.

Grandmaster Wun Tun Punch

The master of martial arts.

• Actually, I Am Him: Before you beat the right quests, he will say that he has never met himself.
• Punny Name
• Verbal Tic: He ends every other sentence with "hm".

Windy

A somewhat vain Armamentalist who is willing to teach others the secrets of the Fource if they pass his tests. Likes to stand around talking about how awesome he is.

• Magic Knight
• Pride

Port Llaffan

Jona Jones

A recently orphaned girl who has discovered the ability to summon Lleviathan. While this has helped the port survive the recent hardships, she fears that they have grown entirely too reliant on the whale's bounty and have begun neglecting their work.

• Girlish Pigtails
• Meaningful Name: Jona and the whale.
• Moral Dissonance: She insists that it's "not right" to be able to eat without working, even though she's a little girl who's probably never worked a day in her life. Note that deep-sea fishing is consistently rated one of the most dangerous jobs in the world, so you can hardly blame the villagers for wanting to give it up. To be fair, she does get a job on one of the boats sometime after the heroes leave (wait a minute... child labor?).

Mayor Bryce

The Jerkass head of Port Llaffan, who is more focused on personal gain than what's best for the town. Very interested in exploiting Jona's ability to its fullest.

• Angst Coma: After learning the Awful Truth behind Lleviathan.
• Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Acts sweet towards Jona, but deflects her concerns about over-reliance on her powers with cold, cutting comments about her being useless otherwise.
• Freudian Excuse: In the Playable Epilogue. His wife walked out on him and their child because she couldn't stand being poor, leading to an obsession with acquiring wealth.
• Greed
• It's All About Me: Very self-absorbed. Has a private fishing spot that he refuses to let anyone enter, even when the fishing was poor and threatened the whole village. Talk to him after Lleviathan swallows Jona and threatens him. His first thought? Outrage that you dared enter his private beach.
• Jerkass
• My God, What Have I Done?: What causes his Angst Coma.

Bryson

The mayor's young son. Unlike his father, he genuinely cares about Jona and only wants her to be happy.

• Meaningful Name: He's the son of Mayor Bryce. It's another hint as to how self-serving his father is.

Dylan Jones

Jona's father, who was lost at sea during the earthquake. Still, Jona clings to the hope that he survived somehow and will return eventually. He actually drowned, but with his dying breath wished to continue looking after her, and was transformed into Lleviathan.

• Gone Horribly Right: He found a way to care for Jona after his death... but did so well that the rest of Llaffan started sponging off of the whale's bounty instead of working.

Dourbridge

Cap'n Max Meddlin

A pirate captain with a semi-secret royal lineage. Though he used to sail the seas seeking whatever booty he could plunder, he later came to realize that he garnered the most joy from collecting those wee little Mini Medals. Since then, he has settled down in Dourbridge and will trade all sorts of treasures to anyone who brings him any medals they've found.

• Instant Plunder, Just Add Pirates
• Master of Unlocking: His first gift is always the Thief's Key.
• Mythology Gag: The allusions to his being descended from royalty is a reference to how most Mini Medal collectors tend to be kings and princesses.
• Pirate

Buster

Head of the B-Team, a gang of thieves operating out of Dourbridge. Any thieves hoping to learn the tricks of the trade would do well to get into his good graces.

• Just Like Robin Hood
• Stepford Smiler: His cheery demeanor hides his sorrow over how his lover was brutally murdered by his rival.

The Heights of Loneliness

Mason

An elderly stonecutter who lives by himself, working on his greatest project...

• Did Not Get the Girl
• Meaningful Name: Well, of course a stoneworker is going to be named "Mason"...
• Posthumous Character

Odval

A lonely ranger who has settled in the Heights of Loneliness. Though she has become disillusioned with humanity, she may still teach others how to attune themselves with nature if they impress her enough.

• Ranger

Bloomingdale

Marion

The daughter of the richest family in town. She struggled with a terminal illness all her life, but suddenly got better. She now spends her time showering people who please her with gifts. However, there are rumors that she's become absurdly naive, and seems to have an extremely volatile temper...

• Cloudcuckoolander
• Dead All Along
• Hair of Gold: Paired with Blue Eyes.
• Ill Girl: And no, she did not get better.
• The Ingenue
• Mood Swinger
• Not Quite Dead: Alluded to in the credits with Marionette. The mansion's nanny finds her next to the real Marion's grave despite the fact that Marionette had reverted to an ordinary doll, and she had been placed in Marion's room. Marion's soul had already moved on by then, so the implication is that Marionette isn't so ordinary after all.
• Punny Name: Marion has a life-sized doll of herself named - wait for it - Marionette.
• The Reveal: Marion is already dead by the time you reach Bloomingdale. The Marion we see is Marionette, her favorite doll that was given sentience by the power of a Fygg.
• Tsundere: Usually very dere-dere, but when those mood swings kick in...

Randolph

A retired toymaker who designed a special doll to keep Marion company. After she lost her family, he became the only one capable of drawing her out of her worst mood swings.

The Kidnappers

A pair of crooks that plan to kidnap Marion and hold her ransom. Only trouble is, they're not very good at their job. At all.

• Ineffectual Sympathetic Villain
• Poke the Poodle
• Those Two Bad Guys

Gleeba

Queen Voluptua

The beautiful and haughty queen of Gleeba. Because her legendary father was never able to spend time with her when he was alive, she grew up believing the only one she could rely on was herself, and thus became selfish and hedonistic.

• Character Development: Once she realizes that there actually are people who care about her, she cleans up her act and becomes a fairminded ruler.
• Double Standard: After she cleans up her act, she opens her private baths... but only to women.
• Freudian Excuse
• The High Queen
• Meaningful Name: When somebody with a name like VOLUPTUA shows up in a game like this, you'd probaly expect her to have one of these. Sadly there's nothing there...
• Reasonable Authority Figure: After her Character Development.
• Spoiled Brat: At first.

His Dryness, Lord Drak

Queen Voluptua's beloved pet lizard.

• Freudian Excuse: He believed that no one other than him cared for Voluptua, and so sought to use a Fygg to become mortal and spirit her away in order to be with her.
• Interspecies Romance: He's in love with Voluptua.
• One-Winged Angel: The Grand Lizzier.
• Tragic Monster
• Wrong Genre Savvy: Believes that the Fygg turned him into a regular mortal, but see above.

Brunhild

A paladin who lives in the palace of Gleeba and can normally be found on its rooftop. She is willing to teach any who qualify how to become a true Paladin. Her constant companion is Willow, a somewhat sarcastic and bitter soul.

• Meaningful Name: One of the Norse valkyries.
• Our Souls Are Different: Willow.

Batsureg

Batorzig

The quiet and timid son of the village chief. His father urges him to man up and slay the beast harassing the village, but he refuses.

• Obfuscating Stupidity

Sarantsatsral/Larstastnaras

A mysterious shaman that appeared to advise the chief of Batsureg. she is actually a Slugger that was given a beautiful (and powerful) form by a Fygg.

• Karma Houdini: Her punishment for trying to kill Batorzig and take over the Plains is... to be friends with Batorzig's pet baboon?
  • Though to be fair, the whole sequence was more about showing the depth of Batzorig's character than anything. She did get the ever-lovin' crap pummeled out her though, so it isn't like she got off scot-free.
• Sdrawkcab Name

Swinedimples Academy

Fred

A troublemaking student who has recently seen his gang start to get whittled down by mysterious disappearances. Despite this though, he claims that he isn't the least bit frightened, and doesn't believe any of the rumors about why they've gone missing.

• Shout-Out: His name, combined with the name of the school.

The Bad Guys

The Gittish Empire

King Godwyn

The tyrannical ruler of the Gittish Empire. He seeks to use the power of the Fyggs to take over the world. Thought to have been defeated by Greygnarl 300 years ago, he and his empire have somehow returned, and are more powerful than ever.

• Authority Equals Asskicking
• Big Bad: Except not really.
• Climax Boss
• Disc One Final Boss: Though this is debatable, as you only find out about, meet and kill him in the second-to-last dungeon.
• Humans Are the Real Monsters: He and his entire Empire essentially serve as a reminder of the depths humanity is capable of sinking to.
• One-Winged Angel
• Royals Who Actually Do Something: Thought admittedly, it may just be because you've slaughtered his defenses.
• Self-Made Orphan: He had his own father murdered so that he could ascend to the throne.
• The Undead: The vast majority of his soldiers and subjects seem to be rotting zombies and possessed suits of armor.
• Unwitting Pawn: He never realizes that he was never in control like he thought, and that he was just one of Corvus' pawns.
• Was Once a Man: A very, very vile one, but still.

Goresby Purrvis

A Feline monster that serves as Godwyn's second. He is a master swordsman, and is fiercely loyal to his patron. In the postgame, he reappears as a ghost and requests that the hero calm the fury of King Godfrey's vengeful spirit.

• Anti-Villain
• Battle Butler: To King Godwyn.
• Blood Knight
• Cats Are Mean: Oh yes.
• The Dragon
• Even Evil Has Standards: He disapproved of Godwyn murdering his father.
• Friendly Enemy: Especially when he returns in the postgame as a ghost and requests that you calm Godfrey, treating you amiably the whole while.
• Lightning Bruiser
• Noble Demon
• Undying Loyalty: When Corvus resurrects him in the Realm of the Mighty, he refuses to fight for him, as his loyalty is to the Empire alone. He still fights you because he considers you the only opponent worth his time.
• Verbal Tic: He tends to add a "purr" to certain words.
• Was Once a Man
• Worthy Opponent: He comes to consider the protagonist as this.

Hootingham Gore

An owl-like monster that serves as the minister of the Empire. Devious and intelligent, he's clearly the brains of the Empire's operations.

• Bad Boss: His first formal appearance has him obliterating a hapless mook.
• Dangerously Genre Savvy: He's the only villain smart enough to bring backup (in the form of two beefed up Bad Karmours) during his boss fight.
• Evil Genius
• Owl Be Damned
• Smug Snake: When fought in the Realm of the Mighty, he states that he intends to overthrow Corvus once he's through with you.
• Squishy Wizard
• Verbal Tic: He is a devious owl hoo is determined to hoomuliate you! Hoo hoo hoo!
• Was Once a Man

Goreham Hogg

A brutish pig monster that is in charge of the Goretress, the Empire's main prison facility.

• The Brute
• Dumb Muscle
• Epic Flail
• Large and In Charge
• Pig Man: His resurrected form is that of an anthropomorphic pig with some Full Boar Action going on.
• Pungeon Master: He makes several pig-related puns during his pre-fight dialogue.
• Was Once a Man

King Godfrey

The original ruler of the House of Gitt, and King Godwyn's father. Shockingly, he is revealed to have been a kind, just and fair-minded ruler, a stark contrast to the Empire today. However, Godwyn, Complete Monster that he is, had him assassinated so that he could take the throne and turn the Empire into the world domination-bent regime it is today. Godfrey's spirit was stripped of his memories and sealed inside the Quarantomb outside Conffinwell. However, upon regaining his memories, he goes half mad with rage, and begins rampaging through the ruins of Gittingham Palace. At the behest of Gorresby Purrvis' ghost, the hero must put Godfrey's spirit to rest.

• Bonus Boss
• Roaring Rampage of Revenge

Others

Other

Fallen Corvus

The embodiment of rage: a powerful demonic force of pure hatred. Seeks to destroy those he finds unworthy... and he finds everyone unworthy. Hates humanity, the Almighty, the Celestrians... but possibly hates himself most of all.

• Amazing Technicolor Battlefield
• The Battle Didn't Count: The second and third fights end this way. The second time, he realizes you have shed your Celestrian roots so he follows suit and retreats. The third time you defeat him, he utters a "It...can't be!"... then decides to blow up the world anyway. In effect, you were just stalling for time while Serena caught up to you.
• Big Bad
• Dark Reprise: His final battle theme plays a minor version of the series main theme.
• Death Equals Redemption
• Did You Just Kill the Almighty?
• Evil Laugh: "Corvus laughs confidently!" Also doubles as a warning, since when he does laugh, it means his next move will be one of his two ultimate attacks.
• Expy: Of Psaro.
• Fallen Angel
• Freudian Excuse: He was betrayed by his true love Serena after trying to save her (although that isn't what really happened, he doesn't know that until she returns as a ghost to tell him the full story- just in time for her to keep him from destroying everything), and subsequently was tortured and experimented on by The Empire. Even after the Empire fell, he was still left chained and suffering in the oubliette for next 300 years. That would make anyone a tad loopy.
• Humans Are the Real Monsters: His core belief, along with "Celestrians are bastards for helping the humans", "Celestria is a bastard for convincing the Almighty to spare the humans" and "The Almighty is a bastard for not destroying the humans when he had the chance."
• The Man Behind the Man
• Nietzsche Wannabe
• Omnicidal Maniac: Wants to destroy everything. Has the means to do it.
• One-Winged Angel: Changes from a tortured, half demonic Celestrian... zombie... thing into a Nightmarish demon, gaining...
• The Power of Hate: Its made pretty clear that his hatred for all that exists is literally all he has left.
• Rage Against the Heavens: And the Earth, and the sky, and...
• Red Eyes, Take Warning/Marked Change: ...Red Eyes and glowing tattoos in the process.

Serena

A mysterious ghost that the hero encounters throughout their adventures. She is always searching for someone. It turns out her death is what caused Corvus to descend to The Dark Side.

• The Atoner: She unknowingly betrayed Corvus by dosing him with a sleeping potion in an attempt to keep him from harm; it was actually a trap by her father to exchange him for the village's safety. This resulted directly in Corvus' capture by The Empire and his subsequent madness. Her ghost now seeks to find Corvus and tell him what really happened, so she can calm his fury. She finds him just in time to keep him from destroying the world.
• Big Damn Hero: The entire final battle is the heros stalling for time until she can arrive.
• Expy: Her role in Corvus' backstory makes her very similar to Rose from Dragon Quest IV.
• Invisible to Normals: She's a ghost.
• Mysterious Waif
• Poor Communication Kills
• Posthumous Character: Given that she's a ghost, it's a given.

Greygnarl

The legendary white dragon that fought and defeated the Gittish Empire 300 years ago. Now old, but still mighty, he lives atop the Magmaroo, and is tended to by the people of Upover.

• Badass Grandpa
• Bonus Boss
• Good Is Not Nice
• Heroic Sacrifice
• Inferred Survival: His shadow can be seen in the ending montage. And then there's his Bonus Boss fight in the grottoes.
• Trademark Favorite Drink: Drunk Dragon ale.

Barbarus

An infamously powerful black dragon that sided with the Gittish Empire and fought with them against Greygnarl 300 years ago. Although defeated, he, like the Empire, has somehow returned even more powerful, and serves as the Empire's most powerful weapon. In actuality, he is the only one aware of how Corvus resurrected the Empire, and is loyal only to him.

• Badass Boast: He gives one to Greygnarl during their battle, claiming he's far superior to the white dragon now. He quickly proves that he's right.
• Casting a Shadow
• Combined Energy Attack
• Curb Stomp Battle: His rematch with Greygnarl does not go well for the good guys...
• The Dragon: To Corvus.
• Evil Counterpart: To Greygnarl.

Grand Architect Zenus

The God of the world, commonly referred to as the Almighty. He mysteriously vanished centuries ago, but not before charging the Celestrians to gather enough Benevolessence so that Yggdrasil can bloom, promising to reward them with ascension to his Almighty Realm. It turns out that he grew fed up with humanity's inherent evil and desired to eradicate them and start over, but was stopped when his daughter Celestria transformed herself into the tree Yggdrasil. It turns out that the 10 grotto bosses are "fragments" of him, created when his body was destroyed by Corvus.

• Expy: Of the Greek god Zeus.
• Have You Seen My God?
• Jerkass God

Celestria (Yggdrasil)

Daughter of Zenus, and a powerful goddess in her own right. 300 years ago, in order to dissuade her father from hitting the Reset Button, she willingly transformed herself into the tree of life, Yggdrasil, claiming that she would remain this way until her Fyggs bloomed, at which point humanity would prove their worth. Eventually, the Hero's actions cause her to awaken as promised, and after Corvus' defeat, she serves as the new goddess of the world in her father's absence.

• And I Must Scream: A rare voluntary, non-screaming variant.
• Mr. Exposition
• Sealed Good in a Can
• World Tree

Legacy Characters

The heroes and villains of previous Dragon Quest games. Party members occasionally check in at the Quester's Rest, while villains can be found in special grottos.

• And Your Reward Is Clothes: Inn guests give you extras of their own outfits, and the bosses can drop pieces of the outfits worn by their games' heroes (you're also able to find outfits of Dragon Quest III classes elsewhere). However, it just so happens that these pieces of armor are actually pretty good in terms of defense.
• Bonus Boss: The villains.
• Canon Name: Given to the cousins of the Hero in Dragon Quest II, whose names were randomized originally and are commonly known by their titles/kingdoms. The Prince of Cannock has become "Prince Princeton" and the Princess of Moonbrook is now "Princess Princessa".
• Previous Player Character Cameo: And Previous Villain Cameo too.