Meet Dragon Quest XI's Cast With A New English Trailer And Yuji Horii's Character Descriptions

Dragon Quest XI promises to be one of the biggest games in the long-running series and that level of vast content will need an extensive and interesting party to keep interesting.  Today's trailer for the game hopes to show off that Dragon Quest XI has exactly that.

The trailer introduces you to the full roster of party members joining the Luminary on his journey. Square Enix has also released thoughts from series producer Yuji Horii on each of the new characters in the game.

The  Luminary  –  The  Destined  Hero

Yuji  Horii’s  inspiration  for  the  Luminary – Since  this  is  the  eleventh  mainline  title  in  the  series  and  we  were  planning  to  go  back  to  the  roots,  I  wanted  the  main  character  to  be  a  classic  kind  of  "hero"  (or  what  we  call  "Luminary"  in  this  game). I  also  wanted  to  create  a  sense  of  unpredictability. So,  here,  the  main  character  is  informed  that  he  is  the  "Luminary"  and  heads  to  the  castle,  only  to  be  caught  and  thrown  in  the  dungeon. The  main  character  is  the  "Luminary",  but  who  exactly  is  he? His  story  progresses  with  that  question  in  mind.

Your  favorite  part  of  his  design? – I  like  the  Luminary's  silky  locks. I  think  he's  a  rather  surprising  protagonist,  and,  in  a  sense,  he  could  even  be  the  most  attractive  main  character  from  the  series  with  his  silky  locks  and  youthful  looks.

On  the  Luminary’s  personality - Dragon Quest  protagonists  typically  don't  have  a  strong  personality. Reason  being,  is  that  it  is  determined  that  the  main  character  should  first  and  foremost  be  the  player. To  make  sure  the  player  can  identify  with  the  hero,  we  intentionally  make  him  quite  normal,  or  quite  orthodox,  so  he  doesn't  act  in  a  way  that  the  player  definitely  wouldn’t. We  strive  to  create  the  protagonist  so  that  it  will  be  easier  for  players  to  feel  that  they  are  the  main  character. In  that  respect,  ultimately,  I  want  people  to  have  their  own  vision  and  depiction  of  the  protagonist  and  project  themselves  onto  the  character.    

Erik  –  The  Reliable  Partner-In-Crime

Yuji  Horii’s  inspiration  for  Erik – The  first  member  the  hero  meets  is  Erik. He's  a  thief  who  happened  to  also  be  in  the  castle  dungeons. He  has  been  traveling  to  atone  for  his  sins,  and  during  his  travels,  he  runs  into  a  prophet  who  informs  him,  "you  will  eventually  meet  the  Luminary,  and  when  that  time  comes,  save  the  Luminary  and  you  will  be  free  of  your  sins." He  didn't  actually  believe  the  prophecy  at  that  time,  but  when  the  hero  is  thrown  into  the  dungeon  next  to  him,  he  is  surprised  by  the  revelation  that  the  young  man  is  in  fact  the  "Luminary." He  decides  to  go  along  with  the  hero  to  see  if  there  is  any  truth  to  the  tale.  Erik  is  the  brotherly  type  when  it  comes  to  his  relationship  with  the  hero,  and  supports  the  "Luminary"  at  all  times. He  is  a  slightly  nihilistic  and  cool  thief  character.

Your  favorite  part  of  his  design? – Erik  is  a  pretty  handsome  looking  rogue,  a  bit  nihilistic  and  cynical  at  times. This  was  reflected  in  his  design  and  can  be  attributed  as  one  of  its  charms.  

On  Erik’s  personality – As  mentioned  earlier,  in  terms  of  the  setting,  Erik  is  traveling  to  atone  for  his  sins  and  meets  a  prophet  who  informs  him  "you  will  lend  a  hand  to  the  Luminary,  and  you  will  be  free  of  your  sins".  At  first,  he  thought  this  to  be  preposterous  and  didn't  believe  the  prophecy,  and  this  reaction  describes  his  personality  to  a  certain  degree. But,  when  the  "Luminary"  actually  appears  before  Erik  while  he  was  placed  in  the  dungeons,  he  comes  to  believe  the  prophecy  and  saves  the  hero,  so  there's  an  honest  and  compassionate  side  to  him  as  well.  

Veronica  &  Serena  –  The  Fearless  Young  Mage  and  The  Laid  Back  Healer

 

Yuji  Horii’s  inspiration  for  Veronica  and  Serena – I  came  up  with  Veronica  and  Serena  as  a  set. I  wanted  to  include  a  strong  female  duo  in  the  game,  like  Maya  and  Meena  from  Dragon Quest  IV.  That’s  not  to  say  that  Veronica  and  Serena  have  similar  personalities  to  Maya  and  Meena,  but  that  is  where  the  initial  idea  for  them  came  from. I  can’t  say  too  much  more  without  revealing  spoilers,  so  let  me  simply  say  we  added  an  element  of  surprise  when  it  comes  to  these  two.

Your  favorite  part  of  their  design? – I  was  quite  particular  about  having  Serena  carry  a  harp.  She  also  has  a  therapeutic  quality  to  her,  but  she's  prone  to  make  silly  mistakes,  and  the  design  portrays  her  gentle  and  serene  spirit. Veronica  is  physically  small,  but  even  so,  she  has  a  big  personality. I  really  like  her  design. Her  staff  is  bigger  than  her  body,  but  she's  still  an  outstanding  mage.

On  their  personalities – Veronica  looks  like  a  child,  but  she's  actually  a  mature  young  lady. She's  a  bit  of  a  tomboy  with  a  strong  mind,  and  she  doesn't  shy  away  or  hold  back  from  stating  her  own  opinions. In  comparison,  Serena  is  the  one  that  always  hides  in  the  shadows. In  fact,  Veronica  is  always  saying,  "she's  such  a  slowpoke," But,  this  is  a  nice  distinctive  quality  between  the  two  characters  and  their  relationship.    
Rab  –  The  Mysterious  Old  Man

Yuji  Horii’s  inspiration  for  Rab –  In  Dragon Quest,  you'll  always  find  at  least  one  older  man. For  example,  Ragnar,  Carver,  and  Trode  from  some  of  the  past  games  are  a  few  middle-aged  male  characters  with  some  comedic  undertones. That's  where  Rab  comes  into  play. However,  he  has  a  little  bit  more  mystery  about  him.  

Your  favorite  part  of  his  design – He's  an  old  man,  but  rather  than  depict  him  as  a  gentle  type,  I  asked  for  a  design  that  adds  a  touch  of  the  mischievous  old  grandpa  vibe. He  has  a  side  that  feigns  ignorance,  which  makes  him  feel  a  bit  more  approachable.

On  Rab’s  personality – Rab  appears  with  Jade. He's  a  strange  character  that  brings  to  question  "who  exactly  is  he?" That  said,  despite  his  appearance,  he's  actually  quite  strong. He  has  a  stern  side,  but  also  has  the  playful  side;  he  is  enshrouded  in  mystery.    

Jade  –  The  Noble  Martial  Artist

Yuji  Horii’s  inspiration  for  Jade – When  deciding  on  what  type  of  character  Jade  should  be,  and  in  deciding  the  party  members  that  would  accompany  the  hero,  I  wanted  to  incorporate  a  female  martial  artist. Dragon Quest  XI  is  the  culmination  of  the  series’ 30-year  history,  so  we  wanted  to  include  some  nods  to  past  titles. Up  until  now,  if  you  asked  people  to  name  a  female  martial  artist  from  the  Dragon Quest  series,  Alena  would  be  the  first  name  to  come  to  mind. This  time,  we  have  Jade,  who  supports  the  main  character. She's  essentially  a  big  sister  type  of  character  that  treats  the  Luminary  as  if  he  were  her  younger  brother.  

Your  favorite  part  of  her  design? – She's  fearless  and  brave. For  me,  having  her  hair  gathered  in  a  high  ponytail  reflects  her  strong  will  and  determination.

On  Jade’s  personality – She's  fearless  and  brave,  as  well  as  chivalrous  and  dignified. She's  like  an  older  sister,  striving  to  protect  and  support  the  main  character,  but  she  also  has  a  vulnerable  side.  

Sylvando  –  The  Entertainer  Extraordinaire

Yuji  Horii’s  inspiration  for  Sylvando – Sylvando  is  a  traveling  performer. He  has  a  playful  side  to  him,  but  has  his  own  sense  of  chivalry  and  his  own  set  of  firm  beliefs. He  believes  his  form  of  chivalry  is  to  bring  joy  to  others.

Your  favorite  part  of  his  design – Sylvando  is  physically  fit. That's  an  aspect  that  we  were  particular  about. He  went  through  some  rigorous  training  when  he  was  younger,  so  his  body  is  quite  built. He's  fit  and  also  excels  in  various  stunts  and  acrobatics. He  is  muscular,  but  with  a  beautiful  form. He  was  more  slender  in  the  original  designs,  but  we  asked  him  to  be  redrawn  because  it  made  more  sense  for  him  to  have  a  tapered  body. His  frame  is  slender,  but  he  has  well-defined  muscular  tones  and  a  beautiful  line.

On  Sylvando’s  personality – Again,  he  believes  that  bringing  joy  to  others  is  his  form  of  chivalry,  and  he  works  vigorously  towards  that  belief.

Dragon Quest XI releases on PlayStation 4 and Steam on September 4.

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