The JRPG is one of the oldest and most-loved video game genres. Since the release of the first Dragon Quest, in 1986, on the legendary NES and Final Fantasy the following year, the role-playing games have been strongly influenced by that new Japanese wave.
The world of video games itself hasn’t been the same since those releases. This genre generally features a tactical turn-based combat system, a strong emphasis on the narrative, and emotional rail-roaded stories involving friendship, the spirit of sacrifice, and epic large-scale battles in which a small party of kind-hearted and heterogeneous people, against all odds, tries to save the world from a terrible threat.
10 Ichiban Kasuga – Yakuza: Like A Dragon
Yakuza is a long-running franchise born on PlayStation 2 that manages to fascinate players of all ages. In Like A Dragon, instead of the well-known Dragon of Dojima, Kazuma Kyrium, you will step in the shoes of Ichiban Kasugo, the Rock Bottom Dragon.
Ichiban, a determined and proficient fighter, faces the iconic protagonist at a certain point in the story told in Like A Dragon, and although being acquainted with street fighting and wrestling, he is not up to Kazuma yet. Driven by his emotion and kind-hearted, Ichiban is a charismatic hero that you’ve got to love.
9 Joker – Persona 5
Persona 5 is a masterpiece whose legacy will reverberate in the coming years and a point of comparison for every future JRPG and Social Sim game. According to Atlus’s tradition, Persona 5 features a high school setting and a quiet main character.
Ren Amamiya, also known as Joker for his party and as The Trickster in the Velvet Room, is a charming character with a strong sense of justice who is willing to bring a positive change to society, raise his voice to be heard, and give hope to the disenchanted.
8 Estelle Bright – Trails In The Sky
Trails in the Sky is a long-running sci-fi RPG saga that boasts brilliant world-building and protagonists with beautiful development arcs and characterization. Estelle Bright initiated this tradition in 2004 with the first installment of this franchise. Estelle, at first glance, could seem a simple heroine who showcases several stereotypes of the characters seen in anime and other JRPGs.
As a matter of fact, she embodies the fortitude and the strength of the heart of an ordinary person that, through a beautiful growth path, manages to overcome the obstacles that life places in front of her. The epitome of the naturalness that beats idealized chosen ones.
7 Yuri Hyuga – Shadow Hearts
Shadow Hearts is a charming niche JRPG, the first installment of its franchise and the last game developed by Sacnoth. The title sees Yuri Hyuga as its protagonist and portrays a dystopian setting that ranges from China to Europe in the early twentieth century. Matsuzo Machida, in the writing process, took inspiration from Go Nagai and H.P. Lovecraft and his cosmic horror.
Yuri, as said by its creator, is strongly reminiscent of Akira Fudo, Devilman’s main character. Yuri is a dark and fascinating Harmonixer, guided by a voice in his head, and can fuse his soul with the monster he defeats.
6 Crono – Chrono Trigger
Chrono Trigger is a timeless classic that has written the history of both Nintendo and Square Soft in 1995. Boasting the ever-popular character design made by Akira Toriyama, Chrono Trigger is one of the most beloved titles released on SNES.
Crono is the silent protagonist, another famous archetype in the JRPG genre, and is willing to do anything to save his beloved ones and the world he lives in, even if it means traveling through time. Although he almost doesn’t utter a word for the entire game, his actions speak louder than many other protagonists’ countless lines of dialogue.
5 Fei Wong – Xenogears
Xenogears is a milestone of the JRPG genre released by Squaresoft in 1998. Xenogears deal with topics of psychology, among which Jungian and Nietzchian are the ones. Fei Wong, its protagonist, is brilliantly depicted in all its facets.
In his body and mind coexist multiple personalities, namely Fei, The Coward, Id, and an apathetic and ataraxic identity that feels nothing. This dissociative syndrome, cleverly portrayed, is the result of a childhood trauma experienced by himself. Although living with this disorder, Fei is kind-hearted and takes care of others above everything else.
4 Lloyd Irving – Tales Of Symphonia
Tales Of Symphonia, the introductory installment to the Tales series for many players, is one of the best RPGs released on GameCube. Llloyd, the protagonist, embodies the naive-hero trope, but he doesn’t remain ingenuous and simple-minded throughout all his journey. His character development and maturation arc are fascinating and well-crafted. Lloyd, regardless of his lack of knowledge and education, is a good person that tries his best in order to do the best in the Journey of Salvation in which he set out, together with his childhood friend, Colette Brunel.
3 Kaim Argonar – Lost Odyssey
Lost Odyssey belongs to that shining Xbox 360 era where several interesting exclusive JRPGs were born. This game can still be considered the true heir of the Final Fantasy series during the seventh generation of game consoles.
The storytelling is brilliant and captivating and follows the guiding thread of Kaim Argonar’s struggle to recall his memory in the form of mysterious dreams. Kaim’s story is touching, and he has been spending his whole life protecting his loved ones, just to see them inexorably die before him from the top of his miserable immortality.
2 Ryudo – Grandia II
Grandia II is an underestimated JRPG gem and one of the best titles created for SEGA Dreamcast. Ryudo, its protagonist, deserves at least to be remembered in this list and sits boldly in the second spot. Ryudo is a Geohound, a mercenary of Silesia, and behind his cynical and pessimistic aura lies a good-hearted youth who has just suffered too much.
Focused on his job and helped by Skye, his trusted falcon, Ryudo lives a heart-touching journey and a peculiar and sad love story with Elena and Millenia, who share the same body.
1 Cloud Strife – Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy is the synonym for JRPG, and Cloud Strife is the eponym of a JRPG protagonist. Final Fantasy VII is probably the most beloved game of the franchise and can unite newcomers and veterans under one roof. Whether being a super-deformed hero walking in pre-rendered backgrounds and fighting in the historical ATB battle system or a stunning up-to-date model moved through a delightful motion capture, Cloud Strife is still the most fascinating JRPG protagonist and one of the most charming characters ever created.
