Dragon Quest 11 features a total of seven main allies who join the Hero. Each one stands out from the others with drastically different designs, personalities, and skill sets. Since 11 is one of the larger games in the Dragon Quest series, the fairly normal party size results in almost every character feeling fully fleshed out.
This list will rank every major party member based on how useful their abilities are in combat, how involved they are in the game’s narrative, and how charming their personalities are.
7/7 Veronica
Veronica’s snarky personality gives way to a lot of comic relief moments in Dragon Quest 11’s first act, and by the end of the game, she is one of the strongest Mages in the series. While she may be the most interesting of the twins in Act 1 of the story, Veronica doesn’t have a large focus on her character development in the latter half.
She has the least amount of screen time in the second half of the game, doesn’t have a major villain associated with her, and her sister’s skills eventually outclass what Veronica has to offer. Dragon Quest 11 would certainly be worse without Veronica, but her absence from a large part of the story results in her contributing the least to the narrative.
6/7 Jade
Jade is the second-to-last party member to join the party. Despite her lacking magic, Jade’s Martial Artist skills make her one of the strongest characters in the cast. Her backstory connects to the Luminary, king Carnelian, Hendrik, and Rab.
She certainly fits into the cast well, but she doesn’t have much character development or emotional impact. Every other party member in Act 2 has incredible growth, but her unique segment focuses more on her design appeal instead of giving her more depth. Jade is the only character whose development feels like it reached its conclusion soon after meeting them.
5/7 Hendrik
In Act 1, Hendrik is a minor antagonist who hunts down the party, but he changes sides once he realizes Mordegon was deceiving him. This means he has the most drastic character development in the party. Before, he would defend the king at all costs, but now he’s a knight of the Luminary who will even fight his best friend to defend the light.
Hendrik is a good all-around unit who can deal great damage, tank hits, and has a few healing spells. He has roughly the same amount of screen time as Veronica, but that’s mostly due to him joining the party way later in the story. From the point where he joins the party to the very end, he’s consistently relevant.
4/7 Erik
Erik is the very first permanent party member the Luminary meets, meaning he has the most screen time of any ally. His chill personality and sad backstory make him stand out as the best Thief in the series. Erik even has his own spin-off called Dragon Quest Treasures where he hunts down the riches of the world with his sister.
Additionally, he is one of the best companions from a gameplay standpoint. While using knives, he has status effect abilities that allow him to multiply his strength drastically. By the end of the game, he can unlock boomerang skills that let him hit every enemy on screen nine times every other turn. Access to both these weapons makes him overpowered against bosses and large hordes of enemies alike.
3/7 Serena
Serena starts off as one of the least interesting characters. Her personality is basic, she gets overshadowed by Veronica constantly, and the only thing she’s useful for is healing. That all changes once she returns in Act 2. Serena’s emotional journey of overcoming loss and learning to step out of her sister’s shadow not only makes her vastly more interesting, but it actually justifies her early blandness.
Her combat skills reflect this too, as she upgrades from a Priest to a Sage. Sages have always been one of the strongest classes in the series since they’re capable of using both the best healing magic and best offensive magic in the series. Serena gets access to Omniheal which fully heals everyone, Magic Burst which drains all the user’s magic for one ultimate attack, and she can obtain a skill that gives every spell she casts a chance of being used twice in one turn.
2/7 Rab
Rab is the party member with the saddest past. Mordegon destroyed his kingdom and killed almost every member of his family, but Rab never gave up. Even when offered the chance to live in a fake world where his family is alive, he rejects it to save reality. Despite the very serious town of his backstory, Rab manages to always stay confident, cheerful, and even offers some welcome comic relief moments.
Additionally, Rab’s story consistently progresses the main storyline rather than focusing on side goals like many others do. Rab has access to great offensive magic and some healing magic. In late Act 1, he is the best magic user, and the unique abilities he learns makes him stand out enough from the others to still be useful. Solar Flare is one of the best Pep Powers in early Act 2.
1/7 Sylvando
Sylvando’s flamboyant personality makes him the heart of 11’s cast. He never fails to deliver some of the funniest cutscene sequences and lines of dialogue in the game. He also offers a nice storyline. His father wanted him to become a knight, but all Sylvando wanted to do was make others smile, so he ran away from home to perform in a circus.
When the world nearly ends, Sylvando is one of the first few people to snap out of their dread. He admirably brings cheer to the world even in the face of death. Sylvando represents the charm that the series is known for. His move-set is a little lackluster by the very end, but he’s a great help in the middle of the game. Unlocking Hustle Dance on his skill tree as soon as possible will make him an excellent support for the team.
