Psaro (Character)

This article is about the character. For the monster, see Psaro the Manslayer.

Psaro
Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen
Sprite(s)
Japanese name	ピサロ
Romaji	Pisaro
Old localization	Saro, Necrosaro
Title	Master of Monsterkind (DQIV)
Class	Master of Monsters Demon Swordsman (Monster Battle Road/Rivals)
Race	Demon
Age	Unknown
Voice actor	Daisuke Ono (Heroes, Japanese) Gwilym Lee (Heroes, English)

"Humanity never fails to disappoint me..."

—Psaro, in Laissez Fayre (Cell phone)

Psaro is a character in the Dragon Quest series that appears as the central villain of Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen, and a recurring monster. He is a powerful demon with a passionate hatred for humanity. During his rise to evil, Psaro attempted to kill the Hero, sought the Secret of Evolution, and searched for the resting place of Estark, Ruler of Evil. Enraged by the death of his beloved, Psaro became Psaro the Manslayer.

Psaro's humanoid form has gone on to make regular appearances in spinoff games, starting with the second Dragon Quest: Monster Battle Road game. He is a boss in Dragon Quest of the Stars, is a secret character in Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below, can join the player in Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 3 Professional and Dragon Quest Monsters: Super Light, and was one of the original leader characters in Dragon Quest Rivals, representing the Demon Swordsman vocation. His equipment also made a cameo appearance in Dragon Quest of the Stars, allowing players to dress up as the overpowered overlord himself.

Appearance and Personality

Psaro at first appears fairly humanoid, though his red eyes, pointed ears, and vast powers would soon reveal him for what he really is. He has long silver hair, pale skin and wears a dark, baroque-styled outfit with a single distinct shoulder pad, spiked and appearing to be made of bone, and a long fur cape. He also has a single, long strand of hair sticking up out of the top of his head, known as an ahoge. Upon using the Secret of Evolution he turns into a likeness of Estark and steadily morphs into a vicious, green, horned demon with a second face on his torso as the player fights against him.

Psaro loathes humans, his Manslayer title likely derived from his stance on human presence. Despite this intense hatred, Psaro is remarkably kind to other beings, notably monsters and especially the elf Rose. His romantic attachment to Rose is so strong that it drives him insane when he learns of her murder, and he can be freed from the Secret of Evolution's maddening power and join the team if she is revived and brought before him.

In the Japanese and cell phone remakes, Psaro has a personality which is known to be tsundere if party chat is used while he is in the party. He usually does not appear to be interested in speaking to his new comrades, usually expressing annoyance if attempting to do so. Nevertheless, Psaro will express both remorse and gratitude when due, such as when visiting the Hero's hometown and Rosehill.

Appearances

Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen

Warning: Spoilers!
Click expand to view content

PlayStation artwork

Psaro is mentioned in every chapter, and his actions drive the game's plot.

In the first chapter, Psaro sends his minions to kidnap the children of Strathbaile in search of the child that is prophesied to stand against him one day. Ragnar McRyan fights the leader of the kidnappers, Psaro's Pawn as a final boss to this chapter. Unbeknownst to Psaro at the time, he had the wrong location and thus the plan never had a chance of succeeding.

In the second chapter, Psaro is the top contender in the Tournament of Endor. He gains infamy throughout the kingdom by being known to fight his battles to the death rather than for sport. Additionally, his motive for participating in the tournament is in hopes of finding the Hero. During this time, Psaro is made aware that the Tsar of Zamoksva had a vision of the Lord of the Underworld unleashing havoc onto the world. To silence him, Psaro cast a vicious curse on the Tsar, taking away his voice. However, the Tsar's voice is returned to him by his daughter who lifts the curse with Birdsong nectar. Due to this, the Tsar is able to deliver his vision to at least his daughter and her comrades. Later, Psaro is supposed to be Alena's last opponent in the tournament, but fails to show up. This disqualifies him and makes Alena the victor. It is highly implied that during this time, Psaro took off to Zamoksva to silence the Tsar once and for all, which ended up causing the entire kingdom's citizens to disappear.

In the third chapter, when Torneko Taloon arrives in Endor, the tournament and Psaro are mentioned by several townspeople in hushed breath, and in the fourth, after the sisters Meena and Maya Mahabala defeat Balzack, Marquis de Léon appears, stating that Psaro will not be happy about it, and then easily defeats the sisters.

The fifth chapter starts with Psaro leading a group of monsters into the Hero's Hometown and murdering everyone except the Hero. After this he desires to resurrect Estark, and focuses on that for a time. When Estark’s Temple is discovered by the miners in Mamon Mine, Psaro leads a group of monsters from the Diabolic Hall to the mine. He is successful in resurrecting the ruler of evil, but the Hero and his party are able to defeat Estark. Next, scenes of Psaro are seen in a dream sequence if the player stays in Strathbaile's inn.

After using the secret of evolution upon himself, Psaro takes up residence in Nadiria and becomes the final opponent that the Hero and company must face. Psaro the Manslayer is only the boss of chapter 5, as in the sixth chapter that was added in the remakes where Aamon is the final boss.

In the remake-exclusive sixth chapter, the players hear word of a legendary bloom of the world tree that can fully revive the dead. Setting out to find the bloom, The Chosen use it to revive Rose. Aware that she was murdered at the order of Aamon, she insists that she accompany the group to Nadiria to stop her lover. When she confronts the hideous form Psaro has become, the Secret of Evolution is undone by her tears and Psaro is returned to sanity. After being informed of Aamon's conspiracy, he joins the Chosen as a playable character.

Abilities

Psaro's initial state is quite powerful; he starts at level 35 and all his stats are high, not to mention he can learn powerful spells such as Lightning Storm and Magic Burst (most of which originally premiered in later Dragon Quest installments.) If the player chooses to pursue the bonus content and make Psaro an ally they will quickly find that he is more than a jack-of-all-trades, being adept at healing, support, and especially offensive abilities. If the time is taken to level him up he will swiftly become the most powerful ally in the game easily outshining the Hero. He can furthermore equip cursed equipment without penalty and without having his stats zeroed. Also, as if all the above wasn’t enough, his ultimate equipment is far better than both the Zenithian and Liquid Metal set.

Dragon Quest IV (DS)
Spell	Level Learned
Fullheal	35
Multiheal	35
Kaboom	35
Kacrackle	35
Kasap	35
Kasnooze	35
Dragon Slash	35
Hatchet Man	35
Harvest Moon	35
Zoom	35
Evac	35
Safe Passage	35
Holy Protection	35
Oomph	36
Kazing	38
Metal Slash	40
Kathwack	42
Thin Air	44
Disruptive Wave	46
Puff!	49
Lightning Storm	53
Magic Burst	60

Base stats

Attribute	Starting Stats	Maximum Stats
Level	35	99
HP	359	764
MP	276	697
Strength	154	228
Agility	131	239
Resilience	144	216
Wisdom	102	166
Luck	41	132
Initial gear	Falcon blade, Zombie mail, Iron shield

• PSX versions.

Equipment

Dragon Quest IV (All)
Weapon	Modifier(s)
Copper sword	Attack +12
Chain sickle	Attack +16
Iron lance	Attack +28
Iron claw	Attack +38
Steel broadsword	Attack +40
Cautery sword	Attack +45
Battle axe	Attack +50
Fire claw	Attack +60
Falcon blade	Attack +67
Hela's hammer	Attack +70
Icicle dirk	Attack +75
Cobra claw	Attack +80
Dragonsbane	Attack +90
Demon spear	Attack +90
Miracle sword	Attack +100
Massacre sword	Attack +120
Liquid metal sword	Attack +130
Pandemonic sword	Attack +150

Dragon Quest IV (All)
Helmet	Modifier(s)
Iron helmet	Defense +16
Iron mask	Defense +25
Pandemonic helm	Defense +40
Liquid metal helm	Defense +50

Dragon Quest IV (All)
Armor	Modifier(s)
Leather armour	Defense+12
Chain mail	Defense+18
Bronze armour	Defense+25
Iron armour	Defense+30
Full plate armour	Defense+35
Dragon mail	Defense+45
Zombie mail	Defense+49
Spiked armour	Defense+50
Hela's armour	Defense+60
Liquid metal armour	Defense+95
Pandemonic armour	Defense+100

Dragon Quest IV (All)
Shields	Modifier(s)
Scale shield	Defense+7
Iron shield	Defense+12
Dragon shield	Defense+30
Mirror shield	Defense+45
Pandemonic shield	Defense+55
Liquid metal shield	Defense+60

Dragon Quest IV (Remakes)
Accessories	Modifier(s)
Strength ring	Strength+8
Mighty armlet	Strength+25
Mercury's bandana	Agility+15
Meteorite bracer	Agilityx2
Prayer ring	Defence+5
Gold bracer	Defence+5
Recovery ring	Defence+15
Ruby of protection	Defence+15
Lucida shard	Luck+5
Gospel ring	Luck+50
Elevating shoes	Luck+50

Other remake changes

• Originally the Hero's hometown was discovered when the innkeeper allowed a traveling poet room and shelter, with his actions being noticed by some monsters. The remakes replace him with Psaro, who was posing as a traveler to find the Hero's home.
• A Psaro impersonator can be found in remakes of Dragon Quest IV.
• Psaro's appearance is strikingly-similar to that of Final Fantasy VII's Sephiroth. The two bear some similarities beyond design, as well, as they both have tragic stories and take on monstrous forms to do battle with their respective heroic adversaries. These similarities are frequent subjects of jokes among Japanese fans, such as suggesting that Psaro and Sephiroth are actually secret twins, or sometimes calling one of them "Psaroth".

Selected quotes

Main article: Dragon Quest IV Transcript

Quote "There was only one reason I took part in the Endor Tourney. I was seeking Hero, the chosen (hero/heroine)." Psaro, after speaking to the scholar in the house east of Endor's item shop (Cell phone)

Quote "Rose. Have you been good? I have something to tell you. I've decided to destroy all humankind. I'll use the Secret of Evolution and become so strong that no one will be able to stop me! Soon the world will be ablaze with the searing flames of judgement." Psaro, in a flashback after staying at the Strathbaile inn (DS, Cell phone)

Quote "Humans, it seems that I must thank you. You saved both of us, Rose and myself. I can't tell you how grateful I am for that. I thought for so long that humans were my true enemy, but perhaps I was mistaken. It will take time to come to terms with this. I must return to the village with Rose and think long and hard. But first, there's something that needs to be done. It seems the path we must take from here is the same. So I will travel it with you." Psaro, after being saved by Rose (DS, Cell phone)

Quote "I destroyed this village because I believed it to be the right thing to do. I have no regrets. But I know what it is to lose someone precious... I know how it felt to lose my Rose..." Psaro, in Hidden Valley (Cell phone)

Quote "Why do you always feel the need to try and talk to me? Why don’t you keep quiet for a few minutes, and just let me know when we’ve reached wherever it is we’re heading?" Psaro, in the mountains northwest of the Azimuth (Cell phone)

Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation

Psaro appears alongside Rose in the near-future version of Reaper's Peak. He is confrontational when spoken to, accusing the Hero of wanting to kidnap Rose for her tears before backing off and telling him to leave them in peace.

Psaro's appearance in Monster Battle Road II Legend.

In Monster Battle Road II Legend

Psaro appears as a playable character, as well as the boss for Legend Quest IV in Chapter 7: The demon Lord.

In Monster Battle Road Victory

After the hero of Monster Battle Road Victory wins over his/her rival Ryuuta, Psaro escapes from the game world to the real world to challenge the hero. After clearing the game, he will be at the harbor waiting for the hero to challenge him again.

Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below

Psaro is a secret playable character in the game. In the original Japanese version, he is part of the downloadable content but he is included by default in international versions of the game. In order for Psaro to join your party, he must be beaten in battle in the quest "A Monstrous Apparition", which can be undertaken after defeating the Barbatos at Yggdrasil. Before that, Psaro will appear as a "Mysterious Swordsman" who randomly appears in a few levels before disappearing. His reasons for joining the heroes are personal, as he wants to take revenge on Velasco for taking advantage of his monstrous brethren and end the curse placed on them.

Psaro wields greatswords in combat and uses a combination of Zam magic and martial arts. For his Coup de Grâce, Psaro uses the Secret of Evolution to transform into his demonic form and blasts enemies. Due to his status as a secret character, Psaro will not appear in cutscenes and he has no impact on the main storyline. In the second game, Psaro can only be played in multiplayer modes.

Dragon Quest Tact

Psaro's humanoid form known as just Psaro appears as a S-rank member of the ??? family as part of the game's 1.5 anniversary event in Japan and for the 2022 Dragon Quest Day for Global versions on his own banner alongside Sir Roseguardin. A special promotional campaign for Japanese players included a contest held between January 16th, 2022 to January 22nd, 2022 to win "Demon Swordsman Psaro SP Scout" vouchers, as well as a TV commercial starring actor Yū Shirota as the character.

Psaro (魔剣士ピサロ Makenshi Pisarro)

Stats

Family		Rank		Role
???				Attack
Max Level		HP	MP	Move
120		991	414	3
Attack	Defense	Agility	Wisdom	Weight
441	239	408	152	65

Basic Skills

First		Second		Third
Greased Lightning		Crimson Cuts*		Discontinuum*

Awakening Skills

First	Second	Third
Master of Monsterkind / Stats Up	Woosh Res +25 / Stats Up	Discontinuum Potency +5% / Wrath: Action start: When HP is 20% or less, grants the user 1.5 physical and spell potency/effects / Stats Up
Fourth	Fifth
Zam Res +25 / Stats Up	Discontinuum Potency +5% / Auto MP Regen (S): Action start: Restores MP / Stats Up

Leader Perks

First

Raises ATK of all allies, including himself, by 15% in a 5x5 square around him.

Basic Perks

First	Second	Third
ATK +15 Max HP +30	Indomitable Spirit: Before HP hits 0: Preserves HP at 1 up to 1 time per battle.	Discontinuum Potency +2%

Perk Details

First

Master of Monsterkind: Action start on odd-numbered turns until turn 10: Raises ATK, DEF and evasion rate for 3 turns.

Frizz Resistance *	Sizz Resistance *	Crack Resistance *	Woosh Resistance *
Normal	Normal	Normal	Half Res
Bang Resistance *	Zap Resistance *	Zam Resistance *	Snooze Resistance
Very Weak	Very Weak	Half Res	Half Res
Poison Resistance	Physical Lock Resistance	Spell Lock Resistance	Martial Lock Resistance
Normal	Normal	Super Weak	Normal
Breath Lock Resistance	Hobble Resistance *	Stun Resistance *	Dazzle Resistance
Normal	Half Res	Immune	Normal
Curse Resistance	Paralysis Resistance	Confusion Resistance	Charm Resistance
Normal	Super Weak	Normal	Normal

Trivia

• As revealed in an event in Dragon Quest of the Stars, Psaro's last name is "Banesword".
• Psaro's outfit is inspired by clothes worn by baroque princes—hence the puffed sleeves and pants—which may indicate that he is of high birth. Psaro's bestiary entry in the Japanese version of Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies describes him as a prince, corroborating this interpretation.
• In Monster Battle Road Victory, his first-person pronoun in Japanese is changed from "私" (watashi, a polite first-person pronoun) to "俺" (ore, a common first-person pronoun that comes across as decidedly-masculine and rather brusque). Many fans disliked this change.
• In Monster Battle Road manga and Victory, there is a genderbent version of Psaro named Queen Psaro (クイーンピサロ）. Unlike Psaro, who is ruthless and cold, she has a personality similar to Debora. If beaten, a puff-puff can be gotten from her.
  • Apparently, it is unknown if she has any relation to Psaro in any way.
• Prior to the remakes of Dragon Quest IV making Psaro's appearance uniform, many artists portrayed him in a variety of different ways.
  • For various pieces of artwork for the official CD Theater, illustrator Mutsumi Inomata depicted Psaro as very beautiful with large elven ears and either long light purple hair or blond hair.
  • In some of the 4Koma comics, Psaro is drawn very similar to a human, but with pointed ears and sharp canine fangs. He has frizzy black hair and wears a military-styled uniform with a cape.
• Although Psaro himself does not appear in Dragon Quest X, the design of the Demon Swordsman vocation was based on him, with players able to wield two-handed swords, cast Zam spells, and use special skills such as Disruptive Wave. Players could also obtain a special outfit that allows them to dress like Psaro.
  • Players could also dress up as Psaro in Dragon Quest of the Stars, however, this was for a limited-time event.

Gallery

• 

  Psaro and Solo by Mutsumi Inomata

• 

  Psaro and Rose by Mutsumi Inomata

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  Psaro as seen in various mangas over the years

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  DS artwork

• 

  Psaro as he appears in Dragon Quest Rivals

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  DQH: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below

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  Fighting against brownies

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  Battle in Dragon Quest Heroes

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  Psaro using the Secret of Evolution

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  Psaro in Tact

See also

• Pandemonic Equipment