Red
| Red | |
| Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King | |
 | |
| Japanese name | ゲルダ |
| Romaji | Geruda |
| Title | The Boss |
| Class | Thief |
| Race | Human |
| Age | 32 |
| Voice actor | Morwenna Banks (English) Hitomi Nabatame (Japanese) |
"You jumped up little... Who gave you permission to sit in my chair, eh? Eh? COS IT WEREN'T BLEEDIN' ME!"
Red (ゲルダ, Geruda) is a Thief who was an old mate of Yangus' in Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King. An NPC in the original PlayStation 2 version, Red gets upgraded into a playable character in the Nintendo 3DS remake of VIII.
In combat, Red puts her skills in thievery to good use, stealing both gold and treasure from unsuspecting enemies, and can wield Knives, Whips, and Fans as weapons.
Appearance and Personality
Red is a woman with a slender athletic build and tanned skin. She has blue eyes and wears her dark grey hair in a high, messy ponytail and some of the fringe framing her face. Her features are angular and she is rarely seen without a scowl on her face. She also wears silver hoop earrings on both ears, as well as a metal choker around her neck with a ring on it. The majority of her outfit is colored red, like her namesake. She wears a red leather tube top with straps around her left shoulder, red sleeves held up by metal armbands around her biceps, red bikini bottoms, red leather boots that reach over her knees, and metal bands around her thighs. Around her waist, she wears a fur wrap that covers most of her lower body and a leather belt that holds her dagger in a scabbard. Her top and boots have various straps and buckles on them, however in some illustrations, the straps on her top are missing. In the 3DS version, Red's outfit is less revealing as she wears a pair of red short shorts instead of bikini bottoms--this is in accordance with changes made to the Japanese software ratings board CERO. As a playable character, she gains access to various costumes that can change her appearance.
Red is a domineering, take-charge woman who enjoys her life of crime and treasure hunting. She is a classic example of a tsundere character, being a woman who maintains a harsh exterior towards most but shows a softer side for the people closest to her. This is most apparent in her relationship with Yangus: she will openly insult the former bandit in one breath and then demand that he take better care of himself the moment after. Red also warms up to the rest of the party in the 3DS version, and acts akin to an older sister to the group. She is also surprisingly level-headed in Party chat, and will complain the least about any detours or sidequests the player may go on. Being a thief, Red will occasionally make shady remarks that most would take issue with, such as stating that certain well-off NPCs are ripe for pick-pocketing.
Red's largest issue is her inability to handle disappointment, which drove a wedge between her and Yangus for several years when he failed to retrieve a valuable jewel for her. She is also shown to be short-tempered at times, loudly berating her chief henchman for sitting her her rocking chair while she is adventuring.
Appearances
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King (PlayStation 2 version)
Red buys Princess Medea and the Wagon from Dodgy Dave in Pickham, only returning them to the party in exchange for a jewel, the Venus' Tear, found in the Swordsman's Labyrinth. When the party gets the jewel, but before going back to Red's place, Yangus reveals that he tried to get that jewel earlier in hopes of impressing Red, but gave up due to the difficulty and this put a significant strain on their relationship.
When visited during the search for the Moonshadow harp, Red mentions being unfamiliar with it, and suggests disappointment that Yangus only came to seek help.
Later on, when the party must find the treasure of Captain Crow, they meet her with the same intentions. They find their way through the Pirate's Cove and Red find herself face to face with Captain Crow, only to be knocked unconscious. The Hero's party defeated Crow and won the Illuminated Sea-chart, which Red had no apparent interest in. She then left to return to her home southwest of Pickham, but not before pocketing 10,000 pieces of gold she found in the cove. Before the party takes on Rhapthorne, they can visit her to obtain the Flail of fury--loaned to Yangus on the condition that he return it to her after Rhapthorne has been slain. Everyone but Yangus picks up on the true meaning of the gesture, and when Angelo states the obvious Yangus and Red visibly blush.
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King (Nintendo 3DS version)
Red's involvement in the story is the same as in the PS2 version up until the after Captain Crow's defeat. She expresses disappointment with merely find a map, but then decides to join the party figuring that she'd find some real treasure along the way. The 10,000 gold she found is not added to the party's funds, going to her personal savings instead.
Whenever the party enters her home, Red takes the time to relax in her chair and is unable to be put into the lead while there. And while the dialogue is different to reflect her expanded role in the game, she still gives Yangus the Flail of fury after the Black Citadel rises.
Though her presence has minimal changes to the story elements from the original, several moments play out differently in her presence:
- She (along with Morrie) avoids capture by Marcello after the fall of Sir Leopold, and help able to locate the party at Purgatory Island.
- It is Red rather than Jessica who discourages Yangus from following The Hero after his departure from Savella Cathedral during the ending cinematic.
- She joins Yangus during the first part of the ending segment to greet the Hero in Castle Trodain, with her commenting that Yangus wouldn't stop talking about the "Guv".
Stats
Red is the fastest character in the game, and her innate resistance to Deceleratle means she almost always goes first in battle and the player should adjust their strategy around this consistency. Red is also resistant to army skills, but this is less useful than her resistance to Deceleratle due to only a handful of monsters using those skills.
| Attribute | Starting Stats | Maximum Stats |
| Level | 33 | 99 |
| HP | 245 | 654 |
| MP | 142 | 463 |
| Strength | 97 | 328 |
| Agility | 140 | 299 |
| Resilience | 41 | 171 |
| Wisdom | 126 | 403 |
| Initial gear | Iron fan, Cloak of evasion, Feathered cap | |
Spells
| Name | MP | Level | Target | Tension | Info |
| Padfoot | 4 | start | -- | -- | Not a spell but secret technique for disguising the party's presence so as to avoid monsters. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snooze | 3 | start | Group | no | Puts a group of enemies to sleep. |
| Fuddle | 5 | start | Group | no | Confuses a group of enemies. |
| Drain Magic | 0 | 40 | One | Yes | Drains MP from the target. |
Fans
- NOTE: Every fan skill, save flower shower, is classified as a dance in the game's programming and is thus vulnerable to Ban Dance. While only the Hell hopper can cast this spell, it's A.I. is written so that if Red is equipped with a fan it will make the spell a priority before dealing damage.
| Name | MP | Points | Target | Tension | Info | Oomph |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flower Shower | 0 | 4 | Group | No | Attempts to distract a group of foes with a shower of petals. | No |
| Attack +5 | -- | 9 | -- | -- | Increase attack +5 when equipped with a fan. | -- |
| Water Slaughterer | 0 | 15 | One | Yes | Single strike that deals 50% more damage to aquatic enemies. | Yes |
| Attack +10 | -- | 22 | -- | -- | Increase attack +10 when equipped with a fan. | -- |
| Fan Dango | 0 | 25 | Random | Yes | Hits four random targets at 50% power | First strike |
| Attack +15 | -- | 40 | -- | -- | Increase attack +15 when equipped with a fan. | -- |
| Death Dance | 5 | 52 | All | No | Attempts to kill all enemies with a haunted hustle. | |
| Attack +25 | 66 | No | Increase attack +25 when equipped with a fan. | |||
| Dance of Life | 12 | 82 | One | Revives an ally | ||
| Butterfly Bop | 5 | 100 | All | Yes | Strikes all enemies for 150%~200% damage | No |
Whips
| Name | MP | Points | Target | Tension | Info | Oomph |
| Attack +5 | -- | 5 | -- | -- | Increase attack +5 when equipped with a whip. | -- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hypnowhip | 2 | 10 | Group | Yes | A powerful whip attack with a 12.5% chance to confuse enemies. | First hit |
| Attack +10 | -- | 16 | -- | -- | Increase attack +10 when equipped with a whip | -- |
| Whiplash | 4 | 23 | Group | Yes | A powerful whip attack with a 12.5% chance of paralyzing enemies. | First hit |
| Twin Dragon Lash | 3 | 32 | One | Yes | Red lashes out with her whip in a double attack. | First hit |
| Attack +15 | -- | 43 | -- | -- | Increase attack +15 when equipped with a whip. | -- |
| Lashings of Lashings | 0 | 55 | All | Yes | Red strikes all enemies with a lash that does not decrease in power | No |
| Attack +25 | -- | 68 | -- | -- | Increase attack +25 when equipped with a whip | -- |
| Twin Tan | 3 | 82 | Group | Yes | Strikes a group of enemies twice | First hit |
| Whip Whack | 7 | 100 | All | Yes | A wicked lashing that strikes all enemies with 30% more power, and a 12.5%(1⁄8) chance to kill on contact. Ignores immunity for non-bosses, including metal slimes |
First hit |
Knives
| Name | MP | Points | Target | Tension | Info | Oomph |
| Toxic Dagger | 3 | 6 | One | Yes | Strike that may poison the enemy | yes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attack +5 | -- | 12 | -- | -- | Increase attack +5 when equipped with a knife. | -- |
| Assassin's Stab | 8 | 25 | One | Yes | Single strike with a 12.5% chance to instantly slay it's target. | Yes |
| Attack +15 | -- | 34 | -- | -- | Increase attack +15 when equipped with a knife. | -- |
| Miracle Cleavage | 4 | 44 | One | Yes | Single strike that restores 50% of damage dealt as HP. | yes |
| Equip Swords | 0 | 59 | Allows Red to equip Swords. | |||
| Critical Hit rate up | 66 | No | Increase critical hit rate from 1/64 to 1/32. | |||
| Toxic Sword | 4 | 76 | One | Yes | Increases damage by 30%, may envenom target | Yes |
| Attack +30 | 88 | Increases attack by +30 when equipped with a knife. | ||||
| Blade Cascade | 6 | 100 | Random | Yes | 6~8 strikes that hit random targets, each dealing 40% damage. | First hit |
Fisticuffs
| Name | MP | Points | Target | Tension | Info | Oomph |
| Attack +5 | -- | 5 | -- | -- | Increase attack +5 when not equipped with a weapon. | -- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Defending Champion | -- | 7 | -- | -- | Reduces all damage Red takes by 90% | -- |
| Agility +10 | -- | 12 | -- | -- | Increases Red's agility by 10 points when not equipped with a weapon | -- |
| Stone's Throw | 0 | 18 | group | yes | 8-20 damage on a group of enemies. | no |
| Attack +20 | -- | 25 | -- | -- | Increase attack +20 when not equipped with a weapon. | -- |
| Thin Air | 2 | 33 | All | Yes | Red sends waves of thin air at the enemy, power rising with her level | |
| Critical Hit Up | -- | 42 | -- | -- | Increases chance of critical hit with no weapon equipped from 1/64 to 1/32. | -- |
| Harvest Moon | 6 | 60 | Group | Yes | Red performs cartwheels, attacking a group of enemies. | Yes |
| Agility +30 | -- | 77 | -- | -- | Increase agility +35 when not equipped with a weapon. | -- |
| Attack +50 | -- | 100 | -- | -- | Increase attack +50 when not equipped with a weapon. | -- |
Roguery
| Name | MP | Points | Target | Tension | Info | Oomph |
| Acceleratle | 3 | 3 | -- | Yes | Increases the party's agility by 100%, caps at 999. Due to game mechanics this also increases evasion | -- |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold-Getter | -- | 7 | -- | -- | Red sometimes gets an extra 12.5% gold at the end of a battle | -- |
| Knee-jerk Nab | -- | 12 | -- | -- | Red will sometimes steal an item from the last vanquished monster, similar to stealing in III, VI, and VII. Fleece rate is half the item drop rate, stacks with Cap'n's clothes |
-- |
| Max. HP+20 | 0 | 19 | -- | -- | Increases Red's max HP by 20 points | -- |
| Dosh Toss | 0 | 27 | -- | -- | Consumes 10% of current gold to damage foe for same value, maximum gold used is 2500 | -- |
| Fullheal | 6 | 37 | -- | -- | Restores all HP to a single ally | -- |
| Fortune Fleecer | -- | 52 | -- | -- | Raises extra gold acquired by 50%~250% | -- |
| Knee-jerk Nick | -- | 66 | -- | -- | Doubles the chance to steal an item from the last defeated enemy, same chance as the innate drop rate.<br<Stacks with cap'n's clothes | -- |
| Max. HP +30 | -- | 81 | -- | -- | Increase HP by +30 | -- |
| Fire in the 'Ole | 15 | 100 | Random | No | Red summons her minions to pummel four random foes with cannon-fire. Damage is based on Red's level, similar to Yangus' Golden Oldies. | -- |
Equipment
| Dragon Quest VIII (All) | |
|---|---|
| Helmet | Modifier(s) |
| Leather hat | Defense +3 |
| Hairband | Defense +5 |
| Feathered cap | Defense +9 |
| Fur hood | Defense +18 |
| Coral hairpin | Defense +20 |
| Silver tiara | Defense +24 |
| Magical hat | Defense +25 |
| Scholar's cap | Defense +33 |
| Pirate's hat | Defense +36 |
| Kunoichi headband | Defense +38 |
| Golden tiara | Defense +43 |
| Sun crown | Defense +52 |
| Metal king helm | Defense +55 |
| Dragon Quest VIII (All) | |
|---|---|
| Armor | Modifier(s) |
| Dangerous bustier | Defense+1 |
| Plain clothes | Defense+4 |
| Wayfarer's clothes | Defense+7 |
| Silk robe | Defense+10 |
| Leather dress | Defense+15 |
| Cloak of evasion | Defense+29 |
| Robe of serenity | Defense+34 |
| Magic vestment | Defense+39 |
| Silk bustier | Defense+44 |
| Spangled dress | Defense+46 |
| Magic bikini | Defense+50 |
| Magical skirt | Defense+55 |
| Flowing dress | Defense+59 |
| Shimmering dress | Defense+67 |
| Angel's robe | Defense+73 |
| Cap'n's clothes | Defense+75 |
| Princess's robe | Defense+94 |
| Kunoichi costume | Defense+99 |
| Liquid Metal Armour | Defense+101 |
| Dragon robe | Defense+103 |
| Divine bustier | Defense+105 |
| Mandarin dress | Defense+108 |
| Dragon Quest VIII (All) | |
|---|---|
| Shields | Modifier(s) |
| Pot lid | Defense+2 |
| Leather shield | Defense+4 |
| Scale shield | Defense+7 |
| Silver platter | Defense+8 |
| Kitty shield | Defense+12 |
| Light shield | Defense+17 |
| White shield | Defense+24 |
| Ice shield | Defense+33 |
| Saintess shield | Defense+46 |
| Goddess shield | Defense+55 |
| Metal king shield | Defense+65 |
| Dragon Quest VIII (All) | |
|---|---|
| Accessories | Modifier(s) |
| Agility ring | Agility +15 |
| Argon ring | Attack +20 Agility +20 |
| Bunny tail | Agility +2 |
| Catholicon ring | Defence +15 |
| Devil's tail | Agility +10 |
| Dragon's scale | Defence +5 |
| Elevating shoes | Agility +5 |
| Fishnet stockings | Defence +8 |
| Full moon ring | Defence +10 |
| Garter | Defence +6 |
| Goddess ring | Wisdom +20 |
| Gold bracer | Defence +4 |
| Gold ring | Defence +10 |
| Gold rosary | Wisdom +5 |
| Gospel ring | Defence +5 |
| Holy talisman | Defence +10 |
| Lady's ring | Defence +2 |
| Life bracer | Defence +5 Max HP +30 |
| Meteorite bracer | Agility +50 |
| Mighty armlet | Attack +15 |
| Prayer ring | Defence +5 |
| Recovery ring | Defence +15 |
| Ring of awakening | Defence +10 |
| Ring of clarity | Defence +10 |
| Ring of immunity | Defence +10 |
| Ring of truth | Defence +10 |
| Ruby of protection | Defence +15 |
| Scholar's specs | Wisdom +15 |
| Skull ring | Agility +15 |
| Slime earrings | Defence +4 |
| Sorcerer's ring | Wisdom +10 Max MP +30 |
| Strength ring | Attack +5 |
| Templar's ring | Defence +5 |
| Templar Captain's ring | Attack +10 Wisdom +10 |
| Titan belt | Attack +10 |
| Tough guy tattoo | Attack +8 |
Dragon Quest: Shōnen Yangus to Fushigi no Dungeon
This Japan-only game takes place 20 years prior to the story of Dragon Quest VIII and explores Red's relationship with Yangus during their youth.
Dragon Quest Rivals
Red was introduced in the fifth card pack as a rare playable card, eventually becoming an alternate leader character in the second card pack after the game was changed to Dragon Quest Rivals Ace, representing the Thief vocation alongside Erik.
Trivia
- Red is the oldest female playable character in the series, barring characters whose ages are never given or outright stated.
- Red possessed no concept art during the development of VIII, leading Level-5's staff to use Aishe as a basis. This is why Red wears such a similar outfit to the Roamer.
Gallery
Nintendo 3DS artwork.
Rivals Ace artwork.
Young Yangus and the Mysterious Dungeon.
Concept art.
Red wearing Cap'n's clothes and Pirate's hat.
(3DS version)
Red wearing the Kunoichi costume and Kunoichi headband.
(3DS version)
Red wearing the Mandarin dress.
(3DS version)
Dragon Quest Rivals
