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Hero (Dragon Quest III)

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Hero
Dragon Quest III: The Seeds of Salvation
Hero3male.png
Hero3female.png
Sprite(s) Dq3hero-sprite-NES.gifDragon Quest III hero male sprite SFC.gifDragon Quest III hero female sprite SFC.gif
Japanese name 勇者
Romaji Yuusha
Race Human
Age 16
Family Ortega (father)
Mother
Hero (Dragon Quest) (descendant)
Prince of Midenhall (descendant)
Prince of Cannock (descendant)
Princess of Cannock (descendant)
Princess of Moonbrooke (descendant)
Voice actor Hikaru Midorikawa (CD Theater)
Nobuyuki Hiyama (Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Rivals Ace)

The Hero of Dragon Quest III: The Seeds of Salvation is a fabled, Legendary Hero from the days of lore and the ancient history of Alefgard. Though only appearing in one game, the legacy of The Hero would live on in the "Erdrick Trilogy", so named for the title bestowed upon them and carried forth by their descendants.

In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, The Hero of Dragon Quest III is playable as an alternate costume for the game's version of the Hero, alongside the Luminary and the Heroes of Dragon Quest IV and VIII. This Hero has been given the default name Arusu (アルス) in order to differentiate him from the other three Heroes appearing in the game. Arusu has also appeared as his default name in official screencaps of the Super Famicom version and the 2D-HD remake of the game. In the CD Theater audio drama of the game, the Hero is named Arel (アレル).

Appearance

Although the Hero can be either male or female, their appearances are practically identical. They are of average height and build, and they have incredibly spiky, dark brown hair. The Heroine is slightly shorter than her male counterpart, her hair sticks up less, and she wears a pair of green studs as earrings. Around their forehead is a silver circlet inlaid with a green gem. They wear a long blue tunic over a yellow long-sleeved shirt and pants, a pair of knee-length leather boots, leather gloves, and a long magenta cloak around their necks. They wear a brown leather belt around their waist, and a scabbard strapped to their back.

The Hero wields a simple sword and a grey heater shield with an insignia of a dragon's head and two crossed swords on the front. The Hero's outfit is slightly different in the Famicom illustrations, having a gold circlet with a blue gem around their forehead, and a dark blue cloak around their neck. They are seen carrying a cutlass and a round version of Erdrick's shield. There were also no illustrations of the female Erdrick until the Super Famicom remake: in certain illustrations, the female Erdrick's outfit is more feminized, making her blue tunic a strapless miniskirt. In certain illustrations and depictions, the male Hero's hair is a lighter shade of brown and the gems on the hero's circlet and the female hero's earrings alternate between green and blue.

Appearances

Dragon Quest III: The Seeds of Salvation

The Hero was raised by their mother and grandfather in their home in Aliahan. Their father, the renowned warrior Ortega, was tasked by the king of Aliahan to assassinate the world-threatening archfiend Baramos on the very day of their birth. Sometime later, word of Ortega's supposed death at the Great Pit of Giaga reaches the kingdom and The Hero's mother proposes that her child can follow in Ortega's footsteps to free the world from Baramos' growing menace. The child is then trained to become a great warrior like their father and, on their sixteenth birthday, they officially depart to save the world. The king gives a word of warning to take companions with them on their quest lest they meet the same fate as their father and instructs them to visit Patty's Party Planning Place before leaving the safety of Aliahan.

The King of Aliahan has discreetly sent word of The Hero's journey to the monarchs of every major nation--this is why the Kings and Queen warmly receive them even though the citizenry knows nothing of their mission. The Hero encounters several towns and kingdoms throughout their journey and accomplishes many feats of heroism, such mending the wounds between the Faeries and the people of Norvik and freeing the nation of Jipang from the deceit of a sinister serpent. Six legendary orbs are gathered by The Hero along their trek, which they use to hatch the legendary Everbird Ramia. The phoenix is the direct servant of the Goddess, and her camaraderie with The Hero is irrefutable proof of their destiny as the savior of the world. Additionally, The Hero encounters the dying Queen of Dragons in her remote mountain castle. Before she succumbs to her age, she gives The Hero the Sphere of Light and reassures them that their destiny is on of great courage and hardship for the benefit of the entire world.

After defeating Baramos, The Hero returns victorious to Aliahan only to be confronted by a new nemesis, Zoma. Taking up a new quest to defeat the true evil, The Hero travels through the Necrogond Shrine to the world below and arrives in Alefgard, which is sealed in perpetual darkness under the devil's heel. Here, The Hero fights back against the eternal night by freeing the entrapped Goddess Rubiss and besieging Zoma's castle. Against all odds, The Hero encounters their father fighting in the depths of the castle--Ortega had fallen into the world below during his fight at the crater of the Giaga volcano and resumed his mission by seeking to kill the evil plaguing both worlds at its source.

Tragically, Ortega is mortally wounded in a battle with the King Hydra before he can even reach Zoma, and is so severely burned by the dragon that he can no longer see. Sensing someone is present, Ortega embraces his death with despair and bemoans his inability to bring peace to his world and that he was never able to see his child grow up. Ortega then quietly dies in The Hero's arms.

Reaching the lowest level of the castle, The Hero kills the king hydra before fighting through the animated corpse of Baramos and the fiend's very soul on their way to Zoma's throne. The devil mocks the would-be savior and the battle begins, with Zoma's impenetrable shroud of darkness being burned away by the sphere of light and leaving him vulnerable. After a vicious clash, The Hero emerges victorious, and Zoma begins to fade away--warning that hen though he may perish, there will always be an evil to take his place.

The castle begins to collapse due to the force of the battle, and The Hero emerges from the Nail Mark north of Tantegel. The light of the sun has begun to shine in Alefgard for the first time in untold years, and the people receive The Hero as nothing short of a messiah sent by the Goddess. The king bestows upon them the title of Erdrick, the most sacred honor that the land has, and the stratum gap between the world above and Alefgard closes before The Hero can return. Unable to rejoin friends and family above, The Hero settles down in their new home and begins a family that will continue their legacy of standing resolute in the face of desolating evil.

Base Stats

NES Version

Attribute Starting Stats Maximum Stats
Level 1 99
HP 15 446
MP 6 218
Strength 8 181
Agility 6 156
Resilience 7 244
Wisdom 6 126
Luck 5 157
Initial gear Cypress stick, Plain clothes

In the Super Famicom remake of the game and all subsequent ports, The Hero's attribute growth is determined by their Personality. At the start of the game, The Hero is asked a series of questions by a mysterious voice in the sky, culminating in a short scene in order to see just what type of person The Hero is. There are 32 different personalities that can be assigned at the beginning, but it is possible to change it with the help of various books or accessories that can be found.

The Hero is not a genuine jack-of-all-trades character despite a decent spell list, with their stats focusing more on physical strength and durability more than spell casting--this results in an MP shortage once expensive spells such as Kazap and Omniheal are learned. This can be corrected with the application of an MP-boosting personality and by consuming Seed of magic and Seed of wisdom when found.

The Hero is not able to change classes like other characters in the game, with the abbot of Alltrades reprimanding them for attempting to slack in their duties. In the original NES Version of the game, The Hero must always be in the party until completing the game. In the remakes, this restriction is removed after defeating Zoma.

Spells

The Hero is capable of learning a balanced mix of magic from both the Priest and Mage's pools, as well as some that are unique to them, such as Kaclang and Zap.

Level Learned Original Japanese GBC Localization Modern Localization MP Description
2 メラ Mera Blaze Frizz 2 A simple fire spell; affects one enemy.
4 ホイミ Hoimi Heal Heal 3 A simple healing spell.
6 ニフラム Nifuramu Expel Poof 2 Blows away weak enemies.
8 ルーラ Ruura Return Zoom 8 Instantaneous travel to a previously visited location.
10 ギラ Gira Firebal Sizz 4 A weak fire spell that affects a group of enemies.
12 アストロン Asutoron Ironize Kaclang 6 Makes The Hero immune to all enemy attacks for a short period of time.
14 リレミト Riremito Outside Evac 8 Exit a cave/dungeon with this spell.
17 ラリホー Rarihoo Sleep Snooze 3 May put a group of enemies to sleep.
19 マホトーン Mahotoon StopSpell Fizzle 3 Try to block the enemies' spell.
19 トヘロス Toherosu Repel Holy Protection 4 Causes weak enemies to leave you alone.
24 ベギラマ Begirama Firebane Sizzle 6 This fire spell affects a group of enemies.
26 ライデイン Raidein Zap Zap 8 Affects one enemy; the first lightning type spell.
29 ベホイミ Behoimi Healmore Midheal 5 A stronger form of Heal.
31 イオラ Iora Boom Boom 9 Damages all targets with a powerful explosion.
33 ベホマ Behoma Healall Fullheal 7 Restores an ally to full health.
35 ザオラル Zaoraru Vivify Zing 10 50% chance to revive a deceased party member.
38 ベホマズン Behomazun Healusall Omniheal 62 Restores the party to full health.
41 ギガデイン Gigadein Thordain Kazap 30 Causes around 200 points of electrical damage to all enemies.

Equipment

The Hero has access to a very wide range of weapons, ranging from swords, spears, axes, as well as whips and boomerangs in the remakes. They are capable of being outfitted with the heaviest armour, shields, and helmets available. Erdrick is also the only character capable of using the legendary equipment, which will prove useful when fighting against Zoma. In the remake versions, The Hero begins his journey equipped with a Copper sword and Wayfarer's clothes.

Dragon Quest III (All) 
Weapon Modifier(s)
Cypress stick Attack +2
Falcon blade Attack +5
Oaken club Attack +7
Copper sword Attack +12
Divine dagger Attack +14
Chain sickle Attack +16
Thorn whip Attack +18
Boomerang Attack +19
Edged boomerang Attack +24
Iron lance Attack +26
Steel broadsword Attack +33
Iron axe Attack +38
Spiked steel whip Attack +40
Flametang boomerang Attack +42
Siren sword♥ Attack +50
Mountaincleaver Attack +51
Dragontail whip Attack +54
Orochi's sword Attack +65
Zombiesbane Attack +67
Dragonsbane Attack +79
Thunderbolt blade Attack +82
Blizzard blade Attack +90
Stormlord's sword Attack +95
Bastard sword Attack +105
Gringham whip Attack +105
Sword of ruin Attack +107
Double-edged sword Attack +115
Template:Sword of Kings Attack +120
Destructiball Attack +135

Dragon Quest III (All) 
Armor Modifier(s)
Scandalous swimsuit♥ Defense+1
Plain clothes Defense+4
Wayfarer's clothes Defense+8
Leather armour Defense+12
Leather dress♥ Defense+15
Shell armour Defense+16
Chain mail Defense+20
Silk robe♥ Defense+20
Cloak of evasion Defense+23
Leather kilt Defense+24
Iron armour Defense+25
Magical skirt♥ Defense+25
Glombolero Defense+30
Full plate armour Defense+32
Cat suit Defense+35
Magic armour Defense+40
Dragon mail Defense+45
Earthenwear Defense+50
Spiked armour Defense+55
Magic bikini♥ Defense+65
Hate mail Defense+65
Template:Auroral armour Defense+82
Blessed bikini♥ Defense+88
Shimmering dress♥ Defense+90

Dragon Quest III (All) 
Accessories Modifier(s)
Strength ring Strength+7
Tough guy tattoo Strength+8
Mighty armlet Strength+15
Doh-hican Defence+3
Garter♥ Defence+3
Gold rosary Defence+4
Leg warmers♥ Defence+5
Ten Ton Toupee Defence+15
Cower ring Agility+7
Skull ring Agility+10
Agility ring Agility+15
Mercury's bandana Agility+30
Meteorite bracer Agilityx2
Restless Heart Resilience+10
Gold chain Resilience+10
Weightlifter's belt Resilience+15
Recovery ring Resilience+25
Care ring Wisdom+15
Scholar's specs Wisdom+15
Goddess ring♥ Wisdom+33
Bunny tail♥ Luck+8
Golden tiara♥ Luck+13
Hen's tooth Luck+20
Sacred amulet Luck+30
Elevating shoes Luck+50
Dummy
Slime earrings
Ruby wristband
  • ♥ denotes female only equipment.

Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies

In this game, it is possible to replicate The Hero's outfit by receiving pieces from defeating either Baramos or Zoma, who appear as Legacy Bosses in the game. An accolade is conferred to the player after wearing all of the pieces of this outfit.

Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age

In this game’s true ending after Serenica is shown to reunite with Erdwin, the beginning of Dragon Quest III is shown, with III's Hero appearing at the end to be awoken by their mother before setting off for Aliahan castle. Their mother was shown reading a red book that detailed the adventure of the Luminary before walking upstairs to awaken their child--whether this book is a historical account or a work of fiction is unknown.

Other appearances

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

The Hero of III, under the name Arusu, appears as one of four Heroes alongside the Heroes of XI, IV, and VIII. He wields the Template:Sword of Kings and the Template:Hero's shield. While playing as the Hero during Classic Mode, Arusu appears as Round 6's opponent and is fought on the third version of Castle Siege.

Lineage

The Hero's bloodline is that of powerful men and women who save the world from the grips of darkness. While every person descended from them carries their spirit, the most notable are the protagonists of the first and second games. These are The Scion of Erdrick, The Prince of Midenhall, The Prince of Cannock, and The Princess of Moonbrooke. Their own adventures would shape the course of history for the betterment of the world and ensures that the name of Erdrick never leaves the heart of Alefgard.

Items Iconography

As the Hero's legacy has grown in the distant time between the third and first game, several items and pieces of equipment that once belonged to The Hero have Erdrick in their names. See the Erdrick Equipment article for more details on the sword and armor set, along with the emblem.

Beyond the gear The Hero took into battle, they also left behind a tablet with a message written left for their descendant in Dragon Quest. It gives instructions on what items are needed to create the Rainbow Drop, which is the location of Charlock Castle. The tablet is found in a small cave that would be named Erdrick's Cave after their passing.

Gallery

  • Erdrick's Sword.

  • Erdrick's Armour.

  • Erdrick's Shield.

  • Erdrick's Helmet.

  • Erdrick's Emblem.

  • Erdrick's Tablet.

Trivia

  • The manga series Gintama has a parody of Dragon Quest which stars Leukocyte King, a character based on III's Hero.
  • As this is the first game in the mainline, numbered Dragon Quest series to allow players to determine The Hero's gender, the female version of Dragon Quest III's Hero is the first female main protagonist in that series.
  • The Hero shares his voice actor in the audio drama with Android 16 from Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball series. He also shares his voice with Marth from the Fire Emblem and Super Smash Bros. series. Hikaru Midorikawa also voiced the character Derolin in the original Dai no Daibouken anime, a false hero who dresses almost identically to the male Hero a few years prior to the CD drama.
    • In Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, he shares his voice actor, Nobuyuki Hiyama, with Barry Kahn from Dragon Ball Super as well as the adult incarnation of Link from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (and, by extension, Link's appearances in the first two Super Smash Bros. games). Super Smash Bros. series creator Masahiro Sakurai also noted that Hiyama's performance may be recognized as Guy Shishioh from The King of Braves GaoGaiGar, and that his recording sessions for Ultimate as DQ III's Hero were surprisingly quick and easy, thanks to his extensive prior experience in video game voice-acting.
  • The name Arusu (アルス) has appeared various times throughout the series history. It appeared as a default name for the Hero in official screenshots for the Super Famicom version of Dragon Quest III. It is also the name of the main character from The Emblem of Roto manga first released in 1991. Arusu has been the default name for the Hero of Dragon Quest VII in both the official manga adaptation and in various screenshots for the game. Lastly, in the CG movie Dragon Quest: Your Story, the Hero's son was named Alus.

Gallery

Videos

Dragon Quest: Monster Battle Road Victory finishing move

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