Ortega
Ortega was a famous Hero from Aliahan in Dragon Warrior III. He is shown in the intro movie fighting a dragon on top of a volcano, which ends with both of them falling in. This intro is further expanded in the SFC and GBC remakes, showing Ortega travelling the world on his quest before finally reaching the volcano and the fateful battle.
He was the father of the legendary Hero Erdrick. When Erdrick was just a baby, he left on a quest to destroy the archfiend Baramos. By Erdrick's 16th birthday, Ortega was believed to have fallen into the volcano and died, and so Erdrick set out to finish it.
After eventually traveling to Alefgard, Erdrick learned that Ortega had also fallen to Alefgard through the volcano, being severely injured and losing his memory along the way. It also appears Ortega made his way to Rimuldar and had taken on the quest of defeating Zoma, but it was believed he died trying to reach Zoma's castle. Upon reaching the end of Zoma's castle, however, Erdrick witnessed Ortega's final battle against the King Hydra, but Ortega was defeated before Erdrick's own eyes. After the fight Ortega, unable to see nor hear, regains his memory and with his dying breath tells Erdrick that he is Ortega of Aliahan and asks that if he ever travels there, to tell his wife and son what happened here and that he is sorry he failed, and that he couldn't be there for them.
Notes
In both remakes, if the Hero can reach the top of the Zenith Castle Tower and defeat Divinegon within the required amount of turns, Divinegon will grant the hero a wish of their choice. One of these wishes is to revive Ortega, whereupon Ortega will live with the Hero's mother in their home in Aliahan.
The remakes also added a helmet called Ortega's Helmet which could be obtained in Mour, where Ortega spent time recuperating after near death prior to his journey to the volcano. The helmet protects its wearer from all status ailments and is one of the strongest in the game, although there are a few with higher DEF power (such as the Great Helm and Mythril Helm).
It is highly possible, given the helmet's horned design, that this may be the Helmet of Erdrick seen in Dragon Quest II (and perhaps in Dragon Quest I, as the hero is seen wearing a helmet but the game has no equipment slot for any helmets, suggesting the Hero was already wearing a helmet he possessed from the start of his quest).
