Hero (Dragon Quest)

This article is about the Hero in the first Dragon Quest game. For other uses of the term Hero in Dragon Quest, see Hero.

"A young man descended from the legendary hero Erdrick. He possesses the courage and strength to face monsters, as well as kindness. He sets out to defeat the Dragonlord carrying on the will of the hero Erdrick"

—I & II HD website

"Hero"
Dragon Quest I Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake Dragon Quest Builders
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Sprite(s)	Error creating thumbnail: Unable to save thumbnail to destination Error creating thumbnail: Unable to save thumbnail to destination
Japanese name	勇者
Romaji	Yuusha
Title	Erdrick
Class	Hero
Race	Human
Age	16
Family	Erdrick (ancestor)
Voice actor	Toshihiko Seki (CD Theater)

The Hero of the first Dragon Quest game is a descendant of Erdrick who set out to rid Alefgard of the evil tyranny of the dreaded Dragonlord and bring light back to the kingdom.

His name in the Japanese CD drama and novelization is Alef (アレフ). In the promotional screenshots for Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake, his name is Solo, which is also shared with the Hero of Dragon Quest IV.

Appearance and personality

The seminal Hero is often depicted as a young man of athletic build, wearing the traditional armor of Erdrick (including his helm and shield) and a bright red cape billowing behind him.

The sprite used for the original 8-bit adventure is dressed appropriately for combat, donning blue Full plate armor, a helm that superficially resembles the helmet of Ortega with an added orange pony-tail, a large circular shield embedded with a red jewel in its center (possibly a ruby), and an impressively sized claymore sheathed at his side.

Setting the narrative standard for all other Dragon Quest protagonists to follow, the Hero is utterly silent, only communicating in answers of 'Yes' and 'No'. This was a conscious decision made by series creator Yuji Horii to help draw the player into the world of Alefgard on a more personal level, rather than viewing the events of the game as an observer. This tradition was altered slightly in Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake, which depicts the Hero as a good natured young man ever-ready to help those weaker than himself. Humorously, the Hero has a bashful side and rubs the back of his head when praised.

Appearances

Dragon Quest

Stats

Attribute	Starting Stats	Maximum Stat A	Maximum Stat B
Level	1	30	30
HP	?	195	177
MP	?	193	178
Strength	?	136	122
Agility	?	126	114
Resilience	?	63	57
Initial gear	Bamboo spear in the remakes

Note: The Hero's initial stats are randomly decided by a complex formula that uses the letters selected by players. This is why there is a high maximum and low maximum for level 30 stats, and why certain names make the beginning of the game easier than others.

Spells

Setting the standard magic knight archetype of the series' protagonists, the descendant of Erdrick is equally adept at magic as he is with weapons.

Level Learned	Original Japanese	Dragon Warrior	Dragon Quest	MP	Description
3	ホイミ Hoimi	Heal	Heal	4/3	A simple healing spell; recover 10 - 30 HP.
4	ギラ Gira	Hurt	Sizz	2	A small fireball attacks the enemy.
7	ラリホー Rarihoo	Sleep	Snooze	2	Try to put the enemy to sleep.
9	レミーラ Remiira	Radiant	Glow	3/2	Provides greater illumination than a torch.
10	マホトーン Mahotoon	Stopspell	Fizzle	2	Try to block the enemy's spell.
12	リレミト Riremito	Outside	Evac	6	Exit a cave with this spell.
13	ルーラ Ruura	Return	Zoom	8	Cast to return to Tantegel Castle.
15	トヘロス Toherosu	Repel	Holy Protection	2	Walk safely over dangerous terrain.
17	ベホイミ Behoimi	Healmore	Midheal	10/8	A stronger form of Heal; recover over 75 HP.
19	ベギラマ Begirama	Hurtmore	Sizzle	5	A powerful fire spell.

Experience table

Dragon Quest (NES)
Level	Experience
1	0
2	7
3	23
4	47
5	110
6	220
7	450
8	800
9	1300
10	2000
11	2900
12	4000
13	5500
14	7500
15	10000
16	13000
17	16000
18	19000
19	22000
20	26000
21	30000
22	34000
23	38000
24	42000
25	46000
26	50000
27	54000
28	58000
29	62000
30	65000

Dragon Quest (Remakes)
Level	Experience
1	0
2	7
3	23
4	47
5	110
6	220
7	450
8	800
9	1300
10	2000
11	2900
12	4000
13	5500
14	7500
15	10000
16	13000
17	16000
18	19000
19	22000
20	26000
21	30000
22	34000
23	38000
24	42000
25	46000
26	50000
27	54000
28	58000
29	62000
30	65000

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Dragon Quest I HD-2D Remake

The original Hero has been completely redesigned from the ground up for the HD remake, building upon the legendary strength of his ancestor and taking it to a whole new level with the de facto highest stats of any protagonist in the series for an all-rounder character with no shortcomings. Better still is that he levels up at a lightning-fast pace, taking less than 3,000,000 experience points to reach his maximum potential. The Hero has also overcome his ancestor's long-standing MP deficiency, fully embodying the magical knight archetype and giving the player a wide choice of actions at all times in battle. As princess Gwaelin herself puts it, the Hero is harder than nails.

Stats

Attribute	Starting Stats	Max Stats
Level	1	99
HP	40	849
MP	21	695
Strength	20	560
Resilience	13	405
Agility	15	402
Stamina	20	397
Wisdom	11	426
Luck	23	407
Initial gear	Copper sword, leather shield, leather hat, leather suit

Spells

The list of spells that the Hero can learn has been greatly expanded compared to the older versions of the game, and some have been changed such as Zoom allowing the player to fly anywhere in the world instead of just Tantegel Castle. Also, some additional spells were added in the HD-2D Remake, such as the Zap family of spells, to fit with the Hero being the descendant of Erdrick.

Level Learned	Original Japanese	Dragon Quest	MP	Description
3	ホイミ Hoimi	Heal	3	Restores at least 30 HP
4	ギラ Gira	Sizz	4	Singes a group of enemies with a blazing fire
6	ラリホー Rarihoo	Snooze	3	Puts a group of enemies to sleep
8	インパス Inpasu	Peep	0	Provides an appraisal of items and reveals the nature of a treasure chest's contents
8	デイン Dein	Zap	6	Calls down lightning on a single enemy
10	マホトーン Mahotoon	Fizzle	5	Prevents a group of enemies from using magic
12	リレミト Riremito	Evac	0	Allows you to exit instantly from dungeons, caves and towers
13	ルーラ Ruura	Zoom	0	Allows you to return instantly to certain places you have visited before
14	ベギラマ Begirama	Sizzle	8	Burns a group of enemies with a blazing wall of fire
15	トヘロス Toherosu	Holy Protection	4	Generates a holy aura that causes weaker monsters to avoid your party
17	ベホイミ Behoimi	Midheal	6	Restores at least 75 HP
21	ライデイン Raidein	Zapple	10	Calls down fearsome lightning on a single enemy
30	ベギラゴン Begiragon	Kasizz	16	Scorches a group of enemies with the blazing flames of the underworld
32	フバーハ Fubaaha	Insulatle	8	Forms a barrier that protects from breath attacks
35	ギガデイン Gigadein	Kazap	30	Rains down powerful thunderbolts on all enemies

Some spells can only be learned through the use items called Ability Scrolls, which were scattered across Alefgard.

Original Japanese	Dragon Quest	MP	Description	Location
ヒャド Hyado	Crack	3	Pierces a single enemy with razor-sharp icicles	Shrine of Rain 1F
ヒャダルコ Hyadaruko	Crackle	9	Rips into a group of enemies with sharp icicles	Faerie Village
マヒャド Mahyado	Kacrack	12	Skewers all enemies with a hail of sharp icicles	Weeping Isle exterior
マジックバリア Majikkubaria	Magic Barrier	6	Builds a barrier that provides protection from enemy spells	Warlock of Doorlocks home
ベホイム Behoimu	Moreheal	10	Restores at least 164 HP	Cantlin home
リホイミ Rihomi	Reheal	6	Gradually restores HP	Citadel of the Monarch of Medals
トラマナ Toramana	Safe Passage	2	Allows the user and any companions to float unharmed over hazardous surfaces	Galenholm bookshelf
レミラーマ Remirama	Snoop	2	Highlights the locations of hidden items	Tantegel castle 1F (ultimate key)
マホステ Mahoste	Snub	6	Builds a barrier that protects you from spells	Faerie Village bookshelf

Abilities

The Hero's list of skills is based on that of his ancestors, but with some necessary additions for the sake of self-sufficiency.

Level Learned	Original Japanese	Dragon Quest	MP	Description
1	けものづき Kemono dsuki	Cattle Prod	7	A strike that can deal heavy damage to beast family monsters
1	うけながし Ukenagashi	Cop Out	2	Potentially deflects enemy attacks onto an enemy
6	かえん斬り Kaengiri	Flame Slash	6	Slashes an enemy with a white-hot weapon
10	みかわしきゃく Mikawashi kyaku	Dodgy Dance	4	Employs fancy footwork to increase the user's ability to evade attacsk
12	ドラゴン斬り Doragongiri	Dragon Slash	7	A brutal blow that causes heavy damage to dragons
16	大ぼうぎょ Dai bōgyo	Defending Champion	2	Significantly reduces the damage taken from all attacks
18	しんくう斬り Shinkuugiri	Gust Slash	8	Slashes an enemy with a gale-force weapon
24	いなずま斬り Inazumagiri	Lightning Slash	8	Slashes an enemy with a crackling weapon infused with lightning
27	はやぶさ斬り Hayabusagiri	Falcon Slash	10	A double-slicing attack faster than a falcon on the wing
40	ギガスラッシュ Giga surashu	Gigaslash	38	A secret sword technique that assails all enemies with bolts of blazing lightning

Original Japanese	Dragon Quest	MP	Description	Location
やいばくだき Yaibakudaki	Attack Attacker	6	A heavy hit that reduces an enemy's attack	Cantlin home
あくま斬り Akumagiri	Demon Demeaner	7	An attack that can deal heavy damage to demons	Damdara western home
せいしんとういつ Saishintouitsu	Focus Pocus	8	Restore MP after each turn for a while	Weirdwood
マヒャド斬り Mahyadogiri	Kacrackle Slash	10	Slashes an enemy with a bitterly cold weapon	Galen's Tomb 3F (ultimate key)
めいそう Meisou	Meditation	20	Centers the self in order to summon the strongest healing spirit within	35 mini medals
ミラクルソード Mirakuru sodo	Miracle Slash	10	A mysterious attack that hurts an enemy while healing the user	Cave of the Dwarves 1F
ちからため Chikaratame	Muster Strength	3	Builds up energy to bolster the next attack	Craggy Cave 1F
とうぞくのはな Touzokunohana	Nose for Treasure	0	Allows you to find out how much unclaimed treasure is in the area	Craggy Cave 1F
しのびあし Shinobiashi	Padfoot	4	Allows the user and any companions to travel undetected by monsters for a short while	Damdara N.E. corner
すなけむり Sunakemuri	Sandstorm	3	Conjurs a sandstorm which reduces an enemy group's accuracy	Erdrick's Hollow 1F
ゾンビ斬り Zonbigiri	Undead Undoer	7	A sanctioned strike that can deal heavy damage to undead monsters	Cave of the Dwarves 2F
くちぶえ Kuchibue	Whistle	0	Attracts the attention of nearby monsters	Galen's Tomb 1F
ビーストモード Bisutomodo	Wild Side	30	Allows the user to act twice per turn for a wee while	10 mini medals

Dragon Quest Builders

The setting of Builders is a hypothetical world where the Hero chose to accept the Dragonlord's offer of ruling half the world. Several characters ponder aloud as to why such a man would descend into darkness, but the game leaves it to players to speculate for themselves. The fallen Hero is encountered in person in the fourth chapter as a boss, with the epitaph The Fallen Hero--The King of Darkness. Perhaps most tragically is that the Builder will see crude tents scattered in front of the grounds before his keep--Goddess only knows how many people prayed for their hero to return in vain.

Far from being the equal to the Dragonlord, the Hero has been reduced to a cackling lunatic cloistered away in a small fortress near Alefgard. He believes himself to be the true king of the world, and declares that the penalty for the Builder invading his "real" shall be death. During battle he is armed with his original copies of the Sword of Kings and Hero's shield, and can perform a spin attack. He has just enough sense left to taunt the Builder during their skirmish, and will summon monsters to aid him when his health drops to half and 1/4th. When beaten, he flees and is never seen again.

Dragon Quest Treasures

A statue of the original Hero appears as Treasure No. 327, with a base value of 5,000,000.

Dragon Quest Tact

The Hero is called the Scion of Erdrick and he appears as a S-rank member of the Hero family as part of the limited True Dragon Quest I event, appearing on his own banner alongside the Blue dragon. He can participate in the Death scorpion's Battle Road as a party member.

Scion of Erdrick (ロトの血を引く者 Roto no chiwohiku-sha)

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Stats

Family		Rank		Role
Error creating thumbnail: Unable to save thumbnail to destination Hero		Error creating thumbnail: Unable to save thumbnail to destination		Error creating thumbnail: Unable to save thumbnail to destination Attack
Max Level		HP	MP	Move
140		1,504	521	3
Attack	Defense	Agility	Wisdom	Weight
709	593	520	310	65

Basic Skills

First		Second		Third
Muster Courage Character Builder: Zoom		Shining Slash*		Brave Blade* Coup de Grâce: Light of Alefgard*

Awakening Skills

First	Second	Third
Surging Strength / Stats Up	Sizz Res +25 / Stats Up	Physical Potency/Recovery +5% / Hero's Compassion: Action start: Heals 15% of max HP and restores 4% of max MP / Stats Up
Fourth	Fifth
Crack Res +25 / Stats Up	Physical Potency/Recovery +5% / Max HP +100 / 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
Max HP +30 DEF +20	Hero's Pride: Reduces damage by 50% from enemies at a range of 2 spaces or more.	Physical Potency/Recovery +2%

Perk Details

First

Surging Strength: Action start on odd turns up to turn 10: Raises ATK, DEF, WIS, and AGL for 3 turns

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

Trivia

• Though every picture and even the game sprite show the Hero wearing a helmet, the equip menu in the game doesn't have a slot for a helmet. The helmet worn by the sprite resembles the horned helmet given to Ortega, the father of the Hero of Dragon Quest III at the beginning of the game, which later becomes the The Helmet of Erdrick.
  • It's possible to speculate that the Hero of Dragon Quest is simply wearing the Helmet of Erdrick the entire game, as that is the only equipment the Hero of Dragon Quest III kept for himself due to being the last memento of Ortega, and would have presumably been passed down to his/her descendants. The Hero would have no need to upgrade to another helmet, since no others would offer better protection. Erdrick's Shield is also unavailable in Dragon Quest; however, the shield that the Hero wields in official illustrations clearly has the crest of Erdrick on it.

Gallery

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  Iconic pose

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  Hero artwork

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  Talking to a villager

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  Beset by slimes

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  Chibi art

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  The Hero in Dragon Quest I & II, 1992

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  The Hero and Princess Gwaelin

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  Art from the back of the SFC box

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  Casting Evac

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  The hero wearing Erdrick's armour. Artwork for the Super Famicom remake.

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  Princess Gwaelin and the Hero, circa 1993

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  Dragon Quest I + II, 1999

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  Battling the green dragon in Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake

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  Mutsumi Inomata art

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  4koma comics

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  Being hit on by Maya after winning the jackpot
  Art by Yumiko Murakami

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  Artwork for the 25th Anniversary

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  Dragon Quest Sofubi Character merchandise series by Square Enix.

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  Dragon Quest Character Figure Collection Roto no Monshou series.

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  Figurine of the Hero carrying the princess home

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  Dragon Quest Heroes II alternate costume for Lazarel

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  Dragon Quest Heroes II alternate costume for Teresa

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  The fallen Hero in Builders

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  I's Hero in the Hero's Final Smash.

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  Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

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  Conklave cosplay parody

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  The Hero's statue seen in Treasures

See also

• Alefgard armour