Ludo
| Ludo | |
| Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince | |
| |
| Japanese name | ルユノ |
| Romaji | Ryuno |
| Old localization | None |
| Race | Half-elf |
| Family | Randolfo (father) Dolph (eldest half-brother) Psaro (older half-brother) |
Ludo is a character who debuted in Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince, appearing as an aloof stranger with a penchant to wax philosophical in the form of wistful rhymes.
Appearance and Personality[edit]
Ludo is a slender young man with faintly pale skin, stark white hair, pointed ears, and red eyes with faint yellow irises. He wears a dull, purple turtlenecked tunic will a yellow second layer, matching scarf, and a belt in a lighter shade of purple. He wraps his forearms in bandages and covers his hands in large work gloves.
Ludo maintains a friendly but distant disposition befitting his nature as a nihilist, seeing the world as one of needless anguish that he seeks to correct at any cost. He proves himself to not be above manipulation to achieve this goal, leading the player on. He is a careful planner, setting his enemies against one another to manufacture circumstances that favor the fulfillment of his ambition. Despite this cold-blooded attitude, Ludo places a considerable emphasis on the importance of familial bonds.
Appearances[edit]
Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince[edit]
Ludo is first encountered in the lowest level of the Cradle of Corruption, where he reveals to the party that he is the warden tasked with watching over the sealed memories of three cataclysmicly dangerous monsters. He informs Psaro that he has grown tired of this vocation and asks him to slay the guard dogs protecting the cages for the three sets of memories, on the logic that a warden has no purpose if there is nothing to guard. Upon the defeat of the watch dogs, Ludo expresses his gratitude to the party and states that the Zenith Dragon can no longer control him. When one of the guardians launches a surprise attack as Psaro, Ludo quickly dispatches it with a spectra blade and warns the half-human to make sure his enemies are properly slain before lowering his guard. He further states that Psaro owes him a favor he intends to collect, and departs the dreary dungeon.
When Psaro and Rose travel to the Middle Echelon of the Circle of Conquest, Ludo greets the duo and properly introduces himself. Getting straight to the point he states that he needs the favor Psaro owes him, that Wyrmsworth has begun attacking the echelon. Rendezvousing at the little village of Dun Maulin, a settlement of monsters that are either too feeble to survive the brutality of Nadiria or have grown weary of warfare and seek peace, Ludo greets the pair and explains the nature of the little refuge while casting Heal on a wounded small fry. He then guides Psaro and Rose to Grimglow Cave where Wyrmsworth lurks on Mount Shellenback, revealing along the journey that he is in fact Psaro's paternal half-brother and that his mother was an elf. Explaining that their eldest brother Dolph is seen as the next in line for the Nadirian throne, they will certainly be murdered once he takes control as Randolfo's plan was to kill all but his strongest son once the trio's strengths were made apparent. He further elaborates that this is why Psaro's mother Miriam absconded with him to Terrestria while he was still very young.
Ludo further states that he had long-yearned to reunite with his lost older brother so that they could work together and do away with Dolph and Randolfo, but as of late has reconsidered his stance: he poses the question of why should he and Psaro waste their days preparing for a violent was when they could remain in Dun Maulin to live out their days in serenity. He also states that if Psaro helps him do away with Wyrmsworth then he will break the curse laid upon him, assuring that his elf blood makes him more than capable of doing so. Insisting that the dimensional dragon be dealt with first, the group enters the depths of Grimglow Cave to confront the monster. Breaking out of the continuous-Snooze trap he was placed under, Wyrmsworth snaps to attention and mocks Psaro for his gullibility—he has heard everything from within his slumber and reveals that Ludo's honeyed words were lies to manipulate him. Ludo merely shakes his head at this revelation and admits that he is exposed, elaborating that he sees the material existence as one of unending tragedy and despair that must be burned away to make room for a superior world. He then asks if Psaro can understand his vision having suffered much strife in his short life, with either answer triggering a battle between brothers.
The fight concludes with Ludo fading away, remarking how happy he is that his older brother has become so strong. However, he warns that while his ambitions may be at an end, it is only a matter of time before someone else reaches the same existential conclusions and realizes his ideals. Stating how he hopes that this person will be Psaro himself, Ludo fades away with Wyrmsworth soon departing, having no interest in picking a fight with Psaro. Ludo did not perish in the battle, however, and briefly appears in Rosehill Tower to hand Psaro a piece of black-coloured travelite necessary to enter Aamon's Sanctum.
In the post-game, Ludo makes a surprise appearance in Rosehill Tower to warn Psaro of the impending revival of Estark Venjah in the depths of the the Whispwoods and that action must be taken before it reaches full power and runs wild. Handing over a chunk of rainbow-coloured travelite, Ludo then departs and makes his way to the ethereal forest on his own and properly joins the group. Upon the defeat of the colossal insect, Ludo tells Psaro to not kill it and instead allow it's soul to leave it's body to fleet deeper into the forest. When Rose questions him on his motives, Ludo explains that he would very much like to meet the Azabel, the woman who birthed the Unholy Trinity of Estark, and that Venjah's spirit will lead him to her. Upon reaching the seal of Azabel at the center of the whispwoods, Ludo explains that it if she were to ever return she would surely birth another monster that would ravage the world. Breaking her seal with his sword, Ludo states that she must be killed to prevent another calamity from taking place—before the brothers can slay the mad Zenithian, Wyrmsworth materializes and attacks the party. Upon his defeat, Wyrmsworth demands to know if Psaro has forgotten his warning of Ludo's genocidal ambition, to which the half-elf merely states that worldly obliteration is just a side effect of his plan and dispatches the dragon. Azabel awakens shortly after, leaving Psaro no choice but to engage her despite Ludo's manipulation and treachery being made apparent.
Coldly remarking that, under different circumstances, he and Azabel would likely have been friends, Ludo delivers the killing blow to the fallen angel. With her death, an abundance of energy surges through the Whispwoods until an elf materializes before the group: Ludo's mother Elshael. The woman happily reunites with her son and sets about creating their vision of utopia at once, being a different dimension accessed through a stone gate in the center of the Whispwoods. Explaining to Rose that he and his mother are descendants of El Zettian elves, it was she who was tasked by the Zenith Dragon to become the Whispwoods and bind Azabel to her seal. With Azabel's death Elshael is free to use her powers to create an entire new world, a paradise free of conflict and misery, with Ludo revealing that this process will erode the current world. Ludo extends his hand to offer Psaro a place in this world, ignoring Rose and Toilen, and gives him a moment to think it over. The party travels through the stone gate into the center of the new dimension Elshael created, where he conjures a vortex to teleport Rose and Toilen away. Failing to convince Psaro to join him once, more Ludo resigns himself to the fact that fraternal conflict cannot be avoided and transforms into a ghostly white version of himself with wild hair and yellow eyes.
Upon being defeated for a second time, Ludo abandons his nihilistic ambition and asks his mother to halt the further development of her new dimension to spare the world. He states that while he cannot stand to remain within Terrestria any longer, there will always be a place for Psaro in his small utopia and that he is proud to call him his brother.
Trivia[edit]
- It is unknown how Randolfo was able to sire Ludo due to Elshael's immaterial status dating back to the ancient days.
Gallery[edit]
The empowered Ludo
