Ladja (Dragon Quest)

Last updated
Ladja
Dragon Quest character
LadjaDQ.png
Ladja in Dragon Quest V
First appearanceDragon Quest V (1992)
Designed by Akira Toriyama

Ladja is a character in the 1992 video game Dragon Quest V . He is one of the primary antagonists, responsible for the death of the Hero's father, Pankraz, and the subsequent enslavement of the Hero. He is the minion of the game's final villain, Grandmaster Nimzo. He was designed by Akira Toriyama and created by Yuji Horii, who aspired to create a villain who spanned multiple generations and who would ultimately be defeated in the end. He also appears in the film Dragon Quest: Your Story as an antagonist, which is based on the story of Dragon Quest V. He has received generally positive reception, with critics noting his superiority as the game's antagonist to his master, Nimzo, as well as noting how sadistically he treats the Hero and his father.

Contents

Concept and creation

Ladja was designed by Akira Toriyama [ citation needed ] and created by Yuji Horii for Dragon Quest V . When creating Dragon Quest V, Horii wanted to make a game that portrayed an enemy that spans three generations, going from being a child to an adult and finally to a parent, with the enemy ultimately defeated in the end. [1] An enemy in the game, the Necromancer, is a recolor of Ladja's character design. [2] Ladja is voiced in the film Dragon Quest: Your Story by Kōtarō Yoshida in Japanese and by Jason Marnocha in English. [3] Yoshida expressed happiness to be in the role as someone who grew up with Dragon Quest and noted that he felt pressure due to the importance of Ladja's role. [4] Yoshida ad-libbed certain scenes, with director Ryuichi Yagi noting it as impressive, particularly a certain scene that ended up being extended because of his ad-libbing. [5]

Appearances

Ladja is one of the main antagonists of Dragon Quest V , the Bishop serving under Grandmaster Nimzo. He is first encountered after the game's Hero and another boy named Prince Harry are caught exploring ruins. When the Hero's father, Pankraz, appears and defeats Ladja's minions. Before he can defeat Ladja, Ladja takes his son hostage. Pankraz gives up, causing Ladja to reduce him to ashes and put the two boys into slavery before destroying the Golden Orb that the Hero held. After the Hero escapes slavery 10 years later, he eventually gets married and has twins. His wife is captured by Ladja's minions due to her Zenithian lineage with the intention of preventing the birth of a Zenithian Hero who could defeat Nimzo. After the defeat of his minion, Ladja appears, and one of his minions turns them into stone to prevent the birth despite the birth having already occurred.[ citation needed ] In subsequent versions of Dragon Quest V, the petrification scene was changed so that Ladja was responsible instead of his minion. [2] They are both eventually returned to normal thanks to their children finding and curing them, and they eventually confront and kill Ladja.

Reception

Ladja has received generally positive reception, identified by Famitsu writer Kawachi as being among his most memorable Dragon Quest characters. [6] Magmix staff discussed the battles against Ladja, noting how traumatic it was that not only is he impossible to beat, but he mocks the Hero as he defeats him. They also regarded the murder of Pankraz by Ladja as one of the most traumatic moment in the series, further expressing their hatred for Ladja that he prevents the Hero from seeing his kids grow up. [7] [8] They also noted that the remakes created a stronger grudge with players due to his greater involvement in the story and trauma of the Hero. [9] DualShockers writer Day Young felt that Ladja's role in the story was among the best moments in the series' history, feeling that any moment featuring him was a memorable one. [10] Magmix staff arguing that the cruelty and impact on the Hero's life diminished the impact of the main antagonist, Nimzo. [11] RPGFan writer Keegan Lee felt that Ladja was a superior antagonist to Nimzo, wishing that the game was about defeating Ladja instead. Fellow RPGFan writer Mike Solossi agreed, comparing Nimzo unfavorably to other Dragon Quest villains like Dhoulmagus from Dragon Quest VIII and Psaro from Dragon Quest IV . Solossi noted a chess analogy, with how various minions of Nimzo were named after chess pieces such as Bishop Ladja, but felt that Grandmaster Nimzo fell flat due to a lack of characterization. [12] Futabanet writer Amami noted that his role in the game was one of the most shocking scenes in a Super Famicom game. They regarded him as cowardly, noting how he left a strong impression on players and had more presence than the main villain. [13]

Ladja's role in Dragon Quest: Your Story has received positive reception, with Japanese social media users expressing excitement in response to the casting of Kōtarō Yoshida as Ladja. [14] RPGamer writers Elmon Dean Todd and Matt Masem praised Ladja's appearance in Dragon Quest: Your Story. Todd felt that his English voice actor deserved praise for sounding more "villainous and sinister" than the Japanese actor. He also felt that his visual design was an improvement over the video game's, saying that he looks more "sinister and memorable," with Masem feeling that he stood out among human characters with his visual design. [15] RPGFan writer Alana Hagues similarly praised the English portrayal, saying it made Ladja a "truly terrifying and manipulative figure," though criticizing the film for rushing the final fight against him. [16] Despite not being enthused with the film, The Gamer writer Scott Baird found Marnocha's performance of Ladja among the best parts. [17]

Related Research Articles

Dragon Quest, previously published as Dragon Warrior in North America until 2005, is a series of role-playing games created by Japanese game designer Yuji Horii, character designer Akira Toriyama, and composer Koichi Sugiyama and published by Square Enix. Since its inception, development of games in the series have been outsourced to a plethora of external companies until the tenth installment, with localized remakes and ports of later installments for the Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, and Nintendo Switch being published by Nintendo outside of Japan. With its first game published in 1986, there are eleven main-series games, along with numerous spin-off games. In addition, there have been numerous manga, anime and novels published under the franchise, with nearly every game in the main series having a related adaptation.

<i>Dragon Quest II</i> 1987 video game

Dragon Quest II: Luminaries of the Legendary Line, titled Dragon Warrior II when initially localized to North America, is a role-playing video game developed by Chunsoft and published by Enix in 1987 for the Nintendo Entertainment System as a part of the Dragon Quest series. Enix's U.S. subsidiary published the American release, Dragon Warrior II, for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1990. Dragon Quest II is set one hundred years after the events of the first game.

<i>Dragon Quest</i> (video game) 1986 video game

Dragon Quest, titled Dragon Warrior when initially localized to North America, is a role-playing video game developed by Chunsoft and published by Enix for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was originally released in Japan in 1986 and by Nintendo in North America in 1989. It is the first game in the Dragon Quest video game series. Dragon Quest has been ported and remade for several video game platforms, including the MSX, MSX2, PC-9801, Super Famicom, Game Boy Color, mobile phones, and Nintendo Switch as of 2019. The player controls the hero character who is charged with saving the Kingdom of Alefgard and rescuing its princess from the evil Dragonlord. Dragon Warrior's story became the second part in a trilogy, with several spinoff anime and manga series.

<i>Dragon Quest V</i> 1992 video game

Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride is a role-playing video game and the fifth installment in the Dragon Quest video game series, second of the Zenithian Trilogy. Originally developed by Chunsoft and published by Enix Corporation, Dragon Quest V was the first title in the series to be released for the Super Famicom video game console in Japan in September 1992. Dragon Quest V was the first game in the series to not be released in America due to programming issues at the time.

<i>Dragon Quest Monsters: Caravan Heart</i> 2003 video game

Dragon Quest Monsters: Caravan Heart is the third game in the Dragon Quest Monsters series, released only in Japan by Enix for the Game Boy Advance. The game was simultaneously announced with Dragon Quest VIII in Famitsu in 2002. Like the other Dragon Quest titles, development of Caravan Heart was led by Yuji Horii.

<i>Dragon Quest IX</i> 2009 video game

Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies is a role-playing video game co-developed by Level-5 and Square Enix for the Nintendo DS. Published by Square Enix in Japan in 2009, and by Nintendo overseas in 2010, it is the ninth mainline entry in the Dragon Quest series. The storyline follows the protagonist, a member of the angelic Celestrian race, after a disaster in their home scatters magical fruits across the mortal realm. While carrying over traditional gameplay from the rest of the series with turn-based battles, the game is the first Dragon Quest entry to feature a customizable player character, and the first to include a multiplayer mode, with the option of trading treasure maps and loaning player characters through Nintendo Wi-Fi. Online functions ended in 2014 when it ceased operations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Torneko</span> Dragon Quest protagonist

Torneko is a character in the 1990 video game Dragon Quest IV, one of its heroes. He also appears as the star of multiple games in the Mystery Dungeon series, being used for the first entry to make the series more appealing by using a recognizable brand. He is among the most recurring characters in the Dragon Quest series.

<i>Dragon Quest: Your Story</i> 2019 anime film

Dragon Quest: Your Story is a 2019 Japanese 3D CG anime film based on the Dragon Quest series of video games, adapting the storyline of the 1992 video game Dragon Quest V. It was released in Japan by Toho on August 2, 2019, with an international release on Netflix on February 13, 2020.

<i>Dragon Quest Walk</i> 2019 video game

Dragon Quest Walk is a geolocation-based role-playing video game developed by COLOPL and published by Square Enix for Android and iOS. It is a free-to-play entry in the Dragon Quest series and was released in Japan on 12 September 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bianca, Nera, and Debora</span> Dragon Quest V character

Bianca, Nera, and Debora are three female characters in the video game Dragon Quest V. Where Bianca and Nera were introduced in the 1992 Super Famicom release of the game, Debora was introduced in the 2008 Nintendo DS release. They are all three major characters in the game, with their significance depending on which of the three the protagonist marries. Bianca is the protagonist's childhood friend, while Nera and Debora are sisters whom he becomes acquainted with later in life. Whomever is chosen, the protagonist will marry them before eventually giving birth to two children, with whom they work together to defeat the main antagonist, Grandmaster Nimzo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malroth</span> Dragon Quest character

Malroth, known in Japan as Sidoh, is a character in the video game Dragon Quest II. He is its final boss, though he is rarely mentioned and never seen until he is fought at the end of the game. His boss battle was notable for its difficulty, particularly due to his use of the spell Fullheal, which recovered his health points in full. His design was created by Akira Toriyama. He also appears as a main character in the game Dragon Quest Builders 2 as a young man with no memories, assisting the protagonist in surviving and rebuilding a world, while grappling with strange voices and his inability to create things. His appearance in Dragon Quest Builders 2 earned positive reception, praised for enhancing the game and creating heartfelt moments in the game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Psaro</span> Dragon Quest IV villain

Psaro is a character in the 1990 video game Dragon Quest IV. He is the primary antagonist of the story, leading a charge to wipe out humanity for the sake of demons, particularly due to his infatuation for an elf named Rose, who suffered under humans. He wishes to find and kill the human prophesized to one day defeat him, which causes him or his minions to come into contact with one or more of the multiple main heroes of the game who later come to support the prophesized hero in their quest. He comes to assume the form of Psaro the Manslayer after a tragedy pushes him to the brink. A sixth chapter was added to the PlayStation version that expands Psaro's story and features him as a playable character. He is also the protagonist of the 2023 game Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince. His design was created by Akira Toriyama. Psaro has been generally well received, praised as a tragic villain and for the multiple forms he goes through in the battle against him.

Alena (<i>Dragon Quest</i>) Dragon Quest IV character

Alena is a character in the 1990 video game Dragon Quest IV, one of its main characters. She is the star of the second chapter, going out to explore the world and become a strong warrior with her retainers Kiryl and Borya, before discovering her kingdom wiped out. She later joins with the protagonist of the game in their quest to defeat the leader of the monsters, Psaro, and save the world. Her design was created by Akira Toriyama, and she is voiced in Japanese by Shoko Nakagawa. She is a fan favorite Dragon Quest IV character, noted as a strong female character by multiple critics, one from RPGFan noting how rare this was on the NES.

Hero (<i>Dragon Quest V</i>) Dragon Quest V protagonist

The Hero is the protagonist of Dragon Quest V. He starts out the story as a child, the son of Pankraz, who suffers through various tragedies before growing up, getting married, and having children. Unlike previous Dragon Quest protagonists, he is not a Legendary Hero, instead being a monster tamer, a mechanic added due to the popularity of Healie from Dragon Quest IV. He was created by Yuji Horii and designed by Akira Toriyama. He appears in other works, including the film Dragon Quest: Your Story. The Hero has received positive reception, with critics commenting on how impactful his tragic life was and how iconic a design he had.

Hero (<i>Dragon Quest IV</i>) Dragon Quest IV protagonist

The Hero is the protagonist of Dragon Quest IV, and can be male or female. They do not have a default name, and can be given a name by the player. They are the second Hero in Dragon Quest to allow players to make them male or female, and the first to give the female Hero a distinct design. During the course of the story, the game's antagonist, Psaro, causes the death of their village, including their friend Eliza. They journey to defeat Psaro, joining other characters along the way.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Healie</span> Dragon Quest IV character

Healie, also known as Hoimin is a character in the 1990 video game Dragon Quest IV. He is a Healslime, a variant of the Slime monster from the series, who aspires to become a human, joining the warrior Ragnar McRyan in his quest to rescue kidnapped children from minions of Psaro. In promotional media for the franchise, he has been portrayed by Kanna Hashimoto.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ragnar McRyan</span> Dragon Quest characters

Ragnar McRyan, known in Japan as Ryan is a character in the 1990 video game Dragon Quest IV. He is one of multiple characters who assist the game's Hero in their battle against the monster Psaro. He stars in chapter 1, allying with the monster Healie to rescue children kidnapped by Psaro's minions. He was the first playable character in the NES version of the game. He has appeared in multiple other games, including the Itadaki Street and Dragon Quest Heroes series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maya and Meena</span> Dragon Quest characters

Maya and Meena are two characters in the 1990 video game Dragon Quest IV. Maya is a dancer and Meena a fortune teller. The two are sisters who set out on a journey to avenge their father's murder. They appear as the lead characters of the fourth chapter, and join the Hero in the fifth chapter to defeat the monster Psaro. They were created by Yuji Horii and designed by Akira Toriyama, and have been the subject of praise for both their designs and concepts, particularly Meena's use of tarot cards as weapons and Maya's beauty. The music played for the pair has also received praise, with critics identifying folk music and Middle Eastern music inspirations for their theme.

Hero (<i>Dragon Quest III</i>) Dragon Quest III protagonist

The Hero, also known as Loto in Japanese and Erdrick in English, is the protagonist of the 1988 video game Dragon Quest III. Unlike previous Dragon Quest protagonists, this Hero can be male or female, though fans criticized the lack of differences between the two gender options. They are the son of Ortega, who went missing after seeking out the villain Baramos. The Hero assumes this quest on their 16th birthday. The male Hero appears in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate as a playable character as part of a character called "Hero," alongside the heroes of Dragon Quest IV, Dragon Quest VIII, and Dragon Quest XI. They are a silent protagonist save for one line, which was not well-received by fans. The lack of differences between the male and female Hero received criticism as well, leading to efforts to improve this in Dragon Quest IV. The Hero has been identified as an iconic Hero, with multiple critics identifying their design as a foundational one, citing the protagonist of the light novel Maoyu as an example.

References

  1. ↑ "今だから語れるドラゴンクエスト". Game Criticism. Vol. 8. Micro Magazine. April 1996. p. 59.
  2. 1 2 Hayashida, Yutaro (December 13, 2023). "歴代『ドラゴンクエスト』カンダタ＆オルテガだけじゃない「ちょっとズッコケた」重要キャラの使い回しグラフィック". Futabanet. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  3. ↑ "Ladja". Behind the Voice Actors. Archived from the original on May 12, 2024. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  4. ↑ "古田新太＆吉田鋼太郎＆井浦新、映画『ドラクエ』の担当キャラクターが明らかに！". Cinema Today . June 7, 2019. Archived from the original on September 12, 2024. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  5. ↑ Saito, Moge (August 1, 2019). "映画『ドラゴンクエスト　ユア・ストーリー』公開記念！　ふたりの監督が知られざる制作秘話を語るロングインタビュー!!". Famitsu . Archived from the original on September 12, 2024. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  6. ↑ Kawachi (September 27, 2022). "『ドラゴンクエストV　天空の花嫁』30周年。"仲間モンスターシステム"が楽しすぎ！ ゲーム内の重大な決断は学校の休み時間でも話題に！【今日は何の日？】". Famitsu . Archived from the original on March 3, 2024. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  7. ↑ "「だまされた！」「毎回泣く」スーファミソフトのトラウマボス3選". Magmix. April 25, 2024. Archived from the original on May 2, 2024. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  8. ↑ "不幸すぎ『ドラクエ』主人公、「4」と「5」どっちがエグい？ 家族の死、奴隷に石化…". Magmix. April 6, 2022. Archived from the original on September 12, 2024. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  9. ↑ "『ドラクエ』胸クソ過ぎる「クズキャラ」3選　ラスボスを喰うゲスっぷり？". Magmix. April 21, 2023. Archived from the original on May 12, 2024. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
  10. ↑ Young, Day (December 28, 2022). "Dragon Quest: 10 Most Iconic Moments In The Franchise". DualShockers. Archived from the original on January 2, 2023. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  11. ↑ "影が薄い、ヘタレ…不憫な『ドラクエ』魔王3選　強さは印象に比例しないのか". Magmix. April 17, 2021. Archived from the original on May 3, 2024. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  12. ↑ Solossi, Mike; Lee, Keegan; Steinman, Robert (June 23, 2017). "Retro Encounter 88 – Dragon Quest V Part II". RPGFan. Archived from the original on September 12, 2024. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  13. ↑ Amami (January 19, 2023). "『FF6』『ドラクエ5』『タクティクスオウガ』でも！「こいつだけは許せない…」スーファミ名作RPGの悪者たちが行った「最悪」な絶望行為". Futabanet. Archived from the original on May 11, 2024. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  14. ↑ "映画『ドラクエ』吉田鋼太郎のゲマがハマり役すぎ！". Cinema Today. August 7, 2019. Archived from the original on September 12, 2024. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  15. ↑ Masem, Matt; Todd, Elmon Dean (March 3, 2020). "Dragon Quest: Your Story Netflix Review". RPGamer. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  16. ↑ Hagues, Alana (February 19, 2020). "Movie Review: Dragon Quest: Your Story is a Beautiful Film, but Feels More Frizzle than Kafrizzle". RPGFan. Archived from the original on September 12, 2024. Retrieved May 11, 2024.
  17. ↑ Baird, Scott (February 16, 2020). "Dragon Quest: Your Story Review: We Understand Why Japan Was Mad". The Gamer. Archived from the original on September 12, 2024. Retrieved May 12, 2024.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.