History Characters / DragonQuestXITheParty

* {{BFS}}: Two-handed swords are one of his weapon types. Special mention goes to the Sword of Shadows he gains access to during the ending stages of Act 2, a ''massive'' claymore almost as tall ''and'' wide as he is.

* CrutchCharacter: Erik is one of the better characters and one of your easiest sources of damage, especially when you get his Divide and Dual-Wielding abilites [[spoiler: and unlock Critical Claim in act three]], but the game has ways of keeping you from relying on him too much. In Act 1 there are two main moments that force him out of the party: The battle scene against Jasper and his forces in Gondolia (after which Erik is captured for a while), and the MMA tournament in Octagonia (where the Luminary battles alone with his NPC partner). In Act 2 [[spoiler:he's lost for the beginning of it, and when he returns his skill tree is completely locked out for awhile afterwards making him utterly useless.]]

* TheLancer: The Luminary’s first ally and best friend, Erik’s more lawless nature contrasts the hero, but he more often than not still acts as the Luminary’s voice. [[spoiler: Hendrik takes this role in Act 2, but Erik solidly reclaims the title for the postgame.]]

** [[spoiler: Particularly noticeable at the end of Act 2 - while everyone else is attempting to persuade the Hero not to go back in time to save Veronica, not knowing what would happen to them after you disappear... Erik has nothing to say, [[TheNeedsOfTheMany well aware that the Hero has already made up their mind]] and, while reluctant, does nothing other than make sure the Hero is aware of the risks, accepting their decision without protest, and wishes them luck before they go.]]
* ParentalAbandonment: Implied in Act 2; he and his sister apparently grew up as the slaves of a band of vikings, with no mention being made of their parents.

* TraumaInducedAmnesia: [[spoiler:In Act 2, when the party finds him again, he's lost all memories of the party and even himself. The Definitive version expands on this, revealing his amnesia to be due to having been beaten within an inch of his life by Indignus and an EquivalentExchange with The Seer.]]

* AlwaysIdenticalTwins: While not obvious due to her de-aging curse, when we see her briefly in the opening movie [[spoiler:and when she gets briefly re-aged in Act 3]] it's obvious that she and Serena are VERY similar looking. Clothes aside, the only thing different between them is the style of hair.

* SpellBook: It never comes up in cutscenes like Serena's harp, but Veronica carries a large book that she uses to activate special abilities from her Vim tree. [[spoiler: Serena inherits this book after Veronica sacrifices herself at the end of Act 1.]]

* DualWielding: Can opt to equip a wizard stick in each hand, though this generally falls under AwesomeButImpractical until Act 3, when she gains access to wands that grant powerful automatic bonuses.

* HolyHandGrenade: In Act 3 Serena learns the unique spell Divine Restitution, which deals light-elemental damage and runs off her Magical Mending stat.

* MagikarpPower: While she'll see a lot of early use as the party's healer, she's quickly surpassed in this department by both Rab, who learns higher level healing spells more quickly than she does, and Sylvando, whose Hustle Dance outstrips most of her healing spells at that point in terms of both cost and effectiveness. Come Act 2, [[spoiler: where she gains access to Veronica's skills and skill tree,]] she suddenly becomes a MasterOfAll who functions as both the party's strongest healer ''and'' its strongest spellcaster. While she returns to being a dedicated healer in Act 3, by that point she begins learning stronger healing spells than either Rab or Sylvando and definitively takes her place as the party's strongest healer. She also gains access to an offensive spell that scales off of her outstanding Magical Mending stat, allowing her to retain some viability as an offensive spellcaster.

* TragicKeepsake: She's left with [[spoiler: Veronica's staff and spellbook]] after the latter sacrifices herself in Act 2.

* ChildOfTwoWorlds: Sylvando is half-Valorian (his father's side), and half-Zwaardsrustian (his mother's side).[[spoiler: Going further back, he's descended on his father's side from a legendary Heliodorian knight. Overlaps with HidingYourHeritage in act one, due to Sylv literally skipping out of Puerto Valor as soon as the party arrive in town.]]

-->'''Sylv, during a party talk at the Eerie Eyrie in act one''': The Eerie Eyrie… I don’t like the sound of that one bit! If there’s one thing I simply can’t stand, it’s birds! I don’t know why, but the naughty things always try to peck my eyes out. Perhaps they think they’re precious, glittering jewels… I suppose it’s an easy mistake to make! Tee hee!

** [[spoiler: As soon as the party enters Puerto Valor in act one, he leaves before they get to see Don Rodrigo. We later learn this is because he's the Don's son and heir, and they had a huge argument over his career change.]]
** [[spoiler: In Octagonia act one, when fighting as Sterling Sylva, he uses Grand Stand - a move that is only unlocked when Sylv completes the Kingsbarrow Trial in act three and unlocks the Chivalry skill tree. Said trial is only open to the best knights.]]

* HeroicSelfDeprecation: Downplayed and played with. He has generally high self esteem regarding his abilities as a showman, but seems to not think nearly as much of his fighting skills. When he awakens after the events of the end of Act 1 he bemoans his inability to do anything against Mordegon, ignoring that the rest of the party was just as helpless. Indeed, he states that without the rest of the group he essentially thinks he has no choice but to give up on everything until Dave snaps him out of it. He then uses self deprecation in a positive way, reasoning that if "a slip of a thing" like him could survive then surely the rest of the party must have gotten out alive too. Further, he never imagined that his father could still see him as a knight after the life he had chosen to live and is in joyous disbelief when he finds out his father still respects him.

** Given that he's a millionaire (or even a multimillionaire, given how much it must have cost him to have the Stallion built and maintained over many years), he's proven he's got a good head for money - which is perfect for him going into business and starting his own line of merchandise, as mentioned by an NPC in act one Gallopolis.

* TheMerch: Invoked; Sylvando has official merchandise (in Gallopolis, at least); an NPC mentions it after the Sand National in act one, which is most likely dotted around the various stalls. A few examples seem to be cushions, carpets, pottery, books, and silverware.

* MysteriousPast: Sylv does his best to keep his past hidden, and while parts are revealed in-game [[spoiler: such as him being the son and heir of Don Rodrigo]], there are still things we never learn about him outright - things that have to be put together through context and dialogue. Could overlap with InternalReveal if one is able to put together the clues from act one.

* ThePerfectionist: Much like the aforementioned BloodKnight tendencies, this is also ''very'' downplayed, and again, it's revealed by a single line from Don Rodrigo; in their reunion scene in Act 2, the Don mentions how he didn't raise Sylv to be a failure. It could explain why Sylv is so excellent at everything; he pushes himself to be the absolute best at anything he tries.

* SecretTestOfCharacter: He and Hendrik can go through one in Act 3, courtesy of Don Rodrigo. Completing it unlocks [[spoiler: the Chivalry skill tree for Sylvando, as well as a new Definitive Edition-exclusive outfit (the coraza de caballero)]] for him.

* FlowersForAlgernonSyndrome: During Act 2, he becomes visibly emaciated as a result of [[spoiler: spending weeks meditating atop Mt. Angri-La to learn Master Pang's strongest magical secrets]]. One celebratory feast upon reuniting with the party later, and he's back to his normal rotund self.

** He has both the second lowest skill point gains per level up (until he rejoins the party in Act 2) and the second lowest EXP gain rate. As expected from an old codger, he's not as spry as he used to be.

* FanDisservice: Her brainwashing by Booga comes off as this. She ends up being dressed in a racey bunny outfit with sheer tights and a lower-cut collar, and her dialogue absolutely drips with seduction and double entendres, including flirtatiously calling Hendrick (who she thinks of like a brother) Henny-wenny, and saying her body belongs to Booga in a sultry tone. Since Jade is a no-nonsense, graceful warrior princess this comes off as severely out of character and makes it obvious how much her mind is being messed with to act so differently. Even more so since her references to her body belonging to him imply she's had sex with Booga with the brainwashing making her like it. Thankfully, Definitive Edition reduces the squick a bit with the interlude to Act 2, having letters by Booga that make it apparent he actually thinks holding hands is the most indecent thing a couple can hope to do, and that he's actually waiting 10 years to hold the hands of his actual girlfriend. The abrupt character contrast still comes off as disservice, though. She gets him back for it by immediately kicking him to death after the battle against him, but jokingly immitates her "Henny-wenny" comment again to pretend she's still brainwashed. This does have the added implication that she remembers some of what she did while under Booga's control.

* PrimalFear: She's not at all good with heights. [[spoiler: That doesn't stop her leaping after the Luminary when he falls off a cliff in act one.]]

* CrutchCharacter: [[spoiler: He will likely serve as the party's key to survival against [[ThatOneBoss Mordegon]] during his stint as a GuestStarPartyMember at the beginning of Act 3, as his invincibility and access to the Forbearance skill will soak up attacks that the rest of the party will otherwise have great difficulty recovering from. When he rejoins as a full party member afterwards, while still very strong, he reverts back to whatever stats he had before the player traveled back in time and loses access to Forbearance until the Fraternity branch of his skill tree is unlocked.]]

* ItsAllMyFault: In Act 2 he blames himself for [[spoiler: the fall of Yggdrasil and Veronica's death, because he was the one that brought the possessed King Carnelian to the world tree.]]

* MagicKnight: Though leaning on the "Knight" side of things, he learns a handful of healing and buff spells, [[spoiler: and gains access to more when his skill tree expands in Act 3]].

* SixthRanger: He doesn't join the party until Act 2. And in Act 3, [[spoiler:when the Luminary goes back in time]], he isn't in the party until after [[spoiler:defeating Mordegon at Heliodor Castle.]]

* TakingTheBullet: As a GuestStarPartyMember, he can use the Forbearance skill, allowing him to absorb hits for the party for a turn. [[SecretAIMoves However, he can't use this ability once he becomes controllable]]. [[spoiler:At least not until his Fraternity skill tree becomes available in Act 3]].

* VitriolicBestBuds: Type one with Jasper. [[spoiler: He doesn't work out Jasper was jealous of him until the first boss fight of Act 2, and was VERY oblivious to his feelings for over sixteen years.]]

* ChildOfTwoWorlds: Sylvando is half-Valorian (his father's side), and half-Zwaardsrustian (his mother's side).[[spoiler: Going further back, he's descended on his father's side from a legendary Heliodorian knight. Overlaps with HidingYourHeritage in Act 1, due to Sylv literally skipping out of Puerto Valor as soon as the party arrive in town.]]

* UnskilledButStrong: Has the dubious honor of having the lowest skill point gains per level up (5, typically) until late game, when it improves but not by much, meaning she needs a lot of seeds of skill to catch up.

* PurposefullyOverpowered: [[spoiler:After her ImportantHaircut, Serena's added spells, skills and stats make her the strongest member of the party in offensive, defensive, and support magic, in addition to gaining double the skill points of any other member per level and having the most variety in her skill trees. This doesn't last through the postgame, however--see DiscardAndDraw.]]

* ShockAndAwe: By training in spears, Serena can learn the Thunder Thrust ability, which is guaranteed to deal a critical hit if it connects.

* ChildOfTwoWorlds: Sylvando is half-Valorian (his father's side), and half-Zwaardsrustian (his mother's side).[[spoiler: Going further back, he's descended on his father's side from a legendary Heliodorian knight. Overlaps with HidingYourHeritage in act one, due to Sylv literally skipping out of Puerto Valor as soon as the party arrive in town.]]

** The staff (which is also his walking cane) he starts play with can't be removed from his inventory, even if unequipped. He needs it to walk, after all.

* AnIcePerson: Rab is the party's master of ice magic, and is the only one capable of learning the strongest version.

* OldMaster: Old enough to be [[spoiler:the grandfather of the hero]], and an avid practitioner of martial arts and meditation.

* TenderTears: [[spoiler:Breaks into them on finally being able to tell the grave of his daughter and her husband that their child... his grandson... the Luminary, is actually safe, sound, and knows the truth of his lineage, and that against all hope, he'd found the Luminary after presuming him dead for a decade and a half. He tears up again shortly after when he finds out his daughter inadvertently put her son in danger by leaving a letter telling him to seek King Carnelian for aid, unaware the king she trusted with her life was no longer himself.]]
* TooKinkyToTorture: Completing a quest in Angri-La will have an NPC reveal that Grand Master Pang had a student that would purposely screw up his tasks to face her punishment. [[DirtyOldMan It’s not hard to put two and two together.]] He did this so much over his six years of training with her that he racked up a record beating from the Naughty Stick, 10,000 strikes in all.

* CriticalHitClass: Both of her weapon options give her ''multiple'' "critical hit" mechanics.

* TragicKeepsake: Jade's Belle's Bow accessory originally belonged to her late mother.

* KnightInShiningArmor: Albeit an unconventional one. Sure he's a swishy jester, but he's also a chivalrous defender of the weak who never hesitates when he needs to take action in the face of danger. He's also a MasterSwordsman and a top-class horseback rider

* LegacyCharacter: The "Olé! Sylvia!" segment of the voice drama reveals that Sylvia was also his mother's stage name. While the voice drama was not translated into English, this nonetheless creates a DubInducedPlothole with his DubNameChange to the distinctly male-sounding Sylvando.
** With his dub name Sylvando, you can make the SignificantAnagram of "Don Sylva", still a somewhat-tribute to his mother's stage name as well as his father's title, and a highlight towards Sylv's own dual nature as both a knight and entertainer.

* ThePerfectionist: Much like the aforementioned BloodKnight tendencies, this is also ''very'' downplayed, and again, it's revealed by a single line from Don Rodrigo; in their reunion scene in act two, the Don mentions how he didn't raise Sylv to be a failure. It could explain why Sylv is so excellent at everything; he pushes himself to be the absolute best at anything he tries.

** He also has a few fire-related pep powers: Tempered Tantrum,Frizzwhizz, and Shocking Twist.

* SecretTestOfCharacter: He and Hendrik can go through one in act three, courtesy of Don Rodrigo. Completing it unlocks [[spoiler: the Chivalry skill tree]] for Sylvando, as well as a new Definitive Edition-exclusive outfit [[spoiler: (the coraza de caballero)]] for him.

* FreudianExcuse: The reason he believes so strongly in Carnelian's accusations against the party is because he's seen firsthand the horrors the Luminary has supposedly brought to the world, first when [[spoiler:his homeland and family were massacred by monsters]], and then when Dundrassil fell.

* GoodCostumeSwitch: After his HeelFaceTurn, he changes from his BlackKnight armor to a BlueIsHeroic padded armor set. You can later reaquire his BlackKnight armor as a costume, however. In the third act he gets a gold version of his original armor.

* NoSympathy: Subverted with Jasper. He gives a single brief, pained look when [[spoiler:Jasper Unbound fades away, immediately wanting to continue the quest and not dwell on his fallen friend. When Jasper reappears above for one last hurrah, though, Hendrik engages him at length, shows him some kindness, and lets him die happily.]]
* NotSoAboveItAll: When he finds Rab's copy of Ogler's Digest, he gets rather excited even identifying it as a first edition and in mint condition. Up until this point Hendrik had always been presented as a very upright, straight-laced figure.

* SixthRanger: He doesn't join the party until Act 2. And in Act 3, [[spoiler:when the Luminary goes back in time]], he isn't in the party anymore but joins later after [[spoiler:defeating Mordegon at Heliodor Castle.]]

* TakingTheBullet: As a GuestStarPartyMember, he can use the Forbearance skill, allowing him to absorb hits for the party for a turn. [[SecretAIMoves He can't use this ability once he becomes controllable]], [[spoiler: at least not until his Fraternity skill tree becomes available in Act 3]].

* VitriolicBestBuds: Type one with Jasper. [[spoiler: He doesn't work out Jasper was jealous of him until act two, and was VERY oblivious to his feelings for over sixteen years.]]

* AmbiguousGenderIdentity: He is implied to be an onee (a Japanese term that loosely refers to a person who is somewhere in between being a homosexual male and a trans woman) in the Japanese version, referring to himself using feminine pronouns and occasionally listing himself as being among "the girls" in the party. Similarly, several townspeople refer to him as "onee-san", an affectionate form of addressing an older woman. This aspect of his character is removed from the English version, likely because there is no English term that is directly analogous to an onee and he is distinctly neither a trans person or a drag queen, the two English terms that come closest.

* BoobsOfSteel: One of the most powerful front-line fighters in the party. The physical female fighter in the party is appropriately the most well-endowed one.

** [[spoiler: The fact he owns the biggest ship in Erdrea, coupled with Veronica's query about him being a millionaire and his subsequent playful dismissal, are also signs that he's clearly richer than he looks. As well, while in Gallopolis he makes a dismissive remark about travelling with the "little people" on a ferry;this is a very rare sign of his haughtiness,stemming from his noble background.]]

* BladeOnAStick: Her alternative weapon type is spears, as is typical to most priests in the series.

* BladeOnAStick: One of her weapons of choice. She can learn skills that hit multiple enemies at once and perform CriticalHit if it hits.

* ContraltoOfDanger: One of the most powerful front-line fighters in the party. The physical female fighter in the party is appropriately the deepest-voiced one.

* WhipItGood: Her alternative weapon type is whips as is typical to most mages in the series.

* WhipItGood: One of his weapons of choice, which strikes a group of enemies at once.
** Funnily enough, despite having worked in the circus for several years, Sylv has fewer whip abilities than the only other whip-user in the party, Veronica.

** [[spoiler:The Luminary is the closest thing Jade will ever have to a little brother, though there are hints that her feelings go deeper than that. Averted if the Luminary chooses to permanently live with her in ''S'', where they develop a BattleCouple vibe and flirt by sparring, with Drustan pointing out that if the Luminary had been raised as a prince he and Jade might have already been married.]] A sidequest in Tickington has the Luminary do a rehearsal proposal to help someone out, and if he tries to pick Jade as the bride, she says she's "basically his older sister". When he asks anyway, she dumbfoundedly asks if he marrying his sister is what he wants, realising he's still interested in her romantically. When he goes through with it , it becomes apparent she never thought highly enough of herself to consider the Luminary might be romantically attracted to her. This doesn't stop her from becoming a full-fledged couple with him if she's chosen to live with in the post-game.

* LikeBrotherAndSister: [[spoiler:The Luminary is the closest thing Jade will ever have to a little brother, though there are hints that her feelings go deeper than that. Averted if the Luminary chooses to permanently live with her in ''S'', where they develop a BattleCouple vibe and flirt by sparring, with Drustan pointing out that if the Luminary had been raised as a prince he and Jade might have already been married.]] She's also described as having this dynamic with Hendrik, who acts as the stern but caring older brother to her rambunctious and rowdy younger sister. A sidequest in Tickington has the Luminary do a rehearsal proposal to help someone out, and if he tries to pick Jade as the bride, she says she's "basically his older sister". When he asks anyway, she dumbfoundedly asks if he marrying his sister is what he wants, realising he's still interested in her romantically. When he goes through with it , it becomes apparent she never thought highly enough of herself to consider the Luminary might be romantically attracted to her. This doesn't stop her from becoming a full-fledged couple with him if she's chosen to live with in the post-game.

* BareYourMidriff: Her default outfit as well as a few of her other costumes leave her stomach exposed.

** Rab also supports the idea of grandson hooking up with Jade, caling it a natural choice given she's the princess of Heliodor. If the player chooses to have the Luminary live with Jade, speaking to Rab in Cobblestone has him happily declare that the Houses of Dundrasil and Heliodor [[ArrangedMarriage have been united]] at last.

* TenderTears: [[spoiler:Breaks into them on finally being able to tell the grave of his daughter and her husband that their child... his grandson... the Luminary, is actually safe, sound, and knows the truth of his lineage, and that against all hope, he'd found the Luminary after presuming him dead for a decade and a half. He tears up again shortly after when he finds out his daughter inadverently put her son in danger by leaving a letter telling him to seek King Carnelian for aid, unaware the king she trusted with her life was no longer himself.]]

* CharlesAtlasSuperpower: Acording to the Character Book under Don Rodrigo, Hendrick was rather clumsy during training, but trained far more than anyone else. He wasn't naturally talented as a knight, he earned it.

* HesAllGrownUp: Heavily downplayed, but flashbacks suggest that he was quite the troublemaker as a child, whereas he seems to be perfectly kind and heroic as a young man.

* MsFanservice: {{Downplayed}} compared to Jade, as her normal outfit is pretty conservative and she isn't usually played for sex appeal, but many of her alternate costumes bare a good amount of skin, especially when it comes to emphasizing her legs. The very first one available is a rather pointedly {{Stripperiffic}} BellyDancer getup.

* TheUnchosenOne: The only member of the party who isn't explicitly linked to the hero through some sort of higher power or prophecy; he's just a courageous good Samaritan who wants to make the world a happier place and believes that helping to defeat the source of all evil is the best way of doing it.

* MirrorCharacter: [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation The character book raises this theory in regard to his relationship with Jasper]], arguing that Hendrik may have also had a subconscious inferiority complex regarding his friend's intelligence and popularity with women ([[HeroicSelfDeprecation two qualities that Hendrik is often very critical about his own perceived lack of]]) that caused him to inadvertently overlook his feelings and sour their relationship.

* HeroesPreferSwords: His [[WeaponOfChoice Weapons Of Choice]] are one-handed and [[{{BFS}} large two-handed]] swords.

* AnAxeToGrind: He is the only character able to equip axes.

* EveryoneCanSeeIt: Talking to the [=NPCs=] around Cobblestone quickly reveals that they're all aware of the attraction between the hero and Gemma. If the player chooses her as his bride, the consensus among the villagers is that it was only a matter of time. In the Definitve version, if you use the party chat function while you're in Cobblestone, Rab [[ShipperOnDeck happily seconds the villagers' opinion]] and tells the Luminary his parents would be proud.

* ShipTease: Some of her Pep Powers heavily tease her with the Luminary, in particular Brownie Boost (in which Serena plays music for what can be interpreted as a mid-battle DanceOfRomance).
-->'''Jade''': May I have this dance?

* ShipperOnDeck: [[spoiler:As The Luminary is about to travel back in time for the post-game, leaving the other members of the party behind forever (in a sense, since the time lines end up merging together), Erik winks at Serena and nudges her forwards to speak with him, and she stammers out a veiled love confession. The implication is that he's aware of her feelings and wanted her to have the chance to express them before it was too late]].

* ShipperOnDeck: If the Luminary chooses to live with Jade then Sylvando will remark he thinks they make the "cutest couple."

** Rab also supports the idea of grandson hooking up with Jade and even says it's a natural choice given she's the princess of Heliodor. If the player chooses to have the Luminary live with Jade, speaking to Rab while you're in Cobblestone while him happily declare that the Houses of Dundrasil and Heliodor [[ArrangedMarriage have been united]] at last.

* ShipperOnDeck: Surprisingly, the Definitive version reveals that Jade is an avid shipper of the Hero and Serena. If the Luminary chooses to live with Serena in the post-game, speaking with Jade in Cobblestone Village opens the following dialogue:

* MsFanservice: {{Downplayed}} compared to Jade, as her normal outfit is pretty conservative and she isn't usually played for sex appeal, but many of her alternate costumes bare a good amount of skin, especially when it comes to [[ShesGotLegs emphasizing her legs]]. The very first one available is a rather pointedly {{Stripperiffic}} BellyDancer getup.

* MrFanservice: It's more downplayed than in [[MsFanservice Jade's]] case, but his Glad Rags/Gladder Rags outfit sets show off his toned chest through a CleavageWindow, while his Head-Turner and Gladder Rags sets place emphasis on his [[ShesGotLegs long, slender legs]] in white tights.

* ShesGotLegs: Her martial arts skills feature this and several cutscenes during the game focus on her legs as well.

* RecurringElement: He's the SpiritualSuccessor to ''VideoGame/DragonQuestVIII'''s Yangus, being a thief who changes his ways in order to serve as the hero's loyal first party member. Unlike the brutish-looking yet earnest Yangus, however, Erik is quite the sharp-tongued pretty boy.