The cast of ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIV''. Alternate names for characters are in parentheses.

[[foldercontrol]]

!!The Chosen
[[index]]
[[Characters/DragonQuestIVTheChosen See here.]]
[[/index]]
!!Allies

[[folder:Healie]]
!!!Healie (Hoimin)
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/healie_artwork.png]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/MayumiTanaka (Drama CD)
A helpful healslime who hopes that one day he might [[BecomeARealBoy become human]]. Takes a real shine to Ragnar and offers to help him out.
----
* AdvertisedExtra: To an extent; promotional materials for ''Dragon Quest IV'' advertised the ability to have MonsterAllies when in fact only Healie and Sparkie are playable and Healie is an [[OptionalPartyMember Optional]] GuestStarPartyMember that is only in the party for a brief section early on into the game.
* AmbiguouslyRelated: Several healslimes named Healie have appeared across the series since him, but it's never made clear if they're intended to be the same character or not. Of particular note is the Healie of ''VideoGame/DragonQuestVI'', who professes a desire to become a human during the remake's ending sequence.
* AmnesiacHero: Has vague recollections of the Lord of the Underworld's battle with the Zenith Dragon, but is unable to recall them in detail. While he chalks it up to having bad memory, it's implied that an outside force is actually responsible.
* AttractiveBentSpecies: [[spoiler:His human form uses a slightly altered version of the generic bard sprite, which depicts him as a handsome young man with long blonde hair.]] In ''The Dark Prince'', [[spoiler:he's given a personalized human design, though it's more of a "cute androgynous boy" than "handsome man"]].
* BadassAdorable: He's pretty cute, but he's able to tough it out alongside Ragnar.
* BecomeARealBoy: His dream is to become a human. [[spoiler:When he's encountered again in chapter five he's shown to have succeeded.]]
* BreakoutCharacter: He's singlehandedly responsible for establishing the series' now iconic MonsterAllies, and many healslimes appear in mascot positions in future games in tribute to him.
* ButNowIMustGo: [[spoiler: For whatever, reason, he seems to believe that his goal of becoming a human is incompatible with Ragnar's of finding the Hero, so they sadly part ways at the end of Ragnar's chapter. He briefly returns in chapter five to ask the Hero's party to help Ragnar defeat the Marquis de Léon, but leaves before they actually have a chance to reunite.]]
* CrutchCharacter: He can't do much, but his healing magic covers Ragnar's primary weakness of being a MagicallyIneptFighter and enables him to coast through the rest of his chapter with relative ease.
* CuttingOffTheBranches: While he's technically an OptionalPartyMember, [[spoiler:his appearance in chapter five and dialogue in ''The Dark Prince'' confirms that Ragnar canonically recruited him]].
* DevelopersForesight: While he's one of the game's two MonsterAllies, the general public have no way of knowing that he's any different from the average {{Mook}}. As such, walking around towns with him as the party leader causes all [=NPC=]s to react with fear.
* GuestStarPartyMember: If you meet with him in the cave below the Strathbaile forest, he'll gladly tag along with Ragnar and serve as his healer.
* HeroWorshipper: Most of his party chat dialogue in the remake consists of him fawning over how cool Ragnar is.
* HumanityEnsues: He wishes to become human. [[spoiler:When you see him again later in the game, his wish is seen to have been granted.]]
* InformedAttractiveness: Played for laughs. [[UnreliableNarrator According to him]], he has a very gallant-looking face for a healslime but humans lack the necessary understanding of slime physiology to perceive it.
* MascotMook: Or at the very least a variation of the MascotMook.
* TheMedic: He provides healing abilities for Ragnar, who has no magical abilities of his own.
* MoeCouplet: His cuteness and energy provide some much needed color to Ragnar's character. The two also form the perfect team in battle, with Healie's healing allowing Ragnar to stay fighting fit to clobber whatever enemies they come across. It should come as no surprise that almost all of Ragnar's appearances in spin-offs have him accompanied by Healie.
* MonsterAllies: Holds the distinction of being the first ever playable monster in the series.
* MysteriousPast: The remakes give him multiple lines of party chat dialogue that imply he was around or at least has some sort of knowledge of the war between the Lord of the Underworld and the Zenith Dragon, but he's unable to recall any of the details for some reason.
* NiceGuy: He's sweet, polite, and totally adoring toward Ragnar.
* OddFriendship: Would you believe this random Healslime is a loyal companion to Ragnar?
* OneDegreeOfSeparation: The remakes' party chat system reveals that he's old friends with Mary Curey, the friendly Cureslime that can be sent to the immigrant town later in the game.
* OptionalPartyMember: Ragnar's chapter can be completed without recruiting him, but he's a very useful companion to have around and [[spoiler: he will appear as a human in the fifth chapter regardless.]]
* RiddleForTheAges:
** Just ''how'' exactly [[spoiler:did he manage to become human? Through the Secret of Evolution? Some other magical means? Or was he ''just'' that determined?]] ''The Dark Prince'' finally establishes that [[spoiler:it was indeed the Secret of Evolution, performed on him as a test just before it was given to Psaro]].
** The remake adds another: just what does he know about the war between the Lord of the Underworld and the Zenith Dragon and why can't he remember it?
* RidiculouslyCuteCritter: As a [[MascotMook slime]], he's an adorable little blue blob with a smiley face.
* SquishyWizard: He's as weak as they come, but his healing magic more than makes up for it, particularly with a burly guy like Ragnar around to take the brunt of the enemy's attacks for him.
* TokenHeroicOrc: One of many slimes in the series' long history to introduce himself as "not a bad slime, you know!" and the first to ever actually assist one of the heroes in battle.
* UndyingLoyalty: Develops this toward Ragnar almost instantly, to the point of trying to tag along with him even after he completes his search for the missing children.
* VagueAge: He acts like a young child but [[spoiler:takes on the appearance of a young man in his human form in the original games; though his redesign in ''The Dark Prince'' appears closer to being a young teenager]]. The remakes give him additional dialogue that suggests that he may even be Really700YearsOld.
* VerbalTic: As a slime, he litters his speech with slime, goo, and ooze puns and occasionally slurps at the end of his sentences. [[spoiler:He retains this tic even after becoming a human.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Laurel]]
!!!Laurel (Laurent / Laurence)
[[quoteright:296:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dq_laurel_transparent.png]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Shinobu Satouchi (Drama CD)
A wandering poet who dabbles in magic and is more than willing to lend his spells to anyone willing to pay the price. Just 600 gold nets you five days of traveling with your own personal minstrel!
----
* AmbiguouslyRelated: A bard resembling him appears in the fifth chapter in the same location he was in, but is not credited by name and doesn't seem to recognize Torneko, making it unclear if it's intended to be the same character. Furthermore, the English localization of the remake doesn't have him speaking in rhyme, making it even more confusing.
* BitchInSheepsClothing: Downplayed somewhat, but his gentle exterior hides the fact that he is just as money-hungry as Hardie is. In fact, he's arguably the ''greedier'' of the two considering that he requires more gold to hire for the same number of days.
* BunnyEarsLawyer: While he's terrible at his chosen career as a poet, he is very competent at his side job as a magic-using mercenary.
* CrutchCharacter: Since Torneko begins his chapter fairly helpless, Laurel's magic can be a major asset to him until he levels up and becomes well-equipped enough to take care of himself. In particular, Laurel's ability to cast Heal greatly takes the pressure off having to stay stocked up on recovery items.
* DreadfulMusician: Along with having a lot of trouble coming up with rhymes, Borya claims that his singing voice is terrible after hearing it in chapter 2. It's no wonder why he has to work as a mercenary to make ends meet.
* EarlyBirdCameo: The nameless bard that appears in his usual spot in chapter 2 is implied to be him in the remake, as Borya makes a comment about him being capable of using magic and having a terrible singing voice if spoken to in party chat after interacting with him.
* GuestStarPartyMember: Can be recruited into Torneko's party during his chapter but will leave after five in-game days pass. Even if the chapter is beaten with him still in the party, he won't carry over into the main party once the fifth chapter roles around.
* MasterOfNone: Compared to the game's other magic users. He can use both offensive and healing magic, but he only knows the weakest versions of both.
* MauveShirt: He's an [[OptionalPartyMember Optional]] GuestStarPartyMember who uses the same set of sprites used to represent all bard [=NPC=]s, but the remake's implementation of party chat enables him to receive a fair bit of characterization of his own.
* MeaningfulName: Along with comprising one half of a ShoutOut, "Laurel" can also be used as a verb for bestowing praise in recognition of a great achievement, which is quite fitting for a wannabe poet.
* OnlyInItForTheMoney: While he's a bit more discrete about it than Hardie is, much of Laurel's dialogue after he's hired makes it clear that he's eager to run out the clock until his contract expires. Justified in that he's a mercenary whose only motivation for accompanying Torneko in the first place is because he's paying him.
* OptionalPartyMember: Chapter 3 is entirely beatable without him, but he's a useful addition.
* PainfulRhyme: As a consequence of his RhymesOnADime vocal tic, a few of his lines are pretty cringe-worthy. This is almost always lampshaded by having Laurel hesitate before making the bad rhyme, as though he's struggling to come up with one to say.
-->'''Laurel''': I wish it wasn't true, but you and I are through! My five days is up, I regret. Farewell, my...pet?
* RedMage: He's notably the only playable character capable of casting both Sizz and Heal, which enables him to serve double duty as a mage and a healer while in the party.
* RhymesOnADime: All of his dialogue is spoken in rhyming couplets. A few pieces of party chat dialogue show that he often struggles to do this, leading to some awkward pauses and [[PainfulRhyme Painful Rhymes]].
* SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: The sensitive guy to Hardie's manly man. While both are hired hands that can assist Torneko during his chapter, Hardie is a burly mercenary who does bodyguard work for a living whereas Laurel is an aspiring poet who is simply moonlighting as a bodyguard to make some extra money. Hardie is also blunt and very outspoken about being OnlyInItForTheMoney whereas Laurel is polite and a bit more subtle about it.
* ShoutOut: The localization of the remake turns the mercenary duo into a joint Creator/LaurelAndHardy reference.
* SquishyWizard: He's physically frail but capable of casting the spells Heal, Sizz and Snooze, and has enough MP to cast them frequently.
* StarvingArtist: He's a struggling poet who has started up a side business as a bodyguard to help support himself.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Assuming he isn't the bard seen in the Endor inn in chapter five, Laurel isn't seen or mentioned again after Torneko's chapter.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Hardie]]
!!!Hardie (Strom / Scott)
[[quoteright:306:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dq_hardie.png]]
A mercenary for hire who's currently between jobs. 400 gold equals five days of his services. Not a bad trade, if you need a good lance on your side...
----
* AdaptationalComicRelief: Turned into an idiot with a hick accent in the novelization.
* AmbiguouslyRelated: A soldier resembling him appears in the fifth chapter in the same location he was in, but is not credited by name and doesn't seem to recognize Torneko, making it unclear whether it's intended to be him or a separate character.
* BadassNormal: He's can't use magic and isn't any sort of [[TheChosenOne Chosen One]]; he's just a very tough mercenary.
* BoisterousBruiser: He's very proud of his strength and a sizable portion of his party chat dialogue consists of bragging about how capable he is.
* CrutchCharacter: Since Torneko begins his chapter fairly helpless, Hardie's strength can be a major asset to him until he levels up and becomes well-equipped enough to take care of himself.
* GuestStarPartyMember: Can be recruited into Torneko's party during his chapter but will leave after five in-game days pass. Even if the chapter is beaten with him still in the party, he won't carry over into the main party once the fifth chapter roles around.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: He's very open about being OnlyInItForTheMoney and will mock Torneko for making his job easy if he allows the five days he's hired for to pass without doing anything, but he also sincerely praises Torneko for having the initiative to achieve his dreams and admits if he's in the party near the end of the chapter that he'll always look back on his time working for Torneko with pride.
* JerkassHasAPoint: He'll often chide Torneko for taking him to locations they don't need to go to if spoken to in party chat, but does so with the very reasonable justification of not wanting Torneko to waste the allotted time he's hired him for.
* MauveShirt: He's an [[OptionalPartyMember Optional]] GuestStarPartyMember who uses the same set of sprites used to represent many soldier [=NPC=]s, but the remake's implementation of party chat enables him to receive a fair bit of characterization of his own.
* MeaningfulName: Along with comprising one half of a ShoutOut, "Hardie" is a homophone for the adjective "Hardy", which is used to describe something that is strong and sturdy.
* OnlyInItForTheMoney: ''Very'' outspoken about the fact that he's only helping Torneko out for as long as he's payed him for, and will promptly book it as soon as that time expires. This is truly cemented if he's in the party by the end of the chapter, where he drops this gem:
--->'''Hardie''': I'll stick with you through thick and thin. Until my time's up, that is. Then I'll be scarpering sharpish.
* OptionalPartyMember: Chapter 3 is entirely beatable without him, but he's a useful addition.
* SensingYouAreOutmatched: For all his bravado, he has no problem admitting that he wouldn't stand a chance against Ragnar after meeting him.
* SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: The manly man to Laurel's sensitive guy. While both are hired hands that can assist Torneko during his chapter, Hardie is a burly mercenary who does bodyguard work for a living whereas Laurel is an aspiring poet who is simply moonlighting as a bodyguard to make some extra money. Hardie is also blunt and very outspoken about being OnlyInItForTheMoney whereas Laurel is polite and a bit more subtle about it.
* ShoutOut: The localization of the remake turns the mercenary duo into a joint Creator/LaurelAndHardy reference.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Assuming he isn't the soldier seen near the west entrance of Endor in chapter five, Hardie isn't seen or mentioned again after Torneko's chapter.
* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: He's afraid of dogs, and thus will refuse to work for Torneko if Fido is with him.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Oojam]]
!!!Oojam (Orin)
[[quoteright:291:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/oojam.png]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Hiroyuki Shibamoto (Drama CD)
An apprentice alchemist who used to work with Meena and Maya's father. Like them, he's set out in search of revenge, hoping to track down his master's killer and bring him to justice.
----
* AdaptationalWimp: Downplayed, but he goes from tearing open doors with his bare hands to simply lockpicking them in the remakes.
* AgeLift: Goes from a relatively young man in the NES version to a middle-aged man in the remakes.
* BadassNormal: He has no magical abilities to speak of but more than enough strength to carry the sisters through most of their focus chapter.
* TheBigGuy: He's a large, muscular man with excellent strength and HP. This aspect of his character is particularly evident in the original version of the game, where he breaks open the locked doors at Palais de Léon through sheer strength.
* BigGuyFatalitySyndrome: [[spoiler: As the muscle of the party he forms with Meena and Maya, he's naturally the one to perform a HeroicSacrifice.]]
* CoolOldGuy: The remakes depict him as a middle-aged man, but he's no less strong and reliable than he was in the original.
* CovertPervert: Taking him to see the dancing girls perform in Laissez Faire has him briefly fantasize about watching Maya do the same before quickly regaining his senses.
* CrutchCharacter: He provides some much needed muscle for the Mahabala sisters during their chapter, but [[spoiler: is permanently removed from the party after the first encounter with Balzack.]]
* {{Determinator}}: The man shrugs off death in the name of avenging his mentor. [[spoiler: Twice!]]
* DisneyDeath: [[spoiler: He's assumed to be dead after sacrifices himself to hold off the Marquis de Léon's minions, but eventually resurfaces in chapter 5, where he's found recovering at an inn in Vrenor.]]
* GameBreakingInjury: [[spoiler: While he survives his HeroicSacrifice, the injuries he sustained performing it leave him out of commission for the remainder of the game.]]
* GameplayAndStorySegregation: It's rather strange for the apprentice of a famous alchemist to be completely incapable of using magic.
* GoodCounterpart: To Balzack. While both were apprentices to Maya and Meena's father, Balzack betrayed and killed his mentor in the name of gaining more power for himself whereas Oojam dedicates his life to avenging his death and preventing the secret of evolution he discovered from falling into the wrong hands.
* GuestStarPartyMember: He accompanies Meena and Maya throughout their chapter, but is permanently removed from the party after [[spoiler: performing a HeroicSacrifice to buy them time to escape from the Palais de Léon.]]
* TheHermit: He's first encountered living in the depths of Gupta Gupha, where he had been hiding out to recover from the injuries he sustained during his first fight with Balzack. Meeting the Mahabala sisters again inspires him to set out into the world with them to avenge his mentor.
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:After their revenge attempt goes awry, he elects to stay behind and hold off the Marquis de Léon's guards to buy Meena and Maya time to escape. While he's later revealed to have survived the encounter, the injuries he sustained during it keep him from taking action again.]]
* MadeOfIron: Managed to narrowly survive the same fight with Balzack that killed their mentor, albeit with serious wounds that required extended rest to recover from. [[spoiler: Later, he does the same after being beaten to a pulp by the Marquis de Léon's guards, even gaining a HeroicSecondWind to muster enough energy to save a captured woman.]]
* MagicallyIneptFighter: He's very tough physically but is completely incapable of using magic.
* MasterOfUnlocking: The remakes change his ability to break down lock doors through brute strength into a talent for lockpicking.
* MightyGlacier: He has high strength and HP, but low agility. His status as this stands out when paired with the comparatively squishy Meena and Maya.
* RescueRomance: [[spoiler: When he's encountered again in chapter five, it's revealed that he was awakened from near-death after hearing the cries for help of a woman who had been captured by the Marquis de Léon. After saving her life and escaping to safety, she took his body to an inn in Vrenor and nursed him back to health and the two fell in love.]]
* SacrificialLion: [[spoiler: His HeroicSacrifice marks the Marquis de Léon as the most dangerous enemy the player has had to contend with yet and ends Meena and Maya's chapter on a somber note.]]
* ThrowTheDogABone: Pretty much everything that happens to him is tragic, but [[spoiler: he's last seen alive, having found love, and overjoyed that his mentor's killer was finally defeated.]]
* UndyingLoyalty: To his late mentor Mahabala. He will do everything in his power to avenge his death, protect his daughters, and ensure that his legacy isn't used for evil.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Hank Hoffman, Jr.]]
!!!Hank Hoffman, Jr. (Hector)
[[quoteright:272:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dqiv_ds_hank_hoffman_jr_8.png]]
The son of an innkeeper, Hoffman is sharp-tongued and short-tempered at first, refusing to help anyone out. Poor guy has some serious trust issues, though there's a pretty good reason for that... Perhaps he just needs a little help, and a little more information about what exactly ''happened'' to him -- surely ''then'' he'd be willing to return the favor, right?
----
* AcquiredSituationalNarcissism: Turning the immigrant town into a King's Castle in the [=PlayStation=] version of the remake causes Hoffman to began acting like he's royalty, going from being grateful to the Hero to treating them like a subordinate.
* AscendedExtra: The remakes make him the focus of the immigrant town sidequest, greatly expanding his screentime. To go along with this, he's given his own unique set of sprites rather than simply reusing the generic sailor sprites he did in the original. Ironically, this has the added effect of ''reducing'' the amount of time he actually gets to spend as a party member, as he leaves as soon as the party enters Mintos rather than after Alena and Kiryl are recruited.
* BadassNormal: He isn't among TheChosenMany and can't use any magic, but is still a strong and reliable party member. And, as shown in the remakes, he has the business accumen needed to successfully build an entire town provided the party is able to bring him some townspeople.
* CharacterDevelopment: Goes from a distrustful misanthrope to a hard-working and generous NiceGuy with the party's assistance. Becomes particularly apparent in the remakes, where he founds an entire town made up of people from all over the world.
* ChargedAttack: Can randomly muster his strength during battle, increasing the power of his next attack. He is notably the only party member other than Torneko capable of doing this.
* ChickMagnet: In addition to the below-mentioned ShipTease with Maya, turning the immigrant town into a Ladies' Town in the [=PlayStation=] version of the remake causes Hoffman to become sought after by many of the town's residents due to being one of the only men around. While he's excited by the attention, he's too nervous to act on it and becomes self-conscious about appearing proper around them.
* CrutchCharacter: Bolsters the party's numbers and serves as a much-needed second frontline fighter alongside the Hero early on. Even after Torneko is recruited, you may feel inclined to continue using Hoffman due to him being less erratic and therefore more reliable in battle. As a GuestStarPartyMember, however, his time in the party is limited and he can't level up or change his equipment during it.
* CynicismCatalyst: He was a perfectly cheery lad until his best friend seemingly betrayed him and left him for dead when they went treasure hunting in the Con Cave. Proving to him that things weren't what they seemed back then is the key to gaining his help.
* DevelopersForesight: While the actual amount of time he is required to be in the party is relatively short (just two towns and a dungeon), it's possible to explore a significant chunk of the map with him due to the party acquiring the ship and OpeningTheSandbox just before he leaves. The remakes give him several unique lines of party chat dialogue for those willing to go out of their way to travel around the world with him.
* DivergentCharacterEvolution: Used the same set of sprites as sailor [=NPCs=] in the original game, but was given his own unique set in the remakes.
* EtTuBrute: The reason why he's so hostile to the party when they first meet him is that his best friend seemingly betrayed and left him for dead while they were out treasure hunting, giving him major trust issues. The party eventually discovers that the place they were exploring, Con Cave, is home to monsters that impersonate the companions of passing travelers to psychologically toy with them and that his friend didn't betray him at all.
* TheGamblingAddict: Turning the immigrant town into a Grand Slum in the [=Playstation=] version of the remake has him remark in his diary that he can't keep himself away from the casino and is wasting all of his money.
* GoodOldBoy: The localization of the remake gives him a thick southern drawl, and he's nothing but polite and hard-working after he joins the party.
* GuestStarPartyMember: He fills in as a fourth party member until you land in Mintos, where he chooses to stay behind to study under the legendary businessman Hilton.
* HeroWorshipper: Holds Torneko in high esteem due to admiring and wishing to emulate his reputation as a SelfMadeMan.
* JackOfAllStats: Compared to his fellow MagicallyIneptFighter GuestStarPartyMember Oojam, Hoffman has slightly inferior strength in exchange for slightly superior resilience and agility, overall making him more flexible and well-balanced in battle.
* LastNameBasis: While the localization of the remakes give him a full name, he is still primarily referred to as Hoffman in-game.
* MaddenIntoMisanthropy: Getting betrayed by his best friend turned NiceGuy Hank into an abrasive misanthrope who has isolated himself from the rest of the world and distrusts everyone he meets. Being shown the Symbol of Faith by the party reawakens his former kindness and returns him to his old self.
* MagicallyIneptFighter: He's totally incapable of using magic.
* NiceGuy: Once the party [[RestoredMyFaithInHumanity restores his faith in humanity]], he becomes a polite, chipper, and overall really likable guy.
* RestoredMyFaithInHumanity: When the party first meets him he's completely lost faith in his fellow man due to believing that his best friend turned his back on him out of greed. When the party finds said treasure, a magical jewel said to be able to open up anyone's heart, Hoffman returns to his senses and learns to trust in others, which he makes good on by joining the party and lending them his horse and carriage.
* ShipTease: Receives some with ''Maya'' of all people in the remakes, with her being happy to have a young man in the party if spoken to in party chat when he first joins and later expressing regret and not having pursued him after the immigrant town he founds becomes a thriving metropolis. Downplayed in that both of these examples are done more to express Maya's status as a LovableSexManiac and GoldDigger than to suggest any particular attraction to Hoffman.
* SmallRoleBigImpact: He isn't in the party for very long but is responsible for providing it with both a horse and carriage, both of which serve as key items for transporting party members throughout the game.
* VagueAge: His father is depicted using the generic "old man" sprites and years are said to have passed between his ill-fated trip to Con Cave and when the party first meets him, implying that he's at least a young man. Despite this, his official artwork in the original game depicts him as a downright tiny little guy who could easily pass for a child. The remakes give him new artwork that seems to split the difference by making him look like a baby-faced teen.
* VideoGameCaringPotential: Entrusts the party with finding people to serve as residents in his immigrant town in the remakes, hoping to eventually build it into a center of industry. If the player makes the effort to seek out merchants to send to the town in the [=PlayStation=] version, his wish comes true.
* VideoGameCrueltyPotential: Entrusts the party with finding people to serve as residents in his immigrant town in the remakes, hoping to eventually build it into a center of industry. In the [=PlayStation=] version, there's nothing stopping the party from recruiting a bunch of thugs to transform it into a slum or monsters to turn it into a mysterious tower. Hoffman is ''very'' upset with both outcomes, and mentions in his diary in the former instance that he gets mugged on a regular basis despite being the ostensible leader of the town and has developed a gambling addiction.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Though it's eventually revealed that his best friend ''didn't'' betray him while they were exploring Con Cave, it's never made clear what ''actually'' happened to him. While most would assume that he was killed by monsters while separated from Hoffman in the cave, the [=PlayStation=] version of the remake has him appear as a potential resident of the immigrant town who is in a similar slump as Hoffman was before the party revealed the truth to him. Since this character isn't featured in any other version of the remake, it's unclear if this is still the case.
* YoungEntrepreneur: Looks up to accomplished businessmen such as Torneko and Hilton and eventually decides to leave the party to study under the latter in hopes of becoming a success in his own right. In the remakes he's able to achieve his dream by striking out on his own and founding the immigrant town, which grows into a booming hotspot of industry with the party's help.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tom Foolery]]
!!!Tom Foolery (Panon)
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dq4_tom_foolery.png]]
A wandering entertainer reputed to be one of the best comedians in the world. The party eventually recruits his help in cracking up a certain country's king...
----
* AdaptationalBadass: While the Dream Blade was [[{{Nerf}} Nerfed]] so that it no longer ignores enemy immunities to the sleep status effect in the [=PlayStation=] remake, Tom's access to the otherwise enemy-exclusive Sleep Attack still gave him the ability to. This feature was unfortunately removed from the DS version of the remake onwards.
* AmbiguouslyHuman: For whatever reason, he's included in the "special" characters category in the [=PlayStation=] remake's Immigrant Town sidequest, which otherwise consists mostly of monsters and Zenithians.
* AmbiguouslyRelated: A comedian named Tom Foolery appears in ''VideoGame/DragonQuestVI'', though whether he's meant to be the same person, [[LegacyCharacter his distant predecessor]], or little more than a reference is never made clear. Notably, the remake does not depict him with the unique sprites given to Tom in ''Dragon Quest IV'''s remakes.
* BaitAndSwitch: He's a famous comedian that the party recruits for the express purpose of making the king of Canalot laugh to obtain the Zenithian Helm, but when he actually appears before the king he forgoes any kind of wisecracking and instead speaks with utter sincerity. Despite this, his words manage to get through to the king and secure the helm for the party.
* CoolOldGuy: He's a middle-aged man who, on top of being a famous comedian, can potentially be a long-lasting and reliable party member.
* DevelopersForesight: The window in which he actually needs to be in the party is ridiculously short: literally all you need to do is take him to Canalot and talk to the king, which can be accomplished in about three minutes. Despite this, he can potentially be taken all over the world depending on what point in the game you choose to recruit him, and the remakes give him unique party chat dialogue for every single location that the party can access prior to entering the Stairway to Zenithia. That even includes taking him to fight ''[[DiscOneFinalBoss Estark]]''.
* DiscOneNuke: He can be recruited as soon as you obtain the ship, and his ability to put any enemy to sleep regardless of their resistances makes him shockingly effective at dealing with bosses.
* DivergentCharacterEvolution: Used a slightly altered version of the sprites used by martial artist [=NPCs=] in the original game, but was given his own unique set in the remakes.
* ForcedSleep: His speciality. Along with being equipped with a Dream Blade, which has a chance of putting every enemy it strikes to sleep, he can also cast the spell Snooze, which has the same effect, and has access to the normally enemy-exclusive Sleep Attack, which is an attack that can also put enemies to sleep.
* FragileSpeedster: His agility is fairly high, but his HP is lackluster and his attack and defense are only middling. And as a GuestStarPartyMember he's incapable of leveling up to improve his shortcomings. His main asset in battle is being able to act quickly enough to put an enemy to sleep before it gets a chance to attack.
* FunPersonified: He's a world-famous comedian who always has a joke at the ready for whatever situation he finds himself in, and everyone in the party (even [[GrumpyOldMan Borya]]) is quickly endeared to his presence.
* GuestStarPartyMember: A rather interesting example. You need to recruit him to obtain the Zenithian Helm from the king of Canalot, after which he leaves the party permanently. This can be done at any point in the game after the ship is obtained, and can be accomplished quickly enough that it's entirely possible for him to leave the party without taking part in even a single fight. On the other hand, there's nothing stopping you from holding off on taking him to Canalot to bring him along on other tasks. If he's recruited as soon as the ship is made available, then it is potentially possible for him to be in the party for a significant chunk of the game's content, including major boss fights such as against the Marquis de Leon, Baalzack, and even [[DiscOneFinalBoss Estark]].
* HiddenDepths:
** Despite being recruited by the party to tell a joke funny enough to make the king of Canalot laugh and give up the Zenithian Helm, Tom instead chooses to drop his usual buffoonery when the moment arrives and instead earnestly tells the king to trust the party with the helmet for the sake of bringing the peace to the world and letting ''everyone'' be able laugh again. It works instantly, and proves that he's a good-hearted and astoundingly sensible guy beneath his joking.
** Speaking to him in party chat reveals that he has a good singing voice, which he occasionally incorporates into his act by putting his puns to a tune.
* InformedAbility: For a guy touted as a legendary comedian, his material seems to consist entirely of [[{{Pun}} lame puns]]. One [=NPC=] in Laissez-Faire actually [[{{Handwaved}} Hand-waves]] this by claiming that it isn't the jokes themselves but how he delivers them that make him so funny.
* JokeCharacter: The DS and mobile versions of the remake remove his unique ability to put any enemy to sleep, eliminating his one saving grace as a party member and making him more or less useless in battle.
* LethalJokeCharacter: He's a goofy-looking comedian who isn't particularly formidable in battle but can nonetheless be a major asset due to his ability to put even bosses to sleep. This attribute was unfortunately removed from the DS remake onwards, reducing his usefulness substantially.
* MagicKnight: Technically. While he's one of the only party members capable of both being a frontline fighter and using magic, the only spell he knows has the same effect as the weapon he's permanently equipped with at the cost of not dealing any damage, essentially making it a weaker version of his regular attack that costs MP.
* ManaDrain: He has a chance of performing a weird dance in combat that can cause an enemy to lose between 3 to 7 MP.
* MrViceGuy: He's somewhat obnoxious and has a few lines of party chat dialogue that suggest he steals some of his comedy material, but his actions within the story paint him as a goodhearted guy nonetheless.
* NiceGuy: Not only is he an upbeat comedian, but his speech to gain the Zenithian Helm reveals that he's a thoughtful person who is truly concerned about the future of humanity.
* NonIronicClown: Artwork depicted him as one in the original version of the game. The outfit he wears in his redesign in the remakes also resembles that of a jester.
* OnlySaneMan: While everyone else in Canalot (the party included) play along with the king's challenge to make him laugh in exchange for the Zenithian Helm, only Tom has the common sense to tell him outright that the most effective way to get people laughing again is to let the heroes have the helmet so that they can save the world.
* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: After spending all of his screentime cracking wise, it's downright shocking to see him drop it all when he asks the king of Canalot for the Zenithian Helm.
* PluckyComicRelief: As a professional comedian, it's a part of his job description. In the remakes, speaking to him in party chat when visiting a new town will always elicit a joke about the surroundings.
* PungeonMaster: All of his jokes consist of really lousy puns and wordplay. Most of his dialogue when spoken to in party chat is making puns about the names of the locations the party is currently in.
* PunnyName: The English localization of the remakes turn his name into a play on "tomfoolery", which is another word for acting like a clown.
* ShooOutTheClowns: While it's possible to have him in the party for most of the game, it's impossible to bring him into the endgame since the Zenithian Helm is needed to enter the Stairway to Zenithia.
* ThisLooksLikeAJobForAquaman: His only use as a party member is putting to sleep enemies that are ordinarily immune to being put to sleep. This is much more useful than it sounds, as it can trivialize most bosses by making them unable to act for several turns. Unfortunately, he's no longer able to do this in later versions of the remake.
* UselessUsefulSpell: Most of his abilities. To whit:
** His ability to use the monster-exclusive Sleep Attack would be noteworthy... if it weren't for the fact that he's permanently equipped with a sword that gives normal attacks a chance of putting enemies to sleep that makes it completely redundant. Subverted in the [=PlayStation=] version of the remake, where, due to it being coded as a monster skill, Sleep Attack has a chance of working against enemies that would otherwise be immune to other sources of the sleep status effect, including the Dream Blade.
** Any benefit that using Snooze would have can already be accomplished by attacking with his Dream Blade, which also deals damage and doesn't cost any MP to use.
** His ManaDrain dance gets rid of such paltry sums of MP that it's closer to a waste of a turn than a skill.
* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Vanishes from the game after he leaves the party. Averted in the [=PlayStation=] version of the remake, in which he has a chance of reappearing as a recruitable citizen for the Immigrant Town.
* WhenAllYouHaveIsAHammer: With the exception of Weird Dance, all of his abilities revolve around putting the enemy to sleep.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Orifiela]]
!!!Orifiela (Lucia)
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dqiv_orifiela.png]]
A beautiful Zenithian, the winged-residents of the celestial city of Zenithia, who has found herself stranded from home atop the world tree. With the party as her escorts, she'll guide them to the land above the clouds...
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/ClaireMorgan (''Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince'' EN)
----
* AdaptationalDyeJob: Artwork of her from the original game depicted her with pink hair, whereas she's a brunette in the remakes.
* AdaptationalPersonalityChange: Her few lines in the original game paint her as a mature and serious young woman, whereas the remakes make her naive and ConstantlyCurious about the human world.
* AngelicBeauty: A member of the angelic Zenithian race and a beautiful, virtuous woman.
* ArbitraryHeadcountLimit: Frustratingly invoked in the original version: she is for whatever reason the only party member who doesn't automatically go to the carriage if she's recruited when all four active party slots are already filled, and will refuse to join unless you talk to her with a party of three people or less. What makes this especially annoying is that she's found at the top of a ''dungeon'', which is the last place you'd ever think of entering without all the manpower you could muster. Thankfully averted in the remakes, where she heads to the carriage like everyone else if the party is full.
* BoringButPractical: Her main utility is simply being able to cast Full Heal, which, while hardly anything novel, is always an asset to have, particularly since it frees up your other healers to use their MP for other purposes.
* ConstantlyCurious: The remakes' party chat feature reveals her to treat every new sight she encounters while traveling across the human world with wide-eyed curiosity and enthusiasm.
* CoolHelmet: Wears one resembling a Roman Centurion's in her original artwork, possibly to bring to mind a [[{{Valkyries}} Valkyrie]].
* CrutchCharacter: Joins the party before it enters the Stairway to Zenithia, one of the longest and toughest dungeons in the game, as a much-welcomed extra healer who can help take some of the load of keeping the party's strength up off of the Hero, Meena and Kiryl. Unfortunately, she leaves almost immediately afterward, meaning she can't serve this role during the VeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon (although, at least in the [=NES=] original, she actually can, provided a GoodBadBug is exploited).
* DamselInDistress: First encountered by the party injured atop the World Tree after being attacked by a monster while trying to pick some of its leaves.
* DevelopersForesight: As in the cases of Hoffman and Tom Foolery, taking her around the world in the remakes rewards you with several pieces of unique party chat dialogue, including in places you have no reason to return to by the point in the game when you recruit her.
* DitzyGenius: She's an experienced DragonTamer and, as a Zenithian, is knowledgeable about the history of the world (not to mention [[YeOldeButcheredeEnglishe rather verbose]]), but speaking to her in party chat reveals her to be flighty and completely oblivious to what life on earth is actually ''like''. Many players coming from the original game believing her to be reserved and wise were shocked to see how far from reality this was in the remakes.
* DragonTamer: Her main profession in Zenithia is raising baby dragons. It's with her permission that the party is able to have Sparkie tag along with them.
* DramaPreservingHandicap: Damaged her wings after being attack by a monster, stranding her on top of the World Tree before the party rescues her and keeping her from simply flying back to Zenithia.
* GuestStarPartyMember: Joins the party after being encountered at the top of the World Tree but will leave it as soon as you enter Zenithia. In the original game it's possible to stop her from leaving the party simply by keeping her in the carriage whenever you go to Zenithia, allowing her to be brought along into the endgame. She's a surprisingly effective choice to bring as a healer against the final boss, as she has higher HP than Meena and better resistance against its breath attacks than Kiryl thanks to the Flowing Dress she's equipped with. This is unfortunately no longer possible in the remakes.
* TheIngenue: She's a gentle and kindhearted angel in all but name who spends her days caring for baby dragons and shows nothing short of wonder for everything she encounters while traveling the world with the party.
* IntriguedByHumanity: Having never seen more of the human world beyond the World Tree, she is fascinated by how human civilization has shaped itself and takes pleasure in the most basic aspects of nature such as the ocean or rivers.
* ManaDrain: She's permanently equipped with a Somatic Staff, which drains an enemy of its MP when used to attack.
* MauveShirt: She uses the same set of sprites as every female Zenithian, but is the only Zenithian that gets a name and [[spoiler:(apart from the Hero's presumed mother)]] that receives any kind of significant characterization.
* MundaneObjectAmazement: She gets giddy whenever she's brought anywhere near large bodies of water since she's never seen anything like them living in the clouds.
* MutuallyExclusivePartyMembers: Since Sparkie can only be recruited by speaking to her as an [=NPC=] in Zenithia, the two can never be in the party at the same time even if you exploit the GoodBadBug to keep her from leaving in the original version of the game.
* OvershadowedByAwesome: While she's a respectable healer in her own right, she lacks any of the spells that make Kiryl and Meena stand out (Multiheal, Buff and Kabuff for the former; Insulatle, Woosh and Swoosh for the latter) and isn't as sturdy as either of them, so she's the worst choice of the three in most situations.
* TheSmurfettePrinciple: The only female among the game's cast of [[GuestStarPartyMember Guest-Star Party Members]].
* SquishyWizard: Her offensive abilities are minimal and her physical defenses are poor, but she knows several potent spells including the ever-useful Full Heal and comes equipped with a Flowing Dress that gives her an innate resistance to elemental breath attacks.
* WhiteMagicianGirl: Compared to the more well-balanced Kiryl and Meena, Orifiela is a SquishyWizard whose main use in combat is using Full Heal to replenish her allies' health. She also has the gentle, nurturing personality typically associated with the archetype.
* WingedHumanoid: As a Zenithian, she's a beautiful winged humanoid highly reminiscent of an angel.
* YeOldeButcheredeEnglishe: The English localization from the remakes onward make her speak archaically, though she becomes noticeably less formal when spoken to in party chat.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Sparkie]]
!!!Sparkie (Doran)
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dqiv_ds_sparkie.png]]
A bouncing baby dragon bred by Orifiela, whom she loans to the party after arriving in Zenithia. Packs a punch, in spite of his size.
----
* EleventhHourRanger: Recruiting him comes immediately before the Doorway to Nadiria: the game's semifinal dungeon.
* AdaptationalAttractiveness: While he's drawn as a chubby, almost {{Chibi}}-esque little guy in his original artwork, the remakes instead portray him as larger, slimmer, and more impressive-looking.
* AdaptationalWimp: His BreathWeapon is no longer able to damage [[MetalSlime Metal Slimes]] in the remakes, making him significantly less useful for LevelGrinding.
* AdvertisedExtra: To an extent; promotional materials for ''Dragon Quest IV'' advertised the ability to have MonsterAllies when in fact only Healie and Sparkie are playable and Sparkie is an OptionalPartyMember that the player is only able to recruit immediately before the endgame.
* AnIcePerson: His BreathWeapon is ice-based rather than fire.
* ArbitraryHeadcountLimit: For whatever reason, [[spoiler: he leaves the party after Rose is revived in the remakes to make room for the PromotedToPlayable Psaro.]] Particularly strange, as every version of the game allows you to have a ten-person party if you choose to do Tom Foolery and Orifiela's events concurrently.
* BreakoutCharacter: To a lesser extent than Healie, but Sparkie also helped usher in an interest in the MonsterAllies that have since become a series signature. His Japanese name is even used as the basis of the default name for the first Small Fry you recruit in ''VideoGame/DragonQuestV'' (Doran-->Kodoran).
* BreathWeapon: He's capable of using the Cool Breath attack that is otherwise exclusive to enemies, which deals defense and magic resistance-ignoring elemental damage to all enemies regardless of how they're grouped together. It doubles as an AlwaysAccurateAttack, and can be used in the original version of the game to reliably damage [[MetalSlime Metal Slimes]].
* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: Nowhere to be seen when Zenithia is revisited in ''VideoGame/DragonQuestV'', with no word being given on his whereabouts.
* CriticalHitClass: The way that his AI is programmed means that he will always score a critical hit whenever he decides to use a physical attack, which gives him a higher critical hit rate than most other characters and makes him a good choice for hunting [[MetalSlime Metal Slimes]].
* CrutchCharacter: He's respectably strong even for how late into the game he's recruited, and can be handy to have around for a player lacking in offensive power, but the number of situations where he's the superior choice over a well-equipped Ragnar or Alena are very limited since he can't level up or wear any equipment.
* DelightfulDragon: He's a helpful baby dragon who looks to be about the size of a dog that joins the party to defeat the forces of evil.
* DevelopersForesight: While he's one of the game's two MonsterAllies, the general public have no way of knowing that he's any different from the average {{Mook}}. As such, walking around towns with him as the party leader causes all [=NPC=]s to react with fear.
* GooGooGodlike: As a baby dragon, he's strong enough to keep pace with an endgame party.
* GuestStarPartyMember: [[spoiler: Turned into one in the remakes' bonus content. While he remains in the party up through and after the final boss, and can even accompany it on its first trek through the BonusDungeon, he will automatically leave it as soon as Rose is revived in order to tell the Zenithians the news. And since reviving Rose is necessary to face the TrueFinalBoss, it is impossible for Sparkie to take part in the final battle.]]
* MightyGlacier: He has high physical stats and strong attacks, but his agility is pretty lacking.
* MonsterAllies: The second ever playable monster in the series after Healie.
* MutuallyExclusivePartyMembers:
** Recruiting him requires speaking with Orifiela after she returns to Zenithia. Therefore, it's impossible for the two of them to be in the party together even if you exploit the GoodBadBug to keep Orifiela in the party in the original game.
** [[spoiler:He automatically leaves the party after Rose is revived to inform Zenithia about the situation, meaning it's impossible for him to be in the party at the same time as Psaro.]]
* NonIndicativeName: With a name like Sparkie, you'd be forgiven for assuming that he breathes [[PlayingWithFire fire]] or [[ShockAndAwe lightning]]. Nope, just [[AnIcePerson ice]].
* OlderThanTheyLook: Reading Orifiela's diary indicates that he was born in the same year as her, despite him still being a baby. Presumably justified by dragons being LongLived and thus taking longer to physically mature.
* OptionalPartyMember: In order to recruit him, you need to speak with Orifiela in Zenithia after she leaves the party. Ignore her, and Sparkie won't join you.
* PintsizedPowerhouse: He's smaller than the rest of the party but packs a mighty wollop, being a dragon and all.
* RidiculouslyCuteCritter: He's a chubby baby dragon, so it's a given.
* TeamPet: Unlike fellow [[MonsterAllies Monster Ally]] Healie, Sparkie is completely incapable of speech and is treated like an animal rather than a person. In fitting with this trope, he's also a RidiculouslyCuteCritter.
* TheUnintelligible: Communicates exclusively through growling.
* YouDontLookLikeYou: While his sprite set in the remakes resembles the Small Fry enemy type seen in later games, his artwork looks closer to a Komodo.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Secret Character '''(ALL SPOILERS UNMARKED)''']]
!!!Psaro the Manslayer (Necrosaro / Death Pisaro)
A [[SecretCharacter hidden additional party member]] added in the game's various remakes, though not considered a GuestStarPartyMember like the others, and can level up and be directly controlled by the player. This character by nature is a WalkingSpoiler par excellence.

For more information about his character, see Psaro's entry in the 'Villains' section.
----
* EleventhHourRanger: Takes it a step further by being a 13th-Hour Ranger. As the original game's FinalBoss, it is only possible to recruit him after beating the game. Even after that, the player still needs to complete the BonusDungeon at least once before he can join the party, meaning the only truly new content left to do afterwards is face the TrueFinalBoss.
* EleventhHourSuperpower: He is by far the most powerful playable character, completely subverting the CompetitiveBalance established by the rest of the party to be a MasterOfAll with excellent stats and a variety of useful and unique special abilities. However, he is only recruited immediately before the TrueFinalBoss, making the actual number of things that can be done with him in the party fairly limited.
* AdaptationalHeroism: Downplayed. While the remakes allow him to be recruited by the player and join the main party in defeating his DragonWithAnAgenda, he still performs the same KickTheDog moments he did in the original (in fact, it's made more overt that he is directly responsible for destroying the Hero's village) and he makes it clear as a party member that he has no interest in befriending the party or showing regret for his past actions.
* AwesomeButImpractical: While he possesses a whole host of unique skills when recruited as a party member, many of which boast impressive attack animations, the majority of them are learned through extensive level grinding, and he joins the party so late into the game that there is little point in taking the effort to do so, particularly since he is already strong enough to face the TrueFinalBoss at his starting level. Even the unique skills he joins the party already knowing are far less useful than they normally would be, simply because there is too little left to do in the game for them to be meaningfully incorporated into the player's combat strategies.
* ButNowIMustGo: After Aamon is slain, Psaro leaves the party before they are returned to Zenithia, stating that a monster like him won't be welcome. Ironically, the Zenith Dragon instead commends Psaro for his role in saving the world.
* CallForward: He is capable of learning skills introduced in later games in the ''Dragon Quest'' series such as Hatchet Man, Lightning Storm, and Magic Burst.
* CombatMedic: In addition to having powerful physical abilities and offensive magic, he joins knowing how to cast Fullheal and Multiheal.
* TheComicallySerious: While he's as cold and dignified as a party member as he was as an antagonist, it still bears noting that the only bosses he's able to fight alongside the party other than Aamon are the very goofy Foo Yung and Chow Mein. Speaking to him in party chat while bringing him along to fight the two even has him acknowledge how beneath him the whole situation is. Examining mirrors with him as the party leader also has him engage in the same goofy antics as the rest of the cast, including making a funny face at his own reflection and then feeling self-conscious for doing so.
* EasilyForgiven: Nobody in the party appears to have any objections to working with him during the sixth chapter, with some such as Maya, Ragnar, and Torneko even making cheerful jokes about the situation. This despite him being responsible, either directly or indirectly, for all of the problems and trauma they've had to endure throughout the game.
* EnemyMine: His joining the party is depicted as being closer to this than a complete HeelFaceTurn. While he is grateful to the Hero for reuniting him with Rose, he makes it clear that he has no interest in changing his stance on humanity or befriending the party and is very irritated if he is brought along to do anything other than fight Aamon. After Aamon is defeated, his parting words to the Hero have him state that he has no idea if they will be enemies or allies when their paths inevitably cross again.
* GameplayAndStoryIntegration: As a demon, Psaro is immune to the negative effects of cursed items and can equip them without penalty when made a party member.
* HatesSmallTalk: The majority of his dialogue when spoken to in party chat consists of him showing either annoyance or indifference to the party trying to make small talk with him.
* HeavyEquipmentClass: As a playable character, he is not only able to equip heavy weapons and armor like the Hero and Ragnar can, but he's also able to wield cursed equipment without penalty.
* HolyBurnsEvil: Speaking to him in the church in the BonusDungeon has him mention that being in places like it make him feel ill, and he outright refuses to accompany the party into [[FluffyCloudHeaven Zenithia]] if they go there with him in it.
* InterfaceSpoiler: Speaking to him in the Hero's village at the start of Chapter 5 (the only time in the game when he appears as an [=NPC=] outside of cutscenes) from an angle reveals that he has diagonal movement sprites: a privilege that is otherwise reserved for permanent party members.
* {{Jerkass}}: Don't expect him to be any more pleasant as an ally than he was as an enemy; the majority of his party chat dialogue has him rudely dismiss any and all attempts at bonding.
* LoveRedeems: He is able to regain his original form, memory, and sanity during the sixth chapter of the remakes after the party brings Rose to him and she begs him to go back to normal. While it's actually Rose's ruby tears that cause the Secret of Evolution to be undone, the fact that it was her love for him that made her shed them still puts this trope in effect.
* MagicKnight: He has access to many of the strongest spells in the game in addition to having several powerful sword skills no one else in the party can use.
* MasterOfAll: As a playable character, he boasts top-class stats across the board (along with maxing out his strength and agility by the time he hits the LevelCap, his final HP value is only a few points lower than Ragnar's and his final MP value is second only to Maya's), he can also use many of the other party members' strongest spells (including Maya's Kaboom and Puff!, Kiryl's Thwack and Multiheal, and Borya's Oomph) along with many of his own (including the almighty Magic Burst) and is the only playable character capable of using sword techniques introduced in later games in the series such as Hatchet Man and Harvest Moon. Overall, he's a better frontline fighter and magic user than the party's specialists are. Even his one drawback of leveling up the slowest of any playable character is effectively nullified by him already being strong enough to outclass the rest of the party at his starting level.
* MasterSwordsman: He's the only party member capable of using sword skills introduced in later games in the series, like Harvest Moon, in battle.
* MutuallyExclusivePartyMembers: As Sparkie automatically leaves the party as soon as Rose is revived, it is impossible for him to be in the party at the same time as Psaro.
* MythologyGag: He was intended to become a party member in the original game, but was cut due to memory limitations. The remakes finally allow him to join the party.
* PromotedToPlayable: Goes from the FinalBoss of the original game to a playable character in the remakes.
* PurposefullyOverpowered: As a playable character, Psaro completely shatters the carefully-crafted CompetitiveBalance that exists between the rest of the party by being a MasterOfAll with access to abilities the game wasn't originally designed to even account for. Despite likely being a good 10 levels lower than the rest of the party when he's recruited, he will immediately encroach on everyone else's usefulness by virtue of how incredibly strong he is and will only continue to eclipse them as he levels up. Considering that he's the former BigBad and FinalBoss, though, being obscenely strong should be expected.
* TheQuietOne: Has much less party chat dialogue than the rest of the party, and what little he does have is often terse and to the point. Slightly justified by him being an EleventhHourRanger who is in the party for far less time than anyone else.
* RequiredPartyMember: Aamon will only fight the party at Diabolic Hall if Psaro is present in it, meaning that he must participate in the TrueFinalBoss battle.
* SecretCharacter: He can be recruited after beating the game if the player completes the BonusDungeon at least once, grabs the newly-bloomed Yggdrasil Flower from atop the World Tree, uses it at Rose's grave in Rosehill, and then takes the resurrected Rose to Psaro's lair in Nadiria. While he's required to face the TrueFinalBoss, the game only provides a small amount of prodding to get the player to do all of this, leaving it up to them to figure most of it out.
* SparedByTheAdaptation: The remakes allow him to regain his original form and sanity and join the heroes to defeat Aamon provided special conditions are met.
* StuckItems: Averted. As a party member, he is fully capable of using cursed weapons and armor with no penalty.
* SuperSenses: Bringing him to the BonusDungeon has him reveal in party chat that his PointyEars aren't just for show: he can hear Foo Yung and Chow Mein arguing several floors away from their actual location. Considering that each floor in the dungeon seems to be completely disconnected from the rest by magic, this is very impressive.
* TokenEvilTeammate: As a party member, he maintains his stance that HumansAreBastards, refuses to show any remorse for his past actions, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking and acts like a jerk when spoken to in party chat]]. His parting words to the Hero also have him suggest that he may still one day attempt to rise up against humanity even after all it has done for him.
* TokenNonHuman: He's the only non-human character that can be permanently recruited into the party.
* TriumphantReprise: Making him the party leader while walking around the world map causes a more upbeat and bombastic version of his theme music to play, changing its overall tone from somber to heroic to signify his newfound status as an ally.
* {{Tsundere}}: Remains cold to the rest of the party after he's recruited, but still watches contentedly with Rose as they fly off during the ending.
* WalkingSpoiler: As a SecretCharacter, every aspect of their existence counts as a spoiler.
[[/folder]]

!!Villains
[[folder:Psaro the Manslayer]]
!!!Psaro the Manslayer (Necrosaro / Death Pisaro)
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/442px_dqiv_ds_psaro_artwork.png]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:''Click for his Final Form.'']]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dragonquestiv_psarofinalform.png[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/ShuichiIkeda (Drama CD), Creator/DaisukeOno (''Dragon Quest Heroes'' series [JP], ''Dragon Quest Rivals'', ''Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince''), Gwilym Lee (''Dragon Quest Heroes'' series [EN], ''Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince'' [EN])

A powerful swordsman. He is a demon and bears the title "Master of Monsterkind" despite having a very humanoid appearance.

[[spoiler:For information about his appearance as a party member, see the 'Secret Party Member' entry in the 'Allies' section.]]
----
* ADayInTheLimelight: ''VideoGame/DragonQuestMonstersTheDarkPrince'' shows his childhood and how he became the Master of Monsterkind as a Monster Wrangler.
* AdaptationalAttractiveness: Downplayed. He received no character art in the original release of the game, leaving determining his appearance dependent entirely on interpreting his 8-bit sprites, but the remakes give him artwork that explicitly depicts him as a gorgeous LongHairedPrettyBoy and include multiple new lines of dialogue that describe him as being attractive in-universe to match.
* AdaptationalDyeJob: His sprite in the original game has spiky black hair, whereas from the remakes onwards he's depicted with long white hair.
* AdaptationalEarlyAppearance: The remakes explicitly show him to be the wandering bard who allowed monsters to invade the Hero's village at the beginning of the fifth chapter, whereas the original game uses a generic bard sprite to represent the character.
* AdaptationalPersonalityChange: He's made to speak in a less old-fashioned, more youthful way in the remakes compared to the original, though this is more obvious when comparing the Japanese scripts.
* AdaptationExpansion: The remakes include a flashback scene not seen in the original game that reveals how he and Rose first met. ''The Dark Prince'' is an even more elaborate expansion, showing ''all'' of what Psaro was up to during the course of ''IV''.
* AlasPoorVillain: [[spoiler: When confronted as the FinalBoss, he has turned himself into a raging monster in the name of avenging Rose, [[TheDarkSideWillMakeYouForget only for doing so to have caused him to completely forget who he is or why he is doing it]]. Considering that the rest of the game depicts him as a charismatic leader who genuinely wants to protect and improve the lives of non-humans, it's a sorry state to see him be reduced to.]]
* AmbiguousSpecies: Despite leading the monsters, he looks far more humanoid than any of his followers. His species is officially listed as "demon", though what exactly that means within the setting of the game has never been elaborated on. ''The Dark Prince'' subverts this, making it clear that he is both a human and monster hybrid, being born to a monster father and a human mother.
* BaitAndSwitchBoss: Most of Alena's chapter builds up the expectation that she will confront him in the final round of the Endor tournament, only for him to unexpectedly drop out before she even gets a chance to meet him in person.
* BeautyEqualsGoodness: A meta example. It's no coincidence that the most humanoid of the ''Dragon Quest'' series' [[BigBad Big Bads]] is also a TragicVillain that is treated with sympathy.
* BigBad: The leader of the monster forces terrorizing the world, the person spear-heading the operation to resurrect the Lord of the Underworld, and [[ItsPersonal the man responsible for destroying the Hero's hometown]]. [[spoiler:Subverted in the remakes, where the hidden chapter has him join forces with the party against his DragonWithAnAgenda.]]
* BishonenLine: Zig-zagged. While he, the leader and most powerful member of the monsters' forces, has the appearance of an attractive humanoid, [[spoiler: the OneWingedAngel form that he faces the party as is a hideous beast no different from his minions. This sudden subversion is likely deliberate, as it highlights how [[RevengeBeforeReason he has discarded his original motivation in the name of empty revenge]].]]
* BodyHorror: [[spoiler: While the final boss fight contains many instances of him spontaneously growing limbs, one moment stands out: after having his arms and head knocked off in his first form, a ''second face'' suddenly grows out of his limbless torso, with his pecs forming the eyes and his abs forming the mouth.]]
* BreakoutVillain: As the first villain in the series to be more than a generic EvilOverlord, he is one of the ''Dragon Quest'' series' most beloved antagonists. Along with getting an expanded role in the remakes, he is a frequent presence in spin-offs, far more so than any of the series' other villains. He even gets his own video game where he's the starring role in ''VideoGame/DragonQuestMonstersTheDarkPrince''.
* BroodingBoyGentleGirl: The brooding boy to Rose's gentle girl. The two are deeply in love with each other, but Psaro is a cold and haughty demon who desires to exterminate humanity in retaliation for its persecution of non-humans whereas Rose is a kindhearted elf who just wants to live in peace with Psaro away from the rest of the world.
* CaptainErsatz: His appearance from the remakes onward strongly resembles [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII Sephiroth]], though whether this was a deliberate homage or merely a coincidence (attractive white-haired men are hardly rare antagonists in Japanese media) has been the subject of great debate for years.
* CleavageWindow: His shirt has a low neckline that exposes his chest and abs.
* ContrastingSequelAntagonist: While the main villains of previous games in the series were all monstrous {{Card Carrying Villain}}s with the shallow motivation of taking over the world, Psaro is a humanoid with a more complex desire to eliminate humanity for the sake of protecting his non-human loved ones. He also notably defies the OrcusOnHisThrone trope by playing a proactive part in accomplishing his plans and antagonizing the party, to the point where he isn't even in his lair when the party infiltrates it.
* CreateYourOwnHero: TheHero [[DownplayedTrope was already destined to fight him]], but Psaro ([[spoiler:or rather, Dolph]]) going out of his way to slaughter the HiddenElfVillage raising them in secret certainly made sure ItsPersonal.
* TheDarkSideWillMakeYouForget: [[spoiler:After using the Secret of Evolution on himself, he loses all memory of who he is or what he wanted to do and instead chooses to attack the party in a blind rage.]]
* DependingOnTheArtist: Prior to having his design solidified in the remakes, Psaro was never depicted in any official artwork. As such, his appearance varied wildly whenever he was shown in ancillary materials such as tie-in manga, drama [=CDs=], or novels. ''The Dark Prince'' changed his design again, giving him a younger appearance and a different outfit.
* DevilInPlainSight: Sneaks into the Hero's village posing as a human bard at the beginning of chapter 5 to allow monsters to break into it. While he wears a disguise consisting of the sprites used for all generic bard characters in the original game, he doesn't wear one at all in the remakes. One wonders how the people of the Hero's village could believe that a sword-carrying man dressed in black with PointyEars and [[RedEyesTakeWarning red eyes]] was anything other than bad news. ''The Dark Prince'' would {{Retcon}} this back to the original version, re-establishing that he ''was'' in disguise with the Morph spell at the time.
* TheDreaded: His participation in the Endor Tourney clearly left a ''bad'' impression on the people of the kingdom, as talking with any of them about him causes them to freak out. Even before he is formally introduced, speaking with party members about him shows that all of them (other than [[FearlessFool Alena]]) are unsettled just from [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast hearing his name]].
* EarlyInstallmentCharacterDesignDifference: His sprites in the original game depict him with spiky black hair and a red cape. It wasn't until the [=PlayStation=] remake onwards that his design was solidified.
* EvilCounterpart:
** To the Hero. Both are young people who have set out on journeys to defeat an enemy race and avenge their loved ones, but the Hero is a human who fights monsters and Psaro is a monster who fights humans. The Hero is TheChosenOne destined from birth to save humanity from the Lord of the Underworld while Psaro is directly attempting to [[ScrewDestiny subvert destiny]] by killing the Hero before they are able to do so [[spoiler:and uses the Secret of Evolution to instate himself as Lord of the Underworld after Estark is defeated]]. The Hero is also an AllLovingHero who never allows grief or anger to distract them from their goal of saving humanity even after their village is destroyed, whereas Psaro [[spoiler:completely loses himself after Rose is killed and transforms into a rampaging monster with no memory of his past or motivation in the name of revenge]]. [[spoiler:The remakes further this when Psaro is made a playable character, where his combat abilities mirror the Hero's own MagicKnight status and he is given his own unique set of equipment known as the Pandemonic Armor to serve as a counterpart to the Zenithian Armor.]]
** To [[VideoGame/DragonQuestVI Terry]] as of ''Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince''. Both were Monster Tamers in their youth, both are motivated to protect the one they cared about (Milly and Rose), both have Lightning Storm as one of their abilities, and both succumbed to the worst of monsterkind (Terry making a deal with Dhuran and Psaro being manipulated by Aamon to become the new Lord of the Underworld). However, while Terry only made a deal with Dhuran in order to gain more power and eventually joined the party after being defeated, Psaro used the Secret of Evolution in a fit of rage after Rose was murdered by human thugs arranged by Aamon so he could become the new Master of Monsterkind.
* EvilMakesYouUgly: [[spoiler: Using the Secret of Evolution on himself causes him to go from a handsome swordsman to a hideous monster. His use of it coincides with him JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope and discarding his original plans in the name of avenging Rose's death.]]
* FashionableAsymmetry: He wears only one spiked pauldron on his left shoulder.
* FinalBoss: The final opponent the player faces in the story.
* TheFourthWallWillNotProtectYou: [[spoiler: His final form is so enormous that it starts to overlap with the status and message windows in the original game. This became a tradition for the series' final bosses from then on.]]
* FrameUp: ''VideoGame/DragonQuestMonstersTheDarkPrince'' reveals that [[spoiler:he ''wasn’t'' responsible for the massacre of the hero’s DoomedHometown but rather his older half-brother, Dolph, framed him for the deed by pretending to be him when carrying it out.]]
* FreakOut: [[spoiler:He completely loses it after Rose's death, abandoning the measured pragmatism he displayed throughout the rest of the game in favor of using the Secret of Evolution on himself to turn into a monster and go on a rampage.]]
* FriendToAllLivingThings: Provided the things aren't [[HumansAreBastards human]], at least; visiting [[HiddenElfVillage Rosehill]] shows that Psaro treats elves, dwarves, and animals just as well as he does monsters and is beloved by them in turn.
* TheGhost: His name comes up in every single chapter of the game, but he only starts to appear in person during the fifth one.
* GreenAndMean: [[spoiler: The form he eventually takes after using the Secret of Evolution on himself is a humongous, double-headed green monster.]]
* HeWhoFightsMonsters: While he's driven to destroy humanity by his outrage at their cruelty toward non-humans, he engages in plenty of comparably heinous behavior himself over the course of the game. It's hard to really take his side when he freely slaughters innocents in the name of accomplishing his goals.
* AHeroToHisHometown: Visiting Rosehill, a hidden colony of non-humans where Psaro acted as the leader, or rather, as a Monster Wrangler prior to becoming Master of Monsterkind, shows him to be beloved by the citizens. In particular, there are numerous [[UpliftedAnimal Uplifted Animals]] he imbued with the ability to speak human language via the Secret of Evolution who never waste a moment to talk about how grateful they are to him for doing so.
* HumansAreBastards: His primary motivation for attempting to destroy humanity is his disgust at its perceived arrogance and mistreatment of the other race of the world. In particular, he's enraged that humans hunt elves, his lover's species, for profit. ''The Dark Prince'' adds that he and his dear mother had also been personally victimized by humans.
* IdiotHair: His updated look has one strand of hair conspicuously afloat.
* InformedAbility: While he's ostensibly a MasterSwordsman, he never gets to show off his skills onscreen. In ''The Dark Prince'', he's been cursed to be incapable of harming a monster, meaning he only occasionally gets to draw a sword when he's given an excuse to do so against a human. [[spoiler: Averted in the remakes, where his time as a party member clearly demonstrates his skill.]]
* {{Irony}}: Befitting a [[WellIntentionedExtremist Well-Intentioned]] TragicVillain, Psaro's life is filled with many ironies:
** He despises humanity for its brutality towards nonhumans, [[HeWhoFightsMonsters yet engages in just as much brutality himself in his crusade against it]].
** He organized an attack on the Hero's village with the intent of killing them before they could fulfill their destiny and defeat the Lord of the Underworld, only for doing so to be the inciting action that pushes them to begin their adventure.
*** ''The Dark Prince'' adds two layers to it, being that monsters on orders from his father, Randolfo, tried to bring him in, yet that very action is what motivated him to start his quest to become the Master of Monsterkind. [[spoiler:And the attack on Solo's home village wasn't his doing at all!]]
** [[spoiler:His primary motivation for waging war on humanity is his fear that its greed and cruelty will drive it to hurt the woman he loves. Said woman is ultimately killed by one of his own monster subordinates as part of a scheme to usurp him as leader of monsterkind and, in the remakes, is brought back to life by the selflessness of the Hero, a human.]]
** [[spoiler:Among his plans for crippling humanity was destroying Yggdrasil, the World Tree. In the remakes, it is only through Yggdrasil's power that he is able to reunite with his lost lover and regain his original form and senses. He even notes this irony himself if he's taken to Yggdrasil and spoken to in party chat afterwards.]]
* ItsPersonal: He's directly responsible for the monster attack that destroyed the Hero's village and killed all of their loved ones. [[spoiler:Or not]], according to ''The Dark Prince'', but [[spoiler:the Hero ''thinks'' he is]].
* KarmaHoudini: Psaro leads his forces to massacre {{The Hero}}'s hometown; NPC chatter in Chapter 2 indicates that he fights enemies to the death, which further implies that he's taking advantage of the Endor Tourney--which is specifically trying to attract the strongest fighters in the land--to murder any potential competition to his plan. While he is ultimately slain by the party in the main story, [[spoiler:the remakes sweep his mass murder under the rug in the post-game content once LoveRedeems him.]] ''The Dark Prince'' [[spoiler:further softens him, revealing that he ''wasn't'' responsible for the attack on the Hero's hometown but was in reality [[FrameUp framed for the deed]] by his older half-brother, Dolph, and that he didn't kill his Endor opponents either.]]
* KickTheDog: While he is a far more sympathetic character than most other villains in the series, he is still given multiple moments that keep the player from siding with him. In particular, his willingness to [[WouldHurtAChild harm children]] and slaughter an entire village of innocent people in the name of keeping the Hero from appearing to foil him are both inarguably monstrous actions. [[spoiler:However, the latter WAS technically a frame up done by his older brother Dolph, according to ''The Dark Prince'', so that can be excused.]]
* MagicKnight: He's both a powerful wizard and a skilled swordsman.
* TheMagnificent: "The Manslayer", which conveys both his great strength and hatred of humans.
* MarathonBoss: [[spoiler:Psaro's FinalBoss fight has the distinction of being a OneWingedAngel that ''averts'' TransformationIsAFreeAction. While he originally presents himself as a clone of Estark, you have to sever each of his arms and then his head... only for his torso to sprout a face and keep fighting. He then proceeds to grow back each arm, elongate his legs, and finally manifest a second head atop his body before finally going down for good. Mechanically, it's a boss fight with ''seven phases''.]]
* MasterSwordsman: His participation in the Endor Tournament has numerous people remark on his incredible swordsmanship. [[spoiler: The remakes demonstrate this when he's recruited by having him be the only party member capable of using sword skills like Harvest Moon in battle.]]
* MeaningfulName: 'Psaro' is phonetically identical to the word 'sorrow', befitting a TragicVillain with more depth than the series' usual antagonists.
* MrFanservice: The remakes turn him into this by making him a tall, handsome man with long, silky hair and an open tunic that exposes his chiseled chest and abs.
* NamedAfterSomebodyFamous: His Japanese name is derived from the Spanish Conquistador Francisco Pizarro, whose invasion of Peru, which led to the destruction of the Incan Empire, parallels his own crusade against humanity.
* OfficialCouple: He and Rose are already an item by the start of the game.
* OneWingedAngel: [[spoiler:Uses the Secret of Evolution on himself at the end of the game to replace Estark as the Lord of the Underworld; beginning as a recolored clone of him before steadily evolving his body into a towering green monstrosity with two heads.]]
* PaletteSwap: [[spoiler: His first form during the final boss fight is a brown recolor of Estark. Particularly noteworthy as this color scheme would go on to become Estark's default look in all of his future appearances.]]
* PetTheDog:
** He used the Secret of Evolution to uplift the animals around [[HiddenElfVillage Rosehill]], giving them the ability to talk. This wasn’t done out of pragmatic means, as they’re not hostile towards you when they visit (although they're still wary of humans), so apparently he did this for no other reason other than to make their lives easier. [[spoiler: Speaking to him in party chat after talking with the Queen of Femiscrya in the remakes has him remark to himself that the days he spent living in Rosehill were the happiest of his life.]]
** [[spoiler: For all of his abrasive attitude when working with the party in the remake, he is shown watching them float through the air above Rosehill during the credits, suggesting that [[AwLookTheyReallyDoLoveEachOther he came to care about them on some level by the end]].]]
* PointyEars: Possesses a set of pointy ears that signify him as a non-human.
* RedAndBlackAndEvilAllOver: He's the game's BigBad and wears an outfit composed almost entirely of blacks and reds.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: Has red eyes that signify that he is a demon.
* RescueRomance: The remakes, as well as ''The Dark Prince'', reveal that he first met Rose after rescuing her from a human attempting to capture her to profit from her ruby tears.
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: While the exact details are never fully disclosed, he seems to be on a crusade of revenge against humanity for its mistreatment of the other races of the world. [[spoiler:It only gets worse once Rose dies]].
* SpikesOfVillainy: The spiky pauldron worn on his left shoulder.
* TheStoic: Not much phases him. [[spoiler: [[FreakOut Rose's death, however...]]]]
* TragicVillain: He engages in many despicable actions over the course of the game, but all in the name of making the world a better place for non-humans. [[spoiler:After his lover is killed, he loses himself to grief and rage and becomes a mindless monster.]]
* TraumaCongaLine: [[spoiler:In rapid succession, he learns that the Hero he thought he had killed was still alive; that they and their party have already succeeded in killing the Lord of the Underworld; and that his lover was lynched by humans while he was away. The deluge of stress causes him to [[FreakOut completely lose it]] and willingly discard his sense of reason in the name of taking over as Lord of the Underworld and having his revenge on humanity.]]
* TheUnchosenOne: A rare antagonist example. While Psaro is the game's BigBad and leader of the monsters, he ''isn't'' the Lord of the Underworld spoken of in the prophecy - he's just the person trying to revive him. His evil plan also involves trying to kill the Hero before they can fulfill their destiny [[spoiler:and he later forcefully makes himself the ''new'' Lord of the Underworld using the Secret of Evolution after Estark is defeated]], meaning that he's actively trying to subvert what is prophecized.
* TheUnfought: After considerable build-up, he is not encountered at all in the Endor Tournament and the second chapter ends with Alena not even managing to meet him. [[spoiler:As he transforms into a monster during the FinalBoss battle, he is never fought in his humanoid form.]]
* UnwittingPawn: [[spoiler:The remakes alter the story slightly to reveal that Psaro's FreakOut and ensuing behavior after Rose's death were very much intended by Aamon, who desired to have him eliminated so that he could take over as ruler of monsterkind. ''Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince'' reveals that path was already in motion when he cleared Rank G of the Maullosseum, and it only gets worse from there.]]
* VillainHasAPoint: From what we see, many humans really do treat elves like disposable sources of revenue despite them being peaceful, intelligent creatures.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: He genuinely wants to make the world a better place for non-humans, but believes the solution for doing so is exterminating all of humanity.
* WhiteHairBlackHeart: He has flowing white hair and evil ambitions in mind. That being said, his motives are very understandable despite his antagonistic nature, and he treats all creatures that aren't humans very well.
* WorfHadTheFlu: [[spoiler:The remakes establish that he used an incomplete form of the Secret of Evolution on himself, causing him to lose his mind after evolving his body. As such, he wasn't as effective against the party as he would have been in a clearer state of mind.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Aamon]]
!!!Aamon (Radimvice / Evil Priest)
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dragonquestiv_aamon.png]][[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:''Click for his Ashtaroth form.'']]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dqivds___aamon___seventh_forme.png[[/labelnote]]]][[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:''Click for his Ashtaroth form's full power.'']]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dqiv_aamon_final_monster_forme.png[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/TomomichiNishimura (Drama CD), Creator/BinShimada (''Dragon Quest Rivals'', ''Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince'' [JP]), Creator/DavidAnnen (''Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince'' EN)

One of Psaro's four strongest minions. An ambitious monster with lofty plans that may or may not be in his master's best interest...
----
* AdaptationalRelationshipOverhaul: [[spoiler:His dialogue in the original game has him state the he killed Rose so that Psaro would become the new Lord of the Underworld in Estark's place, suggesting that he is genuinely loyal to his master but in a twisted way that disregards Psaro's actual thoughts and feelings. The remakes instead position him as a DragonWithAnAgenda who manipulated Psaro into becoming the new Lord of the Underworld with the intent of having him get killed off so that he could usurp him as leader of monsterkind.]]
* AdaptationalVillainy: [[spoiler:While he is responsible for Rose's death in every version of the game, his dialogue in the original indicates that he believes doing so to be a necessary step for Psaro to awaken as the new Lord of the Underworld. The remakes completely change his dialogue to instead portray him as TheStarscream who killed Rose with the intent of driving Psaro to madness so that he would be killed by the heroes and create a power vacuum among monsters that Aamon could fill.]]
* AnIcePerson: Casts Kacrack in his initial boss fight, as well as Kacrackle during the Barrier Guardians boss fight. He can also breathe a C-C-Cold Breath in his Ashtaroth form.
* AscendedExtra: [[spoiler:Only appears once in the original game as a part of the four end-game bosses that need to be defeated in order to face Psaro, but is made into the TrueFinalBoss and ultimate villain of the remakes.]]
* BigBadWannabe: From ''The Dark Prince'': [[spoiler:For all his scheming and manipulating Psaro, he falls short of usurping Randolfo's throne, since Randolfo already found the Secret of Evolution and was already aware that Aamon was scheming behind his back.]]
* BlowYouAway: Cast Kaswoosh in his initial boss fight, as well as Kaswooshle during the Barrier Guardians boss fight.
* BreakoutVillain: [[spoiler:He is no more prominent than Psaro's other three CoDragons in the original game, and can in fact be defeated the earliest among them if the player so chooses, but easily stands out the most for revealing himself to be responsible for Rose's death and Psaro's ensuing FreakOut. As such, the remakes elevate him to the position of TrueFinalBoss and tweak his motivation to make it clear that he is TheStarscream. He also becomes a recurring monster in the series itself, and is the GreaterScopeVillain for ''VideoGame/DragonQuestMonstersTheDarkPrince''...at first.]]
* CastingAShadow: Casts Kazammle, as well as Continuous Dolmadon, when faced in ''VideoGame/DragonQuestX''.
* TheChessmaster: His schemes ensure that Rose is murdered, Psaro uses the Secret of Evolution on himself to destroy the humans, and survive his run in with the Chosen at Castle Nadiria so he could become the new Master of Monsterkind. It works, had Rose not been revived with a Yggdrasil Flower and helps the Chosen save Psaro from himself. ''The Dark Prince'' reveals he has a hand in getting Psaro to fight in the Maullosseum so the future Master of Monsterkind can become strong enough to fight Randolfo and take his throne.
* CoDragons: He's one of Psaro's four strongest servants entrusted with guarding the towers that generate the magical barrier around his castle. While all four must be defeated before the party can face Psaro, they can be fought in any order. Unlike the other three, he's a DragonWithAnAgenda.
* DarkIsEvil: [[spoiler:His final form when fought as the TrueFinalBoss in the remake is a black-colored version of his Ashtaroth form.]]
* DragonWithAnAgenda: [[spoiler:Secretly arranges for Psaro's lover to be killed to push him into using the Secret of Evolution on himself to become the new Lord of the Underworld. In the original game, this is done out of a misguided desire for Psaro to replace Estark, but in the remakes, it's done with the intent of having the heroes kill Psaro off so that he may take his place as the Master of Monsterkind.]]
* EliteFour: He's one of Psaro's four strongest servants entrusted with guarding the towers that generate the magical barrier around his castle.
* EstablishingCharacterMoment:
** [[spoiler:Chronologically in ''The Dark Prince'', Aamon is pleased that Psaro has cleared Rank G of the Maullosseum, but notes that the future Master of Monsterkind is still too weak to usurp his father's throne and he must grow stronger to succeed. Those 2 sentences show the scheming Chessmaster he will later be to Psaro himself in due time, while cluing players to the fact that Psaro's UnwittingPawn status to Aamon has just begun.]]
** When first confronted by the Chosen at his Barrier Den in Nadiria, he says that Psaro is evolving and will destroy humanity before he ceases to exist, before revealing himself as Rose's killer and makes it clear that Psaro will no longer be the Master of Monsterkind, showing that his schemes to become the new Master of Monsterkind are finally bearing fruit and he was behind the humans killing Rose.
* EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep: His name in the Japanese version is 'Evil Priest', which seems to also be his profession.
* EvilSorcerer: A ruthless and powerful wizard.
* EvilSoundsRaspy: Aamon's voice, provided by David Annen, in ''Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince'' has a low old-sounding rasp.
* FauxAffablyEvil:
** After Psaro rescues Duffer, the monster who would later become Psaro's Pawn, he commends Psaro for his efforts in Nadiria and tells him about the Secret of Evolution as a means to overthrow his father, though it's plainly obvious to anyone who played ''IV'' that's it's NOT a good power to use on oneself.
** If Psaro is not in the Chosen's party or the Chosen themselves have not begun the quest to obtain a Yggdrasil Flower to revive Rose, Aamon commends them for their bravery in visiting Diabolic Hall and doesn't fight them, instead opting to tell them that Psaro is still evolving in Nadiria and will destroy humanity if not stopped in time, though he's still hoping that either the Chosen or Psaro are killed in battle.
* FlunkyBoss: He's flanked by three Drooling Ghouls when first fought, which is retained in various spinoff-appearances. ''Dragon Quest X'' also has Fire, Ice, and Earth Converges aiding him in battle, as well as Barbatos, Rashaverak, and Pruslas during the Barrier Guardians boss fight.
* {{Foil}}:
** To Pruslas. While both are the more scheming and villainous members of Psaro's EliteFour, Pruslas is merely a CombatPragmatist who uses cheap tricks to gain the upper hand in combat whereas Aamon is a [[TheChessmaster Chessmaster]] [[DragonWithAnAgenda with goals beyond his master's]] and whose elaborate plot drives the endgame. In battle, Pruslas is a MightyGlacier reliant on physical attacks for damage while Aamon is an EvilSorcerer that utilizes various spells.
** To Rashaverak. While both are a part of Psaro's EliteFour, Rashaverak possesses UndyingLoyalty toward his master whereas Aamon is a DragonWithAnAgenda.
* INeedYouStronger: [[spoiler:Outright says he needs Psaro to become more powerful to defeat Randolfo in ''Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince'' after clearing Rank G of the Mausoleum.]]
* KarmicDeath: In ''The Dark Prince'', [[spoiler:Aamon is killed by Dolph, the same person who he planned to use the Secret of Evolution on to go berserk.]]
* KarmaHoudiniWarranty: In the remakes, [[spoiler:[[UnexplainedRecovery he inexplicably survives his defeat at the heroes' hands]] and takes Psaro's place as the new Master of Monsterkind after he loses his mind. If the player makes the effort to revive Rose and restore Psaro's sanity, then he and the party join forces to finally defeat Aamon for good.]]
* KingMook: He's a recolored version of the Vis Mager enemies encountered in the late game.
* ManipulativeBastard: [[spoiler:Exploits his master's hatred of humans and love for Rose by arranging for a group of human criminals to kill her, causing Psaro to become so grief-stricken that he uses the Secret of Evolution on himself.]]
* MinorMajorCharacter: [[spoiler:In the original game, he is directly responsible for the TraumaCongaLine that pushes Psaro into using the Secret of Evolution himself. Despite this, he is no more prominent than any of the other members of Psaro's EliteFour and is killed off by the party in his first encounter with them (which is also the first and only time he ever appears in the game). While the remakes remedy this to an extent by making him the TrueFinalBoss, he still maintains the abrupt introduction he has in the original.]]
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Aamon is one of the demons in Literature/ArsGoetia. [[spoiler:Ashtaroth, an alternate name for Astaroth, is also one on top of being one of the Great Dukes of Hell.]]
* OneWingedAngel: [[spoiler:Uses the Secret of Evolution to turn into Ashtaroth, a monster that resembles Psaro the Manslayer's green monster form, but retains his own memories.]]
* OptionalBoss: He and his [[OneWingedAngel Ashtaroth form]] can be faced in ''VideoGame/DragonQuestX'' as Coin Bosses.
* PaletteSwap: [[spoiler:His Ashtaroth form he takes during the second encounter with him in the remakes is a recolor of Psaro's final form.]]
* PlayingWithFire: Casts Frizzle in his initial boss fight, as well as Kafrizz and Godspeed Melagaia in his Ashtaroth form, in addition to breathing Inferno and Scorch.
* PurpleIsPowerful: [[spoiler:His Ashtaroth form's second coloration during Phase 6 of the True Final Battle against him, as well as reaching half health in other appearances such as ''X'' and ''Of the Stars''.]]
* TheStarscream: Aamon pretends to be Psaro's loyal servant while plotting to destroy him and become the new Master of Monsterkind. [[spoiler:This also extends into ''The Dark Prince'' where he's using Psaro to defeat his father to become the Master of Monsterkind. [[SubvertedTrope Unlike Psaro, however, Randolfo sees through his scheming and has Dolph kill him.]]]]
* StatusBuffDispel: Just like other ''Dragon Quest'' villains, he uses Disruptive Wave in his Ashtaroth form to remove the Chosen and Psaro's buffs, which is retained in ''X'' and various spinoff appearances.
* StuffBlowingUp: Casts Kaboom during the true final battle, as well as Kaboomle in ''VideoGame/DragonQuestX''.
* ThePawnsGoFirst: During the Barrier Guardians boss fight in ''Dragon Quest X'', he sits back and lets Pruslas, Barbatos, and Rashaverak do the fighting while he's protected from spells and skills by a barrier until the 3 of them are defeated, causing him to fight.
* TookALevelInBadass: Not only does the remakes of ''IV'' have him use the Secret of Evolution during the true final battle with him,[[note]]Granting him more spells and abilities, such as Magic Burst.[[/note]]but ''VideoGame/DragonQuestX'' gives him more spells and abilities, such as Kaboomle, Kazammle, and Spooky Curse Ball, while allowing Magical Converges to aid him in battle. In addition, his Ashtaroth form has more spells and abilities in various spin-off appearances, such as Chaos Stream.
* TrueFinalBoss: The remakes feature him as the final boss of the added sixth chapter.
* UnexplainedRecovery: The sixth chapter in the remakes has him recover from his prior defeat without any explanation. [[spoiler:''The Dark Prince'' reveals an idea of how he recovered: He simply walks away while pretending to curse his defeat.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Pruslas]]
!!!Pruslas (Gigademon)
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dqmj2_pruslas.png]]
One of Psaro's four strongest minions. A devious monster willing to use dirty tactics to get ahead in battle.\\
\\
For tropes relating to the Pruslases themselves as normal enemies, along with their Night Clubber relatives, see [[Characters/DragonQuestRecurringMonsters here]].
----
* ArtEvolution: Originally shared the same appearance as Balzack's second form before the Playstation 1 remake onwards gives him his current appearance, which sticks for all future appearances, save for ''Battle Road II Legend'' and ''Battle Road Victory''.
* CombatPragmatist: He tells the Chosen to face away from him with the promise of treasure before the battle with him, and inflicts a sneak attack if they fall for it. ''The Dark Prince'' instead has him tell Psaro to go to the middle of the room as a reward for defeating Massimus, though the same result will happen if the future Master of Monsterkind falls for it.
* CoDragons: He's one of Psaro's four strongest servants entrusted with guarding the towers that generate the magical barrier around his castle. While all four must be defeated before the party can face Psaro, they can be fought in any order.
* DegradedBoss: Goes from one of Psaro's four strongest servants to a generic {{Elite Mook}} in future titles from ''Dragon Quest X'' onwards, with the big guy himself still appearing as a trickster in ''VideoGame/DragonQuestHeroesII''.
* DirtyCoward: Speaking to Maya in party chat after defeating him in the remakes has her accuse him of being one - claiming that his reliance on cheap tricks to fight the party suggests that he lacked confidence in his ability to do so through his own power. In ''VideoGame/DragonQuestMonstersTheDarkPrince'', he flees when Massimus attacks him, yet when his future master defeats the Bilhaw, he finishes him off.
* EliteFour: He's one of Psaro's four strongest servants entrusted with guarding the towers that generate the magical barrier around his castle.
* FatBastard: He's a hulking brute with a massive gut and is also a devious CombatPragmatist who attempts to use dirty tactics against the party.
* FauxAffablyEvil: When the Chosen encounter him, he praises their strength and claims that he will give them treasure as a reward if it faces away from him. If they do what he says, he reveals this to have been a ruse and instead uses the opportunity to attack them while their backs are turned.
* {{Foil}}:
** To Aamon. While both are the more scheming and villainous members of Psaro's EliteFour, Pruslas is merely a CombatPragmatist who uses cheap tricks to gain the upper hand in combat whereas Aamon is a [[TheChessmaster Chessmaster]] [[DragonWithAnAgenda with goals beyond his master's]] and whose elaborate plot drives the endgame. In battle, Pruslas is a MightyGlacier reliant on physical attacks for damage while Aamon is an EvilSorcerer that utilizes various spells.
** To Barbatos. While both are the most physically-oriented members of Psaro's EliteFour, Pruslas is a DirtyCoward who prefers to cheat over relying on his own abilities whereas Barbatos takes pride and his strength and faces the party without any gimmicks.
* GameplayAndStoryIntegration:
** He's characterized as a CombatPragmatist who prefers cheating to get the upper hand over his opponents. Fittingly, his tower requires the player to navigate through a maze of Terracotta Warriors before it can face him. Furthermore, falling for his trick upon reaching him in the remakes causes the battle to begin as an ambush, granting him a free hit.
** Maya accuses him of being a DirtyCoward whose reliance on cheap tricks suggests that he has little confidence in his own strength. This is supported by his tactics during the actual battle, which are more [[GoddamnedBoss frustrating]] than they are effective, making him arguably the easiest of Psaro's EliteFour to defeat.
* GameplayAndStorySegregation: In the original version of the game, he will never ambush the party during the battle against him even if it falls for his trick beforehand. This was fixed in the remakes.
* MinorMajorCharacter: While he's one of Psaro's EliteFour, his role in the story begins and ends when the players confronts him to break the barrier protecting Psaro's castle and he only speaks two lines of dialogue.
* StoneWall: He has very high HP and can defend against the party's attacks to reduce the damage he takes from them. While his attacks aren't weak, however, he is only able to hit one party member per turn with them, making his damage output lackluster and very easy to counteract by the time you fight him. The battle against him isn't necessarily hard, [[DamageSpongeBoss but it will certainly take a while]].
* UndignifiedDeath: The only one among Psaro's EliteFour who doesn't get to have any last words, instead merely gasping in pain as he dies.
* UnskilledButStrong: When fought as a boss, his stats are as high as you would expect from an endgame boss but all he can do is a basic attack, cast Kasap on the party to lower its defenses, and defend to improve his own. He also only has 8 MP to burn, meaning that he can only cast Kasap twice before having to rely entirely on his basic attack to get by. The remakes give him a high critical hit rate to make said attack more threatening.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Rashaverak]]
!!!Rashaverak (Anderoug / Andreal)
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dqiv_rashaverak.png]]
One of Psaro's four strongest minions. A loyal monster willing to lay down his own life for his master's sake.
----
* ArtEvolution: Originally had a gray coloration before ''VII'' onwards gave him his current look, which sticks for all his later appearances, even the remake of his debut game.
* BreathWeapon: Befitting of a dragon monster, he can breathe Scalding Gas, as well as Flame Breath, Inferno, Freezing Blizzard, and Burning Breath.
* CoDragons: {{Pun}} aside, he's one of Psaro's four strongest servants entrusted with guarding the towers that generate the magical barrier around his castle. While all four must be defeated before the party can face Psaro, they can be fought in any order. Fittingly, he also comes across as the most loyal to him of the bunch.
* DegradedBoss: Goes from one of the [[BigBad Big Bad's]] EliteFour and a unique character to a run of the mill {{Mook}} in later titles from ''VideoGame/DragonQuestVII'' onwards, though he regains his boss status in ''VideoGame/DragonQuestX''.
* FlatCharacter: While none of Psaro's EliteFour outside of Aamon receive much in the way of characterization, Rashaverak gets by far the least. His one standout character trait is his loyalty toward Psaro, which the others outside of [[DragonWithAnAgenda Aamon]] can also be assumed to possess to a lesser degree.
* {{Foil}}: To Aamon. While both are a part of Psaro's EliteFour, Rashaverak possesses UndyingLoyalty toward his master whereas Aamon is a DragonWithAnAgenda.
* GivenNameReveal: ''VideoGame/DragonQuestMonstersTheDarkPrince'' reveals that Rashaverak is actually just the name of his monster species and that his actual name is Blaise.
* TheLeader: He is the leader of the Brimstone Boys, a gang consisting of himself and his two identical younger brothers, Ash and Bernie.
* ALighterShadeOfBlack: While he's still a villain, he demonstrates VillainousValor through his loyalty toward Psaro, making him more admirable than the likes of [[DragonWithAnAgenda Aamon]] and [[DirtyCoward Pruslas]]. The remakes even have Borya praise him for this if he's spoken to in party chat after Rashaverak's defeat.
* LuckilyMyShieldWillProtectMe: Drops the very useful Dragon Shield upon his defeat, which reduces the damages its wielder takes from breath attacks.
* MesACrowd: Can summon clones of himself in ''IV'', ''IX'', and ''X'', [[EnemySummoner as well as summon]] [[MookMedic Healslimes]] in ''VII''. Possibly {{subverted}}, as ''VideoGame/DragonQuestMonstersTheDarkPrince'' heavily implies that his 'clones' were actually just his two identical younger brothers, Ash and Bernie.
* MinorMajorCharacter: While he's one of Psaro's EliteFour, his role in the story begins and ends when the players confronts him to break the barrier protecting Psaro's castle and he only speaks two lines of dialogue.
* RedemptionEarnsLife: [[spoiler: He, along with his other siblings are the only member of Psaro’s EliteFour that redeemed and survived in ''VideoGame/DragonQuestMonstersTheDarkPrince'']]
* UndyingLoyalty: What little dialogue he has paints him as being incredibly loyal to Psaro, declaring it to be his duty to defend his barrier with his life before his battle with the Chosen and using his final breaths to praise him after his defeat.
* VillainousValor: Speaking to Borya in party chat after defeating him has the old wizard commend Rashaverak's devotion to Psaro even up to his final moments.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Barbatos]]
!!!Barbatos (Infurnus Shadow / Hellbattler)
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dqiv_barbatos.png]]

One of Psaro's four strongest minions. A valiant monster who takes great pride in his strength.\\
\\
For tropes relating to their relatives, Moosifers, Abullddons, and Master Moosifers, as well as Barbatoses as normal enemies themselves, see [[Characters/DragonQuestRecurringMonsters here]].
----
* BeardOfEvil: Sports a thick beard and is one of Psaro's top enforcers.
* BoringButPractical: Doesn't have any particular gimmicks like the rest of Psaro's entourage, but compensates by being the strongest of the four of them individually, in terms of both stats and abilities.
* BreathWeapon: Uses both [[PlayingWithFire Inferno]] and [[AnIcePerson Chilly Breath]] in battle.
* BrutishBulls: Has the appearance of a demonic bull-man.
* CoDragons: He's one of Psaro's four strongest servants entrusted with guarding the towers that generate the magical barrier around his castle. While all four must be defeated before the Chosen can face Psaro, they can be fought in any order.
* CoolSword: Drops the very useful Miracle Sword upon his defeat, which heals a portion of its wielder's HP when used to attack and can be equipped by most of the Chosen, such as Ragnar.
* DegradedBoss: Goes from one of the [[BigBad Big Bad's]] EliteFour and a unique character to a recurring end game {{Mook}} in later ''Dragon Quest'' titles, though he's a boss once again in ''VideoGame/DragonQuestX''.
* EliteFour: He's one of Psaro's four strongest servants entrusted with guarding the towers that generate the magical barrier around his castle.
* {{Foil}}: To Pruslas. While both are the most physically-oriented members of Psaro's EliteFour, Pruslas is a DirtyCoward who prefers to cheat over relying on his own abilities whereas Barbatos takes pride and his strength and faces the Chosen without any gimmicks.
* GameplayAndStoryIntegration: What little dialogue he has depicts him as being confident in his strength and eager to take on the Chosen. Fittingly, he is the only member of Psaro's EliteFour who does not use any sort of trickery in either the design of his tower or during his boss fight.
* GracefulLoser: Accepts his loss against the Chosen without any fuss.
* KingMook: He's a recolored version of the Moosifer and Abullddon enemies encountered in the game.
* ALighterShadeOfBlack: While he's still a villain, he employs no dirty tricks against the party when he fights against it, isn't suggested to have any agenda of his own, and genuinely praises the heroes after he's defeated. For what little screentime he gets, he comes across as something of a NobleDemon.
* MightyRoar: Has War Cry to try and scare the Chosen in battle to make them lose their turn.
* MinorMajorCharacter: While he's one of Psaro's EliteFour, his role in the story begins and ends when the Chosen confronts him to break the barrier protecting Psaro's castle and he only speaks two lines of dialogue.
* VillainRespect: After he's defeated, he praises the party for its strength but still insists that it stands no chance against Psaro.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Balzack]]
!!!Balzack
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/baalzack.png]][[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:''Click for his Balzackian form.'']]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/balzackian.png[[/labelnote]]]][[caption-width-right:350:[[labelnote:''Balzack as he appears in Dragon Quest X.'']]https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/balzack.png[[/labelnote]]]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/BinShimada (Drama CD)
A former alchemist student working under Mahabala, Maya and Meena's father. When his teacher rediscovered the Secret of Evolution, he murders him and presents it to Psaro, becoming one of his henchmen.
----
* AGodAmI: When fought again at Castle Zamoksva during Chapter 5, he brags that his new body would be more god-like than Psaro himself, though he does not have the [[AmplifierArtifact Armlet of Transmutation]] to do so.
* AnIcePerson: Spews out Chilly Breath and cast Crackle in his Baalzack form, while later appearances give him Freezing Blizzard, Gavelanche, and Crackcrackle.
* ArchEnemy: For Maya and Meena, since he murdered their father to obtain the Secret of Evolution.
* BadBoss: When given Castle Zamoksva to rule over, many monsters in Psaro's army complain about his arrogance of working them to the bone, with one Minidemon feeling peckish due to not having a decent meal.
* DependingOnTheArtist: His Balzackian form has different colors depending on the game, with the original NES coloration being used in the 3DS remake of Dragon Quest Monsters 2 and ''Super Light'', while the [=PS1=] coloration is used in other appearances, such as ''Of The Stars'' and ''VideoGame/DragonQuestTact''.
* HealThyself: Casts Fullheal to regain his HP, though it can be neutralized with the Sphere of Silence.
* KingMook: His first monster form, Balzackian, is this for the Humbabas, Wild Beasts, and Wilder Beasts, while his second monster form, Baalzack, is this for the Night Clubbers.
* MeaningfulName: He's named after the French playwright, Honore de Balzac, who like him, turned his back on a professor to achieve a higher purpose, though Balzac himself didn't have to resort to murder.
* PlayingWithFire: Casts Sizz and spews a Fireball to hurt Maya, Meena, and Oojam in his Balzackian form. ''Dragon Quest Tact'' would give that form Hypno Fireball and Firewall during the game's True Dragon Quest IV event.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Estark]]
!!!Estark
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dragonquestiv_stark.png]]

An ancient Demon known as the "Lord of the Underworld" and one of the most powerful beings in the series. Psaro and his forces seek to reawaken him upon human miners discovering his tomb.
----
* AchillesHeel: Sleep inducing spells, skills, and weapons such as the Dream Blade can put him back to sleep,[[note]]Fitting, [[SlidingScaleOfGameplayAndStoryIntegration since he was sleeping prior to his awakening]][[/note]] though it's not a good idea during his fight in ''IV'', since he can spew out an Eerie Light that deals a lot of damage to the party.
* AnIcePerson: Breathes out a Freezing Blizzard in his debut, and C-C-Cold Breath in ''Dragon Quest V'' and ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIX''.
* BloodKnight: Lives for battle from ''VideoGame/DragonQuestV'' onwards, and has to be defeated in a certain amount of turns to unlock some post game content, such as the Stark Raving Mad Treasure 'n' Trapdoors board that allows the party to recruit Starkers upon completion and other rewards such as the Lord's Bracer and 10 each of stat boosting seeds such as Seeds of Agility and Strength in the 3DS remake of ''VideoGame/DragonQuestVIII''.
* BlueIsHeroic: [[SubvertedTrope Nope!]] Even with his initial blue coloration, Estark is NOT a good guy and he terrorized the world long ago after discovering the Secret of Evolution before the Zenithians and the Zenith Dragon sealed him away beneath Mamon before miners in the present day {{dug too deep}} into his crypt. However, said form is actually his weakened state, since the Chosen were able to defeat him before he could terrorize the world further. Despite this, however, it is a semi-recurring coloration for him in addition to his now usual coloration he is seen with from ''Dragon Quest V'' onwards.
* ContrastingSequelAntagonist: To Zoma, the [[VideoGame/DragonQuestIII previous game's]] "Lord of the Underworld". Zoma doesn't use weapons while Estark is a [[DualWielding dual sword user]]. Zoma wears garments, trinkets, and a helmet while Estark is effectively "naked". Zoma is the BigBad and FinalBoss of his game that actively terrorizes the world while Estark in ''IV'' is a secondary antagonist that spends most of the game in a [[SealedEvilInACan sealed slumber]] and is dealt with prior to confronting that game's BigBad and FinalBoss (though the threat of his return does send the people of the world into a panic).
* DualWielding: He wields two large Underworld Sabres that he plunges into his foes.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: Remakes of ''Dragon Quest V'' onwards introduces his son Starkers, who can be recruited to the party after clearing the Stark Raving Mad Treasure 'n' Trapdoors board, but he doesn't remember him.
* TheFogOfAges: Living for so long coupled with his long slumbers has resulted in Estark being quite forgetful in installments outside of ''IV''. In ''V'', when encountered as the game's bonus boss, he [[IAmWho outright admits he doesn't remember what he's supposed to do anymore or whether he's supposed to be good or evil]], and only fights the party out of self-defense the first time and to test both their strengths each subsequent time.
* IAmWho: Due to Estark sleeping for ages, he doesn't remember his original name of Dumah, one of Azabel's foul creations.
* LargeAndInCharge: He's pretty freaking enormous when you encounter him, it makes all too much sense why his minions would want to reawaken him.
* PlayingWithFire: Casts Kafrizz in ''V'' and ''VIII'' and Kafrizzle in ''IX'', and breathes Scorching Flame in ''V'', Scorch in ''VIII'' and ''IX'', and Hellfire.
* PredecessorVillain:
** He was the progenitor of The Secret of Evolution and used it on himself to become a being so powerful that the combined might of the Zenithians and the Zenith Dragon was required to defeat him and seal him away (he had become too powerful to be killed at that point, despite The Secret of Evolution being incomplete at the time he used it). Though he remains sealed in slumber for most of ''IV'', The Secret of Evolution is acquired by fellow demon [[BigBad Psaro the Manslayer]], who plans to follow in Estark's footsteps by using it on himself to become powerful enough to destroy humanity.
** ''VideoGame/DragonQuestMonstersTheDarkPrince'' reveals his origins are more complex than the above example. He was once named Dumah, one of 3 monsters created by a rouge Zenithian named Azabel who wanted to create a new world free of sin.
* SealedEvilInACan: For a long time he slumbered under the mines of Mamon, until the native miners accidentally dug him out.
* StatusBuffDispel: Uses Disruptive Wave in all of his appearances to remove buffs from his enemies, wether it be the Chosen, Madason and his family, Eight and his party, and Guardian Nine and their party.
* StuffBlowingUp: Casts Kaboom in ''V'', ''VIII'', and ''IX'', as well as Kaboomle.
* {{Superboss}}: Not in ''IV'' itself, but rather in every subsequent appearance. He is often one of the toughest battles in every game he appears in.
* UltimateLifeForm: The Secret of Evolution effectively turned him into this, though it's stated to have been incomplete at the time. The final forms of [[spoiler:[[FinalBoss Psaro]] and [[TrueFinalBoss Aamon]]]] imply that he would have assumed a similar form had The Secret of Evolution been complete when he used it.
* VillainousLegacy: He was the one that first discovered and used The Secret of Evolution, turning himself into a powerful superbeing. Zenithia's books describe The Secret of Evolution as the root of all evil and suggest that Estark using it corrupted the evolution of life with an evil streak that allowed for it to eventually reemerge, falling into the hands of [[BigBad Psaro the Manslayer]].
* WorfHadTheFlu: The justification for why the Chosen are able to defeat him if he is supposedly even stronger than the FinalBoss is that he's still not at full strength due to just waking up.
[[/folder]]

!!Other Important Characters
[[folder:Eliza]]
!!!Eliza (Celia / Cynthia)
[[quoteright:277:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dqiv___eliza.png]]
->'''Voiced by:''' Creator/MariaKawamura (Drama CD)
The Hero's best friend, who's training to become a magic user. Lighthearted and mischievous, she loves playing pranks on the whole village, and particularly likes jerking the Hero's chain.
----
* AmbiguouslyBi: The ShipTease between her and the Hero exists regardless of their gender.
* AmbiguouslyHuman: DependingOnTheArtist. While she uses the same sprite as Rose, distinctly making her look like an elf, her original Famicom artwork depicts her as an ordinary human and there's no dialogue that suggests her to be anything more. She is explicitly an elf in the drama CD adaptation, and was also made to look unmistakably like an elf when she was finally given updated artwork for her appearance in ''Dragon Quest Walk''.
* ChekhovsSkill: The remakes add a prologue where she uses the Morph spell to transform her appearance and play pranks on the Hero. By the time the fifth chapter roles around, she uses Morph to perform a HeroicSacrifice to take on the Hero's appearance and die in their place.
* ChildhoodFriend: She's the Hero's oldest friend, and seemingly the only person in their village of a similar age to them.
* DependingOnTheArtist: Rose's old character art, which depicts her as human, has nothing in common with her elfin depiction in any of the games themselves.
* DisposableWoman: Exists for the sole purpose of dramatically sacrificing herself to save the Hero's life at the start of the game and give them motivation to fight against Psaro's forces. Downplayed somewhat in that the Hero can also be a woman if the player so chooses.
* EmergencyImpersonation: Takes on the Hero's appearance to prevent the monster attacking their village from finding the real thing.
* {{Foil}}: To Rose. While she isn't explicitly the Hero's LoveInterest like Rose is to Psaro, Eliza is the Hero's closest friend and is portrayed as being of similar importance to them. They also have directly inverse roles and circumstances in the story, with Rose being protected by Psaro and kept separate from her community and Eliza protecting the Hero alongside their community, and are represented by the same set of sprites in-game. [[spoiler:Their deaths are also keenly felt by both Psaro and the Hero]]. The drama CD adaptation further strengthens the resemblance by indicating Eliza cries ruby tears exactly like Rose does.
* GirlNextDoor: She's the Hero's ChildhoodFriend and a beautiful, kind, and coquettish girl.
* HeroicSacrifice: When the monsters raid the Hero's village to kill them, she uses Morph to take on their appearance and sacrifice herself, knowing that the monsters will leave once they believe the Hero has been killed. [[spoiler:[[UnexplainedRecovery She gets better in the ending. Without explanation.]]]]
* ImpliedLoveInterest: Her interactions the Hero have pretty heavy romantic undertones, but they aren't ever stated to be anything more than best friends.
* LikeBrotherAndSister: If the female Hero is chosen, she compares their relationship to that of sisters, presumably to justify [[LesYay how eyebrow-raisingly close they are with each other]]. An equivalent to this line is notably absent if the Hero is male.
* MirrorCharacter: Her character art notwithstanding, the game itself depicting her as an elf of the same type as Rose establishes a parallel between them, hints at her importance to the hero, [[spoiler:and anticipates Rose's eventual death later in the game]].
* RiddleForTheAges:
** [[AmbiguouslyHuman Is she a human or an elf]]? If the latter is the case, how did she come to be a part of the Hero's village when elves are otherwise shown to be persecuted by humans?
** [[spoiler: Just how does she return to life at the end of the game?]]
* SacrificialLamb: Sacrifices herself along with the rest of the Hero's village to save them from the monsters at the beginning of the fifth chapter. Their deaths serve as the Hero's motivation to set out to save the world.
* TemptingFate: With as much as she talks about wanting to spend forever living together with the Hero in their village, it should come as no surprise that the village is destroyed and she is killed just a day later.
* TragicKeepsake: Searching the part of the flower field where she always played after the Hero's village is destroyed gives you a Feathered Cap, with the implication being that it once belonged to her.
* UnexplainedRecovery: [[spoiler: Magically returns to life without explanation at the end of the game, seemingly for the sole purpose of allowing the Hero to have some kind of happy ending.]]
* VoluntaryShapeshifting:
** She's introduced practicing using the Morph spell, and takes advantage of its powers to play pranks on the Hero. She later uses it to perform an EmergencyImpersonation of the Hero to save them from being killed by monsters.
** In the 3DS and Definitive version of ''VideoGame/DragonQuestXI'', Eliza is still learning how to use the Morph spell; she has turned herself into a Slime, but hasn't yet figured out how to change back. This results in the entire village chasing after her thinking she's an enemy monster until the Luminary dispels the magic with a Supreme Sage's Staff.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Rose]]
!!!Rose (Rosa)
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dragonquestiv_rose.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Rose's appearance in the ''VideoGame/DragonQuestWalk'' mobile game]]
-->Voiced by: Creator/ReinaUeda [JP], Emma Balantine [EN]
A beautiful girl in a tower who can see that the world's well on its way to ruin... [[spoiler:thanks to the efforts of her misguided lover, Psaro.]]
----
* ADayInTheLimelight: Just like her lover, Rose has a role in ''Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince''.
* BodyToJewel: Her tears turn to rubies, though they crumble away when touched.
* BroodingBoyGentleGirl: The kindhearted girl that serves as Psaro's conscience.
* DamselInDistress: She was kidnapped by Psaro for her own good and does not want to leave her tower.
%%* DiedInYourArmsTonight
* GildedCage: Rose being well taken care of does not change the fact that she was a prisoner.
* GirlInTheTower: Psaro locked her up in a tower to protect her from greedy humans.
* LastRequest: Before dying, she requests Psaro to not hate humans. Tragically, her request goes ignored.
* MoralityChain: [[spoiler:Though she has trouble actually functioning as one, since Psaro tends to ignore her protests about his RoaringRampageOfRevenge. Still doesn't help when ''[[NiceJobBreakingItHero you]]'' help shatter her. Go, team. She gets better at it after she is brought BackFromTheDead, though.]]
* PointedEars: Being an elf, she naturally has these.
* RescueRomance: Psaro introduced himself to her by vaporizing a human thug threatening her.
* SignificantGreenEyedRedhead: Rose has dark-green eyes and pink hair. Averted in ''Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince'', where her eyes are bright blue.
* SolidGoldPoop: Her tears turn to rubies. It's for this reason Psaro has her [[GirlInTheTower locked up in a tower]] to keep her out of harm's way from greedy humans.
* TheyWereHoldingYouBack: The various monsters in Psaro's army [[note]]Most loyalists to either Psaro and/or [[spoiler:Aamon]].[[/note]] consider her to be this, ESPECIALLY [[spoiler:Aamon, who brainwashes human thugs to murder her so Psaro would destroy humanity in a fit of rage.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Zenith Dragon]]
!!!Zenith Dragon
The ruler of the heavenly city Zenithia and one of the most powerful creatures in the series. He was responsible for sealing away Estark in ancient times.
----
* BigDamnHeroes: He swoops in to save the party from the crumbling peak where Psaro is fought.
* BigGood: He is one of the most powerful beings in the series, and he was the one who initially defeated Estark and sealed him away. In the present day he prefers to act as a greater force for good.
* GodIsFlawed: He isn't as all-powerful and omnipotent as he may seem, and he does seem to have a slight bias against humans initially. He's still the BigGood in spite of this, but he's certainly not the most perfect one out there.
* GoodIsNotNice: While his objectives are good, the Zenith Dragon is also domineering and absolutist in his views, as well as racist against both humans and monsters alike. This ends up causing him problems in ''The Dark Prince'', where it's implied the Zenith Dragon's attitude fails to endear him to Psaro and thus Psaro refuses his request to join forces with Solo.
* HolierThanThou: He puts himself and the Zenithians on a much higher pedestal than humanity. In ''The Dark Prince'', he doesn't think much of monsters either.
* RestoredMyFaithInHumanity: He starts to mingle in human affairs post ''IV'', which implies he's softened his opinion on them after seeing the Hero/Heroine's deeds.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Foo Yung and Chow Mein]]
!!!Foo Yung and Chow Mein
A pair of squawking and shouting thugs who dwell in a strange cave.
----
* AstonishinglyAppropriateAppearance: Chow Mein resembles a humanoid chicken, and Foo Yung is rotund like an egg.
* BloodKnight: They'll eagerly fight the heroes every time they show up, and treat the battles as nothing more than an entertaining distraction from their never-ending argument. They'll even continually reward the heroes with prizes if they can win in less than a certain number of turns.
* ChickenAndEggParadox: The pair are always arguing over this and are so obsessed with their respective beliefs on which is better that they don't even notice the party's approach and only fight because they're being interrupted. After being defeated so many times that they don't have any more prizes to give, they finally calm down and agree that both chickens and eggs are equally important.
* HurricaneOfPuns: Practically every word they say is some kind of poultry-related pun.
* InfinityPlusOneSword: Among the prizes awarded for defeating them is the Pandemonic equipment, used exclusively by [[spoiler: Psaro]].
* PerpetualMolt: One of Chow Mein's attacks is to molt black feathers all over the field. When he casts it, all of the party's physical attacks are nullified for the turn.
* PunnyName: In the English localization, they're named for Chinese dishes. Chow mein can be prepared with chicken, while foo yung is made with eggs.
* {{Superboss}}: From the [=PS1=] version onward, they appear in Chapter 6 as the bosses of the new Fungeon. Defeating them the first time is mandatory for the plot, after which they can be rematched for bonus prizes.
* TimeLimitBoss: As they get defeated more and more, the duo starts setting turn limits like other bonus bosses in the series. They must be defeated within the limit if any more prizes are to be won.
* UnexplainedRecovery: No matter how many times they're defeated, they get back up like it's nothing and go back to their arguing.
[[/folder]]
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