History Characters / DragonsDogma

* [[Characters/DragonsDogmaAnime Anime-exclusive characters]]

The ''VideoGame/DragonsDogma'' character sheet. Help is appreciated!

[[foldercontrol]]

!Cassardis inhabitants
[[folder:The Arisen]]
[[quoteright:274:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/arisen_1.png]]

The Arisen is a simple fisherperson in the small village of Cassardis, right up until the moment when the Dragon comes and tries to destroy everything and everyone. In the chaos, the Arisen attempts to make a courageous stand against the Dragon, impressing it, and then getting his/her heart ripped out. Now the Dragon has taken his/her heart away, beckoning the Arisen to take up arms and retrieve it.
----
* ActionGirl: If the Arisen happens to be female.
* TheAgeless: One of the "perks" of being an Arisen is that they never grow older; they remain the exact same age they were at the time of their being chosen.
* AmazonianBeauty: It is possible to create a female Arisen with these characteristics, especially if the class is Fighter, Strider, Warrior or Ranger. Just create a female character with a pretty face with a shape with a little more muscles and there is an option to make your Arisen/Pawn somewhat masculinized.
* ArrestedForHeroism: [[spoiler:When they return from killing the dragon, the duke wants to arrest them instead.]]
* BaldOfAwesome: One of the forty hairstyle options available in character creation.
* BashBrothers: With their Main Pawn. With the right setup, an Arisen and their Pawn can be an unstoppable force.
* BeingGoodSucks: Despite their desire to do all that is good, the Arisen gets a lot of flak for it. [[spoiler:Especially evident Post-Game where they were now a wanted criminal in Gran Soren and taken to the next level in the True Ending, where the only way to truly free the world ended in their death, which happens to the ''best'' ending they could of had.]]
* BlindSeer[=/=]BlindWeaponMaster[=/=]HandicappedBadass: One of the eye presets in character creation are both eyes closed, indicating that you can make an Arisen that is ''completely blind'', yet is still able to kick ass and take names.
* CharacterCustomization: A ton of it. In addition to being able to change your Arisen's faces and hair (which has no effect), you're allowed to customize their height and build. Larger characters have a larger stamina pool and can carry more weight, but small characters recover their stamina faster and can be picked up and tossed at flying enemies or into small holes that typically hold loot.
* AChildShallLeadThem: One of the body presets is the size of a child; alternately, with the right adjustments, you can make your Arisen look like a young teen.
* TheChosenMany: Canonically, every player's Arisen actually exists in their own universe. When you hire another player's Pawn, that Pawn is literally crossing over from their Arisen's universe to yours.
* TheChosenOne: Selected by The Dragon to fight him. [[spoiler:In extension, they are to be a candidate to be the new Seneschal.]]
* TheComicallySerious: During the first audience with the Duke, the Arisen attempts to remain dignified and courteous, all the while oblivious to the fact that he/she is wearing a ridiculous hat to the amusement of everyone present.
* DeadAlternateCounterpart: Possible. [[spoiler:Post-Game, in Everfall, there are numerous wandering Pawns around Everfall. According to the dialogue given by your own pawn, those Pawns had lost their master and now wander aimlessly until you perhaps want to hire them. Those wandering pawns belong to ''other Arisen players'', meaning that in your universe, they had died. It's also possible that in other people's games, your pawn might be wandering around Everfall, meaning that ''you'' had died in their game.]]
* {{Determinator}}: They had enough determination to face up against the Dragon and [[spoiler:to later pass the trials of the true Final Battle against the Seneschal.]]
* DownerEnding: [[spoiler:The Arisen doesn't get a happy ending. Their ending ends with their death.]]
* DoomedHometown: Subverted in the case of the Arisen, whose actions prevent his[=/=]her hometown from becoming doomed.
* DoomedProtagonist: From the moment they were chosen as the Arisen, [[spoiler:they were also doomed to live out the cruel never ending cycle, whether they fully succeed (becoming the seneschal which would curse them to eternally watch over the world in solitude) or fail (dying on their journey or becoming the dragon). If they had rejected their destiny, they would have likely ended up like the Dark Arisen. Of course they could just live out their immortality, but that would mean more people would suffer under the tyrant of the dragon and ''someone else'' would eventually take arms, meaning that that [[YourDaysAreNumbered one day they could crumble to dust]]. The true ending where they [[TheHeroDies killed themselves]] was the best ending they could have possibly gotten for both themselves and their world.]]
* TheDragonslayer: Comes with being an Arisen.
* DrivenToSuicide: [[spoiler:After the Arisen becomes the new Seneschal, they are eternally fated to watch over the realm, but never be able to truly interact with it (mechanically, you are able to visit various locations around the world, but you are invisible and cannot interact with anything or anyone.) The only way out, and the only way to move the story to it's conclusion is for the Arisen to kill themself with the Godsbane dagger they acquired earlier. Though one can make arguments for different reasons that the Arisen would do this, in the end they are still dead for all intents and purposes, with their primary pawn waking up in their body.]]
* EarnYourBadEnding: During the final battle in the Post-Game, [[spoiler:depending on the choices and what happens in the true final battle, you can get 'bad endings' where the cycle isn't broken.]]
* EasilyForgiven: The Duke will throw you in the dungeon on charges of AttemptedRape for eloping with Aelinore in "Arousing Suspicion", but after the quest is finished he seems to forget about this entirely and will gladly continue giving you work as if nothing has happened. The guard in the dungeon won't even care that you've clearly just escaped from right under his nose, and none of the City Watch will bother you either. While you were falsely accused to begin with, it's like no one else in the game even knows or cares about the incident at all.
* FaceMonsterTurn: [[spoiler:If you fail fighting the Seneschal, the player Arisen will transform into the Dragon, now tasked with a mission to find the next worthy Arisen to face the Seneschal.]]
* AFatherToHisMen: Arisens act like mentors for their pawns, taking them across the land on their adventures so they may learn. They also can care very much for the pawns.
* FirstEpisodeResurrection: The dragon steals your heart and you're somehow still alive. Although whether or not you ever "died" in the process is debatable, you do lack a heartbeat.
* GenerationXerox: Though there's never any indication they're related by blood, the default male Arisen is almost a carbon copy of Savan, the Arisen from the prologue of the game. The only noticeable difference is the color of their hair (red for the default Arisen, and black for Savan). [[spoiler:This is particularly noticeable when the Arisen and Savan face each other at the end of the game.]]
* AGodIsYou: After you defeat [[spoiler:the true final boss, you take his place as Seneschal, whose job is essentially to will the world to continue to exist and who has the power to create life with ease]].
* HearingVoices: Since the dragon stole their heart, any time the Arisen places their hand over their chest, they (and you) can hear his voice.
%%* TheHero
* HeroicMime: Don't expect your Arisen to say a single word during the entire story, even though one of the things which can be customized during character creation is the voice. [[spoiler:This backfires miserably when you cannot voice your opinion while the Duke is framing you up for bargaining with the Dragon; you have no other options but to [[PersonaNonGrata flee from Noble Quarter]], [[ThenLetMeBeEvil slaughter everyone in Gran Soren]], or [[TakeAThirdOption simply toss the city guard into the Everfall to skip the meeting]].]]
* HeroWithBadPublicity: [[spoiler:Zigzagged. In the endgame, the Duke accuses the Arisen of turning him into an old man and attempting to assassinate him (though he himself started the fight) and has them branded a traitor, but only his knights and guards believe it. Everyone else in both Gransys and Cassardis remains on the Arisen's side, with the Cassardis [=NPCs=] in particular essentially saying that the Duke can go to hell.]]
* HumanityIsInfectious: [[spoiler:Spending enough time with an Arisen will eventually cause a Pawn to be gifted with a piece of its master's soul, granting it full emotions and a human existence. Naturally, your Pawn comes to resemble you a great deal in the end.]]
* IDieFree: [[spoiler:In order to free the world and themselves from the vicious cycle, the Arisen ends their life, freeing the world and themselves by extension]].
* IJustWantToBeNormal: Implied. [[spoiler:In one of the bad endings, the Arisen can return to the simple life they had always wanted. Also implied that all they wanted to do is to live in peace in their hometown with their beloved.]]
* ItSucksToBeTheChosenOne: From the moment they were chosen as an Arisen, [[spoiler:they were doomed to suffer from the [[ViciousCycle vicious neverending cycle]] of eternal return]].
* MagicKnight: The Arisen is the only character able to use Hybrid classes that mix magic with melee attacks (Mystic Knight) or archery (Magick Archer).
* NiceJobBreakingItHero: [[spoiler:When you kill the dragon, the monsters unleashed on the world are ten times worse than what were there before. Oh, and the residential district of Gran Soren collapses into a giant sink hole. And if you purchased the manor instead of driving the residents out? They are now buried in the rubble at Everfall because of ''you''.]]
* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: Overall, the entirety of the post-game.
** Even though [[spoiler:you defeated the dragon, the world seemed to get a whole ''lot'' worse.]]
** [[spoiler:If you are kind enough to spend 80,000 Gold (which can be a large amount to new players on their first playthrough) to purchase the house for a family to live in to prevent them from being evicted, you find out later that the parents of the family, Jasper and Sara, died in their house when it collapsed into Everfall, leaving their son, Pip (who now vehemently hates you for it) an orphan.]]
--->'''[[spoiler:Pip:]]''': Curse your eyes, Arisen.
* OneManArmy: Although Arisens are never usually seen without at least their Main Pawn, the Arisen is still a force to be reckoned with even alone. They can take on waves of enemies and beasts only armies could dream of taking down.
* OrphansOrdeal: Presumably. There's no mention of the Arisen ever having parents, and they live alone in a little house with only one bed. It's also indicated that s/he was raised by the village chief.
* PapaBear / MamaWolf: Mostly dependent on the [[VideoGameCaringPotential type of player you are]], but canonically, the Arisen (or even in general) is unlikely to abandon their pawn in need.
* PintsizedPowerhouse: Although a small light-weight character will have less stamina, it's still absolutely viable to make the Arisen a child-sized warrior with a warhammer twice their own height, and dealing enormous amounts of physical damage.
* PurelyAestheticGender: You can play as male or female and it has virtually no effect on the storyline at all. Seriously, EveryoneIsBi anyway.
** GameFavoredGender: The lines of some {{Non Player Character}}s make it quite obvious the game was designed around a male Arisen: some females will be quite flirtatious right from the get-go, while the males are usually simply polite. Pawns often address the Arisen as "Master," regardless of gender. Talking to a "working girl" in Gran Soren at night even makes it obvious that the game is expecting a male Arisen with a ([[MostGamersAreMale presumably]] [[BuxomIsBetter attractive]]) female Pawn: she tells you to discard the "puppet" in favor of a real woman. There are also five potential female love interests, as opposed to only three male. AND, during the ending [[spoiler:only primary female love interests will have anything to say when the Arisen's pawn wakes up on the beach in the Arisen's body, the male love interests remain silent as they check on them.]]
*** On the other hand, being a female Arisen allows you to befriend a group of female bandits and open the gate at their headquarter, whereas a male Arisen would need to dress with a lady's dress to fool the said bandits. Besides, Ogres would chase after female Arisens or Pawns before going after the males. Elder Ogre, on the other hand, does the opposite.
* PyrrhicVictory: After the [[spoiler:defeat of the Dragon at their own hand, the world gets undoubtedly worse: Gran Soren's basically fallen and vicious enemies now roam the land, terrorizing the world.]] This gets [[UpToEleven taken up a level]] during [[spoiler:the final segment of the game when the Arisen transcends and becomes Seneschal, where the only way to free the world was at the cost of their life.]]
* RogueProtagonist: [[spoiler:If you play the game in both NewGamePlus and offline mode, your previous Arisen replaces Savan.]]
* SadisticChoice: The final choices available to the Arisen [[spoiler:in the Final Battle]] is quite sadistic one to chose from. [[spoiler:Either you live out the rest of eternity in solitude as Seneschal, molding the world to should what you see fit until the the next [[TheChosenOne chosen one]] comes to kill you for your seat or free the world from the vicious cycle, letting the world's fate run on its own without a powerful being to guide it, at the cost of ending your life.]] Not very pretty choices to pick from. [[spoiler:[[CanonEnding Canonically, the Arisen chose the latter]].]]
* ScarsAreForever: [[spoiler: Even after killing Grigori and getting his/her heart restored, the Arisen's chest scar does not disappear]].
* TheStoic: The player Arisen doesn't really show their expression all that much.
* ThenLetMeBeEvil: You can certainly become this after [[spoiler:the Duke frames you up for becoming a traitor by bargaining with the Dragon. Since every guard would make an attempt to kill you instead of arresting you, you can now slaughter everyone in Gran Soren guilt-free. Let's just say [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor they asked for your betrayal in the first place]].]]
* TrueCompanions / PlatonicLifePartners: Arisens have a lifelong partnership with their pawn, extending past just friendship and family. They're connected on a fundamental level and never seen apart. If one is without the other, you can bet something bad has happened. [[spoiler:Later revealed that upon the creation of their pawn, the pawn is gifted a portion of their Arisen's soul that they would cultivate and grow, becoming human and taking on their Arisen's appearance meaning that not only are they connected as Arisen and pawn, but they share the same soul.]]
* TookALevelInBadass: Once just a fisherman/woman in a sleepy seaside town, becoming marked by the dragon and later able to command Pawns and take down numerous and gigantic monsters that haunt Gransys.
* VagueAge: It's uncertain on how exactly old the Arisen is. Customization can make them appear as a young child or an elderly man, but canonically, they're probably more or less the same as Quina and Valmiro, their childhood friends, somewhere between twenties to mid thirties.
* WonTheWarLostThePeace: [[spoiler:Defeated the dragon, but Gransys has fallen to hell after its defeat.]] They would [[spoiler:presumably bring back the peace as Seneschal before ending their own life.]]
* WorldsBestWarrior: To be considered so.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Main Pawn]]
The Main Pawn is one of the numerous Pawn Legion, manifested into Gransys from the Arisen's will. Although Pawns are known to be clumsy and somewhat lacking motivation under anyone else, the Main Pawn is able to learn and grow under the Arisen's guidance -- a piece of proof that the PlayerCharacter truly is Arisen.
----
* TheAgeless: Pawns cannot age, but they can appear a certain age due to the customization. [[spoiler:They would later attain mortality with the death of their master.]]
* BashBrothers: With their Arisen. With the right setup, an Arisen and their pawn can be an unstoppable force.
* BigNo / SayMyName: Pawns will always react to the player Arisen dying, either by exclaiming 'No', calling out in horror for their Master, or even [[PleaseWakeUp begging their master to open their eyes]]. [[spoiler:The Main Pawn will cry out for their Master in one of the final cutscenes in the game, after their master kills themselves and they both hurtle down after being rejected from the Seneschal's Chamber.]]
* CharacterCustomization: Just like the Arisen, the main pawn is fully customizable. Their 'personality' is also malleable, their Arisen can modify it any time in the Knowledge chair.
* TheChosenOne: Chosen by their Arisen.
* {{Deuteragonist}}: The Main Pawn is the Arisen's longest lasting ally and the only party member who levels up with the Arisen. [[spoiler:S/he assists the Arisen in finishing off Savan, and becomes human during the True Ending.]]
* EarnYourHappyEnding: Twisted in a way. [[spoiler:The Main pawn inherits the player Arisen's well earned happy ending.]]
* EncyclopaedicKnowledge: Pawns are this in nature, learning about the world and enemies, chronicling all that knowledge into their mental database, so the information may be helpful to their Arisen.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: The Main Pawn may comment about how they're worried for the future of their Arisen on Bitterblack Isle [[spoiler:after defeating Daimon.]]. Later, [[spoiler:they would be correct in their worries.]]
* FutileHandReach: [[spoiler:The Main Pawn tries to reach out to their dead master during the fall near the end of the game.]]
* GenderBender: [[spoiler:Their transformation into their Arisen can occur with this, if the Arisen and Pawn are of different genders.]]
* HappinessInSlavery: A pawn's entire existence is dedicated to helping and serving their Arisen. They lack the capability to have emotions or a will, unable to go on adventures on their own. However, Pawns, especially Main Pawns, feel exceptionally fulfilled when they are with an Arisen. Pawns who have lost their masters wander around like lost puppies or sometimes they even [[DrivenToMadness grow insane]] from their lost of their duty and [[ExcessiveMourning grief]], attacking anything on sight, even if it's an another Arisen that they could serve. [[spoiler:Even after the Arisen's death at the end of the game, the Main Pawn still shows a strong attachment to their Master, even if they were free to live out their lives as true humans.]]
-->''Pawn:'' Lucky is the pawn that fights by the Arisen's side.
* HumanityIsInfectious: [[spoiler:The more time a pawn spends time with their Arisen, the more humanlike they become. The Arisen gifts a part of their soul to the pawn, which pawns would fill overtime, becoming more like their Arisen as time goes on.]]
* ItHasBeenAnHonor: In the Post-Game, the Main Pawn will remark how lucky, honored, and happy they are to be by the Arisen's side. [[spoiler:Their chances of saying this will increase inside the Seneschal's Chamber.]]
* MaybeEverAfter: [[spoiler:It's unclear whether or not the Main Pawn will have the same affection their master had for their beloved, but it's implied that the Main Pawn will spend the rest of their now peaceful quiet life with their master's beloved.]]
* MyMasterRightOrWrong: Pawns will never admonish their Arisen, even if they're slaying innocent bystanders or [[spoiler:evicting a family out of their own home as a favor for a rich noble.]] Sometimes pawns will even rationalize why their Arisen did something questionable, like [[spoiler:killing one of the mooks of the Salvation who begs for his life by claiming that if their Arisen didn't kill him, Mason would certainly would have (which he does if you don't).]]
* PapaWolf / MamaBear: Pawns, especially the Main Pawn, can get aggressively protective of their Arisen. If an enemy grabs hold of an Arisen, you can be sure that the pawns will do ''everything'' they can to rescue their Arisen.
--->'''Pawn:''' [[DeclarationOfProtection None may touch the Arisen!]]
* PersonalitySwap: Pawns don't have personalities by default, but their Arisen can form their Pawn's personality and reactions in the knowledge chair. They can even can 'modify' their pawns personality any time as long as they have access to the said chair.
* {{Metamorphosis}}: By the end of the story, [[spoiler:the Main pawn will completely resemble the Arisen, having inherited their soul.]]
* ResurrectiveImmortality: Pawns cannot really die. When they do get defeated, they get sent back to the rift, where they can be summoned again by their Arisen.
* ServantRace: Pawns are created to serve the Arisen, but they don't mind it at all. They're quite happy to be serving the Arisen.
* {{Sidekick}}: To the Arisen. Always expect an Arisen to be accompanied by at least their Main pawn, if not more pawns.
* SoWhatDoWeDoNow: [[spoiler:The Main Pawn obviously seem really confused and conflicted what to do after their Master's death and becoming human.]]
* SoulJar: [[spoiler:Upon creation, a pawn will be gifted a portion of their Arisen's soul. They would later grow this portion to become human, which can only happen after their Arisen passes away.]]
* TheStoic: Pawns, for the most part, manage to keep their cool even in the heat of battle. They don't have true emotions and have been called 'empty shells'. [[spoiler:They will eventually grow to have them the more time they spend with their Arisen.]]
* ThirdPersonPerson: Pawns will sometimes refer to themselves in third person.
-->'''Pawn''': This pawn feels quite comfortable here.
* TrueCompanions: With their Arisen. They wholly depend on the Arisen's existence to function properly as pawns, and it's clear that they care very deeply for their masters.
* TurnedAgainstTheirMasters: During battle, there's a possibility a pawn will fall victim of a possession by ghosts or [[spoiler:taken control of by a dragonkin]] and subsequently turn against their Arisen. However, they will always warn their Arisen that [[NotHimself they're not themselves]].
* UndyingLoyalty: No matter what happens, the main pawn will always be loyal to their Arisen. [[spoiler:Even if they get controlled by a dragon, they will even warn their master that they're not themselves]].
* UnfulfilledPurposeMisery: Pawns can only be truly fulfilled in life under guidance of an Arisen. Main Pawns an become absolutely devastated by the lost of their master that they can even go mad with grief if their Arisen dies (ex. Lost Pawns in Bitterblack Isle). Some pawns are still loyal to their Arisen even unto death like the pawns in [[spoiler:Everfall, who still want to carry out the wishes of their master.]] The Main Pawn at the end of the game [[spoiler:was devastated by the lost of the Arisen player, though intends to live out the life their master would have wanted in their stead.]]
* VoicesAreMental: [[spoiler:At the end of the game, your Pawn transforms into a physical copy of you, yet retains its own voice. This can result in the voice of a large man coming from the body of a small girl, or vice versa.]]
* WorthLivingFor: [[spoiler:After they inherit their master's appearance and soul, the main pawn goes to live out their life in peace, the life that their master would have wanted to live.]]
* YouRemindMeOfX: [[spoiler:At the end of the game, if the Arisen's beloved may realize that the Main Pawn is not the Arisen, but treats them similarly nonetheless.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Quina]]
[[quoteright:102:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/quina_4.png]]
->Voiced by: Creator/MichelleRuff

A young woman of Cassardis and your [[ChildhoodFriend friend since childhood.]] She is a gentle soul, tirelessly caring for injured villagers with the healing magicks she learned from her mother. She greatly admires the Arisen, who since childhood had always been the one to protect her, and when the Dragon takes their heart, she desperately searches for some way she can possibly repay her old friend... and for her own purpose in life.
----
* ChildhoodFriendRomance: Possible.
* CowerPower: As the dragon attacks Cassardis, Quina runs and hides behind you. This makes sense if you have a large, muscular character, but if you've made your Arisen short and slender, it looks quite funny.
* KissingCousins: Debatable. Almost everyone in the Arisen's hometown seems to address one another as "cousin" (or the short form "cos"), including Quina, but it's never explained whether they actually are cousins or if it's just a term of endearment similar to "buddy".
* RapunzelHair: Notable in that she's the only character with a hairstyle you can't have for yourself in the base game. ''Dark Arisen'' finally made it available in the character creator via DLC. The [[AllThereInTheManual Official Design Works]] reveals she almost didn't have her long hair due to technical limitations.
* WhiteMagicianGirl: She's caring, feminine, and a skilled caster of healing spells. She's also the Arisen's Childhood Friend and the first of the game's five major female love interests.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Chief Adaro]]
[[quoteright:129:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/adaro.png]]
->Voiced by: Johnny Wesley
->''"The chief of Cassardis, he is beloved and trusted by all of the village folk thanks to his fine decision making abilities."''

Adaro raised the Arisen from childhood and cares for them as a father. He loves the whole village as his family, but does not care much for outsiders or pawns. Trusts in the Arisen no matter what and is willing to let him/her do as he/she likes, so long as the village isn't harmed.
----
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: The official art book refers to him as "a blunt and sometimes insensitive man of the sea with a heart of gold."
* RetiredBadass: According to his backstory, he was once a skilled fighter who protected the village from monsters.
* SoProudOfYou: Talk to him after getting invited to the palace by the Duke, and he'll note how proud he is of you and how it seems like only yesterday that you were a young child sitting on his knee, gutting fish.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Valmiro]]
[[quoteright:148:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/valmiro_7.png]]
->Voiced by: Creator/VicMignogna

A young man whose curiosity tends to get the better of him. He much prefers observing the world around him over being a fisherman. It's hinted that his observations are on the border of being actual research...
----
* ChildhoodFriendRomance: An option, though exactly how much of a "friend" he was growing up is never really mentioned in-depth, unlike with Quina. You were both friends with Quina, though, so it's likely you were at least well-acquainted if not common playmates.
* CloudCuckoolander: He likes to chase birds and fish and other small animals, for no other reason than he finds watching them fascinating, [[TheFool often with little or no heed to his personal safety]]. He also desires to see the world and believes that he may somehow help people by doing so, just as you're helping everyone by fighting the dragon.
* TheFool: Comes off as this to others, with the way he chases birds up trees and wanders into the Witchwood looking for interesting plants or whatever has caught his fancy lately and [[TalkativeLoon babbles to whoever will listen about all of it]].
** FearlessFool: The questline to introduce him has you chasing him down and trying to convince him that adventuring without sufficient healing items is a ''bad idea''. [[spoiler:As it turns out, he's actually quite smart and [[DitzyGenius his interest in knowledge overwhelms his common sense]] when something piques his curiosity.]]
* KissingCousins: Debatable. Like with Quina, almost all the villagers call each other "cousin/cos", but it's never explained whether they actually are cousins or if it's just a term of endearment similar to "buddy".
* TalkativeLoon: According to the other villagers, at least, though he's not quite as loony with you, so it comes off as a bit of an InformedFlaw. And "loon" may not really be the correct term.
* WideEyedIdealist: He takes the cake for being the biggest (and possibly only) one in the game, which can be quite refreshing with everyone else's cynicism and worldliness.
[[/folder]]

!Gran Soren inhabitants
[[folder:Madeleine]]
[[quoteright:165:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/madeleine.png]]
->Voiced by: Creator/KateHiggins

Greedy, self-reliant, cunning. Madeleine looks out for herself and her goals first, though she does display a limited degree of loyalty when it comes down to it. Play your cards right and you may just earn that loyalty -- for a price. Of course, such naked opportunism can often backfire in a land so politically volatile as Gransys...

Madeleine was raised as an orphan by the sisters, but in complete contrast to her gentle guardians, she came to hate being poor and to hate modest living. While she was grateful to the sisters for raising her, she also vowed that she would never serve the Faith as they did.
----
* BuxomIsBetter: The bustiest character of the game, with a breast size larger than even the character editor allows.
%%* GiantPoofySleeves
* GoldDigger: A little bit, although a humorous and generally harmless version of one. Her affinity is bought really fast by giving her money to travel and open her store; if the Arisen gives her the first thousand gold she needs to get to Gran Soren, her response is to say sweetly, "I am so in love with you right now."
* IHaveBoobsYouMustObey: Her general approach when she wants something is to simply lean over a little more when asking for it.
* ImpracticallyFancyOutfit: When you meet her, she's a traveling merchant. In what amounts to a tutu. And one of the earlier designs was even skimpier.
* ScrewTheRulesImBeautiful: She prefers to resort to her looks to get away with things.
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: [[spoiler:After Julien is revealed to be working for Salvation, Madeleine tries to leave Gransys, since she's now wanted by the guards for affiliating with him.]]
* VictoriasSecretCompartment: She tries tucking a slip of paper in her cleavage to taunt Julien. [[IgnoreTheFanservice He isn't amused.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Mercedes Marten]]
[[quoteright:280:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mercedes_3.png]]
->Voiced by: Shannon Rayner
->''"A female knight who was dispatched from a neighbouring country to Gransys. She is the captain of the Enlistment Corps, which is charged with repelling the dragon."''

A straitlaced, principled tomboy with an inferiority complex, Mercedes idolizes knights and knighthood. Following their example, she's become a capable warrior and military leader. Sent to Gransys by her father, lord of the neighboring demesne of Hearthstone, Mercedes is determined to prove herself as a capable knight and leader to the same extent as her two brothers. However, she receives opposition from the more traditional segments of the Gransys court who object to both her gender and her status as placebo support, and the Arisen's rising glory only serves to remove her from the spotlight even further.
----
* ActionGirl: She fights alongside your character during certain segments.
* {{Expy}}: She's an amalgamation of both Casca and Farnese from ''Manga/{{Berserk}}'', with her appearance borrowing more from the former, while her backstory and character traits borrow more from the latter.
* FauxActionGirl: She's an in-universe example in that she ''fears'' she is only pretending to be a knight and can't actually back up her claim. This feeling gets worse after [[spoiler:losing to Julien. If she's the Beloved, she can be seen running helplessly from goblins like all other characters, something that she'll curse herself for]].
* KnightInSourArmor: Becomes this over the course of the story.
* LadyOfWar: Mercedes is a noble lady who was expected to be wed by twenty. She asked for a platoon of knights to lead so she could work on her skills as a commander instead.
* [[AFatherToHisMen A Mother To Her Men]]: If you speak with her before the Griffin's Bane quest, she asks you to take care of the men of the Enlistment Corps, those under her command, and to bring them back safely. If you actually manage to kill the Griffin fast enough to do this, she'll be quite happy.
* TheLancer: Serves as this to the Arisen through the story.
* PutOnABus: [[spoiler:After the duel with Julien, Mercedes is forced to return home to Hearthstone. While she states that she'll eventually come back with reinforcements, she only returns if she's the Beloved.]]
* WellDoneSonGuy: [[spoiler:She wants to slay the Dragon to please her father, the lLrd of Hearthstone.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Duke Edmun Dragonsbane]]
[[quoteright:249:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/duke_edmund.png]]
->Voiced by: Johnny Wesley
->''"Respected ruler of all Gransys. In his youth, he was dubbed a hero when he repelled the dragon. For that, he was also given the name 'Dragonsbane'."''

A fair if lax ruler, well-known across Gransys as a brave warrior and hero in his youth. He's said to have once slain the Dragon himself. Though older than 70, he retains a youthful appearance, and holds strength far beyond that of a normal man...
----
* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: He earned his duchy by defeating the Dragon. [[spoiler:[[FakeUltimateHero It's complete bullshit]].]]
* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: Duke Edmun may look like a frail old man when you first meet him, but should you choose to attack him, he won't run away like countless other {{Non Player Character}}s do, ''he'll take up arms and Soul Skewer your ass.''
* BitchInSheepsClothing: The Duke is well-mannered and likable in the public eye. But behind closed doors...
* CassandraTruth: [[spoiler:He vehemently refuses to believe that the Arisen defeated the Dragon. That would be because he himself didn't defeat it.]]
** CassandraDidIt: [[spoiler:He accuses the Arisen of having made a deal with the Dragon to curse him with old age in an attempt to usurp the duchy, and sics his soldiers on them.]]
* DirtyCoward: [[spoiler:He chose to sacrifice his first wife to the dragon rather than fight it.]]
* EasilyForgiven: The Duke has you thrown in prison after [[spoiler:he catches you in his bedroom with Aelinore (whether or not you stop him from strangling her)]] if you do that quest. After you escape, you can talk to him and continue to take the main story quests from his chamberlain without any issues. He doesn't even acknowledge that it happened.
* FakeUltimateHero: [[spoiler:The people of Gran Soren gave him the title Duke Dragonsbane for defeating the Dragon... which is a complete lie. He never even fought the Dragon.]]
* FallenHero: [[spoiler:He was an Arisen who chose to sacrifice his true love to the Dragon instead of fighting it.]]
* JacobMarleyWarning: [[spoiler:After learning the truth about him "slaying" the dragon, the player will probably not want to make the same decision that he did.]]
* {{Jerkass}}: The Duke becomes this pretty quickly towards the end, framing you mostly out of rage and spite.
* TheLostLenore: ''Literally.'' [[spoiler:The Duke sacrificed his wife Lenore so he could gain the power of sovereignty over Gransys. While it never shows during the story itself, you'll have to do the sidequest to see the Duke's insanity go full circle.]]
* RapidAging: [[spoiler:The Duke suddenly goes from looking around forty to looking more around ''one hundred forty'' after you beat the dragon. He manages to convince the guards that ''you'' are the one who made a deal with the dragon and cursed him to age, rather than slaying the dragon and simply letting time catch up with him.]]
* UglyGuyHotWife: While not exactly ugly and actually OlderThanTheyLook, he is much older than his wife.
* VillainWithGoodPublicity: [[spoiler:While the entire populace is convinced he slew a dragon years ago, the truth is that he made a ''deal'' with the dragon, granting him immortality at the cost of his first love.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Aelinore]]
[[quoteright:179:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/aelinore.png]]
->Voiced by: Michelle Ruff
->''"A young princess from another land who came to wed Duke Edmun Dragonsbane. Fragile and naive, she seems to be suffering greatly under the weight of something."''
Born to the House of Biquard, Aelinore can trace her family line from a cousin of Godking Leonart, the great man who once defeated the dragon and united the entire continent. Lord Biquard currently governs the lands around peaceful Meloire as mesne lord. Sharing the same bloodline as the military genius Leonart, those from the House of Biquard are blessed with a similar gift, and their Meloirean soldiers are widely known as excellent fighters.

Duke Edmun, the Wyrmking and ruler of all Gransys, defeated a dragon in the same way as Godking Leonart before him. He sought to marry into the House of Biquard, and the closest woman to Leonart in their bloodline was Aelinore. [[ArrangedMarriage So Aelinore was sent to be Edmun’s bride]], though not of her own desire. She had not even seen the face of her future husband prior to the day of their wedding ceremony. The hero’s marriage was heartily welcomed by the people of Gransys. Everyone believed that it meant the birth of a successor would follow quickly, carrying on their hero’s bloodline. But there would be no reports of an impending heir to hearten the people of Gransys. Even after the exchange of their marriage vows, Aelinore remained as pure and untouched as she was the day that she was delivered to Edmun. But behind the duke’s frigid demeanor, a dark secret is hidden within his heart...
----
* DamselInDistress: Twice in side quests - once she's nearly strangled by the crazed Duke, and the other time imprisoned (if she wasn't killed by the previous quest) - and potentially a third time if she's the Beloved.
* LoveAtFirstSight: Speak to Aelinore just once and she'll instantly have the pinkish glow which signifies someone with a very high Affinity.
* MeaningfulName: By way of TheLostLenore: the prefix ''a'' meaning "without", and ''Lenore'' being a shortened, alternative spelling of "Elinore". [[spoiler:She is literally ''not'' Lenore, and the Duke does not care for her in the slightest because she is not the woman he truly loved.]]
* SexyDiscretionShot: In the sidequest "Duchess In Distress," [[spoiler:the camera pans out as your Arisen and the duchess make sweet love]].
* UglyGuyHotWife: While the Duke isn't exactly hideous, she's still much younger than him.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Feste]]
[[quoteright:221:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/feste.png]]
->Voiced by: Joe Ochman (credited as Joey Lotsko)

A jester and trickster [[DirtyCoward with no goals other than a life of ease under others’ protection]]. Willing to betray, use, or hurt others to succeed ([[InformedAttribute supposedly]]).
----
* CourtJester: His role in court.
* DeadpanSnarker: Talking to him will cause him to quip about you and everyone else (but mostly you).
* DepravedDwarf: He's the shortest human character in the game, and (in the online material) very much immoral.
* {{Gonk}}: Along with being short, he's also plenty ugly.
* InformedAttribute: [[AllThereInTheManual The outside materials]] portray him as having made a career out of being a disloyal boot-licking {{Jerkass}} who will do anything for his own benefit. In-game, this never comes up - at his worst, he's TheGadfly to everyone (including the Duke), and perfectly willing to offer you a warning about the Duke [[spoiler:not taking it well if you were to slay the dragon]]...within earshot of the Duke and other (more loyal) members of the court.
* TheMole: According to the expanded lore, he's one for basically anyone who has a grudge against the Duke, including Salvation.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Julien]]
[[quoteright:234:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/julien.png]]
->Voiced by: Trey Ragley
->''"A knight who was dispatched to Gransys from the neighbouring demesne of Boldoa. He is an upstanding man who believes that putting the needs of the people first is the only right thing to do."''

Having been born to a good family, Julien believed without a hint of reservation or irony that everything was for the sake of the people, exactly as he had said to his ruler. Such was his duty as a knight, as it had been the duty of his father and his grandfather before him. However, upon arriving in Gransys, he was faced with the dirty truth, for there he met with the decadent, fallen statesmen. They had forgotten that which should have been their priority — the defeat of the dragon — and instead their heads were filled only with the desire to protect their own positions.

As he beheld the great leader who stood at the head of such men, the purity in his heart began to slowly but surely blacken. He can no longer find any value in the continued existence of the country. The idealism to which he had clung for so long grows more and more distorted, and he along with it.
----
* TheAtoner: [[spoiler:If he's alive, he turns himself in.]]
* BadassInDistress: [[spoiler:If he's the Arisen's love interest and gets captured by the Dragon. He'll be chased and tormented by goblins just like every other love interest, though unlike Mercedes (the other major love interest with a warrior background), he at least has the excuse of being caught without his weapons or armor.]]
* BestHerToBedHer: You have to [[spoiler:kill and revive Julien in a duel]] in order to start a 'romance' with him.
* CoolMask: [[spoiler:Wears a masquerade-style mask when acting as the Night's Champion. Something of a PaperThinDisguise, in all honesty, but still.]]
* EvenEvilHasStandards: [[spoiler:Although he collaborates with Salvation, he mentions to Mercedes during their confrontation that he gives their pagan beliefs no credence and simply used them for his own ends.]]
* TheExtremistWasRight: His actions against [[spoiler:the Duke, at least, are cast in a far more favourable light at the end of the game]].
* GracefulLoser: [[spoiler:If you kill and revive Julien, he'll acknowledge that he's been bested and immediately turns himself in for his crimes.]]
* IgnoreTheFanservice: Follow him to Madeleine's shop late one night and you'll witness an interesting exchange between the two. Madeleine tucks a slip of paper into her cleavage and taunts Julien with it, but he just angrily snatches it up and reads it, completely ignoring her flirtation and an offer to help him with "other matters".
* {{Jerkass}}: He's abrasive from the moment you meet him (bordering on ObviouslyEvil if you've play the early sidequests involving him), though his attitude is somewhat justified due to concern over the impending doom represented by the Dragon.
* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler:If you don't interfere with Mercedes' duel against him, he'll defeat her and escape.]]
* KickTheDog: It'd be so much easier to see things from his point of view if his harsh and [[StayInTheKitchen sexist]] comments towards Mercedes weren't so utterly mean-spirited.
* KnightInSourArmor: After meeting with the local lords in Gransys.
* LongHairedPrettyBoy: The man has some luxurious locks of hair.
* LoveRedeems: [[spoiler:He becomes a good person again and is freed from the castle dungeon if you manage to romance him.]]
* MagicKnight: He is of the Mystic Knight class and carries a unique Magick Shield.
* PetTheDog: If spoken to in the palace, he encourages the Arisen to support Ser Mercedes and seems to sympathize with her struggle. [[spoiler:Although, when set against her, he is not above [[KickTheDog kicking her instead]].]]
* StayInTheKitchen: Most of his comments to Mercedes [[spoiler:during their duel]] are about how, as a woman, she makes a very poor knight. This can be rather odd if the Arisen is female. However, it's entirely possible that his comments are made purely out of spite and not any genuine sexism on his part.
* WellIntentionedExtremist: [[spoiler:He's evidently working with Salvation in order to undermine Gransys for his nation.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fournival Frescobaldi]]
->Voiced by: JH Terry

Fournival is a salesman and nobleman, the father of Symone, and the main subject of the quest "Trials and Tribulations." A shrewd businessman, he is a wealthy and magnanimous man with a high-class bearing. Due to his economic influence, he counts many important {{Non Player Character}}s as friends, such as Ser Daerio of the northern watch and the Chamberlain of the Gran Soren Cathedral. Some authorities, however, suspect some of his profit is acquired from activities that are less than legal. Even if so, he seems to have had a positive influence on the growth and maintenance of Gransys's economy, leaving the Arisen with an interesting moral dilemma should they involve themselves with his trial.
----
* AffablyEvil: Towards you, at least.
* CorruptCorporateExecutive: He's a greedy individual who has certainly gained his wealth through unscrupulous means. Nonetheless, the fact that he's also a unique vendor who sells very special items probably means that you're going to want to get him acquitted.
* EvenEvilHasLovedOnes: He is, by all accounts, an amoral and slimy businessman who's very much guilty of the crimes of which he stands accused. However, he clearly loves his daughter, who can reflect only that he is, in turn, a kind and loving father.
* FatBastard: One of the fatter characters of the game.
* HiddenDepths: He's looked upon quite fondly by the church, whose bishop is willing to believe him innocent.
* PermanentlyMissableContent: If you find Fournival guilty during the "Trials and Tribulations" quest, you lose out on the Magmanimous cloak, which is a useful accessory that allows all curatives to be shared with your pawns.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Symone]]
Fournival's bratty daughter. Even her own father admits she's "a spitfire like to rival the wyrm."
----
* BrattyHalfPint: She's ''incredibly'' picky when you try to babysit her. She's outspoken and thinking a race is a fun way to pass the time, rather than just shopping (which she also enjoys).
* FallenPrincess: If her father is found guilty, she's forced to relocate to the slums unless the player buys back her manor.
* TinyTyrannicalGirl: Being the child of a wealthy merchant, she's very demanding and bossy.
* TookALevelInKindness: She is noticeably kinder to the player after completing her side quest, and will make more of an effort to keep her tongue in check.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Barnaby]]
[[quoteright:177:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/barnaby.png]]
->Voiced by: Creator/SamRiegel
->''"Keeper of the Pawn Guild who is himself a Pawn. His duties include keeping a watchful eye on The Everfall and advising the Arisen if something should seem amiss."''

As one of the pawn legion, Barnaby has no emotions. However, because he has been in Gransys for untold decades and interacted with generations of mankind, he has developed something very close to an emotion: a wish for pawns and humans to coexist peacefully.
----
* NiceGuy: Goes along with being a Pawn, really, but he's quite polite and humble.
* ReallySevenHundredYearsOld: He looks to be in his twenties or maybe early thirties at most. Add a zero or two to get his real age.
* WhatMeasureIsAHumanoid: It is entirely possibly to romance him, despite him being the Pawn Guild leader and technically emotionless.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Steffen]]
[[quoteright:254:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/steffan_9.png]]
->''"A citizen of Gran Soren. He has an intense fascination with all books related to magick."''

Steffen is a citizen of the capital of Gran Soren who seeks the magick tome known as Salomet's Grimoire. Aiding him in his search leads to consequences in the Arisen's future quests.
----
* BigDamnHeroes: Potentially, during the battle against the Griffin. If you fetch a grimiore for him in a [[GuideDangIt completely unrelated sidequest]], he'll appear and cast some powerful magic to help out.
* MessyHair: It's about shoulder-length and quite scraggly. You'd think the man would ask you for a comb instead of an old book.
[[/folder]]

!Salvation
[[folder:Elysion]]
[[quoteright:168:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/elysion.png]]
->Voiced by: Joe Ochman
->"''In yon encampment they gather up their knights and hired steel... they think to grow their numbers and hunt the dragon... but they shall soon learn their lot will e'er be as prey.''"

The leader of Salvation, an evil cult dedicated to the Dragon, Elysion has traveled to Gransys following Grigori's emergence, where he began spreading his ideals and sacrificing numbers of people in order to usher the end times.
----
* AxCrazy: He's almost ''too'' giddy about Grigori destroying the world.
* BadBoss: He is all too happy to murder his own followers and turn them into Undead and Wight servants.
* TheBeastMaster: Possibly, as [[spoiler:he's the one behind the Cyclops and Hydra attacks on the Greatwall Encampment in the beginning of the game]].
* BigBadWannabe: Elysion serves as the Arisen's primary adversary through the story, being the head of the Salvation cult which venerates the Dragon and antagonizes the kingdom of Gransys. However, [[spoiler:him and the Dragon do not possess any actual affiliation, and the latter actually [[JustForPun "squashes"]] Elysion's plans himself while stating Salvation has no role in his coming]].
* DrivenToVillainy: According to his backstory, he wasn't always evil. It took a Dragon setting fire to his homeland to send him right off the edge.
* EyeScream: Became the leader of Salvation by tearing out his right eye in front of the congregation.
* ForTheEvulz: Elysion sacrificing his own followers for no apparent reason other than to just call the Dragon, or his capturing innocent people and threatening to sacrifice them as well. It's your call which falls into this category.
* TheHeavy: The Dragon is your ultimate goal, but for most of the game, you'll be dealing with the Elysion and Salvation.
* KilledMidSentence: [[spoiler:Elysion is summoning the Dragon, who appears and casually flies around the Greatwall as Elysion goes on a rant of how the Dragon is really "salvation." When he says "THIS IS SALVATIO-", the Dragon comes down and kills Elysion in one fell swoop by essentially swatting him like a fly.]]
--> '''Grigori:''' The rantings of an upjumped zealot make for tedious listening.
* LawOfChromaticSuperiority: He wears a dark red version of the Salvation robes in order to differentiate himself from his followers.
* ObviouslyEvil: He loves his red cloak and is [[GoodScarsEvilScars missing an eye]]. [[SarcasmMode Clearly he would be a swell guy to invite to your grandmother's bingo game!]]
* TheUnfought: [[spoiler:The Arisen never battles Elysion himself, who instead summons a pair of Wights to serve as his line of defense when he is confronted at the Greatwall.]]
[[/folder]]

!The Tainted Mountain Temple
[[folder:Grigori, the Dragon]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/grigori_0.png]]
->Voiced by: [[Creator/DavidLodgeActor David Lodge]]
->"''If you would face me... take up arms, newly Arisen!''"

The dragon is a giant wyrm that periodically appears on earth, and brings an army of monsters with it. If the Dragon is not defeated, then it shall bring about the apocalypse. Soon after appearing, the Dragon will devour the heart of a human, but who will also survive this fatal injury and return as Arisen -- the one destined to defeat him. You are one such human.
----
* AffablyEvil: He's quite polite and well-spoken when he isn't busy setting the world on fire. Also, he [[EvenEvilHasStandards doesn't care much]] for [[ReligionOfEvil Salvation's]] antics throughout the game, thinks fanatics are annoying, doesn't outright kill the Arisen, and even [[DealWithTheDevil offers to just leave if you give just one measly sacrifice]]. He will apparently [[spoiler:follow through on his offer, too, if Edmun is an indication, but he actually praises you when you turn down his offer.]] Not surprising, since [[spoiler:the dragon is indicated to be an Arisen who tried, and failed, to defeat the Seneschal. [[FallenHero In other words, he's gone through everything that you have, up to and including making the choice to fight the dragon over sacrificing his loved one, and then going on to slay the dragon himself]].]]
* AttackItsWeakPoint: As with all dragons, his weak point is his glowing heart.
* BadassBaritone: Has an awesomely deep voice, but it contrasts with how articulate and [[AffablyEvil polite]] he talks.
* BringIt: Should the Arisen choose [[spoiler:to fight Grigori instead of sacrificing their beloved]], they receive this response:
-->'''Grigori:''' Your choice is made, Arisen! As you have willed it, so shall it be!
* TheChooserOfTheOne: When the PlayerCharacter is the only one to stand and fight and actually manages to stab him during the intro, he suddenly stops acting like a crazed monster and looks at the soon-to-be Arisen as if to measure their worth. It's then that he takes their heart, makes them an Arisen, and challenges them to take up arms and face him.
* DareToBeBadass: After ripping out the Arisen's heart, he encourages them to seek them out and get it back.
* DeathSeeker: [[spoiler:He has shades of this, seeming to relish the fact that you are finally strong enough to face him down and win. His taunts gradually turn to praise as you wear him down, and he seems quite at peace when finally overcome. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] considering the sole purpose of a dragon in the cycle is to choose the Arisen and die by their hand if they don't take the deal.]]
* DealWithTheDevil: It turns out [[spoiler:Duke Edmun]] face Grigori in battle, but invoked this trope instead. [[spoiler:The player can do this if they so choose.]]
* DiscOneFinalBoss: [[spoiler:Killing him is just one more step in The Arisen's path to becoming the new Seneschal.]]
* TheDragon: [[spoiler:Both figuratively to the Seneschal and literally.]]
* TheDreaded: In the world of ''Dragon's Dogma'', dragons are perceived as [[TheEndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt harbingers of the end times]]. Naturally, people are terrified of him. [[spoiler: Some even take Grigori's bargains as a means to avoid fighting him.]]
* EnigmaticEmpoweringEntity: A very interesting example, in that he's the one that actually chooses the Arisen meant to hunt him down.
* ElementalPowers: PlayingWithFire, AnIcePerson, and LightEmUp.
* EvilSoundsDeep: How else should you expect a massive reptile to sound? Also, his speech patterns are surprisingly verbose and poetic.
* GracefulLoser: [[spoiler:He congratulates the Arisen and expresses admiration towards them when defeated, as well as giving them fair warning that [[FromBadToWorse things are NOT gonna get easier with his death]].]]
* TheHeavy: [[spoiler:Savan is actually the closest the game has to a BigBad, though this guy's the antagonist for a good chunk.]]
* HopelessBossFight: You fight him in the beginning, but it doesn't end well for you.
* {{Leitmotif}}: ''Clash of Fates''.
* IGaveMyWord: TheReveal that [[spoiler:Duke Edmun sacrificed his wife in exchange for power]] shows that Grigori does make good on his word. [[spoiler:He continues to do so if the player chooses to kill their loved one instead of fight him.]]
* LargeAndInCharge: Many of the game's monsters serve him, as does Salvation (they think), and he's GIGANTIC. You can fight other, lesser dragons during the course of the game, called Dragonkin collectively. A Dragonkin is about the size of a flatbed truck, but contrasted with Grigori, they're about the size of Grigori's FOREARM.
* LightEmUp: Although [[AffablyEvil how much of him is not good is debatable]], he has a few Holy-based attacks and is very resistant to the same kind of attacks. [[RuleOfSymbolism His true name also essentially means that he's an envoy of God.]]
* LoadBearingBoss: A minor example. [[spoiler:Defeating him causes the Dragonforged to finally die.]]
** Also a MAJOR example: [[spoiler:his death causes the apocalyptic changes in the world post-game, including the Everfall opening up in Gran Soren and Gransys being infested by WAY more horrid monsters, like Cockatrices, Gorechimerae and Dragonkin.]]
* OrcusOnHisThrone: Although the entire plot revolves around his presence, Grigori himself plays no role in the story until the last couple quests in the game. Most of the game is spent dealing with the consequences of his mere existence, including political intrigues, a upsurge in monster activity, and the rise of a doomsday cult. Notably, Grigori himself is not personally responsible for ''any'' of these.
* OurDragonsAreDifferent: Design-wise, Grigori is as standard a European dragon as he can be. However, [[spoiler:he is also a former Arisen who was turned into a dragon when he failed to defeat the Seneschal, as was every dragon that came before him]].
* RedEyesTakeWarning: He's got glowing red eyes and is a powerful dragon.
* SadisticChoice: Always gives the Arisen one. The choice is either to fight him and ''attempt'' to kill him (failure to do so would mean the end of all Gransys) or sacrifice your love interest in exchange for sovereignty, as well as the Dragon leaving Gransys for a period of time. (He leaves long enough to make it seem like you ''did'' defeat him, [[spoiler:if Duke Edmun is any indication]].)
* TakeAThirdOption: When you finally reach him, he offers you the SadisticChoice above. Alternately, you can just shoot him with the Maker's Finger to kill him instantly.
* WorthyOpponent: He really approves if you choose to fight him. Throughout your final battle with him, he'll praise your willpower and skill.
[[/folder]]

!Others
[[folder:Reynard]]
[[quoteright:206:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/reynald.png]]
->Voiced by:Creator/DerekStephenPrince

Reynard is a traveling peddler, wandering all around Gransys to sell his wares. He can also provide services for enhancing equipment. His wandering is rather infamous among players, in that he is ''never'' where you need him to be if you want to speak to him (and if you ''aren't'' looking for him, you'll naturally see him repeatedly).
----
* BookEnds: If you choose Reynard as your love interest, your relationship begins and ends with you saving him from being harassed by goblins.
* TheDeterminator: Travels Gransys for years without finding any clues about his [[DisappearedDad father]].
* DisappearedDad: Reynard's father left his family while his mother was pregnant with him. Buying enough little curatives from him will eventually open up a quest chain in which he asks you to figure out what would drive a man to leave his unborn child and sends you across the land to find the pages of the man's journal.
* GottaCatchEmAll: His quest involves collecting the pages of his father's journal, some of which you may already have found by the time you meet him.
%%* PermaStubble
* PermanentlyMissableContent: If you don't save Raynard on the road at the start of the game, he won't give you the quest to find out about his father. Oh, sure, he'll respawn to wander the world and sell you junk after you let the monsters kill him, but you can't have the quest. [[spoiler:And if you complete that quest, Reynard decides to go back home and you'll no longer be able to interact with him, meaning if you completed it before Fournival's trial, you can't ask for forged evidence, and if you completed it before acquiring the Arisen's Bond, you can't give it to him.]] It's worth noting that a first-time player who doesn't know to look for him will ''easily'' miss him.
* WalkingTheEarth: He's probably seen more of Gransys than you have.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Selene]]
[[quoteright:137:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/selene3.png]]
->Voiced by: Shannon Rayner

Selene is a mysterious young girl who resides in the mist-enveloped Witchwood. She is timid and fears contact with regular people. No one seems to know her history or background, but she's an excellent herbalist. [[spoiler:She is the only known Pawn to become human. That is, she became human after her Arisen gave her heart to her.]]
----
* BecomeARealBoy: [[spoiler:She was a Pawn who was given a part of her Arisen's soul, which made her at least partially human. Whether she becomes fully human or not depends on the player character's interactions with her.]]
%%* CuteWitch
%%* DesperatelyLookingForAPurposeInLife
* {{Expy}}: Of [[{{Manga/Berserk}} Schierke]]. Her grandmother [[spoiler:(the Arisen she served)]], in turn, resembles Schierke's mentor, Flora.
%%* GirlishPigtails
* HistoryRepeats: To your main pawn, possibly. She'll even remark on it if she was your Beloved.
* OlderThanTheyLook: Selene looks rather short (in fact, she's actually 5'6''), is a little baby-faced, and has a hairstyle that makes her look very [[{{Series/TheAddamsFamily}} Wednesday Addams]]. Her attire and demeanor are also rather childlike. But as we learn, she's [[spoiler: actually the pawn of a former Arisen who lived many decades or even centuries ago]].
* {{Pretty Freeloader|s}}: [[spoiler:If you rescue Selene from the WitchHunt, she'll move into your house in Cassardis, despite having her own hut and being quite shy around people. It's mostly because you're able to vouch both for her and the villagers as good people, so she doesn't have to worry about an angry mob again.]]
* WhatMeasureIsAHumanoid: [[spoiler:It's possible to romance Selene, though how much of her is human and how much of her is Pawn is up for debate and changes over the course of the storyline.]]
* WitchHunt: The villagers eventually get it in their heads that Selene is responsible for the dragon's coming and that she must've made some sort of deal with it. Of course, she has no clue and is just living in the woods mixing herbs, but they won't listen to reason so well. The Quest involving saving her from the villagers is even called "Witch Hunt".
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Salomet]]
[[quoteright:241:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/salomet.png]]

Once an adviser to the Duke, but has since betrayed him and run off with valuable grimoires and magical accruements. He later steals the Wyrmking's Ring from the Duke, which amplifies his magickal powers. He intends to utilize the Wyrmking Ring as a Phylactery in order to achieve Lichdom.
----
* DisneyVillainDeath: Salomet falls off the Bluemoon Tower to his death.
%%* EvilSorcerer
* EvilSoundsDeep: His voice gets even deeper during the final confrontation with him. ([[EvilIsHammy And extremely hammy too.]])
* LoneWolfBoss: He's completely unaffiliated with Salvation or the Dragon, yet still serves as the main antagonist of his own quest line and manages to be the biggest threat to Gran Soren which is not associated with the Dragon's prophecy.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Maul]]
[[quoteright:168:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/maul.png]]

Maul is the leader of the southwestern bandits and is found in the the ruins of Aernst Castle. He values a person's will above all else. He also tends to be interested in the Arisen's actions. Despite being a bandit leader, Maul seems to have a soft spot for children (as told by Pike, when Maul took him in) and honors people who have a strong will to make their decisions. On the other hand, he hates Ophis and her bandits.
----
%%* JerkWithAHeartOfGold
* NobleDemon: Maul is a bandit, to be sure, but he's surprisingly respectable. If you convince Pike to return to the bandits' hideout, Maul is so moved by Pikes' code of honor that he ''spares'' the ex-traitor.
* UnusuallyUninterestingSight: Despite being a bunch of bandits, Maul and his followers may have little to no reaction to the Arisen and their Pawns wandering around the castle ruins.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Ophis]]

Ophis is Maul's counterpart, leader of a group of all-women bandits in the northwest part of Gransys. She dislikes men in general, and particularly hates Maul. Beautiful women, on the other hand...
----
* BerserkButton: Being a man is the main one, but also killing her pet cyclops qualifies.
* DoesNotLikeMen: She and her bandits will initially attack you if you have a man in your group, requiring you to either have an all girl group or have any male characters DisguisedInDrag. Completing her quest will cause them to let you off the hook for this.
* LadyInRed: She and all of her bandits wear red, somewhat revealing outfits.
* MageMarksman: Ophis is the only named NPC in the entire game to be a Magick Archer.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Dragonforged]]
[[quoteright:210:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_dragonforged.png]]
->Voiced by: Trey Ragley

An ancient Arisen who is invisible to all except those who are also part of the eternal chain. Solitary, wise, and regretful. The Dragonforged awaits a worthy Arisen to train and prepare for the inevitable battle ahead. He is well over a thousand years old (though surprisingly youthful and strong) and shows multiple scars and burns across his flesh.
----
* InvisibleToNormals: He can only be seen by other Arisen (and presumably their Pawns), judging by his dialog.
* LoveIsAWeakness: After you find the Arisen's Bond and take it to the Dragonforged, [[spoiler:speak to him again and he'll say that he shunned others and faced the dragon alone, fearing the weakness of a bond to other people. He also admits that maybe he was wrong to do this.]]
* NoImmortalInertia: [[spoiler:Beating the dragon causes the Dragonforged to crumble to dust.]]
* OldMaster: He somehow knows more about the dragons than anyone else alive. Nobody knows how he learned it. [[spoiler:The reason is that he sacrificed his kingdom (as he had no Beloved) for knowledge, leading him to become what he is now.]]
* RetiredBadass: He is an Arisen like the player character, and confronted the Dragon during his own time. But that was a thousand years ago, and he currently just seeks to advise the current generation of Arisen.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Fool]]
[[quoteright:281:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_fool.png]]
->Voiced by: Trey Ragley

The Dragonforged's Pawn. Benign, viewed as nonsensical and nothing more. However, there may be something deeper than people care to ponder. He often speaks in riddles.
----
* TheFool: [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin It's in his name]].
* TalkativeLoon: He speaks solely in riddles.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Zero]]
The leader of the Nameless Ones, a group of assassins that for some reason want the Arisen dead.
----
* BadassBoast: He gives one just before you fight him.
--> '''Zero''': I am the void of stygian black. I am wonder and despair. I am annihilation. You stood tall against my Nameless Men, Arisen. But you will find my challenge of a different caliber. I am the great darkness -- part of every thing, part of every one...And I am your doom.
* SmugSnake: His BadassBoast shows that he thinks quite highly of himself.
* TheUnreveal: Just who exactly ''is'' he? ''Why'' does he want the Arisen dead? Virtually nothing is known about him or the group he leads, even at the quest's conclusion.
* WorthyOpponent: [[spoiler:Comments on how you are a "true Arisen" as he dies.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Ur-Dragon]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ur_dragon.png]]
->"''Cede your life to me...''"

The first Dragon in the world, the Ur-Dragon is an immense undead behemoth who can be found at the Chamber of Lament of the Everfall. Scattered through his body are the hearts of many Arisen, which serve as his sole weaknesses. The Ur-Dragon is a monster of such power that his health bar is shared across the entire world, and all players are able to contribute to his defeat. The death of the Ur-Dragon grants the player a number of rewards, though the beast always rises again to challenge the Arisen once more should they desire.
----
* AttackItsWeakPoint: The hearts scattered across the Ur-Dragon's body are the ''only'' spots where the player can damage him. Attacks done anywhere else, or on already-destroyed hearts, deal no damage.
* BonusBoss: The Ur-Dragon has no participation in the story, essentially serving as a side-quest for the player if they wish the rewards he grants on death.
* ContractualBossImmunity: He is immune to all forms of debilitations.
* {{Dracolich}}: He appears rotten by default, but the more hearts the player destroys, the more decayed he looks, eventually having entire regions of his body [[DemBones stripped to the bone]].
* ElementalPowers: The Ur-Dragon can cast spells of all elements: [[PlayingWithFire High Bolide]], [[AnIcePerson High Frigor]], [[ShockAndAwe High Levin]], [[CastingAShadow High Petrification]] and, despite his weakness to Holy damage, [[LightEmUp Holy Furor]].
* GracefulLoser: When you finally fell this mighty beast, he has nothing but praise for you.
-->'''Ur-Dragon''': "''You... truly, you are worthy...''"
* {{Leitmotif}}: ''Violet in the Darkness''.
* MarathonBoss: The online version of the Ur-Dragon is estimated to have 3,000,000,000 HP total, though the player can only fight him for 10 minutes before he flees. All players across the world contribute to his death upon fighting him, and once the first player manages to kill him, he enters the period known as Grace, where new fights against him will have him severely weakened and with only one heart to destroy, being the optimal time to get his rewards. Subverted with the offline version of the fight, which is balanced for only one player and their Pawns and only has 1,470,000 HP in comparison.
* OurDragonsAreDifferent: This one is undead, immortal, and has 30 hearts scattered across his body.
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: The player can only fight the Ur-Dragon for 10 minutes before he leaves the arena. This is true for both online and offline versions. However, the player can simply leave and re-enter the Chamber of Lament in order to fight him again, the damage done being retained through multiple fights.
* ShowsDamage: As the Ur-Dragon's hearts are destroyed, his skin is burned away, his guts fall off of his stomach, and part of him becomes little more than a living skeleton.
* TechnicolorFire: The Ur-Dragon's flames are coloured purple.
* UrExample: An in-universe example, fitting to his name. According to the official artbook, the Ur-Dragon is the first Dragon in the world.
[[/folder]]

!The Seneschal's Chamber (ENDING SPOILERS)
[[folder:The Seneschal]]
[[quoteright:309:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/seneschal.png]]
->Voiced by: Creator/GideonEmery (Robed), Creator/TroyBaker (Disrobed)
->"''Fight tooth and claw, struggle now, and cling to life. Show that living holds worth enough to fight for!''"

The ruler of the world, the Seneschal is an all-powerful being residing at the depths of the Everfall whose task is to serve as a steward for existence. The Seneschal is an Arisen who ascended into godhood by defeating the person occupying their position before them, and the entity uses the Dragon in order to pick a new Arisen to challenge them for their throne, creating the world's cycle. In the player's first playthrough, the Seneschal is Savan, the character controlled during the prologue of the game.

In the NewGamePlus, Savan is replaced by a random Arisen created by another player if they are playing in online mode, or by the player's own Arisen if they are playing in offline mode.
----
* AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: From Savan to Arisens encountered later, they have all ascended into godhood by defeating the Seneschal before them.
* BigBad: The crux of the plot is his attempt at finding an Arisen to replace him.
* DeathSeeker: Savan welcomes Godsbane with open arms after all his years as Seneschal, and his last lines indicate this. The same is true for all later Seneschals the player faces during New Game Plus.
* FinalBoss: The last enemy you will face in the game. He's also the game's TrueFinalBoss, contrary to what the Dragon's defeat would tell you.
* {{God}}: The all-powerful ruler of the world, overseeing all of existence.
-->'''Seneschal''': "''Just as the Arisen calls pawns into being and sets them to motion, the Seneschal holds dominion over all living things. There are those who would call such a being Maker, or God. I cannot deny the claim, any more than affirm it. In the end, they are but words.''"
* {{Leitmotif}}: ''Fateful Decision''.
* LightEmUp: His main mean of combat is by launching shockwaves of light at the player.
* LightIsNotGood: The Seneschal is a figure who shines a bright aura of light and wears all-white robes. Doesn't stop them from causing the world's end and killing you if you allow it.
-->'''Seneschal''': "''[Do not expect] the mercy men seek in their gods.''"
* TheManBehindTheMan: The Seneschal is the force behind the Dragon. The Dragon's purpose is to choose an Arisen strong enough to face the Seneschal in combat.
* PhysicalGod: Their role is to watch over the world and make sure it continues to thrive.
* RogueProtagonist: He's the dude you play as in the tutorial. In the NewGamePlus, fighting the Seneschal in offline mode reveals they are the Arisen you played as in the previous game cycle.
* ATasteOfPower: Savan, the first Seneschal the player faces, is also the character you play as in the tutorial and is a fairly high-leveled Fighter with decent skills that will take you some time to earn once you actually make your character.
* TookALevelInBadass: Along with being a skilled fighter pre-Seneschal, he can fire {{Kamehame Hadoken}}s post-Seneschalization.
* WalkingSpoiler: Due to his nature as the FinalBoss and his importance to the story, he gets his own folder.
* WellDoneSonGuy: Possibly in Savan's case. He molded his pawn after his father who was killed by the dragon.
* WhoWantsToLiveForever: As the Seneschal, Savan has grown weary of living alone beyond the Rift, sustaining the world through countless generations but unable to interact with it. When you take his place and are only able to wander around town as an invisible ghost, unable to speak to anyone, you can really get a sense of how lonely an existence it is.
[[/folder]]

!''Dark Arisen'' characters
[[folder:Daimon]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/daimon.png]]
->"''I have raged, and wrought destruction. Naught shall remain.''"

The lord of Bitterblack Isle. [[spoiler:He was once an Arisen named Ashe, corrupted by his hatred for the cycle of Dragon and Arisen.]]
----
* TheAgeless: [[spoiler:Has been long gone as the Daimon for a [[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld hundred worlds that passed]]]].
* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: All his spells reflect the rings you are currently gaining from the dungeon, [[spoiler:minus the portal spell [[PowerOfTheVoid towards the Void]]]].
* AndIMustScream: [[spoiler:When he refused the Dragon's bargain, it transformed him into the hideous creature you see on Bitterblack Isle. During the battle, Olra asks that if freedom is beyond his reach, to grant him a peaceful death.]]
* AntagonistTitle: He is the titular Dark Arisen the expansion is named from.
* BareFistedMonk: He uses punches and drop kicks. They '''hurt'''.
* BigBad: Of ''Dark Arisen''.
* BigRedDevil: Purple, though he fits the rest of the description to a T.
* DeathSeeker: [[spoiler:As you wear him down, he begins to welcome his demise and seems at peace that someone is actually managing to best him.]]
* ElementalPowers: [[PlayingWithFire He]] [[AnIcePerson brings]] [[ShockAndAwe the]] [[LightEmUp entire]] [[CastingAShadow collection]].
* {{Expy}}: He looks a lot like Zodd the Immortal from ''{{Manga/Berserk}}''. Given the game's other {{Shout Out}}s to ''Berserk'', it isn't that far of a stretch.
* EvilSoundsDeep: His large body is likely to compensate for the very dark omen.
* FinalBoss: Of ''Dark Arisen''. Most specifically, his second form is this, only fought the second time the player faces Daimon.
* FlyingBrick: A brick who is more than content to crush you under his fist using downward blows from the air.
* GoodWingsEvilWings: Sports a pair of large, leathery wings which grant him [[FlyingBrick rather agile flight]].
* HumanoidAbomination: [[spoiler:Twisted enough to once turn a young boy into a megalomaniac dragon demon he is now.]]
* KungFuWizard: A powerful spellcaster and a very durable kick master, there's no doubt [[spoiler:that [[WasOnceAMan Mystic Knight was]] [[BaitAndSwitch his class]]]].
* {{Leitmotif}}: ''Coils of Light'' and ''In the Crucible where Droplets Gather, I Wait''. [[spoiler:While the second is an awesome BattleThemeMusic, the first is a SadBattleMusic.]]
* LightningBruiser: Don't be fooled by his large size. Daimon is one of the most agile bosses in the game, unleashing fast and powerful physical and magical blows while giving the player very little room to fight back.
* OneWingedAngel: Upon defeating him for a second time, [[spoiler:the face on his stomach grows more prominent and his entire combat style changes, with fully restored and [[MarathonBoss enormously buffed health]]. This "awakened" form poses a challenge even to those who have struck the level limit, as he has a penchant for [[ThatOneBoss spamming magic attacks and setting you on fire when you try to scale him]]]].
* OurDemonsAreDifferent: Daimon is the closest thing to a demon in ''Dragon's Dogma''. [[spoiler:He was not always like this.]]
* PowerOfTheVoid: [[spoiler:Is the only living Arisen by far who has enough power to create a portal that sucks anyone into the Void. Once you hit the center, there's no way to go back[[note]]Unless you have a wakestone[[/note]]]].
* RageAgainstTheHeavens: [[spoiler:He did this once confronted by his SadisticChoice, desiring to destroy the gods for making him go through such a thing. [[JackassGenie The Dragon]] [[GoneHorriblyRight gave him a form able to do exactly that]].]]
* RedEyesTakeWarning: One of the first things the game will emphasize upon entering his sanctum are his shining red eyes.
* SadisticChoice: Daimon was on the receiving end of one. [[spoiler:As Ashe, he was forced to choose between sacrificing Olra (his Beloved), or killing the Dragon (his transformed adoptive mother). He chose neither, which led him to be turned into what he is today.]]
* SequelHook: [[spoiler:The Awakened Daimon's introduction has vibes of this, especially when he awaits you in the ''Crucible of Souls''.]]
* SoundtrackDissonance: {{Subverted}}. In his first form, which is when you're actually fighting Daimon the Arisen. The music that plays is ''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rGehzGPfJ5Y Coils of Light]]'', [[spoiler:which it is mostly a rather quiet, sorrowful song about regret, loss, and things that might have been, yet it's strangely fitting]]. The first few runs may not hold the meaning, considering [[ViewersAreGoldfish the difficulty spike of the fight]], but reading the lyrics and listening to the song [[spoiler:tells you that it was more of a MercyKill for a man who lived for thousands of years, than [[FridgeHorror an actual raid as you finished the first run]]]].
* TraumaCongaLine: For someone who is particularly powerful, it's almost certain that he has been through a lot. [[spoiler:Loses his mother over a SadisticChoice tied with his own life, struggling over the course of his tormented life to save his beloved pawn and was forced into a [[DealWithTheDevil Deal with the Dragon]] to fight him or turn him into the Daimon he is now.]]
* ThemeMusicPowerUp: In his second form. His music becomes a powerful, almost divine-sounding orchestra.
* UndergroundCity: [[spoiler:The village he used to live in was buried for over hundreds of world cycles, leading to its dark ominous look as the Bitterblack Isle.]]
* WalkingSpoiler: [[FinalBoss Not that being shown in every trailer has anything to do with it.]]
* YouAreNotReady: [[spoiler:His awakened form is telling you this through the words "[[ArcWords Hone your spirit, refine it]]", especially when your pawn replaces you in your trials as the Arisen ''of a Broken Order''.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Olra]]
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/olga.png]]
->"''For now, my course is unchanged. I shall help as I am able, and pray that brings further clarity.''"

A mysterious young woman who guides the Arisen to Bitterblack Isle. She serves as a purifier of cursed items found through the island.
----
* TheAgeless: Comes with being an Arisen; notably, only Arisens can even see the Bitterblack Isle up close.
* AndTheAdventureContinues: [[spoiler:After being relieved as a host of another Olra, this Olra carries on with the dungeon hunting. Curious to find about more of her possession, explicitly telling you [[ButThouMust to repeat the dungeon as you please]].]]
* LaserGuidedAmnesia: She can't remember anything before arriving on Bitterblack Isle. She slowly regains her memories as you traverse the labyrinth. [[spoiler:It's because she was possessed by the spirit of a Pawn without knowing she is a different person.]]
* InexplicablyIdenticalIndividuals: [[spoiler:This Olra is different to the Olra you met within the dungeons in the Isle.]]
* InvisibleToNormals: By the way she expresses surprise over you being able to see her at the Cassandis pier, it strongly suggests this to be the case.
* {{Leitmotif}}: ''A Request''.
* MysteriousWaif: [[spoiler:Even more so as a pawn incarnate.]]
* {{Reincarnation}}: [[spoiler:Twice. Her first incarnation is the mother of the Daimon you ultimately fight against, dying by the choice of her son's life over hers. Her second incarnation, the one who is currently possessing her, is the Pawn who serves Ashe, the same person who ended up as the Daimon.]]
* SharingABody: [[spoiler:The [[InexplicablyIdenticalIndividuals pawn of the same name]] is currently possessing Olra for the sake of relieving her master from being the Daimon forever.]]
* {{Stripperiffic}}: [[spoiler:As Olra, the pawn.]]
* TalkingIsAFreeAction: [[spoiler:As Olra, she encourages you to push on during the fight against the Daimon, her beloved master.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Barroch]]
[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/barroch.png]]
->"''"One look around and it’s clear we’re rats in a trap here, friend. But then, I’m a strange sort. This sort of welcome puts me more at ease than any hospitality."''"

A former Arisen encountered on Bitterblack Isle. He serves as a merchant of items and weapons.
----
* TheAgeless: Comes with being an Arisen. He seems unperturbed by his immortality, relishing in it.
* ConspiracyTheorist: Some of his theories on the nature of Bitterblack Isle are a bit... out-there.
** He is also arguably right about most of them. Particularly, he notes the isle's impossible architecture and assumes that it's the creation of some otherworldly power used as a prison or a trap. [[spoiler:It turns out to be a little of both.]]
* EmpoweredBadassNormal: Being an Arisen, this is a given.
* IntrepidMerchant: He shows up in several locations throughout Bitterblack Isle.
* {{Jerkass}}: He blatantly believes that you won't last long on Bitterblack Isle.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: The further you traverse Bitterblack Isle, however, the more he warms up to you, eventually advising you (in a stiff manner) to stay alive, and mentioning he'd like a "drinking partner" for once.
* {{Leitmotif}}: ''Life Cycle''.
* LivingForeverIsAwesome: He seems to be the only Arisen who embraced his immortality to the point that he deliberately avoided fighting the Dragon.
* NormallyIWouldBeDeadNow: His constant travels in the Bitterblack dungeons gives off this vibe, especially [[spoiler:when he loses hundreds of his pawns the deeper he goes on]]. [[spoiler:It's also apparent after the death of the Dragon; he is still alive and well along with Olra.]]
* ScrewDestiny: Rather than choosing to fight the dragon, he's content with the life of an immortal adventurer.
* TreasureHunter: His previous kink was being an alchemist, mixing valuable potions to earn his living. After being selected as an Arisen, he took the advantage of his immortal life adventuring, particularly, in the Bitterblack Isle.
* TryNotToDie: He always sends the Arisen off with "No dying now".
* UltimateBlacksmith: He's the only character capable of improving equipment beyond the level of Dragonforged.
* WhatMeasureIsANonHuman: [[spoiler:He points you out on this one, after defeating Daimon twice in a row.]]
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Death]]
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/death8.png]]
->"''"Tis only fitting that this island would host its own Reaper. It haunts Arisen as though enraged at the half-immortality granted by the wyrm, relentless and intractable as its namesake. Even now, I swear I can hear the whispers..."''"

Death itself haunts Bitterblack Isle. Wielding a massive scythe and a lantern made of bone, Death stalks any foolish enough to venture into the isle's labyrinth. What or who this being is remains a mystery, though the game does drop several hints to its identity for those paying attention.
----
* BerserkButton: It is suggested that the mere existence of the Arisen -- a child of man who cheated death by having their heart taken by the Dragon -- pisses it off something fierce.
* BonusBoss: Defeating Death is not necessary to progress through Bitterblack Isle, but doing so grants a lot of experience, and like all enemies in the game, Death has his own loot which may be necessary to enhance the player's equipment.
* ContractualBossImmunity: Death is immune to all forms of debilitations. Uniquely, he is also the only enemy in the game who possesses explicit immunity to the Brine, as he hovers over water rather than fall into it in the event he gets knocked into a body of water deep enough for the Brine to be active.
* DamageSpongeBoss: Death is arguably the hardest boss in the game outside the online Ur-Dragon to kill in terms of sheer durability. You can't climb on it, it has no weak points or elemental weaknesses, and it has staggering levels of health. Combined with the fact that it runs after it takes too much damage, and you have yourself a really annoying to kill opponent.
* FallenHero: [[spoiler:Possibly. The game heavily hints that Death is what became of Arthacos, an Arisen who preceded you to Bitterblack Isle and left memoirs behind.]]
* {{Flight}}: Being the world's most terrifying BedsheetGhost, Death doesn't walk, it floats.
* TheGrimReaper: More or less the classic portrayal with a slight twist: rather then a skeleton wearing a black cloak, Death ''is'' a black cloak. A rather terrifying one at that.
* HellIsThatNoise: When Death is in an area, but hasn't found you yet, a creepy, quiet piano piece plays and you hear constant whispering. Notably, this is one of the only times that music plays outside of battle in Bitterblack Isle.
* InstantDeathRadius: Unlike most attacks in the game, Death's scythe doesn't need to hit you to kill you. [[HitboxDissonance Just being too close when it swings will end with you kissing the floor]], [[UnblockableAttack and it can't be dodged, blocked, or countered.]]
* {{Leitmotif}}: ''Pitch-Black Pursuer''.
* MightyGlacier: In terms of other bosses. While Death moves rather quickly when giving chase, it attacks extremely slowly. However, any hit that lands will kill you and it possesses massive amounts of health and high resistances.
* OhCrap: Can easily induce these. It's drawn to corpses, and if it appears while you're already fighting something like a [[AttackOfThe50FootWhatever Condemned Gorecyclopes]], most players' first reaction will be a panic-stricken retreat.
* NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast: Its name happens to be what most encounters with it end in.
* OneHitKill: Death's most notable feature. If it hits you, you die, end of story. The Arisen can use a Wakestone to come back, but any Pawns struck (or even [[InstantDeathRadius just]] ''[[HitboxDissonance grazed]]'') by its scythe are banished back to the Rift.
%%* ScareChord: When it spots you.
* SinisterScythe: What else would a Grim Reaper wield? And if it hits you, it's a OneHitKill.
* StandardStatusEffects: His Lantern will put anyone near him to sleep when it glows blue, making them easy prey for his next strike.
* UnfriendlyFire: If it hits another boss with its scythe, that boss is just as dead as anything else. You don't get exp for this, though.
* VillainTeleportation: Is capable of it. Most often used to close with ranged characters or fleeing targets. Also tends to come out of it [[RightBehindMe right behind the poor shmuck in question.]]
[[/folder]]

!Anime Characters
[[folder:Ethan]]
!!Ethan
!!!Voiced by: Creator/GregChun (English), Creator/YuichiNakamura (Japanese)
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/97178c52f6071f914362b51226849a9c.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:The Arisen]]
->''"The dragon will die by my hand!"''
The protagonist of the ''Dragon's Dogma'' anime adaptation. Originally a man living a peaceful life with his wife, the dragon's attack changed everything and turned Ethan into a bitter, angry man hellbent on revenge.
----
* FieryRedhead: His hair is red, and he's dealing with more than a few anger issues when his home is attacked.
* RedEyesTakeWarning: When ''really'' pushed to the edge, Ethan's eyes turn red. [[spoiler:It is ''not'' a good sign as it means he's getting closer and closer to becoming the same thing that murdered his wife and child]].
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: The death of his wife and unborn child sets him off on his quest to kill the dragon.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Hannah]]
!!Hannah
!!!Voiced by: Creator/EricaMendez (English), Creator/NanaMizuki (Japanese)
[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dragons_dogma_2.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:The Pawn]]
->''"I am a pawn. And I shall be your protector."''
A Pawn summoned by Ethan, who travels alongside him in his quest to slay the dragon while protecting him from danger.
----
* ActionGirl: She's a woman, but she's just as capable in capable as Ethan is.
* ArcherArchetype: Hannah is a very talented bow-woman that demonstrated some fine ImprobableAimingSkills by shooting multiple arrows and rarely missing her targets.
* DefrostingIceQueen: She starts as emotionless, but on her adventures with Ethan, Hannah learns more about humans and starts to develop her own human side, becoming more emotional and friendly.
* LadyLegionnaireWear
* MagicSkirt: Her modesty is preserved at all times in spite of constantly battling monsters while jumping around and getting flung by them. Which stands out considering the series is very upfront on nudity.
* MinidressOfPower
* PlayingWithFire: She is capable of pyrokinesis and can shoot even magical arrows embowered with fire magic.
* ReiAyanamiExpy: She fills the role quite well, Hannah has IcyBlueEyes and bobbed blond hair. She is very quite, stoic and emotions are rather alien to her. Her mere role is to serve the main hero as his protector.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Olivia]]
!!Olivia
!!!Voiced by: Creator/CristinaValenzuela (English), Creator/MiyukiSawashiro (Japanese)
[[quoteright:196:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/1052163_01ethanolivia033_1280.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:196:Ethan's wife]]
->''"I told you I'd always be by your side."''
Ethan's spouse, who is tragically killed alongside her unborn child when the dragon attacks. Hers and the child's death is what kickstarts Ethan's quest for vengeance.
----
* PlotTriggeringDeath: Ethan's heart being ripped from his chest and being made an Arisen, along with Olivia's death, is what sets Ethan off on his journey to slay the dragon.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Louis]]
!! Louis
!!!Voiced by: Creator/JeannieTirado (English), Creator/YukoSanpei (Japanese)

Ethan and Olivia's adoptive son.
----
* DeathOfAChild: He dies near the end of the first episode.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Salai]]
!! Salai
!!!Voiced by: Creator/RyanBartley (English), Creator/SuzukoMimori (Japanese)
[[/folder]]

[[folder:The Dragon (Unmarked Spoilers)]]
!!The Dragon
!!!Voided by: [[Creator/DavidLodgeActor David Lodge]] (English), Creator/TakayukiSugo (Japanese)
The main antagonist of the anime adaptation and the one responsible for turning Ethan into an Arisen.
----
* AdaptationalBackstoryChange: Unlike Grigori, it wasn't created by the Seneschal to seek out a worthy Arisen who could KillAndReplace them. Rather, this Dragon was made into one because of a curse placed upon them when they killed the previous Dragon.
* AndIMustScream: The dragon only has control of itself and awareness of its senses ''after'' it goes on a murderous rampage, allowing it to see the death and destruction it's caused.
* BigBad: It's the reason why Ethan's family and village are gone and why he was turned into an Arisen.
* DeathSeeker: It seeks out to make Arisen who can kill it and free it from its curse.
* {{Pride}}: The [[SevenDeadlySins sin]] it represents and the reason it became a Dragon in the first place. Like Ethan, the Arisen it once was had its family killed by a Dragon, but it wanted to kill it to prove they were stronger rather than out of an actual need for vengeance.
* WasOnceAMan: The dragon was an Arisen like Ethan; he had his heart torn out and was challenged by the dragon of his time to reclaim it. He became the new Dragon after he killed it.
[[/folder]]
----

** GameFavoredGender: The lines of some {{Non Player Character}}s make it quite obvious the game was designed around a male Arisen: some females will be quite flirtatious right from the get-go, while the males are usually simply polite. Pawns often address the Arisen as "Master," regardless of gender. Talking to a "working girl" in Gran Soren at night even makes it obvious that the game is expecting a male Arisen with a ([[MostGamersAreMale presumably]] [[BuxomIsBetter attractive]]) female Pawn: she tells you to discard the "puppet" in favor of a real woman. There are also five potential female love interests, as opposed to only three male.

* TheJester: His role in court.

!Dark Arisen characters

%%* GoodWingsEvilWings

Solitary, wise, and regretful. The Dragonforged awaits a worthy arisen to train and prepare for the inevitable battle ahead. He is well over a thousand years old (though surprisingly youthful and strong) and shows multiple scars and burns across his flesh.

* OldMaster: He somehow knows more about the dragons than anyone else alive. Nobody knows how he learned it. [[spoiler:He apparently made a deal with the dragon.]]
%%* RetiredBadass

Benign, viewed as nonsensical and nothing more. However, there may be something deeper than people care to ponder. He often speaks in riddles.

* GoOutWithASmile: [[spoiler:The Arisen smiles as they ended their life, which would end the cycle.]]

* GoOutWithASmile: [[spoiler:In a blink and you miss it moment, his lips curl up into a grin just before he crumbles to dust after you beat the dragon.]]

* HumanityIsInfectious: [[spoiler:The more time a spawn spends time with their Arisen, the more humanlike they become. The Arisen gifts a part of their soul to the pawn, which pawns would fill overtime, becoming more like their Arisen as time goes on.]]

* KissingCousins: Sort of. Almost everyone in the Arisen's hometown seems to address one another as "cousin" (or the short form "cos"), including Quina.

* KissingCousins: Like with Quina, almost all the villagers call each other "cousin."

* ZettaiRyouiki: She sports A type emphasizing her legs.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/grigori_the_dragon.png]]

!!!Voiced by: Creator/GregChun

!!!Voiced by: Creator/EricaMendez

!!!Voiced by: Creator/CristinaValenzuela

!!!Voiced by: Creator/JeannieTirado

!!!Voiced by: Creator/RyanBartley

!!!Voided by: [[Creator/DavidLodgeActor David Lodge]]

* DeathSeeker: [[spoiler:He has shades of this, seeming to relish the fact that you are finally strong enough to face him down and win. His taunts gradually turn to praise as you wear him down, and he seems quite at peace when finally overcome.[[JustifiedTrope Justified]] considering the sole purpose of a dragon in the cycle is to choose the Arisen and die by their hand if they don't take the deal.]]

* HeroicMime: Don't expect your Arisen to say a single word during the entire story, even though one of the things which can be customized during character creation is the voice. [[spoiler:This backfires miserably when you cannot voice your opinion while the Duke is framing you up for bargaining with the Dragon; you have no other options but to [[PersonaNonGrata flee from Noble Quarter]], [[ThenLetMeBeEvil slaughter everyone in Gran Soren]], or [[TakeAThirdOption simply toss the city guard into the Everfall to skip the meeting]].]] The Arisen from the anime adaptation, named Ethan, averts this trope.

* HeroicMime: Don't expect your Arisen to say a single word during the entire story, even though one of the things which can be customized during character creation is the voice. [[spoiler:This backfires miserably when you cannot voice your opinion while the Duke is framing you up for bargaining with the Dragon; you have no other options but to [[PersonaNonGrata flee from Noble Quarter]], [[ThenLetMeBeEvil slaughter everyone in Gran Soren]], or [[TakeAThirdOption simply toss the city guard into the Everfall to skip the meeting]].]]

%%* TheFool: ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin.

%%* FinalBoss

* RedEyesTakeWarning: In the Official Trailer, Ethan's eyes turn red for unexplained reasons.

[[folder:The Dragon]]
* AndIMustScream: [[spoiler: The dragon only has control of itself and awareness of its senses 'after' it goes on a murderous rampage. Allowing it to see the death and destruction it's caused.]]

* [[spoiler: AndIMustScream: The dragon only has control of itself and awareness of its senses 'after' it goes on a murderous rampage. Allowing it to see the death and destruction it's caused.

** Also a MAJOR example: [[spoiler:his death causes the apocalyptic changes in the world post-game, including the Everfall opening up in Gran Soren and Gransys being infested by WAY more horrid monsters, like Cockatrices, Gorechimerae and Dragonking.]]

* IJustwantToBeNormal: Implied. [[spoiler:In one of the bad endings, the Arisen can return to the simple life they had always wanted. Also implied that all they wanted to do is to live in peace in their hometown with their beloved.]]