The cast of Sword of Mana, which is expanded from the storyline of Final Fantasy Adventure, and includes tropes from that game, and the later remake, Adventures of Mana.

Very much a Work In Progress. All spoilers are unmarked. You Have Been Warned.

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Party Members

Hero

Originally the child of a noble family, his parents were killed in Dark Lord's coup for the crime of sheltering the fugitive heroine. The hero himself was captured, but trained as a gladiator instead of being executed. At the beginning of the game, he attempts to escape from the arena; when caught by Dark Lord himself, he winds up knocked into the river, and washes up near the village of Topple in time to meet up with the heroine and join her on her journey. Both out of his desire for revenge and from his friendship with the heroine, he winds up dragged into the quest to protect the Mana Tree and save the world.

His default weapon is the sword, and his default magical spirit is Salamander. If he is the protagonist, he has a broader array of weapons and magic to choose from.

He has no default name in Sword of Mana: the Japanese strategy guide, manga anthology, novelization, and Circle of Mana card call him Duke; the English strategy guide and promotional comic both refer to him as Matt. His Final Fantasy Adventure counterpart also has two separate names: in Japan, he is simply known as "Hero" in the original manual, direct remakes, and a Rise of Mana collaboration; gameplay screenshots in the English manual instead show the name Sumo, which got carried over to the official translation of Adventures of Mana.

Best Served Cold: Wants revenge on Dark Lord for killing his parents, Consul Hermann and his wife, when he was just a kid.
Deadpan Snarker: Near the beginning after defeating Jackal, we get this gem.
Hero: Long live Granz Realm! (Under new management...)
Hello, [Insert Name Here]: Like his counterpart in Final Fantasy Adventure / Adventures of Mana, you can give him any name.
Heroes Prefer Swords: The Hero's personal weapon is a sword whereas the Heroine's is a staff.
Idiot Hero: Being raised from childhood to fight to the death against whatever monsters the Dark Lord opts to toss the gladiator's way doesn't make much opportunity for any sort of book smarts.
Jumped at the Call: Doesn't hesitate to ally with the Gemma Knights since it means he can fight Dark Lord.
The Resenter: Reveals at the end of the heroine's route that there was a time that he blamed his family's deaths on her.
Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Blames Devius for Amanda's death and charges off to fight him, which ends badly.
Playing with Fire: In the heroine's route, he has his own Salamander to attack enemies with fire magic.
Ship Tease: With both Amanda and the heroine in his route. Unfortunately, we know how that goes for him...
Spanner in the Works: Unlike the heroine, he has no real connection to the previous Vandole war—he just happened to get dragged into things after meeting her. He nevertheless winds up one of the heroes of the new generation.
You Killed My Father: Dark Lord killed his parents when he was a kid, and he's been waiting for a chance at revenge. Takes a chance on it when he and Will get caught trying to escape, but falls down a waterfall into the realm below.

Heroine

A survivor of the Mana Tribe. At the time of Dark Lord's coup, she was about to leave her village on a journey with the knight Sir Bogard, but when Dark Lord and Julius attacked the two of them had to flee for their lives. She was sheltered for a short time at the hero's house, but the two of them wound up separated when Dark Lord's soldiers found out about her. Now living outside of Topple with Bogard, she is about to embark on a journey to search for other Mana survivors when she bumps into the hero, and the two of them join forces. Along the way, she begins to discover the secrets of her true heritage and the motivations of her enemies.

Her default weapon is the staff, and her default spirit companion is Wisp, though as the protagonist she has a much greater arsenal at her disposal.

She has no default name in Sword of Mana: the Japanese strategy guide, manga anthology, novelization, and Circle of Mana card call her Erena/Elena; the English strategy guide and promotional comic both refer to her as Rose. Her Final Fantasy Adventure counterpart also has two separate names: in Japan, she is simply known as "Heroine" in the original manual, direct remakes, and a Rise of Mana collaboration; gameplay screenshots in the English manual instead show the name Fuji, which got carried over to the official translation of Adventures of Mana.

Action Girl: An upgrade from Final Fantasy Adventure, as this one is not only able to fight, but has her own route through the story, some of which she shares with the hero, though those parts are altered to match the route.
Adaptation Expansion: While the hero's storyline is more or less lifted from Final Fantasy Adventure, the heroine's route was freshly written for this game. One of the consequences of this is that she is privy to a lot more of the other characters' backstories and the secrets of the world than he is. This arguably makes her the central protagonist of the game, whereas in Final Fantasy Adventure the heroine was a much more traditional Damsel in Distress.
Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence: Becomes the new Mana Goddess after Julius' defeat, in order to revitalize the dying Mana Tree and preserve Mana in the world.
Black Magician Girl: Is much more proficient at magic than other characters, due to the staff's auto-targeted spells.
Healing Factor: With her own Wisp, she sometimes heal you in hero's route.
Hello, [Insert Name Here]: Just like in Final Fantasy Adventure / Adventures of Mana, she can be given her own name.
Light 'em Up: In hero's route, she uses light magic via Wisp.
Only Sane Man: Would rather solve problems with words than with weapons. Unfortunately, this method doesn't seem to have occurred to the rest of the cast.
The Resenter: Reveals in the hero's route that when she was hiding at his house, she was jealous of his happy family.
Screw Destiny: Her route features her having this attitude, and yet, see You Can't Fight Fate below.
Ship Tease: With Devius and the hero. Sadly, we know how that ends...
There Is Another: Believes herself to be the Sole Survivor of the Mana village until she meets up with Willy.
Transflormation: Becomes part of the Mana Tree, revitalizing it and replacing her mother Mana as the new Mana Goddess.
You Killed My Father: Initially holds a strong grudge against Dark Lord and Julius for wiping out her people, but mellows out a bit as she learns more about their circumstances.
White Magician Girl: Takes this role in the Hero's route, sticking to Wisp spells.
You Can't Fight Fate: Knows deep down that she is fated to become the new Mana Goddess, but tries to subvert it during her route, but comes to accept her fate after Julius is defeated.

Sir Bogard

The heroine's guardian, also one of the Gemma Knights who defeated Vandole in the past. He seems to know a lot more about what's going on than he's willing to tell, and winds up dragged into the fight to save the world when the heroine is captured. He serves as an adviser to both of the protagonists, and is eventually revealed to be the heroine's true father.

Only joins the party in the heroine's route. Wields a sword and uses earth magic.

Dishing Out Dirt: He can use Gnome's earth magic.
Distressed Dude: Winds up kidnapped by Devius after Medusa is killed. Defeating him sets Bogard free.
Incest Subtext: In his grief over his wife's death, he initially perceived his daughter to be her reincarnation. Doesn't help that, growing up, he and his wife were raised as siblings.
Luke, I Am Your Father: He was the heroine's dad all along, but hid it because it made him think she was her mother's reincarnation, and all the discomfort that caused.
My Greatest Failure: Being unable to save his wife Mana from sacrificing herself to save the Mana Tree.
Not Blood Siblings: His wife Mana was originally raised as his little sister, which may have influenced his initial feelings for their daughter, the heroine.
Parental Substitute: Ironic, seeing as she is the heroine's father. Not that she knows this at first.
Promoted to Love Interest: Was in love with the heroine's mother, and is the heroine's father in Sword of Mana. The mutual love between Bogard and the heroine's mother carried over to Adventures of Mana.
Related in the Adaptation: See Luke, I Am Your Father above. He was just one of the Gemma Knights in Final Fantasy Adventure, while Adventures of Mana downplayed Bogard being the heroine's father to just implying it.
Team Dad: To the hero and the heroine, in the latter's case before she finds out he is her father.

Amanda

One of the hero's fellow gladiators, originally an inhabitant of Menos Village. After the hero fails spectacularly in his attempt to save the heroine, she is revealed to have been freed, and takes care of him. When she winds up having to trade away the heroine's Orphan's Plot Trinket for medicine to save his life, she winds up involved in the lives of Devius and Medusa—and while investigating the disappearance of her brother Lester, she is poisoned by Medusa's bite and dies.

Only joins the party in the hero's route. Wields a lance and uses wind magic.

Blow You Away: She can use Jinn's wind magic.
Shoot the Dog: Infected with Medusa's venom, she starts turning into a monster, forcing the heroes to put her down while she can still let them.
Swiss-Army Tears: Her blood acts as the antidote to cure Lester and the other minstrels that Medusa turned into birds.
Unlucky Childhood Friend: Was interested in the hero, but he only has eyes for the heroine. And then she gets killed.
The Virus: Medusa's venom causes her to start attacking the protagonists, forcing them to put her down.

Lester

Amanda's younger brother, a minstrel who admires Granz. His skills attract the attention of Devius, who adopts him and brings him back to Jadd—where Medusa winds up turning him into a bird, like all the other minstrels her son has brought home. Once returned to his true form by his sister's sacrifice, he accompanies the protagonists on their quest to stop Dark Lord's party from getting their hands on the power of Mana.

Joins the party in both routes. He wields a bow and uses wood magic.

Adaptational Early Appearance: Shows up in Wendel early in the game, and leaves with Devius after meeting the heroes.
Green Thumb: He can use Dryad's wood magic.
Magic Music: Plays a song to banish a cloud of poison mist north of Jadd.
My Beloved Smother: Found his sister's overprotectiveness irritating, which he regrets deeply after her death.
Sidekick: Is the hero's default partner in the later stages of the game.

Willy

The heroine's childhood friend, as well as one of the hero's fellow gladiators. Known amongst his friends for his wisecracking and endless wacky escape plans. When the protagonists storm Dark Lord's fortress, he is rescued, and winds up accompanying them on their quest to stop Julius.

Joins the party in the heroine's route. He wields the knucks and uses water magic.

Dirty Coward: Ran away in terror during the attack on the Mana Village.
Sidekick: Is the heroine's default partner in the later stages of the game.
Spared by the Adaptation: Was the first character to die in Final Fantasy Adventure / Adventures of Mana, whereas in Sword of Mana he is one of the few survivors.
Survivor Guilt: Still blames himself for running away during the attack on the Mana Village.
There Is Another: Believes himself to be the Sole Survivor of the Mana village until the hero brings up the heroine in conversation.

Sage Cibba

An ancient sage who lives in Wendel. He aided the fight against the original Vandole, who was once his apprentice. Now, he gives the protagonists advice and helps to support them in their quest.

Joins the party briefly in the hero's route, where he wields a staff and uses light magic.

Adaptation Species Change: It's unclear exactly what he is in Sword of Mana, but in Final Fantasy Adventure / Adventures of Mana he was just an old human.
Cool Old Guy: Decades after the fall of Vandole, he is still able to fight.
Light 'em Up: He can use Wisp's light magic.
Miniature Senior Citizens: Is a bit small for an adult, and is quite old.

Watts

A dwarf and legendary craftsman, who helps the protagonists forge weapons, gives the heroine her sickle, and briefly accompanies the hero in a search for mithril. Very similar to every other Watts in the series.

Joins the party once in the hero's route, where he uses an axe.

Legacy Character: Originally from Final Fantasy 1, he came over to the World of Mana and only went back once as a human for Final Fantasy VIII.
Ultimate Blacksmith: His signature trait even back in Final Fantasy 1.

Marshall / Marcy

A very lonely Vandole-era robot who joins the party when the heroes trek through Dime Tower. Joins the party in both routes.

Adaptation Name Change: From "Marcie" in Final Fantasy Adventure ("Marcy" in Adventures of Mana) to "Marshall" in Sword of Mana.
Dub Name Change: From Mummy Seeker.
Heroic Sacrifice: Saves the hero (the heroine in Sword of Mana) when the tower begins to break down, and doesn't even try to jump the gap itself. The reason differs between Final Fantasy Adventure / Adventures of Mana^note and Sword of Mana.^note
Hulk Speak: Albeit more pronounced in Japanese than in English.
I Just Want to Have Friends: Joins the heroes in Sword of Mana because it's lonely.
Robot Buddy: A robot who befriends the party. Pretty straightforward.

Primary Antagonists

Dark Lord

One of the sons of Lord Granz. His given name is "Stroud", but he generally prefers not to be called that. He took over his father's land in a coup d'etat, and has since oppressed the Mana tribe and believers in the goddess out of bitterness that none of them were willing to help his mother. He is trying to create a country that does not rely on magic or religion to get by, but at the same time seeks the power of the Mana Tree in hopes of saving Medusa and Julius.

Wears a golden Domino Mask to conceal his resemblance to his brother Devius, apparently solely out of bitterness over his father's decision to split up their family. Is half-Mavole, but seems not to have inherited any specific Mavole powers. Wields a sword.

Adaptation Expansion: His backstory (not coincidentally exclusive to the heroine's route) was reworked heavily for this game; the Final Fantasy Adventure version of his character was a flat villain who just wanted more power.
Anti-Villain: He's just mad the only people who could save his mother refused to, and decides to wipe them out.
Barehanded Blade Block: When the hero takes a swing at him after he catches him and Willy escaping, he catches the blade and sends the hero down the waterfall.
Devil in Plain Sight: Just look at his title! Even his Japanese title "Shadow Knight" sounds sinister at face value.
Disc-One Final Boss: While his is the first fight to use "Touched by Courage and Pride" as a boss theme, it's also the end of the arc surrounding his terrible rule. After his death, the party moves on to getting the Mana Sword and stopping Julius.
Dub Name Change: Goes by the slightly less sinister "Shadow Knight" in Japan.
Even Bad Men Love Their Mamas: To the point that he became a villain because she got sick and the ones who could save her refused to.
Half-Human Hybrid: His parents are the human Lord Granz and the Mavole Medusa.
He Who Fights Monsters: Hates the Mana Tribe for what he believes to be their prejudice against Mavoles and half-bloods like himself, but his persecution of them sure looks a lot like prejudice too, as they had good reasons for not wanting to use the power of Mana willy-nilly, not that he cared.
Pet the Dog: Still very protective of Marley, even though she's a spy from Lorimar.
Pure Is Not Good: Referred to as "pure-hearted" by Word of God, which makes his misguided actions all the more dangerous.
Made of Iron: Resistant to all forms of attack. And if the animations are taken literally, the Barehanded Blade Block listed above was done by holding it up and letting the hero's sword ricochet off of it.
Morality Chain: Literally the only person who can get Julius to behave.
Race Lift: Was just a normal human in Final Fantasy Adventure / Adventures of Mana.
Roaring Rampage of Revenge: His mother got sick, and those who could save her refused to, so he wiped out as many as he could to pay them back.
Ship Tease: With Isabella and Julius. He initially hooks up with Isabella, then Julius reveals he was just a pawn to Julius, and he gets killed.
Sword and Sorcerer: Prefers to fight with his sword while Julius prefers magic.
Temporary Blindness: One of his attacks can cause blindness.

Julius

Dark Lord's eccentric and flamboyant sidekick, and the Sole Survivor of the Vandole regime. Julius helped him overthrow Granz; now, he aids Dark Lord in his search for the heroine. Whereas he plays a largely supportive role in Dark Lord's plans, he seems to know a lot more about mana and about the heroine than Dark Lord does. Once Dark Lord has died, Julius continues to seek the Mana Tree alone, now planning to follow in the first Vandole's footsteps.

Is apparently a skilled swordsman, but primarily fights using magic. Like the original Vandole, he is no longer considered to be human.

Blow You Away: During the second part of his battle, can conjure whirlwinds that turn the characters into snowmen (this game's equivalent of Harmless Freezing).
Camp: Looks very flamboyant, especially with his hair.
Casting a Shadow: Seen using dark-elemental spells repeatedly in the story, but never uses them during his boss battle.
Depraved Bisexual: Gets some Ship Tease with Dark Lord, is attracted to the heroine, and is very evil.
Doppelgänger Spin: During the second part of his battle, he'll zip around the battlefield and create illusionary copies of himself. They disappear while the game is paused.
Dragon Their Feet: Like all of Dark Lord's other allies when it comes time for you to fight.
Evil Redhead: Has red hair in Sword of Mana, and is still just as evil.
Evil Sorcerer: Wields powerful magic? Check. Is the villain and even the Final Boss? Check.
Final Boss: Just like in Final Fantasy Adventure / Adventures of Mana, but without the third form from that game.
Flunky Boss: During the first part of his battle, he summons four of a yellow Palette Swap of the Gray Ox and will periodically summon another to replace one that you've killed.
Hijacked by Ganon: After Dark Lord's death, he assumes Vandole's (drastically more serious) personality and goals. The Gemma Knights and their allies start referring to him as the real Vandole at this point. It's left ambiguous as to whether the original Vandole has literally hijacked his body or whether his "Julius" persona was a façade to start with.
Manipulative Bastard: Manipulated Dark Lord and Devius to their doom in Sword of Mana. He even mocks Devius in his death throes.
Magma Man: One of his attacks in his second battle is to send out bursts of lava in a + or x pattern to inflict burn or petrification.
Meteor-Summoning Attack: His ultimate attack in his One-Winged Angel form is to drop a meteor that explodes to cause high percentage-based damage.
Mysterious Past: Might be Emperor Vandole's reincarnation; might be his son or even more disturbingly it might be that the "Vandole" killed by the Gemma Knights was actually a Shadow (Julius's Shadow speaks to Bogard and Cibba as if he was the one the Gemma Knights fought) and the real Vandole was hiding only to later show up as "Julius". Nobody really seems to know what Julius' deal is aside from Dark Lord, who never really explains.
- In Final Fantasy Adventure, he's unambiguously just the Crown Prince, and last survivor, of the Vandole Empire, and seeks to return it to glory. He was found as a baby in a cave at the waterfalls near Glaive by Dark Lord and was presumably raised by him, so it's unknown how he learned about his heritage.
Mystical Waif: A Gender Inversion for Dark Lord, who trusts him implicitly. Just a shame Julius didn't reciprocate.
One-Winged Angel: Has two transformations: one is a large demon and the other is a demonic head and hands coming out of dark portals.
Playing with Fire: Uses different fire attacks in different parts of his battle.
Percent Damage Attack: His ultimate attacks in his second and third phases deal proportional damage. During his second phase, his eclipse attack and the flames he uses to telegraph it drain half of your current health. During his third phase, his Meteor-Summoning Attack deals damage equal to 71% of your maximum health.
Sequential Boss: The first two part of the final battle have him in human(oid) form with different ability sets.
Ship Tease: With Dark Lord. Too bad it's just a façade, and Dark Lord is nothing but a pawn to him.
Sword and Sorcerer: He's the "Sorcerer" and the "Sword" is Dark Lord.
Technicolor Fire: He telegraphs his attacks with this during the second phase of his boss fight, with the fire having the same effects as the attack itself. Red fire means he's using his lava attack. Blue fire means he's casting a homing whirlwind. Black fire means he's using his draining eclipse attack.
What Is This Feeling?: According to the canon bible, a good deal of Julius' obsession with the Mana Tree comes from the original Vandole's feelings of romantic love for the goddess. Julius himself doesn't understand the true nature of the compulsion, but cannot help acting on it.
Yandere: His violent side peeks out during the sequence where he interrogates the heroine, as well as when he goads Devius into dying. Like his trolling and general sassy nature, any trace of dere goes straight out the window after Dark Lord dies.

Supporting Characters

Lord Granz

One of the three Gemma Knights, a minstrel who settled down to rule his country after the war. He was a beloved leader until Dark Lord's coup; at that point, he went missing and is now presumed dead.

His sons don't think much of some of his parenting decisions.

An Astral Projection, Not a Ghost: Although he's mistaken for one until The Reveal.
The Bard: Was a minstrel who was teaching music to the hero the day Dark Lord killed his parents. Willy recognizes him disguised as a soldier when he sings a tune after offering Willy a tip.
God-Created Canon Foreigner: Did not appear in Final Fantasy Adventure / Adventures of Mana.
Intergenerational Friendship: With the hero, in his own prologue, as he would teach songs to the boy.
Interspecies Romance: With Medusa, which didn't end well at all.

Count Lee

A Mavole who lives in a mansion between Topple and Wendel. He is the subject of many ill rumors, but is actually quite polite, and was a friend of the Gemma Knights. He is apparently mourning some lost love, much to the frustration of his old friend Isabella (who flirts with him) and his butlers (who want to get him married off).

Adaptational Heroism: In Final Fantasy Adventure / Adventures of Mana, he was pretty much just a vampire who collected a bunch of girls in coffins for... no apparent reason, and was killed by the hero. However, this game changes him to a much more sympathetic character.
Barrage of Bats: Count Lee can turn himself into a swarm of invincible bats if you avoid him for too long. The bats can all dish out smaller hits that can add up very quickly. You're also slowed down for the duration of the attack.
Bat People: His One-Winged Angel form is a blue humanoid bat that can turn into a swarm of regular bats at will.
Friendly Neighborhood Vampire: Despite the rumors about him, Count Lee never drinks anyone's blood. The women in the coffins in his basement are there because he's protecting them from Dark Lord's purges.
Like Brother and Sister: With Medusa, apparently.
Not Blood Siblings: Despite being Like Brother and Sister above, he still pines for her, even permanently relocating to the human world despite her choosing Granz and her later mental degradation.
Not What It Looks Like: Very much so. That basement filled with girls in coffins? Those are sleeping Mana women he's sheltering from Dark Lord at the behest of Granz. The butlers who remark about how the heroine and Isabella are "the perfect woman" and try to present them to Lee like a stereotypical vampire B-movie? They're a little overly enthusiastic about bride-shopping for their master, and are doing it against his will. Isabella is floating motionless in the air when the hero bursts in? She was harassing Lee, so he put her to sleep. It takes Granz's intervening to get things sorted out in the end.
One-Winged Angel: A giant humanoid bat, just like in Final Fantasy Adventure / Adventures of Mana.

Isabella

An old friend of Lee's who is visiting him at the time that the protagonists drop by his mansion. After discovering that Lee has more or less settled down in the human world, she seeks out Dark Lord on her journey to find adventure and romance. She is part of the Bigieu clan of Mavoles, and even though she's ostensibly a part of Dark Lord's party, she is never overtly malevolent towards the protagonists and is never actually fought.

She has more appearances in the heroine's route, and is implied to have feelings for Dark Lord. Her Mavole form is that of an anthropomorphic white cat.

Cat Stereotype: Her monster form fits the general white cat archetype.
Cute Monster Girl: At very least in some spin-offs her monster form is actually pretty cute◊.
Dual Wielding: Her battle-ready sprite shows her holding a pair of knives.
Fiery Redhead: She has red hair and will cut you if you piss her off.
God-Created Canon Foreigner: Did not appear in Final Fantasy Adventure / Adventures of Mana.
Legacy Character: Shares more than a passing resemblance to the Belladonna of Trials of Mana, but their personalities are quite different.
Odd Friendship: With the heroine. Despite being on opposite sides, they actually get along well.
One-Winged Angel: As she gears up to fight Goremand, she turns into a vaguely feline creature before the hero and the heroine fall off the tower.
Ship Tease: With Lee and Dark Lord. The latter hooks up with her, but then he gets killed.
This Is Something He's Got to Do Himself: Stays out of Dark Lord's fight with the heroes, only intervening when Goremand eats his soul after they defeat him.
Token Good Teammate: Though she joins Dark Lord's side, she's never hostile toward the heroes, and never fights them.
Whatever Happened to the Mouse?: She and Goremand fight after Dark Lord's death. Though she defeats him, she never reappears, but Goremand does, yet he doesn't comment on the fight at all.

Devius

Dark Lord's elder twin brother, caretaker of their ill mother and ruler of the desert town Jadd. May also be the prince of Mavolia. Devius is generally more calm and well-mannered than his brother, but shares his dislike for being addressed by his given name (Gurnda). After his mother's death at the hero's hands, he winds up in a confrontation with the protagonists.

His demeanor is very different based on route, which may have to do with the fact that like Dark Lord, his character was heavily rewritten for this game. His Mavole form is that of a Mindflayer.

Adaptational Early Appearance: Appears in Wendel toward the start of the game, and meets Lester there as well, which is when the latter ends up in his care.
Adaptational Heroism: Sword of Mana makes him an Anti-Villain. In Final Fantasy Adventure / Adventures of Mana, he was just a named crony of the Dark Lord.
Adaptational Nice Guy: Goes from not liking having strangers in his town, and forbidding music in Jadd, to the town's Universally Beloved Leader and getting along with the heroes when he meets them in Wendel.
Adaptation Name Change: His name is Davias in Final Fantasy Adventure / Adventures of Mana.
All There in the Manual: Devius got shipped back to Mavolia along with his mother because his magical energy was too uncontrolled and caused him to be born prematurely and continued to threaten his life afterwards, which couldn't be treated in the human world.
Benevolent Boss: Doesn't mistreat Lester at all while the latter is in his care.
Berserk Button: Very kind and reasonable... unless his mother is harmed.
Beware the Nice Ones: Sword of Mana has him as a nice enough guy, but then his mother dies and is not happy.
The Caretaker: To his mother Medusa. Harm her at your own peril.
Chekhov's Gun: Early on in Sword of Mana, the heroine explains that spirits don't appear before inherently evil beings, which reinforces Devius' Adaptational Heroism.
Cthulhumanoid: His One-Winged Angel form is based on the Mindflayer, but his head looks more like a nautilus. Li'l Cactus lampshades it by calling him "ol' squidface."
Don't You Dare Pity Me!: Invoked by Julius, possibly out of jealousy, which results in Devius's death.
Friend to All Living Things: Gives off this impression with his birds; though it's later discovered that some of them weren't always birds.
Half-Human Hybrid: His parents are the human Lord Granz and the Mavole Medusa.
Not So Stoic: After Medusa's death, he gets loud and angry.
One-Winged Angel: His demon form is a Cthulhumanoid called the Mind Flayer.
Related in the Adaptation: He was just a crony for the Dark Lord in Final Fantasy Adventure / Adventures of Mana. In Sword of Mana, he's Dark Lord's twin brother.
Revenge Before Reason: He doesn't take that fact that you killed Medusa very well, to the point that he doesn't care that she attacked them in a fit, and she only stopped when she was mortally wounded.
The Stoic: Doesn't emote all that much, but isn't completely taciturn.
Universally Beloved Leader: The people of Jadd love him, and so do the Luna spirits, with which he's affiliated.

Marley

Dark Lord's attendant, who has taken care of him for most of his life. She and the heroine meet during the heroine's stay on Dark Lord's airship. Marley is privy to the Granz family's history. While she has a number of appearances in the heroine's route, in the hero's she only appears in the short arc that explains her origins.

Morality Pet: To Dark Lord, as she is one of the few people he actually listens to.
That Man Is Dead: Her real name is Pamela, an identity which she abandoned after Lorimar Castle was frozen. When Prince Durac recognizes her after Lorimar unfreezes, she denies it.
Secret-Keeper: Knows the connection between Dark Lord and Lord Granz, but doesn't broadcast it.
Sole Survivor: The only person who wasn't frozen with the rest of Lorimar aside from the king.

Medusa

Dark Lord and Devius's mother, a Mavole noblewoman whose true name is Anise. Due to the powerful geas meant to prevent Mavoles from intermarrying with humans, she has been steadily losing her memories of her husband and children, and will eventually die. Granz chose to separate from her in hopes of slowing her illness down, which also forced their sons apart. She now lives with Devius in Jadd, where he continually brings minstrels to perform for her because they help her remember her husband. If only she would stop turning them into birds.

Her Mavole form is pretty much Exactly What It Says on the Tin.

Eye Beams: She fires petrifying beams that bounce off of the battlefield's mirrored spires from her third eye.
Flunky Boss: Summons snakes as allies.
Flying Face: Her One W Inged Angel form is a three-eyed head with snakes for hair that levitates just off the ground.
Forced Transformation: She turns visiting minstrels into birds. Amanda's blood can change them back thanks to being laced with Medusa's venom.
Morality Pet: To Devius in particular, although both her sons care for her very much.
One-Steve Limit: Her true name, Anise, is an aversion. She shares a name with Anise The Witch from Trials of Mana, Legend of Mana, and Dawn of Mana, but otherwise has no connection to her.
One-Winged Angel: A giant head with snakes for hair that looks disturbingly alot like the third head of Zable Fahr(if that was one of Zable Fahr's heads which is hard to decipher considering the 3rd head looks nothing like the other 2).
The Ophelia: Slowly losing her memories and sanity to a curse meant to prevent Mavoles from marrying humans. She also hasn't visibly aged since her time with Granz.
Related in the Adaptation: Is the mother of Dark Lord and Devius Sword of Mana. Just another boss monster in Final Fantasy Adventure / Adventures of Mana.
Supernaturally Young Parent: Mavoles and humans don't age at the same rate.
Taken for Granite: A beam fired from her One-Winged Angel form's third eye can cause petrification.
The Virus: Her venom has a corrupting influence on humans, changing Amanda into a monster and forcing the hero to Mercy Kill her.

Goremand

A Mavole who follows Dark Lord and Julius around for kicks. Has a sadistic personality, prioritizes himself, and eats souls. Due to his flippant disregard for who will eventually triumph, he actually winds up helping the protagonists now and again.

Chaotic Evil: Discussed In-Universe.
Dragon Their Feet: As with Julius and Isabella. Unlike them, in Goremand's case it's explicitly out of opportunism.
Evil Laugh: Lets one out after nearly every line.
For the Evulz: Wants only one thing: to eat souls. Whether it's the heroes', Julius', it doesn't matter to him.
God-Created Canon Foreigner: Did not appear in Final Fantasy Adventure / Adventures of Mana.
Karma Houdini: Isabella beats him in battle offscreen, but he survives.
Legacy Character: Takes after his namesake in Trials of Mana, and may or may not be the same character.
Monster Clown: Keeps his looks from Trials of Mana.
Not in This for Your Revolution: Gives the Hero and the Heroine information because he wants to eat Julius's soul.
Punny Name: Loves death and harm, and enjoys eating souls like a gourmand.
Sinister Scythe: Wields one just like in Trials of Mana.
The Unfought: Unlike in Trials of Mana, he never engages the heroes himself.
Your Soul Is Mine!: Does this to Devius and Dark Lord after their respective defeats.

Mana

The heroine's birth mother. Disappeared when she was very young.

It's discovered later that she fought alongside the Gemma Knights against the Vandole Empire, sealed the Great Waterfall to keep others like Vandole (such as the Dark Lord) away from the Mana Tree, and gave the Pendant to her daughter before she disappeared.

At the end of the game, she reveals that she became the Mana Tree after Vandole's defeat resulted in the loss of the old one: a situation recreated after Julius is defeated, requiring the heroine to replace her as the new Mana Tree.

Action Girl: Cibba says she was a warrior when she aided the Gemma Knights against the Vandole Empire.
Adapted Out: Doesn't appear in Sword of Mana, but gets a few mentions instead.
Dying Declaration of Love: In Adventures of Mana, before she fades, she asks the hero to deliver a message to Bogard, whom she states loved her, saying that she loved him too.
The Lost Lenore: To Bogard, who begged her to be with him, but she merged with the Mana Tree instead.
Missing Mom: For the heroine, before her fate is discovered near the end of the game.
My Country Tis of Thee That I Sting: A slip by Cibba in Adventures of Mana implies she hailed from Vandole before fighting against it alongside the Gemma Knights.
Named by the Adaptation: Was not named in Final Fantasy Adventure / Adventures of Mana. Sword of Mana gives her the name "Mana" which is... an interesting choice.
No Name Given: Canonically unnamed in Final Fantasy Adventure / Adventures of Mana.
Physical God: Became the Mana Goddess after merging with the Mana Tree. Manifests her human form when Cibba performs a ritual on the Mana Pendant, and later when the hero enters the Mana Shrine, so she can awaken Excalibur for the hero to wield against Julius.
Promoted to Love Interest: Her romance with Bogard wasn't present in Final Fantasy Adventure, where the heroine's father is unknown and irrelevant, but it was carried over to Adventures of Mana, per Dying Declaration of Love above.
Transflormation: Became the Mana Tree after the old one was lost in Final Fantasy Adventure, or merged with it in Sword of Mana after Vandole's misuse left it on the verge of death.

Kaseem / Hasim

Kaseem is the chief of the Mana Village, who died with many of his people when Dark Lord and his Heretic Hunters attacked.

In Final Fantasy Adventure / Adventures of Mana, his name is Hasim, and he is the heroine's bodyguard. He falls in battle against many monsters, but the hero arrives to save the heroine, and he begs him to take her to Sir Bogard before dying.

Adaptation Name Change: Was named Hasim in Final Fantasy Adventure / Adventures of Mana, and was the heroine's fallen bodyguard. His name was changed to Kaseem in Sword of Mana and he became chief of the Mana Village.
Dies Differently in Adaptation: Hasim died fighting monsters in Final Fantasy Adventure / Adventures of Mana, and the hero arrives too late to save him. Kaseem in Sword of Mana is killed by Dark Lord and his Heretic Hunters years before the game begins.
Holding Back the Phlebotinum: Could have saved Medusa with the power of Mana, but refuses to.
I'm Dying, Please Take My MacGuffin: In Final Fantasy Adventure / Adventures of Mana, the MacGuffin is the heroine. In Sword of Mana it's the Mana Pendant, and he's the one who gives it to her before Dark Lord and his forces attack.
Posthumous Character: Is long dead when the game begins, having been killed not long before the hero's parents were.
Reed Richards Is Useless: Refused to save Medusa from the Geas affecting her mind, believing it to be a grave misuse of Mana's power.
Take Up My Sword: His Last Words in Final Fantasy Adventure / Adventures of Mana are to give the hero the task of escorting the heroine to Sir Bogard.
Unwitting Instigator of Doom: His refusal to help Medusa caused her son Stroud to usurp his father Granz and hunt down the Mana Tribe in revenge, becoming the tyrannical Dark Lord.

Selah

An old ally of the Gemma Knights, who lives in the town of Ishe. Her house serves as the party's home base during the journey to recover the Mana Sword.

Retired Badass: Fought alongside the Gemma Knights, but that was decades ago.

Niccolo

Representative of a race of anthropomorphic cat-bunny merchants. Rescues the hero early into the story and from then on shows up in random places to sell the protagonists items both story-relevant and ordinary.

Beast Man: He's a chubby anthropomorphic rabbit.
Dungeon Shop: He can randomly appear in most wild areas to sell you items. Oddly enough, this includes the Mana Sanctuary.
God-Created Canon Foreigner: Did not appear in Final Fantasy Adventure / Adventures of Mana.
Legacy Character: Shares a name and species with a character from Legend of Mana.

Li'l Cactus

The protagonists' pet, who immortalizes your plot and sidequest progress in verse form if you talk to him at certain points of the game.

God-Created Canon Foreigner: Did not appear in Final Fantasy Adventure / Adventures of Mana.
Legacy Character: The jury's out on what connection, if any, he has to other appearances in the series.
Rhymes on a Dime: His diary is written as if each entry was a poem.
Shipper on Deck: Lampshades the Slap-Slap-Kiss dynamic of the hero and heroine at the beginning, and sagely remarks that Dark Lord "shoulda married Isabella".

Characters / Sword of Mana

Party Members

Hero

Heroine

Sir Bogard

Amanda

Lester

Willy

Sage Cibba

Watts

Marshall / Marcy

Primary Antagonists

Dark Lord

Julius

Supporting Characters

Lord Granz

Count Lee

Isabella

Devius

Marley

Medusa

Goremand

Mana

Kaseem / Hasim

Selah

Niccolo

Li'l Cactus

Alternative Title(s): Final Fantasy Adventure

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Characters / Sword of Mana

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Party Members

Hero

Heroine

Sir Bogard

Amanda

Lester

Willy

Sage Cibba

Watts

Marshall / Marcy

Primary Antagonists

Dark Lord

Julius

Supporting Characters

Lord Granz

Count Lee

Isabella

Devius

Marley

Medusa

Goremand

Mana

Kaseem / Hasim

Selah

Niccolo

Li'l Cactus

Alternative Title(s): Final Fantasy Adventure

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