History Characters / DragonQuestVIII

* ThisLooksLikeAJobForAquaman: In the original release, Yangus is a MasterOfNone and doesn't stand out as well as the others, but he has two niches he can occupy--if the player develops his scythe skillset, he can harvest RandomDrops and RareRandomDrops from monsters by stealing from them, or if the player develops his axes, he can gain CriticalHit skills that help get around monsters with high defense--and where {{Metal Slime}}s are concerned, a CriticalHit is a OneHitKill.

* MasterOfNone: He looks like he should be a MightyGlacier, with a build that suggests StoutStrength and proficiency with axes. He's certainly slow enough, but his damage output is average at best and pales next to [[GlassCannon Jessica's]] [[SquishyWizard spells]] and [[WhipItGood whips]], Angelo's [[ArcherArchetype bows and arrows]], and the Hero's [[HeroesPreferSwords swords]] or [[BladeOnAStick spears]]. He can get a few healing spells if you put points into Humanity, but his healing potential is limited by a small MP pool, and unlike [[MagicKnight the Hero]] and [[TheMedic Angelo]] he never gets any way to regain magic points or mitigate casting costs. He's can wear some of the best armor in the game and has a massive HP pool, which qualifies him as a StoneWall, but since there's no way for him to pull aggro he can't really [[AnAdventurerIsYou tank]] for [[GlassCannon squishier]] party members. Early in the game he's useful in boss fights as a debuffer, although Jessica can do that as well or better. In the late game, he's mostly useful to hold on to a Sage's Stone, Rune Staff, and Resurrection Staff and act as a secondary buffer and [[TheMedic healer]], not so much because he's particularly good at it as because he's the only party member with nothing better to do. This is averted in the remake where Yangus gets a significant strength boost starting at level 21. He will eventually end up with the highest strength among the playable characters and is more of a MightyGlacier.

* {{Mons}}: ''VideoGame/DragonQuestMonsters'' titles for the Nintendo 3DS include Munchie among their available monsters, albeit as a very rare SS-Rank.

* ItsAllAboutMe: Sort of, although he has his kinder side.

* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: In her playable incarnation, she inherits much from the Thief vocation of ''VideoGame/DragonQuestIII'', being able to use its knives, whips, and even some classic skills like Padfoot.

* AdaptationalModesty: As a function of the increasing restrictions on video game ratings between the era of the original release and the UpdatedRerelease for the Nintendo 3DS, Jessica's various outfits in the latter have had modifications that show less skin.

* AndIMustScream: She describes her DemonicPossession as a long, terrible dream that she couldn't wake up from.

* AndIMustScream: She describes her BrainwashedAndCrazy moments as a long, terrible dream that she couldn't wake up from.

* BrainwashedAndCrazy: [[spoiler: She is possessed by Rhapthorne's sceptre at one point.]]

* VengeanceFeelsEmpty: Unlike Yangus and Angelo, she doesn't express any elation upon their victory over Dhoulmagus, knowing that it wasn't going to bring Alistair back. Barring the [[spoiler: [[BrainwashedAndCrazy brief disappearance]] she makes from the party afterward]], she is nevertheless compelled to carry on the fight against her brother's true murderer, Rhapthorne.

* BrainwashedAndCrazy: [[spoiler:Just like anyone who holds Rhapthorne's staff. Actually pretty subtle, as the flashback showing his initial attack on Castle Trodain before being possessed by the staff shows he wasn't a good guy to begin with.]]

* MsFanservice: While previous ''Dragon Quest'' games had ''implied'' fanservice, Jessica holds the distinction of being the franchise's first out-and-out sex symbol, for whom {{Fanservice}} was an integral part of her design. With a sole, hidden exception [[spoiler:in the hero's Dragovian gear]], the original release gave Jessica alone a number of {{Palette Swap}}s depicting her, nearly all one of a variety of sexy costumes.
* NaiveNewcomer:
** Between being an InnocentFanserviceGirl, her impractical AdventurerOutfit, and her decision to go chasing off after Dhoulmagus entirely on her own (she figures she'll have it done in time to get back to Alexandria without unduly delaying TheHero and Yangus), it becomes apparent that while she's got her heart in the right place, she doesn't realize right away how in over her head she is.

* MsFanservice: While previous ''Dragon Quest'' games had ''implied'' fanservice, Jessica holds the distinction of being the franchise's first out-and-out sex symbol, for whom {{Fanservice}} was an integral part of her design. With a sole, hidden exception [[spoiler:in the hero's Dragovian gear]], the original release gave Jessica alone a number of {{Palette Swap}}s depicting her in a variety of sexy costumes.

* MsFanservice: While previous ''Dragon Quest'' games had ''implied'' fanservice, Jessica holds the distinction of being the franchise's first out-and-out sex symbol, for whom {{Fanservice}} was an integral part of her design. With a sole, hidden exception [[spoiler:in the hero's Dragovian gear]], the original release featured Jessica with a number of {{Palette Swap}}s depicting her in a variety of sexy costumes.

** Downplayed; between being the InnocentFanserviceGirl, her terribly impractical AdventurerOutfit, and her decision to go chasing off after Dhoulmagus entirely on her own (she figures she'll have it done in time to get back to Alexandria without unduly delaying TheHero and Yangus), it becomes apparent that while she's got her heart in the right place, she doesn't realize right away how in over her head she is.

* MsFanservice: She has lots of fanservicey outfits, not to mention that her special skill revolves around sex appeal. In the 3DS update [[spoiler:she can now marry the Hero instead of Medea.]] This was done because a lot of male players [[spoiler:wanted the option to marry the most attractive character in the game.]] MsFanservice, indeed.

* PromotedToLoveInterest: [[spoiler:In the 3DS version, there is a new alternate ending where she and the hero get married.]]

* InnocentFanserviceGirl: When she first joins the party Jessica is all but blind to the implications of her body type, and is ignorant of the effect of her cleavage when she belatedly introduces herself with a deep bow in her strapless, low-cut AdventurerOutfit. If [[GameplayAndStoryIntegration the player invests in her Sex Appeal skill]], she will either remain this way or become a ShamelessFanserviceGirl over time.

* {{Expy}}: She and her father are ones to the Princess and King of Moonbrooke from ''VideoGame/DragonQuestII''. As the game begins, her castle gets attacked and she gets cursed into an animal body by a villainous sorcerer. Unfortunately, [[spoiler: her curse is not lifted until Rhapthorne is defeated.]]

* {{Expy}}: Follows in the footsteps of [[VideoGame/DragonQuestV Prince Harry]] and [[VideoGame/DragonQuestVI Prince Holse]]; unlike either one, however, he learns nothing from his trials and expects to coast through life on the backs of other people.

* {{Expy}}: Of Jamirus, another Gryphon-based KingMook from ''DQVI''. They appear side-by-side in ''DQM Joker 2''.

* SecretlySelfish: Discussed. It's suggested repeatedly that Medea feels guilty for even ''having'' problems of her own in the face of such massive problems as what the party faces. She's actually rebukes herself at least twice for risking to let her personal feelings hijack her dream conversations with the hero.

* UnusualPetsForUnusualPeople: TheHero is an unusual sort of fellow, but what makes him so unusual and what Munchie has to do with it aren't explored until the post-game.

* FishPeople: The only Merman to live in a fresh water environment. He's also red.

* CombatTentacles: It goes without saying, these are his weapons of choice. They also have separate names, and even separate accents for Khalamari's BokeAndTsukkomiRoutine.

* MorphicResonance: Munchie's little mohawk is shared by Chen Mui in his true form.

* TheAtoner: He forced his daughter Xia to return to the Dragovian Sanctuary after she left to meet humans, but by that point she'd already been betrothed to Eltrio, who died trying to get her back. The loss of his daughter soon after shattered him, and he's spent his life trying to make up for it. He left his home in the Dragovian Sanctuary with the hero in order to watch over him.

* LukeIAmYourFather: He's actually the Hero's grandfather, a Dragovian shapeshifter.

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Blames himself entirely for the death of his only daughter and the exiling of his grandson.

* PapaWolf: He leaves the Dragovian settlement to watch over and protect his grandson as Munchie.

* SignificantAnagram: Chen Mui for Munchie.
* TrademarkFavoriteFood: He provides the party with a feast consisting entirely of ''cheese'' as thanks for their agreeing to help with the Dragovian Lord. Jessica even theorizes that all the powers he uses as Munchie when fed cheese were natural abilities of his all along; he may have only been using them so he could be fed more cheese.
* VoluntaryShapeshifting: He reveals himself in the BonusDungeon to be the Hero's grandfather, and thus not really Munchie the mouse.

** TheHero of the game has been accompanied by Munchie for his entire life, about two decades now. Munchie is quite long-lived for a mouse.

** Munchie is a PintsizedPowerhouse KillerRabbit who converts cheese into power.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: All of Munchie's attacks are {{Breath Weapon}}s, and his default attack, used when feeding him plain cheese) is fire breath in particular. Unusually draconic for a mouse.

* BreathWeapon: What some of the cheeses do in battle.

* SignificantAnagram: Of his real name, [[spoiler:Chen Mui]].

!!Munchie/[[spoiler:Chen Mui]]

* TheAtoner: [[spoiler:Left the Dragovian Sanctuary with the hero in order to watch over him.]]

* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Blames himself entirely for [[spoiler:the death of his only daughter and the exiling of his grandson.]]

* LukeIAmYourFather: [[spoiler:He's actually the Hero's grandfather, a Dragovian shapeshifter.]]
* PapaWolf: Downplayed version, but [[spoiler:he does leave the Dragovian settlement to watch over and protect his grandson as Munchie.]]

* SignificantAnagram: Of his real name, [[spoiler:Chen Mui.]]

* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Cheese!
* VoluntaryShapeshifting: [[spoiler: He reveals himself in the BonusDungeon to be the Hero's grandfather, and thus not really a mouse.]].
* WalkingSpoiler: He's mostly there for RuleOfCute during 99% of the game, but has many revelations about his true identity in the post-game content.

* TheAtoner: He forced his daughter Xia to return to the Dragovian Sanctuary after she left to meet humans, but by that point she'd already been betrothed to Eltrio, who died trying to get her back. The loss of his daughter soon after shattered him, and he's spent his life trying to make up for it.

* SignificantAnagram: [[spoiler:Munchie]].
* TrademarkFavoriteFood: He provides the party with a feast consisting entirely of ''cheese'' as thanks for their agreeing to help with the Dragovian Lord. [[spoiler:Jessica even theorizes that all the powers he uses as Munchie when fed cheese were natural abilities of his all along; he may have only been using them so he could be fed more cheese]].

* ArmoredButFrail: His Darksteel Dragon form approximates the immense defense but diminished hit point count of the franchise's {{Metal Slime}}s, though not to the extent of only taking one point of damage per blow.
* ArtEvolution: For the franchise as a whole. The lord's dragon forms would become a template informing the design of some other major dragon characters, including the Dragonlord himself in ''Dragon Quest Monster Battle Road'' and Maya's bedragoned form in ''VideoGame/DragonQuestHeroes''.

* CosmicMotifs: The Darksteel Dragon is described by the bestiary as, "[a] giant dragon with the colours of a dark and starless night," and has the rare Starfall skill, which [[DeathFromAbove calls down falling meteors upon the party]].
* DamageSpongeBoss: The Emerald and Divine Dragons have more HP than any other form he can take (and even in his first form, he had almost half again as many hit points as the FinalBoss in his OneWingedAngel form).

* LargeAndInCharge: The lord's dragon forms are all apparently immense--their Japanese names all include kyoryū (巨竜), "giant dragon".
* MagicallyIneptFighter: The Emerald Dragon has no MP to speak of and casts no magic, instead relying on {{Status Effect}}s inflicted by his breath to tie you down while so he can whale on you with [[DesperationAttack desperate attacks]] or his one group-hitting attack, Ferocious Roar.
* MarathonBoss: The final Dragovian Trial has you fight against all 7 of his dragon forms in a row (not to mention his human form first as usual). Defeating him will take no less than half an hour.
* MetallicMotifs: Three of his forms--the Darksteel, Golden and Silver Dragons--are named after metals.

* PaletteSwap: His various dragon forms are identical in PrimalStance and proportion, but each has a different color and name.

* {{Superboss}}: The Dragovian Lord can be found at the end of the Heavenly Dias and fights you in his humanoid form before taking on a dragon form. During the final fight with him, he uses all his forms in sequence.

* MagicallyIneptFighter: The Emerald Dragon has no MP to speak of and casts no magic, instead relying on {{Status Effect}}s inflicted by his breath to tie you down while so he can whale on you with [[DesperationMove desperate attacks]] or his one group-hitting attack, Ferocious Roar.

* MetallicMotifs: Three of his forms Darksteel, Golden and Silver Dragons are named after metals.

* GroupIdentifyingFeature: The Dragovians all look AmbiguouslyHuman, save for pointy, red-tipped ears. The sole exception to this appears to be the mountain man who lives near Farebury, who is only belatedly identified as one.