Line #541 Characters/ShiningForce


1	Characters from the ''Shining Force'' series.
2
3
4	[[foldercontrol]]
5
6	!!Shining Force
7
8	[[folder:Max]]
9
10	The protagonist of the first game and leader of the original Shining Force. He starts off as an apprentice of Lord Varios before a summons turns into a call for adventure. His starting class is Swordsman, and his promoted class is Hero.
11	----
12	* AllOfTheOtherReindeer: Treated with scorn and envy by the other knights at the beginning of the game for being an upstart kid who's wasting Varios' time and teachings. [[{{Irony}} Guess who keeps Guardiana from being completely wiped out by Runefaust forces when said knights could not?]]
13	* BadassCape: Wears a long blue cape that flows in the wind. He changes to a shorter cape when promoted.
14	* BadassesWearBandanas: Wears a simple bandana as a Swordsman and a metal one as a Hero.
15	* BrainwashedAndCrazy: In ''[[VideoGame/ShiningForceGaidenGames Shining Force Gaiden: Final Conflict]]'', [[HistoryRepeats just like his brother Kane,]] he is placed under Mishaela's control with a mind-controlling mask. He even lampshades that he was afflicted with the same curse that plagued his brother.
16	-->'''Max''': So, it was you... I'm ashamed to say they put that mask on me when I was defeated in a fight with Lynx. Damn it! It can't be that I had the curse as my brother, Kane!
17	* CoolUncle: He is one for Ian, son of Kane. He fights alongside his nephew without a shred of hesitation to get retribution against Mishaela for controlling him.
18	* DumbStruck: [[spoiler:When Darksol kills Kane at the Tower of the Ancients, he loses his voice for the majority of the last portion of the game.]]
19	* EasyAmnesia: When he's found by Lowe, he has no idea who he is.
20	* FireIceLightning: He can shoot walls of fire with the Chaos Breaker, can cast Freeze 3 as much as he wants with the same weapon, and has access to Bolt 1-3 in ''[[VideoGame/ShiningForceGaidenGames Gaiden: Final Conflict]]''.
21	* {{Flynning}}: Once promoted to Hero, his attacks involve flashy swordplay, as opposed to the simple overhand strike he uses as a Swordsman. This was averted in the GBA remake, where he resorts to overhand strikes even after being promoted to Hero.
22	* GreenEyedMonster: Not Max himself, but the fact that Guardiana's chief military advisor and knight captain Varios is his mentor earned him the scorn and envy of the other knights, who all see him as an upstart kid who is wasting Varios' time.
23	* HelloInsertNameHere: In the first game, by default the player is forced to name Max.
24	* TheHero: This literally becomes his character class upon promotion.
25	* HeroicBSOD: [[spoiler:The death of Kane, his brother, causing him to be mute for majority of the last portion of the game.]]
26	* HeroesPreferSwords: As TheHero, he can use any sword. His initial class is even Swordsman.
27	* HeroicMime: In the original game, he doesn't speak until the end of the game. The remake downplays this further.
28	* JackOfAllStats: As the PlayerCharacter, his stats are balanced, though some of the better swords in the game boost his attack to ungodly levels.
29	* LegendaryInTheSequel: In ''VideoGame/ShiningForceII'', Bowie can find a book titled "The Legend Of Max", which presumably chronicles the events of the first game.
30	* MagicKnight: [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]], as the only spell he could naturally learn is Egress, which helps the party escape from battle. He can later can use his three most powerful swords to cast magic without limit. He plays this straight in the remake, where he can naturally learn the Supernova spell.
31	* MagikarpPower: [[DownplayedTrope Downplayed]]; while he is never useless with proper training, he starts off the game as a MasterOfNone to his fellow comrades, lacking the range, defense, or movement to distinguish himself from the others. Over the course of the game, he will eventually work his way up to becoming a MasterOfAll, with the [[InfinityPlusOneSword Chaos Breaker]] and White Ring serving as the finishing touches.
32	* MasterOfAll: By the end of the game, with both the [[InfinityPlusOneSword Chaos Breaker]] and White Ring at his disposal, he excels in every stat with no weaknesses whatsoever.
33	* MasterSwordsman: Can use every sword in the game, including the Doom Blade and [[KatanasAreJustBetter the katana]], even though he will be carrying the Chaos Breaker by the time both are available. When promoted, he starts {{Flynning}} and has very high damage output, especially with the game's more powerful swords.
34	* MeaningfulName: Max is short for the Roman name Maxamilian, which means "greatest". He did start the whole tradition of sword-wielding Shining Force protagonists, after all...
35	* MysteriousStranger: Max is this to the kingdom of Guardiana. Lowe found him washed up on the beach with no memories.
36	* RedHeadedHero: He's probably supposed to have brown hair, but graphical limitations render his overworld sprite as a redhead.
37	* TheSilentBob: In the original game, he has no dialogue until after the final battle.
38	* SuddenlySpeaking: He suddenly speaks at the final battle of the original game. This is downplayed in the remake as he speaks in that game.
39	* TokenHuman: Humans are a minority in the setting, though you might not realize it looking at the NPC population. The Shining Force has more Centaurs in the end than it does humans.
40	[[/folder]]
41
42	[[folder:Lowe]]
43	[[quoteright:128:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lowe.gif]]
44
45	A priest who's the first playable character you meet after Max. His starting class is Healer, and his promoted class is Vicar.
46	----
47	* BigEater: In the remake, he is constantly hungry and talking about food.
48	* BoringButPractical: Can't learn Aura like the other healers, but having a healer with a high MP pool is useful all the same.
49	* CombatMedic: Downplayed; speaking to him at headquarters will make him point out that his primary role is being a healer, though he'll put in a few whacks when necessary.
50	* CrutchCharacter: He's useful as an early game healer but due to only having single-target healing, is quickly outclassed by other healers. Khris in particularly is a likely candidate to replace him as she joins the party at the end of Chapter 1 and has access to Aura for healing multiple targets in addition to Lowe's other useful spells.
51	* HealerSignsOnEarly: Is the only healer among the initial Shining Force members who join Max's party.
52	* HopelessSuitor: Hits on Khris in the GBA remake. He never succeeds.
53	* MeaningfulName: Lowe is a Germanized variant of the Hebrew Levy, which means "joining". True to form, he joins Max's Shining Force as a Healer in the beginning of the game.
54	%%* TheMentor: Succeeds Nova in this department in ''[[VideoGame/ShiningForceGaidenGames Shining Force CD]]''.
55	%%* StatusBuff: Learns Quick 1 and Quick 2.
56	* TheVicar: His promotion class is "Vicar".
57	* WhiteMage: Lowe learns all four levels of Heal.
58	[[/folder]]
59
60	[[folder:Ken]]
61
62	A knight who is one of the first Shining Force members. His starting class is Knight, and his promoted class is Paladin.
63	----
64	* AllLoveIsUnrequited: According to the [[AllThereInTheManual Shining Force I manual]], he had a PrecociousCrush on Mae, who is five years older, but she sees him more as a little brother than a potential mate. However, in ''[[VideoGame/ShiningForceGaidenGames Shining Force Gaiden]]'', he possibly managed to successfully woo Mae and have a son named "Apis".
65	* AllThereInTheManual: He was 17 years old and only an apprentice knight when he joined the first Shining Force.
66	* CripplingOverspecialization: Despite being the earliest available knight, his stats are specialized for [[MageKiller baiting enemy mages]] and ambushing weakened foes; he can't reliably tank hits without significant Protect Milk investments.
67	* DoggedNiceGuy: In a world where many centaurs look down on humans, Ken looks up to Max for his skill in battle.
68	* FantasyForbiddingFather: In ''[[VideoGame/ShiningForceGaidenGames Shining Force Gaiden]]'', he is greatly uncomfortable with letting his son Apis become a member of the Shining Force, seeing it as too dangerous. He gets over it, eventually.
69	* GlassCannon: His gimmick is that he has a ridiculously high HP count, but defense on par with {{Squishy Wizard}}s.
70	* HeroWorship: In the GBA remake, he admired Max, but was forced to hide because of Mae, who hated Max with a passion.
71	* InnocentBlueEyes: Has a pair of these, to indicate his youthfulness and his noble and [[WideEyedIdealist idealistic]] personality.
72	* JustFriends: Mae sees Ken as a little brother. Unconfirmed if this changes by the time ''[[VideoGame/ShiningForceGaidenGames Shining Force CD]]'' comes around.
73	* LikeFatherLikeSon: His son Apis joins the Shining Force, just like he himself once did with Max.
74	* MageKiller: His GlassCannon status makes him an excellent sponge for magic attacks (which bypasses defense), especially since the only characters in this installment that have magic resistances are bosses, certain enemies, and [[JokeCharacter Jogurt]].
75	* MeaningfulName: In Scottish, Ken means "handsome". He's grown to become very attractive in ''[[VideoGame/ShiningForceGaidenGames Shining Force CD]]'' compared to his first appearance, and even has a son, Apis, with Mae, another ''Shining Force I'' character whom he had a crush on.
76	%%* OurCentaursAreDifferent: Like every other knight in the game.
77	* WideEyedIdealist: He is eager to prove himself in battle as a knight. He becomes OlderAndWiser in ''[[VideoGame/ShiningForceGaidenGames Shining Force CD]]'', where he is the military leader of Guardiana's army and a bodyguard to Queen Anri.
78	[[/folder]]
79
80	[[folder:Hans]]
81
82	An archer who is one of the first Shining Force members. His starting class is Archer, and his promoted class is Bow Master.
83	----
84	* AllTheOtherReindeer: According to the [[AllThereInTheManual Shining Force I manual]], Hans was ridiculed by his fellow archers because he took a pacifist approach to things.
85	* BadassPacifist: Described as a pacifist in the Shining Force I manual and was ridiculed by others for it, but he was part of Max's troupe for a reason.
86	* FortuneTeller: He mentions taking up fortune telling as a hobby in the remake and will practice various techniques on Max.
87	* FragileSpeedster: He's the fastest archer in the game, but can die easily. He [[LampshadeHanging tells you outright]] not to put him in the front lines.
88	* TookALevelInBadass: Hans looked and acted pretty wussy in the original game, constantly reminding you not to put him in the frontline as he can't stand taking damage. In the remake, he gets an upgraded bishounen look and a snarky attitude who knows when to get serious.
89	[[/folder]]
90
91	[[folder:Lug/Luke]]
92
93	A warrior who is one of the first Shining Force members. His starting class is Warrior, and his promoted class Gladiator.
94	----
95	* EyesAlwaysShut: Depicted as this in-game and in concept artwork. Even in ''[[VideoGame/ShiningForceGaidenGames Shining Force CD]]'', his eyes are always shut.
96	* GagNose: The most prominent feature of his character design is his big red nose. He [[AvertedTrope loses it]] in the remake.
97	* IronicName: He's named "Luke" due to translation mishaps, but Luke was the name of a doctor who accompanied Saint Paul in the Bible. Ironically, this Luke is a warrior.
98	* MightyGlacier: Both strong and hardy, but pretty slow.
99	* OlderThanTheyLook: Lug is already 64 years old when he first joins the Force, but this fact wouldn't be known at first glance since he looks pretty young.
100	* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Translation issues changed his name from Lug to Luke.
101	[[/folder]]
102
103	[[folder:Tao]]
104	[[quoteright:128:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tao.gif]]
105
106	A female elven mage who is one of the first members of the Shining Force. Her starting class is Mage, and her promoted class is Wizard.
107	----
108	* AllThereInTheManual: It's never addressed in-game, but the archer Diane is her sister.
109	%% (Doesn't explain the "fragile" part)* FragileSpeedster: Tao will often end up the fastest character on the Force.
110	* MagicKnight: Carves out this niche for herself among the mages in the remake. Thanks to the addition of multiple powerful staves, including those with a bonus against machines, surprisingly decent health, attack, and defense growth rates, and her Boost spells Tao is capable of pushing out physical damage that rivals Max's when her fire magic won't cut it.
111	* MasterOfOneMagic: Concentrates on learning Blaze spells, as opposed to spreading her skills out over Bolt and Freeze as Anri and Alef do.
112	* MindOverMatter: Her attack animation as a Wizard has her use telekinesis to whack enemies with her staff.
113	* MsFanservice: When you equip her with the secret "Sugoi Mizugi" item found in the Bustoke quarry. It's basically a bikini set. In the original game, it only affects the overworld map, but her in-battle sprites remain the same as her original outfits. The GBA version fixes that with her skimpy two-piece set.
114	* ParentalAbandonment: In the GBA remake, it's revealed that Tao and [[AllThereInTheManual her sisters Diane and Wendy]] lost their parents when their home, Pipory Village, was attacked.
115	* PlayingWithFire: Tao's specialty, courtesy of the Blaze line of spells.
116	* RedOniBlueOni: Blue to Anri's red, despite their signature magic suggesting otherwise.
117	* TheSmurfettePrinciple: The only female in the Shining Force before Mae joins later.
118	* StatusBuff: Surprisingly learns the attack-increasing spell Boost at Level 27.
119	* StatusEffects: Two of her spells are Sleep and Dispel, as a means of debilitating the enemy team through inexpensive means. Unfortunately, they rarely work.
120	[[/folder]]
121
122	[[folder:Gong]]
123	[[quoteright:128:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gong.gif]]
124
125	A monk who can be recruited outside of the Gate of the Ancients. His starting class is Monk, and his promoted class is Master Monk.
126	----
127	* TheAtoner: According to the [[AllThereInTheManual Shining Force I manual]], Gong once joined his fellow giants in looting and pillaging helpless villages, but along the way he realized what he was doing was wrong, so he retired to the woods and became a monk to atone for his sins.
128	* BareFistedMonk: One of the few members of the force not to use any weapons. Unfortunately, this causes him to fall behind to the point where even a pure WhiteMage may out-damage him late in the game.
129	* CombatMedic: A capable fighter who specializes in healing magic.
130	* EyesAlwaysShut: His profile picture when talking always depicts his eyes shut.
131	* GameplayAndStoryIntegration: Applies to game mechanics; being unequippable with any weapon results in him falling behind in stats compared to the other healers, including Khris.
132	* GuideDangIt: It's very easy to miss him; once you leave Guardiana, [[PermanentlyMissableContent you can't get him]].
133	* HalfHumanHybrid: Supplementary materials claim he is half-giant.
134	* KiManipulation: In the Remake, once Gong becomes a Master Monk, his attack is punching the ground to fire a ki wave.
135	* MasterOfNone: Can fight as well as heal. However, he can't fight as well as dedicated fighters, nor heal as well as dedicated healers; later in the game, even the latter (Khris in particular) is able to out-damage him. Being the only healer unable to equip weapons to boost his attack power doesn't help.
136	* OperatorIncompatibility: {{Implied\|Trope}}; Gong is first seen chopping wood with an axe, but when he joins the Force, he leaves behind his axe and fights exclusively [[BareFistedMonk bare-handed]]. Supplementary materials state that Gong is a half-giant, indicating his hands might be too big to use axes in combat as effectively as [[OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame dwarves]]; thus, he would only use them for tasks where they are specifically required (i.e. splitting wood).
137	* PermanentlyMissableContent: If you don't retreat from your first fight with Runefaust and go to the little cabin located on the right side of the map, he can't be recruited.
138	* PerpetualFrowner: His profile picture always depicts him with a frown.
139	* RetiredBadass: Gong was previously a warrior who fought Runefaust's armies for many years. By the time Max finds him, he was living a simple life in the woods.
140	[[/folder]]
141
142	[[folder:Gort]]
143
144	A warrior who has settled down in Guardiana at the beginning of the game. He can be recruited by talking to him twice - before you leave for your first battle, and after you come back to Guardiana to find it destroyed. His starting class is Warrior, and promoted class is Gladiator.
145	----
146	* MightyGlacier: Similar to Luke, he can often end up being the stronger of the two at higher levels, if leveled up properly. He is still quite slow and lacks mobility as a tradeoff.
147	* OneManArmy: Apparently, according to the tavern keeper in Guardiana, he fought off a squad of Runefaust soldiers ''by himself''.
148	* PermanentlyMissableContent: In the original game, you can't recruit him if you don't talk to him again after Guardiana is invaded. Averted in the remake, where he's recruitable even if you miss him the first time.
149	* StoneWall: While Luke's strength is in his attack, Gort has very beefy defense.
150	[[/folder]]
151
152	[[folder:Mae]]
153
154	The only daughter of Varios and one of many centaur knights of Guardiana. She joins your party to get revenge on Runefaust for killing her father and razing Guardiana. Her starting class is Knight, and her promoted class is Paladin.
155	----
156	* BadassesWearBandanas: Wears a red bandana similar to Max's green one.
157	* CurbStompBattle: When she witnesses Kane killing her father Lord Varios, she attempts to charge him. Kane deflects her with one blow.
158	* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: Has blonde hair and is a member of the Shining Force. The remake pegs her more as a JerkWithAHeartOfGold who resents Max for having the attention of her father Varios, but still decides to help him fight Runefaust.
159	* TheLancer: Takes on this role to Max's [[TheHero Hero]] after joining the Force. Helps that she carries a lance as part of her initial equipment.
160	* OurCentaursAreDifferent: Mae is a rare depiction of a female centaur, normally portrayed as a OneGenderRace in fiction.
161	* SayMyName: Calls Max's name at the end of the game when he is believed to have died defeating Dark Dragon and the Castle of the Ancients sinks afterwards. In the remake, this role can go to anyone else in the Shining Force (exc. Adam) or Nova.
162	* StoneWall: Compared to some other units, Mae takes scratch damage from most physical blows. Coupled with her high HP, she is a great candidate for the cursed Devil Lance and its random small amount of inflicted damage.
163	* TookALevelInJerkass: In the GBA remake, she was [[GreenEyedMonster jealous]] of Max for having Varios teach him instead of her, and saw him as a waste of time for her father (but immediately gets over it once Varios dies). This is unlike the original, where she has faith in Max utilizing her father's teachings well.
164	* UnresolvedSexualTension: The ending implies that she has a thing for Max and is heartbroken when he sacrifices himself.
165	* YouKilledMyFather: Joins the Force after Varios dies, but doesn't just do it out of revenge. It's possible to land the finishing blow on Kane as Mae if leveled up sufficiently.
166	[[/folder]]
167
168	[[folder:Khris]]
169
170	A healer from Alterone who breaks Max out of prison, and joins the force. Her starting class is Healer, and her promoted class is Vicar.
171	----
172	* CombatMedic: Khris is the most physically capable of the pure healers, and with the right weapon can deal damage in the same range as the designated fighters.
173	* DarkAndTroubledPast: In the GBA remake, Khris was an orphan and a survivor of a terrible disease that killed off most of the children in the orphanage she lived in. This created the desire to become a healer, so she'll never be a witness to such tragedies again.
174	* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: She has blonde hair, and serves as one of many healers for the Shining Force.
175	* HalfHumanHybrid: Possibly? She's called a Kyantal in the original game, but her redrawn mugshot, seen from the front, makes her look like a human in the remake. Averted with her sprites in both games...Khris has a long, almost deer-like face.
176	* MagikarpPower: While she can potentially have the highest physical stats of any healer in the game, she starts off with horrible stats, making it very tempting to sideline her once the ArbitraryHeadcountLimit is reached.
177	* ParentalAbandonment: She's an orphan in the GBA remake.
178	* SpannerInTheWorks: Khris freeing Max from the dungeons in Alterone Castle ultimately allowed him to free Alterone from Runefaust's influence.
179	* TheVicar: Her promoted class is "Vicar".
180	* WhiteMage: Learns all four levels of Heal, and also learns Aura, making her the most versatile healer in the game.
181	[[/folder]]
182
183	[[folder:Anri]]
184
185	The daughter of the king of Guardiana, and a mage who joins the Shining Force. Her starting class is Mage, and her promoted class is Wizard.
186	----
187	* BornUnlucky: In the games she appeared in, she had her father killed and hometown Guardiana attacked and razed by Runefaust soldiers, (fake) kidnapped by an exiled prince and his bodyguard, kidnapped (for real) by an old woman who thought said prince was not worthy of his father's throne, and magically cast into a coma by Woldol. Apis [[LampshadeHanging lampshades]] this trope in Book 3 of ''[[VideoGame/ShiningForceGaidenGames Shining Force CD]]'':
188	--> '''Apis''': "Has anyone ever thought that the reason Queen Anri is always in trouble is that she is unlucky?"
189	* ConvenientComa: Falls into one as the result of a spell cast by Woldol in ''[[VideoGame/ShiningForceGaidenGames Shining Force CD]]''.
190	* HeroicBSOD: She breaks down after hearing of her father's death and Guardiana's devastation at the hands of Runefaust. Fortunately, she recovers and even joins your party after you console her.
191	%%* TheHighQueen: Of Guardiana in ''[[VideoGame/ShiningForceGaidenGames Shining Force CD]]''.
192	* HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: Became this in ''[[VideoGame/ShiningForceGaidenGames Shining Force CD]]''; while not a terrible ruler, she accepted an audience with the evil Woldol (who cast her into a ConvenientComa), and allowed herself to be kidnapped by a [[FallenPrincess Fallen Prince]] and his bodyguard not knowing it was fake.
193	* AnIcePerson: Her Freeze spells. It's one of her most powerful spells in her arsenal, which contrasts Tao's powerful [[PlayingWithFire Blaze spells]].
194	* LadyOfBlackMagic: She is the princess of Guardiana and daughter of its (deceased) former king who strives to become a leader for her people. Naturally, she can cast offensive spells--namely [[AnIcePerson Freeze]] and [[ShockAndAwe Bolt]]. When promoted, her light blue robes become black.
195	* MindOverMatter: Much like Tao and Alef, her attack animation as a Wizard has her use telekinesis to whack enemies with her staff.
196	* MsFanservice: Much like Tao, she'll become this after you equip her with the secret "Kitsui Fuku" item, which is basically a thigh-length, tight, and revealing dress (with a skirt so short that the the remake's item icon which demonstrates it being worn includes a tiny PantyShot). In the original game, it only affects the overworld map, but her in-battle sprites remain the same as her original outfits. The GBA version fixes that with her revealing dress.
197	* MysticalWhiteHair: She has white hair, and one of four characters who can cast spells like Blaze and Freeze.
198	* PlayingWithFire: She can only wield Lv. 2 Blaze.
199	* PrincessProtagonist: She's both a playable character and the daughter of the (deceased) king of Guardiana which makes her a princess by default.
200	* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: When she's first encountered, she's studying at the mages' college in Manarina. Then she joins your party after you inform her of her father's death in Guardiana, believing it's what he would've wanted of her.
201	* ShockAndAwe: She can learn Lv. 1 and 2 Bolt.
202	* StatusEffects: She can learn Elude, a spell that lowers the enemy's accuracy.
203	* TokenHuman: She and Max are the only humans in the Shining Force.
204	* ToughLeaderFacade: When she's overcome with grief over news of her father's murder, Nova reminds Anri that she mustn't let her feelings get in the way of her duty. She is given a short period to mourn, but when Max talks to her, Anri decides to focus her grief into killing Kane and defeating Runefaust.
205	* TrueBlueFemininity: Her in-game sprite as a Mage is basically Tao with blue colors and white hair. Which is strange, because her profile (sans hair) is colored the same way as Tao's.
206	* YouKilledMyFather: She joins your party in Manarina to defeat Runefaust, the kingdom responsible for the death of her father.
207	--> '''Anri''': "Vengeance shall be ours!"
208	[[/folder]]
209
210	[[folder:Arthur]]
211	[[quoteright:128:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/arthur.gif]]
212
213	A centaur knight living among the mages as a laundryman in Manarina. He can be recruited by talking to him twice--when you first meet him while he's washing the laundry, and after you retrieve the Orb of Light. His starting class is Knight, and his promoted class is Paladin.
214	----
215	* TheAce: Deconstructed. He possessed amazing fighting ability, which propelled him into the role of a knight captain at a young age... without proper leadership experience or training. It didn't end well for him or the knights who served under him.
216	* AllThereInTheManual: He was a former knight captain, but failures in his command led to many casualties, causing him to leave the military out of regret. By the time he is found by Max, he is a simple laundryman living in Manarina.
217	* GeneralFailure: Due to lack of experience and training, many of Arthur's soldiers in his past life as a knight captain were lost. He resigned from the military out of regret and disillusionment with fighting.
218	* AnIcePerson: Knows the Freeze spell.
219	* MagicKnight: Justified. He lived in the magic school of Manarina for a while and presumably learned how to cast spells in the meantime, something other knights cannot do. He even retains said spells well into ''[[VideoGame/ShiningForceGaidenGames Shining Force CD]]''.
220	* MagikarpPower: Starts with horrible stats, but can be one of the most powerful characters in the game if properly leveled (and handled by more patient players).
221	* MeaningfulName: His name is derived from the Roman ''Artorious'', which means "noble" or "courageous". Despite his bad history with wars, he is truly a heroic character, and also one of the most powerful characters in the Force (if leveled up sufficiently and handled with patience).
222	* MyGreatestFailure: He was pushed up the ranks and eventually got a lot of his men killed. It's implied he ran away to Manarina to escape his past.
223	* ThePeterPrinciple: His fighting ability got him promoted quickly to a position of command he was ''not'' ready for.
224	* PlayingWithFire: Knows the Blaze spell.
225	* RetiredBadass: If you talk to him before you fight Dark Dragon at the end of the game (that is, if you decide to keep him in your party), he reveals his plans to retire from fighting once it's all over. In ''VideoGame/ShiningForceIII'', he becomes a simple laundryman once again, though it becomes TenMinuteRetirement if you recruit him into Medion's party.
226	* ShockAndAwe: Knows the Bolt spells ("Spark" in ''[[VideoGame/ShiningForceGaidenGames Shining Force CD]]'').
227	* TookALevelInBadass: When you recruit him in Manarina, he starts off pretty weak, with a tendency to get killed off first due to low HP. But once sufficiently leveled up (and promoted to Paladin at level 20), he quickly gains stats and MP (magic points), and learns spells no other Knight has. This becomes apparent in ''VideoGame/ShiningForceIII'', where the spells he gains in the first game are more powerful than ever before, with them becoming ''level 3''.
228	[[/folder]]
229
230	[[folder:Balbaroy]]
231
232	A birdman who has been turned into a statue in Shade Abbey. He joins your party after you rescue him and defeat all the monsters in the village. His starting class is Birdman, and his promoted class is Sky Warrior.
233	----
234	* BattleCouple: With Amon. They're most effective when paired together.
235	* BirdPeople: Along with his wife Amon, he's a humanoid bird who uses his flight to traverse the battle field.
236	* DistressedDude: [[TakenForGranite Turned into a stone statue]] by Darksol [[spoiler:to prevent him from warning others that the people of Shade Abbey were all killed and turned into undead soldiers as part of a plan to make the town a death trap for the Shining Force]].
237	* HappilyMarried: With Amon, who is his wife in the GBA remake.
238	* RelationshipUpgrade: In the original game, he's Amon's fiance. In the GBA remake, he's her husband.
239	* TakenForGranite: He was turned into stone by Darksol when the Force first meets him, to prevent him from revealing [[spoiler:Shade Abbey was actually a death trap set for Max, with all its inhabitants killed and turned to undead soldiers]].
240	[[/folder]]
241
242	[[folder:Amon]]
243
244	A birdwoman who enlists the Shining Force's help to help Balbaroy. Her starting class is Birdman, and her promoted class is Sky Warrior.
245	----
246	* BattleCouple: With Balbaroy. They're most effective when paired together.
247	* BirdPeople: Along with her husband Balbaroy, she's a humanoid bird who uses her flight to traverse the battle field.
248	* GenderBlenderName: Amon is universally a male name, usually of a demon taken from the ''Literature/ArsGoetia'', but the Amon in this game is female.
249	* HappilyMarried: With Balbaroy, who is her husband in the GBA remake.
250	* MagikarpPower: A minor example. Balbaroy has better stats when they join the Shining Force, but Amon is stronger by the end.
251	* MeaningfulName: Her name means "faithful" in Hebrew. In the GBA remake, she is Balbaroy's wife and forms a BattleCouple with him.
252	* NonMammalMammaries: Not seen in the original due to sprites and back views being how you usually see your characters, but her Card in the GBA remake depicts her with an ample bosom.
253	* TheQuietOne: She supposedly doesn't say much, preferring her skills to do the talking.
254	* RelationshipUpgrade: In the original game, she's Balbaroy's fiancee. In the GBA remake, she's his wife.
255	[[/folder]]
256
257	[[folder:Diane]]
258
259	An archer who the Force meets in Bustoke. Her starting class is Archer, and her promoted class is Bow Master.
260	----
261	* AllThereInTheManual: She's apparently Tao's sister, but there's no indication of this in the original game.
262	* HappilyAdopted: By her parents in Bustoke, assuming the remake didn't just {{Retcon}} away her relation to Tao who confirms their parents were killed when they were younger.
263	* MeaningfulName: Her name is a reference to the Roman goddess Diana, who is associated with archery.
264	* OddFriendship: According to supplemental material, she has this with Zylo.
265	%%* StrongFamilyResemblance: To Tao.
266	* UnorthodoxHolstering: She feels the wearing a quiver on her back is banal and about to go out of fashion, so she wears it at her hip instead.
267	[[/folder]]
268
269	[[folder:Zylo]]
270
271	A wolfling who joins the Shining Force midway. He can be found in Bustoke, where it's revealed that Runefaust soldiers forcibly poisoned him, causing Zylo to go mad and necessitating his imprisonment in a mountain cave. Max can recruit him by giving him an antidote for the poison that will restore his good self. His starting class is Werewolf, and his promoted class is Wolf Baron.
272	%%
273	%%%
274	%%% Big Badass Wolf is no longer a trope or a trope name. Please don't add it back.
275	%%%
276	%%%
277	----
278	* HatesSmallTalk: In ''Resurrection of the Dark Dragon'', trying to befriend him in headquarters usually leads to him blowing Max off. When he's not informing him that his favorite color is black, anyway.
279	* LightningBruiser: His mobility stat is very high, allowing him to cover huge distances per turn. Better still, his movement is unaffected by difficult terrain. He also has a high attack stat.
280	* NobleWolf: He did start out [[SavageWolves feral and violent]], but it was only because Runefaust soldiers poisoned him and he needed a cure. Once Max cures him, his good traits immediately resurface, and he joins the Shining Force out of gratitude.
281	* OurWerewolvesAreDifferent: Specifically, the typical "feral" behavior associated with werewolves was the result of being poisoned by Runefaust soldiers, which caused Zylo to go mad and attack everyone in sight. After Max helps cure him, he joins out of gratitude. And technically, he's more of a BeastMan and doesn't actually have a human form.
282	* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: Zylo is considered the "King of the Mountain" in Bustoke and, with Diane's help, protects his people.
283	* SoulPower: After you promote him to Wolf Baron, his attack animation has him summon numerous wolf spirits that damage the enemy.
284	[[/folder]]
285
286	[[folder:Pelle]]
287
288	A mercenary working for Runefaust who changes sides. His starting class is Knight, and his promoted class is Paladin.
289	----
290	* CrutchCharacter: He starts off as the strongest Knight early on, but his post-promotion stats tend to be less impressive and cause him to fall behind other knights.
291	* DeathByFallingOver: Invoked, then subverted. A Silver Knight tries to kill Pelle by pushing him off a cliff for betraying Runefaust. Luckily, he managed to grab onto a branch and pulled himself up the cliffside by sheer force of strength.
292	* EveryoneHasStandards: He finds Runefaust's army repulsive enough to return his payment and [[HeelFaceTurn switch sides]].
293	* HiredGuns: He's a mercenary working for Runefaust at first, though he becomes disillusioned with his employers by the time Max finds him on the bridge in Shining Force I.
294	* KnightErrant: He has no idea where he is from and wanders the country looking for his homeland.
295	* LanternJawOfJustice: He sports a pretty impressive chin, though it may be due to the game's art style. It's downplayed in the GBA remake, but it's still there.
296	* MasterOfNone: While every other knight excels in some area, Pelle middles in every stat.
297	* PunchClockVillain: He'll only work for Runefaust [[OnlyInItForTheMoney as long as they pay him]]. By the time Max and his party fight Runefaust on the bridge, he has grown increasingly disgusted with his employers' actions that he returns the money and defects to [[HeelFaceTurn Max's side]].
298	* YouHaveFailedMe: The Runefaust Silver Knight tries to kill him when he quits. He survives the fall and joins the Shining Force as a result.
299	[[/folder]]
300
301	[[folder:Jogurt]]
302
303	A helmeted hamster-like creature that lives in Pao.
304	----
305	* AlienAnimals: According to a Japanese Shining Force World book, Jogurt is a "Strange creature from the evil planet Yogurt."
306	%%* IntelligentGerbil: Yep.
307	* JokeCharacter: All of his stats, save for Movement, never go beyond 1. He only inflicts ScratchDamage, cannot level up and if you manage to kill someone with him, he obtains a ring that turns other party members into him. And that's it.[[note]]Jogurt does technically have ONE, albeit non battle use: he provides an extra four item slots for your Force. With each character only having four slots, and most of them permanently having one of those slots taken up by a weapon, and no type of storage option, if you want to hold onto some rare healing item or cursed item for later, Jogurt will serve fine as a small pack mule.[[/note]]
308	* TalkingAnimal: Choose the "Talk" option with him, and he'll speak to you like a human.
309	[[/folder]]
310
311	[[folder:Kokichi]]
312
313	A retired knight and inventor the Force meet in Bustoke. His starting class is Wing/Sky Knight, and his promoted class is Sky Lord.
314	----
315	* CallOfTheWildBlueYonder: As for when he got this obsession with flight, it was back when a traveling salesman and an old friend of Kokichi's stopped at Bustoke when Kokichi was just a lad. It was when he folded a paper plane that hooked him to it, and got him inventing all sorts of contraptions that would grant him his dream. But after a lot of failures, he actually have up on it for a while until Dr. Crock from Rindo came with schematics for his steam engine, which re-lit his spark, and it's never faded since. He even hopes to fly all the way to outer space one day, even if he might not accomplish it in his lifetime.
316	* {{Determinator}}: He never strays from his goal to create a machine that can allow him to fly, despite discouragement. He succeeds by the time Max reaches the Pao prairie.
317	* GuideDangIt: You can't recruit him by talking to him. You have to examine his machine.
318	* MadScientist: He's considered quirky in-universe and is obsessed with powered flight.
319	* RetiredBadass: A former knight of the Bustoke palace, Kokichi settled down to experiment with powered flight experiments.
320	* ThoseMagnificentFlyingMachines: Operates one as a Sky Knight and Sky Lord.
321	[[/folder]]
322
323	[[folder:Vankar]]
324
325	A knight who the Force can meet in Pao. His starting class is Knight, and his promoted class is Paladin.
326	----
327	* TheAlcoholic: Vankar tends to [[DrinkingOnDuty drink on the job]] and falls asleep underneath the Pao caravans as a result. The player meets him after the wagons have rolled.
328	* BrilliantButLazy: One Pao townsperson describes him as "a good fighter when he wants to be."
329	* DrunkenGlow: Vankar ignored his work so he could drink. His big red nose shows this.
330	* PornStache: Has a big handlebar 'stache.
331	* StoneWall: Vankar gets the most HP of any knight. This makes up for his average stats everywhere else.
332	[[/folder]]
333
334	[[folder:Guntz]]
335
336	An Armadillo in a steam suit. His starting class is Steam Knight, and his promoted class is Steam Baron.
337	----
338	* BruiserWithASoftCenter: Literally, as he's covered in armor, but Guntz is supposedly a soft-hearted guy.
339	* MightyGlacier: A knight that sacrifices mobility and some HP for attack and defense.
340	* PoweredArmor: Wears a suit of [[SteamPunk steam-powered armor]], which frequently malfunctions when the player first meets him. By the time Max finds him again in Pao, his armor seems to have been fixed.
341	[[/folder]]
342
343	[[folder:Domingo]]
344
345	A magical jellyfish-like creature who hatches from an egg. Max can recruit him first by retrieving Domingo's egg in Manarina, then having it hatch later on. His character-exclusive class is Magic Creature.
346	----
347	* AllThereInTheManual: Domingo's race is "magical creature." Apparently these were used in the past as guardians, but as eggs became for difficult to hatch, the market fell off.
348	%%* BlackMage
349	* GratuitousSpanish: His name is the Spanish word for Sunday.
350	* KillItWithIce: Domingo learns all levels of Freeze, though he only learns the best Freeze spell at Level 26.
351	* PokemonSpeak: Can only say his name in the remake.
352	* StoneWall: Has very high defense stats with low physical attacks. For some reason, enemies tend to make a beeline for him. Of course, this is not taking into account his spellcasting skills.
353	* TalkingAnimal: Domingo can talk in the Genesis version. [[AvertedTrope Averted]] in the remake, where [[PokemonSpeak he can only speak his name]].
354	[[/folder]]
355
356	[[folder:Earnest]]
357
358	A knight whose hometown was destroyed by Balbazak. His starting class is Knight, and his promoted class is Paladin.
359	----
360	* AllThereInTheManual: According to Japanese supplemental material, Earnest was a member of the royal family of "Thermal," a city on Runefaust's border. When Runefaust decided to extend its sphere of influence, Balbazak led the attack on the small kingdom.
361	* MeaningfulName: He's particularly...ahem, "earnest" about seeking revenge against Balbazak.
362	* RevengeBeforeReason: Charges into Balbazak's fortress alone to seek revenge for the destruction of his hometown, despite his own injuries.
363	* ScarsAreForever: Has a prominent scar over his right eye. In the GBA remake, his scar is on his left eye.
364	[[/folder]]
365
366	[[folder:Lyle]]
367	[[quoteright:128:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lyle.gif]]
368
369	A Strike Knight who joins the Force in Rudo. His starting class is Strike Knight, and his promoted class is Assault Knight.
370	----
371	* AllThereInTheManual: He was a friend of Guntz and a fellow apprentice of Dr. Crock (the old man who developed Guntz' PoweredArmor). He was supposed to meet up with Guntz in the Pao prairie, but Lyle's terrible sense of direction landed him in Rudo, where Max finds and recruits him.
372	* {{BFG}}: Carries a bazooka into battle. It hits very hard when he's leveled up properly.
373	* EpicFail: In trying to meet up with Guntz in the Pao prairie, he somehow ended up ''across the ocean on a different continent''.
374	* GlassCannon: Has impressive range and damage, but one solid hit is enough to kill him. Despite that, he can easily outclass Diane, though mobility through rough terrain can be an issue since he has the exact same movement range as her and Hans rather than those of the other centaurs in the Force (probably from the cannon's weight).
375	* HorseArcher: Being classified as a Knight, of course he's a Centaur. So in this case, the horse ''is'' the archer.
376	* NoSenseOfDirection: He was supposed to meet up with Guntz in the Pao prairie, but his terrible sense of direction landed him in Rudo, where Max finds and recruits him.
377	[[/folder]]
378
379	[[folder:Bleu]]
380
381	A dragon who joins the Shining Force. His starting class is Dragon, and his promoted class is Great Dragon.
382	----
383	* CharacterDevelopment: When you first find him in Dragonia, he's a cowardly baby dragon who refuses to help Max fight Runefaust. When his human friend Karin is threatened by one of Kane's soldiers, he finds his resolve and burns said soldier to a crisp. If you manage to level him up properly and get him promoted, he evolves into a brave, powerful and mighty dragon who can breathe ''lightning bolts''.
384	* DisappointedInYou: Gets told this by Karin verbatim when he refuses to join Max and fight Kane.
385	* LastOfHisKind: He's the last dragon of Dragonia.
386	* MightyGlacier: Becomes a behemoth in attack and defense, held back only by his lackluster mobility.
387	* RaisedByGrandparents: Until they were killed by Kane and his army.
388	* ShockAndAwe: If you promote him, his attack animation has him breathe lightning bolts/pillars of light.
389	* SoulPower: After promotion, his attack animation sometimes has him summon numerous dragon spirits to attack the enemy.
390	* TailSlap: How he fights enemies before promotion in the original. In the remake, he spits out fireballs.
391	* TookALevelInBadass: The most triumphant example in the game. Bleu goes from a cowardly dragon shivering in fear to a decent fighter and if the player chooses to grind him, easily the most overpowered character after Zylo.
392	[[/folder]]
393
394	[[folder:Musashi]]
395
396	A mysterious samurai who can join the Shining Force late in the game. In the original Genesis version, Musashi cannot be promoted. However, the GBA remake allows him to promote into a Swordmaster.
397	----
398	* EleventhHourRanger: Joins the Force very late in the game, so it makes leveling him up almost pointless. Thankfully, he doesn't really need much.
399	* {{Expy}}: He's basically Miyamoto Musashi right down to the name.
400	* KatanasAreJustBetter: His katana is the fourth most powerful sword in the game, only bested by the Swords of Light and Darkness and the Chaos Breaker.
401	* MeaningfulName: Named after the samurai, Miyamoto Mushashi.
402	* MightyGlacier: His movement stat isn't all that great, especially as he's obtained in chapter 7 where the player fights in mountainous terrain a lot. His attack stat is very high, though, making him good for the final few battles.
403	* PermanentlyMissableContent: If you don't find him, he'll turn into this.
404	* {{Samurai}}: His character class is "Samurai".
405	* SecretCharacter: To get him to join, you must find his note in a certain town.
406	[[/folder]]
407
408	[[folder:Alef]]
409
410	A foxling mage from Prompt who along with Torasu has been dispatched to the Tower of the Ancients. Her starting class is Mage, and her promoted class is Wizard.
411	----
412	* AwesomeButImpractical: She learns the most powerful spells in the game, Bolt [[AreaOfEffect 3]] and 4, but they are extremely expensive and drain her MP in only a few uses. She is best played in the hands of a conservative player, but most prefer Tao and Anri for their efficiency anyway.
413	* EleventhHourRanger: Joins the Force very late in the game.
414	* FoxFolk: She is a foxling, a humanoid fox.
415	%% (Doesn't explain the "glass" part)* GlassCannon: Levelling her up enough allows her access to powerful Bolt spells, which have a ''very'' wide area of effect, causing widespread damage, meaning that she can level up very quickly once even Bolt level 2 is learned.
416	* ShockAndAwe: Alef's specialty is Bolt spells.
417	* SquishyWizard: The least durable of all the mage characters.
418	[[/folder]]
419
420	[[folder:Torasu]]
421
422	A priest from Prompt who along with Alef has been dispatched to the Tower of the Ancients. His starting class is Healer, and his promoted class is Vicar.
423	----
424	* EleventhHourRanger: Joins the Force very late in the game. He even [[LampshadeHanging laments this]] in the final battle of the remake.
425	* SquishyWizard: He's physically the weakest of all the game's healers.
426	* WhiteMage: Focuses entirely on healing, detoxing and shield spells.
427	[[/folder]]
428
429	[[folder:Adam]]
430
431	A robot who guards the machine to create the Chaos Breaker. His starting class is Robot, and his promoted class is Cyborg.
432	----
433	* AwesomeButImpractical: As a character, he can be powerful if you take the time to level him up. Unfortunately, he joins so late in the game that it's not worth ditching characters you've leveled up to be just as powerful.
434	* EleventhHourRanger: Joins the Force very late in the game.
435	* LaserBlade: In the Remake, once Adam promotes to Cyborg, his hand's equipped with a built-in laser claw.
436	* MagikarpPower: An unfortunate example, since he's the second-to-last character that joins the Force. And last in the remake since Hanzou can be recruited earlier there.
437	* MightyGlacier: He combines this with StoneWall. He's the sturdiest character in the game, and has a modest attack, but is extremely slow.
438	* WalkingTheEarth: After the end of the game, he wanders before settling down [[spoiler: when he finds Max.]]
439	[[/folder]]
440
441	[[folder:Hanzou]]
442	[[quoteright:128:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hanzou.gif]]
443
444	A ninja who meets up with the Shining Force in Runefaust. In the original Genesis version, Hanzou cannot be promoted. However, the GBA remake allows him to promote into a Super Ninja.
445	----
446	* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: A character-specific example. While ninjas in later installments are typically GlassCannon {{Magic Knight}}s, Hanzou is a QuirkyBard with support and OneHitKill capabilities.
447	* EleventhHourRanger: Joins the party in Chapter 8, meaning he's only around for last couple of battles. However, the GBA remake allows you to recruit him a little bit earlier.
448	* HighlyVisibleNinja: Maintains the standard ninja appearance, but averts it when you first meet him. [[spoiler:He's disguised as a bush with a very conspicuous flower on it.]]
449	* KatanasAreJustBetter: He wields a katana in battle that can OneHitKill enemies! How cool is that?
450	* MeaningfulName: Named after Hattori Hanzo, who by the way, was a samurai in real life, not a ninja.
451	[[/folder]]
452
453	[[folder:Narsha]]
454
455	A Remake exclusive character, Narsha is the Princess of Runefaust and daughter of King Ramladu who sensed something wrong with her father. Escaping an assassination attempt, she flees her home to join up with the Shining Force. Her starting class is Shaman, and her promoted class is Guru.
456	----
457	* BewareTheNiceOnes: While she may be very kind, she will not hesitate to bash your head in with a mace if you oppose her.
458	* CarryABigStick: She is the only unit that can wield maces.
459	* CombatMedic: Narsha is a healer who can equip maces that deal decent damage.
460	* MsFanservice: Just like Tao, when you equip her with the secret "Sugoi Mizugi" item found in the Bustoke quarry. Unlike Tao, her swimsuit is less fanservicy, being a one-piece and a mini-skirt.
461	* NiceGirl: She is a reasonable and kind young lady who opposes her father's recent acts of aggression.
462	* {{Patricide}}: In order to get King Ramladu's card, she must be the one to land the killing blow to her father.
463	* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: Narsha seeks out and joins the Shining Force in order to stop her father's madness and restore her kingdom back to the way it was before Darksol came.
464	* ShyBlueHairedGirl: Narsha is somewhat shy when she joins the Shining Force, fearful that she might be cast away from the other members because of her father's actions. Luckily for her, the others accept her without incident.
465	[[/folder]]
466
467	[[folder:Zuika]]
468
469	A Remake exclusive character, Zuika is an insect-like assassin who helps Narsha in her journey. His starting class Assassin, and his promoted class is Terminator.
470	----
471
472	* BadassArmfold: Has this as an idle animation before dicing up his enemies.
473	* OrnamentalWeapon: His art shows Zuika with a katana, but in-game he fights bare-handed.
474	[[/folder]]
475
476	[[folder:Mawlok]]
477
478	A Remake exclusive character, Mawlok is a mysterious individual who gets involved with the Shining Force's battles against Darksol. His character-exclusive class is Card Master.
479	----
480
481	* ChekhovsGunman: Mawlok appears before Max and company arrive at their first battle, telling Max to collect cards as he travels before vanishing to assist Narsha. [[AvertedTrope Averted]] as he immediately joins in a second playthrough.
482	* DeathDealer: Utilizing the cards you've collected, he could use them to either utilizing the card's power (Effect), empower himself (Copy), allow the card of the recipient to act twice (Move), or create a copy of the recipient (Imitate).
483	* FaceOfAThug: He may look creepy with his decrepit mask, but he's friendly towards Shining Force.
484	* GottaCatchEmAll: His role in the story involves collecting all of the Character Cards throughout the remake.
485	* MesACrowd: In a NewGamePlus, Mawlok joins Max before the first battle, explaining he had split himself so that he's helping the Shining Force as well as Narsha at the same time. Comically, once Narsha's party finally meets up with Max and the others, the text box reads "Mawlok joins the Shining Force (again)!"
486	* MechanicallyUnusualFighter: Uses cards, which are collected throughout the remake, to either attack enemies or support other party members.
487	[[/folder]]
488
489
490	[[folder:Nova]]
491
492	The Shining Force's advisor. You can talk to him if you either want battlefield advice, or to change party members.
493	----
494	* BigGood: As a respected noble of Guardiana, he's the one giving orders and guidance to the player throughout the game.
495	* TheStrategist: Gives the player advice on battle tactics and helps him manage the troops.
496	[[/folder]]
497
498	!!Villains
499
500	[[folder:Kane]]
501
502	The commanding forces of Sol and Max's rival throughout most of the game.
503	----
504	* BrainwashedAndCrazy: [[spoiler:Turns out that the mask he wears controls him. When the Shining Force defeats him, they break his mask, restoring his will]].
505	* CainAndAbel: [[spoiler:Is the Cain (translation issues withstanding) to Max's Abel. The remake also wrote them as brothers who were descendants of the Ancients, but along the way, Max lost his memory, while Kane was captured and brainwashed by Darksol]].
506	* ClimaxBoss: He's one of the first villains to appear in the story, and the game spends six chapters building up to this climactic confrontation. Beating him reveals a major plot twist that completely changes the nature of this character. He's also one of the hardest bosses in the game.
507	* CurbStompBattle: [[spoiler:Happens off-screen. When he leaves to go confront Darksol after breaking free of his brainwashing mask, all Max (and the player) hears is an explosion. He later shows up in Prompt, recovering from severe injuries, implying that Darksol had not been kind to him]].
508	* TheDragon: He's [[spoiler:unwillingly]] the top enforcer of Runefaust.
509	* DualWielding: Uses a pair of swords, with one of them being able to cast the spell [[OneHitKill Desoul]] on your party.
510	* TheHeavy: He's the most proactive villain in ''Shining Force'' and the one getting much of the dirty work done for Ramladu and Darksol.
511	* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler:After you defeat him and break his mask in Dragonia, he reverts to his original self]].
512	* LaserGuidedKarma: It's possible to defeat him with Anri or Mae, whose fathers were both killed by him in Guardiana.
513	* LightningBruiser: He moves quickly and aggressively, takes hits very well, and cuts through even the sturdiest {{Mighty Glacier}}s like butter.
514	* MeaningfulName: Named "Kane", which is appropropriate given the CainAndAbel situation he's in. Due to a translation mishap, his name was written as "Cain" in the GBA remake, but once you read the story behind him in that game, it'll make sense.
515	* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: [[spoiler:Once his mask, and by extension Darksol's control over him, is broken, Kane realizes all the bad things he has done in Runefaust's name and swears revenge against Darksol for using him like a puppet]].
516	* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Translation issues changed his name to "Cain".
517	* WakeUpCallBoss: Many players have done a SpitTake upon discovering Kane's tremendously high attack. It's twice as high as that of the previous boss, [[TheBrute Balbazak]].
518	* WhiteHairBlackHeart: Has white hair, and he worked for Runefaust, being responsible for killing Varios (Mae's father and Max's mentor) and the king of Guardiana (Anri's father). [[spoiler:However, it's later subverted once you defeat him in Dragonia--it's revealed that he was controlled all along by Darksol through the mask he wore. Once he realizes this, he swears revenge.]]
519	[[/folder]]
520
521	[[folder:Darksol]]
522
523	A mysterious individual who has gained strong influence over the nation of Runefaust, using its armies to help him resurrect Dark Dragon.
524	----
525	* AdaptationSpeciesChange: A [[MaouTheDemonKing Devil King]] in the original game, a [[spoiler:former member of the Ancients]] in the remake.
526	* BigBad: His actions in attempting to unseal Dark Dragon provide the impetus for the main plot.
527	* TheCorrupter: [[spoiler:He influenced King Ramladu into evil, transforming the once good kingdom of Protectora into Runefaust.]] He also brainwashed [[spoiler:Kane]] into doing his dirty work for him. He made almost every NPC you meet screw you over under the threat of being destroyed if they rebel against Runefaust's forces. He is undeniably the biggest douchebag in the entire game.
528	* DarkIsEvil: An evil sorcerer dressed entirely in black and reds.
529	* EvenEvilCanBeLoved: It's unknown if he truly reciprocates but Mishaela loves him.
530	* EvilCounterpart: Turns out to be this for [[spoiler:Max and Kane, as he is also from the past put into stasis for a mission in the future. However, his mission was to ''awaken'' Dark Dragon, and serve as its "brain", having been genetically altered and his memories wiped just for this purpose]].
531	* EvilSorcerer: Wields magic and is an evil-looking character through and through.
532	* EvilSoundsDeep: Based on the text scroll sound effect that is in place of speech in-game, his voice is one of the deeper ones in the game.
533	* EvilVersusEvil: ''Shining Force II'' reveals he feuded with two fellow Devil Kings, Zeon and Lucifer, in the past. The conflict ended when Darksol and Lucifer [[EnemyMine teamed up]] to seal away Zeon, who was much more powerful than either of them.
534	* GreaterScopeVillain:
535	** Of ''VideoGame/ShiningForceGaidenFinalConflict'', where the plot is driven by Mishaela's scheme to revive him.
536	** He's also this for ''VideoGame/ShiningInTheDarkness, given how the BigBad of that game is his and Mishaela's kid.
537	* TheManBehindTheMan: [[spoiler:He brainwashed King Ramladu and Kane in order to take control of Runefaust and use them for his own agenda.]]
538	* MeaningfulName: Darksol [[spoiler:was "designed" by the Ancients to serve as the Dark Soul for the Dark Dragon]].
539	* {{Necromancer}}: [[spoiler: He killed the inhabitants of Shade Abbey and raised the dead (including those who were already buried) into undead soldiers, using them as a trap to kill Max and the Shining Force]].
540	* TakenForGranite: [[spoiler:He turned Balbaroy into a stone statue to prevent him from warning others that Shade Abbey has basically been turned into a death trap]].
541	* TurnedAgainstTheirMasters: In the remake, he resented [[spoiler:the Ancients for being assigned as the Dark Dragon's "brain", and decided to awaken it to get his revenge]].
542	* UnholyMatrimony: In ''VideoGame/ShiningInTheDarkness'', the game's BigBad, Mephisto, is the son of Darksol and Mishaela.
543	* YouHaveFailedMe: He didn't take kindly to Balbazak [[VillainsWantMercy begging the Shining Force to spare his life]] in return for letting them use Uranbatol's ships to travel to Prompt, and promptly thunderbolts him to death.
544	[[/folder]]
545
546	[[folder:Dark Dragon]]
547	A powerful dragon-like entity which terrorized the world long ago before being sealed away.
548	----
549	* BigBad: Of the first ''Shining Soul'', as the master of the [[LegionOfDoom Five Generals of Darkness]] and the one behind their conquest.
550	* DraconicAbomination: A three-headed, demonic dragon of titanic size and power.
551	* FinalBoss: He's fought in the very last battle.
552	* GenericDoomsdayVillain: He's an evil dragon who does evil, and that is about all there is to him since he's only screen time is showing up to act as the FinalBoss. The GBA remake reveals that [[spoiler:he was meant to be a weapon for the Ancients against the races they made, but had second thoughts and sealed it up]].
553	* GreaterScopeVillain: Far more powerful than even Darksol, whose main motivation is to bring him back into this world. Subverted in the remake, where [[spoiler:the Dark Dragon is really a weapon created by the Ancients, of which Darksol is a member.]]
554	* OurDragonsAreDifferent: He's big, has three heads and is, in his own words, Darkness Incarnate. Though he looks more like a skeletal, zombified horror than an actual dragon.
555	* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: Dark Dragon had been defeated in the past and angrily vows he'll return in 1,000 years.
556	* SealedEvilInACan: He's been sealed away for the last 1,000 years and Darksol's attempt to unseal him forms the main plot. [[spoiler: This is his final fate after the Shining Force defeats him. Turns out the reason he was sealed in the first place is because he couldn't be killed. The Shining Force can't kill him either, so they seal him back up.]]
557	* ThisCannotBe: Proclaims upon defeat that the "puny creatures" [the Shining Force] cannot defeat the Lord of Darkness [himself].
558	[[/folder]]
559
560	[[folder:King Ramladu]]
561
562	The evil king of Runefaust. In order to stop Runefaust from spreading its evil influence, the Shining Force must put an end to its ruler.
563	----
564	* AdaptationalVillainy: [[spoiler:While the original has him straight up be brainwashed, the remake implies Darksol used MoreThanMindControl to manipulate him first before fully corrupting him by the time of his boss fight.]]
565	* BeardOfEvil: Had a beard and his kingdom was responsible for all the evil things that occurred in the game. [[spoiler:But (surprise!) it turns out he was only BrainwashedAndCrazy thanks to Darksol's magic and manipulations.]]
566	* BigGood: [[spoiler:Was once this when his kingdom was "Protectora". [[TheCorrupter Then Darksol fucked things up]].]]
567	* BrainwashedAndCrazy: [[spoiler:Darksol turns out to have done this to him, turning the once-good king into his puppet to gain control of Runefaust.]]
568	* CombatMedic: He can cast Aura to heal himself and his army.
569	* DiscOneFinalBoss: As the ruler of Runefaust and the one directing their conquests, he's set up as one of the {{Big Bad}}s of the game. [[spoiler:Only to turn out to be Darksol's puppet and be defeated midway through.]]
570	* DyingAsYourself: [[spoiler:His will returns as he dies.]]
571	* EpicFlail: Carries a flail as his weapon in battle.
572	* TheGoodKing: [[spoiler:He was a fair and just ruler before being corrupted by Darksol.]]
573	* TragicVillain: [[spoiler:He was a benevolent ruler who was corrupted into becoming evil against his wishes by Darksol.]]
574	[[/folder]]
575
576	[[folder:Mishaela]]
577
578	A mysterious lady who first appears in Alterone giving Max an ominous warning, telling him to go back to Guardiana if he knows what's good for him. She later reveals herself to be an ally of Darksol, and continues to antagonize the Shining Force up until her defeat.
579	----
580	* BigBad: Of ''Shining Force Gaiden: Final Conflict'', where the entire conflict is caused by her plot to revive Darksol.
581	* TheDragon: She is Darksol's most loyal follower, as well as his confidante in regards to his true plan, [[spoiler:and unlike Kane or Ramladu she serves him willingly]].
582	* EvilGenius: Her specialty is magic, especially lightning spells.
583	* KillItWithFire: After you beat her marionettes in Rindo, Mishaela will try to burn you and your party alive while you are preparing to set sail on the mayor's boat. Thankfully, you get out in time, though you are forced to travel a long way to Uranbatol for a replacement ship.
584	* MakeAnExampleOfThem: She planned to make Max "serve as an example to all who dare oppose Runefaust" after her puppets are defeated in Rindo, by [[KillItWithFire burning the only remaning ship the Shining Force planned to board]]. Fortunately, Max was able to escape, but the Shining Force is forced to find a replacement ship.
585	* MamaBear: In the remake, she becomes vengeful when the Force kills her marionettes, and carries this grudge up until her boss fight.
586	* PurpleIsPowerful: She sports purple hair, and possesses powerful Bolt spells that can wipe out half of the Force.
587	* ShockAndAwe: Attacks the Force with Bolt spells.
588	* TheSmurfettePrinciple: The sole female of the villains.
589	* UnholyMatrimony: In ''VideoGame/ShiningInTheDarkness'', she is the lover of Darksol, which resulted in that game's BigBad Mephisto (whose name is mistranslated as "Dark Sol" in most English versions).
590	* WouldHurtAChild: She attempted to kidnap a child from Rindo and feed him to a dragon. Fortunately, Max and the Shining Force came just in time.
591	[[/folder]]
592
593	[[folder:General Eliot]]
594
595	One of King Ramladu's top generals and Rune's finest swordsman.
596	----
597	* AntiVillain: He's not a bad guy; he's just following orders.
598	* HalfHumanHybrid: He's half man, half dragon.
599	* ImplausibleFencingPowers: Considered in-story to be the greatest swordsman in Rune.
600	* LastOfHisKind: Claimed to be the last Dragonman, but he's actually not.
601	* MyCountryRightOrWrong: Unlike Ramladu or Kane, he's not truly evil [[spoiler:as a result of having been brainwashed]]. He's simply loyal to his country and even implores Max and the Shining Force to defeat Darksol after he's beaten.
602	[[/folder]]
603
604	[[folder:Balbazak]]
605
606	Another Runefaust general, only much more ruthless. He oversees the construction of Uranbatol's fortress, which would have been used for global invasions had the Shining Force not intervened.
607	----
608	* BioAugmentation: Balbazak has been so tweaked and altered by Darksol to become stronger that nobody is really sure what race he belongs to anymore.
609	* TheBrute: A ruthless general that holds down Uranbatol's fortress with an iron fist, and is the single strongest Runefaustian warrior on the western continent.
610	* DirtyCoward: Gives the Shining Force his ship in exchange for sparing his life (in the remake, when the Shining Force looked ready to try and end him anyway, Balbazak then barters selling out a secret about Darksol to them). An infuriated Darksol [[YouHaveFailedMe kills him]] [[BoltOfDivineRetribution off anyway]].
611	* MightyGlacier: Is slightly stronger than Eliot, but his agility isn't impressive even if he weren't a StationaryBoss.
612	* StationaryBoss: [[JustifiedTrope Justified]], as he's keeping the Shining Force from entering his ship.
613	* SuperStrength: Has had his strength magically enhanced by Darksol, and uses this to put up a fierce battle against his enemies.
614	[[/folder]]
615
616	[[folder:Colossus]]
617
618	A defense system that guards the room where the Dark Dragon is sealed that consists of three mechanical heads.
619	----
620	* FireIceLightning: The central head specializes in Bolt spells, while the other two heads specialize in Blaze and Freeze spells.
621	* GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere: Encountered with no foreshadowing whatsoever.
622	* MechanicalMonster: They're mainly robotic, but are partially covered in stone.
623	* WolfpackBoss: There's three of them, but only the central head needs to be destroyed.
624	[[/folder]]
625
626	!!Other Characters
627
628	[[folder:Lord Varios]]
629
630	Head of Guardiana's knights and Max's personal tutor in swordsmanship.
631	----
632	* TheMentor: Has been teaching Max swordsmanship, something that the other knights resent and envy Max for.
633	* MentorOccupationalHazard: Dies fighting Kane during the siege of Guardiana, in the first chapter, no less!
634	* WeHardlyKnewYe: Gets killed by Kane in the first chapter.
635	[[/folder]]
636
637	[[folder:Boken]]
638
639	An adventurer who the Shining Force meets frequently on their travels.
640	----
641	* SpannerInTheWorks: If Boken didn't wander into Prompt's castle and free Max after the latter was arrested under suspicions of being a Runefaust spy [[spoiler:(actually, to deal with Dark Dragon if it ever awakens)]], then Max wouldn't be able to save Torasu and Alef, and Darksol would've resurrected Dark Dragon much earlier.
642	* PunnyName: His name is derived from the Japanese word for 'adventure'.
643	* WalkingTheEarth: He travels around the world looking for adventure, though he later decides that he will settle down in Waral if you talk to him in Prompt.
644	[[/folder]]
645
646	[[folder:Shell]]
647
648	A mermaid the Shining Force encounter when their ship gets damaged and leads them to the island country of Waral.
649	----
650	* MeaningfulName: To seashell.
651	%%* OurMermaidsAreDifferent
652	[[/folder]]
653
654	[[folder:Karin]]
655
656	The unofficial leader of the children in the town Rudo.
657	----
658	* AdultsAreUseless: All children initially believed in this trope, since they were (implicitly) responsible for causing the dragons' extinction. Their faith in adults is restored once Max defeats Kane in Dragonia.
659	* AChildShallLeadThem: Is the self-appointed leader of Ruto's children, who all believe that AdultsAreUseless.
660	* DisappointedInYou: Tells Bleu this in verbatim after the baby dragon refuses to help Max fight Kane out of cowardice.
661	* WiseBeyondTheirYears: Was able to recognize that Max and his party were not [[AdultsAreUseLess "useless" adults]], and also provided them with much-needed information about the Ancients and Dark Dragon.
662	[[/folder]]

Context Characters / ShiningForce