Dragon Quest and Metaphor: ReFantazio Creators Discuss Silent Protagonists in Modern RPGs

RPG veterans Yuji Horii and Katsura Hashino, creators of Square Enix's Dragon Quest and Atlus' Metaphor: ReFantazio, respectively, recently discussed the enduring—and evolving—role of the silent protagonist in modern RPGs. Their conversation, excerpted from the Metaphor: ReFantazio Atlas Brand 35th Anniversary Edition booklet, offers fascinating insight into the challenges of this classic RPG trope in an era of increasingly realistic graphics.

The Silent Protagonist: A Dragon Quest Perspective

Yuji Horii, the creator of the iconic Dragon Quest series, describes the series' protagonist as a "symbolic protagonist." This silent figure allows players to project their own feelings and experiences onto the character, fostering deeper immersion. The silent protagonist acts as a blank slate, interacting primarily through dialogue choices rather than spoken words.

Horii notes that the simplicity of early game graphics—lacking detailed expressions and animations—made the silent protagonist a natural and effective choice. "As game graphics evolve and become increasingly realistic," he quips, "if you make a protagonist who just stands there, they will look like an idiot."

Horii, who initially aspired to be a manga artist, credits his love of storytelling and fascination with computers for his transition to video game development. Dragon Quest's narrative structure, built around interactions with townspeople and boss battles, is central to its design. "Dragon Quest basically consists of dialogue with townspeople, with very little narration," he explains. "The story is created using the dialogue. That’s what’s fun about it."

However, Horii acknowledges the challenges of maintaining this approach in modern games. While the minimalist graphics of the NES era allowed players to fill in the emotional blanks, the increased visual and audio fidelity of today's games makes a completely non-reactive protagonist seem increasingly jarring. "That’s why the type of protagonist featured in Dragon Quest becomes increasingly difficult to depict as games become more realistic," he concludes. "This will be a challenge in the future too."

A Different Approach: Metaphor: ReFantazio

Dragon Quest remains a notable exception among major RPG franchises in its continued use of the silent protagonist. In contrast, series like Persona have embraced fully voiced protagonists, a trend that continues with Hashino's Metaphor: ReFantazio, which features a fully voice-acted lead character.

Despite the challenges Horii highlights, Hashino praises the emotional resonance of the Dragon Quest experience. "I think Dragon Quest puts a lot of thought into how the player will feel in a given situation," Hashino says, "even when it's to do with a regular townsperson. I feel like the games are consistently created with the player in mind, thinking about what emotions will arise when someone says something."