Dragon Quest is a long-running JRPG franchise and one of the most influential examples in the genre. Dragon Questis the archetypal fantasy adventure, and JRPGs for decades have been using it as a blueprint for their own games.
Dragon Quest usually has a silent protagonist as the lead, with several side characters that accompany them on their journey. Some of these characters are actually very interesting on their own, and while their story may be told in their original games, they may have other parts of their story that could be interesting to tell. Here are some side characters in Dragon Quest that could work well in a spin-off game.
6 Kiefer – Dragon Quest 7
Kiefer is one of the playable characters in Dragon Quest 7, a prince who has an insatiable appetite for adventure. He accompanies the Hero of that game for quite a while, but falls in love with a beautiful dancer in the past and decides to spend the rest of his life with her, leaving the party at that point. It is a rare example of a party member leaving permanently, and his absence is keenly felt.
Kiefer's story in Dragon Quest 7 may have ended there, but that doesn't mean that he couldn't have had more journeys and adventures on his own. A spin-off game chronicling his adventures in another time may have been quite interesting to see. It's unlikely that such a game could be as long as the usual Dragon Quest game, but it could still have a decent amount of content, considering Dragon Quest 7's world.
5 Patty – Various
Patty is a recurring character that appears in multiple Dragon Quest games. She is usually present in any game as a party planner for the Hero to switch out party members, and she usually owns a tavern where she lends out her services. She is playable in Dragon Quest 9 as an optional party member, but she is mostly known for her supporting role in the series.
Patty may not seem like a strong adventurer, but her familiarity could still make her a decent candidate for a spin-off game. A management-style game where Patty works at a tavern and helps out adventurers could be a fun idea to explore, especially since Dragon Quest has made many non-JRPG spin-offs over the years. While Patty could star in a more action-heavy game, a simulation-style game would fit her character and archetype better.
4 Ragnar McRyan – Dragon Quest 4
Ragnar McRyan is a knight of the kingdom of Burland, and a playable character in Dragon Quest 4. Ragnar is a wandering warrior who travels the world righting wrongs. In his introductory chapter, he travels to a village where children have gone missing. He is accompanied by a healslime named Healie, who supports the pure fighter with support spells.
Ragnar is a fairly simple character who doesn't have much of a complex backstory. Still, that can also mean that there are a lot of opportunities to expand on his history as a wandering warrior and a knight of Burland. An action RPG-style game could work for Ragnar, especially since he's shown up in the Dragon Quest Heroes spin-offs, which have an action-based style of combat rather than turn-based.
3 Alena – Dragon Quest 4
Alena is the Tsarevna of Zamoksva and travels the world with her retainers Kiryl and Borya. Despite being a noble, Alena leaves home to go on a journey in order to prove herself to be the strongest fighter in the world. In-game, she is quite the powerhouse, matching Ragnar as one of the strongest physical attackers in the game.
Alena is one of the most recognizable and popular characters to come out of Dragon Quest 4, and her popularity has caused her to appear in many of Dragon Quest's spin-offs, including Fortune Street and the Dragon Quest Heroes series. While Alena has yet to star as a protagonist in a spin-off, she could certainly do so just based on the power of her personality alone.
2 Sancho And The Kids – Dragon Quest 5
Sancho is a longtime friend and servant of Pankraz, the father of the Hero. When Pankraz dies, Sancho becomes the Hero's servant until he and his wife are turned to stone for seven years. During that time, Sancho takes care of the Hero's children, traveling the world looking for a way to restore the Hero and his wife back to normal.
While Sancho is already playable in Dragon Quest 5, his role in the story is very minor. A story following Sancho as he takes care of the Hero's young children and travels the world could be an interesting idea to expand the lore of Dragon Quest 5. It could also be a good chance to shine a spotlight on Sancho, especially since he doesn't get much time in the original game.
1 Ortega – Dragon Quest 3
Ortega is the father of the Hero in Dragon Quest 3, who left home many years ago in order to defeat the evil Baramos. Despite being a great warrior and a hero in his own right, he ultimately failed in his quest against the villain, dying in the process. His quest was later taken up by his child, who would slay Baramos in his stead.
Although Ortega would never achieve the quest he was given, he did go on many great adventures during his travels, many of which are told to the Hero when they arrive at the same locations. A game about Ortega and his many adventures could be very interesting, even if his quest ultimately ends in failure. Ortega is a very mysterious and interesting character in the original Dragon Quest 3, but there's potential to explore his character more in a spin-off.