Characters of the Drakengard series

Artwork by series artist Kimihiko Fujisaka, featuring Caim and Angelus (Drakengard), Nowe and Legna (Drakengard 2) Zero and Mikhail (Drakengard 3), and Nier and Grimoire Weiss (Nier).[1]

Drakengard is a series of action role-playing games published by Square Enix. Its first entry, Drakengard, was released in 2003 in Japan and 2004 in western territories. It was followed by a sequel Drakengard 2 (2005/06), a spin-off, Nier (2010), and a prequel Drakengard 3 (2013/14).

Drakengard follows Caim, a deposed prince of the Union who forms a pact with a dragon, as he and his companions fight against the evil Empire to protect the magical Seals responsible for sustaining the world. Caim and his friends eventually battle the Cult of the Watchers and their possessed leader Manah. Drakengard 2 takes place eighteen years later, when the Union controls the remnants of the Empire and sustains the Seals. The main protagonist is Nowe, an initiate of the Knights of the Seal, who rebels against the Union's rule alongside his dragon Legna and a repentant Manah. Drakengard 3 centers on Zero, a woman with magical powers who sets out to kill her five sisters, each of whom poses a threat to the world. Nier is set in an alternate timeline stemming from one of Drakengard‍ '​s endings, and it depicts the protagonist's journey to save a loved one in a post-apocalyptic world.

The games' characters and stories were principally created by Taro Yoko, the series director and scenario writer. Other contributors are series producer Takamasa Shiba, series writers Sawako Natori and Emi Nagashima, and Drakengard co-producer Takuya Iwasaki. Reviewers have been mostly positive about the games' characters: the first game's cast received favorably, and many praised their dialogue. Opinions were more mixed about the characters of Drakengard 2, which certain reviewers claimed were weaker than those of the previous game. Drakengard 3 was criticized for uneven writing, but it received praise for its unusual characters and their interactions. Nier‍ '​s cast and the relationship between its story and characters were lauded. The characters of Drakengard and Nier have gained a strong following in Japan.

Creation and development

The setting of Drakengard, an dark fantasy world called Midgard, is primarily inspired by the folklore of Northern Europe, while other elements were inspired by Japanese-style revisionism.[2][3] The characters' costumes and armor were inspired by classical Medieval Europe.[4] The games' stories frequently contain many dark or adult themes, deliberately contrasting with Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy.[2][5] The universe of Drakengard is split into multiple timelines: an event in the world's past [6] A key aspect of the Drakengard universe is the pact, a ritual that links souls and grants a human great power in return for some aspect of themselves (their voice, charm, aging ability, etc.).[3][Note 1] Nier takes place in a separate alternate timeline created by one of the endings of Drakengard.[7] The main theme of the Drakengard series is immorality, which is shown through the characters' dialogue. Other themes included war and death (Drakengard 2), and "sense of contrast" (Drakengard 3).[8][9][10]

The core concepts, characters and stories of series have been created and written for by series director and scenario writer Taro Yoko, series writer Sawako Natori, and series producer Takamasa Shiba. The original game also received input from Drakengard co-producer Takuya Iwasaki. In the original game, Yoko took charge of Leonard and Arioch, Iwasaki was involved in developing Verdelet, Inuart and Caim, while Natori was responsible for the majority of the script writing for them.[8][11][12][13] The majority of the characters and their personalities and personalities have been inspired by anime of the time, including Sister Princess, Neon Genesis Evangelion and Puella Magi Madoka Magica. Many of them represented certain character archetypes.[2][5][8][14] The characters for Drakengard, and for future games in the series, were designed by Kimihiko Fujisaka.[14] His earlier designs were inspired by the character designs of Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, while his designs for Drakengard 3 were intended to appeal to fans of the Drakengard series as it had become at that time.[15] Drakengard 2 was designed to keep some of the dark aesthetics of the original, but at the same time tone down or remove others to increase the series' appeal to mainstream gamers. The game's producer, Akira Yasui, also wanted to make the game the "opposite" to Drakengard, which partly involved the game having a broader color palette.[9][16][17] The characters for the game were voiced by multiple well-known actors in Japan.[18]

For Drakengard 3, a prequel to the first two games, the developers wanted to create a balance between the previous games' dark atmosphere and stories, and additional moments of humor to help lighten the atmosphere.[19] In contrast to the previous games, the team made Drakengard 3‍ '​s protagonist a woman, with many of her design aspects meant to evoke the dark atmosphere.[20] Ideas to make the setting a modern one and the protagonist a contemporary schoolgirl were rejected at an early stage.[21] Nier's story was inspired in Yoko's mind by the 9/11 incident and its aftermath: he wanted to create a story where both sides believed in what they were doing, and that would show the player the story from each side's perspectives.[22] The characters were given extensive back-stories, as well as the narrative being designed to challenge players.[23]

Drakengard

See also: Drakengard

Design

Caim was meant to be an examination of the action game hero, which Yoko felt should not have a happy ending in a story focused on violence.[8] Caim was one of the earliest characters to be designed. In hindsight, Fujisaka took a dislike to it, finding it too plain and sober. Caim's design in Drakengard 2 was meant to represent is status as a wanderer.[24] The nature of Caim and Angelus' relationship underwent changes during development: Yoko had conceived their relationship as a parasitic one, but Iwasaki wanted to create a different type of romance, and so wrote the love story for the two of them.[8] Inuart was originally designed as the main protagonist of Drakengard, with him being a "useless hero". A pivotal scene in the game, where he first clashes with Caim, became one of the ways Yoko was able to properly project his vision of the game's world.[25] His ultimate role and final design were based around the idea of him being Caim's rival.[8] The armor on his right arm was added to give off a more forceful impression.[25] Verdelet was portrayed as the "despicable elder", who cared for no-one except himself.[8] His personality was intended to be both ineffectual and bossy, even in the face of catastrophe.[26]

Furiae was designed by Yoko as both an explanation for Caim and Inuart's rivalry, and as a representation of his distaste for the kind of forgettable character she represented. The relationship between Caim and Furiae, as well as their ultimate fates, was Yoko's response to the standard happy ending found in most role-playing games at the time, which he felt did not fit in with a protagonist who had killed hundreds during their quest.[13][13] The game's second ending, which featured many sister-like monsters spawned by Furiae, was principally inspired by that and his dislike for the characters of Sister Princess.[5] Manah's role in Drakengard was designed to represent unloved children.[8] Manah's red clothing was designed to evoke both her status as the leader of the Cult of the Watchers and the color, which was a key color in the game. Shiba approved of the design, feeling that it contrasted nicely with Furiae's all-white design.[25] When Legna was created, Shiba was initially unimpressed and considered cutting him from the final product.[26]

Characters

Drakengard 2

See also: Drakengard 2

Design

Nowe, in contrast to the other protagonists of the Drakengard series, was designed around the concept of a stereotypical hero. One of the ideas behind him was of a character surpassing their father. Nowe was one of Fujisaka's favorite characters to design, although Shiba was less enthusiastic. For the fight between Nowe and Legna, special gameplay functions and mechanics needed to be created for Nowe.[26] Legna and Manah were both redesigned for the game. Manah's redesign in Drakengard 2 reflected both her evolved personality and her more traditional depiction as a fantasy heroine.[26] Because of Legna's different roles in Drakengard and Drakengard 2, his design and movements were altered for his second incarnation.[26] For Drakengard 2, Fujisaka created a "cool" look for Legna.[25] Shiba had mixed feelings about the final fight between Legna and Nowe, which he saw as a drastic change from both the first game and the series mechanic of the protagonist riding a dragon. Shiba ended up writing their dialogue to emphasize their relationship and the difficulty of them fighting each other, paralleling earlier scenes between Caim and Angelus.[26] One of the major issues with the character was choosing a suitable voice actor, as the team wanted to match Ikehata's performance as Angelus.[25]

Eris's design was inspired by Casca, a character from the manga/anime series Berserk: while he tried not to copy any parts of Casca's design, Fujisaka tried to convey it using aspects of her personality. He also tried to balance this part of her depiction with a tender and more feminine side. Another idea he had in mind was the image of an honors student. Her dance-like fighting style was generally suggested by the game's staff.[26] Urick was created to be the supportive "big brother" of the party. An interesting piece of the design for Fujisaka was the character's exposed navel. It was Shiba's idea for the character to wear a mask. In hindsight, both Shiba and Fujisaka felt that the mask was unnecessary. When the character was first revealed wearing his mask, some fans thought he was Caim. The symbol for his pact partner was incorporated into his weapon.[25]

Characters

Drakengard 3

See also: Drakengard 3

Design

Zero's design was the first character to be designed for Drakengard 3 and the first to be approved by Yoko. The other Intoners were designed fairly quickly after that: Yoko told Fujisaka to "think Puella Magi Madoka Magica" when designing them. Each character had different design themes: for example, Five's was nudity and knitwear, Four's was her being a female captain and Two's were underwear and "lolita". Three was meant to have bangs covering her face and multiple hairpins, but this was dropped.[9] Aspects of Zero's design were incorporated into the designs of the other Intoners.[56] The characters' number-based names and differing eye colors were meant to help players identify them.[15][20] While writing Mikhail's dialogue, Natori was asked by Yoko to embody the good qualities of animals and children in him. Instead of being realistic, Natori borrowed elements from other fiction to create his personality, finding him the most fun to write.[12]

The Apostles were also design and approved quickly as they were not a high priority. They were designed around prime male archetypes: Cent, originally the group's sadist, was the "pretty boy", Octa was the "old man", Decadus was the "middle-aged man", and Dito was the "little boy".[9] Their dialogue with Zero was written by Yoko to contrast in content with the violent combat.[57] Yoko, Natori and Nagashima were jointly responsible for creating the disciples' personalities. Yoko wanted Nagashima to write Cent to be as much of an idiot as possible, while she received some negative feedback for her portrayal of Decadus despite her best efforts. Octa was the character Natori and Nagashima best understood, though Nagashima found it difficult writing his novella.[12]

Characters

Nier

Design

The game's main character received two different designs: the original one was a teenage boy, while the other was a mature father. The father protagonist was designed later, after Yoko visited the publisher's American studios in Los Angeles.[78] While nothing major changed between the two versions, lines of dialogue were altered so that the character portrayals didn't clash.[79] Her character was made an intersexual since the team felt it fitted in with many other aspects of her gritty back-story. Kainé's status as an intersexual caused some commotion in western territories, which is something the team did not actively intend.[23] Many characters underwent changes during development, and some characters needed to be cut: there were originally thirteen Grimoires, but eventually all but three, Weiss, Noir and Rubrum, were cut from the game. Emil's character was derived from a female character named Halua, while Kainé was originally a far more feminine type who hid her violent side.[80]

Characters

Reception and legacy

Drakengard‍ '​s characters were positively received upon the game's release. IGN's Jeremy Dunham praised both the game's dark setting and the characters' realistic portrayals: both were compared favorably to the characters and atmosphere of Neon Genesis Evangelion.[87] VideoGamer.com's Adam Jarvis and the reviewer for Computer and Video Games (CVG) both praised the characters' dialogue. Jarvis called the dialogue "beautiful", while the CVG reviewer called it "mature" and "witty", and saying it competed with and occasionally surpassed the standard dialogue found in other role-playing games of the time.[88][89] GameSpot's Greg Kavasin said that the main cast "while not terribly well developed, is interesting and rather unconventional."[90] Drakengard 2 drew a more mixed response. Eurogamer's Simon Parkin was highly critical of protagonist Nowe, citing several points where his behavior was unbelievable given the situation, eventually calling him "a little nauseating to watch".[91] The reviewer for GameTrailers also seemed unimpressed by any aspect of the narrative, citing it as a "cookie-cutter RPG plot".[92] Greg Meuller of GameSpot noted the lighter tone of the sequel, but praised the villains and the voice acting, although said that "a couple of the voices do tend to get annoying, which is unfortunate, since they happen to be the voices you'll hear the most."[93]

The characters of Drakengard 3 received a mixed to positive response. RPGFan's Derek Heemsbergen called the dialogue between the characters "strange and often hilarious", despite some stumbles.[94] Gamespot's Heidi Kemps also commented on the inter-character dialogue, calling it "frequently amusing and well written", and commended the localization team for their work.[95] GamesRadar's Becky Cunningham generally praised the voice acting for the characters, and stated that the relationship between Mikhail and Zero "adds gravitas to the story."[96] Destructoid's Chris Carter generally found the characters engaging, and said that the dialogue was "not laugh out loud funny all the time, but I found myself smiling and chuckling consistently throughout."[97] IGN's Meghan Sullivan was mainly negative about the characters, citing their dialogue as poorly written.[98] Game Informer's Kimberley Wallace was also fairly negative, feeling unimpressed with the writing, the characters and the attempts at humor despite some good one-liners from Zero.[99]

Reactions to Nier‍ '​s characters were mixed to positive. GameSpot's Kevin VanOrd found most of the characters entertaining, although he found Nier a bland character, and thought that Kainé's swearing clashed with the game's atmosphere.[95] Dustin Quillen of 1UP.com was very positive, saying that the game sported "a supporting cast of genuinely interesting folks".[100] Seth Schiesel of The New York Times said that Nier "succeeds at fostering an emotional investment in its characters and in its world".[101] IGN's Brian Clements praised the characters' voice acting, calling it "quite excellent".[98]

The characters of the main series have been popular in Japan. When Dengeki held a popularity contest for the characters to celebrate both the series' tenth anniversary and the announcement of Drakengard 3,[102] Caim, Angelus, Nowe, Urick and Manah were among the most popular characters. Caim has earned the nickname Prince (王子 ouji) among fans of the games.[103] The characters of Drakengard 3 were also popular, with Zero and Mikail ranking high in a second Dengeki survey after the third game's release.[104] Characters from the main series have been featured in the Lord of Vermilion arcade game series alongside characters from other Square Enix franchises.[9][105][106]

Notes

  1. ↑ Pact: Contract (契約 Keiyaku) in the original Japanese
  2. ↑ The kingdom is called Caerleon (カールレオン Kārureon) in the Japanese version
  3. ↑ Eggs of Rebirth (復活の卵 Fukkatsu no tamago) in the Japanese version
  4. ↑ The Gods: referred to as a single eponymous God (神 Kami) in the Japanese version, and the "Nameless" in Drakengard 2
  5. ↑ Church of Angels (天使の教会 Tenshi no kyōkai) in the Japanese version

References

  1. ↑ Cook, Dave (2013-06-27). "Drakengard 3 dated for Japan, 10th Anniversary Commemoration edition revealed". VG247. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Dunham, Jeremy (2003-05-23). "Drakengard Interview". IGN. Retrieved 2013-08-24.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Drag-On Dragoon Official Guide Book (in Japanese). Tokyo: Square Enix. 2003-10-24. ISBN 4-7575-1031-4.
  4. ↑ Eurogamer staff (2004-04-19). "Here be the makers of Drakengard!". Eurogamer. Retrieved 2013-12-12.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Sato (2013-05-16). "Why Drakengard Had Forbidden Love Between Siblings And Other Insights". Siliconera. Retrieved 2013-11-11.
  6. ↑ ドラッグ オン ドラグーン3 設定資料集＋ザ・コンプリートガイド [Drag-On Dragoon 3 The Complete Guide + Settings] (in Japanese). Tokyo: ASCII Media Works. 2014-04-11. pp. 180–181. ISBN 978-4-04-866086-0.
  7. ↑ "『NieR Replicant（ニーア レプリカント）』／『NieR Gestalt（ニーア ゲシュタルト）』戦いの地は……東京!?". Famitsu. 2010-04-16. Retrieved 2014-03-16.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 "ドラッグ オン ドラグーン』シリーズ居酒屋座談会 with ヨコオタロウ on 仏滅。聖地・新宿で語られる『DOD』ぶっちゃけトーク". Dengeki Online. 2013-04-15. Retrieved 2013-11-11.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 "『ドラッグオンドラグーン2』の完成披露会が開催！". Famitsu. 2005-06-02. Retrieved 2013-12-13.
  10. ↑ Sahdev, Ishaan (2014-05-06). "Drakengard 3 Sound Director On How The Music Is Different From Nier's". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 2014-05-08. Retrieved 2014-05-08.
  11. ↑ Cavia (2006-07-10). "Drakengard 2". PlayStation 2. Square Enix. Scene: Credits.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 "『DOD3』ジョシカイ、開幕。女性視点（映島×名取×白本×サガコ）で語られる『ドラッグ オン ドラグーン3』の狂気の深淵とは？【電撃DOD3】". Dengeki Online. 2013-12-27. Retrieved 2014-02-28.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 "『ドラッグ オン ドラグーン』シリーズ座談会でヨコオタロウから飛び出す過去作の衝撃的真実…『DOD1』のアレは神様じゃない!?". Dengeki Online. 2013-04-18. Retrieved 2014-03-20.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "『ドラッグ オン ドラグーン3』キャラデザ担当の藤坂公彦氏と柴貴正Pのロングインタビューをお届け". Famitsu. 2013-09-02. Retrieved 2013-12-12.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 "『ドラッグ オン ドラグーン3』キャラクターデザイン秘話インタビュー。藤坂公彦氏が語る『DOD』シリーズらしさとは？【電撃DOD3】". Dengeki Online. 2013-09-03. Retrieved 2014-11-07.
  16. ↑ Yoon, Andrew (2013-10-14). "Drakengard 3 trying to avoid 'formulaic' JRPG tropes with its dark setting". Shacknews. Retrieved 2013-12-13.
  17. ↑ "『ドラッグ オン ドラグーン』シリーズ座談会、佳境へ。ヨコオタロウが暴く『DOD2』安井ディレクターの心の闇＆『ニーア』反省話". Dengeki Online. 2013-04-22. Retrieved 2014-03-09.
  18. ↑ "前作に続き『ドラッグオンドラグーン2』も豪華キャスト！ピーター、小雪らが出演". Dengeki Online. 2005-02-16. Retrieved 2014-01-05.
  19. ↑ Hawkins, Matt (2013-10-13). "Drakengard 3 Connects To Nier, Will Have A Balance Between Darkness And Humor". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 2013-12-30. Retrieved 2013-12-10.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Sato (2013-04-05). "Drakengard 3 Producer And Creative Director Explain How The Game Came To Be". Siliconera. Retrieved 2013-10-09.
  21. ↑ "結果的に新情報満載　『ドラッグ オン ドラグーン3』開発者インタビュー". Famitsu. 2013-04-04. Retrieved 2013-12-10.
  22. ↑ Ward, Robert (2014-03-20). "NieR and Drakengard Creator Says NieR Was Inspired By 9-11". Siliconera. Retrieved 2014-03-20.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Spencer (2010-03-31). "Our Nier Interview Goes Beyond The Black Scrawl". Siliconera. Retrieved 2014-03-25.
  24. ↑ "『ドラッグ オン ドラグーン（DOD）』シリーズのキャラ人気投票結果を開発者が総括！ カイムとアンヘルのラストにまつわる秘話とは？". Dengeki Online. 2013-06-21. Retrieved 2014-01-05.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 25.4 25.5 "『ドラッグ オン ドラグーン（DOD）』シリーズの裏話を柴プロデューサーが暴露!? 『DOD3』の使徒のデザイン秘話も掲載". Dengeki Online. 2013-06-19. Retrieved 2014-11-07.
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 26.3 26.4 26.5 26.6 "『ドラッグ オン ドラグーン（DOD）』シリーズ居酒屋座談会、再び。柴プロデューサーと藤坂さんがヨコオタロウに物申す!?". Dengeki Online. 2013-06-17. Retrieved 2014-11-07.
  27. ↑ Cavia (2004-03-02). "Drakengard". PlayStation 2. Square Enix. Angelus: So. Your voice is lost. A trifling price to pay for a pact. No matter. I shall speak for the both of us.
  28. ↑ Cavia (2 March 2004). "Drakengard". PlayStation 2. Square Enix. Scene: Verse 9. Level/area: Chapter 8. Angelus: I have never...seen you weep before. There is but one thing I wish for you to remember. Angelus. My name is Angelus. [Caim looks away, a single tear running down his cheek.] / Angelus: You are the first…and the last of your kind…to know my name. Farewell, fool human...
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 29.3 29.4 29.5 29.6 IGNPS2 Staff (2003-07-24). "Drakengard Voice Actors". IGN. Retrieved 2007-07-30.
  30. ↑ Cavia (2 March 2004). "Drakengard". PlayStation 2. Square Enix. Scene: Verse 4. Level/area: Chapter 1. Caim: [exhales] Your answer. / Angelus: A pact, or death… We are united by our need to live. / Caim: Well…? / Angelus: Yes… A pact.
  31. ↑ Cavia (2 March 2004). "Drakengard". PlayStation 2. Square Enix. Scene: Ending A. Angelus: I have never...seen you weep before. There is but one thing I wish for you to remember. Angelus. My name is Angelus. [Caim looks away, a single tear running down his cheek.] / Angelus: You are the first…and the last of your kind…to know my name. Farewell, fool human...
  32. ↑ Cavia (2006-02-14). "Drakengard 2". PlayStation 2. Square Enix. Scene: Verse 1. Level/area: Chapter 9. Nowe: Legna! What is the red dragon saying? I can't tell! / Legna: I cannot tell, either. It's an explosion of rage... I fear her mind is broken.
  33. ↑ Cavia (2006-02-14). "Drakengard 2". PlayStation 2. Square Enix. Angelus: Is it over, Caim? / Caim: It's over. We're together now.
  34. ↑ Cavia (2006-02-14). "Drakengard 2". PlayStation 2. Square Enix. Nowe: Goodbye, Legna. Goodbye. Thank you for raising me. / Legna: You thank me still? You're a sentimental fool... Just like...your father...
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 35.2 35.3 35.4 "『ドラッグ オン ドラグーン2』が描く愛と狂気の終着点――紅と黒が交錯する『DOD2』の存在意義（レゾンデートル）を見つめ直す". Dengeki Online. 2013-03-27. Retrieved 2014-03-15.
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 Drag-On Dragoon Official Guide Book (in Japanese). Tokyo: Square Enix. 2003-10-24. pp. 191–192. ISBN 4757510314.
  37. ↑ Cavia (2006-02-14). "Drakengard 2". PlayStation 2. Square Enix. Book of Seeds: The Holy Dragons and the Nameless engage in an endless war.
  38. ↑ Cavia (2 March 2004). "Drakengard". PlayStation 2. Square Enix. Scene: Verse 8. Level/area: Chapter 8. Manah: Kill me, kill me. I don't mind! Kill me, please! / Angelus: Caim shall never forgive you. You will not die so easily. You will be despised by every soul in this world. Unforgiven for all eternity. [...] You will suffer under the unbearable weight of your crimes. You are beyond hope.
  39. ↑ 39.0 39.1 39.2 39.3 "Behind the Voice Actors - Drakengard 2". Behind the Voice Actors. Retrieved 2014-11-08.
  40. ↑ Cavia (2 March 2004). "Drakengard". PlayStation 2. Square Enix. Scene: Verse 6. Level/area: Chapter 9. Text: Caim stands alone, holding the remains of Furiae in his arms. One after another her sisters rise into the sky, their hideous screams heralding the end of mankind.
  41. ↑ Cavia (2003-10-11). "Drag-On Dragoon" (in Japanese). PlayStation 2. Square Enix. Scene: Verse 2-3. Level/area: Chapter 11.
  42. ↑ Cavia (2 March 2004). "Drakengard". PlayStation 2. Square Enix. Scene: Ending B. Inuart: Furiae, come with me. There is nothing to fear. [...] You need not be the only sacrifice. / Angelus: He has been broken. [...] / Inuart: I traded my songs for strength, Caim. I can protect you now, Furiae.
  43. ↑ Cavia (2006-02-14). "Drakengard 2". PlayStation 2. Square Enix. Book of Seeds: A weak man falls in love with a blind woman. The black dragon binds them. The man enters the casket for love and greed.
  44. ↑ 44.0 44.1 Cavia (2006-02-14). "Drakengard 2". PlayStation 2. Square Enix. Seere: Has it already been three years? Along with Oror, we lost many brave friends that day. [...] The former Hierarch, the man who gave us the seals to protect the world, was also lost at that time.
  45. ↑ Cavia (2 March 2004). "Drakengard". PlayStation 2. Square Enix. Scene: Verse 3. Level/area: Seere's Prayer. Seere: Mother used to hit my sister Manah a lot. But only Manah. Never me. Mother never hit me. She saved all her anger for Manah instead. / Leonard: Seere, you must not blame yourself so harshly.
  46. ↑ Cavia (2 March 2004). "Drakengard". PlayStation 2. Square Enix. Scene: Verse 10. Level/area: Chapter 12. Text: Within the eternity, Seere begs his sister's forgiveness. And then time... is stopped.
  47. ↑ Cavia (2003-10-11). "Drag-On Dragoon" (in Japanese). PlayStation 2. Square Enix. Level/area: Leonard's Regret.
  48. ↑ Cavia (2003-10-11). "Drag-On Dragoon" (in Japanese). PlayStation 2. Square Enix. Level/area: Arioch's Madness.
  49. ↑ Cavia (2006-02-14). "Drakengard 2". PlayStation 2. Square Enix. Scene: Verse 3. Level/area: Chapter 9. Nowe: Eris, I'm so glad to see you again! / Eris: Hierarch Seere took good care of me. You think I would die like that? Don't be foolish. There's no way.
  50. ↑ Cavia (2006-02-14). "Drakengard 2". PlayStation 2. Square Enix. Eris: It's time for the future to begin. My lord, let's begin the sealing ceremony.
  51. ↑ Cavia (2006-02-14). "Drakengard 2". PlayStation 2. Square Enix. Eris: The dragons never forgot their history. They lived to honor it. Now, they are about to surpass the Gods, with the New Breed as their weapon. / Nowe: If the world is truly to be free from the law of the Gods, I shall become a weapon. / Eris: Do you think that's what Manah would have wanted? I don't suppose we'll ever know. All we have left is war, and the desolation it leaves in its wake.
  52. ↑ Cavia (2006-02-14). "Drakengard 2". PlayStation 2. Square Enix. Urick: He's finished. We might have remained friends even now, if hadn't been for the pact he entered into. / Nowe: You were... friends? / Urick: Yes, but he was very different then.
  53. ↑ Cavia (2006-02-14). "Drakengard 2". PlayStation 2. Square Enix. The reaper's death brings death to its pact partner. Silent at last, deathly serenity takes over the man who saved Nowe with his remaining strength.
  54. ↑ Cavia (2006-02-14). "Drakengard 2". PlayStation 2. Square Enix. Nowe: Urick! No! Don't go! Urick! / Urick: You ask too much of me... If we live long enough to atone for our sins, we've lived long enough. I've lived... too long... I'll be training with General Oror in the afterlife... See you around... kid.
  55. ↑ Cavia (2006-02-14). "Drakengard 2". PlayStation 2. Square Enix. Gismor: What do you know of suffering? Of humiliation? Have you ever slept on cold earth? Eaten dirt to stave off hunger? You were blessed with powers by birth. You cannot understand or even imagine the suffering I endured as a survivor of the Empire.
  56. ↑ "『ドラッグ オン ドラグーン3』キャラデザ担当・藤坂氏インタビュー。伝説の学園恋愛ゲーム化企画"エンジェレグナ"もチラリ【電撃DOD3】". Dengeki Online. 2013-09-05. Retrieved 2014-11-07.
  57. ↑ "「見えない壁」に取り囲まれたゲーム業界への想い。ヨコオタロウ氏が「ドラッグ オン ドラグーン3」やゲームの未来を語ったインタビューを掲載". 4Gamer. 2014-02-28. Archived from the original on 2014-03-15. Retrieved 2014-07-25.
  58. ↑ Access Games (2014-05-20). "Drakengard 3". PlayStation 3. Square Enix. Zero: The first time I saw this flower... was the day I died. Now I'm just a corpse being kept alive by the flower's magic. [...] This flower is a calamity that threatens the entire world. It's growing, feeding off me. Eventually it's going to consume me entirely, and once that happens? Once it's fully grown? It's going to destroy everything. [...] When I realized that I was infected with a flower that was going to end the world, I tried to kill myself. Well, technically I was already dead, but, yeah. Anyway, I tried to rip the damn thing out. But, in the end, I just made things worse. The flower freaked out. Started sprouting these... children. Five little girls, one after another. They burst out of me and ran off before I could blink.
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  66. ↑ Sato (2013-05-14). "Drakengard 3′s Lead Character Is Rather Promiscuous". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 2013-12-26. Retrieved 2013-10-09.
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  71. ↑ Access Games (2014-05-20). "Drakengard 3". PlayStation 3. Square Enix. One: Intoners offer only pestilence to this world. Someday, they will be the disease that brings ruin to all human life. That's why you're trying to kill us: to save the world. And once you succeed in killing your sisters... You're going to finish the job... and kill yourself. And you'll use that dragon to do it.
  72. ↑ "ドラッグ オン ドラグーン3 | SQUARE ENIX". Jp.square-enix.com. Archived from the original on 2014-04-04. Retrieved 2013-07-04.
  73. ↑ Access Games (2014-05-20). "Drakengard 3". PlayStation 3. Square Enix. Zero: You and your daemon dragon. / Mikhail: Huh? What's what mean? / Zero: It means she enhanced her dragon to make it better at fighting you. But when you do that...
  74. ↑ Access Games (2014-05-20). "Drakengard 3". PlayStation 3. Square Enix. Zero: What the hell are you, anyway? / Accord: We're Recorders. [...] It's our job to record world events from the ancient past to the distant future. You know the Old World you people are always going on about? Well, I was sent by folks from there.
  75. ↑ Access Games (2014-05-20). "Drakengard 3". PlayStation 3. Square Enix. One: I see... If there are no Intoners left to protect the world... Then I'll just protect it myself! We'll form a new religion. A religion that worships my sister One.
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  77. ↑ Nagashima, Emi (w), Zet (p). Drag-on Dragoon: Shi ni Itaru Aka 21 (September 2014), Gangan Comics
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  105. ↑ Spencer (2012-01-11). "Drakengard Characters Appear As Lord Of Vermilion Re:2 Cameos". Siliconera. Retrieved 2014-03-28.
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