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. This conversation, excerpted from the "Metaphor: ReFantazio Atlas Brand 35th Anniversary Edition" booklet, offers a fascinating glimpse into the challenges and rewards of this classic storytelling technique.

The Silent Protagonist: A Dragon Quest Perspective

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Yuji Horii, the mastermind behind the Dragon Quest series, describes his protagonist as a "symbolic protagonist." This silent figure allows players to project their own feelings and experiences onto the character, fostering a deeper sense of 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 made the silent protagonist a natural choice. "With evolving, increasingly realistic graphics," he quips, "a protagonist who just stands there looks like an idiot!" His background as an aspiring manga artist and his passion for storytelling, combined with the unique structure of Dragon Quest—story progression driven by interactions and dialogue—shaped the series' iconic hero. "Dragon Quest relies heavily on dialogue with townspeople, with minimal narration," he explains. "The story unfolds through these conversations—that's the fun of it."

However, Horii acknowledges the challenges of maintaining this approach in today's visually rich games. The minimalist graphics of the NES era allowed players to fill in the blanks, but the increased detail in modern games makes a completely non-reactive protagonist seem jarring. "The type of protagonist in Dragon Quest is becoming increasingly difficult to portray as games become more realistic," he concludes. "This will remain a challenge in the future."

A Different Approach: Metaphor: ReFantazio

Dragon Quest's continued use of the silent protagonist stands in contrast to many modern RPGs, such as the Persona series, which feature fully voiced protagonists. Hashino's Metaphor: ReFantazio will also feature a fully voiced protagonist.

Despite the challenges, Hashino praises Horii's approach, emphasizing the emotional intelligence of Dragon Quest. "I think Dragon Quest puts a lot of thought into how the player will feel in a given situation," Hashino says, "even when interacting with a regular townsperson. The games are consistently created with the player's emotions in mind."