Every Ys Game’s Story In Chronological Order

Key Takeaways

• Ys has a fragmented development history, with games released out of order, making it challenging for new fans.
• Ys series includes diverse narratives set in unique locations with distinct gameplay mechanics.
• Ys franchise redefines mythology and cosmology with each installment, offering fresh perspectives and engaging gameplay.

One of the oldest franchises in the RPG genre, Ys history dates back to 1987. Originally released for the PC-8801, Ancient Ys Vanished was only the first installment in a legendary saga whose penchant for adventure is perhaps rivaled only by The Legend of Zelda. Despite the series’ storied lineage, however, Ys has never garnered the Western attention it deserves.

Of course, this in itself is because Ys hasn’t exactly had the smoothest development history within the past three decades. Not even considering a lengthy hiatus caused by a poorly timed pivot to the Super Famicom, the franchise has gone through three distinct gameplay engines—with the games released in a non-chronological order as something of a rule. Part of Ys’ charm stems from the fragmented nature of the franchise, but that can make getting into the JRPG franchise difficult for new fans.

Updated November 15, 2024 by Chad Thesen: The Ys franchise is still going strong and adding new games and stories to the ever-growing story of Adol. This includes a new entry to this list that summarizes the events of Ys 10 through the Obelia Gulf. While this game may be the 10th mainline installment, it chronologically takes place in the middle of existing games. There has also been a slew of other updates to bring this article up to modern practices and standards.

1 Ys: Origin

Yunica & Hugo’s Adventure In The Tower Of Darm

700 years before series protagonist Adol Christin first set foot on Esteria, the world was on the brink of apocalyptic collapse. Featuring three playable characters with their distinct routes and set exclusively in Ys I’s final dungeon—Darm Tower—Ys Origin is the only mainline entry to not be framed as one of Adol’s personal travel logs. All the same, that only adds to the story’s mystique.

Discovering the Black Pearl and the Twin Goddesses missing from the floating island of Ys, a search party warps down to the surface to find them within Darm Tower. Ys Origin sets the stage for Adol Christin’s adventures, showing how the modern world came to be along with offering further insight into Feena & Reah—two of the original Ys duology’s most important characters.

2 Ys 1 & 2

Adol’s Adventure In Esteria & The Floating Continent Of Ys

Speaking of the duology, Ys 1 & 2 are ostensibly two halves of the same game. Ancient Ys Vanished, often referred to as Book I, is set in Esteria and is Adol’s first major adventure since leaving his home to explore the new world. Conquering the Stormwall circling Esteria, Adol becomes the first to set foot on the secluded island, finding himself in the middle of a divine conspiracy.

Book II skyrocketed Adol up to the floating island of Ys, the “mythical” land that’s often referenced in Book I. Here, all the legends Adol learned about Esteria turn out to be true, and he confronts the Clan of Darkness head-on. Ys 1 & 2 are comparatively fairly simple RPGs, but they’re bonafide classics presented magnificently. Ys 1 & 2 weave a genuine fairytale experience.

3 Ys 10: Nordics

Adol’s Adventure In Obelia Gulf

Ys 10: Nordics may be the tenth mainline game, but it chronologically takes place after the events of Ys 2: Ancient Ys Vanished – the Final Chapter. The game draws a lot of inspiration from Nordic culture for its storytelling, along with the Norman Conquest. Once again, the focus is on the central protagonist, Adol, with him on his journey to Celceta. The game features many different islands spread throughout the region of the Obelia Gulf, where there is an ongoing conflict between the Normans and the Griegr. This leads to the vessel that Adol is traveling on being raided by pirates led by a Norman Princess.

It is during this interaction that Adol becomes linked to the princess, allowing the player to switch between the two throughout the game. This adds many moments of back-and-forth dialogue between the two for players to enjoy. The story involves the power of mana through the Lila Shell and seemingly unkillable monsters. A bond grows between the two as they uncover the mysteries surrounding these events and resolve the conflict that plagues the Obelia Gulf.

4 Ys: Memories Of Celceta

Adol’s Adventure In Celceta

Following his adventure from the previous installment, Adol returns to decompress with his soon-to-be eternal travel partner, Dogi. Not long after, Adol parts ways with Dogi in the Frontier Town of Casnan, wanting to explore what Celceta has to offer. Unfortunately, Adol loses all of his memories and must undergo the task of charting the Great Forest for the Romun Empire (a force that will soon come to oppose Adol).

What’s most notable about Adol’s adventure in Celceta is not the story itself, but how it speaks to the franchise’s framing. Just as each game is a volume in Adol’s travel logs, every localization, port, or remake is in itself its own translation. Before Memories of Celceta solidified itself as the most canonical translation, The Dawn of Ys and Memories of the Sun offered wildly different interpretations of Adol’s time in the country—only having reference to his travel notes.

5 Ys: Oath In Felghana

Adol’s Adventure In Felghana

• Developer: Nihon Falcom
• Platforms: Windows, PlayStation Portable, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5
• Release: June 30, 2005

Oath in Felghana is set one year after the events of Memories of Celceta (albeit releasing first), a now 19-year-old Adol Christin takes a break from adventuring. Players visit Dogi’s homeland of Felghana & hometown of Redmont… only to find himself in the middle of yet another adventure. For what it’s worth, Oath in Felghana is one of the most low-stakes Ys stories, mainly centering on personal family matters with the apocalyptic danger only coming in at the end (and never coming off as too overbearing a threat).

Oath in Felghana is significant in its insignificance and is a crucial step in Adol establishing himself as a casual hero & adventurer. That said, Adol’s time in Felghana leads to his first major encounter with a Galbalan, setting up what is arguably the key plot point in Ark of Napishtim.

6 Ys 5: Lost Kefin, Kingdom Of Sand

Adol’s Adventure In Xandria

• Developer: Nihon Falcom
• Platforms: Super Famicom, PlayStation 2
• Release: December 29, 1995

Lost Kefin, Kingdom of Sand remains the only classic Ys title to lack a remake. Perhaps not coincidentally, it was also the game that spurred a nearly decade-long hiatus for the franchise. That said, Lost Kefin isn’t a bad game by any means. Just a bit too archetypical as far as SNES JRPGs go.

If nothing else, Xandria makes for a remarkable setting and the story unravels surprisingly well (complete with a time travel plot that has some nice emotional weight at the center of it all). Unlike Adol’s four other early series adventures, his time in Xandria doesn’t offer up much in the way of substantial lore. However, it does set the stage for Adol to enter Ark of Napishtim a seasoned adventure.

7 Ys 8: Lacrimosa Of Dana

Adol’s Adventure On The Isle Of Seiren

Lacrimosa of Dana picks up shortly after the events of Ys 5. Adol starts the game with Lost Kingdom’s best sword, only for Adol to experience the mother of all shipwrecks. Stranded on the Isle of Seiren, Adol must band together with the rest of the survivors to endure the island’s harsh conditions.

Ys 8 is notably the first entry in the series to split the protagonist focus between Adol & one other character—Dana herself. Adol’s arc takes place in the present day, whereas Dana’s takes place in the past. Both ultimately come together in a narrative that fundamentally redefines both the franchise’s mythology and cosmology.

8 Ys 6: Ark Of Napishtim

Adol’s Adventure On The Canaan Islands

• Developer: Nihon Falcom
• Platforms: Windows, Mobile, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Android, iOS
• Release: September 27, 2003

What’s impressive about Ark of Napishtim is how it recontextualized five games worth of lore into a single epic, which is to Ys what the first Avengers film was for Phase 1 of the MCU. The Eldeen comes back into play, the Ark mentioned by Galbalan in Oath is critically important, and the Romun Empire takes on the role of Adol’s main antagonist.

The Ark of Napishtim is set on the Canaan Islands and manages to take a rather tactful look at the effects colonialism & imperialism have on indigenous tribes while never suggesting their invaders are doing them a genuine service. At its core, though, what makes Ys 6 so special is that it recognizes the series’ loose threads and ties them all together.

9 Ys Seven

Adol’s Adventure In Altago

Set half a year after the events of Ark of Napishtim, Adol finally reaches Afroca—the continent he actually set out to first visit when he initially left his home village. Ys Seven brings with it some major lore additions, making it clear that there’s so much more to this universe than what was established during the Eldeen arc.

For better or worse, Ys Seven also marked a precedent for Adol’s adventures being much longer. Where a typical game could be cleared in under 10 hours, Seven pushed the series past 20+ where it’s been ever since. That said, it wasn’t without merit. Ys Seven spends its first half pretending to tell a by-the-numbers Ys plot only to flip everything on its head with a fantastic midgame twist.

10 Ys 9: Monstrum Nox

Adol’s Adventure In Balduq

Ys 9: Monstrum Nox is the latest game in the timeline along with the darkest tonally. Adol is the oldest he’s ever been, and his adventure takes him to the prison city of Balduq. Unfortunately, his reputation does him no favors, prompting the Romun Empire to imprison him.

Monstrum Nox comments on Adol’s reputation in a way no other game has been able to, and in a post-Lacrimosa of Dana franchise, Ys 9 will likely be planting seeds to pave the way towards another landmark title like Ark of Napishtim.