Best JRPGs About Underdogs Rising To Power

Underdogs rising to power has been a common trope in the JRPG culture ever since the first of its kind (Dragon Quest) hit the stores back in 1986, and many series have followed this formula of people who are broken to pieces or thrown down under, that by fate, by chance, or by sheer force of will become powerful enough to change their fates.

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It might have started as a joke: saving a cat, then getting enough power to defy god, but this formula has worked for years. Why is that? Because seemingly powerless heroes making it into the big leagues with the power of friendship (and XP farming) is quite relatable. So, in this topic, we will spotlight several titles that fit that criteria, but that also represent certain tipping points in the history of JRPGs about underdogs becoming the promised heroes.

1

Vagrant Story

He Fights Like A Bloody Titan (Damn Right He Does!)

Systems

Released

May 15, 2000

Developer(s)

Square

The story of a soldier trying to atone for his “sins,” rising to power through a chain of suffering, climbing the dangerous chambers of a sinister dungeon, in a race against time to stop a murderous cult leader with sinister (though unclear) plans of world domination. This high-stakes JRPG follows Ashley Riot, a “Riskbreaker,” a member of the elite force that fights dangerous criminals in the Valendia Kingdom, who, after a serious case of brainwashing by the very organization he worked for, is discarded during one of the most dangerous cases in his career.

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Thrown into the darkest corners of the Lost City of Leá Monde (which is somehow a pocket dimension inside a Duke’s Manor) Ashley faces the cult leader Sydney Losttarot, who unlocks the mental binding he had and reveals the ugly truth about his past. Confused but unyielding, and severely weakened by Sydney’s sorcery, Ashley climbs back from the gutter, slaying foe after foe, fighting with unparalleled strength and crafting his weapons from materials he finds in the dungeon. This story has a twisted side to it. A fog of political complots, murder, and the need for atonement clouds the main character’s past, turning him into a disposable scapegoat. Though, the players can prove them wrong by fighting as experts, never missing a combo chain.

2

Xenoblade Chronicles

A Boy And His Blade Against The World

Systems

In this tragic JRPG about life, sacrifice, friendship, and love, a boy picks up a fallen blade and wields it knowing that the power that it contains will someday kill him. But revenge is a powerful motivator to keep grinding foes all over the world, chasing an enemy that is like a ghost, constantly avoiding them while they unravel the mysteries of the blade and an ancient war between the spawn of two gods.

Shulk goes from weapon techie to hero by chance, in a chain of sad events that will grip the players’ hearts, and fill them with despair, but also, curiosity about what hidden secrets the edge of the Monado blade hides.

3

Final Fantasy 6

A Group Of Misfits Band Together To Oppose A Sinister Megalomaniac

Final Fantasy 6 teaches players the power of cooperation and friendship like few other iterations of the franchise. In this story, we have a thief trying to set his story right, a rebellious prince who dreams of a life of freedom, a former soldier used as a test subject (a trope that would remain in successive deliveries of the series), and many other colorful characters forming The Returners.

Terra and his friends are the very image of underdogs, often living in seclusion as pariahs, but staying true to their ideals to the bitter end. Even when the evil Kefka proves to be a formidable foe, these fellow rebels do not back down, and keep going until they set things straight, opposing the evil rule of the sinister clown and his puppet emperor.

4

Chrono Trigger

A Boy, A Techie, A Frog, Underdogs Till The End

Chrono Trigger is the perfect example of underdogs banding together to fight larger-than-life battles where the stakes keep escalating. At first, players will meet Crono, a boy who dreams big, Lucca, a talented inventor, and Marle, a runaway princess who barely knows what the world is about. Together, they embark on a journey through time and space, to stop an impending apocalypse that threatens to destroy everything they love.

On their path, they will meet other memorable characters like Robo, a futuristic weapon with a golden heart, that has been discarded as trash, Ayla, the chieftain of a prehistoric tribe, Frog, a cursed knight that has sworn an oath of revenge against Magus, who also happens to join the crew later. It is an incredible journey and one of the best JRPGs of all time.

5

Suikoden 2

Nothing Can Stop The Power Of Friendship

Suikoden II

Systems

Released

September 29, 1999

Suikoden 2 has been widely recognized as the best of the series, with a thrilling story about betrayal and rebellion against tyranny. In the follow-up from the first Suikoden, the Unicorn Brigade is ambushed (thanks to a twisted double-cross from an insider), and this sets in motion a series of events that will lead to a brutal war of conquest.

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Riou and Jowy survive but are captured by Viktor and Flik, and taken as prisoners. After managing to escape, they return to the kingdom to be betrayed and branded as traitors, thrown once more in jail, and rescued by none other than the fellows who captured them in the first place. They first form an uncomfortable alliance, but as their interest to keep the continent from being consumed by war and the evil schemes of Prince Luca Blight align, Riou, Jowy, and the mercenaries begin to see eye to eye, to finally become truly bonded and rising to power through sheer force of will.

6

The Legend Of Heroes: Trails Of Cold Steel

What Is The Meaning Of Nobility, If They Can’t Be True To A Cause?

Systems

Released

December 22, 2015

Developer(s)

Nihon Falcom

In Trails Of Cold Steel (part of The Legend Of Heroes series), players incarnate Rean Schwarzer, the young adoptive son of a noble and a heck of an underdog. Despite not having an ounce of noble blood, and his qualifications to be in the Thors Military School constantly questioned, he is headstrong, decisive, and righteous.

Throughout the whole series, this character evolves from an underdog into a true hero of the Kingdom, but this transformation doesn’t happen out of the blue. He is first selected as a member of Class VII, a group of misfits caught between the political struggle of the Noble Class and the Reformist Faction. Rean becomes the “Awakener” of Valimar, the Ashen Knight, a powerful mecha that chooses the protagonist of the series due to his courageous and righteous mindset.

7

Bravely Default

Heroes Of Different Origins But All Underdogs

Systems

Released

February 7, 2014

Developer(s)

Silicon Studio

The story of how Tiz Arrior, Agnès Oblige, Ringabel, and Edea Lee save the world of Luxendarc is a powerful tale of rebellion against authority, overcoming one’s fears with the help of friends, and fighting unspeakable odds to the rhythm of a glorious soundtrack. It is one of the finest expressions of what the JRPG genre entails, with underdog heroes rising to power throughout the story, and a sinister twist that makes players shiver each time they remember their playthroughs.

The very mechanics of the game are bound to the “weak” but strong together’ trope and is one of the main attractions of Bravely Default and its sequel. With each character facing personal challenges and outgrowing them through force of will, this game embodies the spirit of rising above the circumstances.

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