Most Iconic Quotes In JRPG History

Summary

• JRPGs boast profound storytelling that resonates with audiences, offering valuable life lessons.
• Iconic lines from JRPG characters like Aigis and Sora showcase the genre’s depth.
• JRPGs like Grandia and Valkyria Chronicles deliver meaningful messages about friendship, courage, and self-worth.

If JRPGs didn’t have engaging stories, the genre would have died out. For all the criticism JRPGs endure for being too anime-themed, the genre has evolved and thrived to an extent few others have. We’re living in the modern golden age of JRPGs: every year brings with it the promise of more generation-defining games of the genre.

While it is true that JRPGs sometimes have childish dialogue, most of the time they provide well-crafted stories that resonate deeply with the audience. There’s no way you would spend 40 to 50 hours with these characters if you didn’t care. Here are some JRPG lines that have stuck with us the most.

10

“You Don’t Need To Save The World To Find Meaning In Life. Sometimes All You Need Is Something Simple, Like Someone To Take Care Of.”

Aigis, Persona 3 Reload

Persona 3 Reload is a high school JRPG. The characters are teenagers: they’re not wise enough to have all the answers. In fact, they’re not wise enough to know they’ll never have them. But to their credit, they’re also not cynical enough to dismiss any potential solutions outright.

Aigis is your last and most steadfast companion in the game. Her body may be a machine, but her heart is human. Comforting you when your character’s soul is about to slip away, she reflects profoundly on life’s meaning. She’s probably telling herself more than you, justifying her android existence, but it’s a lesson worthy of real life. Just because your actions have no impact on the world at large doesn’t make them meaningless. To the person you care for, they mean the world.

9

“No Matter Who Or What You Are, If You’re Born In This World You Have The Right To Live!”

Lloyd Irving, Tales Of Symphonia

Tales of Symphonia is set in a world where humans and elves live together, though not in harmony. Elves are persecuted by humans, to the point that the Pope of Tethe’alla is willing to execute his own half-elf daughter to curry favour.

The game’s protagonist, Lloyd, does not subscribe to the backwards ideologies pushed by those in power. The elf Genis is his closest friend, and thus Lloyd is able to look past superficial differences and strive for a more egalitarian society – even if it means standing up to the Pope.

8

“My Friends Are My Power!”

Sora, Kingdom Hearts

It is a time-honoured trope in JRPGs and anime: the power of friendship trumps all. Few protagonists believe in this more strongly than Kingdom Hearts’ Sora, who doesn’t measure his power by the strength of his keyblade.

Even with all hope lost and a wooden stick as his only weapon, Sora is able to rally Riku with a rousing speech about friendship. As long as Sora’s allies are by him, he will not be lost. He is rewarded for his beliefs by earning back his keyblade, as he proved the strength of his heart.

7

“An Adventurer’s As Free As The Wind.”

Feena, Grandia

Grandia is a powerful game about the allure of adventure and the way it helps one mature. Its two central characters are Justin, a small-town boy who has to leave his loved ones behind to explore the world, and Feena, a decorated member of the Adventurers’ Society.

Though Feena is initially contemptuous of Justin and his freewheeling ways, she realizes over time that her regimented method of adventuring, controlled by an organization that is more interested in profits and prestige than discovery, is the wrong one. She quietly quits the Adventurers’ Society, affirming that a real adventurer is completely free – and then sets out with Justin for her first real adventure in a long time.

6

“The Most Violent Waves Lay Bare A Man’s Worth The Fastest.”

Leon Hardins, Valkyria Chronicles 2

Valkyria Cronicles 2 continues the military history of Gallia, showing the country more desolate than ever. With its army exhausted after repelling an invasion, and civil war threatening its sovereignty, the nation is forced to enlist cadets as soldiers. Many of them have little combat experience except some basic training in school.

The protagonist Avan Hardins becomes a cadet to look for his missing elder brother, Leon. He carries a notebook filled with his brother’s quotes everywhere he goes, and the one he turns to early in his adventure is appropriate for the situation: Avan and his classmates are being thrown in at the deep end, but it will help them discover their own worth.

5

“Impossible Is Just A Word People Use To Make Themselves Feel Better When They Quit.”

Vyse, Skies Of Arcadia

There is nothing we can tell you that makes Skies of Arcadia not sound generic. It is a turn-based JRPG where you travel the world to collect six crystals before beating the villain. However, ask anyone who’s played it: this underappreciated title is one of the most magical journeys ever. It captures the spirit of adventure in a way even modern open-world games often can’t.

Vyse is the frontrunner of his band of sky pirates. Always looking for the next adventure, Vyse has had his fair share of being told he can’t do something. But he rejects it outright: he sees the word ‘impossible’ as a justification for failure, and he doesn’t quit.

4

“It’s OK Not to Feel Whole. Even if You Only Feel Partly Complete, If You Repeat That Enough, Eventually It’ll Be Whole. A Part Is Better Than Zero.”

Elly, Xenogears

Xenogears has cemented itself as one of the greatest JRPGs on the PS1 – no mean feat considering what a goldmine for the genre that console was. But beyond its Square pedigree and beautiful artwork, Xenogears has distinguished itself for having actual literary merit.

This quote, spoken by Elly in Chapter 25, shows why. When Fei tells her that he always feels the need to be needed, she responds with this quote. Xenogears came out in 1998, when mental health discussion was all but non-existent. To see such profound dialogue in a game from that era sums up the genre’s appeal.

3

“If You Believe In The Goal You Are Striving For, You Will Be Courageous. There Are Many Difficult Times Ahead, But You Must Keep Your Sense Of Humour.”

Coffee, Earthbound

Earthbound is one of the most beloved JRPGs of all time for a reason. Decades after its failed SNES launch, the game continues to resonate with its devoted fanbase because of its humour and pathos, as well as the life lessons it divulges.

One of these comes in the form of a coffee break in Saturn Valley, where the coffee itself starts speaking to you. In this psychedelic passage, you’re told to have courage for the adventure ahead and to face it with humour and grace. This advice doesn’t apply just to Ness’ odyssey, but is something you can carry with you in your own life.

2

“The World Ends With You. If You Want To Enjoy Life, Expand Your World.”

The World Ends With You’s protagonist, Neku, is a social isolationist. His headphones are a sign telling people not to come near him: he shuts himself away from the world. One of his few passions is seeing the graffiti done by Cat, a nameless artist in the Shibuya prefecture.

Neku eventually meets his hero, who turns out to be coffee shop owner Hanekoma. When Hanekoma gives him this advice, it’s an epiphany. The game’s title finally makes sense. And heavy-handed though it may be, it’s a lesson worth applying to real life.

1

“I’ll Be Waiting for You. If You Come Here, You’ll Find Me. I Promise.”

Squall, Final Fantasy 8

To truly undertstand the impact of this line, you have to take in its historical context. In the time since Final Fantasy 8 came out, a lot has changed. JRPGs have changed, with every other title these days having a dating sim mechanic tacked on. The internet has changed: a lot gets lost in the urge to be ironic rather than sincere.

Yet if you go back just 15 years, you’d see this quote in countless forum signatures. Final Fantasy 8’s love story between Squall and Rinoa resonated deeply with audiences. Many people wanted to be able to say this to their own Squall or Rinoa. Romance wasn’t a common aspect of RPGs back then; while previous Final Fantasy games hinted at it, Final Fantasy 8 made it the focal point. And for an entire generation that grew up playing the game, it was a defining experience.