Best JRPGs With Martial Artist Protagonists, Ranked

Key Takeaways

• JRPGs have featured a nice range of martial artists, though they aren’t always the main protagonists.
• Tales of Xillia, Legend of Legaia, and Trials of Mana put martial artists in the spotlight.
• The brave protagonists in these JRPGs stand out as characters who excel at hand-to-hand combat.

Martial arts have appeared across several JRPGs time and time again, allowing players to control hand-to-hand specialists in combat who can use complex combos to smash enemies to bits. However, most of these martial artists play a supporting role in their respective games instead of taking over the main role.

It’s rare for players to get their hands on JRPGs that put these hand-to-hand combat specialists in the role of the protagonist. So, players can’t help but treasure some of the games in the genre that take this plunge and let players control some powerful martial artists as they perform heroic feats.

Games will be ranked on the basis of their overall quality.

8 Tales Of Xillia

The Protagonist Is A Medical Student Trained In Hand-To-Hand Combat

Tales of Xillia is one of the more engaging games in the series, boasting an impressive story where players must stop a weapon of mass destruction from laying waste to the world. Focusing on two protagonists helps the ambitious narrative of this game hit home for many players.

One of the protagonists, Jude Mathis is a medical student with an affinity for martial arts. Using this character to pummel monsters and bosses with a bevy of powerful attacks never ceases to be engaging, with this protagonist cementing himself as one of the most underrated JRPG heroes in the eyes of many.

7 Legend Of Legaia

Almost Every Character, Including The Protagonist, Excels In Hand-To-Hand Combat

Legend of Legaia‘s combat system lets players execute combos in battle to unleash powerful attacks. The majority of playable characters in the game prefer unleashing powerful moves with their fists, with a few using weapons for an added oomph.

The main character, Vahn, prefers to let his fists do the talking for him. Players can unleash a wealth of powerful combos with this well-rounded martial artist, turning him into a protagonist players will love to place in their party as they show their enemies who’s boss.

6 Trials Of Mana

One Of The Selectable Protagonists, Kevin, Is A Werewolf Who Uses Martial Arts

Trials of Mana is an underrated action RPG, and fans were glad to see this game get the remake it deserved. A new generation of players can check out the game’s action combat and find out why so many people love the Mana series and its real-time action.

This game lets players choose a character to serve as the protagonist, with Kevin being an option for players who want to experiment with hand-to-hand combat in the series. This character can transform into a werewolf, making him a dynamic party member who is no slouch in battle.

5 Shadow Hearts

Yuri Hyuga Was Taught In The Ways Of The Martial Arts By His Father

Shadow Hearts is a gothic JRPG with a unique setting that lets players explore the world moments before the onset of the First World War. Players control Yuri Hyuga, a smart-mouthed martial artist who was taught hand-to-hand combat by his father.

Along with his brawler skills, Yuri can also spend sanity to transform into a monster and use powerful attacks in battle. He’s a unique protagonist who’s a joy to control as players uncover a deep and engaging story in one of the PS2’s best JRPGs.

4 Final Fantasy

The Protagonist Can Be A Monk, Who Eventually Becomes A Hand-To-Hand Master

The first Final Fantasy game is one of the most important titles ever released, helping Square turn its fortunes around to become one of the biggest video game companies of all time. Players choose the jobs for four Warriors of Light as they embark on a journey to save the world.

One of the roles players can take is that of a monk, letting characters use their bare fists in battle. Their damage output is incredible and makes up for a relatively lacking defense, and players can transform this job into a Master to help this particular Warrior of Light become a potent martial artist against the many enemies standing in his way.

3 Xenoblade Chronicles 3: Future Redeemed

Matthew Vandham, The Protagonist, Excels In Classic Fist-Fighting

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was a return to form for the series after the previous game felt like a step down in the eyes of many fans. An incredible story coupled with impressive combat ensures that players will have a great time from start to end, and this extends to the DLC too.

Future Connected is a great expansion that lets players control a new protagonist in an original plot set in the series. Matthew excels in fistfights, making him a fresh change of pace from the sword-wielding heroes who usually serve as the lead in a Xenoblade game.

2 Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth

One Of The Protagonists, Kiryu Kazuma, Uses An Unorthodox Moveset That Combines Martial Arts

Not only is Infinite Wealth a natural evolution of the combat system introduced in Like a Dragon, but it also lets players experience Kiryu’s final journey in the Yakuza series before he eventually bids farewell. This brawler has a heart of gold and uses various forms of martial arts in combat to turn up the heat against his opponents.

Players remember the struggles involved in learning the Komaki Martial Arts, eventually letting Kiryu unleash a Tiger Drop to counter for massive damage. For a final appearance, Infinite Wealth lets Kiryu go out with a bang as Ichiban takes over the role of the protagonist instead.

1 Xenogears

Fei Fon Wong Is A Martial Arts Expert

It’s a shame that Xenogears ran out of budget before achieving its promise since the game was on track to become one of the best PS1 JRPGs ever made. As things stand, the first disc is a wild ride before the second half of the game resorts to elaborate slideshows to convey the story with walls of text.

The protagonist, Fei Fon Wong, seems like a run-of-the-mill martial artist who is thrust into an adventure to fight against an evil empire, only for the plot’s scope to balloon tremendously as several revelations come to light. Executing combos to let Fei unleash powerful attacks hammers his expertise as a martial artist.