Dragon Quest is a series of legendary stature, dubbed as the grandfather of JRPGs by some, rivaled only by Final Fantasy. Its presence even spawned many a rumor online, stating that every release of a new Dragon Quest game brings about with it a nation spanning government-sanctioned holiday in Japan.
The cultural phenomenon of a game spawned many entries and spin-offs. All these entries in the DQ series bring with them new sets of approachable and memorable characters designed by none other than Akira Toriyama of Dragon Ball fame. One of the most beloved entry seems to be Dragon Quest 8: Journey of the Cursed King. Here we'll rank the game's playable characters solely on their in-game merits, disregarding their overarching broad stroke qualities and contributions to the narrative.
6 Yangus
Yangus is the dedicated tank. Unfortunately, the task gradually overwhelms him as magic can decrease armor, most of the equipment reduces his evasion, and he is very slow. Yangus does have a palpable Strength base, but the low multipliers don't build anything atop it. Consequently, Yangus is the character sitting on the sidelines once the new recruits join. Yangus can become useful again in the late game, but that requires building his Scythe tree from the ground up.
Yangus isn’t all doom and gloom, he simply dips in the mid-game. Early, his Nose for Treasure skill - acquired from the Humanity tree at 16SP - will reveal the number of chests in a given area. He also gets Thin Air at 42SP in Fisticuffs, which deals around 130 damage to all enemies, and its low MP cost makes it a great farming tool. As pertains to farming, at 66SP in Axes Yangus gets Executioner, an invaluable crit-move designed for killing Metal Slimes. Finally, he can also Kerplunk, i.e. die, for the benefit of the party, although suppose that speaks for his usefulness to some degree.
5 Angelo
Angelo is a bowman who's better as a support. He struggles in encounters with multiple enemy groups. Over time it becomes more manageable as he gets his AoE skills. The early Multishot at 44SP in Bows is decent and hits three to four enemies but for only half the damage. The Shining Shot at 82SP is a sizeable upgrade but is all the way at the end of the Bow tree. Fortunately, those aren't his only options because Angelo can cast wind magic, although both Swoosh and Kaswoosh, at levels 18 and 32 respectively, only hit a single enemy group.
The Staff tree rounds him out a bit, its supporting skills prevent enemies from doing a lot through MP sapping, reflecting spells back, or straight up prevent any from being cast. Angelo's Oomph skill, acquired at 65SP, is his crowning jewel - while he isn’t necessarily the best target for it, with Oomph Angelo can double the damage output of his team's heavy-hitters. The Sarcastic Snigger from his Charm tree is a lifesaver because it reduces the enemy’s Tension. For his endgame survivability, he can go into Fisticuffs to get Defending Champion which reduces incoming damage by 90 percent.
4 Jessica
Jessica just about edges Angelo out as a support. Although in late-game the top characters can sustain themselves especially with heals from Sage’s Stone, a DQ staple that has been changed in this entry for the better. This does downplay the need for Jessica’s heals. Fortunately, in addition to being a support, she also has the exclusive Sex Appeal tree which comes with an assortment of damaging and crowd-controlling skills, like the notorious Puff-Puff.
Jessica is also a fast character with access to Accelerate, and unparalleled magical damage that’s really clutch in boss battles with enormous health pools. Early on it's best to balance maxing her Staff and Sex Appeal proficiencies. The latter's final skill is Hustle Dance which recovers between 70-100HP to the party at no MP cost. With these two trees under her belt, Jessica will have the tools to resolve any situation. MP Recovery at 70SP from Staffs especially cannot be understated. Finally, the Fisticuff tree is a worthy final investment that puts Jessica on the same level as the rest of the party.
3 Morrie
Morrie had his humble roots as an NPC in the original DQ8 on PS2 before being upgraded to a full-on playable character in the 3DS version. This does mean that Morrie joins the party much later but he is still a welcome asset, especially when it comes to farming Metal Slimes. At 45SP in Clubs/Hammers, he unlocks the Majin no Tettsui skill. It's a crit move, and these generally tend to be the bane of all Metal Slimes. Not to mention the prior skills in the tree can stun or reduce defensive stats. Crackerwhack is this tree’s ultimate ability that’s an AoE spell dealing 130 percent damage with a chance to stun.
Clackerwhack is a good move for killing bosses and isn't the only one in Morrie’s arsenal. Having maxed out the Claw tree, Morrie unlocks Hand of God that deals slightly less damage but ignores any defensive modifiers. Finally, in his character-specific Gusto tree, Morrie unlocks Kazing, which can revive a knocked-out party member without fail, rounding out his endgame potential. Finally, it needs to be said that Morrie is an extremely versatile character with other great trees so it’s very hard to actually mess up his build.
2 Hero (Eight)
Arguably the face of the franchise, even earning a spot on the coveted Super Smash Bros. Ultimate roster. Unlike the other playable characters, Hero stays in the party regardless. Like Morrie, Hero is a versatile damage dealer with a wealth of skills sprouting from his trees. Hero is a broken machine because he's an overpowered grinding vehicle for farming Metal Slimes as they are the best monster in the Dragon Quest for exp yield. They are, however, quite tricky for several reasons: constant fleeing, magical immunity, and high physical defense. An early investment in Spears will afford Hero the critical Lightning Thrust at 59SP which bypasses those obstacles.
Hero isn't all damage though - the Courage tree offers utility in the form of a party-wide heal - Omniheal at 82SP; there's also Dragonhearted at 90SP, which halves MP costs. Slight investment in Fisticuffs gets Defending Champion at 11SP reducing incoming physical damage. But when all is said and done a hero is to slay evil, so naturally, Hero has access to both the most powerful move - Gigaslash, and the most powerful weapon - the Dragovian King Sword.
1 Red
Red is a welcome newcomer who has a penchant for wielding Knives. She unleashes a torrent of them during her Blade Cascade, which is the ultimate skill from her exclusive Roguery tree. Maxing out a 100SP in Roguery is a priority if the goal is to have a faster time with bosses. Surprisingly, Red's roguish nature makes her a great support. After only 3SP in Roguery, she can use Accelerate, which increases the party's Agility and Evasion. Furthermore, with an investment of 12SP, Red becomes a solid side-hustler. She gets Gold-Getter which sometimes obtains additional gold after a battle; and Knee-Jerk Nab, which sometimes steals an item after a battle. At 37SP Red will gain access to a full-heal, which is an asset in any RPG.
To further meld her damage and utility natures she can wield fans, and Kaleidoscope, the ultimate Fan, has a chance to drain the enemy’s MP. This ability stacks with multiple hits from the aforementioned Blade Cascade, essentially increasing the likelihood of MP Drain. The Butterfly Bop acquired at max Fans is an extremely potent AoE attack hitting for up to 200 percent damage. Whether to focus on Roguery, Knives, or Fans first is up to the player’s needs, as they are all extremely powerful choices.