Editing Hero

<!--NOTE: Please do not change the Hero's names. This has been discussed to death and is not open for further debate.-->
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:''For fighter info, see [[Hero (SSBU)]].''
{{Infobox Character General
|name         = Hero
|image        = [[File:Toriyama DQ Illustrations.png|300px]]
|caption      = [[Image:DragonQuestSymbol.svg|50px]]<br>Official artwork of the Heroes from the first 11 installments of the mainline ''Dragon Quest'' series.
|firstgame   = ''{{s|dragonquestwiki|Dragon Quest}}'' (1986) (Hero)<br>''{{s|dragonquestwiki|Dragon Quest III}}'' (1988) (Erdrick)<br>''{{s|dragonquestwiki|Dragon Quest IV}}'' (1990) (Solo)<br>''{{s|dragonquestwiki|Dragon Quest VIII}}'' (2004) (Eight)<br>''{{s|dragonquestwiki|Dragon Quest XI}}'' (2017) (Luminary)
|lastappearance = ''{{s|dragonquestwiki|Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age}}'' (2017)
|console      = Nintendo Entertainment System (Hero, Erdrick, Solo)<br>PlayStation 2 (Eight)<br>Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation 4 (Luminary)
|species      = Human (Erdrick and Luminary) <br>Human/Zenithian hybrid (Solo) <br>Human/Dragovian hybrid (Eight)
|gender       = Male
|artist       = {{s|wikipedia|Akira Toriyama}}
|creator      = {{s|wikipedia|Yuji Horii}}
|voiceactor = Nobuyuki Hiyama (Erdrick)<br>Takeshi Kusao (Solo)<br>Yuki Kaji (Eight)<br>Mitsuki Saiga (Luminary)
|interwiki    = dragonquestwiki
|interwikiname = Dragon Quest Wiki
|interwikipage = Hero
}}
The '''Hero''' ({{ja|勇者|Yūsha}}, ''Hero'') is a title given to the mainline protagonists from [[Square Enix]]'s {{uv|Dragon Quest}} franchise.

==Origin==
"Hero" is a collective title given to the protagonists of the ''Dragon Quest'' series, as their name (and in some cases, gender) is chosen by the player. The Hero is typically the most well-rounded character accessible to the player, skilled with both swordplay and magic. They typically have a wide range of equipment available to them, including the most powerful weapons and armor. As a result, the Hero is generally the character that the player will use the most throughout their quest.

===''{{s|dragonquestwiki|Dragon Quest}}''===
[[File:DQHeroI.png|thumb|x250px|left|The protagonist of ''Dragon Quest''.]]
The Hero is given the title "Scion of Erdrick" ({{ja|ロトの血を引く者|Roto no Chi wo hiku-mono}}, ''Scion of Loto'') in ''Theatrhythm Dragon Quest'' and ''Dragon Quest Rivals''.

His name in the Japanese CD Theater audio drama and novelization is '''Alef''' ({{ja|アレフ|Arefu}}). Alef is borrowed from Alefgard ({{ja|アレフガルド|Arefugarudo}}), the geographical name of the game's world. The Japanese Wii release of the game has the Hero's name as '''Solo''' ({{ja|ソロ|Soro}}), a name which was also used for the Hero of ''Dragon Quest IV''. He is uncommonly referred to as simply '''Erdrick''' ({{ja|ロト|Roto}}, ''Loto''), though the protagonist of ''Dragon Quest III'' is more commonly associated with this title.

The Hero does not have much character, simply being a stoic, silent hero for the player to assume the role of. He had an audience with the king of Alefgard, left for a dangerous journey and rescued Princess Gwaelin, defeating the Dragonlord and bringing the world to peace. ''Dragon Quest Builders'', which takes place in an alternate timeline where the Hero instead joins forces with the Dragonlord, depicts him as a crazed villain who resides in a small fortress, believing himself to be the king of the world.
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===''{{s|dragonquestwiki|Dragon Quest II}}''===
[[File:DQHeroII.png|thumb|x250px|left|The protagonist of ''Dragon Quest II''.]]
The Hero is known as the "Prince of Midenhall" ({{ja|ローレシアの王子|Rōreshia no Ōji}}, ''Prince of Lorasia''), a title also used in ''Theatrhythm Dragon Quest''. Midenhall was established by the Scion of Erdrick, making the Prince a direct descendant to the original Hero. 

His name in the audio drama and novelizations is '''Allen''' ({{ja|アレン|Aren}}). The manual of the Japanese Wii version of ''Dragon Quest II'' gives his name as '''Loran''' ({{ja|ロラン|Roran}}). Loran is borrowed from Lorasia ({{ja|ローレシア|Rōreshia}}), the Japanese name for Midenhall.

Similar to the ''Dragon Quest'' Hero, the Prince does not have much personality, but is shown through his actions to be incredibly strong-willed and eager to defend his kingdom from the villainous cult leader, Hargon. He is joined by his cousins, the Prince of Cannock and the Princess of Moonbrooke, in his quest. Unlike most other Heroes, he does not possess any magic capabilities.
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===''{{s|dragonquestwiki|Dragon Quest III}}''===
[[File:DQHeroIII.png|thumb|x250px|left|The male protagonist of ''Dragon Quest III''.]]
The Hero is given the title "Legendary Hero" ({{ja|伝説の勇者|Densetsu no Yūsha}}) in ''Theatrhythm Dragon Quest''; in other instances, such as promotional material, their name is '''Arus''' ({{ja|アルス|Arusu}}, occasionally romanized as '''Arusu''').<ref name=HeroInfo/> However, at the end of their adventure in ''Dragon Quest III'', the Hero receives the title of '''Erdrick''' ({{ja|ロト|Roto}}, ''Loto''), which becomes their most widely known moniker. They are the first Hero to have male and female variations, though neither choice affects the story in a major way.

Erdrick is a fabled Hero in the lore of the ''Dragon Quest'' universe, known for their bravery in saving Alefgard and its surrounding lands from both the Archfiend Baramos and the Master Archfiend Zoma. They are the ancestor of the Heroes from ''Dragon Quest'' and, by extension, ''Dragon Quest II''. These characters belong to a group known as the "Descendants of Erdrick" ({{ja|ロトの子孫たち|Roto no Shison-tachi}}, ''Descendants of Loto'').

The legendary armor the Hero of the game wears at a later point, which goes on to reappear in several other games in the series, serves as the inspiration for a [[Downloadable content (SSBU)|downloadable]] [[Mii Swordfighter]] costume, under the name "Erdrick Outfit".
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===''{{s|dragonquestwiki|Dragon Quest IV}}''===
[[File:DQHeroIV.png|thumb|x250px|left|The male protagonist of ''Dragon Quest IV''.]]
The default names for the male and female Heroes in-name are '''Solo'''<ref name=HeroInfo/> ({{ja|ソロ|Soro}}) and '''Sofia''' ({{ja|ソフィア|Sofia}}), respectively; these names are also used for their appearances in later games. In the audio drama, the Hero is named '''Ray''' ({{ja|レイ|Rei}}), and in the official novelizations, his name is '''Yuuril''' ({{ja|ユーリル|Yūriru}}).

From a young age, the Hero was prophesied to defeat the Demons and restore peace to the world. They were raised by foster parents in a hidden village, protected from the outside world until they became an adult. Following a failed assassination attempt led by Psaro the Manslayer, the 18-year-old Hero finds themselves alone in a ransacked village. They soon set out on a quest to discover their true identity and fulfill the prophecy.
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===''{{s|dragonquestwiki|Dragon Quest V}}''===
[[File:DQHeroV.png|thumb|x250px|left|The protagonist of ''Dragon Quest V''.]]
The Hero is given the title "Legendary Monster Tamer" ({{ja|伝説の魔物使い|Densetsu no Mamono Tsukai}}) in ''Theatrhythm Dragon Quest''.

The default name for the Hero in-game in Japanese is '''Abel''' ({{ja|アベル|Aberu}}). The Hero's father initially suggests the name '''Madason''' ({{ja|トンヌラ|Tonnura}}, ''Tonnura''), but soon changes his mind; regardless, the name is commonly used by fans to distinguish him. In other related material—the audio drama, the official novelizations, and ''Dragon Quest: Your Story'', a computer-animated film based on ''Dragon Quest V''—he is named '''Lucas''' ({{ja|リュカ|Ryuka}}).

The Hero is, interestingly, not the chosen Legendary Hero; rather, it is his union with his future bride that involves him with the prophecy to defeat the villainous Order of Zugzwang. Nonetheless, he possesses extraordinary bravery and a captivating presence that often convinces monsters to join his side. In battle, he uniquely wields a staff as his main weapon instead of a sword.
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===''{{s|dragonquestwiki|Dragon Quest VI}}''===
[[File:DQHeroVI.png|thumb|x250px|left|The protagonist of ''Dragon Quest VI''.]]
The Hero is known as the "Prince of Somnia" ({{ja|レイドック王子|Reidokku Ōji}}).

He has many official names in Japanese. His default name in the games is '''Rek''' ({{ja|レック|Rekku}}), which is derived from the Japanese name of his kingdom, Reidock ({{ja|レイドック|Reidokku}}). In the audio drama, his name is '''Will''' ({{ja|ウィル|Uiru}}); in the manga, his name is '''Botts''' ({{ja|ボッツ|Bottsu}}); in the novelization, his name is '''Iza''' ({{ja|イザ|Iza}}).

Upon awakening from a strange dream where he conflicts with an evil Dread King, this amnesiac and seemingly-average boy soon discovers he is part of a larger prophecy. His adventure through the kingdom of Somnia sees him exploring the parallel Dream World, meeting familiar companions, and ultimately coming to terms with his true identity.
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===''{{s|dragonquestwiki|Dragon Quest VII}}''===
[[File:DQHeroVII.png|thumb|x250px|left|The protagonist of ''Dragon Quest VII''.]]
For the English release of the 3DS version and in English promotional material, the Hero's default name is '''Auster'''. In the Japanese version of the games and the official manga, the Hero's default name is '''Arus''' ({{ja|アルス|Arusu}}), the same as the ''Dragon Quest III'' protagonist.

The Hero is much pluckier than his counterparts; he is the young son of a respected fisherman, and something of a doormat, allowing others to easily take advantage of him. When events transpire that transport him and his companions into the distant past, he and his companions quest to defeat the Demon King Orgodemir and restore a broken timeline.
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===''{{s|dragonquestwiki|Dragon Quest VIII}}''===
[[File:DQHeroVIII.jpg|thumb|x250px|left|The protagonist of ''Dragon Quest VIII''.]]
In the manual for the PS2 version and in promotional screenshots, the Hero's default name is '''Eight''' ({{ja|エイト|Eito}}).<ref name=HeroInfo/> His ally, Yangus, also calls him "[https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/guv guv]" as an informal nickname.

The Hero is an amnesiac who lives in Trodain Castle, serving as the captain of its guard upon becoming an adult. He is always accompanied by a small mouse-like creature named Munchie, who resides in his jacket pocket. After the villainous court jester Dhoulmagus sets a curse on the land of Trodain, the unaffected hero and his companions set out to defeat him, ultimately learning about his origins and the true nature of the curse.
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===''{{s|dragonquestwiki|Dragon Quest IX}}''===
[[File:DQHeroIX.png|thumb|x250px|left|The male protagonist of ''Dragon Quest IX''.]]
The Hero is commonly referred to as '''Nine''' ({{ja|ナイン|Nain}}).

The Hero is a member of the Celestrians, a race of angelic guardian deities that watch over humanity, perform good deeds, and tend to Yggdrasil—the world tree that allows for Celestrians to ascend to the Realms of the Almighty. However, disaster soon strikes, causing the Hero to fall to Earth and become a regular, mortal human. With a party of other travelers, the Hero roams the Earth to assist those in need and eventually return home.
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===''{{s|dragonquestwiki|Dragon Quest X}}''===
[[File:DQHeroX.png|thumb|x250px|left|The male protagonist of ''Dragon Quest X''.]]
The Hero is commonly referred to as '''X''' ({{ja|エックス|Ekkusu}}).

Both the Hero and their sibling live in the small village of Etene. During a raid on the village, said sibling is kidnapped by monsters, and the Hero is killed in an explosion. The Hero's soul is then revived as one of five non-human species, launching a nontraditional quest in the world of Astordia.
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===''{{s|dragonquestwiki|Dragon Quest XI}}''===
[[File:DQHeroXI.png|thumb|x250px|left|The protagonist of ''Dragon Quest XI''.]]
The Hero is commonly referred to as the '''Luminary''' ({{ja|勇者|Yūsha}}, ''Hero'') or '''Eleven''' ({{ja|イレブン|Irebun}})<ref name=HeroInfo/>.

The Luminary is said to be the reincarnation of a legendary warrior who defeated the darkness. On his sixteenth birthday, he participates in a coming-of-age ceremony, then sets out on a journey to fulfill his destiny. However, he conflicts with the Kingdom of Helidor, as its king instead believes he is the Darkspawn, an entity doomed to spread darkness across the world.
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==In ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]''==
===As a playable character===
{{Main|Hero (SSBU)}}
[[File:DragonQuestHeroes_SSBU_All.jpg|thumb|300px|The four Heroes that appear in ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate''. From left to right: Solo, Luminary, Erdrick, and Eight.]]
During the E3 2019 [[Nintendo Direct]], the Hero was confirmed to be included into ''[[Super Smash Bros. Ultimate]]'' as a [[DLC]] fighter, alongside {{SSBU|Banjo & Kazooie}}.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pupll3ON-WA Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – Heroic Encounter – Nintendo Switch]</ref> The Hero was released on July 30th, 2019 along with the stage [[Yggdrasil's Altar]] and several music tracks and Spirits from the ''Dragon Quest'' series as part of Challenger Pack 2.<ref name=HeroInfo>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciLEX04BVFM Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – Mr. Sakurai Presents "Hero"]</ref>
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The Hero is represented through [[Alternate costume|four separate iterations]], similarly to the [[Koopalings]] and [[Alph]]. The playable iterations are:
*'''Luminary''', the protagonist of ''Dragon Quest XI'' and the default Hero.<ref name=HeroInfo/> He wields the Supreme Sword of Light and Erdwin's Shield.
*'''Erdrick''', the male protagonist of ''Dragon Quest III''.<ref name=HeroInfo/> He wields the Sword of Kings and Shield of Heroes (also known as Erdrick's Sword and Erdrick's Shield, respectively).
*'''Solo''', the male protagonist of ''Dragon Quest IV''.<ref name=HeroInfo/> He wields the Zenithian Sword and Zenithian Shield.
*'''Eight''', the protagonist of ''Dragon Quest VIII''.<ref name=HeroInfo/> He wields the Dragovian King Sword and Dragovian Shield. His mouse companion Munchie resides in his pocket.

According to a Famitsu column by [[Masahiro Sakurai]], there are restrictions from Square Enix regarding which ''Dragon Quest'' protagonists can encounter each other. However, ''Super Smash Bros. Ultimate'' was given special exception in order to have the different Heroes as alternate character costumes. Eight's addition as an alternate character costume in particular was due to requests from Western fans for the character.<ref>https://twitter.com/PushDustIn/status/1143909847630409729</ref>

When the Hero originally began development, he was planned to be silent, similar to previous ''Dragon Quest'' protagonists. However, with the addition of voice acting in the Japanese version of ''Dragon Quest XI S'' (as the localized version of the original ''Dragon Quest XI'' had voice acting from the beginning), plans were changed and voices for all four Heroes were added.<ref>https://twitter.com/PushDustIn/status/1143911723356676096</ref> This is the first game with official voice acting for Erdrick, Solo, and Eight, and Sakurai shared some interesting pieces of trivia about each of the Hero's voice actors and their recording sessions:
*Luminary's voice actress, Mitsuki Saiga, reprises her role from ''Dragon Quest XI S'' (thus technically making ''Ultimate'' her debut voicing the character), but was directed to have more energy in her vocals to better fit the style of ''Smash''.
*Erdrick's voice actor, Nobuyuki Hiyama, had also notably voiced Adult [[Link]] in ''Ocarina of Time'', ''Smash 64'', and ''Melee''. Of the four Heroes, his recording session was completed the fastest due to his extensive experience. Sakurai also notes that his performance can be recognized as Guy Shishioh from ''{{s|wikipedia|The King of Braves GaoGaiGar}}''.
*Solo's voice actor, Takeshi Kusao, asked for a lot of detail on the backstory of the protagonist to help improve his performance.
*Eight's voice actor, Yuki Kaji, apparently dreamed of doing voicework for the ''Dragon Quest'' and ''Super Smash Bros.'' series, and he was enthusiastic to fulfill both at the same time in ''Ultimate''.
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===Assist role===
[[File:Heroes.png|thumb|Other Heroes appearing as a part of [[Gigaslash]], Hero's [[Final Smash]]. From left to right: ''V'', ''X'', ''VII'', ''I'', ''VI'', ''IX'', and ''II''.
]]
Other iterations of the ''Dragon Quest'' Heroes also appear in the Hero's Final Smash, [[Gigaslash]].<ref name=HeroInfo/>
The seven other iterations are:
*The protagonist of ''Dragon Quest''.
*The protagonist of ''Dragon Quest II''.
*The protagonist of ''Dragon Quest V''.
*The protagonist of ''Dragon Quest VI''.
*The protagonist of ''Dragon Quest VII''.
*The male protagonist of ''Dragon Quest IX''.
*The male protagonist of ''Dragon Quest X''.
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===As a costume===
[[File:SSBUErdrickArmour.jpg|thumb|left|A {{SSBU|Mii Swordfighter}} wearing Erdrick's helmet and armor.]]
The {{s|dragonquestwiki|Erdrick Equipment}} is available as part of the second wave of [[Mii Costume]] {{SSBU|downloadable content}} for the {{SSBU|Mii Swordfighter}}.<ref name=HeroInfo/>
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===Spirits===
<center>
<gallery>
HeroDQXIS.png|1,324. '''''Hero (DRAGON QUEST XI S)'''''
ErdrickTrans.png|1,325. '''Hero (DRAGON QUEST III)'''
HeroDQIV.png|1,326. '''Hero (DRAGON QUEST IV)'''
HeroEight.png|1,327. '''Hero (DRAGON QUEST VIII)'''
</gallery>
</center>
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==Trivia==
<!--Do not add in the fact that, besides Takeshi Kusao, the Hero's different VAs have played Link at some point. It's just a coincidental trivia point, and voice actor trivia shouldn't be mentioned unless there's a legitimate connection, like with Morgana and Pikachu, or Chrom and Yusuke Kitagawa.-->
*With ''Dragon Quest XI'' being released in July 2017, Luminary is the most recently debuted character in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series.
*The Hero and Cloud each represent one of the two companies that merged into [[Square Enix]], as Cloud was from Squaresoft and the Hero was from Enix.
*Luminary is the first fighter in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series to simultaneously originate from both a Nintendo console ([[Nintendo 3DS]]) and a non-Nintendo console (PlayStation 4).
**He is also the first third-party fighter whose [[alternate costume]]s replace his model with a different character.
*Erdrick and Solo are the only fighters that have opposite-gender counterparts in their own games that do not appear in ''Super Smash Bros.'' series, giving them a similar distinction to [[Pokémon Trainer]]'s appearance in ''Brawl''.
*The Hero is the first fighter in the ''Super Smash Bros.'' series whose Japanese name is written entirely with kanji.
*Due to the playable Heroes including the other non-playable Heroes in their Final Smash, Hero is one of the three playable characters to be represented in major playable and non-playable roles in the same game, alongside {{SSBU|Chrom}} and {{SSBB|R.O.B.}}
**Unlike Chrom, each Hero is a different entity, and unlike R.O.B., each entity has a different design.
*Similar to [[Link]] in ''Ultimate'' and [[Zelda]] prior to ''Ultimate'', Kirby's [[Copy Ability]] hat for the Hero represents a design that doesn't appear in ''Smash''; he gains Erdwin's Coronet, a headpiece that can be worn by the Luminary in ''Dragon Quest XI''.
*In Japanese, the announcer reads the pronunciation of the kanji, "Yusha", despite the game displaying the translated name of "Hero". This is unlike other characters, who display the romanized version of their names (such as "Reflet" instead of "Rufure"), and Villager, who uses the name "Murabito" instead of its translation (being "Villager").
*Even though the Luminary has a voice actor in English, Rasmus Hardiker, he is played by Mitsuki Saiga in all versions of the game. Unlike Cloud, who couldn't be voiced in English because of his voice actor's contract, the Luminary's English voice actor does not have this similar restriction, making the reasoning for not voicing him in English unknown. This makes him the second playable character in ''Ultimate'' to have an established English voice actor but is portrayed in Japanese in all regions of the game, the first being Cloud, both of whom are coincidentally properties of Square Enix.
*The Hero and {{SSBU|Pokémon Trainer}} are the only characters to have a generic "descriptor" name while representing nameable characters that have optional canon names. Both the Hero and Pokémon Trainer also represent multiple individuals with different canon names via their alternate costumes. 
**While none of the ''Dragon Quest'' heroes have canonical names within their own games, Sakurai gave names to each hero in their demo video: Eleven, Arusu, Solo and Eight.
***While many people call the ''Dragon Quest III'' hero "Erdrick" due to his earning of the title, "Arusu" originates from a cutscene in ''Dragon Quest III'', where the hero's father calls out their name right before he dies. Within ''Ultimate'', "Erdrick" is used for the Mii Swordfighter costume based on the legendary armor that the same character later wears.
**While {{SSBU|Ice Climbers}} also use a generic name in-game, their actual names (Popo and Nana) are recognized in the [[tips]].
*Eight is the first third-party fighter to originate from a sixth-generation console, in this case the PlayStation 2.
*Currently, Hero has the most [[one-hit KO]] moves out of all the fighters, with 3 in his moveset.

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{Characters}}
{{Mii costumes (SSBU)}}
{{Dragon Quest universe}}
[[Category:Hero| ]]
[[Category:Dragon Quest universe]]
[[Category:Square Enix]]
[[Category:Third party characters]]
[[Category:Alternate characters]]
[[es:Héroe]]
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