Dragon Quest VII Reimagined is Square Enix’s second crack at remaking the original 2001 Dragon Quest VII, and though it features a lot of changes that you can read about in Game Informer’s Dragon Quest VII Reimagined cover story. But, despite the changes, some things remain; namely, your party in Reimagined. When all is said and done, it will still consist of Hero, Maribel, Prince Kiefer (who are front and center on our latest magazine cover), Ruff, Aishe, and Sir Mervyn.
To get you primed for Reimagined, we spoke to the game’s lead scenario writer, Sayaka Takagi, and producer Takeshi Ichikawa about each of these party members, and below, we’ll list out everything she told us about them.
Meet Your Dragon Quest VII Reimagined Party
Hero
Like every Dragon Quest, Reimagined’s protagonist is named Hero, and in this quest, he’s the son of a fisherman in Pilchard Bay on the island of Estard. The majority of his personality will be shaped by how you respond in dialogue. He wants to be the fisherman his father and mother want him to be, but he’s not quite ready to do so…almost as if a different adventure is calling after him.
“So one thing I had in mind, and perhaps this might not be the nicest thing to say about the character, is that we wanted to make him as normal as possible, the average Joe, like the blank slate that you described,” Ichikawa tells me. “We just wanted [Hero] to be more normal – average – than any of the other heroes in Dragon Quest VII Reimagined.”
Prince Kiefer
Kiefer is the Prince of the Kingdom of Estard and Hero’s childhood best friend. Despite his royal background, Kiefer is desperate to find a purpose in life (ideally away from a throne). He often lures Hero into questionable situations, but his heart is in the right place. He makes a great Warrior in combat.
“So Kiefer is actually a pretty naïve boy,” Ichikawa says. “People might think otherwise, but he’s actually someone who’s always envious of others, and the reason why is because he’s also someone who yearns to become someone – he wants purpose in his life. But despite that, he’s promised a lot of power because of his upbringing as a prince, and he’s from royalty. But even with that, he doesn’t feel like he’s serving his purpose; he doesn’t feel like he’s anyone special, so he’s always thinking about other people that he wants to become.
“That kind of personality is reflected in his dialogue. Considering he’s a prince from a royal family, you would think he might speak in a well-mannered fashion, but he doesn’t actually speak that way. He speaks a lot more casually.”
Maribel Mayde
The daughter of Pilchard Bay’s mayor, Maribel Mayde is cute and adorable, with a bit of edge reflected in the jokes and hard times she lobs at Hero. Still, she’s a reliable partner on your journey and grows to become someone who cares for the world around her (including the rest of the party). She’s also an excellent Priestess and Mage, though she, like the rest of the party, can slot into any vocation the player wishes.
“Maribel is a very cute girl, just such an adorable character,” Takagi tells me while reflecting on what she’s learned about this character upon reflection during the development of Reimagined. “I was pretty young when I played the original version, in elementary school, and back then, I just always felt like she’s a mean girl, and loud. She gets angry at the protagonist all the time, so I didn’t really have a good impression of her back then. But revisiting the game as an adult and actually getting to understand her as a person, as a character, she’s actually very supportive of the protagonist. She encourages you, she uplifts you, and she’s a reliable partner who is essential to the journey of the party.
“I have found a new appreciation for her character. […] One thing I can speak to about writing her dialogue is that Maribel tends to say a lot of things most people wouldn’t. This applies to other staff members who contributed to the scenario writing, but a lot of them share this same sentiment: writing her dialogue actually feels nice, because you get to say things you would want to say but can’t really say.”
Ruff
Ruff is a cheerful, pure-hearted boy, and he is always accompanied by a wolf that also helps in combat. Though sometimes naïve, he possesses animal-like instincts, not unlike Akira Toriyama’s Goku. He cruises around the oceans surrounding Estard with Hero and the rest of the party with an eye toward the horizon, and he’s a great Martial Artist fighter, too.
“There’s a certain wild element with that character,” Ichikawa says. “In the Japanese version, it leans [into] his pure side and personality. And he’s someone that you want to protect because of his pureness. So we really leaned [into] that element and his dialogue; he’s really cute and adorable, too.”
Aishe
Aside from Sir Mervyn, Aishe is the eldest member of Hero’s party. As such, she’s reliable and adept at combat. She’s a high-ranking Roamer in the world of Reimagined, which explains both the apparent sexiness Toriyama instilled in her design and the class with which she carries herself. She hits hard in combat, but works well as the playful Dancer, Troubadour, or Jester, too.
“One of the main components of Aishe is that she is supposed to be this reliable person, but also an attractive woman too,” Takagi tells me. “Aside from Sir Mervyn, she’s the eldest member of the party, and she’s a reliable member of the group for the younger party members. There’s definitely a sexiness as well – she is supposed to have a high rank among the Roamers, so she has an element of class, too.”
Sir Mervyn
Without spoiling much of what you’ll learn about Sir Mervyn in Reimagined, he’s a paladin from the past, sealed within a special stone awaiting the next fight he’s needed in. Fortunately, it’s Hero who releases him and enlists him to help on their present-day adventure. He’s a mighty Paladin, but any mix of melee and magic will be successful for him.
Ichikawa and Takagi wouldn’t share too much about Sir Mervyn, and if you are familiar with Dragon Quest VII, you can probably imagine why, but I recommend you check out this feature on colloquialism in Dragon Quest VII Reimagined for more insight into how the team developed this version of the character.
We’ll learn more about this party in Dragon Quest VII Reimagined when it launches on February 5 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, Switch, and PC.
In the meantime, check out this article breaking down everything in the Dragon Quest VII Reimagined issue of Game Informer, and be sure to subscribe here if you haven’t yet so you can access the Dragon Quest VII Reimagined cover story, our deep dive into Dragon Quest history with creator Yuji Horii, and so much more. Here are some other stories to check out:
Who is your favorite Dragon Quest VII party member? Let us know in the comments below!
