It is positive to be a white knight. Go and save a damsel, rescue the dominion, and be heroic all the time. However let’s simply be sincere — morally grey is extra enjoyable. And fortunately, the JRPG style has many, many anti-heroes we are able to root for. At the least after we aren’t cringing at their poor decisions.
Although most of those characters aren’t outright evil, they positively may benefit from a great therapist. A few of them are cranky and undead, others are Eldritch gods of horror, and a few of them even begin out working for the actual unhealthy man earlier than realizing the error of their methods.
10 Finest Video games The place You Play An Antihero
Video games like Satan Could Cry 3 and God of Struggle have protagonists that are not precisely in issues for one of the best causes.
So please seize some popcorn, and let’s all sit down and luxuriate in these imperfect heroes on this record of JRPGs the place you are the anti-hero!
10
Radiata Tales
People vs. Non-People
On the floor, Radiata Tales may not seem like a recreation with plenty of anti-hero power. Nevertheless it rapidly turns into obvious that that you must decide a facet between the bands of people and non-humans within the recreation, and regardless of your choice, there can be casualties and penalties.
That form of morally grey setting is the place an anti-hero theme thrives, and this PS2 journey from the creators of Star Ocean does a great job of immersing you. It is also an enormous recreation, with 100+ NPCs you’ll be able to recruit to your trigger when you discover an enormous, interconnected world map.
Whereas not essentially the most advanced or nuanced JRPG on the market, Radiata Tales continues to be a terrific begin on this anti-hero journey.
9
Ultimate Fantasy IV
Aiding the Evil Empire
Generally in life, it may be arduous to inform you’re on the improper facet of historical past. And whereas the Ultimate Fantasy recreation that almost all resonated with me again within the day was Ultimate Fantasy VI, the ethical ambiguity in Ultimate Fantasy IV was fairly compelling.
Kain was simply one other Dragoon within the service of the empire, till he had the temerity to query orders. This led to him being stripped of his rank and occurring a journey of self-discovery. Alongside the best way, Sq. additionally went fully loopy and threw in aliens and all types of different surprising enjoyable.
Whereas Kain finally makes a reputation for himself as a hero in Ultimate Fantasy IV, he positively begins as a person who has prompted plenty of hurt, albeit unintentionally.
8
Disgaea 6: Defiance of Future
Undead Persistence
Whereas it will be honest to say that no Disgaea protagonist is a white knight, being a zombie positively places Zed on the backside of that individual totem pole. I imply, how usually do you consider an undead and contemplate them an precise hero?
Fortunately, for all the various miscreants in Disgaea 6: Defiance of Future, Zed is not all that taken with consuming brains. He is rather more invested in lastly defeating the God of Destruction, stopping it from terrorizing a parallel dimension.
8 Finest JRPGs The place You Play A Insurgent
In some video games, our protagonists are rebels; in others, we’re a part of a rise up.
As a result of it is a Disgaea recreation, there are plenty of insane twists and turns earlier than you get to the top of Disgaea 6. However at the least you’ll be able to benefit from the recreation understanding that no matter does not kill Zed will solely make him stronger. And even when he’s killed, dying is rarely the top!
7
Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse
One Demonic Alternative
Just about each Shin Megami Tensei journey contends with ethical decisions that lead you down numerous paths. And whereas there aren’t any simple decisions in Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse, there’s one route that has fairly monstrous penalties.
Specifically, should you determine to facet with Dagda in Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse, you will wind up on the aptly named Bloodbath Route. This results in killing all of your former buddies and teammates in your pursuit of final energy. As if the apocalypse wasn’t violent sufficient.
On the plus facet, you do get amply rewarded in your cruelty alongside this route and can finally turn into a god of your personal universe. It is only a matter of whether or not the price of such energy is just too excessive to even ponder.
6
Ys IX: Monstrum Nox
Cursed With Energy
I’ve usually thought of what I might do if confronted with the flexibility to realize unimaginable energy. Would the ends justify the means? Or would I forgo such energy due to the ethical penalties?
In Ys IX: Monstrum Nox, Adol does not have such a alternative. He turns into imprisoned on the very starting, and is actually cursed with huge energy. He’ll want it to satisfy his quest, however the energy makes him a supernatural entity referred to as a Monstrum.
That stated, you will want all the assistance you may get to outlive town of Balduq. And that is earlier than you even contemplate the shadowy dimension referred to as the Grimwald Nox, which is encroaching into it. The one approach to survive is to embrace your tainted energy and use it for a great purpose in Ys IX: Monstrum Nox.
5
Hearth Emblem Fates: Conquest
A Youngster of Nohr
After reigniting my fandom of the Hearth Emblem collection in Hearth Emblem: Awakening, you’ll be able to wager that I spent plenty of time with Hearth Emblem Fates. Though I used to be irritated they break up it into three separate campaigns, I discovered a fascinating battle between the Hoshido and Nohr empires.
Whereas I loved enjoying by Birthright first, Hearth Emblem Fates: Conquest was extra enjoyable. Not solely did it let me spend time with the villains of the Nohr empire and supply a more difficult route by the journey, however I acquired to spend high quality time with my very dysfunctional household.
Each JRPG Introduced for 2026
2026 hasn’t even actually begun, and but JRPG followers have already got a backlog that is bursting on the seams.
And positive, I do know intellectually that Camilla was unhealthy information, however damned if Large Sister wasn’t somebody I loved spending time with. Frankly, this slice of the sport was virtually a Freudian realization, and it even does a great job of displaying the rigidity of the in any other case heroic Hoshido. Irrespective of which marketing campaign you play, although, Fates gives a strong and pleasurable Hearth Emblem expertise.
4
Tales of Berseria
Altered by Daemonblight
There’s most likely a actuality the place Velvet Crowe and her brother lived a contented and peaceable life. However that is not the world she inhabits in Tales of Berseria. As an alternative, her brother will get sacrificed by somebody she trusts in a monstrous ceremony, and within the commotion, Velvet will get contaminated by Daemonblight, imbuing her with huge energy and rage.
Thus begins her story of murderous revenge, albeit for a great purpose. As a result of regardless of how she will get there, she was finally placed on this bloody path because of the actions of Artorius. If nothing else, it is a fascinating journey, with dynamic real-time fight that is equal components ferocious and tactical.
3
Dragon Quest Monsters: The Darkish Prince
Earlier than He Was Ruler of Evil
Nature versus nurture gives perception into how individuals can take the improper or proper paths. For Psaro, although he finally goes all the best way evil in Dragon Quest IV when he transforms into the Ruler of Evil, he wasn’t all the time unhealthy. Many occasions led him to that individual path.
However in Dragon Quest Monsters: The Darkish Prince, this human/monster hybrid prince is simply making an attempt to defeat the daddy who cursed him. And the nice a part of that’s that he is in a position to wrangle monsters for his personal functions.
Whereas removed from the primary Dragon Quest recreation with monster-catching mechanics, Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince gives a nuanced imaginative and prescient of a person who turns into a tyrant. Positive, it is unhappy he could not be saved, however at the least his journey gives a satisfying journey.
2
Cthulhu Saves Christmas
Reluctant Hero
Whereas it is true that the video games developed by Zeboyd Video games are fairly linear, in addition they profit from having completely hilarious premises and writing that has continuously resulted in my laughing out loud. And one in every of their greatest collection was the Cthulhu Saves video games, although Cthulhu Saves Christmas might be my favourite.
Often, Cthulhu is not what most of us would contemplate a hero. However in each video games, his energy will get drained from him by mysterious forces, and the one approach to recuperate it’s to do one thing noble.
8 Finest JRPGs You Have to Play This Winter
The journeys that heat you up within the chilly months
On this explicit recreation, which means discovering who kidnapped Santa and beating the snot out of them (no person stated Cthluhu was an upstanding citizen). That is actually a hilarious recreation with one actually flawed anti-hero.
1
Drakengard
Calamitous Caim
There are plenty of fascinating anti-heroes on this record, however Drakengard’s Caim takes the cake. Violent, vengeful, and incestuous? Yeah, that is positively on the farthest a part of this explicit spectrum, if not a full-fledged villain.
Throw in a magical bond with a dragon on the verge of dying and a number of other disturbing and morally questionable endings, and Drakengard proves it is a JRPG that may go away you questioning who the nice man actually is.
If you happen to can abdomen controlling such a morally questionable character, Drakengard is price a glance, notably for NieR followers which are curious concerning the insane lore of how each collection are related.
The Finest JRPGs On Each Nintendo Console, Ranked
The rise, the autumn, and the resurgence of JRPGs in Nintendo historical past.
