User:Cukie Gherkin/Hero (Dragon Quest III)

The Hero is the protagonist of Dragon Quest III.

Appearances
Beginning in the Super Famicom version of Dragon Quest III, the player is given a personality test to determine the kind of personality the Hero has.

The Hero stars in an arena show called "Dragon Quest Live Spectacle Tour," featuring other characters from the series, such as Alena from Dragon Quest IV, Terry from Dragon Quest VI, and Yangus from Dragon Quest VIII. The Hero is portrayed by Matsuura Tsukasa in this.

Reception
The Hero has received positive reception. In particular, they have been identified as a noteworthy example of a hero, with Magmix writer Luis Field saying that people think of this Hero when they think of heroes and that the male Hero's design is an iconic hero design. Anime News Network writer Jean-Karlo Lemus felt that the Hero in Dragon Quest III was a foundational character design, being the basis for hero designs in video games and light novels, arguing that the protagonist of the light novel Maoyu took from the Hero's design. Game*Spark writer Rate-Dat believed that, despite the concept of a hero predating Dragon Quest III, it was the Hero and Zoma who were responsible for the popularization of the hero versus demon lord motif in Japan. Magmix writer Katano felt similarly about the ubiquity of the Hero's circlet, stating that it has been a part of the image of a hero for years. They argued that the blue bead in the circlet and on the designs of their allies contrasted the red beads worn by villains like Zoma and Baramos. Katano argued that the modern image of a hero began with the Dragon Quest series, believing that Dragon Quest III and its Hero were decisive in creating that image.

USgamer writer Nadia Oxford appreciated the ability to play as a female Hero in Dragon Quest III, while Gen Gamachi of Inside Games felt that the ability to choose the Hero's gender contributed to enhancing the freedom of the game. Siliconera writer Jenni Lada felt that the ability to choose your gender helped set Dragon Quest III apart and created a trend that appeared in future Dragon Quest games. Futabanet writer Yamaguchi Quest expressed a desire for the remake of Dragon Quest III to allow the Hero to have a happier ending with his mother and father surviving to the end. 4gamer writer Kenichi Maeyamada also found this ending sad, particularly that Ortega died without being able to see his child and that the Hero could not return to their world.