Dragon Quest IV (All) | |
---|---|
Weapon | Modifier(s) |
Copper sword | Attack +12 |
Chain sickle | Attack +16 |
Iron lance | Attack +28 |
Iron claw | Attack +38 |
Steel broadsword | Attack +40 |
Cautery sword | Attack +45 |
Battle axe | Attack +50 |
Fire claw | Attack +60 |
Falcon blade | Attack +67 |
Hela's hammer | Attack +70 |
Icicle dirk | Attack +75 |
Cobra claw | Attack +80 |
Dragonsbane | Attack +90 |
Demon spear | Attack +90 |
Miracle sword | Attack +100 |
Massacre sword | Attack +120 |
Liquid metal sword | Attack +130 |
Pandemonic sword | Attack +150 |
Psaro (Character)
"Humanity never fails to disappoint me..."
—Psaro, in Laissez Fayre (Cell phone)
Psaro | |
Dragon Quest IV | |
Sprite(s) | |
Japanese name | ピサロ |
Romaji | Pisaro |
Old localization | Saro, Necrosaro |
Title | Master of Monsterkind (魔族の王子) (IV) |
Class | Master of Monsters Demon Swordsman (Monster Battle Road/Rivals) Monster Wrangler (Monsters: The Dark Prince) |
Race | Half-human, half-demon |
Age | Unknown |
Family | Randolfo (father) Miriam (mother) Dolph (older half-brother) Ludo (younger half-brother) |
Voice actor | Shūichi Ikeda (Japanese, CD Theater) Daisuke Ono (Heroes, Japanese) Gwilym Lee (English) |
Psaro is a character in the Dragon Quest series that appears as the central villain of Dragon Quest IV, and a recurring monster.
He is a powerful demon with a passionate hatred for humanity. During his rise to evil, Psaro attempted to kill the Hero, sought the Secret of Evolution, and searched for the resting place of Estark, Ruler of Evil. Enraged by the death of his beloved, Psaro became Psaro the Manslayer, only to be slain by the Chosen.
Psaro's humanoid form has gone on to make regular appearances in spinoff games, starting with the second Dragon Quest: Monster Battle Road game. He is a boss in Dragon Quest of the Stars, is a secret character in Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below, can join the player in Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 3 Professional, Dragon Quest Monsters: Super Light, and Dragon Quest Tact, and was one of the original leader characters in Dragon Quest Rivals, representing the Demon Swordsman vocation. His younger self is the main character in Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince. His equipment also made a cameo appearance in Dragon Quest of the Stars, allowing players to dress up as the overpowered overlord himself.
Appearance and Personality[edit]
The son of the demon lord Randolfo, and a human, Miriam, Psaro at first appears fairly humanoid, though his red eyes, pointed ears, and vast powers would soon reveal him for what he really is, revealing his demonic bloodline. He has long silver hair, pale skin and wears a dark, baroque-styled outfit with a single distinct shoulder pad, spiked and appearing to be made of bone, and a long fur cape. He also has a single, long strand of hair sticking up out of the top of his head, known as an ahoge. Upon using the Secret of Evolution he turns into a likeness of Estark and steadily morphs into a vicious, green, horned demon with a second face on his torso as the player fights against him.
Psaro loathes humans, his Manslayer title likely derived from his stance on human presence. Despite this intense hatred, Psaro is remarkably kind to other beings, notably monsters and especially the elf Rose. His romantic attachment to Rose is so strong that it drives him insane when he learns of her murder, and he can be freed from the Secret of Evolution's maddening power and join the party if she is revived and brought before him.
In the Japanese and cell phone remakes, Psaro has a personality which is known to be tsundere if Party Chat is used while he is in the party. He usually does not appear to be interested in speaking to his new comrades, usually expressing annoyance if attempting to do so. Nevertheless, Psaro will express both remorse and gratitude when due, such as when visiting the Hero's hometown and Rosehill.
Appearances[edit]
Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen[edit]
Abilities[edit]
Psaro's initial state is quite powerful; he starts at level 35 and all his stats are high, not to mention he can learn powerful spells such as Lightning Storm and Magic Burst (most of which originally premiered in later Dragon Quest installments.) If the player chooses to pursue the bonus content and make Psaro an ally they will quickly find that he is more than a jack-of-all-trades, being adept at healing, support, and especially offensive abilities. If the time is taken to level him up he will swiftly become the most powerful ally in the game, vastly outshining the Hero. He can furthermore equip Cursed Equipment without penalty and without having his stats lowered. Also, as if all the above wasn’t enough, his ultimate equipment is far better than both the Zenithian and Liquid Metal set.
Dragon Quest IV (DS) | |
---|---|
Spell | Level Learned |
Fullheal | 35 |
Multiheal | 35 |
Kaboom | 35 |
Kacrackle | 35 |
Kasap | 35 |
Kasnooze | 35 |
Dragon Slash | 35 |
Hatchet Man | 35 |
Harvest Moon | 35 |
Zoom | 35 |
Evac | 35 |
Safe Passage | 35 |
Holy Protection | 35 |
Oomph | 36 |
Kazing | 38 |
Metal Slash | 40 |
Kathwack | 42 |
Thin Air | 44 |
Disruptive Wave | 46 |
Puff! | 49 |
Lightning Storm | 53 |
Magic Burst | 60 |
Base stats[edit]
Attribute | Starting Stats | Maximum Stats |
Level | 35 | 99 |
HP | 359 | 764 |
MP | 276 | 697 |
Strength | 154 | 228 |
Agility | 131 | 239 |
Resilience | 144 | 216 |
Wisdom | 102 | 166 |
Luck | 41 | 132 |
Initial gear | Falcon blade, Zombie mail, Iron shield |
- Remake versions.
Equipment[edit]
Dragon Quest IV (All) | |
---|---|
Helmet | Modifier(s) |
Iron helmet | Defense +16 |
Iron mask | Defense +25 |
Pandemonic helm | Defense +40 |
Liquid metal helm | Defense +50 |
Dragon Quest IV (All) | |
---|---|
Armor | Modifier(s) |
Leather armour | Defense+12 |
Chain mail | Defense+18 |
Bronze armour | Defense+25 |
Iron armour | Defense+30 |
Full plate armour | Defense+35 |
Dragon mail | Defense+45 |
Zombie mail | Defense+49 |
Spiked armour | Defense+50 |
Hela's armour | Defense+60 |
Liquid metal armour | Defense+95 |
Pandemonic armour | Defense+100 |
Dragon Quest IV (All) | |
---|---|
Shields | Modifier(s) |
Scale shield | Defense+7 |
Iron shield | Defense+12 |
Dragon shield | Defense+30 |
Mirror shield | Defense+45 |
Pandemonic shield | Defense+55 |
Liquid metal shield | Defense+60 |
Dragon Quest IV (Remakes) | |
---|---|
Accessories | Modifier(s) |
Strength ring | Strength+8 |
Mighty armlet | Strength+25 |
Mercury's bandana | Agility+15 |
Meteorite bracer | Agilityx2 |
Prayer ring | Defence+5 |
Gold bracer | Defence+5 |
Recovery ring | Defence+15 |
Ruby of protection | Defence+15 |
Lucida shard | Luck+5 |
Gospel ring | Luck+50 |
Elevating shoes | Luck+50 |
Other remake changes[edit]
- Originally the Hero's hometown was discovered when the innkeeper allowed a traveling poet room and shelter, with his actions being noticed by some monsters. The remakes replace him with Psaro, who was posing as a traveler to find the Hero's home.
- A Psaro impersonator can be found in remakes of Dragon Quest IV.
Selected quotes[edit]
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Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation[edit]
Psaro appears alongside Rose in the near-future version of Reaper's Peak. He is confrontational when spoken to, accusing the Hero of wanting to kidnap Rose for her tears before backing off and telling him to leave them in peace.
Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince[edit]
Psaro is the lead character of the seventh Monsters game, taking place prior to the events of Dragon Quest IV during his adolescence. The game concerns the conflict between Psaro and his father, Randolfo, who has cursed his son to never be able to harm monsters directly, and his journey with Rose, the mysterious Fizzy, and human researcher Toilen Trubble throughout the circles of Nadiria as well as Terrestria.
Dragon Quest: Monster Battle Road II Legend[edit]
Psaro appears as a playable character, as well as the boss for Legend Quest IV in Chapter 7: The demon Lord.
Dragon Quest: Monster Battle Road Victory[edit]
After the hero of Monster Battle Road Victory wins over his/her rival Ryuuta, Psaro escapes from the game world to the real world to challenge the hero. After clearing the game, he will be at the harbor waiting for the hero to challenge him again.
Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below[edit]
Psaro is a secret playable character in the game. In the original Japanese version, he is part of the downloadable content but he is included by default in international versions of the game. In order for Psaro to join your party, he must be beaten in battle in the quest "A Monstrous Apparition", which can be undertaken after defeating the Barbatos at Yggdrasil. Before that, Psaro will appear as a "Mysterious Swordsman" who randomly appears in a few levels before disappearing. His reasons for joining the heroes are personal, as he wants to take revenge on Velasco for taking advantage of his monstrous brethren and end the curse placed on them.
Psaro wields greatswords in combat and uses a combination of Zam magic and martial arts. For his Coup de Grâce, Psaro uses the Secret of Evolution to transform into his demonic form and blasts enemies. Due to his status as a secret character, Psaro will not appear in cutscenes and he has no impact on the main storyline. In the second game, Psaro can only be played in multiplayer modes.
Dragon Quest Treasures[edit]
A statue of the non-mutated Psaro appears as Treasure No. 357, wit a base value of 1,200,000.
Dragon Quest Tact[edit]
Psaro's humanoid form known as just Psaro appears as a S-rank member of the ??? family as part of the game's 1.5 anniversary event in Japan and for the 2022 Dragon Quest Day for Global versions on his own banner alongside Sir Roseguardin. A special promotional campaign for Japanese players included a contest held between January 16th, 2022 to January 22nd, 2022 to win "Demon Swordsman Psaro SP Scout" vouchers, as well as a TV commercial starring actor Yū Shirota as the character.
Family | Rank | Role | ||
??? |
Attack |
|||
Max Level | HP | MP | Move | |
130 | 1328 | 556 | 3 | |
Attack | Defense | Agility | Wisdom | Weight |
591 | 321 | 548 | 205 | 65 |
First | Second | Third | ||
Greased Lightning | Crimson Cuts* | Discontinuum* | ||
First | Second | Third |
Master of Monsterkind / Stats Up | Woosh Res +25 / Stats Up | Discontinuum Potency +5% / Wrath: Action start: When HP is 20% or less, grants the user 1.5 physical and spell potency/effects / Stats Up |
Fourth | Fifth | |
Zam Res +25 / Stats Up | Discontinuum Potency +5% / Auto MP Regen (S): Action start: Restores MP / Stats Up | |
First | |
Raises ATK of all allies, including himself, by 15% in a 5x5 square around him. | |
First | Second | Third |
ATK +15 Max HP +30 |
Indomitable Spirit: Before HP hits 0: Preserves HP at 1 up to 1 time per battle. | Discontinuum Potency +2% |
First | |
Master of Monsterkind: Action start on odd-numbered turns until turn 10: Raises ATK, DEF and evasion rate for 3 turns. |
|
Frizz Resistance * | Sizz Resistance * | Crack Resistance * | Woosh Resistance * | |
Normal | Normal | Normal | Half Res | |
Bang Resistance * | Zap Resistance * | Zam Resistance * | Snooze Resistance | |
Very Weak | Very Weak | Half Res | Half Res | |
Poison Resistance | Physical Lock Resistance | Spell Lock Resistance | Martial Lock Resistance | |
Normal | Normal | Super Weak | Normal | |
Breath Lock Resistance | Hobble Resistance * | Stun Resistance * | Dazzle Resistance | |
Normal | Half Res | Immune | Normal | |
Curse Resistance | Paralysis Resistance | Confusion Resistance | Charm Resistance | |
Normal | Super Weak | Normal | Normal |
He also appears dressed in beachwear as Hellfire Prince Psaro, who is an S-rank member of the ??? family as part of the limited Hijinks on the High Seas! Swimwear, Waves, and Pirates!? event on his own banner alongside Merking. He can participate in Captain Platypunk's Battle Road as a party member.
Family | Rank | Role | ||
??? |
Attack |
|||
Max Level | HP | MP | Move | |
130 | 1386 | 556 | 3 | |
Attack | Defense | Agility | Wisdom | Weight |
592 | 365 | 550 | 203 | 65 |
First | Second | Third | ||
Summer Force | Dolphin Wave* | Rising Sun* | ||
First | Second | Third |
Monsterkind Summer / Stats Up | Frizz Res +25 / Stats Up | Rising Sun Potency +5% / Hot Summer Wrath: Battle start or action start: Grants the user x1.5 physical and spell potency/recovery if user's HP is 20% or less, removes some status ailments. / Stats Up |
Fourth | Fifth | |
Crack Res +25 / Stats Up | Rising Sun Potency +5% / Instant Insulate: Battle start: Greatly raises Breath Res for 3 turns. / Stats Up | |
First | |
Raises ATK of all allies, including himself, by 15% in a 5x5 square around him. | |
First | Second | Third |
ATK +15 Max HP +30 |
The Lord of Summer: Action start: Attacks with Fleeting Summer if enemy is within large rhombus area, up to 3 times per battle. Before HP hits 0: Preserves HP at 1, up to 2 times per battle. | Rising Sun Potency +2% |
First | |
Monsterkind Summer: Action start on odd turns until turn 10: Raises ATK, DEF, AGL and evasion rate for 3 turns. | |
Frizz Resistance * | Sizz Resistance * | Crack Resistance * | Woosh Resistance * | |
Half Res | Normal | Half Res | Normal | |
Bang Resistance * | Zap Resistance * | Zam Resistance * | Snooze Resistance | |
Normal | Very Weak | Very Weak | Half Res | |
Poison Resistance | Physical Lock Resistance | Spell Lock Resistance | Martial Lock Resistance | |
Normal | Half Res | Super Weak | Normal | |
Breath Lock Resistance | Hobble Resistance * | Stun Resistance * | Dazzle Resistance | |
Normal | Normal | Normal | Normal | |
Curse Resistance | Paralysis Resistance | Confusion Resistance | Charm Resistance | |
Super Weak | Normal | Immune | Normal |
Trivia[edit]
- Psaro's appearance is strikingly-similar to that of Final Fantasy' VII's Sephiroth. The two bear some similarities beyond design, as well, as they both have tragic stories and take on monstrous forms to do battle with their respective heroic adversaries. These similarities are frequent subjects of jokes among Japanese fans, such as suggesting that Psaro and Sephiroth are actually secret twins, or sometimes calling one of them "Psaroth".
- The Hero and Sephiroth are able to encounter one another via a match in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.
- Despite Psaro being able to equip cursed equipment without penalty, he is unable to equip the Death mask, likely due to the development team deliberately preventing him from gaining a high amount of Defence with little effort.
- As revealed in an event in Dragon Quest of the Stars, Psaro's last name is "Banesword".
- Psaro's outfit is inspired by clothes worn by baroque princes—hence the puffed sleeves and pants—which may indicate that he is of high birth. Psaro's bestiary entry in the Japanese version of Dragon Quest IX describes him as a prince, corroborating this interpretation.
- Curiously, he does not at any point revert to this outfit in The Dark Prince for any reason, instead wearing an entirely new default outfit and retaining a slightly younger appearance.
- In Monster Battle Road Victory, his first-person pronoun in Japanese is changed from "私" (watashi, a polite first-person pronoun) to "俺" (ore, a common first-person pronoun that comes across as decidedly-masculine and rather brusque). Many fans disliked this change.
- In Monster Battle Road manga and Victory, there is a genderbent version of Psaro named Queen Psaro (クイーンピサロ). Unlike Psaro, who is ruthless and cold, she has a personality similar to Debora. If beaten, a Puff-Puff can be gotten from her.
- Apparently, it is unknown if she has any relation to Psaro in any way.
- Prior to the remakes of Dragon Quest IV making Psaro's appearance uniform, many artists portrayed him in a variety of different ways.
- For various pieces of artwork for the official CD Theater, illustrator Mutsumi Inomata depicted Psaro as very beautiful with large elven ears and either long light purple hair or blond hair.
- In some of the 4Koma comics, Psaro is drawn very similar to a human, but with pointed ears and sharp canine fangs. He has frizzy black hair and wears a military-styled uniform with a cape.
- Although Psaro himself does not appear in Dragon Quest X, the design of the Demon Swordsman vocation was based on him, with players able to wield two-handed swords, cast Zam spells, and use special skills such as Disruptive Wave. Players could also obtain a special outfit that allows them to dress like Psaro.
- Players could also dress up as Psaro in Dragon Quest of the Stars, however, this was for a limited-time event.
- Likewise, the design of the Demon Swordsman vocation in Dragon Quest Walk is based on Psaro as well. A special banner was held when the vocation was first introduced that would allow players to acquire equipment that lets them dress like Psaro.
Gallery[edit]
Psaro and Solo by Mutsumi Inomata.
Psaro and Rose by Mutsumi Inomata.
PSX artwork depicting his 2001 redesign.
Psaro as he appears in Rivals.
Fighting against Brownies.
Battle in Heroes.
Psaro using the Secret of Evolution.
Psaro in Tact.
The Dark Prince design, note his dirty dogu badge
Meeting Fizzy
See also[edit]