It's fine to be a white knight. Go and save a damsel, rescue the kingdom, and be heroic the entire time. But let's be honest — morally gray is more fun. And thankfully, the JRPG genre has numerous anti-heroes we can root for. At least when we aren't cringing at their poor choices.
Though most of these characters aren't outright evil, they could benefit from a quality therapist. Some of them are cranky and undead, others are Eldritch gods of horror, while some of them even start out working for the real bad guy before realizing the error of their ways.
So grab some popcorn and let's all sit down and enjoy these imperfect heroes in this list of JRPGs where you're the anti-hero!
10 Radiata Stories
Humans vs. Non-Humans
On the surface, Radiata Stories might not appear to be a game with a lot of anti-hero energy. But it quickly becomes apparent that you need to pick a side between the bands of humans and non-humans in the game, and no matter your decision, there will be casualties and consequences.
That sort of morally gray setting is where an anti-hero theme thrives, and this PS2 adventure from the creators of Star Ocean does a good job of immersing you. It's also a huge game, with over a hundred NPCs you can recruit to your cause while you explore a vast, interconnected world map.
While not the most complex or nuanced JRPG out there, Radiata Stories is still a great start on this anti-hero journey.
9 Final Fantasy IV
Aiding the Evil Empire
Final Fantasy 4
- Released
- July 19, 1991
- ESRB
- e
- Developer(s)
- Square
- Publisher(s)
- Square
- Engine
- Luminous
- Multiplayer
- Local Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Final Fantasy
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
- How Long To Beat
- 22 Hours
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Sometimes in life, it can be hard to tell you're on the wrong side of history. And while the Final Fantasy game that most resonated with me back in the day was Final Fantasy VI, the moral ambiguity in Final Fantasy IV was quite compelling.
Cecil was a Dark Knight in the service of the empire, until he had the temerity to question orders. This led to him being stripped of his rank and going on a journey of self-discovery. Along the way, Square also went completely crazy and threw in aliens and all sorts of other unexpected fun.
While Cecil eventually makes a name for himself as a hero in Final Fantasy IV, he definitely starts as a man who has caused a lot of harm, albeit unintentionally.
8 Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny
Undead Persistence
- Released
- June 29, 2021
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Alcohol Reference, Fantasy Violence, Language, Mild Blood, Suggestive Themes
- Developer(s)
- Nippon Ichi Software
- Publisher(s)
- Nippon Ichi Software, NIS America
- Franchise
- Disgaea
- Metascore
- 68
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
While it would be fair to say that no Disgaea protagonist is a white knight, being a zombie definitely puts Zed at the bottom of that particular totem pole. I mean, how often do you think of an undead and consider them an actual hero?
Thankfully, for all the assorted miscreants in Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny, Zed isn't all that interested in eating brains. He's much more invested in finally defeating the God of Destruction, stopping it from terrorizing a parallel dimension.
Because this is a Disgaea game, there are a lot of insane twists and turns before you get to the end of Disgaea 6. But at least you can enjoy the game knowing that whatever doesn't kill Zed will only make him stronger. And even if he is killed, death is never the end!
7 Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse
One Demonic Choice
- Released
- September 20, 2016
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood, Language, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Atlus
- Publisher(s)
- Atlus
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
- Franchise
- Shin Megami Tensei
- Platform(s)
- 3DS
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
- How Long To Beat
- 44 Hours
- Metascore
- 84
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Pretty much every Shin Megami Tensei adventure contends with moral choices that lead you down various paths. And while there are no easy choices in Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse, there is one route that has pretty monstrous consequences.
Namely, if you decide to side with Dagda in Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse, you'll wind up on the aptly named Massacre Route. This leads to killing all your former friends and teammates in your pursuit of ultimate power. As if the apocalypse wasn't violent enough.
On the plus side, you do get amply rewarded for your cruelty along this route and will eventually become a god of your own universe. It's just a matter of whether the cost of such power is too high to even contemplate.
6 Ys IX: Monstrum Nox
Cursed With Power
- Released
- September 26, 2019
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- Nihon Falcom
- Publisher(s)
- NIS America
- Engine
- Yamaneko Engine
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
I've often considered what I'd do if faced with the ability to gain incredible power. Would the ends justify the means? Or would I forgo such power because of the moral consequences?
In Ys IX: Monstrum Nox, Adol doesn't have such a choice. He becomes imprisoned at the very beginning, and is literally cursed with vast power. He'll need it to fulfill his quest, but the power makes him a supernatural entity called a Monstrum.
That said, you'll need all the help you can get to survive the city of Balduq. And that's before you even consider the shadowy dimension called the Grimwald Nox, which is encroaching into it. The only way to survive is to embrace your tainted power and use it for a good reason in Ys IX: Monstrum Nox.
5 Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest
A Child of Nohr
After reigniting my fandom of the Fire Emblem series in Fire Emblem: Awakening, you can bet that I spent a lot of time with Fire Emblem Fates. Even though I was annoyed they split it into three separate campaigns, I found an engaging war between the Hoshido and Nohr empires.
While I enjoyed playing through Birthright first, Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest was more fun. Not only did it let me spend time with the villains of the Nohr empire and provide a more challenging route through the adventure, but I got to spend quality time with my very dysfunctional family.
And sure, I know intellectually that Camilla was bad news, but damned if Big Sister wasn't someone I enjoyed spending time with. Frankly, this slice of the game was almost a Freudian realization, and it even does a good job of showing the rigidity of the otherwise heroic Hoshido. No matter which campaign you play, though, Fates provides a robust and enjoyable Fire Emblem experience.
4 Tales of Berseria
Altered by Daemonblight
- Released
- January 24, 2017
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Blood, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Partial Nudity, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Bandai Namco Studios
- Publisher(s)
- Bandai Namco Studios
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Tales of
- How Long To Beat
- 44 Hours
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
There is probably a reality where Velvet Crowe and her brother lived a happy and peaceful life. But that isn't the world she inhabits in Tales of Berseria. Instead, her brother gets sacrificed by someone she trusts in a monstrous ceremony, and in the commotion, Velvet gets infected by Daemonblight, imbuing her with vast power and rage.
Thus starts her tale of murderous revenge, albeit for a good reason. Because no matter how she gets there, she was ultimately put on this bloody path thanks to the actions of Artorius. If nothing else, it's an engaging adventure, with dynamic real-time combat that's equal parts ferocious and tactical.
3 Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince
Before He Was Ruler of Evil
Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince
- Released
- December 1, 2023
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Fantasy Violence, Mild Language
- Developer(s)
- Tose, Armor Project
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Engine
- Unity
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Dragon Quest
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
- How Long To Beat
- 34 Hours
- OpenCritic Rating
- Fair
Nature versus nurture provides insight into how people can take the wrong or right paths. For Psaro, though he eventually goes all the way evil in Dragon Quest IV when he transforms into the Ruler of Evil, he wasn't always bad. Many events led him to that particular path.
But in Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince, this human/monster hybrid prince is just trying to defeat the father who cursed him. And the good part of that is that he's able to wrangle monsters for his own purposes.
While far from the first Dragon Quest game with monster-catching mechanics, Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince offers a nuanced vision of a man who becomes a tyrant. Sure, it's sad he couldn't be saved, but at least his journey provides a satisfying adventure.
2 Cthulhu Saves Christmas
Reluctant Hero
Cthulhu Saves Christmas
While it's true that the games developed by Zeboyd Games are pretty linear, they also benefit from having utterly hilarious premises and writing that has constantly resulted in my laughing out loud. And one of their best series was the Cthulhu Saves games, though Cthulhu Saves Christmas is probably my favorite.
Usually, Cthulhu isn't what most of us would consider a hero. But in both games, his power gets drained from him by mysterious forces, and the only way to recover it is to do something noble.
In this particular game, that means finding who kidnapped Santa and beating the snot out of them (nobody said Cthluhu was an upstanding citizen). This is truly a hilarious game with one really flawed anti-hero.
1 Drakengard
Calamitous Caim
- Released
- September 11, 2003
- ESRB
- m
- Developer(s)
- Cavia, Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Engine
- unity
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 2
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, JRPG, Fantasy, Science Fiction
- How Long To Beat
- 11 hours
There are a lot of fascinating anti-heroes on this list, but Drakengard's Caim takes the cake. Violent, vengeful, and incestuous? Yeah, that's at the farthest part of this particular spectrum, if not a full-fledged villain.
Throw in a magical bond with a dragon on the verge of death and several disturbing and morally questionable endings and Drakengard proves it's a JRPG that will leave you wondering who the good guy really is.
If you can stomach controlling such a morally questionable character, Drakengard is worth a look, particularly for NieR fans that are curious about the insane lore of how both series are connected.