Names in fiction are a funny thing. They can mean absolutely nothing, and just act as a necessary identifier for a given character, or they can help to dictate the world that said character lives in. Some of the best names help build a character's identity before they ever speak a line of dialog. Other names draw inspiration from noteworthy figures, which helps to draw interesting parallels.
Basically, a great name can come in a multitude of forms. Some names may be a silly, and RPGs can often really🍎 lean into absurdity, but♌ memorability is certainly worth something. These are some of our absolute favorite names in RPGs.
10 Celes And Terra, Final F🍷antasy🌸 6
In the Japanese version of 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Final Fantasy 6, Terra's name is Tina. Which, together, would make Celestina: who is a tragic literary figure. This arguably ends the age-old debate about who the protagonist of Final Fantasy 6 is, as it seemingly outlines that both Celes and Terra are two parts of one whole.
Unfortunately, this parallel is undermined by the changing of Terra's name for the western release, but we still think that it is such a neat idea that it absolutely deserves being referenced here. And hey, maybe none of it was actually intended, and it is a big coincidence. Even if that is the case, then it is still sorta neat how well it works, right?
9 ꦛ Vyse, Skies Of Arcadia
Vyse is the devil-may-care protagonist of Skies Of Arcadia. He is a pirate, a brigand, and generally a likable guy. So, it is hard to think of a name better than Vyse, which of course is pronounced "vice". 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Who has more vices than a pirate?
It is also a name with a nice ring to it. It is punchy and ro💞lls off the tongue. This is a name that is both instantly iconic, and exceptionally dꦜescriptive. You hear it, and you feel like you almost immediately have a feel for the character.
8 Pesmerga, Suik൲od⛎en
Pesmerga is a mysterious dark knight. He is hunting Yuber, who is a recurring antagonist in the series. Pesmerga shares his name with a branch of the Turkish military (the Peshmerga). In Kurdish, Peshmerga translates to "those who face death". Yuber himself almost acts as a 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:personification of death, so this tracks.
It is incredible to think that a game like Suikoden, which is so filled to the brim with iconic characters, would still have names that have these interesting parallels. It is truly an example of how Murayama is a man who con﷽sistent🌠ly concerns himself with the smaller details, which is a big part of why his games feel so alive.
7 💮 2B, Nier ꦜAutomata
A name is a name, even a bad name will eventually fade into the background. However, a great name can 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:set the stage for the entire world. That is what 2B's name does. Immediately we are provided with a name that is extraordinarily depersonalizing; something that is sterile and lifeless. Which, of course, sets the stage beautifully for 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Nier: Automata.
However, while the name is able to convey those inhuman qualities, it also still works as a name. A string of numbers could have effectively conveyed all the same themes, but it wouldn't have had that same sticking power. That is the beauty of that name, it is able to exist in both worlds: simultaneously being iconic while also representing something cold and distant. 2B or not 2B, that is the question. Well, the answer is 2B!
6 Cl🔯oud Strife, Final Fantasy 7
Are we basic? Is this proof that we are super basic? Probably, but come on, 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Final Fantasy 7's Cloud Strife is a great name. Cloud is a light, airy and aspirational name, then it is tethered to "strife" which obviously has less positive implications.
That is perfect for Cloud's character, who is, essentially, a scared, traumatized boy trying to push through adversity and become someone great. Cloud's name is a little silly (okay, it is super silly), and possibly a little on the nose, but that doesn't stop us from loving it!
5 ꧃ Kratos, Tales Of Symphonia
While the name Kratos immediately summons the image of man with painted white skin screaming angrily, it is also the name of a cool-headed party member in 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Tales Of Symphonia. The name is taken from a Greek god, just not the God Of War. Instead, Kratos was a minor god who personifies power. He is Nike's brother.
We love when games give subtle nods to somewhat obscure mythological figures. It gives you an intertext that can potentially help further your unders♏tanding of w🦂ho they are. And, in general, is just a fun piece of connective tissue. Tales Of Symphonia predates the first God Of War game by two years, so it gets the credit here.
4 ♎ Estelle Bright, Trails In The Sky
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=825&dpr=1.5)
Another great name that really goes for it, is 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Trails In The Sky's Estelle Bright. So, the name Estelle means "star". Which, yes, means that Estelle's full name is, essentially, "bright star". Is that incredibly dorky? Absolutely. Do we love it? One hundred percent.
The best part about this name is that it is a little more covert than something you would see out of the Nomura school of naming characters (though we ෴still love Squall, Cloud, and Sora, even if they are super on the nose). Estelle Bright still sounds like a real name, while having all the same connotations.
3 Virginia Maxwell, Wild🔯 Arms 3
This is just a classically well-constructed name that takes advantage of established connections. Virginia 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:a rootin-tootin w🍎ild-west style𝓀 cowgirl name. Then you have Maxwell, which sounds like the upper crust, ho🧸ity-toity family name of an aristocrat.
The parallel of those two names also just so happens to mirror the parallel of Wild Arms 3's protagonist. She comes from a comfortable upbringing and decides to strike out and become a drifting adventurer. Her name immediately sets the stage.
2 🌌 Edge Maverick, Star Ocean
168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Star Ocean: The Last Hope's Edge Maverick is very clearly the worst name ever. Edge Maverick is also very clearly the best name ever. Search your heart, you know it to be true. This has the air of a name that someone decided to give themselves. It has the same energy as something like Dirk Pheonix (a name taken from the cinematic classic Mystery Men). What parent would name their child this unless they were, like, really into nu metal.
At the end of the day, this is a name that sticks. You will just be sitting in the park, or walking your dog, or falling asleep, and your brain will whisper "Edge Maverick". Inevitably, you will then spend the next hour just pondering what led to someone to think that their protagonist needed that name. Edge Maverick transcends the world of names. It is iconic. It is a goddamn instit🦂ution!
1 𓆉 Ichiban, Yakuza: Like A Dragon
Never before has there been a name that better encapsulates a character's journey. If you don't know, Ichiban literally translates to "Number 1"; as in, being the best. Unlike Kazuma, the series' first protagonist, who has the nickname "the Dragon Of Dojima", Ichiban is known as the "Rockbottom Dragon". It all works to help flesh out 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Like A Dragon's lead's identity.
Everything about Ichiban's quest is a struggle. He has to claw his way to the top. This is why his name is beautifully poetic. 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:It r✨eflects everything he wants to be.
