JRPGs Where You’re the Anti-Hero

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Playing the hero is great – saving people and being brave is admirable. However, characters with flaws and questionable morals are often more interesting. Luckily, JRPGs are full of these complex, anti-heroic figures that we can still enjoy, even when we disapprove of what they do.

These characters aren’t necessarily villains, but they all have serious issues they could really use help with. Some are just grumpy and immortal, while others are terrifying cosmic beings. A few even begin as allies of the true villains, before eventually seeing the mistake of their actions.

Get comfortable and prepare to enjoy a list of Japanese role-playing games featuring flawed and unconventional heroes!

10. Radiata Stories

Humans vs. Non-Humans

At first glance, Radiata Stories doesn’t seem like a game focused on morally gray characters. However, you soon realize you’re forced to choose between supporting humans or non-humans, and either way, people will suffer the consequences of your decision.

Games with complex moral choices really lend themselves to anti-hero stories, and this PlayStation 2 adventure – made by the team behind Star Ocean – does a great job of pulling you in. It’s a massive game too, letting you recruit over 100 characters to help you explore a large, seamless world.

Radiata Stories isn’t the most complicated JRPG, but it’s a fantastic game to begin your adventure as an unconventional hero.

9. Final Fantasy IV

Aiding the Evil Empire

It’s often difficult to realize when you’re supporting the losing side of an issue. When I first played the Final Fantasy series, Final Fantasy VI was my favorite, but I also found the complex moral choices in Final Fantasy IV really interesting.

I used to be a Dragoon working for the empire, but I made the mistake of questioning a direct order. That got me kicked out, and honestly, it was the start of something wild. I ended up on this crazy journey to figure things out, and the developers, Square, just went all-out! Suddenly there were aliens and a ton of other stuff I never expected. It was a total rollercoaster!

Kain begins his story in Final Fantasy IV as someone who’s done a lot of damage, even if it wasn’t his intention. He later becomes known as a hero, but his journey starts with a troubled past.

8. Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny

Undead Persistence

It’s true that none of the main characters in Disgaea are typical heroes, but Zed, being a zombie, is probably the least likely one you’d expect to save the day. After all, how often do you think of an undead creature as a hero?

Fortunately, despite all the troublemakers in Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny, Zed isn’t focused on eating brains. He’s determined to defeat the God of Destruction and save a parallel dimension from its attacks.

As you’d expect from a Disgaea game, Disgaea 6 has a really wild and unpredictable story. But you can take comfort in knowing that any challenge Zed faces will only make him more powerful. Plus, even if he falls in battle, it’s never truly game over!

7. Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse

One Demonic Choice

Most Shin Megami Tensei games involve difficult moral decisions that shape the story. Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse is no different, and one particular path you can take leads to truly terrible outcomes.

If you choose to support Dagda in Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse, you’ll end up on what’s known as the Massacre Route. This path forces you to kill all your previous allies and companions as you strive for immense power, adding even more brutality to an already apocalyptic world.

While taking this path allows you to gain immense power, eventually becoming a god, it requires significant cruelty. The question is whether that power is worth the terrible price.

6. Ys IX: Monstrum Nox

Cursed With Power

I’ve frequently wondered how I would react if I suddenly had access to immense power. Would I be willing to do anything to achieve my goals, even if it meant compromising my values? Or would I choose to avoid that power altogether, knowing it could lead to difficult moral choices?

In Ys IX: Monstrum Nox, Adol is immediately imprisoned and unexpectedly granted immense power. However, this power transforms him into a Monstrum, a supernatural being, and he’ll need it to complete his journey.

Surviving the city of Balduq won’t be easy, and things are even more dangerous with the creeping influence of the shadowy Grimwald Nox. In Ys IX: Monstrum Nox, your only hope is to accept your unique, potentially corrupting abilities and use them to protect the city.

5. Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest

A Child of Nohr

I rediscovered my love for the Fire Emblem series with Fire Emblem: Awakening, so I naturally spent a lot of time playing Fire Emblem Fates. While I was frustrated that Fates was divided into three different story paths, I really enjoyed the conflict between the kingdoms of Hoshido and Nohr.

I actually started with Birthright, but I had way more fun with Conquest. It wasn’t just the tougher gameplay, though that was a big part of it. I really liked getting to see things from the Nohr villains’ perspective, and honestly, dealing with my super messed-up family was a blast! It just felt more engaging overall.

I knew Camilla probably wasn’t good for me, but I genuinely liked hanging out with her. This part of the game felt like a real insight into my own feelings, and it highlighted how strict the usually noble Hoshido people could be. However you play it, Fates still delivers a solid and fun Fire Emblem game.

4. Tales of Berseria

Altered by Daemonblight

Imagine a world where Velvet Crowe and her brother enjoyed a peaceful life. Sadly, that’s not the reality in Tales of Berseria. Instead, her brother is tragically sacrificed by someone she trusted during a dark ritual. This event also infects Velvet with a powerful and corrupting force called Daemonblight, granting her incredible power, but also overwhelming rage.

Her story of revenge begins, and while it involves violence, it’s driven by a justified cause. Ultimately, Artorius is responsible for setting her on this dangerous course. Beyond the bloodshed, it’s a captivating journey filled with exciting, fast-paced combat that requires both skill and strategy.

3. Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince

Before He Was Ruler of Evil

The age-old debate of nature versus nurture helps us understand why people make the choices they do. In the game Dragon Quest IV, the character Psaro isn’t born evil – he becomes the Ruler of Evil through a series of unfortunate events, showing that circumstances can heavily influence a person’s path.

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In Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince, the story follows a prince who’s half-human, half-monster, and determined to overcome a curse placed on him by his father. Luckily, he has the ability to recruit and command monsters to help him on his quest.

Although not the first Dragon Quest game to let you collect monsters, Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince presents a compelling story about a man who falls into tyranny. While it’s unfortunate he couldn’t be redeemed, his story still makes for an enjoyable adventure.

2. Cthulhu Saves Christmas

Reluctant Hero

Zeboyd Games’ titles might not offer a lot of branching paths, but they’re incredibly funny. I consistently find myself laughing out loud while playing them. The Cthulhu Saves series is a highlight, and Cthulhu Saves Christmas is probably my personal favorite.

Cthulhu isn’t typically seen as a hero, but in these games, his strength is stolen from him. The only way he can regain his power is by performing heroic deeds.

This game involves rescuing Santa by finding and defeating his kidnapper – who happens to be a rather unpleasant character. It’s a really funny game starring a flawed, but compelling, hero.

1. Drakengard

Calamitous Caim

Okay, so this list has some pretty cool anti-heroes, but Caim from Drakengard? He’s on another level. Seriously, violent, driven by revenge, and with… complicated family issues? He’s way out there on the spectrum of ‘morally grey’ characters, and honestly, sometimes feels more like a straight-up villain to me.

With a unique connection to a dying dragon and several unsettling, ethically complex outcomes, Drakengard is a JRPG that will make you question who the hero truly is.

Okay, so controlling the main character in Drakengard can be… rough, morally speaking. But if you can handle that, it’s totally worth playing, especially if you’re a NieR fan. It really sheds light on the crazy backstory that connects both games, and it’s fascinating to see how everything fits together.

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2026-02-01 16:41