Global InformationCharacters of the Drakengard series information
| Drakengard series | |
|---|---|
 Artwork by regular series artist Kimihiko Fujisaka, featuring Caim and Angelus (Drakengard), Nowe and Legna (Drakengard 2) Zero and Mikhail (Drakengard 3), and Nier and Grimoire Weiss (Nier). According to Fujisaka, creating the passive poses for the dragons was difficult for him.[1][2] | |
| First appearance | Drakengard (2003) |
| Last appearance | Nier Reincarnation (2021) |
Drakengard[a] is an action role-playing game released on PlayStation 2 (PS2) in 2003 in Japan and 2004 in the West. The first entry in a series of the same name, it spawned two follow-up titles; a direct sequel Drakengard 2 (2005), and a prequel Drakengard 3 (2013). A subseries spun-off from one of the original game's endings began in 2010 with the release of Nier, which was followed by Nier: Automata (2016) and Nier Reincarnation (2021). Both the Drakengard and Nier series have been supported by expanded media.
The universe of Drakengard is split into multiple timelines, with some of the events detailed in either games or supplementary material leading into different entries in the series.[3] The main setting used by the Drakengard games is Midgard, a dark fantasy version of Medieval Europe drawing inspiration from the folklore of Northern Europe.[4][5][6] A key aspect of the Drakengard universe is the "pact",[b] a ritual that links souls and grants a human great power in return for some aspect of themselves (such as their voice, charm, aging ability) while the beast partner feeds on their negative emotions.[4] The Nier titles take place in a reality stemming from the fifth ending of Drakengard, although the connection is minimal.[7][8]
The original game's characters were created by director Taro Yoko, and producers Takamasa Shiba and Takuya Iwasaki. Other contributors over the years include series writer Sawako Natori, and supplementary writer Emi Nagashima. The first game's characters were created as a deliberate contrast with the casts of other popular role-playing games of the time. For Drakengard 2, director Akira Yasui insisted on a tonal shift, influencing both the story and character designs. For Drakengard 3, the majority of the main characters were female and inspired by multiple sources including contemporary anime. Character designs for Drakengard were done by Kimihiko Fujisaka and Taro Hasegawa. The characters original Nier's characters were designed by Korean artist D.K, with the game notably using different different versions of the main protagonist for Japan and overseas releases. Later Nier titles saw contributions from several artists including Akihiko Yoshida.
Reviewers have been mostly positive about the games' characters: the first game's cast received favorably, and many praised their dialogue. Opinions were more mixed about the characters of Drakengard 2, which certain reviewers claimed were weaker than those of the previous game. Drakengard 3 was criticized for uneven writing, but it received praise for its unusual characters and their interactions. Nier's cast and the relationship between its story and characters were lauded. The characters of Drakengard and Nier have gained a strong following in Japan.
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