Breath of Fire
Breath of Fire logo
Genre(s)	Console role-playing
Developer(s)	Capcom
Publisher(s)	Capcom
Creator(s)	Tokuro Fujiwara
Platform of origin	Super NES

Breath of Fire (ブレスオブファイア, Buresu obu Faia^?) is a console role-playing game series developed by Capcom. It originated on the Super NES in 1993 as Capcom's first foray into the role-playing genre. The series is notable for its recurring characters and ambiguous continuity; though each game is its own self-contained story, the names of the two lead characters are, invariably, Ryu and Nina.^[1]

The story commonly involves an adventurer named Ryu who can shapeshift into different types of dragons.^[2] Over the course of his journey, he befriends Nina, a girl with wings. At its inception, Breath of Fire took place in a medieval-style fictional world, a frequently-seen setting in western role-playing games. Following the mainstream success of Japanese role-playing games in the 1990s,^[3] the series began showing a rise in Asian influences: anime-style characters, post-apocalyptic themes, and an increased emphasis on character development. Despite these changes, the core structure of Breath of Fire remains linear and plot-focused.

As of 2003, five Breath of Fire titles have been released, with three games being ported to Handheld game consoles as well as Nintendo's Virtual Console. To date, the series has sold over 3 million units worldwide.^[4] In a June 2008 interview, the Takahashi brothers of Camelot Software Planning, famous for the Shining series, expressed their interest in reviving the series.^[5]

[edit] Common elements

The setting of Breath of Fire is a fictional world comprised of different anthropomorphic species, ranging from humans to bipedal felines, canines, fish and plants.^[1] The smallest of these groups is the Dragon Clan, a once-mighty tribe whose members are able to morph into dragons. In-fighting between the "Light" and "Dark" Dragons caused the group to break apart,^[6] eventually sliding toward extinction. Although the Light Dragons are consistently depicted as being few in number, the Dark Dragons occupy a large empire in Breath of Fire. The Dragon Clan is depicted as near-extinct in subsequent games.

The main antagonists of the series are of a decidedly religious nature—a demon or demigod -- often masquerading as a monotheistic deity. The plot often involves corrupt or misled religious leaders who are conspiring against the people they represent. The protagonist, Ryu, is the last surviving member of a messianic dragon clan who must save the humans from their false god.

The theme of challenging or slaying 'god' is not an uncommon one in Japanese video games^[7]; however, it was not until Breath of Fire II that such a concept appeared so overtly in a game marketed in the West. The deities in Breath of Fire are often presented with some degree of moral ambiguity, with mankind being described as having misused their power in the first place.^[8] While religion has long since been considered proper to include in Japanese video games, the topic was largely unwelcome in the United States until the 32-bit era. Typically, when a game with religious content was ported to an American console, such references were carefully edited out^[9] (as seen in SNES versions of Ultima). The antagonist of Breath of Fire II is a fictional religion called the Church of St. Eva, visible through the ubiquitous churches scattered throughout the game's towns. As the story progresses, the church leaders are revealed to be in league with a demon who is channeling believers' prayers into evil energy.

In addition to his dragon transformations, each separate incarnation of Ryu is adept at fishing,^[8] a skill which surfaces in several Breath of Fire games as a fish-themed minigame.

Outside of the original Breath of Fire and its immediate sequel (which take place in chronological order), there is some debate over the continuity of the later games. Because Breath of Fire IV traces the origins of the two feuding Dragon Clans, some theorize the game to be a prequel, taking place before any of the previous titles.^[10] A timeline for the series has never been explicitly stated, and Capcom has stated that the latest game, Dragon Quarter, takes place in an entirely separate universe.^[11]

Capcom has not made any official statements regarding further sequels to the franchise. However, in an interview, series producer Takeshita stated that Breath of Fire is not dead, but ‘resting,’ and that there are currently no plans regarding production of another game^{[citation needed]}.

[edit] Recurring characters

The five incarnations of Ryu (from left to right: IV, II, I, III, & V).

[edit] Ryu

Ryu (リュウ, Ryū^?) is the central character of every Breath of Fire game. He is one of the last surviving members of an ancient dragon clan and wields a sword as his weapon. "Ryu" (竜, ryū^?) is the Japanese word for "dragon". Each game depicts him with the power to transform into a dragon, though how this functions in battle sometimes varies. He's always depicted with blue hair, though it is noticeably harder to tell this in Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter as the shade of blue is much darker. His age varies between early adolescence and young adulthood (15–20 years old), though at the beginning of Breath of Fire II and for the first half of Breath of Fire III he is depicted as a child. A common trait between each Ryu is a proficiency at fishing. In most of his appearances, Ryu never speaks; a joking reference is made to this in the original Breath of Fire, when Ryu answers, "Well, there is one thing," to the King's question of Ryu's reward. Alternatively, the Ryu of Dragon Quarter is a talkative individual whose power to morph into dragons was granted to him by an outside source (as Dragon Quarter has no actual "dragon clan").

The five incarnations of Nina (from left to right: V, III, I, II, & IV).

[edit] Nina

Nina (ニーナ, Nīna^?) is a lead female character in each game. Like Ryu, many of her incarnations share similar traits, namely blond hair and wings. Of all her appearances, Nina's first three incarnations are the most identical; all are Princesses of Wyndia, as well as members of the angelic Fae tribe. There is rarely any explicit romance between her and Ryu, though it is implied in Breath of Fire II that the original Nina and Ryu were married. In Dragon Quarter, Nina is mute and neither a princess nor even naturally winged. She is also the most different in appearance, having greenish blonde hair.

[edit] Deis

Deis (ディース, Dīsu^?) is a blue-haired sorceress with a snake-like lower torso, similar to that of a Lamia. In the American releases of Breath of Fire I and II, her name is switched to Bleu. Seemingly ageless, she appears in both Breath of Fire and Breath of Fire II as the same individual (unlike Ryu and Nina)^[12]. Regardless of her long lifespan, she is childish, irresponsible (being somewhat prone to violent fits and likes showing off her magic), and above all, lazy. Deis hibernates for several hundred years at a time inside a temple, guarded by spirits who stand over her. It is left ambiguous whether or not Deis is immortal, or if her hibernation process is actually a form of suspended animation. Upon reawakening, she seems to join up with the heroes on a mere whim. In Breath of Fire III, Deis first wakes up in fully-human body, but later reappears in her usual serpentine form.^[13] Deis is Myria's sister, as acknowledged in Breath of Fire III.^[14] Deis also appears in Breath Of Fire IV as the spirit inside of Ershin (called Master in Japanese version) and is still as childish.

[edit] Myria

Myria (also known as "Tyr" and "Maria" in some English translations) is alternatively referred to as the "Goddess of Desire" and the "Goddess of Destruction". She is a female entity who offers to grant wishes, but her actual goal is chaos; for thousands of years, she has incited wars. Myria appears in the guise of a little girl, but when threatened, she transforms into a hideous demon composed of various snakes.^[15] Myria is the cause of the original split between the Light and Dark Dragon clans, both of which feuded over her power. A legendary hero managed to imprison Myria within a tower and seal her away with five keys.^[6] In the original Breath of Fire, the Dark Dragons conspire to reassemble the keys and release her. Deathevan, the antagonist of Breath of Fire II, is Myria's spawn, which she created after her first defeat (though she's only mentioned in the game, she doesn't actually appear). In Breath of Fire III, Myria's personality is almost completely changed. She acts as an overzealous mother of all the world's creatures, "protecting" them from the potential dangers of technology and the Brood (Breath of Fire III's nigh-extinct dragon clan). She isn't depicted as evil in the game, however, only misguided.^[16]

[edit] Ladon

Ladon (known simply as "the Dragon God" in the Japanese release) is present in the first three games and records the party's progress.^[17] In Breath of Fire his statue is everywhere and is prayed to by many people. In Breath of Fire II, there are still quite a number of his statues in each town, but few people still pray to him, preferring to worship at the Church of St. Eva. In Breath of Fire III he serves as one of the "masters" of the game, allowing the party members to learn certain types of skills under him. There are only two statues of him remaining: one in Mt. Glauss, where it serves travelers, and the other found in Dragnier, the town of the Brood. He appears only briefly in Breath of Fire IV, in a town of diminutive summoners.

[edit] Races and groups

Creeping Clan: A race of anthropomorphic frogs who live in elegant, European-style luxury. They speak in faux-French accents and are uniformly laid-back and narcissistic. Members of this clan range from cooks and bards to professional fishermen.

Dirt-Eating Clan: Anthropomorphic moles who built their world underground and live there quietly. They are renowned for their ability to dig several thousand feet a day. Although they appear small and weak, they are actually quite powerful.^[18] They make their trade as mercenaries and workers in hazardous environments.

Demons: They are malevolent creatures sealed within the Gates of Inifinity. However, some demons escaped and have plagued the world ever since and they possess weak-willed and corruptible humans into serving and sending energy to Deathevan. They are probably creatures who were exposed to Deathevan's aura and became evil and corrupted.

Dragon Clan: An ancient race of people who have the ability to transform themselves into dragons. When they aren't transformed into a dragon, they are very similar in appearance to humans. The clan split into two separate clans, the Light Dragons and the Dark Dragons, in a war that took place years before the first game; when their numbers started to dwindle, the clans merged again. Some of the clan members later grew wings because of their prolonged exposure to Deathevan. The clan later came to be known as "The Brood" when they were demonized by the lies perpetrated by the dominant religion and were hunted down nearly to extinction. Ryu is almost always a member of this clan in each game. Dragon clan members are also shown to wield powerful magic; while Light Dragons like Ryu use curative powers, Dark Dragons members, like Teepo of Breath of Fire III, wield offensive powers.

Endless: Not so much a race, but a name given to a group of ageless sorcerers. Many refer to them as Gods, as they seem to be immortal and are peerless in their mastery of magic. Deis (Bleu) and Myria/Tyr are the most prominent members of this group. Ryu from Breath of Fire IV turned out to be a member of this group, although his skill set in that game is similar to the Dragon Clan incarnations.

Faeries: Faeries exist in the world of dreams. The world of dreams partially overlaps with the real world and, long ago when the world was created, became a kind of "connector." Due to the odd connection, ordinary people can't go to the world of dreams. The lifespan of a faerie is about ten years in human terms. The world of dreams is a tiny, closed-away world, so no matter how many times a faerie dies, it's simply reborn in the same place (though none of the faeries realize this). They're omnivorous, but their palate is far more refined than a human's, so they constantly search for Flanks to eat.

Forest Tribe: A nomadic group of swift, wolf-like people. They are a clan of hunters who dwell in the forest and revere nature. This clan is very adept at navigating through woods and will never get lost inside them.^[18] By the end of the first game, they have largely left the forest and founded the town of Tantar. Bo/Gilliam from the first game is from this tribe.

Grassmen: Grassmen are the longest-living clans. Emotionless and guided only by logic, they travel the world when they are young gathering as much knowledge as possible and transform into wise trees in their old age. Because of their extreme longevity, they often appear in the game as sages and tell people about things that have passed long ago. They remain as the sole source for accurate historical information that is not tainted by the revisions done by religions or Gods. Spar/Aspara is a member of this tribe. Pecoros from Breath of Fire III is a close relative.

Grassrunner: A tribe of dog-like creatures. Bow/Bosshu, Scias and Ursula are members of this clan.

Guardians: a race in Breath of Fire III created by the Goddess of Destruction. They resemble gargoyles and derive their energy directly from Myria, which means if Myria were to die, so would they. Through the course of history, they became known Dragon Slayers when they were angelicized through the lies perpetrated by the dominant religion while the Dragon Clan was demonized. The Guardians were the ones who hunted down the Dragons to near extinction. Some of the Guardians have had doubts about their creator's ambitions, but most of them continued to follow the Goddess' wishes out of blind faith and devotion. When they die, they turn into stone statues. Garr and Geist from the third game are the only Guardians left.

Highlanders: A clan of monkeys who reside in the highlands The people of this clan are incredibly gifted in terms of athletic ability, like quickness and jumping. Their personalities range from irrepressible jokesters to the ever-serious, from one extreme to the other. Sten from Breath of Fire II is of this race.

Iron Ogre Clan: A clan of anthropomorphic oxen. Warriors of the Iron Ogre clan are immense and powerful. They trace their mastery at creating weapons and armor back to ancient times. They are also skilled at breaking apart walls and hard rock. Despite their size, they are capable of delicate and subtle work.^[18] They are best at crafting weapons, but since they oppose war, they rarely use this talent. Ox/Builder from the first game is from this clan.

Manillo: A race of bipedal fish who are able to breathe while on land. A clan of traders, they boast that they will one day control the world's commerce. Their trade territory is any place that touches the sea. The Manillo are notorious for their greed.^[18] With the use of a special sphere, members of the clan can transform themselves into the "Big Fish". They often appear in the games as merchants and bankers. Although they feature prominently in Breath of Fire II and V, Gobi from the first game is the only playable character to ever come from this tribe.

Pabu-Pabu: A clan that lives in the archipelago to the north of the continent in one of the games. Because their language and culture are so utterly different, no one has any detailed information on their origins. A distinguishing characteristic of theirs is the extremely optimistic outlook they have dubbed "pabu-pabu" or "things will turn out all right." Some theorize that perhaps they, in contrast to the other clans (all of which originated with a summoned god), might be a native clan that was present at the beginning of the world.

Sand Clan: A clan of small humanoids whose appearance is entirely concealed by their robes. The Sand clan inhabits the desert of Arad in the first Breath of Fire, but can be found throughout the world in the third game.

Shaman: A clan of people with the ability to fuse with others to increase their powers and alter their appearance. The Shamans from Breath of Fire II belong to this tribe. It is also believed that Karn from Breath of Fire is from this tribe, although this is merely speculation.

Shell Clan: A race of large bipedal armadillos. Despite their intimidating stature, they are a humble and pacifistic people, as well as accomplished farmers. Rand from Breath of Fire II is from this tribe.

Wing Clan: A tribe of winged people that reside in the Kingdom of Wyndia. During the Goddess War, they fled into the mountains and have remained there ever since. Perhaps as a result, they have a profound distaste for conflict and avoid interactions with other clans.^[18] In the earlier games, their older members have the ability to transform into the "Great Bird". However, their wings degenerated as time went on, until a point came when they didn't have wings at all. The royalty of the Wing Clan wore garments that resembled wings. In the fourth game of the series, the clan was known as "the Fae." Nina is invariably from this clan.

Woren: A tribe of cat-people, resembling tigers. They are natural fighters and vary slightly in appearance from game to game. In the Japanese games they are called "Furen". Besides humans, they are the most recurrent tribe in terms of playability: Katt/Rinpu, Rei, Cray, and Lin are all Woren.

Clanless: Normal humans who have either renounced their clan or are of mixed heritage, having diluted their heritage to the point where clan specific powers are lost. In the beginning of the original game it is explained that the villagers of the starting town "renounced the dragon" with the exception of Ryu and Sara.

[edit] Games

[edit] Spinoffs

[edit] Music

In March 31, 2006, the Japanese record label Suleputer released an 11-disc box set of music from every title in the Breath of Fire series.^[19]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Breath of Fire series at MobyGames
• Dragon-Tear Extensive fansite with translations and a gallery