Ortega is a character in Dragon Quest III; the father of the Hero destined to become Erdrick.
Appearance[]
Ortega is a muscular, heavily scarred man nearing the final stages of middle-age in all of his appearances, having irregularly spiked hair and an unkempt beard. His clothing varies between two designs, such as in the American version of III released on the NES in 1992 he is depicted wearing a set of blue armor with matching greaves and wrist guards and a plain sword. Ortega's modern design eschews this outfit for a simple brown tunic, matching belt and boots, and a golden tiara that matches the silver one worn by his child. The sword has been replaced by a gargantuan axe as large as Ortega's torso with golden trim set into the bit and handle, wrapped with a blue fabric that matches the gem set into the end knob. Complimenting this is a black circular shield that also has golden trim.
Personality[]
Despite looking the part of a fearsome barbarian, Ortega maintains a jovial demeanor and easily makes friends during his globetrotting, leading to him being beloved by countless people the world over. Ortega is the concept of the selfless hero personified, being a man ready to put aside his own happiness for the sake of the greater good when the entire world is threatened even though it deeply pains him to leave behind his wife and child. He shoulders this herculean task alone on the basis that he is the only man remotely capable of it, never once attempting to force the burden on to a companion or party of allies, with a dauntless stoicism seen in his unflinching gaze. Though this lone wolf tendency is born out of a sense of personal responsibility rather than pride or arrogance, it nevertheless would prove disastrous for the man later in his life and is the very reason why the King of Aliahan implores Ortega's child to take on a band of comrades before venturing out on their own quest.
Biography[]
Dragon Quest III[]
Biography[]
When the Hero was just a baby, Ortega left on a quest to destroy the Archfiend Baramos. He is shown in an intro movie in III, fighting a monster (a dragon in the original release) on top of a volcano which ends with both of them falling in. The intro is further expanded in the Super Famicom and Game Boy Color remakes, showing Ortega travelling the world on his quest before finally reaching the volcano and the fateful battle.
Prior to this, Ortega visited nearly every town and significant location that his offspring later would, fostering a reputation as an incredible hero. Of particular note is his time spent in Mur, where the village children were in awe of him. One such youth, Petya, even viewed him as a surrogate father figure. Touched by the kindness of the children, Ortega left behind his helmet, originally received as a farewell gift from the people of Aliahan, as a keepsake.
After falling through the mantle after his volcanic skirmish, Ortega somehow found himself in Alefgard without his memories. Learning of the plight of the people, he made his way to Rimuldar and took upon himself the quest of defeating Zoma, eventually making his way to Zoma's Citadel and confronting one of Zoma's underlings, King Hydra, just moments before his child arrives.
The fight with King Hydra would be Ortega's last, his body so badly burned that he was unable to see clearly nor hear. He regains his memory as his life fades and with his dying breath tells his child that he is "Ortega of Aliahan and if you ever travel there, to tell my wife and child" what happened, that he's sorry he failed, and that he couldn't be there for them.
The Super Famicom and Game Boy Color remakes expands on his travels as he is shown traveling to locations such as:
Fight Against King Hydra[]
Ortega is a non-playable character, as the fight between Ortega and King Hydra is fully scripted. This fight cannot be won by Ortega, however through randomization, it can last for upwards of five minutes, and ultimately will end regardless once Ortega is out of MP. In the original NES version of Dragon Quest III, after being killed by King Hydra, a special "Ortega's Death" theme played. However, this song was removed from subsequent ports of Dragon Quest III.
Revival[]
Thanks to one of the magical wishes granted by the dragon Xenlon, the Hero can return their father Ortega back to life and transport him to Aliahan. All of Aliahan was rejoiced by the fact, even moving the king out of his depression. Ortega decided to stay behind with his wife, having full confidence that his child would succeed where he failed. He did however grew a little tired of the non-stop talking of his delighted wife.
Spells[]
Ortega is shown using the following spells during his fight with King Hydra:
Other Appearances[]
Dragon Quest X[]
Appears during the Great Demon King Zoma Event. Just like in his game of origin, he collapses halfway through Zoma's Citadel.
Dragon Quest of the Stars[]
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Dragon Quest Walk[]
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Dragon Quest Rivals Aces[]
Appears as part of the 2nd card series.
Dragon Quest: Emblem of Roto - To the Children who inherit the Emblem (manga)[]
Appears in the chapter #191: "The will that is inherit" of the manga drawn by Kamui Fujiwara.
Gallery[]
Trivia[]
- If the Hero and his party defeats the dragon Xenlon, they are offered a wish to bring Ortega back to life. If this wish is granted, Ortega stays at the house in Aliahan, and the player is no longer given free room and board at the house. This only applies in the remake versions of Dragon Quest III, as Xenlon does not appear in the original release.
- In the original NES/Famicom release, the player cannot stay at the house in Aliahan for free after defeating Baramos.
- If you use the advanced recall spell while never using it up to that point, the hero can recall a conversation between Ortega and his or her mother taking place before the events of the game.
Other languages[]
| Other languages | |
| French | Ortega |
| German | Ortega |
| Spanish | Ortega |
| Latin American Spanish | Unknown |
| Italian | Ortega |
| Dutch | Unknown |
| Norwegian | Unknown |
| Greek | Unknown |
| Portuguese | Unknown |
| Russian | Unknown |
| Chinese | Unknown |
| Korean | Unknown |
See also[]