Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince gets new character & story details, new media and more

Following up on their summertime reveal of the next Dragon Quest Monsters title — Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince — Square Enix this morning dropped off a hefty update to coincide with their TGS announcements.

The newly announced game details delve into story and key characters of Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince, and flips around the script by offering a different perspective on what happened during the events of Dragon Quest IV: The Chapters of the Chosen.

Have a look at the media and game information below, and stay tuned for the Nintendo Switch RPG exclusive on December 1st, 2023.

Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince screens:

Today, SQUARE ENIX revealed new details regarding the overarching story and key characters featured in the upcoming role-playing game DRAGON QUEST MONSTERS: The Dark Prince. Additionally, fans of the closely connected DRAGON QUEST IV: The Chapters of the Chosen story will also see the return of several iconic locations throughout Psaro’s adventure to becoming the Master of Monsterkind. DRAGON QUEST MONSTERS: The Dark Prince launches worldwide on December 1, 2023, exclusively on Nintendo Switch.

Offering fans an alternate depiction of the events during DRAGON QUEST IV: The Chapters of the Chosen, DRAGON QUEST MONSTERS: The Dark Prince explores the untold story from the perspective of Psaro himself, the enigmatic prince of monsterkind, who swears revenge against the ruthless and cruel Master of Monsterkind, Randolfo the Tyrant.

Psaro’s mother, Miriam, is a human and his father is the Master of Monsterkind, Randolfo the Tyrant, making Psaro the demi-human prince of Nadiria, the monster world. Sadly, Miriam is gravely ill, and Psaro ventures into Nadiria to ask his father to cure her sickness. Randolfo rejects his pleas outright and proceeds to curse Psaro so that he may never harm a creature of monster blood directly, kicking off Psaro’s quest to take revenge against his father’s cruelty and rule over Nadiria himself.
Key figures players will meet throughout Psaro’s adventure in DRAGON QUEST MONSTERS: The Dark Prince, include the following:

  • Randolfo the Tyrant, The Uncompromising Ruler of All Nadiria: Psaro’s imposing father, his archnemesis and the Master of Monsterkind. He has governed the chaos of Nadiria for many years with an iron fist.
  • Dolph the Destroyer, Nadiria’s Most Vicious General: Randolfo the Tyrant’s eldest son, rumoured to be the most powerful fighter in all Nadiria. Possessed of unmatched strength, he is widely believed to be his father’s chosen successor to the Nadirian throne.
  • The Zenith Dragon, The All-Seeing Dragon God: The Dragon God who watches all-knowingly over the world’s affairs from Zenithia, a castle in the clouds.
  • Healie, A Boy in Search of an Old Friend: A naïve young boy who travels the world in search of a long-lost companion. He didn’t always look like this though…
  • Ludo, An Elusive and Enigmatic Youth: A mysterious young man with a penchant for peculiar poetry. He has a habit of appearing in unexpected places and seems to know Psaro all too well…
  • Percival, Army Captain Devoted to His King: An army captain who is fiercely loyal to his liege lord and will carry out even the most barbaric orders without a second thought.
  • General Chayne, Trusted Keeper of Diabolic Hall: Keeper of the fortress known as Diabolic Hall. This hardened warrior seeks to use his immense power to stop Psaro from achieving his ambition.
  • Miriam, Psaro’s Sick Mother: Psaro’s human mother. She lives in the human world of and has come down with a mysterious illness.
  • The Chosen Heroes of DQIV: In DQIV, the Chosen Heroes set out to stop Psaro and end his cruel ambitions in order to save the world. It would seem their actions will influence this story too, and judging from their grim expressions, the threat they face is surely a dire one…

Players will also be able to visit memorable locations from DRAGON QUEST IV: The Chapters of the Chosen. As to the role these locations play in the story, players will have to find that out for themselves! Some of these settings include:

  • Rosehill: Psaro’s base of operations is the sleepy village of Rosehill, where monsters and dwarves live together in harmony. It may be small, but Rosehill is home to shops and a church, as well as the Altar of Amalgamation and a paddock where monsters can relax. It’s the perfect place for a budding monster wrangler to blossom.
  • Diabolic Hall: The monster stronghold.
  • Zenithia: Where the Zenith Dragon observes the world.
  • Several other locations from DQIV will also feature prominently!

DRAGON QUEST MONSTERS: The Dark Prince is now available for digital pre-orders and pre-purchase exclusively for Nintendo Switch via the Square Enix official store and at retail. Players who pre-order or pre-purchase the game will also receive the Head Start Set which includes:

  • Stardust Earrings x1
  • Scholar’s Specs x1
  • Bonus Ball x5