What is your favorite character in Chrono Trigger?

[Imploded Tomato]

If you had to pick just one character, what character in Chrono Trigger would you pick as your favorite?

My favorite character was Magus as he was unique being that he could use more than one elemental magic attack and had an interesting conflict with humanity and frog. I also like how Magus could join the party if you didn't choose to slay him with Glenn (Frog). The Nintendo DS Version of Chrono Trigger had secret stones each character could equip to allow a triple member attack, allowing Magus to finally attack with the team which is another reason I liked Magus.

 

[Tai_MT]

I love Ayla.

The DS Version and the SNES version both had those stones which allowed the triple techs.  In fact, they were less visible on the SNES version than they were on the DS version (I guess so newbies didn't need a guide).  The only way Magus could ever do triple techs was the stones...

However... I tended to find Magus ungodly underpowered.  Most of the time I just rolled with Chrono, Marle, and Ayla because Chrono and Ayla tended to dish out the most damage with dual techs and Marle was basically your only healer in the game.  Though, sometimes I would swap out Ayla for Frog so I could really bolster my healing (Chrono is a force unto himself and you need little more than his overpowered weapons and overpowered Luminaire to kill everything).

 

[Harmill]

Robo and Frog. Non-human characters usually = insta favourite for me.

Gameplay wise, Robo turned out to be very useful having bulky stats, having a party heal, AoE damage, overall powerful attack. Combined with Frog, I was pretty set healing-wise. I pretty much played the whole game with that party (Ayla replaced Crono when I could). I never even got Magus in my party, and Marle and Lucca just sat near the Lamp post the whole game.

 

[captainproton]

Lucca and Robo were my favorite. Lucca, to me, was much more interesting than Chrono or Marle (but then, they all were) and I make it a point to save her mother every time I play it, ignoring my obsession with getting every possible ending. And Robo just seems like an even sadder character than Frog. Though Frog is pretty sweet.

 

[Oddball]

have you guys ever noticed the similarities between Crono trigger and the bible?

 

[Tai_MT]

Ever noticed the similarity between Chrono Trigger and Dragon Ball Z?  Yeah, you might notice that because the guy who wrote DBZ also did all the characters and most of the plot from Chrono Trigger.

To me, that's weird as crap since DBZ was boring as hell to me...  But, Chrono Trigger was the most amazing RPG I ever played.

 

[Psyker]

Magus is my favorite character.  Even though he is a villain for part of the game, his motives (in his on views) are actually good in my opinion.  He could be considered a good example of an anti-hero.

 

[Touchfuzzy]

Ever noticed the similarity between Chrono Trigger and Dragon Ball Z?  Yeah, you might notice that because the guy who wrote DBZ also did all the characters and most of the plot from Chrono Trigger.

Akira Toriyama was the artist for Chrono Trigger, not the writer. The original story draft for CT was done by Yuji Horii, the creator of Dragon Quest. (Toriyama did have input (as well as a bunch of other people), but Horii was the person who did the main outline).

 

[Tai_MT]

Well, that at least explains why Chrono Trigger is awesome....  And DBZ is only slightly more intelligent than slamming your thumbs in a doorframe.

 

[orochii]

Heh, then Chrono Trigger has a lot of Dragon Quest inside? Aside from the RPG elements/tropes, I mean...

===

My favourite character is Ayla. I like to beat the crap out of monsters with a character with zero magic ability <3. Also she is a very strong lady <3<3<3. And it's pretty versatile, I think. Double tech with Frog and I heal everyone with kisses (? feels a little squishy though, and has extra tongue, rawrr).

My party is always the same. Chrono, Ayla and Frog. IDK, I never got rid of OP Chrono... I do the same as Harmill with Marle and Lucca, I never use them except for the mandatory parts. I liked Robo, but... I actually don't know why I don't use him xD. Magus was more of a trophy for me, I didn't liked him =D. Chrono was fine, nothing outstanding as a character (he is silent after all). And I like the truth behing Frog's identity, ze.

 

[kenibatz]

I sincerely love all the characters of Chrono Trigger, but if I had to choose only one favorite, its going to be Crono.

• The way he is played as a "silent swordsman" is very samurai-esque.
• He is a cool adventurer with no seriously angst-ridden backstory.
• He can mop the floor with the baddest of the bad.
• He gets along with everyone despite his silence (or maybe because of?).
• He likes cats.

Above all, despite being the game's protagonist, his simple personality allows him to reflect the richness of the other characters and the world they live in.

 

[Tai_MT]

Chrono not just mops the floor with every enemy in the game...  But he has a hidden weapon with 1 attack power called a "mop".  Yeah...  Literally mopping the floor...

 

[kenibatz]

Chrono not just mops the floor with every enemy in the game...  But he has a hidden weapon with 1 attack power called a "mop".  Yeah...  Literally mopping the floor...

Oh no! Shhh! Spoiler Alert!

But seriously, that was one of my favorite moments of the game. Its why Chrono Trigger is still one of my all time-favorites.

 

[captainproton]

Here's something I noticed, though:

Magus : Sorcerer with multiple magic skils

Robo: weaponized robot

Frog: knight of the realm, under enchantment

Ayla: warrior woman from harsh prehistory

Lucca: raised in a technology-rich household

Marle: princess, likely to have taken archery lessons

Chrono: COMPLETELY RANDOM KID WHO IS A MASTER SAMURAI.

 

[byronclaude]

What...  no love for Marle? 

Everyone loves an upbeat fun-loving blonde haired princess....   don't they?

 

[Tai_MT]

The problem with Marle is that she's really not given any kind of character motivation or personality.  She's a living plot device that has served its purpose once you escape from the dungeon.  She's got lines and everything for every situation...  It's just that she's got no motivation beyond "follow my future husband around" until you enter the endgame content of "get the Rainbow Shell" in which she suddenly becomes very concerned about her father for all of 20 minutes and then goes back to adventuring with you.

I like who Marle is in the few bits you get of her...  But, ultimately, she's kind of left a more hollow and empty shell than Chrono himself is.

Like every RPG ever created...  She's the White Mage.  She doesn't need personality.  She doesn't need much backstory.  She's there to save and your motivation for saving her is either for the token love story between her and the main character...  Or because she's your White Mage and doing fights without her would be a pain.

While we're at it...  Ayla has the same problem.  She receives no character development or anything once you see Lavos crash into the planet.  After that... she's kind of just tagging along because...  Why not?  The rest of the characters in the game get pretty good motivations, backstories, and even arcs...  But Marle and Ayla really don't have any beyond their pertinence to the plot (of which...  Ayla's only point to the plot is to give you some Dreamstone... there's no reason for her to tag along with you at all... even after getting the Dactyls for you).

 

[kenibatz]

Chrono: COMPLETELY RANDOM KID WHO IS A MASTER SAMURAI.

That's an awesome observation. BD If I may add, a Suddenly Master Samurai who probably first learned how to fight with a mop.  

What...  no love for Marle? 

Everyone loves an upbeat fun-loving blonde haired princess....   don't they?

I'd vote for Marle for favorite RPG princess. She's awesome.

The problem with Marle is that she's really not given any kind of character motivation or personality.  She's a living plot device that has served its purpose once you escape from the dungeon.  She's got lines and everything for every situation...  It's just that she's got no motivation beyond "follow my future husband around" until you enter the endgame content of "get the Rainbow Shell" in which she suddenly becomes very concerned about her father for all of 20 minutes and then goes back to adventuring with you.

Wonderful insight! Your deconstruction gives me something to think about with my own stories.

I think it's also worth considering that character development in a gaming environment also depends on who the player invests in most.

On paper, Ayla and Marle may seem to have basic motivations compared to the others, but for a player who always included them in their active party, they will feel more alive, no?

It's subjective, I'd wager. And a topic that goes beyond Chrono Trigger and probably fits better in game theory.

 

[Tai_MT]

I always had Marle and Ayla in my party, ha ha.  They didn't feel "more alive" because their stories, arcs, motivations, etcetera... ended when their portion of the main story was done (saving Marle from vanishing due to timeline being rewritten... and Ayla giving you the Dactyls and Dreamstone).

Robo's story actually continues on and starts to make a lot more sense...  His motivations are also really clear and always present (he wants to help Lucca because she repaired him.  Later he wants to help replant a forest.  He later gets some of his memories back and it becomes clear why he ever turned on humanity in the first place... and what he left behind when he did).  Lucca's story is about trying to study the Time Gates she unwittingly activated.  She's also Chrono's Best Friend, so she hangs out most of the time as a means to help him with whatever he's doing.  Lucca also tends to have all the plans in the group and helps keep everyone moving forward to eventually destroying Lavos.  Frog's motivation is purely to stop and destroy Magus.  He's got a personal arc in there about the friend he lost and accepting that he's the "True Hero of Legend" as well.  Finally, if you decide you could use Magus's help, he decides that Lavos is a much larger threat that needs to be stopped instead of Magus.  Magus's motivations are unclear at first, but once you visit the underwater palace, you realize all of his motivations are geared towards finding his sister and destroying the creature that took her.  To that end, he quite literally does anything to accomplish it, including becoming a villain.

But... Marle...  And Ayla...?  They don't really serve much purpose beyond their initial sections of plot.  It's not even clear why Ayla is in the party later on (she certainly never explains... or talks about much of anything after the destruction of the Tyranno Lair).  Marle makes the initial suggestion that they destroy Lavos...  But, her motivations are somewhat unclear after that.  She wants to stop the end of the world for the same reason the player does.  Which means... her reasons are whatever they need to be to advance the plot and not because she's her own character.  She's around for Chrono to get some lovin' and that's about it.

 

[Diretooth]

Robo, or as I often named him, Tobor (Guess the reference) was always and still is my favorite character.

 

[kenibatz]

I always had Marle and Ayla in my party, ha ha.  They didn't feel "more alive" because their stories, arcs, motivations, etcetera... ended when their portion of the main story was done (saving Marle from vanishing due to timeline being rewritten... and Ayla giving you the Dactyls and Dreamstone).

Your objective analysis is exceptional considering you favored Marle and Ayla in your party.

I'm certain I can't give an unbiased and critical opinion on anything about Chrono Trigger.

If you're not one, you'd probably make a great editor or analyst.