Summary
JRPGs are known for theirengaging party systems. Almost every JRPG to date has players forming a group of like-minded heroes to aid one another in defeating enemies or righting some huge wrong in the world. The main draw for most parties, however, is how diverse each character is both in terms of their personality and role within the group. For every valiant knight or brave warrior that players might want to utilize in battle, there’s a shadowy rogue to accompany them.
Rogues fill various niches in both lighthearted andincredibly difficult JRPGs, with some games having them rely on high agility to dodge attacks or farm critical hits on opponents. Some games even utilize the rogue as a means to steal both items and attributes from the enemy. While some of these JRPGs don’t expressly have a “rogue” class, they each have a character or vocation that embodies the rogue elements of agility and subterfuge.
A feared and lethal member of the bracer’s guild, Joshua is often seen wielding dual scimitars in battle, a mainstay for many JRPGs with a focus on the rogue archetype. The first chapter in theTrails in the Skyseries brings with it some of the most iconic characters players will encounter in the series, and Joshua’s lethality as an assassin makes him a mainstay. Some fans critique him for being weaker in head-to-head combat, but like any good rogue, he shines when he has the jump on his opponent.
The legendaryTrailsseries is considered by many to be the opus of Nihon Falcom, which hasreleased some incredible titles. The first chapter in theTrails in the Skyseries is a great place for players new to the series to begin exploring this world.
While many games on this list have rogue characters that are essential in their party,Radiant Historiahas a central protagonist who fills the rogue archetype perfectly. Rather than being a mighty armor-clad knight, Stocke is an agent, and as such, has many skills based around theft and subterfuge.
Playing throughthis immensely replayablegame with a character not focused as strictly on swords and sorcery as many other fantasy JRPG protagonists is a treat in its own right, butRadiant Historiais a game like no other, even beyond its rogue-styled protagonist.
Locke is a charismatic character and one of the central players inFinal Fantasy 6’s ensemble cast. He plays mechanically and narratively like a true rogue, despite his assertions that he is, in fact, a treasure hunter.
Witha host of heroicand charming characters that come together to makeFF6one of the best entries in the series, Locke stands out as a rogue type with a heart of gold and clear, compelling motivations.
Boasting an epic, continent-spanning narrative and a host of remarkable characters, the incredibleUnicorn Overlordhas no shortage of novel unit combinations that can help turn the tides in the fight against Zenoira.
Beginning with Travis and extending to a few other potential recruits, the upgraded version of the thief class has skills that sap resource points from enemies and attack with lethal precision, as well as apply potent debuffs.
Befitting the rogue archetype, Anna is a silent and highly effective master of the battlefield in thehighly engagingTriangle Strategy. She uses her agility and stealth to take opponents out while they’re unaware.
Anna also has incredible mobility for a non-flying unit in this title, able to scale walls with ease and get into more advantageous positions for stealth attacks.
Rogues are powerful tools for both offense and debuffs inTactics Ogre, with a level of speed on the battlefield that makes them all the more dangerous. InTactics Ogre, every unit needs to pull its weight.
This means if a unit doesn’t have a niche purpose they’re expressly working toward every turn, they’re a liability to the overall army - so rogues, who have a variety of purposes such as offensive, debuff, and item-stealing fighters on the battlefield, will always have a place in the player’s army.
Erik is an incredibly well-written character, embodying the rogue archetypes in combat while having an uplifting and incredibly engaging character. With the newremake ofDragon Quest 3drawing more people than ever to this series, now is the perfect time to see why many have been callingDQ11one of the lot.
Erik has powerful physical abilities and great agility, as a character he’s portrayed as incredibly loyal but still three-dimensional. There are few rogue characters - who are often portrayed as moody and brooding - that have the same vitality as Erik.
Dragon’s Dogma 2,while a fantastic title, made some changes to the vocations that had mixed appeal. On the one hand, splitting the strider vocation into the thief and archer classes makes for more variety - but the synthesis of these two playstyles inDark Arisenmade for a rogue class like no other.
Striders were masters of maneuvering around the battlefield. They were, as all good rogues are, swift and dextrous, and still able to dish plenty of damage (from both afar and up close) while keeping themselves safe with their agility.
