Dragon Quest Fans Really Don't Like DQ12's "Gen Z" Protagonist

Dragon Quest 12: Beyond Dreams' "Gen Z" protagonist has been met with a surprising amount of mixed reception since the rebooted game was revealed earlier this week, with some even asking to swap with Smash/Grow.

When it was confirmed earlier this week that we'd be getting a special showcase for the 40th anniversary of Dragon Quest, we all hoped that an update on the series' long-awaited 12th mainline game, Flames of Fate, was going to appear. Well, that wish did end up coming true, but not quite in the way we all imagined.

After hitting various snags during development, Dragon Quest 12 was completely rebooted and turned from the darker entry that was only hinted at into Beyond Dreams, a much lighter and typical affair for the series. The rebooted version of DQ12 also has a new protagonist befitting its sleepy themes, although it's fair to say he's not getting the warmest reception so far.

Dragon Quest 12's Protagonist Is Being Memed To Death For Being "Gen Z"

"Looks Like He Works A Full-Time Retail Job"

You'd think that Dragon Quest 12 finally getting a new trailer would be met with nothing but excitement, but that hasn't exactly been the reaction so far, with some disappointed with a longer development cycle and the changed tone. Perhaps the biggest point of contention so far, though, is the hero of Beyond Dreams, whose design a lot of people really don't like.

The hero of Beyond Dreams certainly has a different vibe from the rest of the series' protagonists, from his much more modern haircut (which, to be fair, is a staple of Toriyama's work) to his incredibly sleep-deprived eyes. It's a look that Dragon Quest fans clearly aren't entirely on board with just yet, as a single glance at the game's subreddit shows.

One of the most popular posts comes from Redditor George_R_Martin, who asked if we can "swap" DQ12's hero for the more tradtional one featured in Smash/Grow. While some of the comments are defending how unique the hero looks, many are making fun of him, pointing out how off-puttingly modern he looks, and that he "looks like he should be selling herbs of the finest quality".

This is very reminiscent of what happened with John Dragon Ball for Xenoverse 3, but the complete opposite effect.

It's a similar story over on the official Dragon Quest Twitter, as a post sharing the new characters has some pretty negative comments, with one even calling the hero's design an "insult to Toriyama", despite it being designed by him. Others call his look "ugly" and suggest that the hero looks more like a "secondary character who's been bullied".

While the new hero does have some defenders, and not everyone is quite as bothered by Beyond Dreams' art style as others, it's clear that the sleepy guy is quite divisive right now. As someone who looks that tired in real life, I'm on board with the new hero, and hopefully more looks at the game will convince everyone else.