Dragon Quest, the first modern JRPG in the entire world is considered the standard along with Final Fantasy as to what a JRPG should be. Containing 11 total mainline games and a myriad of spin-offs, Dragon Quest is known for its incredibly bright worlds while also having a lot of dark subtexts. It is also illustrated by the great Akira Toriyama who is responsible for the Dragon Ball series. What's more, Dragon Quest has become so popular that it has essentially become a part of the Japanese subconscious and culture to this day.
As such here are the mainline games ranked based on their best versions according to Metacritic for newcomers. Please note that due to the nature of its localization, Dragon Quest X is not on the list as it is not reviewed on Metacritic.
10 Dragon Quest (73%) (IOS)
Starting off this list is the game that started it all. Although incredibly primitive by today's standards, it paved the way for JRPG's as well as other Dragon Quest games that came after it. Players take control of the descendant of Erdrick as he tries to stop the evil Dragonlord from using the orb of light and reigning over the world.
Although you can only control one character, the simplistic gameplay is addictive while the overworld is still bright and colorful. Fun fact about this game is that it actually has two endings, one of which leads to the events of the original Dragon Quest Builders.
9 Dragon Quest II: Luminaries Of The Legendary Line (76%) (IOS)
The sequel to the original Dragon Quest, what's interesting about this game is that it came out not too long after the original Dragon Quest. As such it introduced new concepts such as the party system that was implemented for the first time before Final Fantasy. However, since it was the first of its kind and the rush release, the game was notorious for being unbalanced when it came to its difficulty. Especially around the later stages of the game.
8 Dragon Quest III: Seeds Of Salvation (78%) (IOS)
The Dragon Quest game, the one that revolutionized the entire genre and what catapulted the series into stardom, Dragon Quest III is a game that may not be much to JRPG fans today but it introduced all of the tropes of the genres. Its class system was robust and switching was new at the time, the overworld is incredibly colorful and diverse all around, and the gameplay was simple but refined. Although the story is nothing to write home about, it's the journey and the places players visit that makes this entry so special.
7 Dragon Quest VII: Fragments Of The Forgotten Past (81%) (3DS)
The underrated game in the franchise, Dragon Quest VII originally came out in the PS1. It didn't receive too much attention due to the other great PS1 JRPGS at the time, but it did do things that were really interesting. Mainly the idea of travelling through time and restoring the world. A fun fact for newcomers is that there are actually two releases, the original PS1 version and the updated and expanded 3DS version. The latter version, in particular, sold over 800,000 copies during its first week in Japan.
6 Dragon Quest IV: Chapters Of The Chosen (86%) (IOS)
The first Dragon Quest game in the Zenethian trilogy, it is also the first Dragon Quest game to be based within a strong narrative. Taking place within a series of chapters, players got to learn more about each character and what they are capable of before eventually playing the main character Solo. Not only was this a cool way to tell a story, but it allows players to understand the characters more and get more invested as a result. It is still a beloved classic to this day.
5 Dragon Quest VI: Realms Of Reverie (86%) (IOS)
The last Zenethian Dragon Quest game that we know of so far, Dragon Quest VI expanded the job system greatly while also having a story that is surprisingly complicated. Fans were introduced to great characters from that game such as Terry who went on to have his own spin-off in the form of Dragon Quest Monsters. What's more, the setting was pretty unique even by Dragon Quest standards, where the dream world plays a deep part in the overall narrative with its own twists and turns.
4 Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels Of The Starry Skies (87%) (3DS)
Dragon Quest IX is one of the most unique entries in the Dragon Quest universe. While it still tells its own story, it is heavily reliant on the Nintendo 3DS's online capabilities, allowing fans to play with their friends on the go. What's more, the class system has been greatly expanded once again, in fact, it could be argued that the system is considered to be the best that it's ever been at that point. It should also be noted that the game was designed to be the most difficult Dragon Quest in the series at the time.
3 Dragon Quest VIII: Journey Of The Cursed King (89%) (PS2)
The first Dragon Quest game to be fully 3D, it is one of the best in the entire series. Although the plot was fairly simple, it elevated the standard formula of Dragon Quest which had come fully to life in Dragon Quest 8. What's more, the combat system had been revised to allow to not only allow for gameplay to be actually shown to the player for the first time rather than just see the enemies portraits, but it also introduced the tension system which had since been a staple to the franchise. This is also the title most known in the West.
2 Dragon Quest V: Hand Of The Heavenly Bride (90%) (IOS)
Easily the best story in the entire franchise and considered the best period by many fans, Dragon Quest V is a coming of age story that also introduced the concept of capturing Dragon Quest enemies in the form of monster taming.
What's more, the story has strong themes about family, which is not only incredibly wholesome but also set the precedence of Dragon Quest being all about heart. This is also considered the creator's personal favorite and had its own film called Dragon Quest: Your Story.
1 Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes Of An Elusive Age Definitive Edition (91%) (Switch)
The highest-rated Dragon Quest game is also the newest one in the franchise. Representing a full celebration of Dragon Quest as a series, there are many tropes and nods to the previous games while being perfectly accessible to new fans. Perfecting the combat system that was introduced in Dragon Quest VIII.
The story is also straightforward while also being incredibly well-told and in absolutely lovable ways. The new areas are also incredibly diverse and the characters are well-developed. With the switch version, it also included new features and stories that truly makes this version of Dragon Quest XI truly definitive.