I’m a little behind on the news, but I had to say something! The latest Tales game, Tales of Arise, is getting a DLC expansion/sequel called Tales of Arise –Beyond the Dawn, set to be released worldwide Nov. 9. It adds 20+ hours of content, including new sidequests, dungeons, and bosses, as well as new skits and cutscenes featuring the six original members: Alphen, Shionne, Law, Rinwell, Kisara, and Dohalim.
The story takes place one year after the end of Tales of Arise. A chance encounter puts our heroes in charge of a girl named Nazamil, the daughter of a Renan Lord and a Dahnan. Because of her heritage, she’s seen as an “abomination” by both Dahnans and Renans, and her life is threatened. Alphen and the gang decide to protect her, putting them at odds with both sides. Can they save this girl and the peaceful, equal world they risked their lives to create?
Speaking as someone who’s played the base game, I think this sounds like an excellent way to explore the consequences and implications of the party’s actions. I can’t wait to see how they handle things!
If you haven’t played Tales of Arise yet, grab a copy now! You’ll need it to play Beyond the Dawn as well. Or you can get the new edition that features both the base game and the DLC.
I’ve read a lot of posts ranking the six main characters from Tales of Arise by their fighting styles. That’s fine if you only care about crafting the best team for battles, but to me, fighting style is the least important part of a character, even in an RPG. So I thought about how I’d rank the characters based on…well, everything else.
First, some info about the game. Tales of Arise is about a pair of warring worlds called Dahna and Rena. 300 years ago, the Renans invaded Dahna and forced the people into slavery to steal their astral energy, the elemental power inside every living being. Dahna is now divided into five realms, each with a Renan lord ruling over it.
The heroes of the story (in the order you meet them) are:
Alphen, the lead character, a Dahnan slave with amnesia who can’t feel pain
Shionne, a Renan woman with “thorns”, a curse that inflicts pain on anyone who touches her
Rinwell, a teenage Dahnan mage with a deep hatred for Renans
Law, a teenage Dahnan traitor who works for the local Renan lord
Dohalim, an eccentric Renan noble who’s kind to everyone, Renan or Dahnan
Together, these six rebels set out to defeat the lords and liberate Dahna.
This isn’t my favorite Tales party (or my favorite game), but they’re okay. Here’s my character ranking from least favorite to favorite, based less on their fighting styles and more on their designs, personalities, and stories. I’ll avoid major spoilers unless they’re obvious.
Note: I haven’t finished the game yet — I’m on the final arc, but I haven’t entered the last area — so I’m only going off what I know so far. That means something I say may be wrong. If so, I may update this post later, but I doubt my character ranking will change.
Bandai Namco polled the Japanese Tales fans again this year to find out the most popular characters in the entire series. The only Tales of Arise character who didn’t make the top 20 was Kisara. We don’t know where she ranked, in fact, because they only reveal the top 30 — and she wasn’t there, either. Ouch.
From what I can tell, though, she’s more popular here in the west. I think that’s because she looks like a supermodel, she’s the tank of the party with her giant shield, and she’s an all-around nice lady. That’s great and all, but…I’m with the Japanese fans. I don’t like her.
To those of you who have played the game, it’s not because of that scene with Dohalim. You know which one. I won’t talk about it because you need to see it before you can judge it fairly.
Here’s why I don’t like her. First, she has no reason to be in the party. None. The game even lampshades this! Twice!
And no, being the Team Mom (which gets annoying sometimes) and the tank (which is just for gameplay) aren’t good enough. What I mean is she has no personal motivation to travel with this group. The game wants you to think she’s fighting for her beliefs, but you can’t tell if those beliefs are really hers, or she’s just championing other people’s causes.
That’s another problem: her story revolves around other characters. It feels like her only purpose to help her friends work through their issues. Is that admirable? Yes, but what’s she supposed to get out of this adventure? The game doesn’t answer that well.
Because of that, she barely grows as a person, except for how she interacts with Dohalim. I’ll admit I like how their dynamic changes throughout the story, and I think it highlights the game’s themes better than Alphen and Shionne’s relationship. But notice I’m talking about Kisara plus another character. On her own, she doesn’t add much.
Moving on. Her character design. It’s boring.
Yeah, I said that. I know some people love it, but I don’t. It’s too…monochromatic? Is that the right word? Maybe. White and gold armor? Fine, but did her hair and eyes have to be golden, too? 😕
I get it: she’s supposed to remind you of a lion, since lions are her motif. That’s fine, but my eyes fall asleep if I try to look at her for more than two seconds. She’s pretty, but there’s nothing appealing about this design to me. It’s just another suit of armor…
…until she turns around. 🙄 That’s something else I hate about her design: the obvious fanservice. Her armor is open in the back from her neck to her knees, and let’s just say there’s a big reason some players love her.
Okay, I’ll end with something nice about Kisara: she’s…strong. Her fighting style is bashing things with her mace and shield, as well as blocking instead of dodging. It’s clunky sometimes, but at least she plays her role as the tank well.
UPDATE (1/10/22): My feelings about Kisara have changed since I wrote this post. I’ll keep the character ranking the same, but still, I’ve grown to appreciate her more. There’s more to her than I thought.
5. Rinwell
My first experience with Tales of Arise was watching my brother play half of it. He hated Rinwell at first — I don’t know if he still does — and I often defended her. When a hero starts out with a trait that threatens to make them unlikable, I reserve judgment until I see if the writers plan for them to grow out of it. Eight times out of ten, they do.
Rinwell’s arc is obvious. She’s rude to every Renan she meets, including Shionne and Dohalim at first, even if they haven’t personally hurt her. What does she need to learn? To stop judging people by race — i.e., in this story, where they come from, not their skin tones — and treat them as individuals instead. Many people in real life need to get this message into their heads, so I’m glad Tales of Arise has a character like her.
But while she gets good character growth, the game doesn’t show us her backstory. It tells it instead, mostly in skits (the Tales term for static cutscenes). The characters stand around and listen to her talk with no images of her past for the player to look at.
Bad move, especially with a story like hers. Without seeing what she went through, it’s harder to emphasize with her and feel her rage and sorrow. Because of this, her racist remarks feel like blind hatred instead of impulses stemming from her trauma. That’s why she’s more annoying than sympathetic.
And that’s why she’s #5 in my ranking. I want to like her more. I want to forgive her, especially since she’s just a kid. But no matter how hard I try, I can’t.
Design-wise, though, I love her. She’s my second favorite character (after #1 in this post). I’d love to cosplay her, but I couldn’t pull off the look of a 14-year-old girl. (May not stop me from trying, though.)
What’s that cute little marshmallow in her hood? That’s Hootle, her pet owl and the mascot of Tales of Arise. Their friendship helps humanize her.
I’ve also warmed up to Rinwell’s fighting style. I never play mages in Tales games, but watching my brother master her “magic” (a.k.a. astral artes) made me want to learn it.
4. Alphen
“But Alphen is the protagonist! You’re supposed to love him!”
Well, I don’t. I’m not gonna rank him higher just because he’s on the cover.
As heroes go, he’s not that interesting to me — or rather, he’s only interesting in contrived ways that have nothing to do with his personality or behavior. He can’t feel pain. He wears a weird mask he can’t take off. He doesn’t remember his past. Geez! Did Bandai Namco play Cliché Roulette to come up with this character?
In order for us to want to follow a character’s journey to learn more about himself, he needs to be just as interesting without those details. But Alphen isn’t. When you strip all of it away, he’s a generic hero with a rough life — for the first three hours of the game.
That’s another reason I’m not invested in his story: we don’t spend enough time with him as a slave to feel like he’s suffering. Everyone around him looks miserable, but not him, especially since he can’t feel pain! (The game presents the later reveals about his past better, but they’re still cliché.)
Another thing that annoys me about Alphen is how little agency he has. He spends most of the game following Shionne or other proactive characters or reacting to some big reveal or dilemma. Does he change? A little…maybe.
I think Tales of Arise would be better if Shionne were the protagonist, but that’s a post for another day.
One more complaint: whose idea was it to name him Alphen? We already had an Alvin in Tales of Xillia! Have fun discussing those games at the same time! 🤦♀️
Anyway, what about Alphen’s character design? I hate it. He looks cooler with the mask, but this armor is hideous and doesn’t suit his personality. (At least he has better outfits you can put him in.) Story-wise, I think I know why Bandai Namco gave him this look, but it’s still a 1/10 for me.
His fighting style is fun, though. Swordsmen are my go-tos in Tales games, so I knew I’d love playing as him. Busting out the Blazing Sword and torching the battlefield is a blast.
3. Shionne
Like I said, Tales of Arise would be at least 50 percent better if Shionne was the protagonist instead of Alphen. She sets the plot in motion, and she has more at stake than he does. Plus, most of the later reveals in the game tie into her story, too.
But like with Rinwell, you have to get used to Shionne’s personality and reserve judgment until later in the game. She’s the type who bottles up her feelings and lashes out at anyone who tries to get close to her, figuratively and literally. If you’re not patient, it’s easy to write her off as unlikable.
I almost did. Some of her early interactions with Alphen are hard to sit through and make you wonder how (and why) he puts up with her. But once you find out what she’s going through, you understand her. It doesn’t justify her prickliness, but you can forgive her.
Besides, you know she’ll change by the end of the story. That’s another reason she should be the protagonist. Not only does she have a more interesting conflict than Alphen, but she also grows more as a person.
I might write a separate post about this because Tales of Arise isn’t the only Tales game with the wrong protagonist. It’s not the worst case, either. At least Alphen has a connection to the plot. You know who doesn’t? Jude in Tales of Xillia. (Oh, boy, that game is a mess.)
Anyway, the only reason I didn’t rank Shionne #2 is because character #2 is more endearing and provides much-needed comic relief. But he’s not as well written, so I admit I’m not being fair to her. Let’s just say she’s #3 for personality, but #2 for story.
Design-wise, third place works just fine. I like her outfit, but I’m not wild about it. The hairpiece and jagged details on her dress, representing her thorns, are a cool touch, but like with Kisara’s design, her color scheme bores me. I wish she had one or two cool colors other than her eyes.
Also, how Shionne gets this dress in-game is ridiculous. I won’t give it away, but why, Bandai Namco? Why?
As for her fighting style, it’s okay. She uses guns and bombs, but chances are you’ll put her in the party just to heal people. That’s her speciality.
Yeah, the healer blows things up. Even Alphen says that’s a weird combination. If it were any other character, I’d say it makes no sense, but I think it suits her.
Distance is a theme of her character, so it’s no wonder she taught herself how to use a long-range weapon. But Alphen likes to talk about how she secretly cares about people and wants to be closer to them. I think having healing artes reflects that part of her.
2. Law
Okay, Law doesn’t deserve to be this high in my ranking. His personality is the only reason he’s not at the bottom with Kisara. He’s the hotheaded goofball, and I like that type of character. It’s refreshing sometimes, especially as the game gets darker and weirder.
Also, Winx fans, yes: he looks like Riven — and he acts like him when you first meet him. Law may be the comic relief, but he has serious moments, too. He almost seems like a different character at first: grouchy, untrustworthy, and rebellious. So, yeah, Riven.
But once Law joins the party, you see his fun-loving side — maybe too soon, given how tragic his story is.
That said, he has even less reason to be in the party than Kisara does. It feels like he’s just following Alphen around. Later, he develops a crush on Rinwell (sure, why not?), and she becomes the focus of his story.
So we have two characters who exist just to benefit other characters. That’s a third of the cast. Yikes.
As for his character design, it’s my least favorite. I like his face and hair and his color scheme — the yellow belt helps break things up — but his outfit looks slapped-together. It fits his personality, but it looks ugly on screen.
Case in point: see that wolf’s head on his shoulder? You can unlock this same outfit minus that accessory. Seems like even his designer knew it was an eyesore.
His fighting style is okay, though. I don’t use him much in battle, but I appreciate the joke. Law’s name has to be a reference to Marshall Law from Tekken, a martial artist like him.
Well, just one character left. You know what that means. My favorite character from Tales of Arise is…
1. Dohalim
I love him. He’s not just my favorite character in this game — he’s become my favorite Tales character, period. And I’m not alone. Remember that official popularity poll I mentioned in Kisara’s section? Guess who won first place this year? 😁
Yes, I know — it’s just one poll from one country. We also don’t know why most people picked Dohalim as their favorite character. Maybe they liked playing as him. Maybe they liked his story. Maybe they just think he’s handsome. Who knows?
All I can tell you is why I love him.
For starters, it’s fitting he’s a lover of the arts because he’s a work of art himself. This is one of the most stunning character designs I’ve ever seen. It’s colorful without looking gaudy, even with his Ariel red hair. All the colors complement each other. The blue stands out, but it’s not loud — it’s calming.
He’s…beautiful. I don’t know how else to put it. Dohalim is beautiful. And his outfit matches his background and personality perfectly.
Fortunately, Bandai Namco didn’t waste this design on a lame character. Dohalim’s arc is excellent, too. It’s not perfect, but his character growth is written well. Plus, they show his backstory (more than once, in fact) instead of telling us about it, so it feels more relevant and emotional. Why don’t they do that with Law, Rinwell, and Kisara? Beats me. 🤷♀️
Also, the resolution to Dohalim’s arc ties into the main plot. That’s one reason some players group him with Alphen and Shionne as a protagonist, especially since the game focuses on him a lot towards the end. It’s a shame Bandai Namco has said they won’t make a Tales of Arise 2 because his story sets it up for them. If not a sequel, why not a future arc like in Tales of Graces? C’mon, guys! Don’t waste a perfect hook!
One more thing about his arc: it’s the least predictable. You can guess how Alphen, Shionne, Law, and Rinwell’s arcs will end as soon as you meet them. A few details might be different, but the basic plots are obvious. But most of Dohalim’s story surprises you. I didn’t see the ending coming, but it’s more satisfying than what I expected.
Dohalim’s Character Traits
Yeah, I’m not done gushing over him yet. Sorry, not sorry. 😁
Something else I love about Dohalim is he’s a bundle of contradictions. As the “old man” in the party — he’s only 28, but the Tales series treats anyone over 23 as a senior citizen — he’s the wisest, most mature, and most composed member (usually). But because of his upper-class lifestyle, he never learned to be independent. Because of this, the other characters treat him like a child sometimes because he doesn’t even know how to dress himself!
Also, he’s polite, reserved, and sensitive — yet also “extra”, as the kids say. He uses a lot of 50-cent words, he has weird tastes, he recites poetry out of nowhere, and he makes dramatic gestures and poses. The other characters wonder sometimes if he’s crazy. (I wonder if he’s acting, playing things up a little.)
Finally, he’s kind, even to people society says he shouldn’t be kind to (such as the Dahnans), but he can still be self-absorbed. This flaw causes him to make mistakes with huge consequences for his story.
With so many conflicting traits, you’d think a few of them would feel out of character for him. But they don’t. His story explains most of them, and the rest you can infer where they came from easily. So they all feel like natural parts of him.
Bottom line: Dohalim is a captivating and well-balanced character. He deserves the title of the Most Popular Tales Character and all other praise he gets.
UPDATE (4/8/2022): Thought I’d add this for fun. Here’s the cover art for an upcoming Blu-ray, showing the top 3 characters from the 2021 official popularity poll. On the left is Mikleo from Tales of Zestiria, who Dohalim dethroned last year. He came in second place, so Japanese Tales fans must still love him! Oh, and Hootle won “Best Mascot”, so that’s why he’s in this picture.
Dohalim’s Fighting Style
Oops, I forgot to talk about his fighting style. That golden rod is his weapon. He throws it at his enemies or smacks them around with it. Also, like Rinwell, he can use astral artes: earth, darkness, wind, and healing. (So, Winx fans, if Law is Riven, Dohalim is Nabu…but written better. 😏)
I enjoy playing as him, but you have to aim him right because he flips and flings himself around the battlefield. Still, if you can get used to him, he’s a lot of fun.
TL;DR
Here’s a quick summary of my character ranking, from least favorite to favorite:
Kisara: Since the game focuses more on her backside than her backstory, she gets the least development of all the characters. She has no reason to be in the party in the first place! Even the game questions why she tagged along!
Rinwell: Her character arc is done well, but she’s hard to like. Also, what little we get of her backstory is told to us, not shown, so it doesn’t feel as relevant to her arc as it is.
Alphen: He’s a decent protagonist and a nice guy, but he’s nothing to write home about. I’d like him more if there weren’t so many clichés in his story: he can’t feel pain, he wears a weird mask, he can’t remember his past, blah, blah, blah. Can we stick with one quirk next time?
Shionne: She has one of the best growth arcs in the game, but like Rinwell, she can be hard to like sometimes. Butthegame does a better job at explaining her behavior and making you feel sorry for her.
Law: He gets little development, but he’s lovable and provides some much-needed comic relief. But to be fair, I should have ranked him just above Kisara, especially since he has no reason to be in the party, either.
Dohalim: He’s the best overall character: a balanced and complex personality, a backstory that feels relevant (it’s shown to us more than once), a clear goal that gives him a reason to be in the party, and a well-written character arc. Also, out of the four secondary characters, he’s the only one whose arc resolution ties into the main plot.
That’s my ranking. I’m sure some of it is controversial, but I’m used to that by now. Again, I haven’t finished Tales of Arise yet, but I doubt the ending will change my thoughts about the characters.
But I could be wrong. We’ll see.
Those of you who have played the game, who’s your favorite character?
Opening: “HIBANA” (trans. “Fire Flower”) by Kankaku Pierrot
Hibana (火花) means “spark”, which makes one line — “spark just like hibana” — redundant. ”Spark like a spark.” Um…okay. 🤦♀️
However, the kanji for hibana literally translate to “fire flower”. I think that’s the meaning they were going for. Fire represents Alphen because of the blazing sword, and flowers represent Shionne, which is why her curse is called “thorns”. (Her name written in kana, シオン [shion], means ”aster flower”.)
That’s why I translate the name of the song as “Fire Flower”. It symbolizes Alphen and Shionne’s combined power. One line even hints at this meaning: ”We spark like flowers in the sky.”
Below is the English version of the song, but the lyrics are hard to understand sometimes, so I turned on the subtitles. Enjoy!
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