Psaro (Character)

Psaro
Dragon Quest IV
File:Saro.jpg
Japanese name	ピザロ
Romaji	Pizaro
Title	Master of Monsters
Vocation	Master of Monsters
Race	Demon
Age	Ageless

Psaro the Manslayer (Originally Saro; Necrosaro as a monster,Pizzaro in later translations) is the central villain of Dragon Quest IV and a recurring monster in the series. He is a powerful demon with a passionate hatred for humanity.

Appearance and Personality

Psaro at first appears fairly humanoid, though his red eyes, pointed ears, and vast powers would no sooner reveal him for what he really is. He has long silver hair and wears a dark outfit with a single distinct shoulder pad, spiked and appearing to be made of bone, and a long fur cape. Upon using the Secret of Evolution he turns into a likeness of Estark and steadily morphs into a vicious horned demon with a second face on his torso as the player fights against him.

Psaro loathes humans, his Manslayer title likely derived from his stance on human presence. Despite this intense hatred, Psaro is remarkably kind to all other beings, notably monsters and especially the elf Rosaly. His romantic attachment to Rosaly is so strong that it drives him insane when he learns of her murder and can be freed from the Secret of Evolution's twisting power if she is revived and brought before him.

Story

As an Enemy

Psaro hates and is in turn reviled by humans, but revered by demons and the inhabitants of Rosehill. When Rosaly, his lover, was attacked by humans for the ruby tears she sheds as an elf, he protected her by concealing her in a small fortress he built far away from human settlements. The town of Rosehill grew up around it as others looking for shelter from humans relocated there. Psaro paid frequent visits to Rosehill in order to see Rosaly; he told her of his plans to destroy humanity to free the world for demons, and continued on with righteousness in spite of her pleas to stop and try for coexistence.

Towards the end of the game, Aamon has Rosaly murdered, causing Psaro to go insane. He loses what little inhibition Rosaly had given him and uses the Secret of Evolution to transform into a monster, destroying his personality as an unavoidable side-effect. The only thing he remembers is his desire to destroy humanity. However, before he can unleash his worst, the Hero confronts and defeats him, saving the world.

As an Ally

The remake contains an additional sixth chapter, in which the Secret of Evolution is undone by Rosaly's tears and Psaro becomes a companion of the protagonist (a full PC whose actions in battle can be controlled). His initial state is of course quite powerful; all his stats are high, and he can learn powerful spells such as Lightning Storm and Magic Burst. He can furthermore equip cursed equipment without penalty and without having his stats zeroed.

Abilities

Necrosaro is fought at the very end of the original game. He is notably one of the very first, if not the first, transforming final bosses in video game history, setting a longstanding trend. This battle is a test of endurance more than anything, as Necrosaro's only tricks are ones used by other bosses earlier on, so the player should already be familiar with the methods of dealing with them.

If the player chooses to pursue the bonus content and make Psaro an ally they will quickly find that he is more than a jack-of-all-trades, being adept at healing, support, and especially offensive abilities. If the time is taken to level him up he will swiftly become the most powerful ally in the game.

Appearances

Dragon Quest IV

The game's main antagonist and, in the remakes, possible party member in the bonus content.

Dragon Quest Monsters

Boss of the Gate of Extinction, Psaro (then Pizzaro) is confronted by Terry shortly after voicing his desire to eliminate all humans.

Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker

Psaro appears in his final form as a rank X member of the material family and can be obtained by synthesizing a Ruin and Roseguardin together. His Manslayer title is reflected in his default nicknames, all of which contain 'slay'.

Trivia

• There are two Psaros in the remake; the other one is a gender-confused naked man.

Gallery

• NES, the Secret of Evolution at work
  NES, the Secret of Evolution at work
• 
  Dragon Quest Monsters
• Dragon Quest Monsters 2
  Dragon Quest Monsters 2
• Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker
  Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker

File:Pizzaro.gif