Players have the opportunity to choose a name forMetaphor: ReFantazio’s protagonist. No default name is provided, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have an established name in canon.Unlike many of thePersonagames,Metaphoractually has a partially voiced protagonist. Although players are almost always given the opportunity to choose his words, he does have something of his own identity, anda personality that players can developover the course of the game.
Along with the less-grounded fantasy setting, the result is thatMetaphor’s protagonist isn’t intended to be a blank slate for the player to project themselves onto; he’s a fully-formed person. To that end, he has a backstory, a motivation, and yes, a name, all to himself.
Metaphor: ReFantazio Protagonist’s Canon Name
And How It Varies By Language
Metaphor: ReFantazio’s protagonist does have a canon name, and it’s WIll(at least in English, Korean, Chinese, and Japanese). Atlus-made RPGs almost always give their protagonists canon names, but don’t actually make them obvious by normal means. Many RPGs will simply populate the text box with the protagonist’s canon name by default; this way, players who want to use it can simply leave it as is, and those who want to change it can do just that.
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But Atlus RPGs tend to leave their name text boxes blank by default, so players who want to use their canon names have to do a little more digging. It was only by dataminingPersona 5that players could determine its protagonist’s name - Ren Amamiya. This was further complicated by the fact thatalmost everyPersonaprotagonist has a different canon name in each adaptation of the source material. For example, the male version ofPersona 3’s protagonist is named Makoto Yuki in the games, Minato Arisato in the manga adaptation, and Sakuya Shiomi in the stage play.
Thankfully, figuring outMetaphor’s protagonist’s canon name is a little easier, and not just because there’s only a single piece of media associated with it (for now). In the demo version, if players choose the protagonist’s name, then switch the game’slanguage to Japanese,it’ll default back to his canon name in Japanese: Will, which happens to be the same in both the Korean, Chinese, and English localizations, too.
Through datamining,players have also been able to determine the protagonist’s canon name in various other languages. The table below displays the protagonist’s name across several of the different languages in whichMetaphor: ReFantaziois available.
Russian
Alexander
Players are free to choose from any of these if they still want to use the protagonist’s canon name, but don’t particularly connect with the one in their language. But again,there’s no way to tell what any of these default names are without looking them up online, or digging through the game’s files.
Should You Use The Protagonist’s Canon Name In Metaphor: ReFantazio?
Pros & Cons Of Naming Your Protagonist Will
Atlus makes it needlessly difficult for players to pick the protagonist’s canon name, so why should anyone even bother? It’s a matter of personal preference, but one thing is for certain:using the player’s real name for the protagonist isn’t a good idea.Metaphor: ReFantazioasks players to enter their own names before they even name the protagonist - this comes up occasionally during cutscenes with More.
The game breaks the fourth wall by blurring the lines between reality and fantasy, an important thematic element in its plot. Therefore,giving the protagonist and the player the same name would not only be confusing- it’d also diminish the impact of these powerful, pivotal moments. Players don’t necessarily have to use one of the canon names, but it’s to the benefit of the game’s concepts and themes that they at least don’t choose their own names for the protagonist.
Although it is possible to view other players' activity and party data inMetaphor,players can never see others' character names or actual names during the course of regular gameplay, nor can they see which players are associated with which in-game parties.
And of course, there’s always a tendency to give the protagonist of any RPG an immature joke name, going all the way back to players choosing “Garnet” when Princess Garnet tries to rename herself inFinal Fantasy 9. Every player has been guilty of it at one point or another, and it can bring about some amusing moments.But inMetaphor, it’s not really worth the jokes. The point is for the player to immerse themselves in this fantasy world and consider its implications, not belittle or mock it.
As a result, the story is best taken seriously, even if it gets a little absurd at times. And to that end,there are a couple of perfectly sensible thematic reasons to choose one of the canon names. That requires getting into spoilers, though.
[The following paragraphs contain spoilers for theending of Metaphor: ReFantazio.]
Asthe final battle approaches,Metaphor’s protagonist visits his childhood friend, the Prince of Euchronia, in order to wake him from his curse and prepare him for the duel of his lifetime. However, he shortly discovers that the Prince has died, and thatthe protagonist is actually the Prince’s Archetype.Archetypes areMetaphor’s equivalent to Personas, summonable spirits that determine players' abilities in battle. Only certain people have Archetypes, and they usually awaken them during moments of high tension, in which they push through their emotions and commit to lofty goals that go beyond themselves.
In other words,Will is a physical manifestation of the Prince’s…will. It’s not the most subtle bit of symbolism, but then again, it’s exactly the sort of thing players can expect from a game literally calledMetaphor.
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The protagonist’s name works equally well in other languages: in Spanish and Italian, “Victor” symbolizes his eventual victory in the race for the throne. The Portuguese name, Pedro, comes from the Latin for “stone,” symbolizing the protagonist’s rock-solid resolve. Alexander comes from Greek, meaning “protector of men” - certainly an appropriate moniker for a king, borne by one of history’s most powerful, Alexander the Great. The French name, Éric, comes from the Norse for “forever ruler,” which barely bears explanation.
So, while players aren’t necessarily obligated to choose one of the canon names for the protagonist, it’s worth considering. At the very least, it’s best to avoid choosing anything too silly, or the player’s own name, to avoid belittling its themes or causing confusion. And in some cases, choosing a canon name may actually improve the player’s experience inMetaphor: ReFantazio.
Metaphor: ReFantazio
The creative team behind Persona 3, 4, and 5 present Metaphor: ReFantazio, a new fantasy action-adventure RPG game. The game’s development team includes the original director, character designer, and composer of the Persona franchise and is as a full fantasy-setting game with modern elements.
