Ortega
| Ortega | |
| Dragon Quest III | |
| |
| Race | Human |
| Age | 32 |
| Family | Erdrick (child) |
Ortega is a character from Dragon Quest III. He is the father of the Hero and a famous hero in his own right. He departed from Aliahan at the king's request that he slay the archfiend Baramos before his evil machinations bring chaos to the world. By the Hero's 16th birthday, Ortega was believed to have fallen into a volcano and died, and so the Hero set out to finish their father's quest.
The Hero Ortega
When Erdrick was just a baby, Ortega left on a quest to destroy the archfiend Baramos. He is shown in an intro movie in III, fighting a dragon on top of a volcano which ends with both of them falling in. The intro is further expanded in the Super Famicom and Game Boy Color remakes, showing Ortega travelling the world on his quest before finally reaching the volcano and the fateful battle.
Prior to this, Ortega visited nearly every town and significant location that his offspring later would, fostering a reputation as an incredible hero. Of particular note is his time spent in Mur, where the village children were in awe of him and gave him the nickname Peredvizhnik (previously Papagatero[1] and Pokapa[2]). One such youth, Petya (previously Popota[1][2], even viewed him as a surrogate father figure. Touched by the kindness of the children, Ortega left Peyta his helmet as a keepsake.
After falling through the mantle after his volcanic skirmish, Ortega found himself in Alefgard without his memories. Learning of the plight of the people, he made his way to Rimuldar and took upon himself the quest of defeating Zoma, eventually making his way to Zoma's Citadel and confronting one of Zoma's underlings, King Hydra, just moments before his child arrives.
The fight with King Hydra would be Ortega's last, his body so badly burned that he was unable to see clearly nor hear. In his final moments, he regains his memory and with his dying breath tells the Hero that he is "Ortega of Aliahan and if you ever travel there, to tell my wife and son" what happened, that he's sorry he failed, and that he couldn't be there for them.
Fight Against King Hydra
Ortega is a non-playable character, as the fight between Ortega and King Hydra is fully scripted. This fight cannot be won by Ortega, however through randomization, it can last for upwards of five minutes, and ultimately will end regardless once Ortega is out of MP . In the original NES version of Dragon Quest III, after being killed by King Hydra, a special "Ortega's Death" theme played. However, this song was removed from subsequent ports of Dragon Quest III.
Resurrection
If the Hero and company defeat the dragon Xenlon, they are offered a wish to bring Ortega back to life. If this wish is granted, Ortega stays at the house in Aliahan with the hero's mother. This only applies in the remake versions of Dragon Quest III, as Xenlon does not appear in the original release.
Ortega has no memory of his death in Zoma's castle or his time spent in Alefgard, but is happy to be home. He states how proud he is of the fine young man/woman his child has grown into, and then quietly asks if there is a way to get his wife to ease up on the blabbering as she fills him in on what he's missed. All Aliahan NPC dialogue, save for the mini medal collector and old man by the well, is affected by Ortega's revival.
Known visits
Spells
Ortega is shown using these spells during his fight with King Hydra.
Trivia
- It is highly possible, given the helmet's horned design, that this may be the Helmet of Erdrick seen in Dragon Quest II (and perhaps in Dragon Quest, as the hero is seen wearing a helmet but the game has no equipment slot for any helmets, suggesting the Hero was already wearing a helmet he possessed from the start of his quest).
- The helmet doesn't exist in the NES version. In its place is a novelty item called the water blaster.
- In the original Famicom version, his appearance in the battle with the King Hydra is that of a palette-swapped Robbin' 'Ood. In the English-language NES version, his appearance was changed a unique sprite based off of a male Warrior. The Super Famicom and Game Boy Color versions give him his own icon, although the Super Famicom ROM also includes a sprite for Ortega as a palette-swapped Robbin' 'Ood.
See also
Youtube Video of Ortega's battle at the volcano