Ladja
| Bishop Ladja | |
| Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride | |
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| Japanese name | ゲマ |
| Romaji | Gemma |
| Old localisation | None |
| Race | Demon (Necromancer) |
| Voice actor | Hirotaka Suzuoki (CD Theater, Japanese) Kōtaro Yoshida (Your Story, Japanese) Jason Marnocha (Your Story, English) |
Bishop Ladja (or simply Ladja) is a major character in Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride.
He is one of the primary antagonists in the story, and is responsible for much of the hardships the Hero endures.
Characteristics
Bishop Ladja is one of the highest-ranking members of the Order of Zugzwang (the highest-ranking member in the DS version), frequently being paired with other cultists for missions on the surface world. He is a being of utmost evil, delighting in causing untold grief for others, spreading misery through the land by orchestrating political upheavals and ordering the abduction of innocents for slave labor. Behind this sadistic persona lies a cunning intellect and shrewd sense of practicality, as Ladja will do all he can to snuff out obstacles to the Order's goals before they have the chance to fully materialize.
While Ladja appears to be outranked by King Korol, he is the true right-hand man of the devil and did not hesitate to kill the King for outliving his usefulness. Ironically, Ladja's final moments would show that he is just as dispensable as all the other minions of Grandmaster Nimzo, with his master forsaking aiding him for his repeated failures and allowing the group of heroes to penetrate the defenses of Mt. Zugzwang.
Story
Bishop Ladja is first seen in the Ancient Ruins, blocking a young Hero and Prince Harry from escaping, and easily defeats them in an unwinnable battle. Note that if the player somehow defeats Ladja in this battle, the game will carry on as if though the player lost. When Pankraz arrives, he summons Kon the Knight and Slon the Rook to kill him, but fail to harm the man. Ladja changes his tactics and levies his scythe against the Hero's neck, threatening to kill the boy if Pankraz resists any further. The doomed father is beaten senseless by Kon and Slon, and is slain by Ladja with Kafrizzle mere seconds after telling the boy that his mother still lives. Mocking Pankraz in death, Ladja notices a peculiar bauble among the hero's possessions, and crushes it between his palms while uttering foreboding words of relief at its destruction. Their business finished, Ladja and his minions carry the boys off to Mount Azimuth as slave labor for constructing a temple for the Order of Zugzwang, ignoring Saber and expecting the cat to return to the wild.
He is not seen again until the events of Knightmare Towers, after the Hero defeats Kon and rescues his wife. He reveals that the woman is of Zenithian descent and is destined to bear the Legendary Hero, so he petrifies both of them to prevent this. Unbeknownst to him, she had already given birth to the legendary hero, who along with his twin sister would eventually rescue their father eight years hence.
The Hero and his children eventually encounter Ladja in the Talon Tower, searching for one of the dragon eyes that can restore the castle of Zenithia to its full power. Ladja is looking for the eye in order to destroy it, when he comes upon the Hero, recognising him after many years. After a boss battle, he flees in order to warn his boss of the legendary hero’s arrival and his impending progress. Ladja is seen again in Crocodilopolis, where he kills off King Korol, who was no longer needed by Nimzo after the reptile's defeat. He is encountered for the last time in Mt. Zugzwang where he strikes down and wounds Madalena. The Hero and his party finally avenge Pankraz's death, with Ladja being killed by Nimzo’s power shortly after being beaten in a boss fight.
Appearances
Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride
Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2
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Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 3
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Dragon Quest Monsters: Terry's Wonderland 3D
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Dragon Quest Monsters: Super Light
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Dragon Quest Rivals
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Remake alterations
Ladja's role in the story of Dragon Quest V was expanded upon in the remakes.
- In the PlayStation 2 & Nintendo DS version, he is the one to imprison The Hero and his wife in stone, whereas the Super Famicom version had Kon the Knight doing so.
- In the original SFC release he dies following his loss at Talon Tower, whereas in the remakes, he showed up at Crocodilopolis, he kills King Korol as punishment for his failure, while in the Super Famicom Version, the power of Grandmaster Nimzo did so as he tried to open a pathway to Nadiria.
Etymology
Ladja is an alternate transliteration of ladya (ладья), the Russian word for the rook chess piece. This is likely an mix-up with Slon the Rook, whose own name means "bishop".
Gallery
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Original classic artwork. -
Joker 2 on the Nintendo DS. -
Bishop Ladja as he appears in Your Story. -
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Ladja's last stand on Mt. Zugzwang. (Cell phone) -
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Appearance in Stars. (Cell phone) -
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Appearance in Rivals.
