Every Era-Defining JRPG Explained in 15 Minutes

Thanks for the comments and suggestions! It's true that there are a lot more games that could be included and considered as era-defining. I might do a second part down the line. 🙂

Hmmm how odd, I notice Tales of Symphonia isn't present. Must be hiding behind a rock.

Xenoblade is the best jrpg series ever, all their games are 10/10

Every aspect you explained about JRPG that's the reason why i love JRPG than Other new RPG this ages, they're forget many important aspect why RPG getting masterpiece and became Legendary Game at their age. In this age, game developer too focus about develop game graphic to max quality, forgetting many important aspect why the game is called RPG genre

Dark Souls isn't a JRPG, it's an action RPG

Man I love ur video ❤

great video. I do think that the original Megami Tensei games deserves an honorable mention of being the original monster collecting JRPG. Digimon, Pokemon, and Persona followed. Persona was originally a seperate IP broken off from Megami Tensei. While its only a major mechanic in these games and a few smaller JRPGs I do think it is highly influential to the games that have implemented catching or recruiting of monsters.

Clair Obscur?

This was really well put together. Highlighting each jrpg's strengths and weaknesses accurately was so satisfying to see. I know it's recent, but expedition 33 did wonders for the rpg genre in general. Would love to see a video on that.

No kingdom hearts????

welcome back

Honorable mention to Super Mario RPG. Without its QTE-based battle mechanic, we wouldn't get Legend of Dragoon, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, and Expedition 33

This is content!

Dark Souls is one of the most influencial games of all time but I don't think it belongs here. JRPG has moved past its literal definition. Just like how the term RPG isn't used for millitary fps games even though those are technically role playing games. Sony themselves specifically say that Dark Souls and games like it aren't JRPGs and not all JRPGs are made in japan. The rest of these games feel like they follow a jrpg lineage while DS has vastly different inspirations and influences.
Good video though.

DARK SOULS IS NOT A JRPG
It's japanese-made western-style action rpg that eventually created and defined it's own genre.

If not for Wizardry and Ultima, there would be no JRPGs.

I appreciate the Kh mention but I honestly think it should have its own section. Kingdom Hearts is genuinely such an important J-ARPG and is one of the first to fuse the free form movement of Mario 64 with RPG combat mechanics and stat building, it was developed with to be a competitor to it actually. Not to mention its use of super bosses and history within Square. It is important imo.

For xenoblade chronicles I though you were going to talk about operation rainfall. Before xenoblade, japanese game companies didn't think that games like xenoblade could sell in the west, especially in north america (just look at what happened with earthbound). But jrpg fans managed to convince nintendo to bring xenoblade over to the US, and now basically every game releases worldwide due to the success of games like xenoblade. This saga also led to the series having its staple british voice acting since it was not supposed to be released in the US it did not have american voice actors. These days a lot of jrpgs have british voice acting

I must agree with everything you said @blastfromthepastgaming except one thing.... Dark souls it's not the one to revolution.... It was demon souls ... At least in my opinion

I also think this is missing DQIII: it provided a huge party and character customization for JRPGs at the time. Travels between 2 different worlds, gambling with enemy arenas and it was such a great prequel to DQI. Also, I favor the SMT franchise asl well. However, I do know that is hard to mention every major game; pretty much impossible, maybe. Nice video!

You do realize the storytelling started with DQ2 and the heroes growing

“JRPG’s were niche outside Japan before FF7”??! That might have been true after DQ 3 before

Great video, but I always feel like persona gets the place where shin megami tensei should go since technically the persona series are a spin off of SMT.

Chrono Trigger and Persona 5 are definitely missing from this list; I can think of several games that took heavy influence from each of them. You might cry foul for including both P5 and P3, but P5's UI made shockwaves through the entire industry and set a new gold standard for battle menus. So many games have taken after it, so it deserves a mention.

Xenoblade's influence is pretty much confined to just Nintendo's games. It itself was inspired by other material such as Final Fantasy XII and Elder Scrolls. The director even went so far as to say that FFXII was the best game ever made and was his main influence when making Xenoblade, so by extension the influential game included here should be FFXII and not Xenoblade.

Plus, I can't really think of another JRPG that took after Xenoblade's game design. The MMO combat is pretty much the series' own.

I mostly agree with the list although Im not really sure about xenoblade being here...

Megami tensei 1987 is mandatory. And probably legends of heroes VI trails in sky. And regarding Ys I would include xanadu (1985) since it was the real first jrpg.
It is important to understand that jrpg began as Arpgs until dragón Quest changed everything. Even the first megami tensei was an Arpg in MSX....

Seeing as it’s the highest selling not Pokemon JRPG of all time, Elden Ring should also be on this list

Might be adding one more rpg to this list after the past couple of days …

No chrono trigger is blasphemy

No Chrono Trigger?

I often think FF7 is to video games what Star Wars was for movies. I can’t think of a single other work of art in one art form that inspired another work which became its industry shifting equivalent in another.

No Leisure Suit Larry?

Loved the video, really. But DS and Nier are more action games w/ rpg elements, same way you wouldn't really call modern GOW a rpg. Big miss on the lack of srpg/trpg side as well, fire emblem, tactics ogre/ogre battle, and FFT. Still a great vid tho, much love. Looking forward for more.

Did we just forget about Shin Megami Tensei and how that introduced monsters in your party

I know this is mainstream game video, buy I can't forget to mention the first Nier, Replicant/Gestalt, the story isn't as crazy, but it clicks with me much more than Automata's, and even before this, we have Drakengard, which is where Yoko Taro started using the repeating route thing, I believe. Sort of like in visual novels

Dark souls is not Jrpg

Final Fantasy 4 is a good example of well written redemption arc

Dark Soul isn’t a RPG though. It’s an action game/MetroidVania…

This was very accurate, well done 👍

i would say monster hunter doesnt have to be included but i would say it did play a big part in multiplayer jrps

Dark souls originated from the kings field series on the ps1 back in the 90s. I’d recommend giving them a try if you ever get a chance to play them.

Every Western commentator on this topic never acknowledges the gargantuan influence Wizardry had on the formation of the genre. Unlike the West, where the franchise quickly became a cultural footnote, Japan adored that game and all the nightmarishly difficult dungeon crawling in it. It has, as of 2025, 39 spin-offs, sequels, and ports in the franchise, the majority of which are Japan exclusive. The foundational legacy it left on JRPG development (and adjacent genres like Roguelikes) cannot possibly be overstated, and most don't know a darn thing of it. Sad!

Dark Souls and Elden Ring have both been incredibly influential. Love Demon Souls but because it sold much less it wasn’t as influential

Nice

Xenoblade and FFVII are seriously the GOATs

Im a simple man, I see Xenoblade, I press Like.

Xenoblade and Persona ar emy two favorite series ever, if I hadn't played xenoblade I wouldn't like anything that I like today and if I hadn't played persona 3 last summer I'd probably be dead. It still shocks me how much they've had an impact on me and the industry as a whole

Where is Chrono Trigger? Valkyrie Profile? The Mana Series?

I would add Undertale after Dark Souls.

If there's anything I can thank Persona 3 for, it's for allowing its remake aka my favorite game of all time to exist.

broski i hate to be that guy... but wouldnt mother (earthbound zero or beginnings or whatever) be the more suitable entry

idk about octopath tbh