Overview
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Name (English) | Ryu |
| Name (Japanese) | Ryu リュウ (Ryuu) | |
| In-Game Portrait (SNES/GBA) |
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|
| In-Game Sprite (SNES/GBA) |
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| Hometown | Dragnier (Drogen) | |
| Tribe | Light Dragon Clan | |
| Height | 160cm / 5'3" | |
| Weight | 52kg / 114.64 lbs. | |
| Weapons | Swords, Boomerangs | |
| Hobby & Ability (Field) | Fishing | |
| Ability (Combat) | Dragon Transformation |
Bio
Breath of Fire Instruction Booklet (Super Nintendo)
This member of the Light Dragon Clan will be with you from the beginning. Use the power of Light Dragons to overcome the forces of evil. By succeeding in test of strength and courage, he will learn to transform into 9 different dragon types.1
Breath of Fire: Ryuu no Senshi Instruction Manual (Super Famicom)
English Translation
The White Dragon Warrior (Main Character)
The main character is a descendant of the Dragon Clan and can transform into a dragon. For thousands of years, since the “Goddess War” almost destroyed the planet, his family has sealed away this great power. But, when the world fell into crisis, that seal was broken so that this power could be used to save the world. He lost his parents at a young age and lives with his older sister. His sister serves as a shrine maiden for the Dragon God and can use powerful magic spells. His hobby is fishing.
Translation provided by @rrriches.
Original Japanese
白龍族の戦士（主人公）
主人公は竜に変身する事ができる竜一族の末裔です。主人公の一族は数千年前の「女神戦争」において世界を滅ぼしそうになって以来、その強大な力を封印しています。が、世界が危機に陥った時はその封印を解き、今度は世界を救う為に力を使ってよい事になっています。両親を早くに失い、姉と二人で暮らしています。姉は竜の神に仕える巫女で、強力な魔法を使う事ができます。趣味は魚釣りです。2
Breath of Fire Instruction Booklet (Game Boy Advance)
Warrior of the Light Dragon Tribe
Ryu is a descendant of the Light Dragon Tribe and has the ability to transform into a dragon. The tribe has sealed its power after almost destroying the world in the Goddess War of several thousand years ago. However, it is allowed to use it when the world — is in danger in order to save it. Ryu lost his parents when he was young and now lives with his sister, a shaman who can summon powerful magic. Ryu’s hobby is fishing.3
Breath of Fire: Ryuu no Senshi Instruction Manual (Game Boy Advance)
English Translation
Pending translation. Please contact us if you’d like to help!
Original Japanese
主人公は竜に変身することがで
きる竜一族の末裔です。
主人公の一族は数千年前の
「女神戦争」において世界を滅ぼし
そうになって以来、その強大な
力を封印しています。
が、世界が危機に陥ったときは、
世界を救うために、その封印を解き、
力を使うことができます。
また、両親を早くに失い、姉と二人で暮らし
ています。姉は竜の神に仕える巫女で
強力な魔法を使うことができます。
そんな主人公ですが、釣りが趣味
という意外な一面もあります。4
Breath of Fire Official Complete Works (English Language version)
Ryu was born into a Light Dragon Clan family who had consciously been suppressing their special abilities. The village elder worked hard to teach Ryu the virtues of swordsmanship, but Ryu instead spent his days dreaming of ways to escape training and sneak away to fish up the lord of the lake. Ryu lost his parents at a young age, and when the Dark Dragon Clan abducts his sister Sara, he makes the choice to depart on a quest to rescue her.5
Breath of Fire Official Complete Works (Original Japanese version)
English Translation
Pending translation. Please contact us if you’d like to help!
Original Japanese
強大な力を自ら封印し続けてきた白竜一族の家系に生まれる。幼い頃から村の長老に剣術の稽古をつけてもらうも、毎日逃げることばかり考え、近くの湖に棲むヌシを釣り上げることを夢見ていた。両親を早くに失った彼は姉・セイラと2人で暮らしていたが、 姉が黒竜族に連れ去られたため、救出の旅に出ることに。6
English Translation
Pending translation. Please contact us if you’d like to help!
Original Japanese
主人公は竜に変身する事が出来る竜の一族の末裔です。
主人公の一族は数千年前の『女神戦争』において世界を
滅ぼしそうになって以来、その強大な力を封印しています。
が、世界が危機に陥った時はその封印を解き、今度は世界
を救うために力を使ってよいことになっています。両親を早
くに失い、姉と二人で暮らしています。姉は巫女で、強力な
魔法を使うことができます。趣味は魚釣りです。7
Dragon Transformations
| In-Game Sprite | Dragon Form | AP Cost | Description |
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SnoDr (Snow Dragon) | 7 AP | Attack with a Frost spell. |
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FlmDr (Flame Dragon) | 10 AP | Attack with a Flame spell. |
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ThrDr (Thunder Dragon) | 12 AP | Attack with a Fry spell. |
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IceDgn (Ice Dragon) | 20 AP | Attack with an IceX spell. |
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FirDgn (Fire Dragon) | 27 AP | Attack with a Char spell. |
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BltDgn (Bolt Dragon) | 30 AP | Attack with a Gale spell. |
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GldDgn (Gold Dragon) | 40 AP | Attack with a ZomX spell. |
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Rudra | 50 AP | Attack with a swarm of miniature dragons. |
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Agni | 60 AP | Attack with an Earthquake and Lightning spell. |
| Revert | 0 AP | Transform back into a human form. |
Trivia
- While not referred to as “Ryu” directly in the original Super Famicom version of the game, his name does appear as such in screenshots within the instruction manual.
- Ryu is only referred to as “The Hero” in the game’s Super Nintendo instruction booklet. Screenshots within the SNES instruction manual display Ryu’s name as “JEFF”.
- While Ryu remains a silent protagonist for the complete duration of the Japanese version of the game, he is given a few rare, minor lines of dialogue in the English version.
- When pressing “Start” during Ryu’s Name Entry screen in the North American/European GBA version of Breath of Fire, his name will inexplicably default to “Zack”.
Gallery
Sources
- Breath of Fire Instruction Booklet. SquareSoft. 1994. p. 14. SNS-BF-USA. ↩︎
- Breath of Fire: Ryuu no Senshi Instruction Manual. Capcom. 1993. p. 18. SHVC-BF. ↩︎
- Breath of Fire Instruction Booklet. Capcom. 2001. p. 6. AGB-ABFE-USA. ↩︎
- Breath of Fire: Ryuu no Senshi Instruction Manual. Capcom. 2001. p. 8. AGB-ABFJ-JPN. ↩︎
- Breath of Fire Official Complete Works. Capcom. Udon. 2014. p. 22. ISBN 978-1-927925-20-1. ↩︎
- ブレスオブファイアオフィシャルコンプリートワークス. Capcom. 2005. p. 22. ISBN-10 4862330010. ↩︎
- Breath of Fire Series Portal Site. “ブレス オブ ファイア シリーズポータルサイト“. Retrieved 14 January, 2026. ↩︎