Dragon Quest Monsters
A Dragon Quest spin-off focused on monster taming and breeding.
Dragon Quest Monsters is a spin-off series of the Dragon Quest role-playing games, primarily developed by Tose and published by Square Enix (formerly Enix). The series sets the player in a medieval/fantasy world filled with magic, monsters, and knights, but unlike the main Dragon Quest games, the player's character does not fight; instead, the player captures, breeds, and raises monsters to battle. The concept originated from Dragon Quest V (1992), and character and monster designs are by Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama. The series spans several handheld gaming systems and has received positive reviews from critics, with its gameplay often compared to Pokémon.
- First release
- Dragon Warrior Monsters (1998 in Japan, 2000 in North America and Europe)
- Developer
- Tose
- Publisher
- Square Enix (formerly Enix)
- Designer
- Akira Toriyama (character and monster designs)
- Platforms
- Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, smartphones, and others
- Notable feature
- Player captures, breeds, and raises monsters to fight instead of the player character
Lore & Background
The Dragon Quest Monsters series began with Dragon Warrior Monsters for the Game Boy Color in 1998, released in North America and Europe in 2000. Its sequel, Dragon Warrior Monsters 2, came in two versions: Cobi's Journey and Tara's Adventure (Ruka's Journey and Iru's Adventure in Japan). Both were developed by Tose and published by Enix. A remake, Dragon Quest Monsters 1+2, was released for the PlayStation in Japan in 2002, and later remakes appeared on Nintendo 3DS and smartphones. The third game, Dragon Quest Monsters: Caravan Heart, was released for the Game Boy Advance in Japan in 2003, featuring Keifer from Dragon Warrior VII.
Reader's Guide
The Dragon Quest Monsters series is significant as a successful spin-off that expanded the Dragon Quest franchise into the monster-taming genre, often compared to Pokémon. Its gameplay, where the player captures and breeds monsters to fight in turn-based battles, distinguishes it from the main series. The series helped introduce Dragon Quest to a wider audience on handheld systems, particularly in North America, where the first two releases were renamed Dragon Warrior Monsters due to a trademark conflict. The series' enduring appeal is evident in multiple remakes and sequels across generations of hardware, from Game Boy Color to Nintendo Switch and beyond. Its influence includes pioneering monster-collection mechanics within the Dragon Quest universe and maintaining a dedicated fanbase. The 2026 announcement of The Withered World for multiple platforms marks a new milestone for the series.
Did You Know?
- The first two US releases used 'Warrior' instead of 'Quest' due to a trademark conflict with the role-playing game DragonQuest published by Simulation Publications.
- Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker was the first game in the series to feature 3D graphics and had no random battles.
- Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince was released for the Nintendo Switch on December 1, 2023.
- Dragon Quest Monsters: The Withered World, announced in 2026, is the first series entry to be released for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Microsoft Windows.
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