Renaming characters in JRPGs

[The Fat Bioware Nerd]

Have you ever renamed a character in a JRPG that allowed you to do so? I have. I'm playing Dragon Quest V right now I gave the main character my name (John) I gave the main character's son my brother's name (Thomas) and I named the main character's daughter after a Bond girl. (Vesper)

[Momiji]

I'm surprised you didn't give them all Batman-related names.

Anyway, in most games, I just leave characters with their default names.

In the type of games where characters don't have names and you have to name them yourself (like Disgaea or Etrian Odyssey), I just name them after friends and favorite characters from other games and stuff. All of my Etrian Odyssey characters have Touhou names.

[Jessweeee♪]

If they already have names, I always leave it for at least the first playthrough. Then if I want to have some fun I'll change it up. I named everyone Sephiroth for Eyes on FFVII; that was really fun xD

[Elly]

i tried renaming characters once when i first got Chrono Trigger back in '95 but found i didn't like it much and it made discussions harder than they should be, so i quickly restarted the game from the beginning using the default names... the only names i've changed since was Marle to Nadia, Robo to R-66Y, Frog to Glenn, and RedXIII to Nanaki on ocassion... of course in FFI i had to name them myself as they literaly have no identity or personality...

[Zerokku]

Unless it's a game like FFI, I never do. I'll go with the default names. And even ones without, I'll go with a randomizer if they have one (Such as dawn of souls)

[Vermachtnis]

When there is no default name I try and make something that fits. Or I just try and be goofy names. And sometimes I name them after stuff I'm watching. I picked up a bad habit with MegaTen. First cycle I named the hero Acheron and second cycle his name is Fate. Every time since Nocturne. I named the characters in Dragon Quest V: Galahad, Arthur, and Arturia after the King Arthur legends.

[Meat Puppet]

I usually name them to curse words since it’s incredibly funny to the one person who will ever see it, me.

[theundeadhero]

I always rename them to people I know or names that amuse me.

[Rase]

I've taken on my friends convention of naming characters after songs, bands, or band members as long as it fits. His FFXI character is named Numinous for this reason.

[Araciel]

A Whore uses Anal.

[Rase]

http://i626.photobucket.com/albums/tt342/Rstage89/SuperEffective.jpg?t=1243407936

[Momiji]

If only you could rename moves.... ;D

[Vermachtnis]

If only you could rename moves.... ;D

You can in Wild ARMs. You can rename most stuff in Wild ARMs, even NPCs. I had fun with that :D

[Quindiana Jones]

Main character will always be Arthur. Everything else stays the same.

[Zeromus_X]

Usually people I know, funny names, or names of characters from other media.

[Heath]

http://i626.photobucket.com/albums/tt342/Rstage89/SuperEffective.jpg?t=1243407936

This needs to be an emoticon.

I always keep them with the names they have and really hate being pushed to give them a name myself. Occasionally I've renamed characters with their real names, for instance Garnet or Red XIII. Actually, I tend to keep Garnet as Garnet because I really dislike Dagger.

[Roogle]

I have never renamed a character in a game that provides default names for the character.

In the event that there is no default name, but there is a widely-used name from the fan community, I will use that name for the character in question. For example, Tir and Riou from Suikoden I and II, respectively.

[Depression Moon]

With the exception of Final Fantasy IX and Legaia 2 Duel Saga if the character's have defualt names I'll keep them the first time around.

Afterwards and in other games I create names either by naming a main after myself or things that just spark in my mind. I can only recall that happening with Poke'mon, or I would create a respectful mutual and nostalgic intermingling by naming them after my own figures that were inspired by those characters.

[ljkkjlcm9]

I have three male name made up, and then my actual name
Leonard- mage type character/smart person
Jackel- the hero/badass
Kaine- the huge guy
my name- the martial artist or ninja

Females
my gf- the main heroine
skylash- female mage
Kailah- my other favorite female, usually the warrior type

example
FFIX:
Leonard = Vivi
Jackel = Zidane
Kaine = Steiner
my name = Amarant
my gf = Garnet
Skylash = Eiko
Kailah = Freya

THE JACKEL

[Mirage]

I keep the names the first time around. Sometimes I change them when I replay the games.

[MrNash]

I used to change character names back in the 16-bit days like in Phantasy Star II, and Final Fantasy IV, but nowadays I don't bother. It's more a matter of being too lazy to do so than any feelings that I'm sullying the developer's creative vision by even changing the names of the characters in his/her game.