Alena (Dragon Quest)

Alena is the main protagonist of the Dragon Quest IV game.

Alena is the tsarevna (princess in earlier localizations) of Zamoksva, but dreams of becoming the strongest fighter alive. Against the wishes of her father, she embarks on a journey to prove her strength to the world, accompanied by Kiryl and Borya.

Appearance
With her cape and pointed hat, Alena somewhat resembles the female mage from Dragon Quest III, though she possesses no magical aptitude at all. Though regarded by some as a tomboy, Alena does not forgo her feminine side; she is simply too concerned with improving her strength to be tied down by bothersome traditions and dictations of "proper" conduct. Nevertheless, she does enjoy adding the occasional accessory to her attire.

Personality
Alena is a definitive spitfire, unafraid to speak her mind and dead-set on reaching her goals. Despite her high aspirations, Alena is far from the stereotypically serious martial artist, and sees the world around her with the wide eyes of wonder befitting her age. She tires of being coddled by her father and the inhabitants of Castle Zamoksva, and is eager to see the world that she knows exists beyond her bedroom window. Though very stubborn, Alena is far from thick-headed; she immediately jumps on board when faced with her destiny of helping the Hero counter the threat the Lord of the Underworld posses to the world.

Abilities
Alena corresponds to the martial artist vocation. She has high strength, hit points, and agility; however her equipment selection is somewhat limited (compared to the hero, Ragnar, and Torneko). She can wear most armor up to chain mail, but can wield only clubs, whips and her special weapon, claws. Due to her stat progression, she has the highest luck of all party members, enabling her to frequently dodge debilitating spells.

Additionally, Alena's critical hit formula is very different from the other chosen; instead of a fixed 1/64 chance, her ratio is dependant on her level. In the NES and PSX version, the formula is LvL/256, while in the Nintendo DS remake it is calculated as LvL (3/4)/256. Both will cap at level 64, giving probabilities up to 25% and 19% respectively. Interestingly, her formula was changed yet again for the iOS/Android versions with her cap being changed to level 89, restoring the 25% ratio.

Trivia

 * Alena's name has been fairly consistent across localisations, except that it is spelled Alina in the French DS version to ensure correct pronunciation. In Japan it is usually romanized Arena because there is no "L" in the Japanese language.