Hero (FFA/AoM)

For the character in Sword of Mana, see Hero (Sword of Mana).

The Hero (also known as the Boy, Sumo in Final Fantasy Adventure manual and Adventures of Mana, or Duke in the novel, manga adaptations and Circle of Mana) is one of the two central co-protagonists of Sword of Mana.

Final Fantasy Adventure and Adventures of Mana[]

Sumo is a young fighter who is forced to fight for the Dark Lord's amusement to sate the tyrant's demand for blood. One day, his friend Will (Willy in Final Fantasy Adventure) is found mortally wounded. Before dying, Will tells him to warn Sir Bogard that Mana is in danger, and that he can escape via the same gate that the monsters enter through.

Sumo successfully pulls off this escape plan, finding the Dark Lord and his court mage, Julius, before the Great Waterfall, discussing the power that the Dark Lord desires, which lies in the Temple of Mana at the waterfall's top. Julius leaves, and the Dark Lord catches Sumo spying on him. Sumo flees, but is cornered. The Dark Lord pushes him off the waterfall, intending to kill him so he can't tell anyone what he overheard.

Fortunately, Sumo washes up on a riverbank, relatively unharmed. Journeying for a time, he hears a cry for help and goes to answer it. He finds a girl being attacked by monsters while she tries to get her companion to his feet to flee.

Sumo defeats the monsters, but it is too late for the girl's companion, Hasim, who entrusts the girl's safety to Sumo and tells him to take her to Bogard, before dying. Eventually, the two find Bogard, who initially denies everything, but upon seeing Fuji's pendant, he relents and directs them to his comrade Cibba in Wendel.

The passage to Wendel is blocked off, and the two must ask the master of Kett Manor for the key. They choose to stay the night, as the master is allegedly busy, but Fuji disappears, and Sumo goes to look for her. The butler won't budge, so Sumo looks outside, eventually meeting a traveling mage, who suggests finding the Moon Mirror in the Marsh Cave and accompanies him in the search. After the Mirror is found, the Red Mage takes his leave, and Sumo uses the Mirror to expose the butler as a werewolf. Sumo then battles his way through the manor, eventually finding Fuji in a coffin. As they flee the manor, Count Lee appears as a Vampire, and must be defeated for them to escape.

In Wendel, Sumo passes by the Red Mage on his way to see Cibba in the Cathedral, who recognizes Fuji's pendant and conducts a ritual with her, which summons the image of Fuji's mother, who reveals that, like her, Fuji is a seed from the Mana Tree born to protect it against evil, and must join forces with the Gemma Knights against the likes of the Dark Lord, who seeks to revisit a dark chapter of history.

As the woman's image fades, the Glaive Airship attacks Wendel, and the Red Mage appears to take Fuji to safety. Sumo follows, but the Red Mage reveals himself as Julius, who knocks Sumo out and takes Fuji aboard the Airship.

Upon recovering and making preparations, Sumo departs west in pursuit of the Airship, coming upon the Forbidden Mines, where he meets Watts the Dwarf, in search of mithril. Upon finding some, he makes some armor for Sumo that allows him into Gaia Pass, which only opens for those with mithril on their person.

On the other side of Gaia Pass is a lake where the Airship has stopped to resupply. Furthermore, Bogard has arrived in search of Sumo, and the two board the Airship to find Fuji. Upon finding her and securing an escape route, Julius intervenes, and both Sumo and Bogard fall from the Airship, but not before Fuji manages to give Sumo the Pendant.

Sumo lands in Menos, unconscious. Amanda brings him to a house, but as he sleeps, she apologetically steals the Pendant and leaves. Sumo awakens, investigates the rumor of a Chocobo egg, gets a Chocobo for a steed, and pursues Amanda to Jadd, where he learns that Davias demanded the Pendant in exchange for releasing her brother Lester, who is instead turned into a parrot when she brings it to him.

Now she seeks the tears of Medusa to turn him back, and Sumo accompanies her. Sadly, when defeated, Medusa denies them her tears and instead infects Amanda with a curse that will turn her into a monster. She demands that Sumo strike her down before that happens, after which she gives him a tear to use on Lester, and dies.

Back in Jadd, Sumo learns from a now-cured Lester that Davias fled to the roof of his mansion with the Pendant, and the two give chase. Upon catching and defeating Davias, they learn that his pet Garuda is already on its way to Glaive beyond Crooked Boulder. Lester plays a song that banishes the poison mist preventing travel to the northwest, and Sumo sets off, but the bridge leading back to Jadd crumbles after he crosses, trapping him in Glaive.

Sumo emerges behind the Great Waterfall, and enters the castle in search of the Dark Lord. Along the way, he finds Fuji, but has her remain behind as he faces the Dark Lord alone. Victorious, he finds Julius has abducted her again, and taken her to the Great Waterfall, where, brainwashed, she recites the incantation that reverses the waterfall, allowing them passage to the Temple of Mana. Triumphant, Julius reveals his heritage from the Vandole Empire and blasts Sumo away before taking Fuji as he ascends to the Temple of Mana.

He is found in the Crystal Desert by his Chocobo, who injures her legs to bring him to Ishe. Dr. Bowow gives her prosthetic legs that allow her to run on water. Meanwhile, Sumo argues with Bogard, who injured his own legs when he fell from the Airship. Sumo has his doubts as to whether he's worthy to be a Gemma Knight, and questions why Bogard, who is one, doesn't do the job himself. Angered, Bogard drives the boy off, but Sarah reveals that Bogard was crippled when he fell from the Airship, and Sumo's Chocobo was also injured bringing him to Ishe, and was near death.

Sumo goes to see her, but learns that Dr. Bowow gave her prosthetic legs. However, before allowing him to leave, he tells him to make peace with Bogard. Thankfully, there was no need, but Bogard does have some advice. Sumo should seek out the Holy Sword, Excalibur, which brought down the Vandole Empire years ago. While not even Bogard knows where the blade rests, he does know who does, and directs him to Cibba in Wendel.

Upon reaching Wendel, he learns that Cibba went south to Lorimar upon hearing it was attacked by monsters. Upon arriving there, the king tells him that a Marilith has taken up residence in a nearby mountain cave. Cibba arrived to deal with the creature, but was frozen in ice before he had the chance.

Sumo decides to do it in Cibba's stead, which frees Cibba and the people of Lorimar. Knowing that Sumo seeks Excalibur, Cibba directs him to the Floatrocks, where Ifrit awaits beneath a mountain. Only by defeating Ifrit can Sumo obtain Excalibur. And yet, all Sumo finds is a rusty sword, surely not the Holy Sword.

Cibba explains that Excalibur must first judge one worthy before it can be wielded, and directs Sumo to find some ruins in the Crystal Desert and there hold Excalibur aloft, in order to raise the Dime Tower. Cibba intimates that Dr. Bowow might know where to look for the ruins. Indeed, the good doctor tells Sumo to locate the Flare spell in a sealed cave to the north, where a Lich lies waiting. Now armed with Flare, Sumo seeks out a giant diamond.

Destroying this diamond with Flare reveals the ruins Sumo is looking for. Deep in these ruins, beyond a Mantis Ant, is the spot where Sumo must lift up Excalibur to raise the Dime Tower. Inside the tower, he meets Marcie, and together they scale the tower, learning of the Emperor's corruption and how his followers placed hope at the base of the Great Waterfall in the form of the Imperial Prince, whom Sumo realizes must be Julius.

On the roof of the tower, Sumo confronts and defeats Garuda. However, the bird beast damages the tower, causing it to begin crumbling back underground. Marcie tosses Sumo across a broken bridge to Glaive Castle, saying it will cross with its propulsion thrusters, but after Sumo lands, it reveals said thrusters were damaged long ago. Besides, Marcie cannot leave the tower until Dr. Bowow recalls it.

Sumo must continue without Marcie, as he passes by Glaive Castle to the Great Waterfall. Ascending to the Temple of Mana, Sumo battles his way to the Mana Tree, before which are Julius and a still brainwashed Fuji. Julius mocks Sumo's efforts as too little too late, and engages Sumo in battle, only to be felled by the new Gemma Knight. Fuji is at last freed from Julius' spell, but Julius is not finished yet.

Assuming a third, final form, Julius attempts to finish Sumo off, but is finally destroyed, with the consequence of the Mana Tree being lost as well. However, Fuji's mother appears, and reminds her that they are seeds. Should the Mana Tree ever be lost, a maiden of the Mana Clan can become a new Mana Tree to keep Mana alive in the world.

Of course, Fuji must choose this for herself, and has the choice to return with Sumo and await the devastation that would come with the loss of Mana. Fuji makes the choice to become the new Tree, and Sumo agrees to protect her from evil. Before departing, Sumo agrees to carry a message from Fuji's mother to her beloved, Sir Bogard. After which, he leaves his Chocobo with another Chocobo and goes on his way.

Sword of Mana[]

Story[]

Childhood[]

Born and raised in Granz Realm, the Hero had a happy childhood in which he was well provided for both financially, being the son of Consul Hermann, and spiritually, listening to the legends of the world as spun in song by Lord Granz. However, one dark day, his parents were accosted by Prince Stroud, who had taken on the moniker of "Dark Lord", for hiding the (supposed) sole survivor of his massacre of the Mana Village. While his parents stayed behind to try and reason with Dark Lord (a tactic that resulted in their deaths), the Hero fled alongside the girl. Unfortunately, he twisted his ankle and, telling the Heroine to run ahead, was eventually captured and thrown into the dungeons of Granz Castle. There, he was forced to become a gladiator-slave for the Realm, battling monsters daily just to stay alive.

Journey[]

Much of the Hero's journey remains the same as in Adventures of Mana, but others are changed. Willy does not die, instead joining the group during the raid on Granz Castle; the Chocobo doesn't appear, as instead the Cannon Travel System is in place; a Niccolo pulls him from the river near Topple instead of him washing up; and Elena is in less danger than Fuji, and is alone instead of with Hasim, who becomes Kaseem, chief of the Mana Village where Elena grew up.

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Combat[]

Sumo[]

Sumo is the only playable character, and as such he has access to every piece of weaponry, minus the NPC's weapons, armor, and spells available. He can use his weapons on the field to aid him in his quest, such as using a chain-flail to wrap the chain around wooden posts or chop down trees with an axe. He is also able to use MAX attacks when the gauge on the World Screen is full, allowing him to unleash a powerful attack.

Duke[]

When playing the story from the Heroine's perspective, the Hero joins her as a partner character. In battle, he comes equipped with a sword and Salamander magic. However, due to always having a sword equipped, the Hero's magical abilities are rather lacking. He joins six times throughout the game:

• Firstly on the outskirts of Topple to help the Heroine find a child's lost book, leaving when they reach the village proper.
• Secondly, after he visits Cascade Cottage and stays with her until they are separated during their overnight stay at Vinquette Hall.
  • They are quickly reunited, however, when they confront Count Lee, after which they continue travelling together until they are forcibly separated shortly after reaching Wendel.
• Fourthly, after their successful infiltration of Granz Castle, when they do so to confront Dark Lord. They are parted after reaching Ishe in order to find the Sword of Mana.
• Fifthly, for their journey to Dime Tower. Once they reach the tower, they split up so that the Heroine can keep Marshall company.
• Sixthly and finally, at the entrance to the Mana Sanctuary. The two then stay together until the end of the game.

Circle of Mana[]

Duke[]

Rank	Image				Classes	Quote
LGR					奴隷剣士 復讐者 聖剣の英雄 過酷な運命を背負う者	「また、この夢だ。ああ、俺にこの夢を見せないでくれ！」

Gallery[]

Sumo[]

Sumo and Fuji

Official artwork of Sumo in Echoes of Mana

Duke[]

Duke from Sword of Mana

Trivia[]

• The Hero's appearance seems to be inspired by the eponymous, red-armored Fighter class from the original Final Fantasy, as well as the unnamed hero from Seiken Densetsu: The Emergence of Excalibur.
• The Sword of Mana version of the hero is remarkably similar in design to Escad from Legend of Mana.

External Links[]

• Sumo at the Final Fantasy Wiki

References[]