The Legend of Heroes


The Legend of Heroes, known in Japan as is a series of role-playing video games developed by Nihon Falcom. First starting as a part of the Dragon Slayer series in the late 1980s, the series evolved into its own decade-spanning, interconnected series with seventeen entries, including several subseries. All games in the franchise released since 2004 are part of the Trails subseries, known as in Japan. The most recent entry, Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter, was released in 2025.
WWW falcom.co.jp

History

The series was created by Nihon Falcom. It began with the release of Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes in 1989 as a part of Dragon Slayer franchise. It was released for various computer platforms, as well as consoles such as the Sega Genesis, Super NES, and the TurboGrafx-16. The latter would be the first and last game in the series released in English until 2005. In Japan however, the series continued with Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes II, released in 1992 for a similar selection of platforms.
The third game in the series, The Legend of Heroes III, later released in English as The Legend of Heroes II: Prophecy of the Moonlight Witch, dropped "Dragon Slayer" from the title. It would be followed up by The Legend of Heroes IV and The Legend of Heroes V, later known outside of Japan as respectively The Legend of Heroes: A Tear of Vermillion and The Legend of Heroes III: Song of the Ocean. The three games form the "Gagharv trilogy", a subseries following a shared narrative within the same world.
After the conclusion of the Gagharv trilogy, Falcom introduced a completely new world and story with their next game: Trails in the Sky. The game, later dropping the VI from the title, received two sequels: Trails in the Sky SC and Trails in the Sky the 3rd. The three games made up the first arc of a new subseries, known as Kiseki in Japanese and Trails in English. Trails would end up becoming a major success for Falcom, with every Legend of Heroes game released since being a part of it.
The next two games in the series, The Legend of Heroes: Trails from Zero and Trails to Azure, form the "Crossbell" arc of the Trails narrative. The Trails of Cold Steel arc would follow, starting with The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel in 2013 and ending with Trails of Cold Steel IV in 2018. The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie is the epilogue to the Crossbell and Cold Steel/"Erebonia" arcs. The ongoing "Calvard" arc has seen three releases and began with The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak.
YearTitleSub-seriesNotes
1989Dragon Slayer: The Legend of HeroesDragon SlayerThe first game in The Legend of Heroes series.
1992Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes IIDragon SlayerThe final game in the Dragon Slayer subseries.
1994The Legend of Heroes II: Prophecy of the Moonlight WitchGagharvThe first of the Gagharv trilogy. Known as The Legend of Heroes III in Japan.
1996The Legend of Heroes: A Tear of VermillionGagharvKnown as The Legend of Heroes IV in Japan, all numbering was removed for its English release, making it appear to be the first game in the trilogy.
1999The Legend of Heroes III: Song of the OceanGagharvThe third and final game of the Gagharv trilogy. Known as The Legend of Heroes V in Japan.
2004The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the SkyTrailsThe first game of the Trails sub-series and the first of the Liberl arc. Originally released as The Legend of Heroes VI.
2006The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SCTrails
2007The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rdTrailsThe final part of the Liberl arc.
2010Ys vs. Trails in the SkyTrailsCrossover fighting game containing characters from the Ys and Trails series.
2010The Legend of Heroes: Trails from ZeroTrailsThe first part of the Crossbell arc.
2011The Legend of Heroes: Trails to AzureTrailsThe final part of the Crossbell arc.
2012The Legend of Nayuta: Boundless TrailsTrailsAction role-playing spin-off.
2013The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold SteelTrailsThe first part of the Erebonia arc.
2014The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IITrails
2016The Legend of Heroes: Trails at SunriseTrailsGacha game developed by UserJoy Technology.
2017The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IIITrails
2018The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IVTrailsThe final part of the Erebonia arc.
2020The Legend of Heroes: Trails into ReverieTrailsThe epilogue to both the Crossbell and Erebonia arcs.
2021The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through DaybreakTrailsThe first part of the Calvard arc.
2022The Legend of Heroes: Trails Through Daybreak IITrails
2024The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the HorizonTrails

Manga and anime

A Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes original video animation was released in 1992, loosely based on the story of the first game. In 1997, it was dubbed into English by Urban Vision and was released onto VHS in North America. In 2009, three volumes of a Trails in the Sky manga were published in Japan by Kadokawa Shoten, which was followed next year by a sequel, Trails from Zero: Pre-Story, published by ASCII Media Works. Two original video animation anime episodes of Trails in the Sky were respectively released in October 2011 and January 2012. A 12-episode anime series set in the Trails universe and produced by Tatsunoko Production, The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel – Northern War, aired in early 2023.