Summary
One of the oldest franchises in the RPG genre,Yshistory dates back to 1987. Originally released for the PC-8801,Ancient Ys Vanishedwas only the first installment in a legendary saga whose penchant for adventure is perhaps rivaled only byThe Legend of Zelda. Despite the series’ storied lineage, however,Yshas never garnered the Western attention it deserves.
Of course, this in itself is becauseYshasn’t exactly had the smoothest development history within the past three decades. Not even considering a lengthy hiatus caused by a poorly timed pivot to the Super Famicom, the franchise has gone through three distinct gameplay engines—with the games released in a non-chronological order as something of a rule. Part ofYs’charm stems from the fragmented nature of the franchise, but that can make gettinginto the JRPG franchisedifficult for new fans.
Updated July 25, 2025 by Chad Thesen:The Ys franchise is still going strong and adding new games and stories to the ever-growing story of Adol. This includes a new entry to this list that summarizes the events of Ys 10 through the Obelia Gulf. While this game may be the 10th mainline installment, it chronologically takes place in the middle of existing games. There has also been a slew of other updates to bring this article up to modern practices and standards.
700 years before series protagonist Adol Christin first set foot on Esteria, the world was on the brink of apocalyptic collapse. Featuring three playable characters with their distinct routes and set exclusively inYs I’s final dungeon—Darm Tower—YsOriginis the only mainline entry to not be framed as one of Adol’s personal travel logs. All the same, that only adds to the story’s mystique.
Discovering the Black Pearl and the Twin Goddesses missing from the floating island of Ys, a search party warps down to the surface to find them within Darm Tower.Ys Originsets the stage for Adol Christin’s adventures, showing how the modern world came to be along with offering further insight into Feena & Reah—two of the originalYsduology’s most important characters.
Speaking of the duology,Ys 1 & 2are ostensibly two halves of the same game.Ancient Ys Vanished, often referred to as Book I, is set in Esteria and is Adol’s first major adventure since leaving his home to explore the new world. Conquering the Stormwall circling Esteria, Adol becomes the first to set foot on the secluded island, finding himself in the middle of a divine conspiracy.
Book II skyrocketed Adol up to the floating island of Ys, the “mythical” land that’s often referenced in Book I. Here, all the legends Adol learned about Esteria turn out to be true, and he confronts the Clan of Darkness head-on.Ys 1 & 2are comparatively fairly simple RPGs, but they’re bonafide classics presented magnificently.Ys 1 & 2weave a genuine fairytale experience.
Ys 10: Nordicsmay be the tenth mainline game, but it chronologically takes place after the events ofYs 2: Ancient Ys Vanished - the Final Chapter.The game draws a lot of inspiration from Nordic culture for its storytelling, along with the Norman Conquest. Once again, thefocus is on the central protagonist, Adol, with him on his journey to Celceta. The game features many different islands spread throughout the region of the Obelia Gulf, where there is an ongoing conflict between the Normans and the Griegr. This leads to the vessel that Adol is traveling on being raided by pirates led by a Norman Princess.
It is during this interaction that Adol becomes linked to the princess, allowing the player to switch between the two throughout the game. This adds many moments of back-and-forth dialogue between the two for players to enjoy. The story involves the power of mana through the Lila Shell and seemingly unkillable monsters. A bond grows between the two as they uncover the mysteries surrounding these events and resolve the conflict that plagues the Obelia Gulf.
Following his adventure from the previous installment, Adol returns to decompress with his soon-to-be eternal travel partner, Dogi. Not long after, Adol parts ways with Dogi in the Frontier Town of Casnan, wanting to explore what Celceta has to offer. Unfortunately, Adol loses all of his memories and must undergo the task of charting the Great Forest for the Romun Empire (a force that will soon come to oppose Adol).
What’s most notable about Adol’s adventure in Celceta is not the story itself, but how it speaks to the franchise’s framing. Just as each game is a volume in Adol’s travel logs, every localization, port, or remake is in itself its own translation. BeforeMemories of Celcetasolidified itself as the most canonical translation,The Dawn of YsandMemories of the Sunoffered wildly different interpretations of Adol’s time in the country—only having reference to his travel notes.
5Ys: Oath In Felghana
Adol’s Adventure In Felghana
Oath in Felghanais set one year after the events ofMemories of Celceta(albeit releasing first), a now 19-year-old Adol Christin takes a break from adventuring. Players visit Dogi’s homeland of Felghana & hometown of Redmont… only to find himself in the middle of yet another adventure. For what it’s worth,Oath in Felghanais one of the most low-stakesYsstories, mainly centering on personal family matters with the apocalyptic danger only coming in at the end (and never coming off as too overbearing a threat).
Oath in Felghanais significant in its insignificance and is a crucial step in Adol establishing himself as a casual hero & adventurer. That said, Adol’s time in Felghana leads to his first major encounter with a Galbalan, setting up what is arguably the key plot point inArk of Napishtim.
6Ys 5: Lost Kefin, Kingdom Of Sand
Adol’s Adventure In Xandria
Lost Kefin, Kingdom of Sandremains the only classicYstitle to lack a remake. Perhaps not coincidentally, it was also the game that spurred a nearly decade-long hiatus for the franchise. That said,Lost Kefinisn’t a bad game by any means. Just a bit too archetypical as far as SNES JRPGs go.
If nothing else, Xandria makes for a remarkable setting and the story unravels surprisingly well (complete with a time travel plot that has some nice emotional weight at the center of it all). Unlike Adol’s four other early series adventures, his time in Xandria doesn’t offer up much in the way of substantial lore. However, it does set the stage for Adol to enterArk of Napishtima seasoned adventure.
Lacrimosa of Danapicks up shortly after the events ofYs 5.Adol starts the game withLost Kingdom’s best sword, only for Adol to experience the mother of all shipwrecks. Stranded on the Isle of Seiren, Adol must band together with the rest of the survivors to endure the island’s harsh conditions.
Ys 8is notably the first entry in the series to split the protagonist focus between Adol & one other character—Dana herself. Adol’s arc takes place in the present day, whereas Dana’s takes place in the past. Both ultimately come together in a narrative that fundamentally redefines both the franchise’s mythology and cosmology.
8Ys 6: Ark Of Napishtim
Adol’s Adventure On The Canaan Islands
What’s impressive aboutArk of Napishtimis how it recontextualized five games worth of lore into a single epic, which is toYswhat the firstAvengersfilm was for Phase 1 of the MCU. The Eldeen comes back into play, the Ark mentioned by Galbalan inOathis critically important, and the Romun Empire takes on the role of Adol’s main antagonist.
The Ark of Napishtimis set on the Canaan Islands and manages to take a rather tactful look at the effects colonialism & imperialism have on indigenous tribes while never suggesting their invaders are doing them a genuine service. At its core, though, what makesYs 6so special is that it recognizes the series’ loose threads and ties them all together.
Set half a year after the events ofArk of Napishtim, Adol finally reaches Afroca—the continent he actually set out to first visit when he initially left his home village.Ys Sevenbrings with it somemajor lore additions, making it clear that there’s so much more to this universe than what was established during the Eldeen arc.
For better or worse,Ys Sevenalso marked a precedent for Adol’s adventures being much longer. Where a typical game could be cleared in under 10 hours,Sevenpushed the series past 20+ where it’s been ever since. That said, it wasn’t without merit.Ys Sevenspends its first half pretending to tell a by-the-numbersYsplot only to flip everything on its head with a fantastic midgame twist.
Ys 9: Monstrum Noxis the latest game in the timeline along withthe darkest tonally. Adol is the oldest he’s ever been, and his adventure takes him to the prison city of Balduq. Unfortunately, his reputation does him no favors, prompting the Romun Empire to imprison him.
Monstrum Noxcomments on Adol’s reputation in a way no other game has been able to, and in a post-Lacrimosa of Danafranchise,Ys 9will likely be planting seeds to pave the way towards another landmark title likeArk of Napishtim.
