- "I'll find Maia if I have to search forever! I'll take the army to destroy Laya's clan!"
- — Rhys
Prince Rhys of Landen (Japanese: ケイン・サ・リーク), known as Kein Sa Riec in the Japanese version, is one of several lead protagonists of the third game of the original series, Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom. He, along with his children in future generations, manages to thwart Dark Force's schemes to destroy their homeworld aboard the Alisa III.
Characteristics[]
Detailed artwork of Rhys holding a sword.
Appearance[]
Rhys is typically seen armed with a sword and flashing a cocky smile. He has a long, white cape and white armor, the armor of which is notable for having a similar appearance to Rolf's from the previous game. A blue jewel is embedded within the chest plate.
Underneath his armor, Rhys wears a blue jumpsuit. His eyes are blue and he has short, matching blue hair with long, flared bangs.
Personality[]
Rhys is a brave leader and very loyal to his homeland and comrades. He is also infamous for being excitable and quick to anger. When a Layan scout kidnaps his bride-to-be on his wedding day, Rhys threatens to wage war until she is returned. It is only with the intervention of his father, the king, that he is able to calm down and think things rationally.
Unofficial Doujinshi Information[]
Rhys' character profile from Ozaki's unofficial character book
The level-headed prince of Landen.
According to Ozaki, Kein was brought up as the wealthy heir to the Landen kingdom, a small and considerably poor empire. Kein is known for his stellar swordsmanship skills and pragmatic decision making in the heat of battle, guided by a silent strength within him instead of a hot-blooded eagerness. The young, hard-working prince has a calm head and is always thinking of his people, although he is noted to not have much of a standout personality. He is, thus, well liked among the people of his soon-to-be kingdom. Although he is said to have descended from the prestigious Orakian bloodline, Rhys dismisses those claims as mere fairy tales part of a dusty 1,000 year old legend.
This information would call into question the events that would follow at the start of the renewed war with the Layans. Why would a calm, level-headed prince known for his modesty fall passionately in love with a woman that vanished just as quickly as she appeared as if she were a mirage? Why would he declare his love for this mysterious woman when he was already engaged to unite the Landen kingdom with neighboring Satera in a union of solidarity? Ozaki writes that, because Maia was sent to the shores of Landen by an evil will, perhaps it would not be illogical to believe that Rhys had begun to go mad since meeting the young woman.
Kein and Lyle settling a dispute.
Over the course of their adventures, Rhys and Lyle are known to constantly fight with each other over trivial disputes. The former is the noble prince of the Orakian Landen kingdom, while the latter a free spirit descended from the monster-taming Layan clan. They both have deep-rooted prejudices against each other's clans that they carry with them later in life.
Although Lyle's disgust for Rhys softens if the Orakian prince marries Maia, Kein's negative impressions of Lyle instead intensify. During negotiations with King Lyle in the empire of Shusoran, King Rhys would often silently tell his young son, Ayn, "Don't you go playing with that girl," with the girl referring to Lyle's daughter, Lann La Mirah (Thea in the western version).
Rhys's unofficial character profile places him at 178 cm which translates to roughly 5' 10" tall, and weighs 60 kg or about 132 lbs. He is 18 years old at the beginning of the game, born on the 29th day of the ninth month in the Alisa III's version of the After Wars calendar system. His hobby is stamp collecting. He enjoys lunchtime and dislikes tests and medical injections. A random extra bit of information that is not further elaborated on is that he has an illegitimate older brother that is 198 cm, or about 6' 6" tall.
Toyonaka Ozaki expanded on Rhys' character and design aspects in their unofficially published character book featuring the cast of Phantasy Star III. Although they worked as an official character designer for Sega during production of the game, they strongly reiterate throughout the work that the information presented should not be taken as official source material. They merely present their views from a designer's standpoint based on their recollection of working on the cast. Rhys' Japanese name, Kein Sa Riec, refers to him as Kein from the kingdom of Riec, known as Landen in the western version.
Biography[]
Maia is kidnapped on the day of the wedding.
Rhys was engaged with Princess Lena of Satera. Though, a mysterious woman washed ashore in the town of Landen one day without any recollection of her past besides her name, Maia. Captivated by her beauty, the young prince, Rhys, immediately decides that she will be his wife. Two months later on their wedding day, a Layan dragon breaks into the throne room and kidnaps her.
Rhys is overcome with anger and demands that she be returned immediately. When he hastily threatens to wage war with a people that have not been seen for 1,000 years, his father, the king, decides to intervene by locking Rhys in the dungeon below the city. Unknown to the guards, Lena managed to sneak into the dungeon during the chaos. She unlocks his cell and wishes him luck on his journey to save Maia.
Outside the city, Rhys stumbles upon the cyborg Mieu. She informs him that she has been waiting for him for 1,000 and will only allow herself to be commanded by a person of Orakian heritage such as himself. With Mieu by his side, the two journey to the city of Ilan. It is revealed that Maia was sent by an evil force.
During his journey to rescue Maia, he has the chance to rekindle his love for Lena, who eventually enjoys his journey. If he chooses to be with Lena, they renew their vows and, despite successfully saving Maia, he marries Lena. Together, they become King and Queen of Landen and Satera, uniting their kingdoms. They later have a son prince Nial, bringing lasting peace to their lands.
Alternatively, he can choose to stay with Maia. If he marries her, he must abdicate his throne in Landen. However, after defeating her father, he eventually becomes the King of Cille, and together they have a son, Prince Ayn.
Other Appearances[]
Rhys on a gamebook
Phantasy Star III Adventure Book[]
Of the three adventure titles published by Futabasha for the Phantasy Star original classics, one of them was a choose your own adventure story about Phantasy Star III. Featured on the cover is Rhys and some of his descendants in slightly modified costumes.
Depending on the reader's choices, the ending and situations Rhys finds himself in could change drastically from the events of the video game. The game books were only published in Japan.
Hi☆sCoool! Seha Girls[]
Wren and Rhys in Seha Girls
Rhys makes a cameo appearance in episode 9 of the Hi☆sCoool! Seha Girls anime.
In the episode, the Seha Girls find themselves in a parody situation of classic RPGs. Upon entering the tavern, Rhys can be seen next to Wren and several other male heroes of various Sega games.
Trivia[]
- According to the official Phantasy Star Collection, Rhys is 178cm tall, or about 5′-10″.[1]
- According to the official Japanese video game manual, Rhys weighs 60 kg, or 132 lbs.
Gallery[]
- The Phantasy Star wiki has an extensive image gallery for this character.
External Sources[]
- Capowski's RPG-Related Translation Junk Drawer
- A Gazeta de Algol
- Hugues Johnson Complete Guide to Phantasy Star III
- Phantasy Star Cave
References & Notes[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Phantasy Star Collection page 19
[]
| Playable Characters | First Generation Rhys Mieu - Wren - Lyle - Lena |
Second Generation Ayn - Nial Mieu - Wren - Thea - Sari - Ryan - Laya |
Third Generation Sean - Crys - Adan - Aron Mieu - Wren - Laya - Kara - Gwyn |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antagonists | First Generation King of Cille |
Second Generation Siren - Lune |
Third Generation Dark Force |
| Worlds | Landen - Aquatica - Aridia - Draconia - Elysium - Frigidia - Terminus - Dahlia - Azura | ||
| Locations | Landen - Yaata - Ilan - Satera - Rysel - Agoe - Shusoran - Cille - Hazatak Lensol - Endora - Techna - Divisia - Aerone - Mystoke - Skyhaven - New Mota | ||
| Dungeons | Landen Dungeon - Island Cave - Sunken Palace - Shusoran Dungeon - Cille Dungeon Sage Isle - Western Cave - Weather Control Tower - Lensol Dungeon - Techna Dungeon - Divisia Dungeon Rebel Cave - Aerone Dungeon - Mystoke Dungeon - Skyhaven Dungeon - Lashute - Dahlia Dungeon - Azura Dungeon Landen-Aquatica Passage - Aquatica-Aridia Passage - Aridia-Draconia Passage - Aridia-Landen Passage - Landen-Elysium Passage - Aridia-Frigidia Passage | ||