A new piece of Dragon Quest XII protagonist artwork has surfaced online, offering fans a closer look at the main character from Square Enix’s upcoming role-playing game.
The image was shared on X by user guernicass4, who posted photos from the Dragon Quest the DIVE!!! exhibition. According to the post, the display featured an illustration of the game’s protagonist drawn by the late Akira Toriyama.
Dragon Quest XII: Beyond Dreams is the next mainline entry in Square Enix’s long-running RPG series. The game will feature character designs by Akira Toriyama and music composed by the late Koichi Sugiyama, both of whom completed their work on the project before their passing.
The story follows a young protagonist troubled by mysterious prophetic dreams, with the narrative centred on uncovering the truth behind those visions.
The project was originally announced in 2021 as Dragon Quest XII: The Flames of Fate. During the franchise’s 40th anniversary broadcast in May 2026, series creator Yuji Horii and executive producer Yosuke Saito revealed that development had been restarted from scratch after the original version encountered significant challenges. As part of the overhaul, the game was reintroduced as Dragon Quest XII: Beyond Dreams, featuring a brighter visual direction and a renewed creative approach.
Square Enix has not announced a release date for Dragon Quest XII: Beyond Dreams.
