Rance (series)

The Rance series consists of ten main entries, starting with Rance: Quest for Hikari in 1989, and ending with Rance X: Showdown in 2018. There are also two short side story games, Rance 4.1 and Rance 4.2. Every game takes place in the same world, and events from each entry carry over into later ones; despite that, most of the games' stories are self-contained. Brutal King Rance released after Rance 4.2, and served as a glimpse into the series' future. It is a spin-off that compiles the many ideas that the series producers had at the time, all into one large game. These ideas were later built upon in the games that came out after it, starting with Rance VI. Rance: Quest for Hikari Rance, an adventurer working with the Keith Guild, accepts a mission to find and rescue the missing daughter of a wealthy family. Rance travels to the Kingdom of Leazas and investigates the castle town, while Sill investigates at the all-girls school, Paris Academy, where the kidnapped girl attended. This was the first game made under the AliceSoft brand, and the beginning of the Rance series. It was initially released for the PC-9800 series of computers, and was later ported to PC-8800, Sharp X68000, MSX 2 and 2+, FM TOWNS, PC88VA, and Windows 95. Rance 01: Quest for Hikari Rance 01: Quest for Hikari, released for Windows in 2013, supersedes the original game in canon. The game features a new casino-inspired gameplay system and massively improves upon the content from the original game, while retaining the same overall story. This remake was later adapted into a hentai OVA series. The game was officially released in English by MangaGamer in 2020, bundled with Rance 02: The Rebellious Maidens. Rance II: The Rebellious Maidens The town of Custom, a member of the Free Cities, is suddenly entombed underground by the Four Mages who were tasked to guard the town by Ragishss Cryhausen, the city's former guardian. Rance sets out with Sill to defeat them, but soon learns that their minds were corrupted by the power of the rings that they wield. Rance sets out to prevent them from receiving the magic power the rings grant. It was released in 1990 on the same computer systems as the first Rance game. Rance 02: The Rebellious Maidens Rance 02: The Rebellious Maidens is a remaster the original game, released for Windows in 2009. The original release of Rance 02 only updated the graphics and engine, but the later release, Rance 02 Kai, completely rewrites the script to better fit in with the later games. The game was officially released in English by MangaGamer in 2020, bundled with Rance 01: Quest for Hikari. Rance III: The Fall of Leazas The Kingdom of Leazas's castle is suddenly invaded by the Helmanian Empire, who borders them to the west. Fiends, nigh-invulnerable monsters who drank the blood of the Archfiend, are believed to be behind the unexpected attack attack, and Lia Parapara Leazas, the princess of Leazas who has fallen for Rance, calls upon him to save the kingdom. Rance sets out on a quest to find the power of Chaos, which is said to wield the ability to break the Fiends' invincibility field. This was the first game in the series to take on a larger scale, being the starting point for much of the lore and world building that the rest of the series builds upon. It was released in 1991 for the PC-9800 series, with ports to the Sharp X68000, FM TOWNS, and Windows 98. Rance 03: The Fall of Leazas Rance 03 is a complete reimagining of the original game, released for Windows in 2015. It features modern graphics, a gameplay system building on top of the one featured in Rance 01, and massive expansions to the original game's scenario. Also being the only game in the series to feature voice acting, it is the most advanced of the Rance series' remakes. It was officially released in English by MangaGamer in 2025. Rance IV: Legacy of the Sect Directly following the events of Rance III, Rance, shortly after having saved Leazas from the Helmanian Empire and the Fiends, is sent to Ylapu, a giant island floating above Leazas. There, Rance must find a way to return to The Continent's surface, while being hindered by agents from Helman who are attempting to revive and control the Wargod Upsilon, an ancient superweapon created by the Holy Magic Sect. This game connects heavily to AliceSoft's Toushin Toshi series. It was released in 1993 for the PC-9800 series, and was later ported to the FM TOWNS and Windows 95. Rance 4.1: Save the Medicine Plant! Shortly after Rance IV, Rance accepts a quest to stop a horde of underground monsters from attacking the Happiness Pharmaceutical building, where Ibeprofun, a healing medicine, is produced. The ending leads directly into the next game, Rance 4.2: Angel Army. Rance 4.2: Angel Army Continuing after the previous game, Rance 4.1: Save the Medicine Plant!, Rance chases down the remainder of the Angel Army, while himself being chased after by an assassination group and three "Rare Gal-Monsters". The two games were released in 1995 for the PC-9800 series, FM TOWNS, and Windows. Brutal King Rance A while after the events of Rance IV, Rance, bored of his normal life, gathers a group of outlaw bandits, based in eastern Helman. The imperial army quickly strikes down the bandits, taking Sill Plain and Soul Less captive, but Rance narrowly escapes to Leazas. Desperate for aid in taking back his captured allies and enacting revenge on the Helmanian Empire, he marries Lia, who is now the Queen of Leazas, in order to become the tyrannical King of Leazas and use the country's power to save his allies and conquer the world for his own personal interests. Meanwhile, on the opposite end of The Continent, war escalates between the two opposing factions in the Monster Realm. Brutal King Rance (also known as Kichikuou Rance) serves as a non-canonical "what if..." conclusion for the Rance series, based on the idea of Rance becoming a tyrannical king. Released in 1996, it is the first grand strategy game in the Rance series, and was the basis for Sengoku Rance and other non-Rance titles by AliceSoft with similar gameplay. It was also the first AliceSoft game released primarily for Windows, and all other Rance games would follow. Rance 5D: The Lonely Girl A soft reboot of the Rance series, Rance 5D released in 2002 after a 6-year hiatus following Brutal King Rance. Rance 5D: The Lonely Girl is based on a unique roulette system, where the role-playing elements are determined by randomization. In the game, Rance is traveling through the Continent, when he and Sill stumble upon Genbu Castle, a castle leading to another dimension. They must then escape the dimension, along with a new ally, Rizna Lanfbitt. The name, 5D, comes from the four different development phases the game went through (5A-5D). It was released in 2002 for Windows. The game was officially released in English by MangaGamer in 2016, bundled with Rance VI: Collapse of Zeth. Rance VI: Collapse of Zeth Rance, shortly after his trials from Rance 5D: The Lonely Girl, travels to the magical Kingdom of Zeth while on a job. After offending a high-ranking governmental official, Rance is sent to a slave camp. While there, Rance collaborates with resistance group "Ice Flame", which seeks to change the inequality of Zethan society, in which non-magic users are treated as second-class citizens. Rance VI: Collapse of Zeth, released in 2004, is one of the most well-received installments in the Rance series, primarily due to its expansion on story elements from the non-canon Brutal King Rance. The game was officially translated by MangaGamer in 2016, bundled with Rance 5D: The Lonely Girl. Sengoku Rance Rance sets out for Nippon, an island archipelago to the east of the Continent, which is modeled after the Warring-States Period of Japanese history. Having been entrusted by an ill Oda Nobunaga to command the Oda clan in his place, Rance seeks to unite Nippon under the Oda clan and have sex with as many of the beautiful Nipponese women as he can. Sengoku Rance, also known as Rance VII, was one of AliceSoft's best-selling titles of all time, being one of the most common entry points to the series. The game was released in Japan in 2006, and an official English translation by MangaGamer was released in 2019. Rance Quest Also known as Rance VIII, Rance Quest directly follows the events of Sengoku Rance. Rance returns to the Continent to seek a cure for the curse that was placed on Sill. While sneaking into Pencilcow, the home of the Kalar race, to find a cure for Sill, he offends the Queen with his antics, and she places a curse of abstinence on him in retaliation. He then journeys around the Continent, seeking a cure for both himself and for Sill. This installment focuses more on the individual stories of its various characters than on continuing the greater storyline of the series itself. The game was released in 2011, and an official English translation by MangaGamer was released in 2021. Rance Quest Magnum An expansion of Rance Quest, Rance Quest Magnum adds a second, more focused storyline accessible after completing the original game's ending. The story follows the selection of a new Mulalaloux—the pope of Alicism, The Continent's most popular religion—shortly after the previous pope's death. Meanwhile, a cult acts against Alicism in the background, contaminating the souls of the depressed. The expansion's storyline includes an ending that segues into Rance IX, and was directly implemented into the official English release, without needing to be purchased separately. Rance IX: The Helmanian Revolution The government of the Helmanian Empire has fallen into the hands of Stessel Romanov, who corrupts the country from behind the scenes. A revolutionary force led by the former Prince of Helman, Patton Misnarge, seeks to take back the government and restore it from its inner corruption. Patton solicits the aid of Rance, who agrees, with his own personal interests in mind. This game serves as a spiritual successor to one of AliceSoft's earlier standalone titles, Mamatoto: A Record of War, borrowing many elements such as characters, plot threads, and gameplay mechanics. The game was released in 2014, and was localized by MangaGamer in 2023. Rance X: Showdown The conclusion of the Rance series, it was released on 23 February 2018. It is known to have the largest video game script ever written. The work was originally planned as a trilogy, but the third part was canceled during development, and only the first two were released. An official English translation by MangaGamer is in progress, though a release date has not yet been confirmed. ==Characters==

; :The main playable and the titular character of the Rance series. He is a powerful warrior who was created to the "kichiku" (Japanese: 鬼畜, which means extreme violence, sexual assault, or sadistic themes in Japan video games) character archetype. He was based out of a town in the Free Cities Alliance, where he accepts jobs from Keith's Guild when he is low on money. He lives in the "Rance Castle", which he had built after the events of Rance Quest. The games generally feature quests and other missions that he embarks upon to gain or regain the money he has lost. ; :A powerful magic user that generally accompanies Rance on his quests. He bought her from a slave camp in Zeth, where she was born; she now must travel with him wherever he goes. She was frozen in ice at the end of Sengoku Rance and freed at the end of Rance IX: The Helmanian Revolution. ; :An organic-base android that functions as a pet to Rance. An accident during her creation caused her to have lower intelligence and an inability to gain a higher level. She was created in the events of Rance IV: The Legacy of the Sect. She is a noted magic user, although she is not as powerful as Sill due to her limitations. ; :The Queen of Leazas, who married Rance in Brutal King Rance. She brought a new age of prosperity to the kingdom, which led to an antagonism brewed amongst a number of foreign countries and noblemen. She became the queen after her two brothers were killed in a succession dispute. She grants her handmaiden, Maris Amaryllis, a large amount of governing power, whilst regularly taking maidens by way of Kanami Kentou, a Nipponese ninja under her command. Her serial kidnapping was eventually thwarted by Rance. ; :A Nipponese ninja who was taken in by Queen Lia Leazas after she got lost on the Continent. She is generally engaged in assisting the queen in getting the affection of Rance, although she was used to gather maidens until the events of Rance: The Quest for Hikari. ; :A magic user, originally from Zeth, she is first encountered by Rance in the Genbu Castle dimension in Rance 5D: The Lonely Girl when he accidentally enters there. She is incredibly naïve, and that naïveté caused her a lot of pain while trapped in the alternate dimension; while a kind spirit helped her, it was Rance that enabled her to escape. She is now in the protection of the King of Zeth, a childhood friend of hers whom she knew before she was imprisoned. ; :A noted businesswoman, who seeks to marry Rance in order to increase her luck. She was born as a miko, but after predicting her own future as one of great misfortune, became obsessed with luck and wealth; this caused her to strive towards business, where she succeeded. She is first encountered in Rance 5D: The Lonely Girl, while seeking a man who has great luck. ; :The leader of the Zeth resistance group Ice Flame. She is introduced to Rance when he enters the Zeth slave camp in Rance VI: The Collapse of Zeth, and takes control of her resistance group. The game continues, Zeth is made more equal, and the resistance groups is disbanded. She becomes one of the Four Lords who guard Zeth, the first non-magic user to do so. ; :The Pope of the Church of Alice, the dominant religion on The Continent. She first appeared in Rance Quest as a bishop in the church; she became the Pope when the former one, Duran Teyuran, died. She has a great knowledge of curses, and helped free Sill from her curse at the end of Rance IX: The Helmanian Revolution. ; :She was saved by Rance whilst being attacked by monsters during the events of Rance Quest and made into his slave. She is a member of the Church of Alice, and is very respectful to Crook, the church's Pope. She is a very powerful guard in combat. ; :A former prince of Helman, who led the war against Leazas in the events of Rance III: The Fall of Leazas. He has a key role in Rance IX: The Helmanian Revolution, where Rance aids him in a large force seeking to take back the country from its current, corrupt state. ==OVA==

A hentai OVA based upon the series, Rance: Sabaku no Guardian, was released on December 25, 1993. It was not directly related to the events of any game in the series. It consisted of two episodes. A second original video animation series, Rance 01: Hikari wo Motomete The Animation, was an adaptation of the remake of the first game, Rance 01: The Quest for Hikari, and was released from December 26, 2014, to June 24, 2016. Consisting of four episodes, the OVA was directed by Takashi Nishikawa and animated by studio Seven and Pink Pineapple. == Development ==

The Rance series' origins began in 1986 with the release of Kidnapped Miki-chan, a graphical adventure game for PC-88 computers distributed with Champion Soft's third magazine, LEMONADE. In 1987, Kidnapped Miki-chan would receive a simplified remake for the PC-98, titled Little Princess. This remake was developed by TADA, a new Champion Soft employee who joined after going to a trade school for programming, wanting to develop erotic games. In 1988, TADA would then go on to create Little Vampire, a sequel to Little Princess, as his first fully original work under Champion Soft. Rance: Quest for Hikari Around 1987, Champion Soft's president announced that the company would be transitioning away from erotic material. However, following poor sales from their all-ages releases bringing the company close to bankruptcy, Champion Soft would launch a sub-brand for erotic games called AliceSoft in 1989, at TADA's suggestion. Immediately, development would begin for several games under the AliceSoft brand. He took on Orion as the illustrator for 5D instead, as they had more of a shared vision for how the series should be. While Rance 5D is the only version that players ultimately got to see, ideas and assets from the earlier attempts at making Rance V ended up in other AliceSoft games such as Mamatoto: A Record of War and Rance VI: Collapse of Zeth. A short reel of screenshots from the earlier Rance V attempts can be seen in Rance 5Ds trailer. In some series material, Rance V is listed as a distinct canonical entry, separate from Rance 5D. The Rance X manual lists it as "unreleased", taking place between Rance IV and Rance 5D. ==Legacy==

Rifujin na Magonote, the author of Mushoku Tensei, said that the novel series was inspired by Rance series, among other inspirations. ==See also==