10 Best Long-Running JRPG Franchises Ranked

The JRPG is one of the longest-running genres in gaming history. Throughout that lengthy history, there have been tons of different series that have thrown their hat into the ring to become the new king of the genre.

There have been fantasy titles, sci-fi titles, and everything in between along the way. The series that have managed to stick around have had an enormous amount of entries and spin-offs throughout their time in the gaming zeitgeist

While the genre suffered a lull in the early 2010s, the recent surge in the past few years of games, both retro-styled and next-gen, has shown that not only is the genre here to stay, but it still has considerable legs as a genre to be reckoned with.

Let’s look at some JRPG series that have stood the test of time.

10 Disgaea

Dealing One Million Damage In the Underworld

Disgaea came out in 2003 as an alternative to the mainstream JRPG formula. Instead of sprawling fantasy worlds, Disgaea, for the most part, places you in hell and gives you an eclectic bunch of characters to play with during your time there.

Still going strong today, Disgaeais a series that offers something wholly unique in the JRPG world, and that’s a tough thing to find.

It has never gained mainstream appeal, but due to its longevity and quality from title to title, it deserves a spot on this list.

9 Persona

High School Hijinks

Persona’s history dates back to 1996, and with the recent release of Persona 3: Reloaded, it’s still going strong today.

The early games in the series were unique and dark in a way that few other JRPG series were, which introduced a unique alternative to the more mainstream titles.

Persona 5can be credited with reviving the JRPG genre in 2016. Since then, the genre has skyrocketed in popularity and produced what is essentially the second golden age of the JRPG.

Persona also has a sister series in Shin Megami Tensei, which is fantastic in its own right. Still, it’s the more hardcore of the two, and while great, it hasn’t had the type of popularity that Persona has garnered over the years.

8 Dragon Quest

Turn-Based Bliss in a Magical World

Originally known as Dragon Warrior, Dragon Quest is one of the founding fathers of the JRPG genre as a whole. Stretching back to the first Nintendo console, Dragon Quest has been a staple in the genre for over thirty years.

Solid combat and great storytelling have been consistent themes in this massive series, and they’re still going strong today.

If this series released titles more frequently, we’d have it higher on the list, but the sporadic releases throughout the years have kept it from reaching that pinnacle.

7 Kingdom Hearts

An Unlikely Fusion

Kingdom Hearts as a concept shouldn’t have ever worked. I mean, Disney & Final Fantasy? Who would even consider pairing those two off?

These are two franchises that shouldn’t be in the same room at the same time, let alone the same game. But somehow, the two meshed beautifully to form a lasting JRPG titan.

Kingdom Hearts currently boasts the most elaborate storyline in JRPG history, and whether that’s a good or bad thing depends on who you talk to.

Nevertheless, it remains impressive and gripping to play as characters introduced to the world over twenty years ago and still see their stories grow.

With Kingdom Hearts 4 on the way at some point, the adventure is set to continue, and we can’t wait to see what madness and whimsy await us.

6 Tales Series

A JRPG Where You Control The Tempo

One of the pressing questions of the 1990s for many gamers was, “What if we could control the action we see in JRPGS rather than just pressing ‘attack?’

The Tales Of series was a concept formed by taking this notion and running with it, and it has succeeded off the back of this focus on player agency.

Suddenly, the idea that a JRPG had to be turn-based went out the window, inspiring a new type of JRPG.

Tales of Arise is the franchise’s shining success, and the next title in the series is likely to be announced in the next year or two.

Tales has been one of the most consistent series from game to game for a long time, and the frequency with which they come out has also kept it in the minds of JRPG fans for over twenty years.

5 Pokemon

Addictive Monster Collecting With Sharp Mechanics

Pokemon was the first JRPG to make a splash on handheld devices, and in 1998, it was the only game that mattered, as Poke-mania was in full effect.

The addictive nature of catching all the Pokémon and sending them to battle against each other was apparent, and throughout the series, the story evolved alongside that mechanic to create a long-running line of titles, each with their own unique quirks and charm.

Whether it’s handheld, main console releases, or otherwise, Pokémon has become one of the biggest gaming franchises in history, and that accolade is well deserved.

With Pokémon Legends: Z-A due out in 2025, it’s time to get out your Pokeballs and get ready to catch a whole new generation of Pokémon.

4 Star Ocean

Sci-Fi Fantasy at its Finest

Star Ocean was released in 1996 and showed JRPG fans another dimension, quite literally, to the genre. Star Oceanhas released seven mainline entries to the series on top of several remakes as well, and has become one of the most highly touted names in the entire genre.

Each game has a different story to tell, with a galaxy-spanning narrative that begs you to immerse yourself and get lost in the cosmos.

Star Ocean has some of the most innovative themes and combat systems in the genre. While it doesn’t have many entries compared to others listed here, its incredibly consistent quality makes it one of the more certain JRPG series.

3 The Legend of Heroes

A Sprawling Political Story With Mechs

The Legend of Heroes goes all the way back to 1989 for its first release and, unlike most other titles throughout this list, features a continuous storyline with hundreds of characters and locations to explore throughout all the different titles.

The series has seen a massive popularity boost in the past ten years, and we couldn’t be surprised if we see a return to the cultural zeitgeist for this epic JRPG staple.

It can be argued that The Legends of Heroes still hasn’t hit the heights it’s capable of, which says a lot for a series that consistently has its entries rate very well among fans and critics, and its most recent entries have been among the best yet.

2 Xenogears/Xenosaga/Xenoblade Chronicles

Existential and Religious Musings

Xenogears came out in 1998 during the golden era of JRPGS and introduced players to a game so mature and genuinely thought-provoking that it felt like an entirely different genre.

The story is the star of the show there, and to this day, it remains the most ambitious story in the genre. Since then, the series has spun into several variations, including Xenosaga and today’s version, Xenoblade Chronicles.

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Every one of the games in this series is a breath of fresh air, introducing unique concepts and characters you haven’t seen before with terrific combat that constantly innovates from game to game.

It is easily the most consistent series from game to game, and it comes second only to the inevitable franchise that you’ve all been waiting for.

1 Final Fantasy

There’s Nothing ‘Final’ About This Series

In 1987, Final Fantasy was released and would change the face of video games forever.

Starting as a simple story about the Warriors of Light on a mission to save the world, the series has evolved considerably over the past thirty-plus years to tell incredible stories, taking us to amazing worlds, mysterious castles, dangerous dungeons, and even the reaches of space itself.

The series likely has at least one game that features in JRPG fans’ favorite games of all time and, with a staggering 16 main entries and countless spin-off series, it has produced consistent quality that is unparalleled, JRPG or otherwise, and that has been the case for over 3 decades.

With its most recent release of Final Fantasy 16 in 2023 and the series itself seeing its biggest surge in popularity in years thanks to the success of Final Fantasy 14, Square Enix’s flagship franchise will certainly be part of the gaming world for a long time to come.