Elena Stoddart (エレナ・ストダート ) is the younger sister of Chester Stoddart and a childhood friend of Dogi. Residing in Redmont Town, Felghana, Elena plays a central role as the main heroine of Ys III: Wanderers from Ys and its remake.
Profile[]
Appearance[]
Elena is a cute and dainty young woman with blonde hair and purple eyes. She wears a blue and white frilled dress, featuring short, puffy sleeves. Completing her outfit is a brown belt around her waist, a white cowl around her neck, white cuffs, a silver crescent moon pendant, and beige boots.
Personality[]
Elena has always been something of a tomboy: rough, wild and uncontrollable. Frequently slips out of town when she's not supposed to, and is widely renowned for her absolute unwillingness to accept life's little injustices at face value. Her strong resolve also means she's a hard worker, which—combined with her general kindheartedness—has made her into something of an idol amongst the townsfolk of Redmont.
Background[]
Elena was a resident of a peaceful village on Genos Island, residing with her parents and older brother, Chester. However, tragedy struck when Count McGuire issued an order to annihilate the village. Amidst the devastation, Elena and Chester miraculously survived, thanks to the intervention of Berhardt, who spared and saved them.
The traumatic experience left a lasting impact on Elena, leading her to suppress the memories associated with the event. In the aftermath, they found refuge in the care of Mayor Edgar, who provided them a supportive environment and a new place to call home in Redmont.
Ys: The Oath in Felghana[]
Elena manages to slip past Gardner in her search for Chester but finds herself cornered by monsters outside the village. Fortunately, Adol arrives in the nick of time to rescue her. She introduces herself to Adol, and mentions that she and Dogi were childhood friends. Guiding Adol and Dogi back to Redmont, they celebrate Dogi's return to his hometown.
The next morning, Elena confides in Adol about her brother Chester, who has been absent from the town for over six months without a trace.
To Elena's dismay, it is revealed that Chester has become Count McGuire's top enforcer, aiding in his unjust actions, such as closing down Tigray Quarry, the main source of income for the villagers of Redmont. At Illburns Ruins, when Elena confronts Chester about his deeds, he callously dismisses her as a hindrance. Despite the pain caused by her brother's actions, Elena chooses not to harbor hatred.
In her support of Adol's quest, Elena provides him with the Wing Talisman, enabling teleportation to previously visited travel monuments. When Adol returns to Redmont, he discovers Elena and Anya under attack by soldiers from Valestein Castle. Rescuing Elena once again, Adol updates her on recent events. Shocked by her brother's actions, Elena resolves to find him at Valestein Castle. There, she witnesses Chester's plan for vengeance, but disagrees with his course of action. Pleading with Adol to stop Chester, she is later found imprisoned in the castle's dungeon.
As Chester prepares to strike down Count McGuire, Elena intervenes, urging him to abandon his destructive path. Recalling her suppressed memories and advocating for peace, she interrupts the confrontation. However, Bishop Nikolas, the true orchestrator of events, appears and reveals his dark intentions. Enraged by the betrayal, Chester attacks the bishop but is overpowered by Dularn. Adol's attempts to stop the bishop prove futile. In a desperate act, Elena offers herself as a substitute for Chester, as a descendent of Genos is needed to awaken Galbalan.
Determined to rescue Elena and prevent Galbalan's resurrection, Adol journeys to Genos Island. Defeating Dularn and the dark bishop, he finds Elena at the heart of the Dark Shrine, bound to the ritual platform. Galbalan begins to awaken, fueled by Elena's life force. Chester arrives, freeing Elena with a single slash. Adol seizes the opportunity to engage in a fierce battle with the monster, ultimately emerging victorious.
However, Galbalan's rapid regeneration prompts Chester to make a sacrificial decision. Against Elena's objections, he knocks her unconscious and asks Adol to ensure her safety. Elena regains consciousness only to witness the complete destruction of Genos Island.
A few days later, Adol visits Elena's house, but she does not respond. Bidding farewell to the villagers, Adol departs from Redmont. At the dock, Elena appears, expressing gratitude for Adol's aid in Felghana. Determined to become stronger like her brother, she vows to protect those dear to her. Tearfully bidding Adol farewell, she watches as he sets sail in search of his next adventure.
Musical themes[]
Elena's main theme is titled "Darling Elena." Although it did not appear in the original PC-8801 version of Ys III: Wanderers from Ys, it debuted in the X68000 version and was composed by Masaaki Kawai. The music track would be rearranged for the TurboGrafx-CD, SNES, Sega Genesis, the Perfect Collection Ys III album, and Ys: The Oath in Felghana.
In the Perfect Collection Ys III album, a vocal version of the theme titled "Avenue of Sorrow," was sung by Akino Arai. In the Ys: The Oath in Felghana jdk Special album, another vocal version of the theme titled "The Oath ~The love turns into the Oath," was sung by Kanako Kotera.
Trivia[]
- Elena is frequently depicted as wearing a variant of her brother's knight uniform, which she only had ever donned as a one picture reward for beating Inferno mode in Ys: The Oath in Felghana. This has led to some speculation that Elena has indeed become a stronger person as per her promise to Adol.
- In Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana, Elena is also depicted as cosplaying as other Ys characters.