
Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride is a role-playing video game and the fifth entry in the Dragon Quest series, as well as the second part of the Zenithian Trilogy. Created by Chunsoft and published by Enix Corporation, it was the first game in the series to launch on the Super Famicom console in Japan during September 1992. Due to technical challenges at the time, Dragon Quest V became the first title in the franchise not to be released internationally.
Dragon Quest V opens with a short scene depicting the birth of the Hero. Following this, the young Hero and his father, Pankraz, journey to visit Sancho, an old acquaintance. During their visit, the Hero meets Bianca, and together they venture into the eerie Uptaten Towers, where they discover a mysterious Golden Orb. The next day, the Hero encounters a man in town who bears a striking resemblance to him, though he is much older. This man requests to see the Golden Orb and, after it is returned, asks the Hero to look after his father, Pankraz. The first part of the story concludes with Pankraz being slain by Ladja, a shadowy member of the Order of Zugzwang, as he tries to shield his son and Prince Harry. The two boys are then captured and forced into slavery.