Players Discuss The Fine Art Of Translating Character Names
Players have been discussing all things good, bad, and ugly about the process of translating character names. While some interesting insights have been shared, there have also been some pretty brutal criticisms.
The conversation can be traced back to a user on Resetera going by the name of SolVanderlyn who started a popular thread on the topic. “One of my favorite things to talk about is translation in video games. Back in the day, this stemmed from the fact that Japanese to English translations usually ranged from bad to abysmal,” SolVanderlyn began. “Upon discovery that the original scripts were much more cohesive, I fell in love with translating on the spot. It's its own way of uncovering the truth. What's really being said? What's the author's intent?”
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SolVanderlyn gave Xenoblade Chronicles 2 by way of example because “I'm replaying the Xenoblade series right now.” The user noted how “Xenoblade Chronicles plays it pretty straight with its names, but Xenoblade Chronicles 2 changes a shit ton of names, sometimes for good and sometimes for bad and sometimes for no reason at all.” The user went on to describe the names that “worked, those that didn't, and those that made no sense.”
Pyra and Mythra seemingly worked rather well for Homura and Hikari. “Homura is a Japanese name that means fire or blaze,” SolVanderlyn explained. “Hikari is a Japanese name that means light. This one is an awesome change. It perfectly evokes the original meaning while still sounding like a cool fantasy name.” Several users including DiipuSurotu noted the connection between Mythra and Mithra, the “Zoroastrian divinity of covenant, light, and oath.”
When it comes to “name changes that didn't
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