Phantasy Star: Fringes of Algo

In Phantasy Star I & II a lot of enemy names were kinda hard to figure out, an example would be the Scorpion-Gold Scorpion-Scorpius in PSI. Wouldn't Scorpion-Scorpius-Gold Scorpion make more sense? In PSII, an example would be the Fire Ant-Armoured Ant-Pinch Ant. Wouldn't it make more sense for Pinch Ant to come atleast first?

A lot of enemy names Phantasy Star III, however, some enemy names become a bit more clear. I can figure out some. The Primus-Secondus-Tertius enemy group refers to named ordering, primary for Primus, meaning first, and first in the group. Secondary for Secondus, meaning second, and second in the group. Tertiary for Tertius, meaning third, and third (and final) in the group.

Some are named after animals and creatures. Like the Dryad-Nereid-Sylph being named after Greek fairy-like creatures. The Harpy-Griffin-Gryphon (third is removed from the game) also based off the Greek humanoid bird creatures. The Fatima-Zafirah-Khalidah enemy group named after Arabic female names.

Some enemies are plainly named by enemy-like occupations, like the Punisher-Torturer-Executer group (also ascending from threat of occupation), and the Conjurer-Wizard-Sorcerer group.

Then there are some enemies with names I can't really figure out at all. What does Lazrbot-Mazrbot-Fazrbot mean? Lazrbot is probably short for Lazer Bot (letter limits), but the correct term is Laser, so it could be referring to something else, but what would Fazer Bot or Mazer Bot mean?

Then we get to Phantasy Star IV, and stuff really starts becoming unusual. I've really wondered for a long time what D-Elm-Lars/Xe-A-Thoul/Le-Faw-Gan/Gi-Le-Farg. Are they short for something or anything? Do they mean something in Japanese? I've also never really understood what the names Xanafalgue-Gicefalgue meant either. Again, I'm guessing it's something in another language (likely Japanese).

There is also Chaos Sorcerer-Illusionist-Imagio Mage. Chaos Sorcerer implies he's a chaotic sorcerer, while Illusionist implies he can create illusions. Imagio Mage implies he's a mage, and what does the Imagio part? Is it in another language yet again? Or does it mean imaginery, meaning he's a mage specialised in imagery? It's still hard to tell, honestly.

Anyone know about enemy names in Phantasy Star games, and what they mean, and are there are any you've managed to decipher? Leave your answers or thoughts below. Goodbye!

So fun fact: "laser" is technically written as "LASER," or "Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Raditation." Maser (which IS a word in Chrome's dictionary, so we each learned at least one thing today) is a word that works on the same principle; you just change the part of the electromagnetic spectrum you're amplifying. In a maser's case, it would be microwave. Yes, this would hold true for radio waves (raser), infrared light (iraser), ultraviolet light (uvaser), X-ray energy (xaser), and gamma energy (gaser). If I remember basic science right, the closer to gamma rays you get on the spectrum, the higher the frequency and thus the denser the energy-- I used uvasers as basic energy weapons in a science fiction setting because that's the safest of the post-light frequencies (turns out X-ray and gamma rays are extremely dangerous, who knew?!)

Wait a minute. We were talking about enemies in Phantasy Star III, weren't we? Oh yeah. Lzrbot/Mazrbot/Fazrbot. Lousy abbreviations for laser, maser, and phaser (phasers being phased energy rectifiers, AKA "the ray guns from Star Trek." And yes, that abbreviation is actual Star Trek canon.)

Science content over, now back to Phantasy Star III.

First one I really noticed are the basic Generation One enemies, the Eindon. Their tougher cousins are the Tsveidon and Dreidon. That's one, two, and three in German. ("Tsvei" is either an alternate romanization or crappy translation of "zwei." I'm leaning heavily towards the latter.)

Next one I noticed are Fire/Murafire/Azufire. Their names come from the color of their fire-- red (otherwise known as just "fire,") purple ("mura" is short for "murasaki," the Japanese word for purple), and blue ("azu" is short for "azul," the Spanish word for blue.)

Very interesting topic !
Alas, I don't have any precisions to give now but more a question about ennemies from PS I : the Trio : Ghoul-Zombie-Batalion.
I can see no problem about the two first but why Batalion ? I know the name Batallion, infrench it's bataillon and I know the meaning but why use this ? Maybe because it's a sort of troop of zombies ? I don't know...

Imagio is actually a mis-re-translation of Imago, which has two distinct and wildly different meanings.

The first is that it's another name for the fully-developed adult stage of an insect, hence the enemy Imagio Buzzer.

The second is a concept in psychology, which is a hyper-idealized image of another person or the self, so effectively a different type of illusion.

R-90-2 : Thanks a lot about those explanations !

An enemy name that has baffled me for ages has been:

“Mistralgec” from PSIV, which is the 2nd in the Sand Newt enemy group. Sand Newt and Flame Newt (3rd and final of the group) have pretty self-explanatory names, but what in the world does “Mistralgec” mean? Why not just call them “Snow Newt”?

Maybe the "gec" of Mistralgec is short for Gecko?
Thats the only reptilian thing that comes to mind.
"Mistral," apparently, is some sort of cold wind. Cold Wind Gecko?

Ahh, that must be it. A lot of enemy names have common condensations in their names. Although I still have no clue in the world what stuff like Xanafalgue or Gicefalgue means XD

I’m guessing calling them “Snow Newt” would’ve been a bit illogical then, considering the fact you can’t find newts in the snow (I’m guessing geckos aren’t found there often either though).

Yes Xanafalgue and the like confuse me. Igglanova too, but they sound like they can be real things or contracted words I am unaware of.
Then we have the even stranger "Algolian" names like Del-em-lars or Sa-Lews or Xe-A-Thoul which I cant even begin to rationalize.

Zio_Falz wrote:Yes Xanafalgue and the like confuse me. Igglanova too, but they sound like they can be real things or contracted words I am unaware of.
Then we have the even stranger "Algolian" names like Del-em-lars or Sa-Lews or Xe-A-Thoul which I cant even begin to rationalize.

All those strange names such as Del-em-lars or Sa-Lews or Xe-A-Thoul (this last one reminds me of someone else ! ) has always seem very odd to me that is for sure ! Their appearance is bizarre too...