THE BROKEN SEAL

Known simply as Golden Sun in English, the first game in the series was released on August 1st, 2001 in Japan, with a NA release following a few months later on November 12th. It was widely praised for its graphics, music, and complexity: these were especially impressive given the fact that it was developed for a handheld console.

The game's story begins in the village of Vale. Its inhabitants all possess psynergy abilities, which they keep secret from the outside world. Also kept secret is Sol Sanctum, a temple which houses the Elemental Stars. If the Stars are used to light the four Elemental Lighthouses across the world, the power of Alchemy will be unsealed. The people of Vale consider it their sacred duty to protect the sanctum and stop this from happening.

Unfortunately for Vale, the game's protagonist, Isaac, accidentally leads a nefarious group of warriors straight to the heart of Sol Sanctum. Along with stealing the Elemental Stars, the villains also kidnap Isaac's childhood friend, Jenna, and the scholar of alchemy, Kraden. And so, Isaac and his only non-kidnapped friend Garet have no choice but to set out on a quest to save the world...

(Or not. You can actually refuse to accept the quest here, leading to the game's "bad ending". After this it just asks you to reload the scene, though.)

PLAYABLE CHARACTERS

Isaac

Venus Adept
Hails from Vale

Garet

Mars Adept
Hails from Vale

Ivan

Jupiter Adept
Hails from Kalay

Mia

Mercury Adept
Hails from Imil

Our beloved silent protagonist! It's hard to pin down his character, since he's, you know, silent (at least in this game). Personally, though, I think he's very dedicated...maybe too much so. He cares a lot about his friends and family, but he's also pragmatic enough to put that aside in favor of the bigger picture at times.

As the first MC, he's basically the face of the series. Good for him! Maybe one day he'll finally make it into Smash...

Isaac's best friend! In fact, they're such good friends that they go on to live together in their 40s... not that there's anything wrong with that.

As one might expect of a fire adept, Garet is fairly hotheaded. He can be very impulsive, loud, or clumsy, and is sometimes a source of comic relief. Despite doing most of the talking, he is unquestionably loyal to Isaac, and trusts his judgement as party leader.

Ivan is a polite young man, but his innate ability to read minds can make him come across as offputting. However, it's one of my favorite psynergy abilities in Golden Sun! I love being able to read the thoughts of every NPC.

Adopted into a merchant family as an infant, Ivan's true origins are unknown for most of the games. He does meet his long-lost older sister, but she pushes him away for the sake of his quest...

Mia is deeply devoted to her duties, both as a healer and as a member of Mercury Clan, a line of adepts who have been safeguarding the Mercury Lighthouse for generations. After failing to stop the lighthouse from being lit, she joins Isaac on his quest.

As one of the two living descendants of Mercury Clan, Mia's only family is her cousin, Alex. Sadly, he betrays her in order to further his own strange agenda. I've always found them very interesting and tragic.

"...I knew what I was doing the moment I raised my sword."

"Fine! Okay! We should help people in need. Is that better!?"

"Am I really... Is my Mind Read so frightening?"

"I have failed in the one duty placed upon me..."

VILLAINS...?

The main villains of the game are Saturos and Menardi, a pair of dragon-like warriors from the distant village of Prox. Eventually, they meet their end in the game's final boss fight, where they fuse together into the deadly, two-headed Fusion Dragon!

Joining them are Mia's power-hungry cousin Alex, Jenna's long-lost brother Felix, and the kidnapped Jenna and Kraden. Even after the death of their captors, they persist in trying to rekindle the power of alchemy...but that's a story for the next game!