Dragon Quest Creator Just Shattered a 25-Year-Old Fan Theory About Dragon Quest 7's Final Boss

Quick update for the Dragon Quest detectives out there: one of the series most persistent fan theories just got punted into the sea by the guy who created the thing.

Yuji Horii shuts down the Kiefer-as-Orgodemir theory

On the KosoKoso YouTube channel, Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii was asked about the long-standing idea that Dragon Quest 7 originally planned a late-game twist where the hero's buddy Kiefer is actually the final boss, Orgodemir, in disguise.

"That's completely wrong. I didn't consider that even slightly."

That is about as definitive as it gets.

Where the theory came from

This whole thing has been especially popular in Japan for years. Automaton highlighted a breakdown from YouTuber Tetsuo that pieced together the breadcrumbs: pre-release promo shots that seemed to show Kiefer in scenes set after he leaves your party, plus the presence of Ra's Mirror, a series-staple item that exposes monsters masquerading as party members. In other mainline Dragon Quest games, that mirror is a huge plot device; in Dragon Quest 7, it barely matters, which made fans think its original job was to unmask Kiefer as Orgodemir.

• Pre-release materials apparently showed Kiefer in post-departure scenes, implying a bigger endgame role.
• Ra's Mirror traditionally reveals fakes, but in DQ7 it is oddly low-impact.
• Fans connected those dots into a scrapped twist: Kiefer was Orgodemir all along.

It is very inside baseball, but you can see why the theory stuck around. And yeah, it is a little funny that the mirror is a big deal elsewhere and kind of a shrug here. Still, if Horii says it was never on the table, that is that. Trying to argue otherwise is like telling Shigeru Miyamoto he has the Zelda timeline wrong. Good luck with that.

Meanwhile: Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined is almost here

If you are circling the calendar, Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined launches February 5. The goal is to streamline the original's famously stuffed story: cut subplots that do not really tie into the main quest, then layer in some entirely new scenarios on top. Less bloat, more focus, with fresh material to keep veterans on their toes.

So, no secret Kiefer twist. But a tighter DQ7 with new story beats right around the corner? I will take that trade.