Many people consider Chrono Trigger to be the greatest RPG ever made. It features an incredible story with multiple endings and a wonderful soundtrack to compliment it. One of the things that really makes the game so enjoyable is its fantastic cast of characters. While Chrono may serve as the game's main protagonist, it is Frog who is the most interesting character. Frog was once a great swordsman by the name of Glenn, but was transformed into a frog following a battle with an evil wizard. It was during this battle that his long-time friend Cyrus was killed.
After a self-imposed exile, Frog eventually vows to avenge his fallen friend and break the curse that was place upon him. Frog's character is by far the most fleshed out and his quest to revert to human form is easily the most compelling. Despite the wonderful job Chrono Trigger does exploring Frog, there are plenty of interesting facts about him that many fans are likely unaware of.
10 His Best Weapon Is Based On A Real Sword
The Masamune appears throughout various Square Enix games and is usually one of the strongest weapons in the games in which it features. Its most famous owner is Sephiroth, although it's been wielded by various Square Enix characters over the years. It fell into the hands of Frog following the death of his friend Cyrus.
What many might not realize though is that the name Masamune refers to Japan's most celebrated swordsmith. Gorō Nyūdō Masamune is widely recognized as having created some of the best swords and daggers ever made. Despite being around 700 years old, many examples of his work still exist today and can be found in museums across Japan.
9 He Is Not The Only Important Frog In Chrono Trigger
After reaching the end of time, the party is introduced to Spekkio. Spekkio is the game's God of War and can grant players the ability to use magic as well as offering a variety of prizes when defeated. Depending on the party's level, he will take different forms – one of which is a frog.
Spekkio will take this form if the party contains a member who is below level 10. Due to how far into the game Spekkio first appears however, it's incredibly unlikely that players will be able to meet this criteria. It is technically possible, although players need to flee from a significant amount of the game's earlier encounters.
8 His Japanese Name Is A Pun
In the Japanese release of Chrono Trigger, Frog's name is Kaeru. Depending on how this is written, it can translate to either 'change' or 'frog'. Given that this is the fate which befalls Glenn prior to the beginning of the game, it serves as an incredibly appropriate name.
On the subject of linguistics, Magus' decision to transform Frog into an amphibian may have been influenced by a Japanese idiom. After watching Cyrus die in the Japanese version, Ozzie remarks that Glenn looks like a frog being glared at by a snake. This expression is somewhat common in Japanese and is similar to the idiom 'like a deer in the headlights.' Moments later, Magus transforms Glenn into a frog.
7 He Inspired One Of The Best Characters In Chrono Cross
The story and majority of the characters found in Chrono Cross differ greatly from those found in Chrono Trigger. As such, many fans do not see it as a direct sequel and this is a view that's shared by the game's creators. There is, however, a strong like between the two games relating to Frog.
The Chrono Cross character Glenn is heavily inspired by Frog. As well as sharing the same human name, both are expert swordsmen and both lost somebody close to them in their youth. They also share a double tech called X-Slash which is carried out with the main protagonist of their respective games.
6 Frog's Ending Differs Drastically If Magus Is Spared
When playing through Chrono Trigger, the player is given the choice whether or not to kill Magus. While allowing him to live will have him join the party, killing him is the only way that Frog can break the curse. Given that Magus is one of the game's best party members, most players opt to let him live.
If the player chooses to kill Magus, Frog will be shown in his human form in the game's end cutscene. If the player chooses to spare Magus, Frog is trapped in his amphibious form forever. There's also a third scenario which occurs if the player completes the game before encountering Magus. In this ending, Frog makes his way to Magus' Keep and the pair do battle. The ending does not show who emerges victorious.
5 Developers Wanted Frog To Become Human During The Game
Anybody who has completed Chrono Trigger a few times will have likely seen the animated ending in which Frog turns back into Glenn. What they probably don't know is that the team at Square had originally planned for him to revert to his human form immediately after defeating Magus.
Following discussions with animators and programmers, however, it was decided that this would require too much work. The idea also proved unpopular with beta-testers, prompting the team to scrap the idea entirely. Consequently, Frog must wait until the game's ending before reverting to Glenn – assuming that he defeats Magus.
4 Frog Is The Oldest Living Party Member
According to the game's lore, Frog is 40 years old. This makes him around 10 years older than Magus and around twice the age of the other living party members. This is conveyed through his wisdom and knowledge of the world as well as his extensive backstory.
Whilst he may be the oldest living party member though, he is far from the oldest outright. That honor goes to Robo. The robot was built in the year 2000, making him 300 years old when the party first encounters him. Not only does this make him older than Frog, but older than all of the other party members' ages combined.
3 He's The Only Party Member With A Major Side Quest
If the party travels to the year 1000, they will encounter the restless spirit of Frog's friend Cyrus. By returning to the year 600, it's possible to repair Cyrus' damaged grave and lay his spirit to rest. A final conversation between the two friends allows frog to finally forgive himself for Cyrus' death.
During this encounter, Cyrus' spirit will also empower the Masamune – making it considerably stronger than it was before. As Cyrus was the wielder of the Masamune before Frog, this is in keeping with a Shinto belief. It's said that a sword can be imbued with the spirit of its owner – granting it special attributes and powers. This certainly seems to be the case with the Masamune following the side quest.
2 The Official Artwork For Frog Was Drawn By Akira Toriyama
Akira Toriyama is best known as the creator of Dragon Ball, but he has also provided artwork for a number of video games. Although the majority of his work in this capacity has been on the Dragon Quest series, he's worked on several other games. Those familiar with his work will likely recognize Chrono Trigger as being one of them.
Furthermore, when the title was ported to the PlayStation, Toriyama and his studio created a number of additional cutscenes. These include the iconic cutscene in which Frog uses the newly reforged Masamune to cleave a mountain in half in order to grant the party access to the magic cave.
1 His Dialogue Differs Across Versions
In the Western release of Chrono Trigger, Frog uses outdated terms from early Modern English. His mannerisms are much like those found in the Shakespearean period, which is a little strange considering that nobody else from his era of the game speaks this way.
In the Japanese release of the game, Frog does not speak in this grandiose manner and is instead rather rude. He curses throughout the game, perhaps reflecting his bitterness and guilt. The fantastic DS release also changed Frog's dialogue to better fit in with other characters in the game.