The tribes of the Breath of Fire series are the various species of sapient humanoids that inhabit the world. Members of the same tribe tend to share the same general physical characteristics, which are oftentimes modeled after a genus of real world animal. In some games tribes also share a common homeland or ancestral abilities.
Abilities[]
Many tribes have one or more unique abilities. For example, some tribes have the ability to change into animals while others are physically stronger than the other clans. It is possible for tribal abilities to be lost. For example, in the original Breath of Fire the Light Dragon Clan purposely sealed away their ability to change into dragons. By the time of Breath of Fire III it is said that most tribes have lost their ancestral abilities.
Culture[]
Members of different tribes can marry and in some cases even interbreed, although this seems to be a fairly uncommon practice. Procreation outside of one's own may weaken clan abilities. This is most clearly shown in the Wing Clan, as due to the first Nina marrying a man outside of her tribe (implied to be her game's Ryu) caused the Wing Clan to lose the power of the Great Bird completely and eventually their trademark wings, with only select members having wings by Breath of Fire III.
List of Tribes[]
| Name | Alternate Names | BoF | BoF II | BoF III | BoF IV | BoF: DQ | BoF 6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Algar | Fellow | ||||||
| Creeping Clan | Crawlers (BoF II game dialogue) |
Playable | Appears | Appears | |||
| Demons | Appears | Appears | Appears | ||||
| Dirt-Eating Clan | Earth-Eating Tribe (BoF GBA manual) |
Playable | Appears | Appears | |||
| Dragon Clan | Brood (BoF III) |
Playable | Playable | Playable | Playable | Playable | |
| Endless | Playable | Playable | Appears | Playable | Appears | ||
| Faeries | Fairies (BoF) |
Appears | Appears | Appears | Appears | Appears | |
| Forest Clan | Hunting tribe (BoF GBA manual) |
Playable | |||||
| Genic | Appears | ||||||
| Grassmen | Plant people (BoF GBA manual) |
Playable | Appears | ||||
| Grassrunners | Playable | Playable | Playable | Appears | Fellow | ||
| Guardians | Appears | ||||||
| Highlanders | Playable | Appears | Appears | ||||
| Humans | Playable | Playable | Playable | Playable | Playable | Playable | |
| Iron Ogre Clan | Metal Smiths (BoF game dialogue) Creation Tribe (BoF GBA manual) |
Playable | Appears | Appears | |||
| Manillo | Playable | Appears | Appears | Appears | Appears | ||
| Kamaitachi | Fellow | ||||||
| Maoren | Appears | Appears | Fellow | ||||
| Mutated Plant | Playable | ||||||
| Pabpab | Appears | ||||||
| Paketa | Fellow | ||||||
| People of Tunlan | Appears | Appears | |||||
| Sand Clan | Appears | Appears | Appears | ||||
| Shell Clan | Crust tribe (BoF II GBA manual) |
Playable | Appears | Appears | |||
| Wing Clan | Sylpheed (BoF II) Fae (BoF GBA manual) (BoF IV manual) |
Playable | Playable | Playable | Playable | Fellow | |
| Wolba | Playable | Appears | Appears | Appears | Fellow | ||
| Woren | Fullen (Referred to as both Woren and Fullen in BoF II game dialogue) Tigermen tribe (BoF II GBA manual) |
Playable | Playable | Playable | Playable | Fellow |