Prince Richard

Prince Richard is a character in the Japan-only Game Boy game For the Frog the Bell Tolls. He is the prince of the Custard Kingdom and a childhood friend to the Prince of the Sable Kingdom with whom he competes in about everything. His role in the game is as a rival to the player, who is traveling towards the same goal.

Character Description
Despite being the same age as his rival, Richard seems to be more mature in several ways. He is responsible for at least a part of the army, and is treated as a leader rather than a prince in training by the people surrounding him. He also isn't struggling as much in developing as a person. Prince Richard is the fashionable of the two, and often considered cool. This not only refers to his looks, but also his personality. He is slightly cocky, if only towards the prince of Sable, shrewd, and competitive. Never would he miss a chance to show his rival who is the stronger prince. Prince Sable however, only sees him as a stubborn and self-conceited know-it-all.

His rivalry with the Prince of Sable originates from them being equals in about everything; looks, intelligence, and even age. Richard is however far superior in fencing, where he never once have been defeated. He loves to tease Prince Sable for this, as it is the one area where one of them stands out.

Abilities
Just like the Sable Prince, Richard learns the ability to transform into a frog during his adventure. It allows him to swim to pass though water, jump higher, and communicate with other frogs, which is of great help to find his way through the land. Unlike his rival however, he doesn't seem to learn to transform into a snake, giving him an disadvantage in their competitive quest.

For the Frog the Bell Tolls
When the game begins Prince Richard is practicing fencing with Prince Sable at the Custard Kingdom's fencing ground. Just as he is about to score yet another win, they are interrupted by the message that their allies, the Mille-Feuille Kingdom, has been invaded by the Geronians. As the Princess Tiramisu's beauty is said to be unmatched, both princes realizes the opportunity to be heroes and win her heart. Prince Richard immediately prepares his army and orders for a ship to be made available. The Prince of Sable attempts to follow onto the ship, but Prince Richard wants to make sure he is unrivaled in the quest, and kicks him of. Prince Sable knowing that time is scarce, searches the harbor and ends up buying a ship to follow Prince Richard, setting up for the biggest competition between the two yet.

Other appearances
Prince Richard has made a single appearance out of his game as a minor character in The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. He used to live in the Kanalet Castle at Koholint Island but was chased of when his servants went berserk. He moved to his villa on the island, and when Link finds him there, he is asked to recover Richard's five Golden Leaves which were forgotten in the castle.