Francesca (Rance Series)

''This article refers to the recurring name mentioned throughout the Rance Series. For the character that appears in Toushin Toshi II, see Francesca (Toushin Toshi II).''

"A Helman City Guard member's dying words in Kichikuou Rance."

- Aah... Francesca... I'm sorry I have to leave you behind...

About
Francesca is a woman's name that has appeared several times throughout the Rance Series as a running gag. The name is always used by minor male characters when they are required to reference a loved one by name, often as they are killed in battle. It is unknown if each of the Francescas referenced throughout the series are meant to be the same individual, or if it is merely a common name for women on The Continent.

Over time, the name Francesca has become closely associated with the character Bernard Seramite, who references someone by the name in nearly all of his appearances. While Bernard's exact relationship with Francesca is unclear, he claims during Rance Quest that she is the only person other than Rance who listens to his words, suggesting she is very important to him. As Bernard is implied to simply be making the majority of grandiose things he talks about up, however, it is possible that the Francesca he refers to does not actually exist at all.

Francesca was first referenced in Kichikuou Rance, where an apology to someone by the name is one of several lines uttered by members of the Helman City Guard when killed in battle. As the City Guard is fought in several territories throughout Helman, it is very possible to encounter multiple individuals who bid farewell to Francesca upon dying within a single playthrough.

In Rance VI, Bernard cries out Francesca's name whenever he is defeated in battle. Later in the game, an offscreen character expresses relief that Francesca was able to get to safety after Rance and Ragnarokarc Super Gandhi successfully secure an evacuation route from the Zethan capital during the fallout of Operation Liberate the Motherland. Most notably, a unique female Pentagon officer wearing a red uniform with the name Francesca accompanies the Dark Lord Abert Safety during his final battle against Rance's party; the only time in the series when a person named Francesca makes an actual physical appearance. This character is not referenced either before or after the fight, making it ambiguous as to who she is or if she is the same person who Bernard constantly mentions.

In Rance Quest, Bernard mentions Francesca by name after Rance reluctantly agrees to accompany him in search of the legendary matsutakeko mushroom, where he mutters to himself that she and Rance are the only two people who believe in his words. Later, Bernard sorrowfully thinks to himself what Francesca would say if she could see the person he has become after he allows a woman to get assaulted by bandits in order to launch a surprise attack against them while freeing the Zeth Royal Musuem from a hostile takeover.

In Rance 03, Bernard, under the alias Burning B!, will sometimes call out Francesca's name when defeated in battle or Leveling up. Bernard also mistakes ALICEMANLADY for Francesca when encountering her to receive his Zero Three skill, and claims to have seen her "about three times" after completing a floor of the TOWER in M Land. Outside of Bernard, a Helman soldier screams Francesca's name as he is killed by Rance during the raid on L'Zile Mansion.

In Rance X, Ashtark, a captain of the Helman 2nd Army, apologizes to Francesca, his fiancé, as he prepares himself to be killed by the Apostle Elsill while defending Fort Banra from the invading Monster Army. Notably, despite Bernard also appearing in the game, he does not mention Francesca at any point; marking the only time in the series when this is the case.

Trivia

 * The line referring to Francesca in Kichikuou Rance was not originally intended to be used by more than a single member of the Helman City Guard. While this error was found during the debugging process, the development team decided to leave it unchanged for the final release of the game due to finding it amusing, marking the beginning of a running gag that would last the remainder of the series.
 * Concept artwork depicting a female Pentagon officer in the same distinct red-colored uniform that Francesca wears is featured in the "Rough Sketch" section of Alicesoft Creator Works Volume 2. No text accompanies the image, leaving it ambiguous as to whether it is actually intended to be of Francesca or not.