Alfador is a cat that appeared only in Chrono Trigger. He appears in the Antiquity era as the pet Cat of Janus and dutifully follows him around.
Storyline[]
Inseparable as Janus and Alfador are, they are first encountered in Enhasa, the City of Dreams, after Crono travels to Zeal via the Skyway. Alfador is not spotted again until the party reaches Zeal Palace, where Janus remarks that Alfador only likes him. Interestingly, like many other Enlightened Ones, Alfador has purple hair. He is the only feline in the game with the fur of that color.
After the Ocean Palace disaster, Alfador resides in the Last Village Commons. There, he would follow Magus around if he is in the party, but he ignores the party completely otherwise.
In Ending 11: What the Prophet Seeks in Chrono Trigger, Alfador is seen following the Prophet as Janus and Schala exit their quarters in the Palace. Oddly enough, only Alfador suspects the true identity of the Prophet as Janus. Likely this clip was included because the unveiling of the Prophet never occurs beforehand. And since Alfador is partial to Janus, only Janus or one of his incarnations could catch the feline's attention.
Name Origin[]
His Japanese name seems to be Alphard, the brightest star in the constellation Hydra. The name comes from Arabic and translates to āsolitary oneā. This is appropriate for Janus, but is also indicative of Alfador's refusal to show affection to anyone other than Janus.
edit 12/21/2023: Name comes from "Alpha Door" which is a reference to a hidden door in the bookcase of this room that led to a small dungeon leading to the mammon machine in the Alpha versions of the game. The cat was possibly intended to meow at the bookcase to allow the player to locate Magus/The Prophet in the throne room.
video example here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQsxrUODzqs&t=50s&pp=ygUaY2hyb25vIHRyaWdnZXIgY3V0IGNvbnRlbnQ%3D
Trivia[]
- In Chrono Cross, the character Guile's Japanese name is Alf. Because Guile was originally intended to be Magus, it is likely that this name alludes to his former pet, Alfador.