In the original Japanese translation, Rygar was the name of the game's chief antagonist. However, since the Kanji for the first syllable in his name can be translated as "Li" or "Ry," the villain's name was translated as Ligar while the game's title remained as Rygar. When it came to the US, it was assumed that Rygar was the hero of the story. In the original version, the hero was referred to only as "The Legendary Warrior."