If you’ve been exploring the beautifully remade world of Dragon Quest 2 HD-2D, you’ve undoubtedly encountered those frustrating locked doors and treasure chests that seem to taunt you from behind their impenetrable barriers. As a veteran Dragon Quest player, I know that feeling all too well – the curiosity of what treasures lie behind those locked doors, combined with the determination to unlock every secret the game has to offer.
How to open locked doors and chests in Dragon Quest 2 Remake is a question that plagues many players, especially newcomers to the series. Unlike modern RPGs where you might pick locks or find keys in obvious places, Dragon Quest 2 follows a more traditional approach where you must progress through the story to acquire different colored keys, each corresponding to specific types of locks.
In this comprehensive guide, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know about the game’s key system, from the basic Thief’s Key to the powerful Ultimate Key, plus some special keys you might not know about. We’ll cover where to find each key, exactly which doors and chests they open, and most importantly, when you should backtrack to maximize your treasure-hunting efficiency.
Understanding Dragon Quest 2’s Key System
Before we dive into the specifics of each key, it’s crucial to understand how Dragon Quest 2 Remake’s locking system works. Unlike many modern games where you might find universal keys or lockpicking mechanics, Dragon Quest 2 uses a color-coded system that’s both intuitive and rewarding for observant players.
The game features three primary keys that you’ll use throughout your adventure:
- Red Doors and Chests: Unlocked with the Thief’s Key
- Blue Doors and Chests: Unlocked with the Magic Key
- Green/Silver Doors and Chests: Unlocked with the Ultimate Key
What makes this system particularly interesting is that each key type becomes available at different points in the story, naturally gating your progress while encouraging exploration and backtracking. This design choice ensures that you’ll always have new areas to discover as you acquire new keys, making the world feel alive and full of secrets waiting to be uncovered.
For visual identification, pay close attention to the distinct appearance of each lock type:
- Red locks have a warm, copper-like appearance and are the most common early in the game
- Blue locks feature a cool, metallic blue sheen and often protect more valuable treasures
- Green/Silver locks have a pale, almost ethereal green tint and guard the game’s most powerful items
The Thief’s Key: Your First Step to Unlocking Secrets
The Thief’s Key is your introduction to Dragon Quest 2’s locking system and the first key you’ll acquire on your journey. This essential item opens all red doors and red wooden chests, which are scattered throughout the early game areas.
How to Obtain the Thief’s Key
Getting the Thief’s Key is tied directly to the main story progression, so you can’t miss it if you follow the natural flow of the game. Here’s exactly what you need to do:
- Recruit Caradoc, the Prince of Cannock: Before you can get the Thief’s Key, you need to have the Prince of Cannock join your party. This happens early in the game as part of the main story.
- Rescue Peronel, the Princess of Moonbrooke: After recruiting Caradoc, your next major story objective is to find and rescue Peronel from Moonbrooke Castle. This involves navigating through the castle and defeating the enemies holding her captive.
- Return to Moonbrooke Castle with Peronel: Once Peronel is safely in your party, return to Moonbrooke Castle. The Chancellor, who you likely spoke with earlier, will recognize Peronel and reward you with the Thief’s Key as a token of gratitude.
This sequence of events is unmissable if you’re following the main story, which is great news for players who worry about missing essential items.
Where to Use the Thief’s Key
Once you have the Thief’s Key, you’ll want to immediately start backtracking to areas you’ve already explored to unlock all those red doors and chests you passed by earlier. Here are the key locations where you can use the Thief’s Key:
Early Game Locations:
- Sea Cave: Contains several red chests with useful early-game items
- Tower of the Moon: Has red doors protecting valuable equipment
- Burrowell: Multiple red chests throughout the town and jail area
- Lighthouse: Red chest with navigation-related items
Mid-Game Locations:
- Rippleport: Red doors in shops and houses with merchant goods
- Leftwyne: Red chests in the castle and surrounding areas
- Midenhall: Red doors in various buildings and dungeons
Pro Tip: Many players make the mistake of not backtracking immediately after getting the Thief’s Key. I recommend taking a “treasure run” as soon as you acquire it – revisit every town and dungeon you’ve explored so far to unlock all red containers. The items you’ll find, including better equipment and healing items, will make the upcoming challenges much more manageable.
The Magic Key: Unlocking Greater Mysteries
As you progress deeper into Dragon Quest 2 Remake, you’ll encounter blue-locked doors and chests that your trusty Thief’s Key can’t open. These require the Magic Key, which becomes available after you’ve acquired your ship and can explore the ocean regions.
How to Obtain the Magic Key
The Magic Key is obtained through a more involved process than the Thief’s Key, requiring you to complete a significant portion of the game’s water-based content. Here’s the step-by-step process:
- Reach Rippleport and Acquire the Ship: Your first major objective after getting the Thief’s Key is to make your way to Rippleport. Once there, you’ll need to complete the necessary quests to obtain your ship, which opens up ocean travel.
- Journey to Mersea: With your ship, sail to the underwater kingdom of Mersea. This location is crucial to the Magic Key quest and involves navigating through ocean-based challenges.
- Defeat Toadalitarian: In the Mermaid’s Sanctuary within Mersea, you’ll face Toadalitarian, a significant boss battle. This fight is challenging but necessary to progress the story and obtain the Magic Key.
- Receive the Magic Key: After defeating Toadalitarian and completing the associated cutscene, you’ll be rewarded with the Magic Key, which can open all blue doors and chests throughout the world.
Where to Use the Magic Key
The Magic Key opens blue-locked containers, which typically contain more valuable items than their red-locked counterparts. Here are the primary locations where you’ll find blue locks:
Major Locations:
- Hall of Hargon: Multiple blue doors protecting spell scrolls and rare items
- Burrowell: Blue chests in the jail and merchant areas
- Zahan: Blue doors in the temple and surrounding structures
- Dirkandor: Blue chests containing advanced equipment
Additional Locations:
- Beran: Blue doors in houses and shops
- Slewse: Blue chests in the village and surrounding areas
- Moonbrooke Castle: Blue doors in previously inaccessible areas
- Moonahan: Blue chests throughout the town and nearby dungeons
Expert Strategy: The Magic Key often unlocks areas containing spell scrolls and advanced equipment. I recommend prioritizing these locations as soon as you get the key, as the items found here can significantly boost your party’s capabilities for the upcoming challenges. Pay special attention to the Hall of Hargon, as it contains some of the game’s most useful spell scrolls behind blue doors.
The Ultimate Key: Master of All Locks
The Ultimate Key is the final and most powerful key in Dragon Quest 2 Remake, capable of opening all green (or silver-tinted) doors and chests. This key becomes available very late in the game, but it’s worth the wait as it unlocks some of the game’s most powerful treasures.
How to Obtain the Ultimate Key
The Ultimate Key is obtained during the final stages of the main story, so you’ll need to be patient and progress through most of the game before you can get your hands on it. Here’s what you need to do:
- Collect All Five Sigils: Throughout your journey, you’ll need to collect five mystical sigils. These are obtained by completing major story objectives and defeating key bosses. The sigils are essential for accessing the final areas of the game.
- Enter Rendarek: Once you have all five sigils, you’ll gain access to Rendarek, the snow-covered realm where the game’s final chapter takes place. This area is filled with powerful enemies and challenging puzzles.
- Visit Rendarak Shrine: Within Rendarek, locate the Rendarak Shrine. This is a significant location in the game’s lore and serves as the dungeon where you’ll obtain the Ultimate Key.
- Talk to the Priest: Inside Rendarak Shrine, you’ll find a priest who will give you the Ultimate Key after a brief conversation. This is a story-critical event, so you can’t miss it if you’re following the main quest.
Where to Use the Ultimate Key
The Ultimate Key opens green/silver-tinted doors and chests, which contain the game’s most powerful and valuable items. These are often located in late-game areas and contain endgame equipment, rare consumables, and unique items.
Primary Ultimate Key Locations:
- Hall of Hargon: The most valuable green chests contain legendary weapons and armor
- Burrowell: Green chests with rare crafting materials and unique items
- Zahan: Green doors protecting ancient tomes and mystical artifacts
- Dirkandor: Green chests containing the game’s most powerful equipment sets
Additional Locations:
- Beran: Green doors with high-value merchant goods and rare items
- Slewse: Green chests containing unique consumables and special items
- Moonbrooke Castle: Green doors in the deepest parts of the castle
- Moonahan: Green chests with endgame treasures and collectibles
Pro Tip: The Ultimate Key is your ticket to the game’s best equipment, but don’t wait until you get it to start planning. I recommend keeping a mental note (or physical list) of all the green-locked containers you encounter throughout your journey. When you finally obtain the Ultimate Key, you can then go on a systematic treasure hunt to unlock everything at once, ensuring you don’t miss any of the game’s most powerful items.
Special Keys: Beyond the Basic Three
While the Thief’s Key, Magic Key, and Ultimate Key form the core of Dragon Quest 2’s locking system, there are two additional special keys that serve specific story purposes. These keys are less common but essential for completing certain quests and accessing particular areas.
The Floodgate Key
The Floodgate Key is a unique key that serves a very specific purpose: opening floodgates to access new areas. Unlike the other keys, it’s not used for doors or chests but for environmental manipulation.
How to Obtain the Floodgate Key:
- Visit the town of Burrowell
- Find Roge Fastfiner in the jail cell area (specifically in Elmoo’s jail cell)
- If Roge doesn’t appear immediately, you may need to progress the story further first
- He will give you the Floodgate Key when you speak with him
Where to Use the Floodgate Key:
- The floodgates are located northwest of Slewse
- To find them, go around the back of the Items Shop on the east side of the village
- Using the key will cause the river to overflow, allowing you to access the Tower of the Moon with your ship
This key is essential for progressing to certain mid-game areas and shouldn’t be missed if you’re following the main story.
The Misplaced Key
The Misplaced Key is another story-critical key that you’ll obtain automatically as you progress through the game. It’s not missable, as you’ll need it to continue the main story.
How to Obtain the Misplaced Key:
- Progress through the main story until you reach the Den of Thieves
- Defeat the boss in the Den of Thieves
- The key will be automatically obtained after the boss battle
Where to Use the Misplaced Key:
- The Misplaced Key is used in Moonahan after the events in the Den of Thieves
- It’s required to progress the story, so you can’t miss its use if you’re following the main quest
While these special keys don’t open as many containers as the main three keys, they’re essential for story progression and accessing certain areas of the game.
Advanced Treasure Hunting Strategies
Now that you know how to obtain all the keys and where to use them, let’s dive into some advanced strategies that will help you maximize your treasure-hunting efficiency and ensure you don’t miss any valuable items.
Optimal Backtracking Schedule
One of the biggest mistakes players make is not knowing when to backtrack for maximum efficiency. Here’s my recommended schedule for revisiting areas with new keys:
After Getting the Thief’s Key:
- Immediately revisit: Sea Cave, Tower of the Moon, Burrowell
- Priority items: Early-game equipment, healing items, gold
- Why it matters: These items will make the next 10-15 hours of gameplay much easier
After Getting the Magic Key:
- Revisit: Hall of Hargon, Zahan, Dirkandor
- Priority items: Spell scrolls, mid-game equipment, rare consumables
- Why it matters: These items significantly boost your party’s capabilities for mid-game bosses
After Getting the Ultimate Key:
- Revisit: All previous locations with green locks
- Priority items: Endgame equipment, unique items, collectibles
- Why it matters: These are the game’s most powerful items, essential for the final boss
Visual Identification Tips
Being able to quickly identify which key you need for which lock can save you a lot of time and frustration. Here are some visual cues to help you identify lock types at a glance:
Red Locks (Thief’s Key):
- Warm, copper-like color
- Rough, metallic texture
- Most common in early-game areas
- Often found in towns and early dungeons
Blue Locks (Magic Key):
- Cool, metallic blue sheen
- Smoother, more refined appearance
- Common in mid-game areas
- Often found in temples and magical locations
Green/Silver Locks (Ultimate Key):
- Pale, ethereal green tint with silver undertones
- Highly polished, almost glowing appearance
- Found in late-game and endgame areas
- Often protect the most valuable items
Common Troubleshooting Issues
Even with this guide, you might encounter some issues with locked doors and chests. Here are solutions to common problems:
Problem: I have the right key, but the door won’t open.
- Solution: Make sure you’re using the correct key type. Double-check the lock color.
- Sometimes doors require you to face them directly and press the action button.
Problem: I can’t find a specific locked door mentioned in this guide.
- Solution: Some doors are hidden or require specific conditions to appear.
- Check if you’ve completed the necessary story progression for that area.
Problem: I think I missed a key.
- Solution: All main keys are story-critical and unmissable if you follow the main quest.
- If you’re stuck, check your quest log for the next story objective.
The Rewards: Why It’s Worth the Effort
At this point, you might be wondering if all this backtracking and key-hunting is worth the effort. Let me assure you – the rewards are absolutely worth it, especially if you’re aiming for 100% completion or want to tackle the game’s toughest challenges.
Equipment Rewards
The locked doors and chests throughout Dragon Quest 2 Remake contain some of the game’s best equipment:
Early Game (Red Locks):
- Basic armor upgrades for all party members
- Early weapons with slight stat bonuses
- Useful accessories that provide defensive bonuses
Mid Game (Blue Locks):
- Spell scrolls that teach powerful new abilities
- Mid-tier armor with significant defensive improvements
- Accessories that provide magical bonuses and resistances
Late Game (Green/Silver Locks):
- Legendary weapons with massive attack power
- Endgame armor sets that provide the best protection
- Unique accessories with special abilities and stat bonuses
Consumable and Economic Rewards
Beyond equipment, locked containers contain valuable consumables and economic items:
Healing Items:
- High-potency healing potions that restore large amounts of HP
- MP-restoring items essential for long dungeon crawls
- Status-curing items for dealing with various ailments
Economic Items:
- Large sums of gold that help with equipment purchases
- Rare crafting materials that can be sold for high prices
- Unique items that can be traded with special merchants
Completion and Achievement Rewards
For completionists, opening every locked door and chest is essential:
Mini Medals:
- Many locked chests contain Mini Medals, which can be traded for powerful items
- Collecting all Mini Medals is a major achievement in itself
Bestiary Completion:
- Some locked areas contain unique monsters needed for bestiary completion
- Completing the bestiary unlocks special rewards and achievements
Map Completion:
- Opening all areas contributes to 100% map completion
- This is necessary for certain endgame achievements and bragging rights
Conclusion: Mastering the Art of Unlocking
How to open locked doors and chests in Dragon Quest 2 Remake is more than just a mechanical process – it’s an integral part of the game’s design that encourages exploration, backtracking, and systematic treasure hunting. By understanding the key system and following the strategies outlined in this guide, you’ll be able to unlock every secret the game has to offer.
Remember that each key serves as both a progression tool and a reward for reaching certain milestones in your journey. The Thief’s Key opens up early-game possibilities, the Magic Key reveals mid-game mysteries, and the Ultimate Key grants access to the game’s most powerful treasures.
As you continue your adventure through Dragon Quest 2 Remake, keep this guide handy and don’t hesitate to backtrack when you acquire new keys. The treasures waiting behind those locked doors are well worth the effort, and the satisfaction of unlocking every secret in the game is an experience that few other RPGs can match.
For more Dragon Quest 2 Remake guides and strategies, be sure to check out our other articles on character builds, boss strategies, and 100% completion walkthroughs. Happy treasure hunting, and may your journey