How To Open Locked Chests

Like previous games in the series, Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined loves to put items in your path that you have no means of getting to just yet. This mainly manifests in locked chests, which are scattered all throughout its vast world, including in the early chapters of the game.

While you’ve probably correctly guessed that you need a key to open these chests and claim their bounty, DQ7 gives you no indication of where to find this key, or when you’ll find it. Here’s everything to know about the various keys you can find in Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined, and how to use them to open its various locked chests.

How To Open Locked Chests

You Need A Key

In truth, there’s not just one key for all the locked chests in Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined; there are actually four universal keys for you to find as you travel through the game. These are:

• Thief’s Key
• Bandit’s Key
• Magic Key
• Ultimate Key

You find all four of these in order as you make your way through the game, but it’ll take a little searching. Each key unlocks a new set of chests, revealing increasingly valuable treasure for you to pick up. Thankfully, all the fragments are out in the open, so you won’t ever need a key to progress.

Once you’ve found the key, don’t worry too much about touring previous locations to open all the chests you missed; the latter half of the game should take you past most of them naturally.

How To Get The Thief’s Key

Pilgrim’s Perdition (Past)

The first of four chest keys in Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined is the Thief’s Key, which is located in the past version of Pilgrim’s Perdition. However, you can’t access it on your first visit: you’ll need to complete the entirety of the Alltrades Abbey scenario, unlocking vocation switching, to get a stingy landlady out of the way.

After you’ve completed the main story in the region and returned Jacqueline to Alltrades Abbey, the town of Pilgrim’s Perdition will clear out almost entirely. Before you head back to the present, return to Pilgrim’s Perdition and enter the boardinghouse at the northern end of the map. Search the chests behind the counter to retrieve the Thief’s Key.

How To Get The Bandit’s Key

Bandits’ Base (Present)

You can retrieve the second key almost immediately. Return to the present via the teleportal, and sail on over to the newly revealed island. Explore until you find the Bandits’ Base, a new point of interest, and, after watching the cutscene, use the correct password (“Get lost!”) to gain access.

Once inside, head for the main quest marker at the back of the cave to engage in a short, easy boss fight against The Mighty Pip. Once you beat him, he’ll give you the Bandits’ Key.

How To Get The Magic Key

Palazzo di Bulgio (Present)

Later, after completing the Hardlypool scenario and retrieving the Mermaid Moon, return to La Bravoure in the present to complete the story there. This will culminate in the party receiving a Flying Carpet, which they can use to access several new areas of the map — including one in the L’Arca Region.

Fly over to L’Arca and cross the water by the Dock to arrive at the Palazzo di Bulgio. Let yourself in and head all the way up to the third floor, where you’ll find the Magic Key in a chest next to a pair of wardrobes.

How To Get The Ultimate Key

Cathedral of Light Basement

Once you’re on your way to the final boss and are going through the Cathedral of Light, you can grab the final key — the Ultimate Key — on the basement level. Crucially, the Ultimate Key can open any chest in the game, even those that ordinarily require the Thief’s, Bandit’s, or Magic Keys.

So, if you missed any of the above, you could theoretically wait until the endgame to get the Ultimate Key and pick up all the locked treasure chests you missed. However, since there’s a lot of valuable equipment hidden out there in Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined, I’d recommend going for them sooner rather than later.

Systems

Released

February 5, 2026

ESRB

Everyone 10+ / Comic Mischief, Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol

Developer(s)

Square Enix, HexaDrive

Publisher(s)

Square Enix