Dragon Quest is a long-running JRPG franchise that is considered one of the pioneers of the genre. Going alongside the likes of Final Fantasy and being roughly as old as Nintendo franchises like Super Mario Bros. Although there are currently 11 mainline games in the series, Dragon Quest has had a plethora of side-games and merchandise. This long history in gaming also offers up a variety of secrets big or small throughout the series. Many of which could be missed on the players' first playthrough.

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Here are 10 of the many secrets within the Dragon Quest franchise. To keep things maintained, all of these secrets are within the mainline titles and there will be spoilers. Readers of this article are advised.

10 Dragonlord's Offer

When the first Dragon Quest first released in Japan, it revolutionized the RPG genre thanks to its straightforward and simplistic gameplay philosophy. Allowing it to stray away from complex works like Dungeons & Dragons in favor of something more streamlined. Resulting in many games that came after it to be inspired.

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That being said, Dragon Quest had one secret, if it is really considered one. If the player accepts the Dragonlords offer, they would be teleported to an inn assuming it was a dream. However, due to the implications, if it actually occurred then the events of Dragon Quest Builders happens.

9 Dangerous Swimsuit

The sequel to the original Dragon Quest, it directly follows the Scion of Erdricks three descendants as they go to stop Hargon and Malroth. The hidden secret that appears in this game isn't available in most versions. Instead, it only appears in the MSX, specifically its a fairly dirty easter egg. If the Princess of Moonbrooke isn't wearing anything, the King of Ladatorm will give her a scandalous or dangerous swimsuit. Which leads to a small clip of the character in said lingerie.

8 Taloon's Cave Exploit

Dragon Quest IV is the first game in the franchise that strays away from the Erdrick trilogy. Instead, it focuses on the Zenethian trilogy. Containing five chapters that develops the characters, one of them is Torneko Taloon who is a merchant with a family. During chapter 5, you can visit a cave that Taloon built. If the player travels through the cave a fair amount of tries, they would eventually be considered the 5000th person and get free casino coins. This seems to apply to the NES version of the game.

7 Granvania Secret Items

Dragon Quest V is considered to be Yuji Horii's personal favorite in the entire series, as well as being a hit title for fans. Following the protagonist, as he grows up from child to adulthood, there are a few secrets in this game. One of these secrets includes hidden items that are found in Granvania. If the player explores the first floor of the castle, there would be a hidden passageway that will contain the following items: Hat of Happiness, Naughty Underwear, and a Ring of Prayer.

6 Meteorite Armband

The Meteorite Armband or Meteorite Bracer is an iconic item that has appeared throughout the series. It boosts the agility of the characters by a large degree and is useful for more evasive characters. The item that appears in Dragon Quest VI, in particular, can be easily missed by players. When the player travels to Dream World Amoru after a certain amount of time, they can do an optional event where two kids bury something. Once the player travels back to the real world, they can obtain the item.

5 Empyrea Real Name

Empyrea appears during Dragon Quest VIII, which is the first fully 3D game in the series and acts as the flying transportation for the cast. Empyrea was a century-old bird who fought alongside the seven sages to seal Rhapthorne.

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Eventually, in the story, it is revealed that its true name is Ramia. The reason why this is important to Dragon Quest is that Ramia is the same bird that took the hero of Dragon Quest III to Baramos castle. This is not necessarily a secret to veterans but it could be easily missed by newcomers.

4 Secret Store at Dourbridge

Dragon Quest IX is one of the first in the series to be on a handheld console. Being an expansion of the class system that has appeared in previous titles, it was intended to be one of the most difficult games in the series. If players travelled to Dourbridge, they would be able to enter a secret store which is located in the back of the southeastern building. Entering this shop will allow the players to obtain the Boss Shield which boasts the highest defense for an armor shop shield.

3 Sword Of Kings

Dragon Quest XI: Echoes Of An Elusive Age is the latest mainline title in the entire series. However, it is also considered a celebration of the Dragon Quest franchise as there are many references to the previous titles. One of the many easter eggs involves the Sword Of Kings. New players might not understand this reference as it just makes a strong sword. However, for veterans, they would know that this would eventually lead to the Sword Of Erdrick. Not necessarily a secret for older players, but new fans might miss this as it is optional. Tying into the original Erdrick trilogy.

2 Sudo Nim

Chalky is one of the first characters that players get to meet in the story. Appearing fairly early on as the gentle adoptive grandfather who raises the Hero. Players don't really know much of the character other than the fact that he is gentle and gave the Luminary his biggest lesson of never holding grudges.

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However, if the player was observant enough to read red books, they would learn that the adventurer Sudo Nim who travelled all over Erdrea. By the end of it, players get to learn that it was Chalky himself. This secret doesn't mean a lot in terms of the entire franchise, but when it comes to the Luminary's growth, it's fundamentally important to his development.

1 Timewyrm

One of the secret bosses of the definitive version of Dragon Quest XI is also one of the most foreboding. This boss is only achieved after the player finishes all of the Tickington quests and beat the main quest. In other words, it is easily missable for those that aren't interested in doing the side content. If the players did everything, they would fight against the Timewyrm who is implied to be Mordegon who survived and travelled to the new timeline. Although he doesn't affect the story in the grand scheme of things like Calasmos, it is an interesting optional secret that fans could easily miss out on.

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