The Nintendo 3DS classic Bravely Default is one of Square Enix’s more important releases for the handheld, initially releasing in Japan in 2012 and then arriving worldwide in an expanded format in 2014. The game is a collaboration between Square Enix and Silicon Studios and serves as a spiritual successor to Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light. The success and critical acclaim of Bravely Default would play an important role in influencing Square Enix’s business model moving forward, helping to serve as an incentive for the company to return to its roots by developing new RPGs utilizing classic mechanics and remastering or remaking games in its back catalog.
Square Enix and Nintendo would initially announce Bravely Default in 2011, with Nintendo handling the game’s Western publishing. Prior to the full release, a lengthy demo would arrive on the Nintendo 3DS eShop, with players able to carry over progress into the main game. Square Enix would famously use player feedback from the demo (including a questionnaire at the demo’s conclusion) to influence the development of Bravely Default. The title’s release in Japan would prove to be a massive success, with the game selling an impressive 150,000 units in a week.
Just a few months after the game’s Western localization, Bravely Default would pass the 1 million units sold milestone, becoming one of Square Enix’s most successful games on the 3DS. The title is also the recipient of strong critical praise, and its commercial and critical success would influence the creation of Square Enix’s Octopath Traveler franchise as well.
Bravely Default Premise
©Bravely Default gameplay screenshot – Original
The story set up for Bravely Default is about as traditional as it gets for a JRPG. In the kingdom of Luxendarc, an encroaching darkness is threatening to tear the world apart and destroy the elemental Crystals that hold all life together. When a massive chasm opens up beneath the village of Norende, a lone survivor is found near the site and taken into the care of a neighboring kingdom. This survivor, the young Tiz Arrior, finds himself in the company of the Wind Crystal’s vestal Agnès Oblige. Together, the two set off on a journey to cleanse the Crystals of darkness and restore order to the world.
Similar to several other classic RPGs in the Square Enix catalog, Bravely Default is a turn-based game utilizing menu commands. What separates Bravely Default from other Square Enix games, though, is its trademark battle system from which the game gets its name. In battle, characters can choose to either Brave or Default in addition to executing normal commands such as attacking or using items. When selecting to Brave, characters can stack multiple commands in a single turn at the expense of not being able to act later. Conversely, the Default mechanic allows players to sacrifice turns in the short term to stack multiple actions later at no additional cost. This risk/reward mechanic is central to Bravely Default‘s gameplay.
Further, Bravely Default features a Job system not unlike that of Final Fantasy V or Final Fantasy Tactics. Players earn both Experience and Job Points from completing battles. Experience will see players increase their level, improving stats. Collecting Job Points (JP) allows players to improve their Job Levels and purchase useful abilities, which players can then mix and match to create custom party compositions.
Bravely Default Main Characters
©Bravely Default character artwork – Original
At the center of Bravely Default‘s story are the heroes Agnès Oblige and Tiz Arrior. Both hailing from the kingdom of Luxendarc, Agnès and Tiz cross paths following the destruction of the latter’s hometown, Norende. With nowhere else to turn and his family seemingly gone, Tiz joins up with Agnès and two other companions to investigate the darkness consuming the world’s elemental Crystals. Main characters in Bravely Default include:
- Tiz Arrior: Tiz is the sole survivor of the great chasm that opens up in the world of Luxendarc, swallowing up his hometown of Norende. His rescue at the hands of Alternis Dim puts him in the orbit of the Wind Vestal Agnès Oblige. He agrees to accompany her on her journey to save the Crystals in hopes of restoring Norende.
- Agnès Oblige: The Wind Vestal and a person of high importance in the world of Luxendarc, Agnès Oblige is Bravely Default‘s protagonist and one of its 4 playable characters. Under the encouragement of her fairy companion Airy, she embarks on a quest to save the world’s Crystals and stave off the end of the world.
- Edea Lee: Though Edea is initially sent by her father (the Grand Marshal of the Eternian military) to capture Agnès, she decides instead to join her and Tiz when she learns of the unavoidable tragedy facing Luxendarc.
- Ringabel: The mysterious Ringabel is an amnesiac who joins up with the party and carries a mysterious book. This book is actually a journal from his future self, chronicling events that have yet to pass from an alternate timeline that the party can work toward preventing.
Games in the Bravely Default Series
The Bravely Default series is similar to Square Enix’s Octopath Traveler games in that both franchises are old-school JRPGs utilizing classic genre mechanics. Following the original game on the 3DS, Square Enix and Silicon Studios would quickly release a follow-up, Bravely Second. After a long period of the franchise staying dormant, Bravely Default would get an official sequel on the Nintendo Switch in 2021, with the latest game in the franchise being the first to release on PC as well. Games in the Bravely Default series include:
- Bravely Default (Nintendo 3DS, 2012)
- Bravely Second: End Layer (Nintendo 3DS, 2015)
- Bravely Default II (Nintendo Switch, PC, 2021)
Bravely Default Cheats & Secrets
While there are no official “cheats” for Bravely Default, there are a number of secrets and unlockables for players to discover. Additionally, there are several Action Replay codes available for Bravely Default that are compatible with emulators like Citra.
Bravely Default Secrets
Special Movie
Players will notice on the main menu that there is an option that reads as “????”. Move the cursor to highlight this option and enter the Konami Code (Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A). You will hear a voice yell “Tiz!” if entered correctly. This will unlock the Special Movie that plays after the “True” ending.
Dimension’s Hasp Dungeon
There is a secret dungeon in Bravely Default that players can unlock in one of two ways. The Secret Dimension’s Hasp dungeon requires that players complete different steps depending on which ending they are on track to see. If players break any crystals during Chapters 5-8, they are on track to see the “False” ending.
| Ending | How to Unlock Dimension’s Hasp |
|---|---|
| “False” Ending | Visit DeRosso in the Vampire Castle |
| “True” Ending | Speak with Yulyana |
Once players unlock Dimension’s Hasp, they can find the dungeon in the center of the crescent island in the northeast part of the world map. A secret boss awaits players on the final, 10th floor of the dungeon.
Easy Elixir and PG
Once players unlock the Thief job and can encounter the Level 25 Nemesis “Mammon” in Norende, they can utilize a helpful exploit to quickly earn 99 Elixirs. Additionally, players can sell excess Elixirs for 25,000 PG each to quickly fill their wallets. With a Thief in the party, enter battle with Mammon. Have your Thief Brave x4 and Steal from Mammon, with all other party members selecting to Run. Mammon will either have an Elixir or an Ether. Once players find a Mammon carrying an Elixir, select “Protect” it while in Norende. Repeat this process as many times as you need to quickly obtain Elixirs and sell off any excess.
Bravely Default Unlockables
There are a handful of unlockables that players earn for rebuilding Norende and seeing the “True” ending of Bravely Default.
Alternate Costumes
| Costume | Character | How to Unlock |
|---|---|---|
| Plain Tunic | All | Level 11 Compound Shop in Norende |
| Knight’s Tunic | Agnes | Level 11 Trader in Norende |
| Vestal Garb | Agnes | Defeat the Final Boss (“False” Ending) |
| Bravo Bikini | Edea | Defeat Fiore DeRosa again in Chapter 5 |
| Edea’s Garb | Edea | Level 11 Combat Item in Norende |
| Melodist’s Shirt | Ringabell | Level 11 Accessory Shop in Norende |
| Onion Shirt | Tiz | Level 11 Armor Shop in Norende |
New Game +
After players complete the steps to earn the “True” ending, they will unlock the ability to start a New Game +. In this mode, all previous levels, jobs, job levels, money, items, and abilities carry over. There are only two endings to Bravely Default, and completing one will allow players to create a save at the outset of Chapter 5 to see the other.
Endings
The pivotal moment in Bravely Default‘s story comes about in Chapter 5. Complete the following to start on the path to one of two endings to the game.
| Ending | How to Unlock |
|---|---|
| “False” Ending | Break any Crystal in Chapters 5-8 |
| “True” Ending | Release all four Crystals in Chapter 8 |
Bravely Default Action Replay Codes
Unlike many other games on the 3DS, the Action Replay codes for Bravely Default differ depending on the hardware players use to play the game. Playing the game natively on the Nintendo 3DS requires a different set of codes than those players can use on an emulator. The following codes are the Action Replay code values players can use to activate cheats when using an emulator to play Bravely Default.
General Cheats
| Cheat | Code |
|---|---|
| Infinite/Max Money | 080823B4 0098967F |
| Infinite/Max EXP and JP After Battle | DD000000 00000000 |
Tiz Cheats
| Cheat | Code |
|---|---|
| Max TP | 080A7C04 000003E7 |
| Max MP | 080A7C08 000003E7 |
| Refill TP (Press L) | DD000000 00000200 080A7BE4 000003E7 |
| Refill MP (Press L) | DD000000 00000200 080A7BE8 000003E7 |
| Max Strength (Press R) | DD000000 00000100 080A7BEC 000003E7 |
| Max Vitality (Press R) | DD000000 00000100 080A7BF0 000003E7 |
| Max Intelligence (Press R) | DD000000 00000100 080A7BF4 000003E7 |
| Max Mind (Press R) | DD000000 00000100 080A7BF8 000003E7 |
| Max Dexterity (Press R) | DD000000 00000100 080A7C00 000003E7 |
| Max Agility (Press R) | DD000000 00000100 080A7BFC 000003E7 |
Ringabell Cheats
| Cheat | Code |
|---|---|
| Max TP | 080AF9DC 000003E7 |
| Max MP | 080AF9E0 000003E7 |
| Refill TP (Press L) | DD000000 00000200 080AF9BC 000003E7 |
| Refill MP (Press L) | DD000000 00000200 080AF9C0 000003E7 |
| Max Strength (Press R) | DD000000 00000100 080AF9C4 000003E7 |
| Max Vitality (Press R) | DD000000 00000100 080AF9C8 000003E7 |
| Max Intelligence (Press R) | DD000000 00000100 080AF9CC 000003E7 |
| Max Mind (Press R) | DD000000 00000100 080AF9D0 000003E7 |
| Max Dexterity (Press R) | DD000000 00000100 080AF9D8 000003E7 |
| Max Agility (Press R) | DD000000 00000100 080AF9D4 000003E7 |
Agnes Cheats
| Cheat | Code |
|---|---|
| Max TP | 080ABAF0 000003E7 |
| Max MP | 080ABAF4 000003E7 |
| Refill TP (Press L) | DD000000 00000200 080ABAD0 000003E7 |
| Refill MP (Press L) | DD000000 00000200 080ABAD4 000003E7 |
| Max Strength (Press R) | DD000000 00000100 080ABAD8 000003E7 |
| Max Vitality (Press R) | DD000000 00000100 080ABADC 000003E7 |
| Max Intelligence (Press R) | DD000000 00000100 080ABAE0 000003E7 |
| Max Mind (Press R) | DD000000 00000100 080ABAE4 000003E7 |
| Max Dexterity (Press R) | DD000000 00000100 080ABAEC 000003E7 |
| Max Agility (Press R) | DD000000 00000100 080ABAE8 000003E7 |
Edea Cheats
| Cheat | Code |
|---|---|
| Max TP | 080B38C8 000003E7 |
| Max MP | 080B38CC 000003E7 |
| Refill TP (Press L) | DD000000 00000200 080B38A8 000003E7 |
| Refill MP (Press L) | DD000000 00000200 080B38AC 000003E7 |
| Max Strength (Press R) | DD000000 00000100 080B38B0 000003E7 |
| Max Vitality (Press R) | DD000000 00000100 080B38B4 000003E7 |
| Max Intelligence (Press R) | DD000000 00000100 080B38B8 000003E7 |
| Max Mind (Press R) | DD000000 00000100 080B38BC 000003E7 |
| Max Dexterity (Press R) | DD000000 00000100 080B38C4 000003E7 |
| Max Agility (Press R) | DD000000 00000100 080B38C0 000003E7 |
Bravely Default Cheat FAQs
How do you level up fast in Bravely Default?
The best way to level up fast in Bravely Default is to quickly learn the JP Boost ability. The JP Boost ability becomes available after players grow to Level 10 in the Freelancer job and grants an 18% bonus to all JP players earned from battle. Players can get further gains by achieving the Unscathed bonus in battle. The Unscathed bonus is granted to players after defeating enemies without taking damage. Successfully earning Unscathed 5 times in a row unlocks Unscathed Ace, and then Unscathed Hero. Players who are able to unlock these bonuses will earn an impressive 68% bonus JP after each battle.
How many endings does Bravely Default have?
There are a total of two endings to Bravely Default. The final chapter of the game is different depending on the player’s actions during Chapters 5-8. After clearing the game and obtaining one ending, players will be able to create a new save file that positions them before the start of the final chapter, allowing them to see the other ending when completing the game.
How do you get special moves in Bravely Default?
The only way to unlock Special Moves for each character is through rebuilding Norende. As such, it pays off to engage with Bravely Default‘s city-building mini-game. The Special Moves are powerful combat abilities that can give the player a distinct advantage in battle.
Who is the secret boss in Bravely Default?
There are actually two secret bosses in Bravely Default if counting the true final boss to the game. If players complete all the steps to see Bravely Default‘s “true” ending, they will face off against the game’s official final boss Ouroboros. This is a long battle consisting of 5 different phases, each more challenging than the last.
Additionally, players can uncover a secret boss fight against The Adventurer. The Adventurer and their Companion await players on the last floor of the Dimension’s Hasp dungeon. To reach them, walk through the false wall behind the chest that contains the Durandal.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Bravely Default key art.