Dragon Quest Cheats & Cheat Codes

The RPG genre is undoubtedly one of the largest and most varied in the entire video game industry. There are isometric tactical RPGs like Fire Emblem, first-person action RPGs like the infamous Skyrim, and, of course, turn-based RPGs. The RPG as a concept surely owes much of its ubiquity to the turn-based RPG. Early titles like Final Fantasy and Chrono Trigger helped spread the appeal of the subgenre, which of course persists today in beloved games like Persona 5 and Sea of Stars. But arguably one of the most prominent names in the turn-based RPG space is Dragon Quest. This franchise is one of the pinnacles of the turn-based RPG format today, but it started humbly, with a simple little 1986 NES game.

Dragon Quest Premise

The original Dragon Quest, localized as Dragon Warrior in America, is, like its many descendants, a turn-based RPG. Many of the hallmarks of the genre can therefore be found here. Menu-based combat allows you to choose to attack a monster, cast a spell, or use an item, and you have various stats to determine your effectiveness in combat. One surprising departure from the formula is that this game does not include any party members. The protagonist travels the world alone and must manage his battles single-handedly. This would be the only main-line game in the franchise to not feature a party.

In terms of plot, Dragon Quest deals in fairly standard RPG tropes. Many years before the events of the game, a legendary hero named Erdrick united the land under the rule of the good king Lorik. This peace was shattered when the evil Dragonlord attacked. The hero Erdrick perished trying to combat him, but a prophecy claimed that a descendant of his would someday arrive to finish what his ancestor started. After the Dragonlord attacks the kingdom once more and kidnaps Princess Gwaelin, King Lorik XVI accepts the help of a mysterious hero who claims to be the prophesied descendant. As that hero, you must journey to the Dragonlord’s lair, save the princess, and bring peace back to the land.

Dragon Quest Main Characters

Dragon Quest does not feature a party, like many other turn-based RPGs. It still does have its fair share of prominent characters, however, as any good RPG should. From the lost hero Erdrick to the sinister Dragonlord, here are some of the most important figures you’ll be running into on your journey through the land of Alefgard.

• The Hero: You can name the protagonist whatever you want. While he is aware of his status as the legendary Erdrick’s descendant, he arrives at King Lorik’s castle without weapons or armor, and is initially dismissed by the townspeople. With the aid of the king, the hero must prove his worth and fight to save the land.
• The Dragonlord: The Dragonlord is, of course, a powerful dragon who rejected the light that Erdrick brought to the kingdom. His soul was corrupted by magic, and he turned against the land and became evil. He seeks unlimited power and uses his army of monsters to terrorize the world.
• King Lorik XVI: The current reigning monarch of Alefgard is struggling to keep his kingdom intact under the force of the Dragonlord’s malevolence. When his beloved daughter is kidnapped by the evil ruler, he places his faith in the hero in the hopes that he will fulfill the prophecy and put an end to the Dragonlord’s cruelty once and for all.
• Princess Gwaelin: King Lorik’s daughter is kidnapped by the Dragonlord at the beginning of the story, and the hero must set out to rescue her. Upon saving her from the evil dragon’s clutches, the hero begins to take steps toward defeating the evil Dragonlord himself.

Dragon Quest Titles In The Series

Despite its unassuming start, this franchise has gone on to have a massive impact on modern pop culture. In addition to a long line of video games, Dragon Quest has inspired merchandise, novels, manga, and even a whole theme park in Japan. While there is still no word on the elusive Dragon Quest XII, there are still countless titles for fans of the series to enjoy. Here’s a full list of every Dragon Quest main series and spin-off game released to date.

• Dragon Quest (1986)
• Dragon Quest II (1987)
• Dragon Quest III (1988)
• Dragon Quest IV (1990)
• Dragon Quest V (1992)
• Torneko’s Great Adventure: Mystery Dungeon (1993)
• Dragon Quest VI (1995)
• Dragon Warrior Monsters (1998)
• Torneko: The Last Hope (1999)
• Dragon Quest VII (2000)
• Dragon Warrior Monsters 2 (2001)
• Dragon Quest Characters: Torneko’s Great Adventure 3 – Mystery Dungeon (2002)
• Dragon Quest Monsters: Caravan Heart (2003)
• Slime Mori Mori Dragon Quest (2003)
• Swordmaster Dragon Quest: Resurrection of the Legendary Sword (2003)
• Dragon Quest VIII (2004)
• Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime (2005)
• Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker (2006)
• Dragon Quest: Young Yangus and the Mystery Dungeon (2006)
• Dragon Quest: Monster Battle Road (2007)
• Dragon Quest Swords: The Masked Queen and the Tower of Mirrors (2007)
• Dragon Quest IX (2009)
• Dragon Quest: Monster Battle Road II (2009)
• Dragon Quest Wars (2009)
• Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2 (2010)
• Dragon Quest Monsters: Wanted! (2010)
• Dragon Quest: Monster Battle Road Victory (2010)
• Slime Mori Mori Dragon Quest 3 (2011)
• Dragon Quest X (2012)
• Dragon Quest Monster Parade (2013)
• Dragon Quest Monsters: Super Light (2014)
• Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree’s Woe and the Blight Below (2015)
• Theatrhythm Dragon Quest (2015)
• Dragon Quest of the Stars (2015)
• Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 3 (2016)
• Dragon Quest: Monster Battle Road Scanner (2016)
• Dragon Quest Builders (2016)
• Dragon Quest Heroes II (2016)
• Dragon Quest XI (2017)
• Dragon Quest Rivals (2017)
• Dragon Quest Builders 2 (2018)
• Dragon Quest Walk (2019)
• Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai: Xross Blade (2020)
• Dragon Quest Tact (2020)
• Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai: A Hero’s Bonds (2021)
• Dragon Quest Keshi Keshi (2021)
• Dragon Quest Treasures (2022)
• Infinity Strash: Dragon Quest The Adventure of Dai (2023)
• Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince (2023)

Dragon Quest Cheat Codes

One of the strangest things you can do to exploit the game is carefully choose your character’s name. As strange as it sounds, Dragon Quest uses the first four letters of your name to determine your starting stats and the strengths and weaknesses of your character. There is a complicated numerical formula behind which letter does what. Rather than list various names and their effects here, you should take a look at a website like this one at Game Corner Guides. This site will calculate your stat spread based on whatever name you want to enter, letting you plan your playthrough accordingly.

Aside from this complicated statistical program, really the only cheat code included in the NES version of Dragon Quest is the monster slideshow. Holding down the Select and Return keys while booting up the game will display a slideshow of every monster you’ll encounter in-game. Since the series has always been famous for its charming monster designs, this is a good way to admire their sprite work.

Dragon Quest Cheats FAQ

Is Dragon Quest older than Pokémon? The iconic Pokémon series is another foundational turn-based RPG, introducing a distinct monster-collecting angle to the classic formula. However, Dragon Quest has a leg up on it. The first game predates Pokémon Red & Blue by about a decade, of course, but so does Dragon Quest 5. This 1992 entry lets the protagonist recruit some monsters after defeating them in battle, and then summon them as allies. This was four years before Pokémon Red & Blue came out in Japan, making the venerable high fantasy RPG series an earlier example of monster-collecting in RPGs. Later, the franchise would debut its Dragon Quest Monsters spinoff series. These games are even more similar to the tried-and-true Pokémon formula, and they’re still going strong today with the well-regarded Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince from 2023.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Screenshot from Dragon Quest.