The Biggest Loose Ends And Plot Holes In Dragon Quest 3 Remake

Dragon Quest 3 was not originally a plot-heavy game. However, it was still a seminal influence on all JRPGs to come. Even today, every turn-based RPG owes something to Dragon Quest, be it in gameplay design or storytelling. The moment the post-credits screen announces that the story will be continued in the first two entries, setting Dragon Quest 3 up as a prequel, is a magical memory for veteran RPG fans. It is not as well-known as Sephiroth killing Aerith, but in its own understated way, it is one of the greatest JRPG plot twists.

As you relive those memories, or experience them anew in Dragon Quest 3’s HD-2D remake, you might have some unanswered questions. Here are some of ours.

8

Why Is Kirk Buzzer In The Game?

A Zenithian Presence

Dragon Quest 3 is canonically the first entry in the Erdrick Trilogy, or as Japanese fans call it, the Loto Trilogy. Dragon Quest 4, 5, and 6 form the Zenithian trilogy. Both are separate, self-contained stories. Yet if you’re an eagle-eyed veteran of the series, you might spot dialogue relating to Kirk Buzzer and even encounter him in the dungeons below Aliahan.

Kirk Buzzer is a minor antagonist in Dragon Quest 4: how did he end up in Dragon Quest 3, with its completely different setting? Most puzzling of all, he is only present in the HD-2D remake, not in previous versions of Dragon Quest 3.

7

Why Doesn’t Zoma Unveil Himself?

Respecting RPG Conventions

Dragon Quest was the first series to establish the well-known JRPG trope of the final boss not being the final boss. True to form, the ostensible villain of this game, Baramos, is simply a slave to the much more powerful Zoma.

However, it bears questioning: what does Zoma gain from giving the title of Archfiend to Baramos and staying hidden? It’s not like being non-famous rather than infamous serves him in any way. Perhaps Zoma just wants to keep the series’ tradition intact.

6

What Happened To The Hero?

A Mysterious Future

Dragon Quest 3 ends with the hero and his companions leaving Aliahan and vanishing from the world. The hero leaves behind their sword, allowing it to be used by the protagonists of the first two games. However, in the decades since this tale was first told, no one has found out where this game’s hero ended up.

Did they simply continue adventuring? The hero is too famous to go unrecognized. Did they get isekai’d to another world? Or did they settle down in a peaceful locale and live out a quiet life? The answer is up to your imagination.

5

What Is The Right Difficulty Setting?

A Challenging Question

Dragon Quest 3 did not originally have adjustable difficulty and was a challenging game. However, it was also very fair and well-made. The HD-2D remake adds three difficulty settings, ranging from Dracky to Draconian Quest. While the medium difficulty is called Dragon Quest, is it really the right one?

One of the most unfortunate changes the DQ series made in DQ 11 was that your characters gain a full restore of HP and MP when they level up. This design decision has been carried over to this game, and it prevents you from getting feedback on when to stop grinding and go back to town to heal. Newer players will benefit, but for series veterans, this change may be irksome.

4

Which Companions Are Canon?

A Query For Tie-In Media

Dragon Quest 3 introduces a vocation system that allows you to decide which characters accompany your hero. You can select their gender, and the remake also introduces new appearances for each class. However, which companions are canon?

Most official media and fan art depicts the hero next to a female warrior, male mage, and female priest. This is also true of the pre-made party you can pick up in Patty’s Party Planning Place. But are they the canon companions, or is it all down to your own choice?

3

Erdrick Or Loto?

A Persistent Conundrum

This question has dogged Dragon Quest throughout its history: is the hero called Erdrick or Loto? If you were hoping for a definitive answer in Dragon Quest 3’s HD-2D remake, you can keep waiting: while the Western localization ends with your hero being given the title of Erdrick, that isn’t their real name.

However, you can’t use Erdrick as the hero’s name while answering the questions asked at the start. You can use Loto in the Western localization, however, making this question all the more confusing.

2

Where Is Treasures N’ Trapdoors?

A Glaring Omission

The SNES and Game Boy Color version of Dragon Quest 3 had an extremely fun minigame called Pachisi in the fan localization and Treasures N’ Trapdoors in later, official titles. This Monopoly-like board game set you up as the piece itself and allowed you to move with the roll of the dice to the board’s end, where you’d obtain a fabulous prize.

The mobile phone version of Dragon Quest 3 removed Pachisi. Heartbreakingly, so does the HD-2D remake. This is an egregious omission for what is supposedly the definitive version of the game. While it can be argued that the Monster Arena minigame is an adequate replacement, if your first run of Dragon Quest 3 was on the SNES, you’ll probably be disappointed.

1

What Did The Slime Do?

Unconfessed Sins

At the start of the game, you can visit the dungeons beneath Aliahan, where you’ll find a thief as well as a moody monster wrangler. You can talk to them through the bars, where they complain about their predicament.

However, there’s a slime there too. You can’t talk to the slime, and it’s never explained what the monster mascot did to end up in jail. An NPC in the upper floors notes the oddity of the situation, but it remains an unexplained mystery.