Dragon Quest II HD-2D Remake: Where to get the Magic Key

As you play through Dragon Quest II in Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake, you may be wondering: 'Where is that damned Magic Key?' You have probably encountered numerous blue-colored chests and doors as you explore the world of Alefgard, and you may think, "Did I miss it?". This page is here to help, but the short version is that you did not miss it, and you will eventually obtain the Magic Key from the mermaids - a new event in the HD-2D Remake.

If you speak to a woman in the northwest house in Rimuldar, she will mention that she succeeded in making a Magic Key, but she lost it in the water on the way to Tantegel. So you might think of searching that area yourself with your boat. Don't do this, as you won't find anything.

What makes this more complicated is that in earlier versions of Dragon Quest II, a 'Golden Key' was found by talking to a few NPCs in the village of Zahan. While these interactions do still exist in the new HD-2D Remake, the implementation is different, and the rewards are not the same. There is no 'Golden Key' in Dragon Quest II HD-2D Remake.

The short version is, if you are looking for the Magic Key, you simply just need to progress the story further to get the Magic Key. You did not and can not miss it.

Dragon Quest II HD-2D Remake: Magic Key Location

You get the Magic Key from the Mermaids, a new scenario added to the HD-2D Remake. So while the Rimuldarian woman did indeed drop the Magic Key in the water, it looks like the Mermaids have claimed it.

Much like with the Golden Key event in older versions of Dragon Quest II, you do start the Mermaid events in the remake similarly. Once you obtain the boat, you can Zoom to Shipwright Shrine and hop on over to the nearby island town of Zahan. By proceeding with the events here, you will eventually meet your first mermaids over on Gaggle Rock.

Later on, after gaining a few sigils, you'll be pointed back to Gaggle Rock from the Faeries in Shrine of Rain. The mermaids will give you the Faerie Trumpet, and you'll be able to enter the Faerie Palace where the Dreamer's Lake resides. You'll have to go through a few hostile zones after this, including the Faerie Palace and the Mermaid Sanctuary. However, after saving the home of the Faeries, and then subsequently saving the home of the Mermaids, your ultimate reward will be the Magic Key, finally.

I suppose that means the Mermaids' generous reward for you helping them reclaim their sanctuary... is a key that fell to them from the surface world. That feels a bit scummy to me!

You can find all our Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake guides here including our complete walkthroughs of Dragon Quest I and Dragon Quest II HD-2D Remake, all Mini Medals (DQ1 and DQ2), Scroll locations (DQ1 and DQ2), and much more.