The Dragonlord's Castle is the final dungeon in Dragon Quest and Dragon Quest III. It also appears as a dungeon in Dragon Quest II, though is not vital to the plot of the game. It is located in the central area of Alefgard, across the water to the southeast of Tantegel.
Synopsis[]
The Dragonlord's Castle is a grim fortress which serves as the main hideout for the evil forces of the Dragonlord. By the time of Dragon Quest II, it has crumbled into ruin. In Dragon Quest III it is revealed that the castle was not built by the Dragonlord, but instead had been a source of evil for generations, originally home to none other than Zoma, who used it as his stronghold up until his defeat at the hands of the legendary Erdrick.
In both Dragon Quest and Dragon Quest III there is a hidden staircase on the castle's first floor, which leads to the correct path for reaching the innermost areas of the castle; all other paths lead to a dead end. In order to find the stairs, the player must search behind the throne in the middle of the first floor. It is revealed in Dragon Quest Tact that this was a renovation idea from a knight errant, after hearing a cosmic chimaera voicing concern about the Dragonlord's safety in the easily-accessible throne room.
Appearances[]
Dragon Quest[]
The seat of the Dragonlord, the castle is the final destination for the Hero. As such, it is riddled with dangerously strong monsters, but also treasures, including Erdrick's sword.
Enemies[]
- Blue dragon (B2-B4)
- Cosmic chimaera (1F-B1)
- Dragonlord (Boss, B7)
- Dread dragon (B5-B7)
- Green dragon (1F-B1)
- Knight aberrant (1F-B4)
- Knight abhorrent (B5-B7)
- Stone golem (B2-B7)
- Tearwolf (1F-B1)
- Vis mager (1F-B7)
Items[]
| Dragon Warrior (NES) | |
|---|---|
| Item | Location |
| Erdrick's Sword | Treasure chest, B2F |
| Herb | Treasure chest, B7F |
| 690 gold coins | Treasure chest, B7F |
| Magic Key | Treasure chest, B7F |
| Wings | Treasure chest, B7F |
| Cursed Belt | Treasure chest, B7F |
| Herb | Treasure chest, B7F |
| Dragon Warrior (GBC) | |
|---|---|
| Item | Location |
| Loto (sword) | Treasure chest, B2F |
| Herb | Treasure chest, B3F |
| 503 gold coins | Treasure chest, B3F |
| 535 gold coins | Treasure chest, B7F |
| Warp Wing | Treasure chest, B7F |
| Key | Treasure chest, B7F |
| DvlBelt | Treasure chest, B7F |
| 417 gold coins | Treasure chest, B7F |
| Herb | Treasure chest, B7F |
| MysticNut | Treasure chest, B7F |
Dragon Quest II[]
By the second game the castle has been reduced to rubble, having been largely abandoned bar some stray monsters and the Dragonlord's grandson. However, rather than fighting the heroes, the Dragonlord's descendant instead offers critical advice about defeating Hargon, telling the party about the Five Sigils and pointing them in direction of the lighthouse.
If spoken to after slaying Hargon, he will express joy in the notion that, despite their respective ancestors' feud, he was able to work together with the Scions of Erdrick. He will then propose a friendship to the party, jokingly inventing nicknames for themselves.
Once again, Erdrick's sword is located here, however time has slighty dulled its blade and it is no longer the strongest sword in the world.
A treasure room can also be found on the bottom-most floor of the castle; what treasures it contains, along with what key (if any) is needed to access it, varies between game versions.
Enemies[]
Items[]
| Dragon Warrior II (NES) | |
|---|---|
| Item | Location |
| Sword of Erdrick | Treasure chest, B2F |
| Gold coins (amount varies) | Treasure chest, B7F (Golden Key required). |
| Lottery ticket | Treasure chest, B7F (Golden Key required). |
| Medical Herb | Treasure chest, B7F (Golden Key required). |
| Wing of the Wyvern | Treasure chest, B7F (Golden Key required). |
| Dragon Warrior II (GBC) | |
|---|---|
| Item | Location |
| Loto (sword) | Treasure chest, B2F |
| Gold coins (amount varies) | Treasure chest, B7F |
| Steel (armour) | Treasure chest, B7F |
| STRseed | Treasure chest, B7F |
| WorldMap | Treasure chest, B7F |
| Dragon Quest II (Mobile, Switch) | |
|---|---|
| Item | Location |
| Erdrick's sword | Treasure chest, B2F |
| Gold coins (amount varies) | Treasure chest, B7F (silver key required). |
| Gold coins (amount varies) | Treasure chest, B7F (silver key required). |
| Full plate armour | Treasure chest, B7F (silver key required). |
| Seed of strength | Treasure chest, B7F (silver key required). |
Dragon Quest III[]
Ruled by Zoma, the castle now goes by the name of Zoma's Citadel. It is also the place where the Hero's father, Ortega, meets his end at the hands of King Hydra.
The castle itself is notably larger than in its other incarnations; this seems backwards, as the events of Dragon Quest III take place several hundred years before the events of the first Dragon Quest. Overall, a majority of the floor layouts are nearly identical between the two games.
Nearby Monsters[]
- Elysium bird (Called in by Green Dragon)
- Green Dragon
- Hydra
- Infernal serpent
- Living statue
- Troobloovoodoo
- Walking corpse (Called in by Troobloovoodo)
Monsters[]
- Elysium bird (Called in by Green Dragon)
- Franticore
- Great troll
- Green Dragon
- Hocus-poker
- Hydra
- Infernal serpent
- King Hydra
- Liquid metal slime
- Mimic
- Muddy hand
- One-man army
- Soaring scourger
- Soul of Baramos
- Stone guardian
- Troobloovoodoo
- Zoma
Treasures[]
Dragon Quest X[]
Appearing in the DQI events as a dungeon, players can explore it and fight the Dragonlord, just as in Dragon Quest.
Enemies[]
- Cosmic chimaera
- Green dragon (During DQI event replay from June 17th to the 28th)
- Knight abhorrent
- Stone golem
Dragon Quest Builders[]
The final location in the game, has a few chests and a singular Dread Dragon inside of it, apart from the Dragonlord himself
Other appearances[]
Captain N: The Game Master[]
Charlock Castle appeared in the episode Three Men & A Dragon, where Mega Man and Lana get themselves trapped in the dungeons, but ultimately manage to escape.
Version differences[]
In the remake versions of Dragon Quest II, the music used for the castle is the same as in the first game, whereas in the NES release, the game's regular dungeon music was used. The remake of Dragon Quest III uses the new music from The Castle of Baramos.
Another addition to the remake of Dragon Quest II is the throne room still being present, albeit in ruins.
| v · e · dDragon Quest | |
| Playable Characters | |
| Antagonists | |
| NPC's |
Erdrick • King Lorik • Princess Gwaelin • Galen • Magog |
| Towns and Cities |
Alefgard (continent) • Tantegel • Galenholm • Kol • Damdara (formely) • Cantlin • Rimuldar • Rain Shrine • Sanctum |
| Dungeons |
Craggy Cave • Damdara • The Dragonlord's Castle • Erdrick's Cave • Galen's Grave • Quagmire Cave |
| Key Items |
Sphere of Light • Erdrick's tablet • Faerie flute • Princess Pledge • Mark of Erdrick • Lyre of Ire • Staff of Rain • Sunstone • Rainbow Drop |
| Lists |
Armor • Bestiary • Shields • Spells • Weapons • Items • Locations |
| Other | |