Dragon Quest XI S: When You Get Zoom, the Magic Key, and the Ultimate Key

Wondering when you get some of the iconic Dragon Quest staples that make your adventuring easier in Dragon Quest XI? You’re at the right place! Here you can find out when you get Zoom, the Magic Key, and the Ultimate Key.

Looking for more general advice? Check out our Dragon Quest 11 Beginner’s guide! If you're more advanced, we've also got some great pages on Dragon Quest 11's character skills and crafting gear in the fun-sized forge.

Note: This guide will have minor spoilers (city names).

Zoom

Zoom is a spell that lets you revisit any location you’ve already been to, making it easy to take care of side-quests or other events. Zoom is even better in Dragon Quest XI, as you can also go to the various campsites around the world. If you find a campsite in a dungeon, you’re in luck--if you wish, you can Zoom back to it later, saving a retread of the dungeon. Also, you no longer hit your head if you cast Zoom indoors, so you can use the spell in most places (dungeons included) without issue.

As for obtaining the spell, you get it relatively early in the game. After the events of Hotto, one of your new party members will teach you the spell. Hotto is the second main city you’ll get to in the game, and while you cannot Zoom back to Helidor for story reasons, you’ll not be left backtracking for the most part in this Dragon Quest title.

The Magic Key

The Magic Key has been a staple for many Dragon Quest titles, allowing you to open some (but not all) locked doors. In Dragon Quest XI, this item opens any door that’s red and adorned with the same symbol as the key itself. The game takes things one steps further and also marks these doors on the map with a red keyhole symbol, so you only have to remember the general area you’ve seen those map symbols as opposed to exact locations.

The party will automatically receive the Magic Key after the events of Phnom Nonh. This will be at the point of the game where things become a bit more open, but you’ll need the Magic Key to complete the events in Sniflhiem, so you won’t be able to miss it.

The Ultimate Key

The Ultimate Key is as ultimate as the name states--with it, you can open any door across Erdrea, including the ones you see with the silver keyholes. However, it’ll be a long time before you’ll be able to grab this item. After the credits, you’ll be able to start the post-game scenario. As some point, you’ll be asked to return to Havens Above. After a few cutscenes, you’ll see a chest in the middle of a plaza. Open it up and grab the Ultimate Key!