Return to Exia Index

The World of Return to Exia
Walkthrough | Characters | Bosses


Return to Exia Walkthrough (90% spoiler-free)

Prologue
Goals Expanded Tips
  1. Watch cutscene and fight Creolder
             Boss Guide
Start with the man fighting against Creolder. Fight the battle that ensues. Use the T ATK Zone Crush to deliver great blows to Creolder and use the Mega Dogs to recover your energy. The fight is one of endurance, but not hard.

Peak
Goals Expanded Tips
  1. Go outside.
  2. Head into Peak Forest.
  3. Head directly south from entrance and beat miniboss.
  4. Head back to the entrance, take west path, beat boss.
  5. Talk to statue behind boss.
  6. Leave town and head for Pine.
             Boss Guide
New Character Alert!
Christopher B. Stronheim

Explore your house and find 200G. Leave the house and watch the cutscene. Explore the town, especially making sure to visit the Item Shop and talking to the patron within, who gives you a bunch of free items. Be sure to buy antidotes and hot dogs. Head to the Weapon Shop and buy at least a Cloth Armor. When ready, head into the forest.

Stay near the entrance and fight so that you can level up. When comfortable with your level, head south from the entrance and make your way down. If you meet a robot in the forest, DO NOT fight it. It is the Peak Egg Guardian, a boss for those who want a challenge later. If you come upon a wide red fire, this signifies a mini-boss battle (Stinger). Be prepared with antidotes. After beating him, the flaming tree west of the forest entrance will disappear.

Head back there and proceed west until you come to a wide blue fire. This signifiies a boss battle (Cerebeast). The boss has poisonous attacks, so be sure to use antidotes. You should also have Heal, which will help a great deal, and melee him. After beating him, talk to the statue behind him. This is the Phantom Eye, Higuard of the Forest. Say yes (or watch what happens if you say no, but the game won't progress). After the cutscene, the tree blocking the path to the neighboring town of Pine will disappear. You can now head to Pine.

Pine
Goals Expanded Tips
  1. Head to Elder's House
  2. Get Emerald to join the party.
  3. Head east from the entrance of town and investigate.
  4. Explore cave
    1. Find 1st sign brother
    2. Find Cave Key
    3. Beat Mini-boss #1
    4. Find 2nd sign brother
    5. Cross invisible pit floor
    6. Beat Mini-boss #2
    7. Meet 3rd sign brother
    8. Acquire Boss Key
    9. Find and defeat Boss
  5. Report findings to Elder
  6. Leave town and head for Azuria.
             Boss Guide
Head to the house at the center of town to meet the town Elder. After speaking with him, he'll mention talking to Emerald, who is at the first house from the entrance of Pine. Head there and once you enter, watch the cutscene, where Emerald joins the party.

New Character Alert!
Emerald D'and

From here, you can shop around for some items. Antidotes will once again come in handy, along with magic potions, if you can afford it. After you're done, head into the the forest by taking the path to the right of the entrance of town: the guy will have moved by then. Watch the cutscene as you enter the scene and be prepared to do some exploring.

In the cave, take the stairs down in the first room and talk to the sign. It's one of the Sign Brothers. Head back upstairs and go to the next room (which has 4 paths). Go up and you'll face a room with 2 chests. The right one has the Cave Key that you need to get to the mini-boss. Go back down and head to the right. There will be a box guarding the path to the right. Check it and the Cave Key will do the rest. Continue into the next room. The mini-boss in this room is guarding a sign. The mini-boss (Cave Ogre) has significant strength, so be on your guard with recovery items. Emerald's Ice attacks will be a boon here. Once you beat him, you can talk to the sign. He will tell you the path to getting to the next area. Be sure to write it down. Or here it is: D1, R1, D3, R1, D1, R2, D1.

Go back to the room with 4 paths and take the southern path. Keep moving past the room with the save point until you get to a room with a couple treasure chests and boxes in it. STOP MOVING. This is the room talked about. Follow the path the sign told you until you see a wall suspiciously dark. Move through the wall to get to the next room. Keep progressing until you find another mini-boss (Cerebeast C2). One you may remember. Use antidotes when necessary, but with two people, the mini-boss is a lot easier. There are two smaller flames in the room. They have a slightly stronger than normal enemy each. Shouldn't prove difficult. The flame on the right has another sign brother, who will tell you how to get to the next area. Make sure to right down the path. Or here it is: D1, L3, U1, L2. The one one the left has the Boss Key, which you need to get past the last box blocking the boss area. Make your way to the box and use the key to move to the next area.

Keep moving south until you come to the room with the final sign brother. He will offer to sell you some items. There is also a save point here. Stock up and keep moving. Eventually, you will come to a room being blocked by a goblin. You must beat the goblin to proceed to the boss of the area. He's basically a stronger form of Goblin. Keep your HP up and melee and Ice attack him. The area boss (Prince Club) is waiting. For the boss, keep your health up and use your magic attacks to wear him down and finish him. Hit the switch behind him and go up the stairs.

Back on the surface, report what happened back to the Elder. Watch the cutscene and you receive the Letter of Introduction for the King of Azuria. From there, you can head to Azuria.

Azuria
Goals Expanded Tips
  1. Head to Throne Room and talk with the king
  2. Prove yourself in battle against the Royal Guard
  3. Talk with the king again
  4. Fight off the invasion force
    1. Head outside and talk to the Royal Guard Commander
    2. Help fend off the troops from left and right flank
    3. Talk to the Commander again
    4. Fight enemy bodyguards
    5. Fight boss
  5. Talk with the king and receive permission to get Azuria Royal Library Card
  6. Leave Azuria and head for the Azuria Royal Library.
             Boss Guide
Explore the castle a bit. On the outside paths, there is a guy selling in a secret item shop some accessories. Up to you. Once inside the castle, straight ahead is the throne room, while to the left and right are the marketplace and the Royal Guard training ground respectively. Do some shopping around and then talk to the king.

He will take your letter and read it. However, before he will help you, he wants to know if you are strong enough to handle the quest. So he will tell you to head to the Royal Guard training ground and speak to the Commander of the Royal Guard. Be prepared before speaking to him, though, because you will have a series of battles to go through.

Once ready, talk with the Commander. He says he will pit you up against three of his best men. The battles are straightforward, being ones of endurance and defense. Once you beat the first two, he will jump in place of the last one. He's a little tougher, but no big deal. After you beat him, go back to the king and talk with him. He'll mention that you passed the test, but is cut off by a messenger: the kingdom is being invaded! He'll ask you to go outside and help defend the castle. Be prepared to do a fair share of fighting out there.

Go outside and talk to the Commander. He'll ask you to check on his men, which are on the far east and west side of the castle walls. Head to each and talk to the guard. A battle will ensue at each. When you've done both, talk to the Commander again and he'll say that another wave is coming. This is the mini-boss (Bodyguards), the bodyguards of the boss. Beat them and then the boss (Queen Dia) walks up ready to battle. The boss has the same weakness that the Pine boss did, so capitalize on it.

Once the boss is history, you'll be taken back to the throne room. Talk to the king and he'll give you 1000 Gold and authority to get the Azuria Royal Library Card to research. Head to the Market and the guard will move. Take the card and now you can leave for the Azuria Royal Library.

Azuria Royal Library
Goals Expanded Tips
  1. Get past the guard with the Royal Library Card and enter the Library
  2. Read "The Midnight of Creolder"
  3. Leave the Library
  4. Get Jesse to join the party
  5. Leave the Azuria Royal Library and head to Men
Head directly to the right to meet the guard of the library. Since you have the card, he will let you enter. Enter the library and go up the stairs. The library will have a ton of books, but the one you want is the third row, farthest on the right. You will start reading about Creolder and what must be done to stop him. A cutscene will ensue about the plans of the enemy. Once you're done, leave the library.

New Character Alert!
Jesse Newgen

On your way out, Jesse will meet up with you and ask to join the party. A yes will let her into the party and give you a specialty healer. From here, leave the Library area and start south for the town of Men.

Men
Goals Expanded Tips
  1. Talk to the Elder
  2. Leave Men and head for Crystal Cave
Explore the town and get equipped. When you're ready, head to the town Elder. You will find out the situation going on in the town. You will also find a man in there with the Elder who talks to you.

Once you've prepared yourself, leave and head for Crystal Cave.

Crystal Cave
Goals Expanded Tips
  1. Head into the purple portal
  2. Explore Crystal Cave
    1. Go through fake wall into center room
    2. Go through left corridor and beat Boss #1
    3. Go back to center room and through the portal maze.
    4. Beat Boss #2
    5. Go back to the center room and through the maze on the right.
    6. Beat Boss #3
  3. Go back to Men
             Boss Guide
Be ready to hit the ground running once you enter the purple portal to enter the Crystal Cave. You won't be able to leave once you get in. The enemies here are all susceptible to Fire-based attacks, so be sure to keep Chris stocked with magic potions.

Once you're through the portal, you'll be in an empty room. Go through the fake wall at the direct top to move to the next room. There will be a room with 2 burning trees in it with one path. Well, looks like there's only one way to go. Head to the left and get to the next area. Keep making your way to the left as far as you can until you get to a room with a save point and a boss (Doppleganger). The boss has poison attacks, and like most enemies here, is weak to Fire attacks.

With the boss beaten, go back to the center room and take the middle path. There are many portals in this room. To quickly get through to the next boss, do this: notice that each portal is comprised of 4 squares, or quadrants. I will label them from the top-left square, and then clockwise: Quadrant A (top-left), B (top-right), C (bottom-right), D (bottom-left).

It will be important to follow the guide from here. From the entrance, take the portal at QD. When you appear next, take the closest portal at QD. When you appear after the next jump, move to the portal which is the farthest to the right that you can reach and take QD. At the next portal near you, take QC. When you appear again, take QC. After that, you will finally reach the purple portal. Take it to the next boss encounter. The boss (Crystal God) is weak to Fire attacks. When you beat him, you will be warped back to the center room. Simple enough. Take the right path now.

In the next room, you will find a maze. It's pretty straight-forward. As you make your way, you will find a sign selling items and a tip for 2000 Gold. Since you're cheating by using this guide, you can save your money. Keep progressing through until you get to the center of the maze where you come to two holes. You will meet a strange being in the middle of it. Which hole do you take? The RIGHT one, of course.

After you drop down, you will fight the third boss (Crystal Doppleganger), the combined form of the two previous ones. Still use Fire attacks and heal wisely. After you beat him, you will be warped out of the cave by a friend and will need to proceed back to Men's Elder's house.

Men, Part II
Goals Expanded Tips
  1. Talk to the Elder
  2. Leave Men and head for Women
Restore yourself and when you're ready, talk to the Elder of Men again. He'll mention heading for Women and talking to their Elder.

Once you've prepared yourself, leave and head for Women.

Women
Goals Expanded Tips
  1. Talk to the Elder
  2. Explore Haunted Library
    1. Check bookshelves on 1st floor for switch
    2. Press the 3 secret buttons on half-bookshelves to activate stairs.
    3. Fight your way through the ghosts to get to the mini-boss
    4. Beat mini-boss
    5. Beat Boss
    6. Find book on the shelf for next lead in the quest
  3. Go back to talk with Elder
  4. Leave Women and head to the Warp to Revenia
             Boss Guide
In town, buy up some new stuff. Go to the Pub (Salon) and talk to the Elder of Women. She'll tell you to head Southwest to the old deserted library that's currently in town. Leave there and head to the library once prepared.

Once you're in the building (the one with a caved-in roof), investigate the books to find a button on the far right bookshelf. The fireplace will reveal a set of stairs. Go up them ONLY when ready, as you'll have some fighting to do. Healing medicine will be needed here, so stock up beforehand.

When you arrive, a familiar face will tell you that the odd bookshelves are the key to getting to the next floor. The odd bookshelves are the ones that are just half bookshelves. As you explore, you will come upon enemies. Most of them will fall to either Fire or Holy attacks. Once you find all three bookshelves, the next flight of stairs will open. Take them to the next floor.

In the next area, you will have to go down into the next area. When you do, the room will turn dark. There will be a legion of ghosts around. You will have to fight some of them in order to make your way north-east to the gold-colored ghost, which is a mini-boss (Aberrhition) fight. He uses Ice attacks to hurt the group, so keep on your toes with healing spells and fire attacks. Once he's beaten, continue on the path past him and head up the stairs.

The final area is very straight-forward. There will be a save point after navigating it, which you should use before heading up, as the boss (Maps) of the area is here. When you're prepared, move up and watch the cutscene. The fight will start thereafter. Be careful, because the boss has many magical attacks and healing abilities. He will also steal MP from you. Any type of magic works, as well as melee attacks. Eventually, he'll crumble and the book you need will be apparent. You'll learn that you need to go to the other world, Revenia. But first, you need to talk to the Women Elder.

Once you get out of the haunted library, go back to the Elder and talk with her. She will tell you that you need to use the warp point to get to Topsi.

Topsi
Goals Expanded Tips
  1. Talk to the Elder
  2. Get Yix to join the party
  3. Leave Topsi and head for Turvi Mountain
Take your time exploring the strange town of Topsi. When you're ready, you'll need to talk to the village Elder. He lives in the smallest house in the town.

New Character Alert!
Yix Steltf

Once you've talked to him, he'll mention heading to Turvi Mountain. Leave the town once you're adequately prepared. Be sure to invest in healing medicines.

Turvi Mountain
Goals Expanded Tips
  1. Enter Turvi Mountain
  2. Explore Turvi Mountain
    1. Talk to the sign and acquire Turvi Key 1
    2. Head east and beat mini-boss #1 to receive Turvi Key 2
    3. Go back to the entrance room and head north
    4. Beat mini-boss #2 to receive the "Key"
    5. Talk to the sign and enter the path behind it
    6. Fight mini-boss #3
    7. Have Dominic join the party
    8. Beat boss
    9. Beat the summon creature to acquire new summon
  3. Leave Topsi and head for Nidia Castle in Exia
             Boss Guide
Upon entrance, watch the cutscene and then proceed into the mountain. You'll find Yix to be a very competent companion here. In the first area, there will be a sign northwest of where you enter. Talk to it and make the deal. You will receive Turvi Key 1, which is important for exploring the rest of the mountain. After getting the key, there will be two paths: up a ladder or to the east. Take the east path. In the next room, keep moving east to go to the next room. There's also a path to the south in the room just mentioned, but the Turvi Egg Guardian is there. Not a good idea to fight right now.

Keep moving along into the next room, and you'll see a ladder to the north. Take it up. In the next room, you'll see a treasure chest blocked by wood. Just keep moving east from here. You'll find save point in the next room and the first mini-boss (Lady Statue). When ready, engage her. You can pick her off easily as long as you're not too cocky. Collect the goodies behind her to receive Turvi Key 2.

Go back to the room where you received Turvi Key 1 and take the ladder up instead this time. Directly up the ladder, you will find a save point to use, if you need. Move east when you're ready. You'll end up outside once you go through the door. Keep moving east to reach the mini-boss (Lezar) past the flaming bush (which uses Turvi Key 2). You'll find a man outside. Talk to him and it'll begin a cutscene which leads to the mini-boss fight. Keep the boss on his toes using Ice attacks and using Yix's magic. Once you finish with him, you can go back to the sign post at the entrance.

With the key in hand, when you talk to the sign, he will move out of the way of the path you need to continue. In the next room, another sign will block the way, but will move once you talk to him. There's a save point here, so use it. There'll be some fighting to do once you enter the portal. Talk to the skeleton and will begin the last mini-boss fight against two skeletons (Fonebone). Use holy magic to get rid of them along with Yix's strong magic and fierce melees. With them gone, keep moving and watch the cutscene that happens.

New Character Alert!
Dominic Vargo

With the cutscene over, and Dominic joins your party, you will now be forced to fight the boss (Skeltelo) of the area who has business there. He has double attack, so be prepared with some good magic healing. He's weak against Holy attacks like his bodyguards were, so use it. With the boss defeated, talk to the Higard.

He will explain that he is the Higard, who the previous Higard knows, as well. After the talk, he will go with you, if you can beat him, that is. The save point beside him has an item shop along with it, so be sure to stock up on recovery items and the like. But it will cost you 200 Gold to do each. If you don't have any money, it will still let you save, though. Stocked up, talk to Sharp Sickle again and be prepared to battle. The Higard is weak against Holy attacks, as you might surmise. He also has the ability to silence you, so be free with your healing magic/items. With a victory, comes the new summon attack, Sharp Sickle! He will then teleport you back to Topsi.

With knowledge of where the enemy is headed, now is the time to... Return to (the continent of) Exia and to the kingdom of Nidia. Take the warp back to Exia.

Nidia
Goals Expanded Tips
  1. Enter Nidia Castle
  2. Talk to the king and queen of Nidia
  3. Leave Nidia and head for Pesillary Cave
Entry into Nidia triggers a small cutscene. View it and head into the castle. Talk to the guard at the first indoor area to find out where everything is. Explore the castle at your leisure. Once you've finished buying supplies (no weapon shop???), you'll need to head for the throne room. Another short cutscene with transpire. After it's done, head into the throne room and talk to the king and queen.

The king will not be receptive, but his wife will be. Talk to her and you'll realize there's something strange going on. She will give you a secret mission. Accept it. She will then tell you to go to Pesillary Cave to find the Fralene Chain, which restores anyone to normal. Accepting the mission will also let you buy weaponry from the Nidian Intelligence Agency, which is the only weapon shop in the castle. When you've prepared your satchels, head out for the cave.

Pesillary Cave
Goals Expanded Tips
  1. Enter Pesillary Cave
  2. Find the Fralene Chain
    1. Go down the stairs and head east through a gap
    2. Head down to the sign which explains how to move
    3. Go west from sign, follow path, beat mini-boss #1
    4. From sign, head east, follow path, beat mini-boss #2
    5. Go south from the sign, blow up box and follow path to boss
    6. Beat boss
    7. Acquire Fralene Chain
  3. Leave Pesillary Cave and head to Nidia
             Boss Guide
Make your way into the cave by heading down the steps. When you arrive in the next area, take notice of the wide empty spaces. They will confuse you if you're not using the guide by how much space they take up. Head to the right and find the hole in the wall to proceed. After that, make your way down until you see a sign. There are two birds in this cave that you must beat in order to harvest their bodies for materials you need to progress to the end of the cave. The sign tells you the exact steps to take.

From the sign, head left and into the next area. In the room, it's possible to go either west or south. Move west as south house the Pesillary Egg Guardian. After you move west into the next room, make your way south into the next room. The path will be very apparent. Keep following it until you reach an area by the main area that's walled off and has a bird there. Talk to it to start the mini-boss fight (Flare Bird). It's weak against Ice attacks and uses fire ones. Beat it and take its item, Matches.

From there, head back to the center sign and like it says, make your way east. Once again, the path is straight-forward and evident from viewing it. When you reach the end of it, you will find the other bird. Talk to it to start the mini-boss battle (Guntrice). It is weak against Ice attacks like its sibling. Take the Dynamite Powder from him after the battle.

Once again, move back to the sign and head directly south to the next area. When you get there, there will be a box in the way. With both components in hand, it will be easy to blow it up. To the west is a save point, to the east the needed path. Do what you wish then move east. Then go up the flight of stairs and into the main room again. Going through this door will be a boss battle coming up.

In the next room, you will see a familiar face and a very odd color of panels on the floor. After you talk, just walk directly across the floor and talk to the boss (Quizmasta) who will then fight you. Not a terrible fight, but you must watch for his dual attacks and healing factor. Once beaten, move behind him and check the pillar for the chain. With the chain in hand, exit the cave.

As you're trying to leave outside the cave, a cutscene ensues and Emerald has to leave the party for a while. You say goodbye to her and mention that you'll be waiting at the castle. From here, head to Nidia Castle.

Nidia, Part II
Goals Expanded Tips
  1. Enter Nidia Castle
  2. Stop the military coup
    1. Head to the NIA research lab and destroy the mini-boss
    2. Destroy the guard robots of the throne room
    3. Defeat the boss
    4. Use the Fralene Chain on the king
  3. Get the queen to order Agent G to join the party
  4. View the cutscenes with Emerald
  5. Join back up with the party
  6. Leave Nidia and head to Party Switch A
             Boss Guide
Nidia's under attack! Talk to the guard outside the castle walls and he'll explain the situation. From there, head into the castle. The shopkeepers are against the occupation, and will still sell you items. When you enter the castle, there will be robots everywhere. They will only engage you if you provoke them, so avoid them if you wish. From the entrance area, head west to go downstairs to the NIA HQ.

There, you will find two guys guarding the entrance to the area. Beat them to enter the research area. Head south and then beat the mini-boss (Central A.I.). It is weak against Fire attacks (like the other robots), so use them and melees. After you beat it, head back past the entrance to the castle and make your way to the throne room. With the mini-boss beaten, the guards will now engage you. Beat them and enter the throne room. Be sure to stock up on items before you go in as well and save.

When you get inside, talk to Stelko. He will inform you of his nefarious plan and reveal his true form. From here, you must fight the boss (Skeltelo). He's not any different from his previous encounter, so use what you've learned. After he's beaten, talk to the king first and use the Fralene Chain on him. He will be grateful. Next, talk to the recently-reappeared queen to find out more about where the Zone Blade is.

New Character Alert!
Agent G

She'll mention that more information is likely in Shogun Valley and commissions one of her agents, Agent G, to investigate with you. You will also receive the Rose Pendant from the Queen. After this talk, you will be back in Emerald's shoes in Pine. Watch the cutscene and then go outside.

Outside, watch another cutscene and start making your way to the Nidian Throne Room, where Chris and gang are waiting for you. Watch that cutscene and you'll be informed about Shogun Valley. When you're set, you can proceed to the World Map and two points.

1. Party Switch A - This allows you to swtich party members
2. Shogun Valley - The next main area to go to.

Head to the Party Switch A location for a little detour.

Party Switch A
Goals Expanded Tips
  1. Get Mr. Hatter to join the party
  2. Leave Party Switch A and go to Shogun Valley
New Character Alert!
Mr. Hatter

When you arrive, you'll notice that you can switch out characters you want to use. However, there will be an additional character there that's not a part of the group or even known to anyone. He'll join the party after you talk to him. When you're done, head out to Shogun Valley.

Shogun Valley
Goals Expanded Tips
  1. Talk to Victor Nobunaga
  2. Leave Shogun Valley and head to Lake of Fire
The home of the shoguns. Take the path into town and explore it. There will be many shops here, including the first Skill Shop you will come across. Select your new skills in order to learn new attacks from them after you go up 3 levels. When ready, head to the biggest building in Shogun Valley and talk to museum curator Victor Nobunaga.

Victor will explain that he wants a legendary artifact from the Lake of Fire before he will allow you to know his knowledge. Get equipped and head out to the Lake of Fire.

Lake of Fire
Goals Expanded Tips
  1. Make your way through the mini-bosses and beat the boss.
  2. Leave the Lake of Fire and head to Shogun Valley
             Boss Guide
Watch the beginning cutscene. After it's over, take your time moving through the lake. Take the teleport stars to different parts of the field. You will then take on the mini-bosses one at a time as you progress through the field. If you take the yellow light and follow the path it takes you, you will be on the right track to get all the mini-bosses.

The first mini-boss is weak against Holy attacks. After you beat him, he warps you to a different island. You can get a chest if you take the yellow star here. Just go back to the red one when you're done and follow the path yet.

You will eventually get to the next mini-boss. This one is weak against Fire attacks, so use what you have or melee him. Upon defeat, he will warp you to the next island.

You will have a straight path to the next mini-boss. He will be weak to Ice-type attacks, so use them if you have them. He will warp you to the final island to fight the boss of the area.

The boss (Warlord) has all the powers of the other three mini-bosses, so be on your guard as much as possible. You will need to use healing medicines to fight off his status hits and he's weak against Holy. When you're finished, you will get the artifact that Victor sent you after. The boss will then warp you back to Shogun Valley.

Shogun Valley, Part II
Goals Expanded Tips
  1. Talk to Victor Nobunaga again
  2. Leave Shogun Valley and head to the Dock
Victor will be waiting for you at the entrance of Shogun Valley. Talk to him and he'll divulge everything he knows about the Zone Blade and Ketus. He'll explain that he has a friend on the next continent who might have information about the whereabouts of them, and a ship captain friend who can help as well. When you're ready, leave Shogun Valley and head to the Dock.

Dock/Ship
Goals Expanded Tips
  1. Talk to captain and get on board
  2. Get Ayame/Naomi to join the party
  3. Talk to the captain to get the boat moving
  4. Experience cutscene
  5. Get off boat and head to Ambia Castle
Talk to the captain of the ship and get onboard. Once on the ship, go into the cabin to get near the navigation area and you'll find a woman in there.

New Character Alert!
Naomi Kiwasa

Talk with her and she'll join up. Leave the cabin and talk to the captain. Say yes to leaving. Then you'll need to go back through the cabin and go below deck. Once below deck, you'll go to sleep.

You'll wake up in the middle of the night. Go up to the deck and you'll find Emerald up there. Talk to her and watch. Talk to her again and the cutscene will end. You'll go back to sleep and when you get on deck again, you'll be at the continent and on a dock. Leave the dock to go to the world map.

There are 3 different places to go from here:

1. Party Switch B - Same as before. Head here to get your party back.
2. Ambia Castle - The next main location
3. ??? - The home of the Egg Guardians. You need all Eggs to enter this place.

Head to Ambia when you're ready.

Ambia
Goals Expanded Tips
  1. Find Zar Warwind and get him to join the party
  2. Talk to Queen Ambia and Capt. Sandrine Nixis
  3. Get Sandrine to join the party
  4. Leave Ambia and head for Ambia Cave
Enter the castle and talk to the guard at the entrance. He'll tell you where everything is, including your next target, Victor's friend. From him, head left and down the stairs into his lair. You will find a man standing around in the room at the end of the path. Talk to him and Zar Warwind joins the party.

New Character Alert!
Zar Warwind

You'll gather information from him that is important. From here, make your way to the throne room, which has the queen of the kingdom as well as the captain of the royal guard, the princess Sandrine Nixis. Talk to both of them and after you shop, prepare to leave for the area the queen talked about (Ambia Cave).

New Character Alert!
Sandrine Nixis

As you leave the castle, Sandrine will be waiting for you outside. Once you talk to her, she will officially join the party. When that happens, if you're ready, depart for Ambia Cave.

Ambia Cave
Goals Expanded Tips
  1. Enter and explore Ambia Cave
  2. Find switch to eliminate barrier creature
  3. Fight mini-boss #1
  4. Avoid or fight mini-boss #2
  5. Fight boss
  6. Leave Ambia Cave and head to Ambia
             Boss Guide
Enter the cave. Head right into the cave and navigate the maze in order to reach the treasure chest. Once you activate it, the first of the 3 skeletons will disappear when you come back and talk to him. The next part will require a fight and could be the only one you need if you answer correctly. Use magic and melees wisely. He's not too tough. Finally, the last one will ask you a sacrifice question. If you choose Chris, then he will let you go. Otherwise, a battle will ensue. If you want more experience, take him on. Either way, proceed into the final area.

You will find the boss of the area in this room. He will attack you once you talk to him. Be careful, as he has multiple attacks and will start the first of many dragon enemies with the Dragon's Breath attack, which hits every member of the party with big damage. He's weak against fire attacks, so use them if you have them. After you beat the boss, you will have the information you need, so head back to Ambia.

Ambia, Part II
Goals Expanded Tips
  1. Talk to Queen Ambia
  2. Leave Ambia and head for Battleshop Town
Head back to Ambia and make your way to the queen. She will thank you for your work and mention what she knows about Ketus and tells you to make your way to Fini. She will also mention heading to Battleshop Town, which is on the way to Fini, so leave the castle and head to Battleshop.

Battleshop
Goals Expanded Tips
  1. Talk to the Hero Musem Curator
  2. Leave Battleshop and head to Treasure Way
Explore the town to your leisure. When ready, find the curator of the Hero Musem and accept a quest to get a spot in the musem. The first place prize is information that will lead you to the town of Fini, so accept it.

Once you're ready, leave town and make your way to Treasure Way to stop the creature causing havoc.

Treasure Way
Goals Expanded Tips
  1. Find and destory the monster causing havoc
  2. Leave Treasure Way and head to Battleshop
             Boss Guide
This is a wide, expansive area that you must take your time to navigate. The boss is at the farthest south-eastern province, but there are treasures all around the forest which you may or may not want to pick up. The enemies around the Way are weak against Fire attacks, including the boss.

Once you get to the boss, be prepared for another dragon. Dragon's Breath makes a return, and he gets double-attacks, so be on your guard to heal against it. Once that's done, it's time to collect your reward from the Battleship museum curator. Make your way back there now.

Battleshop, Part II
Goals Expanded Tips
  1. Talk to the Hero Musem Curator again
  2. Leave Battleshop and head to Fini
Make your way back to the musem curator and you will find a new statue of yourself in the museum. When you talk to the curator again, you will receive information about Fini that you need to get there. Take it and when ready, head out to Fini.

Fini
Goals Expanded Tips
  1. Talk to the Fini Elder
  2. Leave Fini and head to Revenia (Broken Castle)
When you enter Fini, take your time and explore the town. When you have, look for the Elder's house and enter it. Talk to the Elder inside and she'll mention to you that her messenger has been missing for a few days and that he's never late. She'll ask you to go and find him. Agree and the Elder will then use her powers to open a portal to Revenia on this side of the planet. If you're ready, head to the World Map and take the path to Revenia. You'll need to go to the Broken Castle when you get there.

Broken Castle
Goals Expanded Tips
  1. Enter Broken Castle and talk to the ghost mummy
  2. Find the 4 sealing fires
  3. Leave Broken Castle and head to Obmil Manor (Revenia)
When you first enter the area, a cutscene will take place. After you view the cutscene, you will be tasked with getting rid of the elemental fires around this single area. Not too hard, but you'll need to do some exploring and pay attention to your surroundings. The fires are ghosted, so you need to take care. When you want to talk with the mummy, just step on the star.

Here are tips for the fires:
  • Red is directly to the east of the mummy
  • Purple is directly north of Red
  • Green is directly west of Purple
  • Blue is directly west of the mummy

    When you've collected them all, talk to the mummy and he will show you how to get to Obmil Manor. There's nothing left to do here, so head out.

  • Obmil Manor
    Goals Expanded Tips
    1. Enter Obmil Manor
    2. Find the Ruby to open the boss area
    3. Beat the boss
    4. Leave Obmil Manor and head to Fini
                 Boss Guide
    At the entrance, you will meet the butler. If you want to avoid a fight, do not fight with him. It's just a regular enemy if you do want to fight, though. As you move forward, you will find two staircases. Take the left staircase to move toward you goal. When you get up there, go left and take the first door that's open. However, you can move to the right staircase, and take the first door on the right. But, only the Obmil Egg Guardian is there, so it will do you no good.

    Anyway, in the room of the left door, move all the way north until you find a mini-boss fight that consists of random enemies. Beat them and you'll get the Ruby. Take the Ruby out of the room and move to the left and down until you get to the path that was blocked. It no longer is. Go into the room and get ready to rumble with the boss (Wretched).

    It's another dragon, since Creolder loves them. This one can cast healing spells on itself, and does have the spell Dragon's Breath, so be careful. It can also cause status effects and attacks twice. Give it to him as hard as you can. When you beat him, talk to the messenger and he will head back to Fini, like you should at this point.

    Fini, Part II
    Goals Expanded Tips
    1. Talk to Fini Elder
    2. Leave Fini and head for Serof Forest
    You have a mission. Go to the Elder's house and talk to her. She will be so thankful for the rescue of the messenger that she will hook up a boat ride to get to Serof Forest, the entrance to Ketus!

    Head to Revenia, move past Obmil Manor and go to the Dock. Take the boat across and to the connection point. Keep moving and you will be taken to the Revenian continent where Serof Forest resides.

    Serof Forest
    Goals Expanded Tips
    1. Enter and explore Serof Forest
    2. Find Water
    3. Find Fertilizer
    4. Fight Boss
    5. Climb Beanstalk
    6. Enter Ketus
                 Boss Guide
    Here begins your spelunking into the Serof Forest. Make your way into the forest until you get to a sign. You will see that the sprout is in one direction while the tools are in the other. No need to see the sprout right now. Instead, head right for the tools. It is very unlikely to get lost as long as you follow the signs.

    Anyway, in the next area, there are two boxes you need to get. One is to the east of the sign and the other is to the south. Start with the east path, get the box but be warned that monsters are contained within. Shouldn't be a problem. Next, head south and get the supplies. The same thing will happen. With both tools in your hands, time to make your way back to the sprout.

    Head back past the entrance sign and to the west instead. When you get to an area with a forking path, continue west on the path. If you move south, you will come upon the last guardian, the Serof Egg Guardian. Follow the same advice as before and keep moving. Step on the star to the west to warp yourself to the next area. When you appear, follow the path in front of you until you get to the next area.

    In the next area, you will come to the giant beanstalk. Since you have the tools in hand, the beanstalk will have grown to gigantic proportions and the area boss will be waiting on your path. When ready, take on the boss (Absorbe) and beat him. He has double attacks, like most of the bosses nowadays and a weakness to Fire. When you finish with him, take the beanstalk up and you will finally be able to enter Ketus!

    Ketus
    Goals Expanded Tips
    1. Find and talk with the Ketus Elder
    2. Enter Ketus
    3. Leave Ketus and head for Zoness Shrine
    Welcome to Ketus and near the beginning of the end of the game! When you enter, there won't be too many things to notice, but be sure to check out the inhabitants if you like. The first house near the entrance of town has the Ketus Elder. Talk with her and she'll know you. When the talking is done, she will join you as a guide to the Zoness Shrine for you to collect the Zone Blade!

    When you're ready, head back to the world map and forward to the Zoness Shrine.

    Zoness Shrine
    Goals Expanded Tips
    1. Watch cutscene
    2. Defeat Boss
    3. Get Zone Blade
    4. Leave Zoness Shrine and head for Ketus
    When you enter the Zoness Shrine, a lengthy cutscene will transpire. After you watch it, you will be forced into a battle. The boss in this case is pretty much a "event boss", so don't worry about winning or losing that much. Just keep healthy. After the cutscene is over, you will be transported back to Ketus' Elder's House.

    Ketus, Part II
    Goals Expanded Tips
    1. Find the Dead Samurai
    2. Leave Ketus and head for Neo Eve
    You come to in the Elder's house and a boy will speak to you. He will mention that the Dead Samurai is here in town and can transport you to Neo Eve, the final island located near Creolder's Death Tower. When you find him, tell him you want to be transported and he will do so.

    Neo Eve/Death Beach
    Goals Expanded Tips
    1. Find the Battle Goddess
    2. Get Helena to join the party
    3. Leave Neo Eve and head for Death Beach
    4. Enter Death Beach and head toward Death Tower.
    Enter the sole building on Neo Eve by walking on the path. You will see the Dead Samurai, who will warp you back to Ketus if you want to on the way there. Once inside, talk to the angel in the middle. She will identify herself as Helena.

    New Character Alert!
    Helena

    After she finishes talking to you, she will join your party. From here it is time to stock up on all types of items, as this will be the final time you get to do so. All the best weapons in the game are here (sans the Zone Blade), so spend what you have. BE SURE TO GET THE SKILL ZONE BLADE FROM THE SKILL SHOP. When ready, head out to the world map and enter Death Beach.

    Death Beach is very straight-forward. Take a look at the sign from the bottom and walk exactly how it tells you. You will eventually come to a clump of cacti that looks like an arrow. Follow the area to the entrance to Death Tower.

    Creolder Tower
    Goals Expanded Tips
    1. Enter Creolder Tower
    2. Explore and activate the Power Points
      1. Beat boss #1
      2. Beat boss #2
      3. Beat boss #3
      4. Beat boss #4
      5. Beat boss #5
    3. Make your way to Creolder's Throne Room
    4. Defeat Creolder
                 Boss Guide
    Welcome to the dance, ladies and gentlemen. When you enter the tower, you will notice a save point. Be sure to save here, since once you cross into Creolder's Tower, there is no going back. Be sure to do everything you wanted to do here or make a new save in case you want to do something else. Whenever you're completely ready, enter the tower and be prepared for the fight of your life!

    As soon as you enter the tower, you will see a boss. However, he will not engage you if you do not activate the Power Point. So head down the stairs. Move north until you see a guard in the way. It has two normal enemies in this battle. Knock 'em off. Keep moving along the straight-forward path until you get to a room which contains a gold orb you've seen before. Check it to activate the Power Point. Now go back to the boss (Imperiron) and this time he will fight you. The boss has some powerful physical attacks, but you can take him just fine. Just keep your HP up. When you beat him, the path to the next floor will open and you can continue.

    On the next floor, you will see two paths, north-west and north-east. Take the north-western passage. Continue on the path and up the ladder and you will come to a room with two stars on the floor in opposite corners of where you enter. It doesn't matter which one you take, as you must go to both of them to activate the warp star on the floor north of the entrance of the area. You will have to worry about twin bosses on this floor. But you only have to face them one at a time. The boss (Morwhi) is a bit weaker than its predecessor in Serof, but don't let it fool you or wear you down. Keep your offense going and stomp it down. Fire magic does wonders, as well. Beat them both and enter the green star. Activate the power point and you'll be warped back to the center of the floor. Go through the north-eastern passage this time and talk to the skeleton, who will disappear now that you have access the point. Take the stairs to the next floor.

    You will see another NW/NE set of paths on this floor. This time, take the NE path first. Follow the path and start climbing the ladder. Halfway up, there will be a door on the left. Take it to reach a save point. Keep going up the ladder when you're ready to continue. Keep going up and up until you reach a clock tower. And a boss (Pandruin). Keep your guard up and healing items/magic on hand. He's got power, but persistance will crush him. After you beat him, you'll be warped off the tower and to the power point. Activate it and you wil be warped back to the main tower hall on the current floor. Talk to the skeleton and you will be able to pass to the next floor.

    A red floor adorns this next level. Again, you have a NW and NE path choice to make. Make it simple for yourself and take the NE path. Follow the path laid before you until you run into a surprise from the past. The boss (Skeltelo) is much harder than his previous forms, but still has the same weakness to holy magic. Keep your health up and your attacks on him. Eventually he'll crumble. Head back the other way to the NW path and hit the green star. You will be warped to the power point. Activate it and you will be warped to the next section of the tower.

    You will appear before a double-flight of stairs. Take either one, as it leads to the same place. At the top, you will have yet another dual NE/NW path set. Take the NE path this time and you will have to face another blast from the past. The boss (Maps) is quite more fearsome than before and comes with a solider to help. He will occasionally try to revive his companion, so be sure to stomp his weaker cohort out before he can be a thorn in your side. The boss also has high-level magic like you do, so keep your fingers on healing items. Once you beat the boss, go into the room he was guarding and activate the final power point. Head to the NW path, talk to the skeleton and make your way up the last set of stairs.

    At last, you're near Creolder! You might can tell from the surroundings. There's a save point that you should very wisely use. When ready, continue into the next area. Finally, Creolder shows himself before you. After the dialogue, prepare to battle. In this form, he resembles his early minions. He mostly attacks with physical attacks, but he has a death stare which can land you in a bad situation quickly if it connects. Continue to melee and use Holy attacks, if you have them. Eventually, he'll wear down. That was too easy, huh? You will need to move to the next area now. Recheck your equipment and continue to north.

    When you see Creolder again, he will exchange more dialogue. After that, he will battle with you again. In this form, he will be able to use your favorite attack, Dragon's Breath and a new attack, Wing Blaster. Keep everyone's HP high and hit him with Holy attacks or strong melees. Eventually, you will crumple him. Again, it's not that easy to stop Creolder, so when he leaves, reprepare yourself and head up to face him for the final time.

    When you enter his throne room, it will begin a long cutscene. After you finish viewing it, the final battle with begin! He will show his true form in this battle. Creolder will not have mercy on you this time, and will use every attack he can to crush you. He will have a weakness to Fire attacks that you can exploit. Keep your HP up as always and don't let your guard down. After you beat him, another cutscene will commence with a twist! At the end of the cutscene, you will warp to the final area in the game.

    Relchum Abyss
    Goals Expanded Tips
    1. Defeat Creolder
    2. Escape Relchum Abyss
                 Boss Guide
    The Relchum Abyss, the silent realm. Chris will be all by himself now, so don't do anything too reckless. The Abyss is full of enemies from the past, but they are generally easy. Make your way along the path. There are some dead ends, but none reach too far out of the way. Eventually, you will see one of your old friends at the end of the maze at a fork. There is a red star if you take the north fork which takes you to a save room and a secret store. Shop if you need it. When done, move south and take that path.

    At the end of the path, you will start to need to go north. Do a last-minute check of your stuff before heading up to face Creolder for the last time. When you start fighting him, keep Creolder on his toes using Fire attacks and Zone Blade attacks to get him. Keep your health up and use patience to win it. After he's defeated, open the gate to Emerald's cell and free her. From there, a cutscene will commence and you will need to get out of the Abyss before it closes in on itself.

    Make your way back to where you came in and take the portal out of there. From there, watch the final cutscenes of the game and take pride that you've beaten Return to Exia!

    The World of Return to Exia
    Walkthrough | Characters | Bosses