Dullahan

Dragon Quest monster Dullahan

Art by Akira Toriyama Japanese デュラハーン Romaji Deyurahān First appearance Dragon Quest VIII

The Dullahan is a recurring monster in the Dragon Quest series, first appearing in Dragon Quest VIII. It is an undead warrior that resembles the legendary headless horseman, albeit without its familiar black horse from Celtic myth.

Characteristics

Dullahans are headless knights wielding a deadly spiked flail and bearing a shield with a hideous screaming face on it. The knights are heavily armored, wearing a breastplate, gauntlets, and greaves all made of plate over suits of chain mail, faulds of brass scales, and they wear ragged red capes hanging from their shoulders. Their armor offers them a high degree of protection against various ailments and some defense against offensive spells. The knights will strengthen themselves and their allies by casting Oomph and psyche themselves up before unleashing vicious strikes with their flails. They are often found as foot soldiers in the armies of Demon Lords. Starting with XI, the headless horseman and its kin began appearing, as well, making them closer to its mythological inspiration.

Appearances

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King

Dullahan (デュラハーン Deyurahān)

Original (PS2)

Sprite	HP	MP	Attack
	335	24	237
Defense	Agility	Experience	Gold
265	109	378	48

Bestiary no.	#207
Family	Undead
In-game description	Talented and trusted monsters that serve as guardians. They are powerful indeed, with no weak points to speak of.
Spell(s)	Oomph
Skill(s)	Call for backup (Elysium bird) Psyche Up
Location(s)	Black Citadel Altar of Wroth After the fall of Black Citadel: Maella Region (night only) Kingdom of Ascantha Kingdom of Trodain (day only) Baccarat Region East Argonia
Item(s) dropped	Leather cape1⁄32 Steel shield1⁄64

Evasion	Attack Resistance	Frizz Resistance *	Sizz Resistance *
0⁄64	0%	25%	25%
Fire Breath Resistance *	Bang Resistance *	Woosh Resistance *	Crack Resistance *
25%	25%	50%	25%
Ice breath Resistance *	Strike/Rock Resistance *	Zap Resistance *	Drain Magic Resistance
25%	0%	25%	15%
Whack Resistance *	Poison Resistance *	Paralysis Resistance *	Fuddle Resistance *
100%	50%	100%	100%
Snooze resistance *	Dazzle Resistance	Fizzle Resistance	Ban Dance Resistance
100%	50%	100%	100%
Stun Resistance *	Sap Resistance *	Army Resistance *
100%	100%	0%

Remake (3DS, Mobile)

Notable Changes

None

Dragon Quest X

Reappearing from the 5.1 update onwards, they are found in the Netherworld and attack by flailing their maces recklessly, as well as Oomphing their allies and themselves. From this game onwards, it is the first monster of its kind to be encountered before Dark Dullahan.

Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age

Seen from the fall of Yggdrasil onwards, they fight the same way as in VIII and X. A few also participated in the fall of Dundrasil, where one attempts to stop Irwin, Eleanor, and a young Jade from leaving with the Luminary, but is stopped by Irwin.

Dullahan (デュラハーン Deyurahān)

Sprite	HP	MP	Attack
	336	10	137
Defense	Agility	Experience	Gold
140	52	488	87

Bestiary no.	#218
Family	Undead
In-game description	Ghostly knights with no heads who have hideous faces on their shields instead—a testament to their twisted mentalities.
Spell(s)	Oomphle
Skill(s)	Blocks attacks with its shield Becomes Pepped up Swings its weapon with reckless abandon (three random attacks on party members at 60% damage each) Epic Flail (Pep power, with Dullahan)
Location(s)	Heliodorian Foothills (second act) Heliodor Castle (second act)
Item(s) dropped	Leather cape1⁄64 Platinum shield1⁄256

Evasion	Fire Resistance *	Ice Resistance *	Wind Resistance *
N/a	-125%	0%	0%
Rock Resistance *	Light Resistance *	Dark Resistance *	Zap Resistance *
0%	-125%	25%	-125%
Drain Magic Resistance	Whack Resistance *	Poof Resistance	Poison Resistance *
0%	100%	50%	0%
Paralysis Resistance *	Fuddle Resistance *	Snooze Resistance *	Dazzle Resistance *
50%	50%	25%	50%
Sap Resistance *	Blunt Resistance	Deceleratle Resistance	Spooky Aura Anathematise Resistance
0%	0%	0%	0%
Fizzle Resistance *	Stun Resistance *	Stumble Resistance *	Charm Resistance *
25%	99%	0%	100%
Beguile Resistance *	Double Down Resistance *	Elemental Resistance *
50%	0%	0%

Vicious version

Vicious dullahan (デュラハーン・強 Deyurahān・kyō)

Sprite	HP	MP	Attack
	883	20	384
Defense	Agility	Experience	Gold
345	158	1,528	325

Bestiary no.	#457
Family	Undead
In-game description	Dullahans driven to dangerous extremes by the dark power of the Lord of Shadows.
Spell(s)	Oomphle
Skill(s)	Blocks attacks with its shield Becomes Pepped up Swings its weapon with reckless abandon (three random attacks on party members at 60% damage each) Epic Flail (Pep power, with Vicious dullahan)
Location(s)	Drustan's Labyrinth - Path to Trial Isle (third act, night only)
Item(s) dropped	Leather cape1⁄64 Platinum shield1⁄256

Evasion	Fire Resistance *	Ice Resistance *	Wind Resistance *
N/a	-125%	0%	0%
Rock Resistance *	Light Resistance *	Dark Resistance *	Zap Resistance *
0%	-125%	25%	-125%
Drain Magic Resistance	Whack Resistance *	Poof Resistance	Poison Resistance *
0%	100%	75%	0%
Paralysis Resistance *	Fuddle Resistance *	Snooze Resistance *	Dazzle Resistance *
50%	50%	25%	50%
Sap Resistance *	Blunt Resistance	Deceleratle Resistance	Spooky Aura Anathematise Resistance
0%	0%	0%	0%
Fizzle Resistance *	Stun Resistance *	Stumble Resistance *	Charm Resistance *
50%	99%	0%	100%
Beguile Resistance *	Double Down Resistance *	Elemental Resistance *
50%	0%	0%

Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker

Dullahan
Family	Undead
Rank	S
Description	Fearsome warriors who have lost their heading and their heads!
Weapons	Swords, Hammers, Staves
Traits	Psycho
Resistances	Whackproof, Paralysisproof
Skill	Champion
Location	-
Breeding chart	Bone baron x Phantom fencer or Tortured soul

Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2

Dullahan
Family	Undead
Rank	S
Size	S
Weapons	Swords, Hammers, Staves
Traits	Psycho
Resistances	Immune to Whack and Paralysis
Skill	Champion
Location	-
Breeding chart	Bone baron x Ruin, Phantom fencer, or Night knight

Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince

Dullahan

Icon	Family	Max HP*	Max MP*
		1,320	400
Max Attack	Max Defence	Max Agility	Max Wisdom
500	590	480	670

Bestiary No.	#475
Rank	C
In-game description	Headless knights from the depths of the underworld that prowl about night after night, ever in search of their vanished noggins. Their shields have been known to screech out a sinister son from time to time
Talents	Slayer (lv. 1) Drain Dodger (lv. 20) Defence Booster I (lv. 40)
Guaranteed traits	Ultra Fidget (lv. 1) Ultra Crafty Banger (lv. 20) Paralysing Touch (lv. 40)
Large-size exclusive traits	Tactical Genius (lv. 1) Insta-Oomph (lv. 1) Defensive Impulse (lv. 60)
Habitat	Circle of Conquest - Upper Echelon ()
Items	Panacea (Common) Swindler's stole (Rare)
Synthesis chart	X
Notable synthesis

Fire Resistance *	Water Resistance *	Wind Resistance *	Earth Resistance *
-25%	0%	0%	50%
Explosion Resistance *	Ice Resistance *	Electricity Resistance *	Light Resistance *
0%	50%	25%	0%
Dark Resistance *	Debilitation Resistance*	Bedazzlement Resistance *	Antimagic Resistance *
50%	0%	-25%	0%
MP Absorption Resistance *	Confusion Resistance *	Sleep Resistance *	Paralysis Resistance *
50%	0%	50%	25%
Stun Resistance *		Poison Resistance *
0%		50%
Instant Death Resistance *
0%

Etymology

In Celtic mythology, a Dullahan is a rider clad in black and riding a black horse that carries its severed head in its hand like a lantern. It is said that when it stops riding or calls out someone's name, they will die. The dullahan is believed to be repelled by golden objects. It is believed to be the embodiment of the Celtic god Crom Dubh.

Similar species

• Dark dullahan
• Hell's gatekeeper

Gallery

• 

  A dullahan in X

• 

  XI polygon model

• 

  A vicious dullahan

• 

  Monsters: Joker model

• 

  Monsters: Joker 2 model

• 

  Battle Road Victory cut-in

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• 

  Rivals card