Bonus dungeon

A Bonus dungeon is a location in a Dragon Quest game which is accessible after completing the main storyline of the game. It is considered additional bonus content to the main content of the game and typically features special rewards, challenges, or easter eggs.

The concept of a bonus dungeon first appeared in Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride, and has appeared in each new installment and several remakes of past titles since.

Appearances

Dragon Quest III: The Seeds of Salvation

Both the Super Famicom and Game Boy Color versions contain a bonus dungeon that is accessible from the Castle of the Dragon Queen after defeating Zoma. A lone Baramonster appears at the end of the dungeon, which in turn leads to Cloudsgate Citadel (Zenithia). The dungeon is a cave made up of layouts from the previous dungeons. At the end of the dungeon wait the dragon Xenlon who can grant few wishes if the party can defeat her in a strict limit of time.

In the Game Boy Color version, in Rimland the spot that was occupied by Ramia will become a portal to the Ice Cave, a second Bonus Dungeon with his own boss. The entrance, will become available after making a wish to Xenlon to open it.

Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen

The remakes of the fourth title introduced the Fungeon and chapter. Located beneath The Azimuth, this immense and strange dungeon featured many creatures from later games and culminated with the bizarre bonus bosses Chow Mein and Foo Yung. After defeating them the first time, a side quest starts that enables the player to resurrect an individual and recruit a 9th Chosen One as a party member. The bonus bosses can be fought again to obtain special gear exclusive to the new character.

Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride

The first bonus dungeon included in an original release is Estark's Labyrinth, which contains the eponymous superboss Estark as a cameo from IV. In all remakes, after defeating Estark a special T'n'T board aptly named "Stark Raving Mad" will be made available to the player; if the player manages to reach the finish square, it unlocks two unique and powerful monster companions.

Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation

After defeating the final boss, if the party have between them reached the fifth rank of every single Vocation, including the secret Dragon and Liquid metal slime, then they can enter the Fungeon through the back chamber of Alltrades Abbey in the Upper World. Besides taking the Hero and party to a grim mirror of Weaver's Peak, with some of the rarest items for purchase, the Fungeon is home to one of the most powerful monsters in the entire series, the demon lord who destroyed Castle Graceskull, the great and terrible Nokturnus. If the party can defeat him within 20 turns, the player will be treated to a very special ending variant of the final battle against Mortamor.

Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past

The seventh title features two bonus dungeons to spelunk once the demonlord is vanquished: the Cave to Another World and the Cave to Yet Another World. Both of these extras require their own sets of Fragments to be amassed and assembled in the Shrine of Mysteries, and consist of recycled areas explored earlier in the game with more powerful monsters and greater treasures. At the end of the first bonus dungeon is a deity, who will offer the party a friendly bout after congratulating them for their undertakings. The fight at the end of the second dungeon is the quartet of elementals: the Earth Spirit, Fire Spirit, Water Spirit, and Wind Spirit. They aggressively defend the humble dwelling of the first bonus boss and will not even allow the warriors of eden to approach it.

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King

The bonus dungeons is composed of the Dragovian Path, following by the Heavenly Dais with the Dragovian Sanctuary serving as rest area between the two places, which features a sidequest that uncovers Eight's heritage. After defeating the Lord of the Dragovians, the Dragovians Trials become available and a new ending occurs after defeating the final boss again. In the 3DS version, there are two new bonus dungeons, the Altar of Wroth and Memories Lane. The Altar of Wroth can be accessed after the destruction of Neos and visiting the depths of Dragon Graveyard to talk to Golding's ancestor and the Memories Lane is unlocked by the Lord of the Dragovians as a prize for completing one of the Dragovian Trials.

Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies

The Tower of Nod becomes available after completing the main storyline and obtaining the Starflight Express. Furthermore, the extensive Grotto system functions as sort of bonus dungeon in and of itself, with the absurdly powerful bosses waiting within rivialing those seen in previous games--not to mention those old foes themselves in the form of Legacy Bosses.

Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age

After enhance Cetacea to reach the final boss in the act 3, the entrance of the bonus dungeon, the Drustan's labyrinth, is open in the ruin of Zwaardsrust region. The dungeon is composed of several parts recycling existing parts of the game with the Trial Isle as rest area in the middle of the dungeon and three trials with powerfull bonus bosses who give wishes if they are beaten under a turn limit. The 3DS and the Definitive Edition has the Echo Chamber who has different dungeons referencing areas and bosses of previous Dragon Quest which open up as Tockles are found in the world.