Pearly Gates

From Dragon Quest Wiki

Pearly Gates, also know as Grand Cross, is a powerful ability that deals Wind-elemental damage to a group of enemies. Depending on the game, it is classified as either a skill or a spell. The exact damage output varies between titles, but it always inflicts additional damage to zombie-like monsters.

Appearances[edit]

Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai[edit]

Grand Cross retains its Japanese name in most localisations and is Hyunckel's most powerful, but also most dangerous, technique - using a cross-shaped object as a medium, he can convert his own life force into an extremely destructive blast of Holy Aura.

Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation[edit]

Pearly Gates deals 180~210 Woosh damage to a group of enemies and is only learned by mastering the Paladin vocation, and costs 20 MP to use. It deals 30% more damage to the Undead.

Nokturnus can use it in the battle against the party.

Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past[edit]

Pearly Gates functions identically as before, and is learned by mastering the Paladin and Black bishop vocations, along with rank 3 of the Champion in the 3DS version. Sir Mervyn will display a unique animation when performing the technique in the remake.

Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King[edit]

Pearly Gates is classified as a spell in this installment, which Angelo can use after allocating 100 skill points into his Charisma skill. It deals an additional 50% damage to the Undead now, easily justifying the 20 MP cost in the post-game bonus dungeon. The animation was changed from the usual cross slash of wind to a blast of energy being summoned from below the target in the international versions of the game, likely due to Square Enix not wanting to risk offending religious sensitivities.

  • Marcello also uses the spell when the party fights him as a boss. When he uses it, it still uses the original cross slash animation from the Japanese version of the game that envelops the party in blasts of holy light.

Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies[edit]

Due to the religious anxiety described above, Pearly Gates has effectively been replaced with the thematically similar Solar Flair. The fact that Solar Flair is the vocational scroll skill of the Paladins in IX further connects the two skills.

Dragon Quest X[edit]

Pearly Gates is an enemy-only skill that can be used by both Dhuran and Nokturnus. It inflicts 250% strength wind-elemental physical damage twice to all characters in a wide area centered around a target.

Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age[edit]

Rab will master Pearly Gates just before rejoining the party near the beginning of Act 2. Pearly Gates deals great Wind-elemental damage to all enemies, at 135~165 base and 265~295 cap when Rab's Strength reaches 200, and is classified as a skill once again. In addition to dealing 50% extra damage to the Undead, Pearly Gates also has a 20% chance to lower Zap resistance one stage. The reason for this new trait, outside of battle utility, is likely due to Rab's mission of supporting the Luminary.

  • Pearly Gates returns to being a cross-shaped attack as before, but the animation for the skill is now tilted to more resemble an X than a Greek cross, and is also aimed at the battleground itself instead of the enemies to further mask the holy implication.

Dragon Quest Monsters[edit]

Known as MultiCut in this game, it requires the monster to reach level 28 with 154 HP, 140 MP, 168 Attack, 168 Agility and 148 Intelligence. It is naturally learned by the Balzak, MadCondor and SkyDragon. It can also be learned by monsters with the ZombieCut and Vacuum skills, and deals 180~210 wind damage with +30% to Zombies.

Dragon Quest Monsters 2[edit]

MultiCut now requires 572 Intelligence to learn, but otherwise retains the same properties as before. It is naturally learned by Genosidoh.

Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2[edit]

Pearly Gates is classified as a spell and can be learned with 100 points in Aquarion or Canzar. It deals 171~220 damage to all enemies for 34 MP, and uses the Zap and Woosh elements simultaneously by defaulting to the least-resisted element for damage calculation.

Dragon Quest Monsters: Terry's Wonderland 3D[edit]

Dragon Quest Monsters 2: Iru and Luca's Marvelous Mysterious Key[edit]

Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 3[edit]

Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince[edit]

Pearly Gates is classified as a spell, and costs 60 MP. It is Light-element and has a base power of 180, dealing an average of 610 damage at 3,999, and will deal an extra 30% damage to the undead. It is learned through the Cleric, Heretic, Nokturnus, Ramia, Sovereign, and Vaudevillain talents.

Dragon Quest Heroes II: Twin Kings and the Prophecy's End[edit]

"Let me show you how it's done."

Pearly Gates appears as Angelo's Coup de Grâce when he is in High Tension mode. He draws out an arrow and draws a cross with it making either a gold cross shape or an orb of holy light depending on the game's regional version. Angelo then fires that arrow to launch what's formed at the enemies in front of him that then explodes with holy light and winds.

Dragon Quest Treasures[edit]

Pearly Gates is learned by deserted armours, lethal armours, restless armours, and tanzaknights, but only by the fashionable members of each species that wear a distinct costume. The skill deals tremendous Light-element damage to one enemy.

Dragon Quest Tact[edit]

Pearly Gates can be learned by Nokturnus at level 36 and costs 60 MP to use. It inflicts 250% potency Woosh-type physical damage to all enemies in a plus sign-shaped area of effect in front of him. Upgrading the skill increases its damage and reduces the amount of MP it costs to use.

Pearly Gates (グランドクロス Gurandokurosu)Tactlogo.png
Ability information
Pearly Gates
Role * Type * Element MP cost
Attack Physical DQTact Woosh.png 60
Range Additional effects
DQTact RangeFrontCross.png
Front
None
Description
Deals Woosh-type physical damage (250% potency) to all enemies in area of effect
Naturally learnt by
Nokturnus


Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai: A Hero's Bonds[edit]

Grand Cross appears as a special move for Avan and Hyunckel, as well as the Luminary Leader.

  • Avan's version is a long-range attack that inflicts piercing physical Light damage over a small area and raises all allies' Magical Defence temporarily. It can be acquired by obtaining the Sword of Light from Treasure Hunts.
  • Hyunckel's version is a long-range attack that inflicts piercing physical Light damage over a wide area and raises the user's Physical Attack temporarily, with the effect being stronger if the user's HP is 50% or lower. It becomes more powerful if the target is Wounded. It can be acquired by obtaining the Sacred Lance from Treasure Hunts. On March 1st, 2023, the development team gave all players a gift of 10 Grand Cross Scrolls as part of a Support Campaign to take on difficult quests.

Trivia[edit]

  • Pearly Gates' Japanese name, Grand Cross, gives a clue to its origins: prior to the on-screen display of spells in V, Kaswoosh (Bagicross) was illustrated in art and media as being a cross-shaped slash of divine wind. When Kaswoosh's depiction permanently shifted to that of a tornado, the cross slash concept was revived for VI.
  • In pre-release screenshots for VIII, the in-game text for Pearly Gates stated that "Angelo prays and makes a sign of the trident!", referencing the trident-shaped crosses that appear in the game, although the message was changed in the game proper.

Battle visuals[edit]

Gallery[edit]