Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake: How to beat King Hydra
Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake’s King Hydra is not only one of the final bosses of the game but also the entity that defeated your father, Ortega. So this one’s certainly personal - a grudge match, even. However, unlike Ortega, you aren’t alone, and although King Hydra is certainly challenging, a well-prepared party shouldn’t have too much trouble overcoming the multi-headed serpent.
Before you can tackle Zoma in Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake, you have to go through a challenging boss gauntlet, and this is just the first step. If you’re ready to push on to the final boss, here’s how to overcome King Hydra first.
Note: This features spoilers for Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake
Tips to defeat King Hydra in Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake
I tackled King Hydra in Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake with the Hero, Monster Wrangler, and two Sages. Though your party may vary, I cannot stress the Monster Wrangler enough, as it’s an incredibly powerful class that deals hundreds of damage each attack - as we revealed in our in-depth review.
Our first-round setup included Wild Side (Monster Wrangler), Oomph on Monster Wrangler (Sage), and Acceleratle (Sage). You’ll definitely want to be faster than this boss, and everything else sets up for Monster Pile-on spam. While being able to hit with that twice a round should add up to some very serious damage, don’t discount a double-shot of Attack Attacker either, since that weakens the boss's defense. I use that before Monster Pile-on.
You also want to cast Kabuff on the party, and Magic Barrier/Insulatle, to prepare for King Hydra’s Inferno ability in Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake. His basic melee attacks hit for around 100 damage, so having a higher defense is key - or at least Multiheal/Sage’s Stone to overcome it.
You also have to watch out for Sweet Breath, which can potentially put your entire party to sleep. The boss can also roar to inflict party members with Fear, which prevents them from attacking.
If you have the Dragontail Whip for the Monster Wrangler, I recommend trying melee with Wild Side, to see what the damage is - it might be worth it if you run out of mana for some reason.
Like almost all bosses in this part of the game, you can hit them with Sleep, but it only lasts for one turn. Still, with good timing, it can completely stop any incoming attacks for that round. So, I save that for the Hero to cast - since his +Agility gear makes him go first.
That way, I can leave the Sages for buffing, and the Monster Wrangler dealing tons of damage with Wild Side. A double shot of Monster Pile-on can do hundreds of damage, and a double dose of Attack Attacker can still deal over 500-600 damage, so both options are valid.
When the King Hydra is at about half health or so in Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake, it will shroud the map in a black fog. While this prevents both parties from casting spells, it obviously hurts your party much more. You should have two Sage's Stones by now for healing, so make use of them.
However, you can still use abilities, making the Monster Wrangler’s attacks quite efficient. Moreover, if you bought any Oomph Powder, now’s not a bad time to use it on the Monster Wrangler. King Hydra doesn’t have any other abilities in Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake, so just keep your party topped off, and keep pounding him until justice is done.
Check out our other Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D guides and features
- Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D: Where to find Sword of Kings
- Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D: How to get the Rainbow Drop
- Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D: How to defeat Soul of Baramos