Secrets are a ubiquitous part of JRPGs, dating back to the genre's earliest days. Whether funny Easter eggs, rare weapons, hidden bosses, or unique stories, they help drive the player to explore each nook and cranny of the game's world, trying to move every stone and look around every tree.
A good secret can keep players talking about a game for years after they've finished it or convince them to pick up a game they'd thought long finished, playing it through again to find out just how much they'd overlooked, be it a hidden party member, an easy way to kill a boss or the entire backstory of a character.
10 Undertale Has A Hidden Boss With Picky Timing
Undertale spawned many memorable characters, from the kind and caring Toriel to the comedic stylings of the skeleton brothers Sans and Papyrus. But it's less well known that a handful were created with the help of Kickstarter backers, including the fan-favorite Muffet and her spiders.
Less well known are Glyde and the miniboss "So Sorry." While Glyde is easy enough to find—the player only needs to keep moving near the Mysterious Door – "So Sorry" calls for the player to interact with a sign in the Art Club while their clock is set to October 10th between 8pm and 9pm.
9 Breath Of Fire II Has An Island Of Giants
Breath of Fire II might not be as well known as many other Capcom games, but it is still part of a classic JRPG series that has aged remarkably well. While the first game certainly had secrets, the second has it beat by far, featuring hidden spells, weapons, and more.
The most noteworthy is likely the "Island of Giants," located far to the northwest of Windia. It's home to not only giant enemies – with equally giant experience payouts – but also Bo and Karn as a cameo from the first game and a fishing spot along the northern coast.
8 Dragon Quest VIII Hides A Maze Within A Mirror
Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King is no stranger to hidden content, from weapons like the liquid metal sword to tracking down the monsters of Morrie's magnificent arena, but the Troll's Maze dungeon stands out in particular, and is easily missed entirely.
To even see the dungeon, the player must first have beaten Marcello's boss fight and seen the Black Citadel rise. After that, they must go to Argonia, wait until nighttime, and go to the Chancellor's house next to the inn to look for a glowing mirror. While the dungeon isn't long, it does have some nice loot.
7 Culex Is A Hidden Boss Within Super Mario RPG
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars is one of the most unique entries in the Mario franchise, being both Mario's first venture into the world of JRPGs as well as one of the few Mario titles not developed by Nintendo, instead being designed by SquareSoft prior to its merge with Enix.
As fitting a game with heavy inspiration from Final Fantasy, it has its share of secrets, including the superboss "Culex," a 2D being of pure evil stuck in Mario's 3D world, who can only be fought if the player has traded a set of fireworks for a shiny stone in Moleville.
6 Aerith Gets A Fourth Limit Break In Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VII is full of fun secrets to uncover, but one of its best often flies under the radar of most players: Aerith's fourth limit break. Called Great Gospel, it requires a complicated series of steps to unlock before she leaves the party.
First, the player must backtrack to Junon after obtaining the buggy and then head east to a cave. Then they need to talk to the man inside while having fought several battles ending in a double-odd number, take the item he gives them to a man southeast of the Gold Saucer, and then open the smaller of two chests he rewards them with.
5 Hyperdimension Neptunia MK2 Features A Man Shaped Sword
The Neptunia series is famous for its surreal humor and frequent references, but the mighty Inafune Brand and "Thehellis Allthis" have got to be two of the strangest. Located only within Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2 and not its remake, players may need to track down a PS3 to try this themselves.
Obtained by talking to "Mr. Inafune" in Planeptune and answering "yes" all four times, this Inafune Brand allows Nepgear to conjure the upper body of developer Keiji Inafune and wield him like a sword. Meanwhile, The advanced skill "Thehellis Allthis" conjures his wrathful visage from the sky to rain lasers upon her enemies.
4 Final Fantasy VI Hides The Backstories Of Two Party Members
Final Fantasy VI is a remarkable game for the time it came out, with a vast world, a wide variety of party members, and impressive graphics for a SNES game. And with such things comes plenty to discover. Mog and the yeti Umaro are both entirely optional party members.
So two are the wild boy Gau and the mysterious mercenary Shadow. While initially light on story, the player can uncover their backgrounds with enough effort, Gau by finding his father's house in the World of Ruin, and Shadow through viewing the dreams that have a chance to play each time he rests at an inn.
3 In Suikoden II, The Player Can Have A Party Of Squirrels
The Suikoden series is well known for its vast casts of characters, and Suikoden II is no exception, featuring 108 "Stars of Destiny" to recruit throughout. While that's plenty, it actually sells the game somewhat short; there are "only" 108 stars, but several other allies exist.
Mukumuku is both the first recruitable monster and the first member of the "Five Squirrel Squad," each requiring the previous member to have been located before they'll join the party. Mukumuku himself can be found either by examining a tree behind Genkaku's Dojo three times or later during battles near Greenhill.
2 Persona 5's Hardest Boss Can Also Be Its Easiest
Persona 5 has many challenging bosses from start to finish, but the reaper is one of the hardest the player can face. A callback to previous games, the reaper has always been a terrifying foe to face and has often served to push players onward through dungeons.
Its incarnation in Persona 5 has massive defenses, devastating attacks, and very high HP. But it does have one weakness; the flu. If fought during the 13th through 15th of November or the 8th through 9th of December, it may be affected by the "flu season" debuff, causing it to flee the fight after three rounds while still awarding experience.
1 Get A Special Ending By Speedrunning Chrono Trigger
Chrono Trigger is famous for having a ton of endings, but its hardest, and weirdest, is by far "The Dream Project." It requires either defeating Lavos as soon as reaching the Millenial Fair or during a supposedly "unwinnable" fight in the Undersea Palace.
The first may sound impossible, but it is doable if using New Game+ (though it is still difficult). The reward if the player manages either is a dimension of cameos from the cast and crew of the game, culminating in a meeting with the lead developers who "helpfully" speed up the end credits to match the player's pace.