Where can you unlock all the extra trials in FFXIV?

By James On May 30, 2024

Final fantasy 14 has many trials, which pits you and seven others against a boss. Most are unlocked by completing the game’s main scenario missions, but some are locked behind side missions.

Those who chase side quests still have significant rewards, as some of them have ‘Extreme’ versions, where you can earn mounts and other special loot as you clear them. Most expansions had one or two additional trials, while three battles were added as part of a longer side quest that greatly expanded on the lore of characters or areas in the game. In End runnerthe usual three trials have actually been merged into the main scenario quests, so there is only one optional trial.

We mention below where you can unlock the normal versions of all optional trials FFXIV.

Where can you unlock A Realm Reborn’s additional trials?

There are three sets of side missions you can do to unlock the optional trials An empire reborn. There’s the ARR relic weapon, which has two trials behind it, the Hildebrand quests, which has three trials behind it, and then there’s Odin, which is just one trial and one side quest.

All of these quests require you to complete at least the main scenario mission “The Ultimate Weapon.”

Where to unlock ‘A Relic Reborn: The Chimera’ and ‘A Relic Reborn: The Hydra’

You can unlock it by starting the questline ‘The Weaponsmith of Legend’ Vesper Bay (Western Thanalan) by Nedrick Ironheart:

Image: Julia Lee/Polygon | Image source: Square Enix

The quest that yields the trials is the next quest, called ‘A Relic Reborn’. You’ll need to complete a few relic weapon steps (as the game tells you to do) to get these trials.

Where to unlock ‘Battle on the Big Bridge’, ‘The Dragon’s Neck’ and ‘Battle in the Big Keep’

These three battles are unlocked through the Hildebrand quests, which begin with “The Rise and Fall of Gentlemen” in Ul’dah from Wymond:

An FFXIV map showing where to find Wymond in Ul'dah

You’ll need to do quite a few of these quests to get to the point where you unlock the trials, but I recommend doing all of the Hildebrand quests. It is required to have your End runner relic weapon, and it has extra trials in it Stormblood And End runner that is also behind these quests.

This series of side missions unlocks the trials as follows:

“The Three Gatherers” – “Battle of the Great Bridge” (Gilgamesh)
“The Colosseum Riddle” – “The Dragon’s Neck” (Ultros and Typhon)
“Her Last Vow” – “Battle in the Great Keep” (Gilgamesh again)

Where can you unlock ‘Urth’s Fountain’

Odin is locked behind the quest ‘Fear and Odin in the Shroud’, which is published by Scarlet in New Gridania:

An FFXIV map showing where Scarlet can be found in New Gridania

Where to unlock Heavensward’s additional trials, the Warring Triad

After completing the main scenario quest ‘Heavensward’, you will be able to talk Torsefers in the Pillars (Ishgard) to start the side quest ‘Gods of Eld’.

An FFXIV map showing where to find Torsefers in Ishgard

After you do this you will unlock a few missions, some of which are the Extreme versions of the Heavenward taste the story. The quest you’ll want to complete to unlock the Warring Triad is “When the branch wakes up.”

This series of side missions unlocks the trials as follows:

“When the Branch Awakens” – “Containment Bay S1T7” (Sephirot)
“Balance for All” — “Containment Bay P1T6” (Sophia)
“The Last Pillar That Will Fall” — “Containment Bay Z1T9” (Zurvan)

Where you can unlock Stormblood’s additional trials

There are a few additional trials in Stormblood. There are the three trials behind the side quest “The Four Lords”, a battle behind Hildebrand (as mentioned in the ARR section), and a Monster Hunter collaborative battle with Rathalos.

All of these battles require you to have completed at least the main scenario mission ‘Stormblood’.

Where to unlock ‘The Jade Stoa’, ‘Hells’ Kier’ and ‘The Wreath of Snakes’

After completing the main scenario quest “Hope on the waves‘ (which is past ‘Stormblood’), you can unlock the Four Lords trials (although there are only three trials – you fight one of the lords during an instance as part of the side missions).

To start this side mission you need to talk to Soroban in the Ruby Sea to start the quest “A promising meeting”:

An FFXIV map showing where Soroban can be found in the Ruby Sea

This quest also actually unlocks an otherwise optional dungeon, “Hells’ Lid,” before you can unlock the trials. The series of side missions unlocks the trials as follows:

“A Promising Encounter” – “The Jade Stoa” (Byakko)
“The Firebird Down Below” – “Hells’ Kier” (Suzaku)
“Outdoing the Samurai” – “The Garland of Snakes” (Seiryu)

Where can you unlock ‘The Great Hunt’

Talk to the Hearty hunter in Kugane to start the quest “The new king on the block”:

An FFXIV map showing where to find the Hearty Hunter in Kugane

This quest unlocks Rathalos for you and gives you a cute Palico minion upon completion.

Where can you unlock ‘Kugane Ohashi’

To unlock this Hildebrand trial, you must complete all previous Hildebrand missionsstarting with the ones we mention in our ARR section. They are not alone. If you’re playing Stormblood and don’t know where this expansion’s Hildebrand missions start, you can start them from the NPC ‘Remarkably Unremarkable Man’ in Kugane:

An FFXIV map showing where to find the strikingly inconspicuous man in Kugane

After completing quite a few of these quests, you can unlock ‘Kugane Ohashi’ from the quest ‘The Past is Never Past’.

Where to unlock Shadowbringers’ additional trials, the Sorrow of Werlyt Weapons

After completing the main scenario quest “Old enemies, new threats”, you can talk to the Resistance officer in the Lochs to start the “Ruby Doomsday” quest:

An FFXIV map showing where to find the Resistance Officer in The Lochs

In this mission series you take on the weapons (inspired by those from Final fantasy 7). The series of side missions unlocks the trials as follows:

“Ruby Doomsday” – “Cinder Drift” (Ruby Weapon)
“Blood of Emerald” — “Castrum Marinum” (Emerald Weapon)
“Duty in the Sky with Diamond” – “The Cloud Deck” (Diamond Weapon)

Where can you unlock Endwalker’s additional trial, the Gilded Araya

There is only one additional trial period End runner and it is also part of the Hildebrand quests. Again, you’ll need to do all the quests mentioned above to unlock this, as well as the main scenario quest ‘Endwalker’. You can start with the End runner Hildebrand quests from the NPC ‘Excitable Youth’ in Radz-at-Han if you’ve gotten to that point:

An FFXIV map showing where to find Excitable Youth in Radz-at-Han

After completing a few quests, the “Gentleman at Heart” quest unlocks the trial version of “The Gilded Araya”.

If you’re just starting out in the vast world of Final fantasy 14, we have tons of guides to help you. We have a beginner’s guide to get you started, along with guides detailing when you get your horse and which Grand Company to join.

If you’re starting out but feeling overwhelmed, we have guides to help you choose a job and a guide that explains how long it can take to stay up to date with the current content. FFXIV.

We also have guides to side content such as Ocean Fishing, Relic Weapons and Island Sanctuary, for those who want to take a break.