Sealed Chests & Doors Guide
Black chests bearing the Zeal crest appear in 600 A.D. and later eras. Try to open them early and you'll get a message about a mysterious force sealing them shut. You need the charged pendant to open these - and for some, you'll also need the Epoch to reach them. These chests contain some of the best equipment in the game.
The pendant gets charged during The Magic Kingdom at the Mammon Machine in Zeal Palace. You won't have the Epoch until Break the Seal!, so some chests stay locked until late game.
The Upgrade Trick
Several sealed chests exist in both 600 A.D. and 1000 A.D. at the same location. These chests can be upgraded using time travel - but only if you do it in the right order.
How it works: Go to 600 A.D. first and interact with the chest. You'll get a message about the items reacting to the pendant's energy. When prompted to open it, say no. Then travel to 1000 A.D. and open the same chest - you'll get the upgraded item. Finally, return to 600 A.D. and open the chest there for the original (weaker) item. You end up with both versions.
Optimal order:
- Visit all upgradeable chests in 600 A.D. - interact with each but decline to open
- Travel to 1000 A.D. and collect all the upgraded items
- Return to 600 A.D. and collect all the lesser items
Elemental Armor
Many sealed chests contain elemental armor that absorbs damage of a specific type. When you're hit by a matching element, you don't take damage - you heal instead. The healing equals a percentage of what the damage would've been.
| Armor Type | Element | Absorption |
|---|---|---|
| Vests (lesser) | Varies | 50% healed |
| Mail (upgraded) | Varies | 100% healed |
For example: wearing Blue Mail and getting hit by a 200-damage water attack heals you for 200 HP. Blue Vest would heal 100 HP instead. These are extremely useful against bosses with predictable element patterns.
Upgradeable Chests
These chests appear in both 600 A.D. and 1000 A.D. Use the upgrade trick to get both items.
| Location (600 A.D.) | Lesser Item | Upgraded Item (1000 A.D.) |
|---|---|---|
| Porre Elder's House (left chest) | Black Vest | Black Mail (absorbs Shadow) |
| Porre Elder's House (right chest) | White Vest | White Mail (absorbs Lightning) |
| Truce Inn | Blue Vest | Blue Mail (absorbs Water) |
| Guardia Castle (left tower, upstairs) | Red Vest | Red Mail (absorbs Fire) |
The 1000 A.D. locations are the same buildings - Porre Elder's House becomes the Mayor's Manor, and the inns/castle are in the same spots.
Non-Upgradeable Chests
These chests only exist in one era. Open them whenever you can reach them.
600 A.D.
| Location | Item | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Guardia Forest (upper right, by "Dead End" sign) | Speed Capsule | Permanent stat boost. See Stat Capsules guide. |
| Magic Cave (near entrance) | Magic Ring (+6 Magic) | The cave from The Masamune! chapter. |
1000 A.D.
| Location | Item | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Heckran Cave (via Vortex Pt waterfall) | Wall Ring + Dash Ring | Easiest access from Vortex Pt near Lucca's house. Or enter normally from Medina. |
| Guardia Forest | Power Ring | Path is sealed; reach via time portal from Bangor Dome in 2300 A.D. |
| Medina Village (northern shrine) | Swallow OR Safe Helm | A Nu offers a choice. Safe Helm recommended - you can Charm Swallow later. |
Sealed Doors (2300 A.D.)
The ruined future has sealed doors instead of chests. Each dome has one in the back. These contain some of the best accessories in the game.
Bangor Dome
Take the time portal from the End of Time. Door is in the back.
- Charm Top - Improves Ayla's Charm success rate
- Wallet - Converts XP to Gold
- Full Ether
Trann Dome
Directly south of Bangor Dome. Door is in the back.
- Gold Stud - Cuts MP costs by 75%. One of the best accessories.
- Full Ether
- Magic Capsule (on the ground)
Arris Dome
Where you fought the Guardian. Go through the right door (the one you opened via console), then to the top-right corner.
- Lumin Robe - Excellent defense for female characters
- Hit Ring - +10 Strike
- Gold Earring - +50% Max HP
- Elixir
- Power Capsule (on the ground)
Epoch-Required Chests
Three sealed chests in the Northern Ruins can only be reached after completing Frog's sidequest. These are also upgradeable - use the same 600 A.D. → 1000 A.D. trick.
| Lesser Item (600 A.D.) | Upgraded Item (1000 A.D.) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Nova Armor | Moon Armor (+10 Magic Defense, status protection) | Moon Armor is excellent on Crono or Frog. |
| Siren | Valkyrie | Marle's weapon. Siren randomly casts Stop. |
| Kali Blade | Shiva Edge (4× crit damage) | Crono's weapon. Shiva Edge is brutal with Prism Specs. |
The Northern Ruins chests are easy to miss since you need to complete a sidequest first. But the Shiva Edge and Moon Armor are worth the trip - they're among the best equipment before the Black Omen.