Dragon Warrior: All Items RANKED!
This list is based on the original NES version.
Most JRPGs have hundreds of items (looking at you, Tales of Vesperia with your absurd 1,059), but the “Father of JRPGs” only had 9 regular items. In this article, we rank those items (and bash on the useless ones). This is Dragon Warrior: All Items RANKED!
#9 – Fighter’s Ring
The Fighter’s Ring is useless. I mean, seriously, it does nothing. Literally nothing. You can sell this item for 30 gold, but by the time you get it, that’s about one battle’s worth. And the item just fills up your limited inventory, forcing you to get rid of it every single time. This item was supposed to be an offensive counterpart to the Dragon’s Scale, giving you +2 strength, but since it was bugged, after testing, it shouldn’t have been put in the game (except for the fact that it got me one more achievement on RetroAchievements).
#8 – Cursed Belt
Unlike the Fighter’s Ring, the Cursed Belt does something! The problem is that it puts a permanent curse on you, which means you definitely shouldn’t use it. The reason this places higher is that you can get 180 gold from it instead of just 30.
#7 – Fairy Water
Finally, an item that does something. Fairy Water is basically just the item version of the Repel spell, which as I stated in that article, isn’t a fantastic spell. Fairy Water isn’t bad, but it just isn’t really required.
#6 – Wings
Many items in Dragon Warrior are very similar to spells, and the Wings are just like an item version of Return. The problem is, you won’t have to return to Tantegel from far locations until after you learn the Return spell. The Wings are a good item early on, but they aren’t all that great later in the game.
#5 – Dragon’s Scale
The Dragon’s Scale is an accessory before accessories were common in JRPGs. Being able to be bought at Brecconary, the first town in the game, the extra 2 defense this item provides is a very helpful bonus for the start of the game.
#4 – Cursed Necklace
Similar to the Cursed Belt, the Cursed Necklace also has a negative effect on the player. So why is it #4 on the list? Well, the Cursed Necklace sells for ten times more than the Cursed Belt, at a staggering 1800 gold. Despite being a very rare item, if you find this item near the beginning of the game, you will be set equipment-wise for a while.
#3 – Herb
The Herb heals 15 HP, which doesn’t sound like a lot, but having 6 of these as a backup if you run out of MP to be able to heal 90 HP to yourself can be really helpful throughout the entire game. Being cheap also makes these items some of the best in the game.
#2 – Torch
The Torch is a less effective version of the Radiant spell, but before you learn that, you literally need to have a Torch with you at all times. The Torch lights up the area around you with a 3×3 square of light. Without a Torch or the Radiant spell, you could easily get lost in a cave and have no way to escape.
#1 – Magic Key
The Magic Key is the best item in the game… but why? You can’t open doors without a Magic Key. There is no “Open” spell in this game, which makes the Magic Key literally absolutely required to complete the game. So yeah, there would be no game without the Magic Key, which makes it the best item in the game.
Leave any feedback and suggestions for future articles below in the comments section!