Ys IX: Missable Guide

A short, spoiler-free guide that gives a beat-by-beat list of all missable quests and journal entries.

Q&A

What's the purpose of this guide?

To give a spoiler-free list of every missable in the game. If you refer to this guide, chapter-by-chapter, then you'll hit each timed-event without needing to have the entire game spoiled for you.

Are quests missable?

Yes. The majority of quests found will be cancelled if not completed within their respective chapters. However, the game is structured such that you'll complete all the quests anyway, as it is the easiest way to earn the NOX needed to progress.

There are a handful of monster-hunts that can be put on hold, but they're simple enough to finish there and then.

Failing to complete quests in time will lock you out of bestiary entries, optional dungeons, Affinity, and People Entries.

There are minor timed-events where you may get a new item like a recipe. Should you miss them, then no worry. Maxim will sell you any lost items on the black market.

Is it worth grinding out the NOX gauge to 200?

There is one chapter where it's necessary to grind NOX to the maximum. In Chapter 8 there is a quest that is locked behind an optional Grimwald Nox. You must unlock and complete the Nox in Chapter 8 as the quest will not be available again in the next chapter.

Are weapons and armour missable?

Yes. With every chapter old equipment is removed from the shop and stronger gear is put on sale. There is no need to hang onto old weapons and armour as they get out-classed statistically by newer gear, and there are no completion-metrics tied to finding every piece.

There are two achievements given for forging the best armour-piece, and for forging the ultimate weapons of all six party-members.

Try not sell accessories as a good handful of them cannot be bought or forged elsewhere.

Can I miss anything important when playing as the Prisoner?

No. Nothing you do while playing as the Prisoner increases any metric like map-completion, bestiary-entries, treasure-chests opened, etc. Just complete his sections and you'll be fine.

The Prisoner is playable during the main-quest and in a handful of side-quests.

The only thing to know is that all the gold and consumables he finds will eventually be given to the party.

Hard and fast rule. Complete the 33 quests as they appear, as well as recording the 7 easily missed people entries, and you will be fine to pick up everything else on your own.

Chapter 2: 1 Quest

Little Girl's Plea
Location: Shantytown
Available: After White Cat joins the party.

Chapter 3: 5 Quests

Illness Inquiry
Location: Agricultural District
Available: Beginning of chapter.

Missing Family Report
Location: Central District
Available: Beginning of chapter.

Sowing Seeds of Joy
Location: Shantytown
Available: Beginning of chapter.

Pickpocket Pursuit
Location: Main Square
Available: After unlocking the Main Square.

Maid in Amiss
Location: Balduq Prison
Available: After defeating the boss of this chapter. This must be completed immediately.

Chapter 4: 5 Quests

Bathhouse Debauchery
Location: Main Square
Available: Beginning of chapter.

Prison Rescue
Location: Dandelion
Available: Beginning of chapter.

One in a Bouillon
Location: Central District
Available: Beginning of chapter.

Wanted: Maretudos
Location: Central District
Available: Beginning of chapter.

Chapterhouse Repair
Location: Artisan Lane
Available: After unlocking Artisan Lane.

Chapter 5: 6 Quests, 1 People Entry

IMPORTANT: Speak to Krysha at the beginning of the chapter until a journal entry pops.

Hazardous Harvest
Location: Trading Bureau
Available: Beginning of chapter.

Owner, Where Art Thou?
Location: Artisan Lane
Available: Beginning of chapter.

Prison Liberation
Location: Dandelion
Available: Beginning of chapter.

Wanted: Tarantiels
Location: Central District
Available: Beginning of chapter.

Scam on the Lam
Location: Entertainment District
Available: After unlocking the Entertainment District.

All That Glitters
Location: Dandelion
Available: After Raging Bull joins the party.

Chapter 6: 5 Quests, 2 People Entries

IMPORTANT: Speak to Tito at the beginning of the chapter until a journal entry pops.

ALSO IMPORTANT: Speak to Anemona at the beginning of the chapter until a journal entry pops.

Calling All Strongmen!
Location: Entertainment District
Available: Beginning of chapter.

A Legend of Heroes
Location: Main Square
Available: Beginning of chapter.

Tobacoo To Go
Location: Dandelion
Available: Beginning of chapter.

Wanted: Dragia Haman
Location: Central District
Available: Beginning of chapter.

Masking for Trouble
Location: Noble District
Available: After unlocking the Noble District.

Chapter 7: 6 Quests, 1 People Entry

IMPORTANT: Speak to Carla at the beginning of the chapter until a journal entry pops.

Art-isan is Suffering
Location: Artisan Lane
Available: Beginning of chapter.

Warehouse Stakeout
Location: Noble District
Available: Beginning of chapter.

Aprilis's Trial
Location: Central District
Available: Beginning of chapter.

Iris of the Storm
Location: Dandelion
Available: Beginning of chapter.

Gamberg Family Errand
Location: Agricultural District
Available: Beginning of chapter.

Tree Stumped
Location: Keening Highlands
Available: After unlocking the Keening Highlands.

Chapter 8: 5 Quests, 200 NOX Grind

IMPORTANT: You must grind up to 200 NOX to unlock the Woodlands of Woe. While you can choose to unlock the area in the final chapter, the quest there can only be completed now.

Peril of the Bells
Location: Dandelion
Available: Beginning of chapter.

A Fool and Her Treasure...
Location: Prison Outskirts
Available: Beginning of chapter.

Prison Infriltration
Location: Central District
Available: Beginning of chapter.

Wanted: Drolls
Location: Dandelion
Available: Beginning of chapter.

Inscription Inspection
Location: Woodlands of Woe
Available: After unlocking the Woodlands of Woe.

Final Chapter Checklist

There is nothing further missable here until you face the final boss, by which point the game is over. Here is what you should have accomplished before passing the point-of-no-return.

• 100.00% Map Exploration.
  
• 40 Quests Completed.
  
• 66/78 People Entries, the remaining 12 are given during the finale and epilogue.
  
• 220/223 Monster Entries, the remaining 3 are for the final boss.
  
• 54 Materials found.
  
• 54 Affinity attained.
  
• 31 Ritual Relics constructed.
  
• 120 Azure Petals found.
  
• 44 Graffiti found.
  
• 21 Landmarks found.
  
• 322 Treasure Chests opened.
  
• 32 Shops visited.
  
• 60 Skills maxed.
  
• Ultimate weapons forged for all 6 party members.
  
• Ultimate armour forged.
  
• 17 S-Ranks in all Grimwald Nox and the bonus boss defeated.
  
• 6 Sacramental slots unlocked.
  
• 10 Sacramentals found or forged.
  
• 13 Recipes found.
  
• SP Gauge doubled in size.

Epilogue: 3 People Entries

IMPORTANT: There are three optional characters you must speak to before heading out, to unlock the last few People entries.

• Speak to Iris in the Dandelion.
  
• Speak to Morbihan in the Dandelion.
  
• Speak to Xavier outside the Pendleton Company building.

The End

This short guide should help you find the easily missed stuff that can negates achievements. If you have any further questions, or there are additions to be made, then please comment below.

Please don't lift the written content of this guide without crediting the proper source or host it on another page entirely.

[Chutor_27]

Wow, this is very helpful

[Wladaas]

Thanks for the guide, clean and neat.

[Leybi]

Thanks for the guide, appreciated

[playdohwarrior]

Just got 100% Achievements last night. Wanted to drop by a thank you to the author for this list.

[Nachtmahr]

Hey i did all quests and generally got 100% exploration, but there are still like 12 question marks in the exploration tab. Are there ng+, bonus, or dlc dungeons?

[Inspector Gesicht]

You must spend five collective hours playing as the character in a playthrough.

[Brother Skolas]

how does the achievments work where it says explore with this character as party leader?

[Inspector Gesicht]

Probably 3 are the final boss and 5 are in a Grimwald. The ingame bestiary lists blank entries.

[paiN]

Are there any easy missable monsters outside of quests? I watched a video guide on youtube and he had 40/40 quests but only 215/223 monsters at the point of no return while every other stat was sitting at 100%. I suppose he just skipped non missable monsters somewhere then?

[Pooky]

Great guide, helped me a lot. Thank you very much.