Introduction
Chrono Trigger is a 1995 SNES RPG about a small band of time travellers trying to stop the world from ending in 1999 AD. This walkthrough covers the opening act up to the End of Time. It is written for a first playthrough: no glitches, no speedrun tricks, every hidden Tab pointed out.
Each area below follows the same shape: a map, a checklist of everything worth grabbing (tick them as you go - the ticks are saved in your browser), and the walkthrough itself. The full set of maps lives in the Maps guide, and every item mentioned is described in the Items guide.
Controls
| Button | Action |
|---|---|
| A | Confirm / talk / open |
| B | Cancel / run (after Robo joins, hold to dash) |
| X | Open the menu |
| Y | Not used |
| L / R | Scroll menus, hold together for the Arris Dome rat code |
| Start | Pause |
Characters
Crono
Silent protagonist and the party’s all-rounder. Lightning magic, katanas. Gets Cyclone early - use it on every group fight.
Marle
Ice magic and healing. Frail early on, indispensable once Aura and Cure show up. Her pendant is the reason you travel at all.
Lucca
Fire magic and a gun with great range. Flame Toss carries the 600 AD segment. Her lore matters later (see the missables tracker).
Part 1: Guardia Forest and the Cathedral (600 AD)
Map
Checklist
- Power Tab - hidden in the bushes in the lower clearing
- Recruit Lucca (return to the forest after the castle)
- Recruit Frog (inside the Cathedral)
- Tonics from the Naga-ette drops - keep at least three for Yakra
Walkthrough
You arrive in the forest right after Marle vanishes through the gate. Head south; in the small clearing on the left side of the lower screen, search the bushes for the Power Tab - it is easy to walk straight past.
Go to Guardia Castle and talk to the Chancellor. When the guards tell you the Queen is safe and well, that is your cue: go back to the forest, Lucca joins, and the two of you head for the Cathedral.
Inside, talk to the frog-shaped knight to have Frog join. Fight your way through; Naga-ettes drop Tonics, keep a few. The boss, Yakra, has one dangerous move (Needle Spin). Heal at half HP and just keep hitting - Cyclone plus Flame Toss ends it in a few rounds.
Part 2: The Trial and the Escape (1000 AD)
Map
No map needed - the castle is linear.
Checklist
- Bronze Mail - chest in Guardia Prison on the way out
- Ether - chest on the roof, before the fight with the Dragon Tank
Walkthrough
Back in 1000 AD you are arrested on the spot. How the trial goes depends on what you did at the fair (the cat, the lunch, the old man’s bag) but you end up in prison regardless.
Break out, grab the Bronze Mail, and work your way to the roof. The Dragon Tank is a three-part boss: hit the head first, then the wheels, then the body. Escape north with Marle to the gate in Guardia Forest.
Part 3: The Future (2300 AD)
Map
Lab 16 and Arris Dome are small enough to do without one.
Checklist
- Every chest in Lab 16
- Seed - Arris Dome storage room (needs the rat’s code: hold L + R, press A)
- Recruit Robo - Proto Dome
- Magic unlocked - Spekkio at the End of Time
Walkthrough
Lab 16 is straightforward: grab every chest and push through. In Arris Dome, chase the rat instead of fighting it to learn the code, open the storage room and take the Seed. In the Sewer Access you can examine the things you are told not to examine, if you fancy a fight and a laugh.
Proto Dome: repair Robo, who joins. Use the gate at the back to reach the End of Time. Talk to the old man, then beat Spekkio to unlock magic for the whole party.
From here the game opens up - Part 2 of this walkthrough picks up at 65,000,000 BC.
Credits & Version History
- 1.1 - Restructured into the map / checklist / walkthrough format, added links to the Items and Maps guides.
- 1.0 - First version.