Time-travel story route
Keep the eras and story objectives straight from the Millennial Fair to the final choice.
Story and late-game spoilers.
Original SNES campaign; additional content in later editions is outside this starter guide.
| Era | Typical setting |
|---|---|
| 65,000,000 BC | Prehistory |
| 12,000 BC | Ancient kingdom |
| 600 AD | Middle Ages |
| 1000 AD | Present |
| 2300 AD | Ruined future |
| End of Time | Travel hub |
The fair and the first time gate
The opening moves from the Millennial Fair into the Middle Ages and back toward the present. Explore and speak to characters rather than assuming every new screen is a combat area. When the story redirects the party, note the era shown on the map as well as the town name.
The future and End of Time
The ruined future reveals the larger objective, and the End of Time becomes a travel hub. Gate destinations are not interchangeable with similarly named places in another era. Use the hub to orient yourself before travelling, especially after returning to a save you have not played recently.
Prehistory and the Middle Ages
The main route links the prehistoric era with the restoration of the Masamune and the conflict around Magus. Different party members open different story interactions. If an objective seems stalled, review the current key item and party dialogue rather than searching every time period at random.
Zeal and the Ocean Palace
The ancient kingdom leads into a major sequence of story changes. Preserve a save before long transitions. As battles become more demanding, use elemental coverage and multi-target healing instead of relying only on ordinary attacks from the same three characters.
The late-game choice
The later game offers a collection of optional character and equipment quests before confronting Lavos. Speak with the characters who point toward unfinished business, then choose the quests that strengthen your party. Additional dungeons in DS and later editions are not part of the original SNES campaign covered here.