Unlocking Hercules and Phil in Disney Dreamlight Valley: A Guide

The A Heroes Journey update has introduced Hercules and Phil to Disney Dreamlight Valley, but unlocking these characters is a bit more involved than it was for Pocahontas. You’ll need to tackle five new quests before they can settle into your valley, along with a brand-new realm to explore.

To kick things off, you must first unlock the Hercules realm in the Dream Castle, which will set you back 11,000 Dreamlight. It’s a hefty investment, but definitely worth it. Once you’ve unlocked the realm, you’ll immediately start the Moonlighting as a Hero quest, even before stepping inside.

Upon entering the Hercules realm, a cutscene will show Phil dashing through the woods. Follow him to the right and navigate through the trees. When you reach him at the plinth surrounded by thorns, he’ll explain that Hercules is missing and needs your assistance. You’ll agree to investigate the thorns and fog, and after your chat, approach the thorns to interact with them and receive a cryptic message from Artemis.

Return to Phil at the pillar where you started, and he’ll help you decipher the message. He’ll then ask you to find a Moon Headband in the realm. Luckily, it’s located in the pool of water right behind where you spoke to Phil. Grab your fishing rod and cast your line into the water. Once you reel it in, take the headband to the pedestal next to Phil.

Talk to him again, and he’ll suggest gathering more gifts for Artemis. You’ll need to collect the following items from around the realm:

Once you place these items on the pedestal, the Moon Headband will start to glow. Phil will instruct you to pick it up, wear it, and head to the training arena with him. Equip the headband and follow Phil to the left, clearing any night thorns in your path. When you reach the arena, speak to Phil, and he’ll have you run the obstacle course before assisting you. Go through the starting line behind Phil to begin your run.

As you navigate the course, you’ll need to clear night thorns and light five Moonlight Beacons, so keep your Moon Headband equipped. It’s a good idea to boost your stamina bar to gold for easier gliding, making the course quicker to complete. Just make sure to finish in under two minutes.

After your final chat with Phil, he’ll send you back to the first pedestal you found in the realm. Light it to clear the initial fog, then continue through the woods, lighting every pedestal you encounter until a cutscene reveals Hercules in front of three swirling water fountains. Speak to Hercules to wrap up the Moonlighting as a Hero quest, which will automatically trigger the Speedrun Crash Course quest.

Return to the woods and talk to Hercules and Phil. After their reunion, they’ll explain they need Hermes’ help, specifically some Winged Boots, to reach the temple. You’ll need to mine these from the marble pile to the left of where you spoke to Phil and Hercules. Additionally, gather five Pegasus Feathers scattered throughout the forest, which are hard to miss due to their golden glow.

Bring all these items back to Phil, and he’ll guide you to the Hermes pedestal at the arena. Place the items there, and then speak to Hercules. Similar to the Moon Headband, you’ll need to impress Hermes by cooking a “Legendary Meal.” To do this, find the following ingredients throughout the Hercules realm:

Once you’ve collected everything, use the cooking pot (the firepit) at the arena entrance to save yourself a trip back to the valley. Combine all the ingredients in the pot, then take the Legendary Meal to the Hermes pedestal. When you place it down, the boots will start to glow just like the Moon Headband. Pick them up, wear them, and head to the starting line for the Hermes obstacle course directly to your left.

During this course, you’ll need to collect five feathers. As with the first course, gliding makes it much easier and faster, so ensure your stamina bar is filled before you start. Complete the course in five minutes, and you’ll be sent back to the dark forest to speak with Hercules again.

He’ll inform you that you’re ready to cross the storm to reach the temple, so run back to the cliff edge and interact with the Hermes symbol on the ground to cross. This will conclude the Speedrun Crash Course quest and immediately start the Thunderstruck quest.

Hercules and Phil will quickly inform you that the temple gate is locked. Fortunately, there’s a rotating puzzle on the floor that you can solve. Use the levers at the bottom of the puzzle until the cloud with lightning is facing you. You’ll know you’ve positioned each correctly when a mechanism pops up in the center, allowing you to grab the Stone Bracers Mould. Take this to Hercules, who will ask you to gather the following items:

You can find most of your Orichalcum Ore and Hephaestus Coals on the island, but you’ll need to venture back into the dark forest for marble fragments from broken marble pillars and more coals from the arena.

Bring all these items to the crafting bench near the temple entrance to craft the Golden Bracers. Place them on the Zeus pedestal in front of the temple entrance. Before you can enter, you’ll need to decide whether to make Zeus laugh, cry, or angry.

I opted to make him laugh, which sent me back to the valley to chat with Scrooge McDuck, Merlin, and Goofy for some good jokes. I didn’t test the other options, but I assume they lead to different characters. Return to Hercules in the realm with your findings. For me, I had to share my favorite joke, which triggered the Golden Bracers to glow on the pedestal.

Pick up the Bracers and equip them to break the rocks blocking the temple entrance, as well as the chains holding the door shut. Once you break through, Hercules and Phil will rush in and approach the mosaic at the back of the room. Follow them and speak to Phil, who explains that someone is mocking the Gods by rearranging parts of the mosaic. You’ll then be challenged to find the missing pieces around the temple. After this conversation, the Thunderstruck quest will end and automatically start the A Real Godly Mess quest.

You’ll need to locate six mosaic pieces around the temple, which are easy to spot due to their bright golden glow. Most are hidden behind large rocks, so keep your Golden Bracers equipped to break them. Once you’ve collected all six pieces, return to Phil and interact with the mosaic to solve the puzzle. This is similar to the puzzles from the Storybook Vale DLC, requiring you to drag and drop the pieces into the correct spots.

After completing the puzzle, a cutscene will play showing peace restored to the realm, and you’ll invite Phil and Hercules to join you in the valley. Hercules will agree right away, but Phil will mention he has other tasks to attend to.

Head back to the valley, place Hercules’ house plans, and pay 10,000 Star Coins at the sign. Once his house is built, the Welcome Hercules screen will play, officially adding him to your valley. However, the A Real Godly Quest mission isn’t over just yet.

You’ll need to cook a 5-star meal for Phil. Any meal will do; I ended up using whatever ingredients I had and baked Aurora’s Cake. Return to the Hercules realm and give the meal to Phil at the temple. He’ll say it’s tempting, but he needs to find out who rearranged the mosaic. You’ll offer to help, which means checking the temple. Head straight to the mosaic, where you’ll find a spool of Dreamlight Thread on the floor. Pick it up and take it back to him.

You’ll convince Phil that he’ll uncover more clues about the mosaic’s chaos if he comes to Dreamlight Valley, which is all the persuasion he needs. So, head back to the valley with him, and the “Welcome Phil” cutscene will play. After a brief conversation, A Real Godly Quest will be completed, allowing you to start working through Hercules’ and Phil’s friendship quests.