The A Hero’s Journey update added Hercules and Phil to Disney Dreamlight Valley as two of the most involved characters to recruit. Unlike villagers who show up after a single conversation, these two require you to work through four back-to-back story quests inside a brand-new Realm before either of them will set foot in your village. This guide covers every step from entering the Hercules Realm to watching the Welcome Phil screen roll.
What You Need Before You Start
To unlock the Hercules Realm, you need access to the Dream Castle. The Dream Castle opens after you progress through the first two biomes of the game, so newer players will need to clear those areas first.
You also need at least 14,000 Dreamlight on hand. The exact cost depends on how many other Realm doors you have already opened. The more doors you have unlocked, the higher the price. If you have opened every other Realm, the Hercules door costs 14,000 Dreamlight, which is the maximum.
How to Open the Hercules Realm
Head inside the Dream Castle and climb the stairs to the top floor. Walk all the way to the left side of the floor, near the fountain, and look for the door with a thunderbolt or lightning bolt icon on it.
Interact with the door and spend your Dreamlight to remove the Night Thorns. Once the door is clear, you can pass through it freely at any time to travel between Dreamlight Valley and the Hercules Realm.
Walking through the door for the first time immediately triggers the first quest.
Quest 1: Moonlighting as a Hero
Find Phil and Investigate the Thorns
When you first step inside the Realm, Phil sprints off toward a foggy forest. Follow him and introduce yourself. He explains that the gods appear to be angry for reasons he does not understand, and that Hercules is trapped somewhere near the temple on the far side of the forest.
After talking to Phil, examine the dark thorns blocking the path forward. You receive a tip that an offering to the gods may help clear the darkness.
Gather the Moon Headband and Nature Offerings
Report back to Phil, and he walks you through making an offering to Artemis. First, pull out your Royal Fishing Rod and cast it into the pond directly behind where Phil is standing. The Moon Headband is submerged in it.
Once you have the headband, place it on the Artemis Pedestal. Phil then asks you to add more nature-themed items to the offering. You need the following materials:
| Material | Where to Find It |
|---|---|
| Greek Clay (3x) | Three clay deposits in front of the pond |
| Greek Flowers (3x) | Beside the statue left of the entrance, left of the pond, and near the dark woods entrance |
| Sylvan Wood (3x) | Along the path to the arena, in the trees behind that path, and in an alcove right of the entrance behind the foot statue |
Place all the materials on the Artemis Pedestal, then pick up the Moon Headband and equip it. With it equipped, you can now remove dark thorns throughout the Realm.
Run the First Obstacle Course
Follow Phil to the arena on the west side of the entrance. Talk to him about training. He wants to test your abilities before helping you push further into the Realm.
Interact with the starting line to begin the obstacle course. You have two minutes to complete it. Along the way you need to break marble piles using your Royal Tools, clear dark thorns with the Moon Headband, and light five Moonlight Beacons.
Tip: Collect all ten coins scattered throughout the course. Grabbing every coin within the time limit rewards you with the Left Zeus Medallion Piece, which you will need later for a bonus collectible.
If you miss the coins on your first run, you can attempt the course again after the quest ends.
Light the Beacons and Reach Hercules
After finishing the obstacle course, activate the first Moonlight Beacon from the spot where you originally met Phil. Then follow the winding path through the forest, lighting every beacon you come across. The fog clears as you go.
Eventually a cutscene plays showing Hercules standing in front of three swirling water fountains. Walk down the hill and speak to him. This completes Moonlighting as a Hero and immediately launches the next quest.
Quest 2: Speedrun Crash Course
Collect the Winged Boots and Pegasus Feathers
Meet with Hercules and Phil in the dark forest. The temple sits on the other side of a storm, and you need a way past it. Hercules points you toward the boots of Hermes as a solution.
Your two priorities are:
- Pegasus Feathers (5x): These have a golden glow and are scattered throughout the forest near the pedestals you lit earlier. They are hard to miss.
- Winged Boots: Look for a pile of marble rubble at the far end of the forest. The boots are visibly sticking out of it. Use your Royal Pickaxe to break it open.
Tip: While you are searching the forest, pick up any ore and loose ingredients you spot on the ground. You will need some of them in the next step and collecting them now saves time.
Cook the Legendary Meal
Bring the boots and feathers to Phil. He leads you to the Hermes Pedestal at the arena. When you place the items, nothing happens. Hercules explains that Hermes is always running around and gets hungry, meaning you need to cook him a Legendary Meal.
Gather the following ingredients:
| Ingredient | Where to Find It |
|---|---|
| Aegean Delights | Fish from the pond near the waterfall |
| Legendary Goldfish | Fish from the pond near the waterfall |
| Greek Cheeses | Along the path through the dark forest |
| Greek Fruits and Veggies | Along the path through the dark forest |
| Giant Lettuce | Near the chaise lounge in the dark forest |
The Lettuce, Cheeses, and Fruits and Veggies are all near each other. Find one and the others are close by.
Use the cooking station at the arena entrance to cook the Legendary Meal. Place the finished dish on the Hermes Pedestal, then pick up and equip the Winged Boots before you approach the starting line.
Run the Second Obstacle Course
The Hermes Obstacle Course works similarly to the first one, but this time you need to collect ten golden feathers and push marble around the course. You have five minutes to finish.
Tip: Fill your stamina bar to maximum before starting. Gliding and floating with full stamina is noticeably faster than running, especially around the tighter sections of the course.
Completing the course while collecting all ten feathers within the time limit rewards you with the Right Zeus Medallion Piece.
Cross the Storm
After the obstacle course ends, use the Hermes Symbol on the ground to fast travel back to the dark forest. Talk to Hercules and review the plan, then head down the path toward the temple. Interact with the Hermes icon at the cliff edge to cross the chasm and bypass the storm entirely.
Talk to Hercules on the other side to begin the next quest.
Quest 3: Thunderstruck
Solve the Zeus Crest Puzzle
Hercules and Phil immediately point out that the temple gate is locked. On the ground in front of the gate sits a rotating Zeus Crest puzzle with three levers. Pull them in this order:
- Left Lever: Pull it three times
- Middle Lever: Pull it two times
- Right Lever: Pull it once
A mechanism pops up from the center of the crest once you align all three rings correctly. Pick up the Stone Bracers Mold from the center.
Craft the Golden Bracers
Show the mold to Hercules. He tells you to infuse it with Zeus’ power, which means gathering materials scattered across the Realm. You need:
| Material | How to Get It |
|---|---|
| Hephaestus Coals (6x) | Dig up near the stove and the Zeus Crest area |
| Orichalcum Ore (10x) | Break the bronze-colored stone nodes throughout the Realm |
| Greek Marble Fragments (10x) | Break marble pile deposits, especially in the dark forest and the arena |
Take all three materials plus the Stone Bracers Mold to the Crafting Station to the left of the temple entrance. Craft the Golden Bracers and place them on the Zeus Pedestal in front of the temple.
Collect Jokes from the Valley
Before Zeus grants his favor, you need to earn it by making him laugh. Head back through the portal to Dreamlight Valley and speak to Scrooge McDuck, Merlin, and Goofy to collect their best jokes. You cannot skip any of them and talking to only one or two will not complete the objective.
Return to the Hercules Realm and share your favorite joke with Hercules. Zeus laughs, the Golden Bracers glow on the pedestal, and favor is granted.
Enter the Temple
Pick up the glowing Golden Bracers and equip them. Use your Royal Pickaxe to smash through the purple rocks blocking the entrance and break the chains keeping the gate shut. You may need to hit them more than once.
Head inside. Follow Hercules and Phil to the mosaic at the far end of the temple. Phil is visibly upset; someone has deliberately rearranged the faces in the mural, and that is what angered the gods. After this conversation, Thunderstruck ends and A Real Godly Mess begins automatically.
Quest 4: A Real Godly Mess
Collect All Six Mosaic Pieces
The six mosaic pieces are scattered around the walls of the temple interior. They all emit a bright golden glow, making them visible from a distance. Most of them sit behind purple rocks, so keep the Golden Bracers equipped throughout this section.
Once you disturb a piece, it can float away, so grab it quickly before it drifts out of reach.
When you have all six pieces, bring them to Phil.
Solve the Mosaic Puzzle
Interact with the Ruined Mosaic to begin the puzzle. The pieces need to be dragged and rotated into their correct positions.
Tip: Start with the border pieces first. Completing the frame makes the interior placement significantly easier and helps you identify where the remaining center pieces belong.
Once the mosaic is restored, a cutscene plays showing peace returning to the Realm. The dark shadows clear, and the fog lifts from the entire training island.
How to Unlock Hercules
Talk to Hercules and Phil after the mosaic is restored. Hercules agrees to join your village immediately. Phil is less convinced and stays behind.
Return to Dreamlight Valley and open the furniture placement menu. Place Hercules’ house and interact with the Scrooge McDuck sign to pay the 10,000 Star Coins required to build it.
As soon as the house is built, the Welcome Hercules screen plays. He is now an official resident of your valley.
How to Unlock Phil
Phil needs more persuading than Hercules. Speak to Hercules after he moves in, and he recommends winning Phil over with food.
Cook a Five-Star Meal
Head to any kitchen in the valley and cook a five-star meal. Any five-star dish works. If you want reliable options, try a Large Seafood Platter, Mediterranean Salad, Ratatouille, or Aurora’s Cake depending on what ingredients you have available.
Return to the Hercules Realm
Take the meal back through the Realm portal and find Phil at the temple. Hand him the food. He reveals he stayed behind because he suspects a mysterious trickster caused everything that went wrong in the Realm and has not found any clues yet.
Find the Dreamlight Thread
Walk to the front of the restored mosaic inside the temple. Examine the reflection pool near it and pull out the Dreamlight Thread spool sitting in the water.
Bring the spool back to Phil. You reassure him that the two of you can investigate the trickster together once he is in the valley, which is all the convincing he needs.
Exit the Realm and return to Dreamlight Valley. The Welcome Phil cutscene plays immediately. Phil moves in with Hercules, so you do not need to build him a separate house.
Both characters are now unlocked and available to build friendship with.
Bonus: All Green Chest Locations in the Hercules Realm
Three green chests are hidden throughout the Realm. Each one contains a decorative reward item.
| Reward | Location |
|---|---|
| Greek Hero Bust | Behind two Orichalcum deposits at the far end of the forest |
| Greek Hero Column | Behind the marble rubble next to the cooking station at the arena |
| Greek Warrior Column | Behind the Temple of the Gods, on the beach |
Bonus: All Five Muse Locations
Five hidden Muse outlines are scattered across the Realm. Finding all five lets you craft the Mythic Muses Vase at any Crafting Station using the pottery shards you collect.
| Muse | Location |
|---|---|
| Muse 1 | Enter the Realm and step past the threshold. Turn left. The outline is on the left side of the first pillar, facing the arena. |
| Muse 2 | While clearing the fog, you reach a forked path lined with trees. Look carefully along this fork. |
| Muse 3 | Walk down the hill toward the temple. Look behind a pile of marble along the path. |
| Muse 4 | Enter the dark woods and look left along the rock wall. This Muse only appears after the fog is cleared. |
| Muse 5 | Stand at the temple entrance and look at the pillar in the left corner. |
Bonus: Zeus Medallion Pieces and the Obstacle Course Plaque
Completing both obstacle courses with all collectibles within the time limits rewards two medallion halves.
- Left Medallion Piece: Collect all ten coins in the first obstacle course within two minutes
- Right Medallion Piece: Collect all ten feathers in the second obstacle course within five minutes
Once you have both pieces, take them to any Crafting Station and look for the Phil icon in the crafting menu. You can craft the Obstacle Course Plaque, which frames the fully restored medallion as proof of your performance in training. Play Now!
