All Sphinx riddle answers & locations in Dragon's Dogma 2

All Sphinx riddle answers & locations in Dragon's Dogma 2

The Sphinx is one of the toughest bosses in Dragon's Dogma 2 for more reasons than one, so here are all of the locations and riddle solutions you need to know.

26th Mar 2024 16:27

Images via Capcom | Map Genie

The Sphinx riddles in Dragon's Dogma 2 make for some of the toughest challenges the Arisen will face on their journey - and as the game can be pretty unforgiving, one wrong move with the Sphinx can instantly end your chances of earning those sweet rewards.

To spare you the misery, I have the solutions to all of her riddles, with details on how you can most easily solve them. If you hope to conquer one of the toughest challenges in Dragon's Dogma 2, here is what you need to do.

Where is the Sphinx?

Let's start from the beginning by finding the Sphinx in the first place. The first location where you'll find the Sphinx is the Mountain Shrine, which is located northeast of the Checkpoint Rest Town.

The first location where the Sphinx can be found shown on the Dragon's Dogma 2 map

  • To get there, head north from the town, and then take the low road that'll be on your left
  • This leads to an area with a dragon, but if you stick to the cliff on the left you can avoid it and head straight into the fortress through the dark gate
  • You'll need to make your way through this fortress, and it's very dark, so you'll want to use your lantern
  • Take the ladder at the back of this area, then go up the stairs where you will encounter a sleeping Cyclops
  • Fight it if you like (or you can run to the ladder on the left to avoid it) but after climbing the ladder, you'll need to make your way through Worldsend Cavern
  • The cavern contains some enemies, but you can either fight or run through it
  • Follow it to the end, and you'll then exit into an area with a Stone Golem
  • Once you deal with that, head onward through the Shrine Corridor until you emerge again
  • Then you only need to head up the stairs to be met with the Sphinx

First set of Sphinx riddle solutions

The first five riddles offered by the Sphinx in Dragon's Dogma 2

When you meet the Sphinx here, she will have five riddles for you to tackle. You can choose which one to solve first, so you may tackle them in any order. The riddles and their solutions are:

Riddle of Eyes

The Sphinx tasks you with entering a nearby room and returning with the most valuable item. The trick here is that the item you need is slightly hidden. As you enter the room, climb the rocks to your right and up to a platform above the door. Grab the Sealing Phial in the chest here, then bring it to the Sphinx.

The correct chest for the riddle of eyes marked with a red circle

Riddle of Madness

For this riddle, you are tasked with bringing your beloved in front of the Sphinx. The easiest solution here is to pick up your main Pawn and place them on the pedestal. Placing all of your Pawns on the pedestal also works so that might be a safer option, you might also be able to bring an NPC you have a strong relationship with.

Completing this riddle rewards you with a portable Portcrystal, which I'd recommend placing nearby as it will come in very handy for other riddles.

Riddle of Wisdom

In this riddle, the Sphinx requests a parent. Specifically, you need to go to Harve Village and interact with the Riftstone of Fellowship there. There you will be able to recruit a special Pawn known as the Sphinx Parent. It may also be called Sphinx Father, or Sphinx Mother (it seems to be random which one you get in your game).

Now you just need to return to the Sphinx and present the Pawn. This is where the Portcrystal comes in handy, as if you placed it before leaving, you can simply use a Ferrystone to return. Bear in mind that some cheeky players have started creating Pawns and naming them Sphinx Parent/Father/Mother.

To be certain, check the Pawn's details to see if Capcom created it. If it was, then this is the Pawn you want.

Riddle of Conviction

The Sphinx's treasure chests in Dragon's Dogma 2

The Sphinx asks for your most precious item, and the implication here is that you need to be willing to sacrifice it in order to pass this challenge. The truth is quite different, as the Sphinx will accept any item you present. That said, you really should give her an item you value, and here is why.

Not only do you not sacrifice the item, but the reward for this riddle is a duplicate of the item you presented. So, if you were to present her with your newly acquired Portcrystal, not only would you keep it, but you'd get a second one from the chest.

I've seen some conflicting reports on this, and this method seems to work well for most, particularly in their first playthroughs. Some have said the item in the chest turns out to be a cheap knock-off that doesn't work, but this seems to be something that happens on repeat playthroughs. Regardless, there is no harm in trying so it is worth giving it a go.

Riddle of Rumination

This might be the toughest riddle of them all to solve, so much so that I can't even give you the solution. The Sphinx tasks you with returning to the location where you first picked up a Seeker's Token, where you'll now find a Finder's Token. It's exactly what it says, you must try to remember where you first found a Seeker's Token and return there.

We don't yet have our own comprehensive guide on Seeker's Token locations, but interactive maps like the one on Map Genie can show you all of the locations. You have seven in-game days to complete this task, so if you are struggling to remember the location, you might want to just start collecting the Seeker's Tokens in the early areas of the game and you should stumble across where you first found one.

The Sphinx's second location in Dragon's Dogma 2

The second location of the Sphinx marked on the DD2 map

Once you have completed the first five riddles, the Sphinx will take off and head to a new location. The easiest way to get there is to hop on the Sphinx's back and take the journey with her. This is a bit tricky, and it does mean you'll have to return later to pick up your final reward from here, but it is worth it to save you the trip.

If you'd prefer to make the journey yourself, the location is called the Frontier Shrine and it's located southwest of the Checkpoint Rest Town. From the town, follow the river to the west until you reach a path leading south. Follow this path to reach the Frontier Shrine and meet the Sphinx for a second time.

Second set of Sphinx riddle answers

The Sphinx getting close to the Arisen in Dragon's Dogma 2

At this second location, the Sphinx will present you with five more riddles. The first you have just completed, as the challenge of the Riddle of Reunion was to find her new location. With that done, we have four more to go. This time, you don't get to choose which riddles you want to solve in which order, and the Sphinx will present each one to you at random.

Riddle of Contest

The Sphinx will make a soldier appear nearby, and task you with defeating them in battle. However, you will also be given an item which reduces your damage to basically nothing. You can try to win the fight the long and boring way, or you can make life easy for yourself.

There is a cliff just to the right of the shrine as you are facing the Sphinx. Simply pick the opponent up, head over to the edge, and toss them into the ocean. Riddle solved, and on to the next one.

Riddle of Recollection

The statues used in the riddle of recollection in DD2

This riddle is made tricky by the fact that the order of the riddles in this stage is randomised. For this riddle, you must pick up small statues nearby and place them on the pedestal, one for each riddle you have completed so far.

This answer will be different for everyone depending on the order. There are ten riddles in total, five at the first location and five at the second. At this point, you have completed the first five, so you simply need to add on as many riddles as you have completed in the second.

For example, in the order I'm writing these solutions, I have the first five riddles solved, and two more from the second location (remember, reaching the Sphinx's second location counts as a riddle). So, the answer here is seven.

Riddle of Differentiation

The Sphinx will show you a man with long red hair and a scar on his face. If you are quick enough, grab a screenshot of him. Your goal here is to find this man out in the world and bring him back. The trouble is, despite the man's distinctive appearance, he is one of two NPCs who look very similar.

A map of the area showing the locations of the Sphinx, Dante, and Vergil in Dragon's Dogma 2

The two NPCs are named Dante and Vergil. They are extremely similar in appearance but they have some distinguishing details:

  • Dante can be found wandering around Checkpoint Rest Town
    • His hair is straight
    • His fringe goes to the left
    • He has a vertical scar over his right eye
  • Vergil can be found just south of the border checkpoint south of Checkpoint Rest Town
    • He has wavy hair
    • His fringe goes to the right
    • The scar over his right eye isn't as straight as Dante's is

From this, you should be able to then determine which man you are looking for. Once you have met both you can look at their profiles in the NPC Logbook in the History menu, and compare them against the screenshot you hopefully took. The most obvious difference is the hair, so be sure to focus on that.

Once you know you have the right one, bring him to the Sphinx to complete the riddle. Using the Portcrystal and a Ferrystone is great for this one.

Riddle of Futility

The locations of the Sphinx and Maurits in DD2

For this riddle, you need to bring a delicate vase to a man named Maurits. Maurits is found just north of Bakbattahl, near a carving of the Sphinx. The vase is easily broken, and Bakbattahl is quite far away, making for an arduous journey that will likely end in tragedy.

This is another riddle with a trick to it, as the implication is that you must bring the vase to Maurits, when in fact you can just bring Maurits to the vase. Leave the vase where it is, and go to Maurits' location.

Pick him up and use a Ferrystone to return to your Portcrystal near the Sphinx, or you can use the Sealing Phial you got earlier to capture Maurits and bring him that way. Put him down beside the vase and the puzzle will be solved.

How to open the final chest

During the first batch of riddles, you may have noticed a gigantic chest right behind the Sphinx. When it travelled to the second location, it magically transported this chest with it. You might have also noticed the key that the Sphinx is wearing around its neck - and you might be starting to put two and two together.

When you complete the final riddle, you get another reward, but the large chest remains sealed, and the Sphinx goes to leave. In order to get the key for the final chest, you will need to defeat the Sphinx in combat.

The Sphinx disappearing after it is defeated in Dragon's Dogma 2

There are a couple of ways to achieve this. If you attack her, she is likely to leave and you will lose your chance. However, if this does happen, one of the rewards for a previous riddle was the Arrow of Unmaking, which can kill anything in a single shot. If the Sphinx flees, you can use this to take her down and get the key.

However, there is of course another puzzle to be solved here. In the various depictions of the Sphinx you will have encountered, such as the vase of the carvings, she is often depicted as being attacked from behind and on the side.

This is your clue not to attack her from the front, as this is what angers her and causes her to leave the fight. Instead, focus your attacks on the rear of the creature and she should stay.

  • I say should because this is a bit finicky, and even if you are consistently hitting her from the correct angles, she could move or an attack might clip her in the wrong spot, failing the challenge
  • You should also tell your Pawns to wait, as if they attack her they will likely affect the method
  • Just keep attacking her from behind, and before long she will congratulate you on solving her final riddle

Then, she will disappear and leave the key. Use it to open the large chest and receive your reward, the Eternal Wakestone. This item can revive many people nearby, even an entire village or city. This is very useful if you happen to have suffered the effects of the Dragonsplague.

For more useful info, head to our Dragon's Dogma 2 homepage where we have guides on how to get a player house, how to get RC, the best mods for the game, how to upgrade armour and weapons, and the best builds for archers and thieves.

Dave McAdam

About The Author

Dave McAdam

Dave is a Senior Guides Writer at GGRecon, after several years of freelancing across the industry. He covers a wide range of games, with particular focus on shooters like Destiny 2, RPGs like Baldur's Gate 3 and Cyberpunk 2077, and fighting games like Street Fighter 6 and Tekken 8.

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