One of the first challenges in Ni No Kuni II is the Kingmaker’s Trials where young Evan must complete the Trial of Knowledge and Trial of Strength in order to obtain his Kingmaker. This article covers the Kingmaker’s Trials, specifically the Trial of Knowledge in Ni No Kuni II so you can complete all three puzzles and collect the loot within. In addition to the Ni No Kuni II Trial of Knowledge guide, we’ve also included a quick breakdown of the Trial of Strength battle that takes place immediately after the Trial of Knowledge. Follow this Ni No Kuni II Kingmaker’s Trials guide and you should have a Kingmaker in no time!
Trial of Knowledge
The Trial of Knowledge consists of three board game like puzzles that you must traverse in order to complete the challenge. Each puzzle requires you to navigate a game board, activating specific pieces in the correct order and never retracing or backtracking your steps aside from a few rare stone squares that do not disappear after you walk on them. If you activate a piece out of order, don’t have it facing the correct way, or backtrack, you will be sent back to the beginning of the puzzle. Follow the paths we have laid out below to collect all of the loot and complete each puzzle.
Puzzle #1
Loot
- Soreaway (restores HP)
- Strong Sixth Censer (restores MP)
- Leather Armor (armor)
There are three puzzle pieces in play during the first puzzle: a boy (blue), magic wand (red), and fairy (orange). You must activate these pieces in that order (blue > red > orange) to complete the puzzle successfully.
You can follow the navigation below or the screen shot of the overhead view above. Both start from the opening pedestal where you can read the story. The only dial on this map must be turned twice to line up the orange fairy properly.
Navigation
- Up Two Squares
- Left Three Squares
- Up Two Squares
- Right Two Squares
- Up Two Squares
- Right Five Squares
- Down Two Squares
- Left One Square
- Down One Square
- Turn the Wheel Twice
- Up One Square
- Left Three Squares
- Down One Square
- Right One Square
- Down Two Squares
- Right Three Squares
- Up One Square
- Right One Square
- Up Five Squares
- Optional: Collect the item to the right.
Puzzle #2
Loot
- Sixth Censer (restores MP)
- Three-Leafed Soreaway (restores HP)
- Warlock’s Wand (weapon)
The second puzzle includes a harpist (pink), pistolier (green), wizard (purple), boy (blue) and monsters (red). Once again this is the same order they must be activated in. Both wheels on this map must be turned twice in order to rotate the boy and monsters to face each other. You can use the top down map above or navigation directions below to get through the puzzle.
Navigation
- Up One Square
- Left One Square
- Up One Square
- Left Four Squares
- Up One Square
- Left One Square
- Up Three Squares
- Left One Square
- Up One Square
- Left One Square
- Up One Square
- Right Two Squares
- Down Two Squares
- Right One Square
- Up Two Squares
- Right Three Squares
- Up One Square
- Right Three Squares
- Up One Square
- Right Three Squares
- Down Two Squares
- Left Two Squares
- Down One Square
- Turn the Wheel Twice
- Down Three Squares
- Left Four Squares
- Up Three Squares
- Turn the Wheel Twice
- Up One Square
- Right Two Squares
- Down Three Squares
Puzzle #3
Note: As you pan the top down view from bottom to top, the camera zooms in a bit. Because of this the two images above do not line up perfectly. There’s also some overlap between the two images that will throw you off if you’re just following the green line assuming the images do not have any overlap. This is especially important on the left side of the image. Please pay close attention when following the green line as it shifts from image 1 to image 2 and back. For detailed navigation instructions see the directions list below.
Loot
- Three-Leafed Soreaway (restores HP)
- Sage’s Secret (restores HP and MP)
- Shamshir (weapon)
The third puzzle features a wizard (purple), pistolier (green), harpist (pink), soldier (red), airy (orange) and boy (blue) that must be accessed in that order. There’s also a dragon in the middle of the puzzle and multiple wheels that turn the dragon and the triple stone path that follows in front of the dragon. Use these wheels to create paths so you can properly navigate the puzzle.
Since this is a larger puzzle, we’ve split the map into two sections. Section 1 is the bottom of the map where you begin, while section 2 is the top of the map. In addition to turning some of the pieces on the map, you have to move the dragon around. If the map seems to send you through an empty area, that’s where the path that moves with the dragon will be after turning specific wheels on the map. Once again, navigation begins from the starting pedestal.
Navigation
- Right Two Squares
- Up One Square
- Right Two Squares
- Down One Square
- Right Three Squares
- Up Two Squares
- Left Four Squares
- Turn the Wheel Twice
- Left One Square
- Up One Square
- Left Two Squares
- Down Two Squares
- Left Two Squares
- Turn the Wheel Three Times
- Up One Square
- Left One Square
- Up Two Squares
- Turn the Wheel Once
- Right Two Squares
- Up Two Squares
- Left Four Squares
- Up Four Squares
- Right One Square
- Turn the Wheel Three Times
- Right Two Squares
- Up Two Squares
- Left Four Squares
- Down Four Squares
- Left One Square
- Down Two Squares
- Right One Square
- Down Four Squares
- Right One Square
- Down One Square
- Up Five Squares
- Right One Square
- Up Two Squares
- Right Three Squares
- Turn the Wheel Once
- Right One Square
- Down One Square
- Right Two Squares
- Up One Square
- Right Two Squares
- Down One Square
- Right One Square
- Down One Square
- Right One Square
- Down Two Squares
- Right One Square
- Up One Square
- Right One Square
- Up One Square
- Turn the Wheel Twice
- Left One Square
- Up Two Squares
- Left Two Squares
- Up Two Squares
- Left Three Squares
- Down One Square
- Turn the Wheel Twice
- Left Two Squares
- Up Three Squares
- Right One Square
Trial of Strength
Loot
- Boss’s Boots (armor)
The Trial of Strength pits Evan against Thogg, the Monstrously Muscled Mettle-Tester. While Rolan and Tani won’t be helping you here, you still have access to the Higgledy who will help and assist in combat.
Several of Thogg’s attacks require some sort of warm-up. If you see Thogg pounding his chest or glowing, you know an attack is coming. In most cases you can just run in a circle around Thogg and avoid these attacks. He has a few faster attacks with minimal warning, but they don’t inflict nearly as much damage as his other attacks.
Between Thogg’s attacks you should be attacking as much as possible. Use your melee attacks so you can stay close and circle around Thogg when he’s preparing a bigger attack. If you close and circling around him it’s much easier to avoid these bigger attacks. If you health happens to drop a bit, back out of Thogg’s immediate range and continue to run in circles around him. The Higgledy will heal you after a short time.
As soon as any of your weapons hit 100 percent, unless your skills to inflict extra damage to Thogg. Depending on the level of your character and the weapons you’re using, it shouldn’t take much effort to bring down Thogg. In fact, if you unleash three skills when your weapons are at 100 percent, Thogg shouldn’t have much health left.
Defeat Thogg and you’ll collect your Kingmaker! Congratulations!
