Beast of Reincarnation Key Locations — Red, Blue & Yellow
Updated August 11, 2026 · Facts cross-checked against the sources listed below
Why You Need the Three Keys
Midway through Chapter 1 in the Ogouchi Buffer Zone, the main quest “Toward the Nushi’s Lair” blocks your path with a sealed gate in Subcity 03. Opening it requires the red, blue and yellow keys. All three are in the surrounding area, and the game marks their rough positions once you have the red key.
Red Key — Given by a Golem
The red key is effectively free: a Golem NPC at the camp near the Nushi’s Lair objective hands it over as part of the quest, and marks the other two key locations on your map. Talk to every Golem you see near the objective marker and you can’t miss it.
Blue Key — The Lookout Shack
North-east of the Subcity 03 entrance, a distant red pillar marks a Lookout Shack up on the cliffs. Use Emma’s hair-grapple to climb up — the watchkeeper golem there hands over the blue key.
Bonus: the blue key also opens a cavern storage door — the game tracks it as its own objective (visible on the map above), plus a locked door by the warehouse east of River Fork camp. Both have a strongbox inside; see strongbox codes.
Reading the Map
Two marker types matter while key-hunting: campfire icons are campsites (rest points and your respawn anchors), and orange diamond icons mark objectives and locked doors. A small check mark means you’ve already cleared that point — useful for confirming which locked doors you still owe a visit. Note there are two optional key doors in the zone, not three: red and blue. There is no yellow door. The Cave Collection tracker in the corner counts collectibles for the cavern you’re standing in.
Yellow Key — The Cave and the Tailwater Key
The trickiest of the three. Cross the rice paddies north of Tailwater Village and enter the cave beyond them, then:
- Defeat the Grizzly Malefact inside the cave — it drops the Tailwater Key.
- Use the Tailwater Key on the inner door behind where it stood.
- Talk to the guardian in the room beyond — it gives you the yellow key. (This is why some players clear the room and leave empty-handed: the key is dialogue, not a pickup.)
You can sneak past the smaller cave enemies — only the elite is mandatory. If it’s giving you trouble this early, the parry fundamentals matter more than your level.
After the Gate Opens
With all three keys used, the Subcity 03 gate opens toward the Nushi’s lair and Chapter 1’s first real boss — Rangifer, the Prowling Nushi. Our boss guide covers the fight; go in with a fire advantage if you can.
Keys in Later Chapters
The color-key puzzle is unique to Chapter 1, but locked doors return: the Giant Tree Zone (Chapter 7) has sealed bulkheads whose key comes from defeating the region’s story Elite Golem — you can’t miss it on the main path. No other key-gated content has been documented in chapters 8+ so far; we’ll extend this guide as region coverage matures.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the red key in Beast of Reincarnation?
The Retired Gatekeeper golem at the Nushi’s Lair: Gate Approach camp gives it to you once Emma walks up to the sealed door. It is impossible to miss on the main path, and he also marks the other two key locations on your map.
Where is the blue key?
At the Lookout Shack on the cliffs north-east of the Subcity 03 entrance, marked from a distance by a red pillar. Grapple up with Emma’s Hair and speak to the watchkeeper golem.
Where is the yellow key?
In the cave north of Tailwater Village. Defeat the Grizzly Malefact for the Tailwater Key, unlock the inner door, then talk to the guardian inside — the yellow key comes from dialogue, not from a pickup on the ground.
What is the Tailwater Key for?
It only opens the inner door inside the Grizzly Malefact’s cave. It is a step on the way to the yellow key, not one of the three gate keys.
What do the three keys unlock?
Together they open the sealed gate at Nushi’s Lair in Subcity 03, which leads to Rangifer, the chapter’s boss. The red and blue keys each also open one optional door with a strongbox behind it. The yellow key does not — despite what several guides claim, there is no yellow door.
Are there more keys later in the game?
The coloured-key puzzle is unique to Chapter 1. Locked bulkheads return in the Giant Tree Zone in Chapter 7, where the key comes from the region’s story Elite Golem on the main path. No key-gated content has been documented in chapters 8 and beyond.