Quests in Grim Trials are not optional flavor if you care about progression or completion. Official storefront descriptions say Academy quests build relationships and unlock advice, knowledge and support, while the released achievement list ties multiple named objectives directly to side content. The safest post-launch completion route is to return to the Academy after major boss milestones, talk to John and the available characters, clear newly opened side quests, and avoid rushing straight to Superbia if you want Affinity achievements, recipes, secrets and the True Ending in one clean playthrough.
How quests fit into Grim Trials progression
The official Nintendo and Steam descriptions make the Academy more than a lobby. It is the place where Avelin trains, interacts with other Reapers and mentors, takes on quests, develops relationships and gains practical support. That means a side quest can matter in several systems at once: it may raise Affinity, unlock a recipe, open another character's quest chain, lead to a secret, or move you toward one of the named achievements.
Current post-launch trophy routing adds an important practical pattern. The guide reports that after defeating major bosses, returning to the Academy and speaking with John often points Avelin toward another character and opens a new batch of side quests. Some chains also require earlier quests from different characters, so one NPC's progression can depend on work you did elsewhere. Treat the Academy as a progression checklist after every major story step instead of waiting until the end.
The five named quest achievements
The released achievement lists give five especially useful anchors because their requirements are explicit across platforms.
Courier Girl — Complete The Special Delivery
Official requirement: complete The Special Delivery. A released-game walkthrough places this chain after the first boss. In that route, John first sends Avelin through an Academy conversation that opens several side quests. Ivanya's delivery chain then sends a package to Iskra, followed by a specimen-related step that requires six red crystals, and then a return delivery to Ivanya. Finishing the chain awards Courier Girl and a potion recipe according to that player-tested route.
Courier Girl is more important than the achievement itself because it also intersects with other quest chains. The same walkthrough reports that Kai's first side quest becomes available after the early Special Delivery progress, making Courier Girl a useful early checkpoint for broader Academy progression.
We Were Enemies for A Day — Spar with the Fellow Apprentice
Official requirement: spar with the Fellow Apprentice. Current achievement data does not name Kai in the description, but the released-game route identifies this as Kai's quest line. The first step reportedly opens after early Courier Girl progress and asks Avelin to survive a sequence of waves in the Combat Arena. After later story progress, including the second major boss, talking through the Academy chain with John and Kai opens the friendly spar that completes the achievement.
The exact enemy pattern and wave details are player-tested information and can be patch-sensitive, so this page does not treat them as permanent rules. The durable takeaway is the dependency: advance Kai's side content, revisit him after boss progression, and complete the spar rather than expecting the achievement to trigger from ordinary Training Ground practice.
Snake Charmer — Complete the Three Headed Snake Quest
Official requirement: complete the Three Headed Snake Quest. This is one of the clearest examples of a side quest crossing multiple systems. The current player-tested route says the quest belongs to Pytra but requires previous progress with Pytra, Milyun and Ivanya before it appears. The reported objective then combines a specific crossbow recipe with two specific Blessings in the same Trial Ground run.
The guide identifies the weapon as a homing-style crossbow and the required Blessings as Anubis's Scale and Yima's Sting in its localized naming. Because Blessings are randomized, the practical strategy is to repeat an easier Trial area and watch the post-room Blessing choices until both required effects appear in the same run while the appropriate crossbow is equipped. The achievement text itself only confirms completion of the Three Headed Snake Quest, so the item and Blessing combination remains third-party route evidence.
Girls' Night Out — Have a Final Toast with Ivanya and Iskra
Official requirement: have a Final Toast with Ivanya and Iskra. The released-game route places this late in overlapping Ivanya, Iskra and Kai side content. It reports that the relevant chain develops around Ivanya and Iskra's drink-related quests and eventually leads Avelin to the clock-tower area for the final conversation and toast.
This is a good example of why rushing one NPC in isolation is inefficient. If the quest does not appear, the missing requirement may be another character's side chain rather than a story boss. Clear available quests across the Academy, return after story milestones and recheck Ivanya, Iskra and Kai instead of assuming the event is bugged.
Mentor Makeover — Craft a set of new gear for John with Milyun
Official requirement: craft a set of new gear for John with Milyun. The current player-tested guide ties this to a later Milyun side quest and says earlier Milyun and Academy character quests must be completed first. Once unlocked, the route is mostly conversational: speak with Milyun, then John, then Milyun again to finish the event.
Mentor Makeover matters beyond one trophy because Milyun is part of the crafting and equipment progression network. Quest completion across the Academy is also reported to unlock recipes used for the broader Fashionista and Weapon Connoisseur crafting achievements.
A practical boss-to-Academy routine
For a low-friction playthrough, use a simple rule: after each major boss, return to the Academy before launching straight into the next long run. Talk to John first, then check characters with new dialogue or quest markers. Finish short delivery or conversation quests immediately because they may unlock longer chains elsewhere. If a quest asks for a Trial Ground condition, recipe, material or Blessing combination, note it and fold it into the next run instead of farming blindly.
This routine also reduces late-game cleanup. The current released-game trophy guide says the side quests are not missable and can still be completed near the end, but it recommends doing them before the final boss if you are also pursuing the True Ending. That recommendation is third-party evidence, not an official trigger specification, but it aligns well with the game's achievement structure and the overlap between Affinity, recipes and secret content.
Quests and Affinity are tightly connected
Six achievements require maximum Affinity with Pytra, Milyun, Ivanya, Iskra, Kai, and Breone & Nameles. Official storefront text confirms that quests build relationships. In practice, that means quest cleanup and Affinity cleanup should be treated as the same project rather than two separate grinds.
If you are targeting 100% completion, open the Affinity Guide alongside this page. Use the six maximum-Affinity achievements as hard checkpoints, then use named quest achievements such as Courier Girl and Mentor Makeover as additional signs that the relevant character networks are advancing.
Quests also unlock recipes and secrets
The official game description already connects mentors, crafting and quests. Post-launch route evidence goes further: recipes for weapons, gear and potions repeatedly appear as side-quest rewards, and some secret objectives require quest chains before their access items or keys become available.
Two examples are already documented elsewhere on this site. Iskra's progression leads into the Camouflage Cloak route used for the Secret Chamber, while Breone and Nameles side content is tied to the two-key route for the first Grim Reaper Chest. These systems are why it is inefficient to ignore Academy quests until after finishing the story.
Do quests matter for the True Ending?
The game officially confirms both a normal ending achievement and a separate True Ending achievement called End of All Cycle. The exact True Ending trigger is not documented by the developer in a public checklist. The strongest current post-launch route recommends completing the Academy side content before Superbia, then proceeding through the final sequence. Because that trigger logic is community-tested rather than official, use the True Ending Guide for the latest evidence and keep quest completion high on your priority list before the final boss.
YouTube guide status
No sufficiently complete current-version YouTube guide was found that reliably covers all five named quest achievements and their dependencies. Rather than embed a general trailer or an incomplete early-build video, this page keeps the walkthrough text evidence-first. A focused post-launch quest video can be added later if one documents the relevant quest states clearly.
FAQ
Are Grim Trials side quests missable?
A post-launch trophy route reports that they are not missable and can be cleaned up before the final boss checkpoint. This is useful player-tested evidence, but not an official developer guarantee for every future patch.
Why did a new quest not appear?
Some quest chains reportedly require a boss milestone, a conversation with John, and earlier quests from one or more other Academy characters. Clear all currently available Academy side content and recheck after major story progress.
Should I finish quests before Superbia?
Yes if you want the safest 100% and True Ending route. Current player-tested guidance recommends finishing relevant Academy side content first so you do not need to repeat final-boss progression.
Do quests give recipes?
Yes. Official descriptions already establish that Academy progression and mentors support crafting, while the released-game route repeatedly records weapon, gear and potion recipes as side-quest rewards.
Related guides
Sources & verification
- Nintendo official Grim Trials page — Academy quests build relationships and unlock advice, knowledge and support
- Grim Trials on Steam — released game and achievement framework
- Steam Global Achievements — Courier Girl and other released achievement names/requirements
- TrueAchievements Grim Trials list — cross-platform quest and Affinity achievement descriptions
- TrueTrophies Grim Trials list — PlayStation cross-check
- Gamerbase post-launch trophy guide — player-tested quest order, dependencies and route details; treated as third-party evidence