Look, we've all been there. You're staring at the character select screen in Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, wishing you had Hit or maybe just a chance to reset those terrible stat points you picked back when you started. To do any of that, you need the Dragon Balls. But grinding for them? It can be a total nightmare if you don't know what you're doing.
Honestly, the game doesn't do a great job of explaining the math behind the drops. You could spend three hours playing random missions and get nothing. Or, if you know the right spots, you can bag a full set of seven in under forty minutes. It’s all about manipulating the Time Patroller spawns.
The Absolute Best Way to Farm Dragon Balls
If you want to know Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 how to get Dragon Balls without losing your mind, there is one mission that stands above the rest. It’s Parallel Quest 4: "Prepare for the Attack of the Saiyans!"
Why this one? It’s incredibly fast. You can clear it in less than two minutes. You start off by beating Krillin, Yamcha, and Tenshinhan. Once they're down, a group of three Time Patrollers will usually spawn right in front of the Lookout. They just stand there. They’re waiting for you to challenge them.
You need to fight them.
When you defeat a Time Patroller, look at the bottom of your screen. You’re looking for a specific notification: "Key Item." If you see "Material Item," that’s just a Hercule Badge or some useless crafting component. "Key Item" is the Dragon Ball. If you don't see that notification after beating all three Patrollers, don't even bother finishing the mission. Just hit start and retry. It saves way more time than watching the ending cutscenes and loading back into Conton City.
Parallel Quest 23: The High-Level Alternative
Sometimes PQ 4 gets boring. Or maybe the RNG (Random Number Generation) feels "stuck." If that happens, jump over to Parallel Quest 23: "The Explosion of Namek."
This one is arguably better for high-level players because you fight Frieza immediately. Once he’s dead, the Time Patrollers spawn. The environment is flat and open, making the fight much quicker than navigating the pillars of the Lookout. Also, Namek is literally falling apart, which adds a bit of flair to the grind.
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In PQ 23, the Patrollers appear right after you defeat Frieza. If they don't drop the Key Item, restart.
Why Your Drops Might Have Stopped
Have you ever noticed that you get the first six Dragon Balls really fast, but the seventh one takes forever? That isn't just bad luck. It’s a coded mechanic. The game’s RNG tightens up as you get closer to a full set.
Think of it like this: the game checks your inventory. If it sees you have six, the "weight" of the Dragon Ball drop in the loot table decreases. It’s annoying, but it’s real.
Another thing? You can’t hold more than seven. If you already have a full set and you’re farming for "extra" ones to save for later, stop. Shenron doesn't work like that. You have to spend them to earn them again.
The Guru Connection
A lot of players overlook Guru’s House. If you've been neglecting the "Defend Namek" missions, you’re shooting yourself in the foot.
Increasing your "reach" with Guru eventually unlocks more wish options. If you haven't done this, your Dragon Ball farming is half as effective. You’ll get the balls, summon Shenron, and then realize you can't even make the "good" wishes like "I want to grow more!" (which is the fastest way to hit the level cap).
Every Single Wish You Can Make
Once you've mastered Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 how to get Dragon Balls, you actually have to decide what to do with them. It’s easy to waste a wish.
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- I want Money!: You get 500,000 Zeni. Honestly? Don't do this. Zeni is easy to get later.
- I want a Rare Item!: This gives you the Goodie Radish accessory. It’s mostly for completionists.
- I want to Dress Up!: Gives you pieces of the Crystal Battle Suit or Gold Battle Suit.
- I want to get Stronger!: This gives you Echo Soul devices for mixing Super Souls.
- I want to Grow!: This gives you exactly enough EXP to hit the next level. Save this for when you’re level 90+.
- I want a New Attack!: This is how you get skills like Flash Fist or Burning Spin.
- I want a New Playable Character!: This is how you unlock Hit, Eis Shenron, Nuova Shenron, and Omega Shenron. You have to wish for this four separate times to get them all.
- I want a Second Chance at Life!: This resets your attribute points. Essential if you realized your "Strike Super" build actually sucks.
Expert Secrets for Faster Farming
Speed is everything. If you're using a slow, melee-focused character to farm Time Patrollers, you're doing it wrong.
Create a "Farmer" build. This should be a female Saiyan or a Frieza Race character with 125 points in Ki Blast Supers. Equip "Super Ki Explosion" or "Final Explosion."
When the Time Patrollers spawn in PQ 4 or PQ 23, fly right up to them, trigger the fight, and immediately let off a massive AOE (Area of Effect) ultimate. If you’re high enough level, it’ll catch all three of them at once. You can end the entire fight in six seconds.
Also, keep an eye on the blue exclamation points in Conton City. Occasionally, NPCs with names like "Bella" or "Sanud" will be standing around with a blue icon over their heads. If you duel them and win, they are guaranteed to give you a Dragon Ball. This is a one-time thing per character, but it’s a great way to kickstart a collection.
Dealing with RNG Frustration
Look, sometimes the game just hates you. You might run PQ 23 ten times and get zero Key Items.
When this happens, some players swear by clearing their cache or swapping to a different character. While there’s no hard evidence in the game code that "resetting" your session helps, many in the community (including veterans on GameFAQs and Reddit) feel that the drop rates can get "stale" if you stay in the same instance for too long.
At the very least, go do a different activity for ten minutes. Play a Raid, do a Crystal Raid, or just fly around Conton City. It breaks the monotony and might just "unstick" your luck.
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The Role of Parallel Quest 79
If you're already at a high level and want to combine Dragon Ball farming with level grinding, Parallel Quest 79: "Great Ape Festival" is the way to go.
It’s longer than the other missions, sure. But you fight multiple sets of Time Patrollers. This gives you more "rolls" at the loot table in a single mission. Plus, the Great Apes give massive amounts of EXP. It’s the most efficient way to multitask.
Don't forget to check your "Items" bag before starting. It sounds stupid, but if your inventory is full of other "Key Items" (like the Time Distortions), some players have reported weirdness with new items appearing. Keep your bag clean.
Actionable Next Steps
To get your Dragon Balls right now, follow this exact sequence:
- Check your inventory. Make sure you don't already have seven.
- Load Parallel Quest 4. 3. Defeat the first three enemies (Krillin, Yamcha, Tien) in under 30 seconds.
- Look for the Time Patrollers. They spawn near the Lookout building.
- Defeat them. If you see "Key Item," finish the mission. If you see "Material Item," restart immediately.
- Repeat until you have seven. 7. Go to the Dragon Ball Pedestal in the center of Conton City and make your wish.
The most important thing to remember is that you aren't fighting for the win; you're fighting for the drop. Don't waste time on stylish combos. Be fast, be efficient, and use those AOE ultimates to clear the field.
Once you have your first set, focus on unlocking the characters first. Hit is one of the most viable characters in the game for both PVE and PVP content. After that, focus on your level-up wishes. Good luck, Time Patroller.