Dreamlight Valley Gaston the Hero: Why Everyone Gets This Quest Wrong

You've spent hours decorating your Valley, planting pumpkins, and making sure Wall-E is living his best life. Then Gaston shows up on Eternity Isle with his massive ego and a chin that could cut glass. If you've hit Friendship Level 4 with him, you’ve unlocked Dreamlight Valley Gaston the Hero, a quest that is less about saving the world and more about managing a grown man's mid-life crisis.

Honestly, it’s one of the most polarizing missions in the A Rift in Time expansion. Some players love the campy humor; others want to banish him back to the Cave of Wonders. But if you want to unlock those juicy meat-based recipes and stop Gaston from moping around his lodge, you have to get through it.

The Reality of Being Gaston's Sidekick

Basically, Gaston is bored. He’s "saving" the Isle, which in his mind means finding things he lost and making you do the heavy lifting. The quest starts because he’s convinced there are legendary treasures hidden across the biomes.

You aren't a hero here. You’re the assistant. The intern. The person who actually knows how to use a Royal Hourglass.

To kick things off, you need to talk to him. He’ll send you on a scavenger hunt that feels simple until you realize the game’s RNG (random number generation) for Time Bending can be a total pain. You aren't just looking for shiny baibles; you're looking for three specific compass pieces.

Finding the Compass Pieces Without Losing Your Mind

Here is where most people get stuck. The game tells you the general area, but if you’ve been Time Bending for other stuff recently, the pieces might not spawn immediately.

• The Docks: Check near the area where you first arrived on Eternity Isle. If your Hourglass says "no more treasures," go do something else for ten minutes and come back.
• The Grasslands: Specifically, head toward the bridge. One piece usually hides near the ramp leading up to the Grove.
• The Wastes: This is in the Glittering Dunes. Look near the borderlands ramp.

One tip from the community that actually works: if you can't find a piece, check the area near the giant sundial. Players often mistake this for the Grasslands, but the game sometimes treats it as part of the Grove. It’s a tiny distinction that has caused more than a few Reddit threads of pure frustration.

The Hunt for the "Dangerous" Fish

After you fix his compass—well, after you fix it while he watches—he decides he needs trophies. This part of Dreamlight Valley Gaston the Hero is classic Gaston. He wants you to catch "dangerous" fish.

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In reality, you’re just going fishing. You need to catch an Electric Eel, a Piranha, and a Cobrafish.

The Cobrafish is probably the biggest hurdle. You’ll find them in the gold ripples within the Borderlands or The Wastes. Don't waste your time on white or blue ripples; they won't give you what you need. Bring a fishing companion. Seriously. Getting a "bonus" fish doesn't necessarily speed up the quest count, but it fills your inventory with high-value items you can sell later to Scrooge.

Returning the Stolen... I Mean, Found Treasures

Once you’ve done the manual labor, Gaston has a change of heart. Sorta. He realizes the "treasures" you dug up actually belong to other villagers.

This is the part where you see the real dynamic of the Valley. You have to return:

1. A Light Bulb to EVE: She wanted to give it to Wall-E. It’s a sweet moment that Gaston completely fails to appreciate.
2. A Climbing Pick to Scrooge McDuck: Predictably, Scrooge is still annoyed about Gaston’s failed lodge investment.
3. A Beard Brush to Merlin: The wizard is just happy to have his grooming supplies back.

When you return to Gaston, he’ll claim he "led" the mission. You get some fishing trophies for your house, which are actually pretty decent decor if you’re going for a rustic lodge vibe.

Why This Quest Actually Matters for Your Gameplay

You might be tempted to ignore Gaston. I get it. He’s a lot.

However, finishing this quest is the gatekeeper for Level 6 and Level 10 friendship rewards, which include Gaston's Red Leather Coat and that massive portrait of himself. More importantly, it helps progress the meat stall mechanics. If you want to cook recipes like Venison Pot Pie or Roasted Marshmallows (which give great energy boosts), you need Gaston's friendship to keep moving forward.

Dealing With 2026 Quest Bugs

Since we're deep into the life cycle of A Rift in Time, most major game-breaking bugs have been patched. But a few "features" remains.

If Gaston gets stuck in a "busy" state and won't talk to you, check your map. Usually, he’s scheduled to be in Remy’s Restaurant or he’s stuck in a conversation with someone like LeFou (if you've progressed that far). Also, make sure you don't have another villager's quest active that requires Gaston to be in a specific spot. The game’s AI sometimes struggles to prioritize which "act" Gaston should be performing.

Actionable Steps to Finish the Quest Today

If you're looking at your quest log and sighing, just follow this sequence to get it over with:

1. Clear your Hourglass cooldown: Spend 5 minutes Time Bending in the Plaza or Peaceful Meadow first to "reset" your luck before heading to the Isle.
2. Equip a Fishing Companion: This is the best way to make the Cobrafish hunt feel productive.
3. Check the Sundial: If the Grasslands piece isn't showing up, the Sundial area is your best bet.
4. Talk to Scrooge Last: His dialogue is the longest, so get EVE and Merlin out of the way first.

Stop treating Gaston like a hero and start treating him like a recurring resource node. Once you view him as a way to get more recipes and furniture, the "Gaston the Hero" quest becomes a lot more bearable.

Now that you've handled Gaston's ego, check your friendship levels with Rapunzel—you'll need her at level 7 to unlock the next major story beat in the Tangle.