Of all the secret unlockable characters inVampire Survivors, three in particular stand out: Exdash, Toastie, and Smith IV, a trio of ghosts with unusual abilities, and even more unusual unlock conditions. These three must be unlocked in sequence, and on top of that, they also require you to make quick-fire use of your keyboard; meaning that it’s not just a matter of knowing how to unlock Exdash, Toastie, and Smith IV, but also a test of your typing skills and reflexes.
This guide will help you handle all aspects of unlocking this terrifying trio, from preparation to execution. If you’re ready to get spooky inVampire Survivors, read on to find out how.
Vampire Survivors: How to unlock Exdash
As mentioned above, the three ghosts need to be unlocked in sequence, meaning you can’t unlock Toastie until you’ve unlocked Exdash, and you can’t unlock Smith IV until you’ve unlocked Toastie. We’ll start by covering Exdash, the easiest of the three to unlock by far. In order to do so, you must have collected the Forbidden Scrolls of Morbane, the relic that gives you access to the Secrets list and the code input screen.
The hint given for unlocking Exdash is “Cast the spell x-x1viiq.”To do this, head to the Secrets list, move over to the code input section, type in “x-x1viiq,” (no quotations) then press ‘Enter’ to lock it in. Make sure you type carefully, as your characters will be converted to runes on the screen, meaning it’s easy to make a mistake. Once you’ve done this successfully, Exdash will be unlocked.
Vampire Survivors: How to unlock Toastie
With Exdash unlocked, we can now move on to Toastie. This is the awkward middle child of the ghost trio, and the trickiest one to unlock by far. As the Forbidden Scrolls of Morbane tell you, you need to“Uppercut a non-red Reaper”to do so, which translates to pressing thedown arrow key and enter simultaneouslyon your keyboard when you defeat a Stalker, Drowner, or Trickster enemy.
These enemies appear as special events in certain stages, and as rare encounters in others, but the most consistent way to encounter one is to head to the Boss Rash challenge stage.Check out our guidefor more details on how to unlock this stage. At around the 11 minute mark in Boss Rash, all three of these enemies will appear, giving you a prime opportunity to defeat one and unlock Toastie.
An important thing to note is that the way in which you defeat them matters. If you defeat one with normal attack damage, which is possible with the right build, you won’t be able to unlock Toastie. If you use a special item, such as the Pentagram weapon or the Rosary item, then you will. There’s a Rosary in Boss Rash, which you may pull in with the Mad Groove Arcana, and keep around until you need it. If you do this right, Toastie will appear in the corner briefly after the enemy is defeated, which is your cue topress the down arrow key and enter together. If you manage this while he’s on-screen, you’ll hearVampire Survivors’‘secret unlocked’ jingle, and Toastie will be unlocked.
Vampire Survivors: How to unlock Smith IV
With two ghosts down, you’ll now be able to unlock Smith IV. The hint you’re given for doing so in-game is “Sometimes you just need to ask for help,” which is marvelously unhelpful, but thankfully the unlock process isn’t too difficult once you know how it works. We’ve broken it down into simple steps below:
If you manage to get everything done in time, you’ll hear the ‘secret unlocked’ jingle. Time is of the essence with this one, so make sure you’ve got your controller ready and your typing fingers primed before you attempt it. Once this is done, Smith IV will be unlocked.
Vampire Survivors: Using your new ghost friends
The ghost trio are unique in that you don’t need to purchase them: once they’re unlocked, you can play as them right away. All three start with one of the bird weapons, with Smith IV getting their evolved form, Vandalier, and incredibly weak base stats, balanced out with some kind of upside. Exdash gets high Luck, Toastie gains huge stat boosts at high levels, and Smith IV gets consistent, minor stat gains with every level.
This makes them difficult to play early on in a run, but unstoppable later, providing an interesting challenge for veteran players. Now that you know how to unlock Exdash, Toastie, and Smith IV, your options for uniqueVampire Survivorschallenge runs are considerably more open.
Nathan Ball
Nathan Ball is a freelance games writer with a deep love for the medium. Having studied Game Design at the University of Abertay, Dundee, he’s always on the lookout for games that push the envelope and try out fresh and exciting design techniques.
You can usually find him covering the latest indie gems, but he does dabble in the world of AAA from time to time as well.
Nathan has written professionally for various outlets, including TheGamer and the Scottish Games Network. When not writing, he enjoys good books, good TV, and analysing both within an inch of their life.
