How to get the lockpick in Resident Evil 3

Curse you, yellow locks! Forever blocking our access to tasty rewards and weapon upgrades, you foil us at every turn. It doesn’t have to be this way though, and if you’re struggling with yellow locks in Resident Evil 3, all you need is a lockpick. This handy tool will grant you access to all the chambers you’ve been blocked from, meaning you’ll want it as soon as possible. Read on to learn how to get the lockpick in Resident Evil 3.

How to get the lockpick in Resident Evil 3

While it’s useful for all manner of bonus items, the lockpick is actually a key item in Resident Evil 3. You’ll have to obtain it to progress through the story, and it won’t take long to get it once you’re out on the streets of Raccoon City. 

You’ll get the lockpick in Resident Evil 3 when you head to the Subway Power Substation, with the mission goal "reactivate power at the substation." After you douse the alleyway fire and grab the Bolt Cutters, you’ll have a short cutscene with Nikolai and another unfortunate U.B.C.S. member before moving on through some streets to the power substation. Head through this building and you’ll see the substation area with the breakers through a large window. It’s covered in nasty gunk, and the front gate is locked. When you make your way down to it, you should move forwards past the gate to the body in the corner. 

The corpse is holding a box (as well as some bugs). Take it and examine it in your inventory to open it. Inside you’ll find a nice lockpick tool set. At this point we recommend backtracking through the previous areas to unlock all the yellow locks you missed on the way. It’s a bit of effort, but it’ll save you doing it while Nemesis in on your tail. Yes, the big guy will be coming soon. The yellow locks hide all sorts of things, from extra shotgun ammo to first aid sprays and even a Mr Charlie doll. If you want Jill to be as prepared as she can be, it’s worth heading back once you have the lockpick.

More Resident Evil 3 guides:

• Resident Evil 3 Red Jewel and Blue Jewel puzzle solution
• How to get the Shotgun in Resident Evil 3

Now that you know how to get the lockpick in Resident Evil 3, you’ve got some backtracking time on your hands. Even if you don’t bother with the locks you’ve passed, hold on to that lockpick as you can still get plenty of use out of it in the hospital later in the game. Thanks Jill, you really are the master of unlocking. Head to our Resident Evil game hub by clicking here for more guides, news and content.

Henry Stenhouse

Associate Editor

Henry Stenhouse serves an eternal punishment as the Associate Editor of AllGamers. He spent his younger life studying the laws of physics, even going so far as to complete a PhD in the subject before video games stole his soul. Confess your love of Super Smash Bros. via email at henry@moonrock.biz, or catch him on Twitter.