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Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse has 14 distinct bosses across 18 encounters. Death, Isaac, Joan and Dracula each return for a second battle. The order below is the typical full-clear progression reported by AllThingsHow (updated October 17, 2026), not an unchangeable sequence: several fights depend on your Arcana, ending path and optional challenge progress.
Full boss order at a glance
Use the encounter number as a route reference. The area is the boss arena’s location, while the final column identifies the practical progression value of the fight. “No Arcana” means the encounter does not award a Tarot ability, although it can still unlock movement, equipment or story progress.
| # | Boss | Arena and region | Reward or unlock | Progression note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Fallen (Leon) | Gate to the Catacombs, Paris Streets | The Fallen Arcana (Holy Cross), Arcane Whip and a key | First major gate in the recommended route. |
| 2 | Medusa | Ossuary of the Innocents, Holy Innocents’ Cemetery | The Prophetess Arcana (Petrifying Gaze) | Adds the ability needed for later clue-solving and combat situations. |
| 3 | Joan (first) | Roof of the Tower, Paris Streets | The Warrior Arcana (Infernal Pyre) | Provides the Warrior card used in the ending requirements. |
| 4 | Death (first) | Stairway to Hell, Catacombs of Paris | No Arcana card | Early Death encounter; the rematch is a separate progression gate. |
| 5 | Isaac (first) | Main Hall | No Arcana card | First Isaac encounter; his later fight awards an Arcana. |
| 6 | Talos | Throne of the Builder, Clock Tower | The Builder Arcana (Fist of Talos) and Smash | The Builder is one of the requirements for entering Notre-Dame. |
| 7 | Carmilla | Observatory, Library | The Occultist Arcana (Blood Spikes), Aerial Rush and Brauner’s Paintbrush | Supplies a movement option and the item needed for the Notre-Dame painting. |
| 8 | Brauner | Brauner’s Atelier, Main Hall | The Artist Arcana (Masterpiece) | Masterpiece is used on the large Notre-Dame painting. |
| 9 | Mammon | Mammon’s Lair, Catacombs of Paris | The Miser Arcana (Wheel of Chaos) | Part of the normal midgame route before the Notre-Dame sequence. |
| 10 | Joan (second) | Courage Bell, Notre-Dame | Courage blessing | This rematch grants a virtue blessing rather than a new Arcana. |
| 11 | Death (second) | Transept, Choir, Notre-Dame | The Shadow Arcana (Soul Harvest), Vampire Killer and Double Jump | Major movement and weapon milestone for the late game. |
| 12 | Saint Louis | Palace of Justice, Paris Streets | The Judge Arcana (Chains of Justice) | The Judge card is needed for the true-ending route. |
| 13 | Isaac (second) | Heart of the Clock, Clock Tower | The Zealot Arcana (Chronomantic Dive); Chauve-Souris spear becomes available after the fight | Late Clock Tower progression and another true-ending card. |
| 14 | Dracula (first) | Court of the Night, Master’s Quarters | Trophy only | Reaching this fight can lead to the bad, normal or true ending depending on prior actions. |
| 15 | Succubus | Belmont Manor, Hall of Mirrors | The Temptress Arcana (Life Drain) and the full Hall of Mirrors map | Optional or conditional in some routes; useful for a complete clear. |
| 16 | Doppelganger (The Cursed) | Gallery of the Four Virtues, Notre-Dame | The Self Arcana (Absolution) | Requires all four virtue blessings and is mandatory for the true ending. |
| 17 | Arthur | Chapel, Notre-Dame | The Brittle King Arcana (Stained-Glass Shield) and Excalibur | Late optional/conditional encounter tied to the virtue-challenge route. |
| 18 | Dracula (second) | Court of the Night, Master’s Quarters | Trophy only | Final rematch after the route conditions for the intended ending are met. |
The two Dracula entries are separate encounters in the same arena, as are the two fights each against Death, Isaac and Joan. That is why the game has 18 total battles but 14 distinct bosses.
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Is this the only possible order?
No. AllThingsHow describes this as a typical progression path. Belmont’s Curse uses cryptic clues and Tarot-card discoveries rather than a single linear boss hallway, so an exploratory player can reach some encounters in a different order or postpone conditional fights. The list is most useful as a full-clear target: it shows when the movement skills, Arcana and key items normally become available.
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A blind run and a completionist run have different priorities. In a blind run, follow the clue you can currently decode and return when a door or traversal challenge clearly asks for an Arcana you do not have. In a full-clear run, collect every card, blessing and rematch before treating the first Dracula battle as the end of the route.
How progression gates work
Arcana unlocks are both combat tools and keys
Each Arcana is a Tarot-linked ability with a practical purpose beyond damage. The Fallen’s Holy Cross, Medusa’s Petrifying Gaze, Joan’s Infernal Pyre, Talos’s Fist of Talos, Carmilla’s Blood Spikes, Brauner’s Masterpiece, Mammon’s Wheel of Chaos, Death’s Soul Harvest, Saint Louis’s Chains of Justice, Isaac’s Chronomantic Dive, Succubus’s Life Drain, the Doppelganger’s Absolution and Arthur’s Stained-Glass Shield collectively expand where Rose can go and which clues she can interpret. The game often communicates a gate indirectly: an unreachable ledge, an object that cannot be activated, or a Tarot clue that has no apparent solution can indicate a missing card rather than a missed hallway.
Movement upgrades change the map
Talos teaches Smash, Carmilla grants Aerial Rush, and the second Death encounter grants Double Jump along with the Vampire Killer. These are meaningful route changes, not merely stronger attacks. When a previously visited room contains a high platform, breakable obstruction or elevated shortcut, revisit it after acquiring the corresponding movement tool instead of assuming the area is permanently inaccessible.
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Notre-Dame is a deliberate mid-to-late-game gate
Notre-Dame access requires three Arcana: The Builder, The Artist and The Occultist. In encounter terms, that means defeating Talos, Brauner and Carmilla and retaining the progression items from those fights. Once those conditions are met, use Masterpiece on the large Notre-Dame painting. The painting is only the first step; the route continues through three music-sheet and organ tasks before the Transept opens and the second Death battle becomes reachable.
Notre-Dame route: exact sequence
- Secure the three prerequisites. Defeat Talos for The Builder, Carmilla for The Occultist and Brauner for The Artist. Carmilla’s reward includes Brauner’s Paintbrush, which is needed alongside Masterpiece.
- Return to the large Notre-Dame painting. Equip or select Masterpiece at the painting rather than searching for a conventional door trigger.
- Complete the three music-sheet steps. Follow each sheet to its associated organ interaction. The sequence is a progression puzzle, so an apparently inactive organ generally means that one of the sheets has not yet been handled.
- Enter the Choir and Transept route. The completed organ sequence opens the path to Death’s second encounter.
- Defeat Death again. This fight awards Soul Harvest, the Vampire Killer and Double Jump, which are important for late exploration and combat.
- Continue through Notre-Dame’s virtue content. The four virtue blessings ultimately determine whether The Cursed appears in the Gallery of the Four Virtues.
If the painting does nothing, check the three Arcana requirements first. If the painting works but the next area remains closed, revisit the music-sheet and organ interactions rather than searching for a hidden boss door.
Recommended full-clear route by phases
Opening phase: encounters 1–5
Start with The Fallen, then Medusa and the first Joan fight. These early victories establish the initial Arcana set and open the route toward the Catacombs and Main Hall. The first Death and Isaac encounters are checkpoints in the unfolding path, not the end of either character’s storyline. Do not assume that defeating them removes them from the encounter list; both return later.
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Ability and map-expansion phase: encounters 6–9
Talos, Carmilla, Brauner and Mammon form the practical core of the midgame. Talos supplies Smash, Carmilla supplies Aerial Rush and the paintbrush, and Brauner supplies Masterpiece. Once those three conditions are met, Notre-Dame becomes available. Mammon’s fight is part of the typical route before the virtue-focused sections, so completing it now reduces later backtracking.
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The Joan rematch grants the Courage blessing. The second Death battle then adds the most important late movement package, while Saint Louis supplies the Judge card and the second Isaac battle supplies the Zealot card. After Isaac, the Chauve-Souris spear is available; check the post-fight area or item prompt rather than expecting the weapon to appear before the battle.
Master’s Quarters and optional completion phase: encounters 14–18
The first Dracula fight is the route’s major ending checkpoint. Succubus, The Cursed, Arthur and the second Dracula encounter may be conditional on your ending path and virtue progress. For the broadest completion, finish the Hall of Mirrors, all four virtue blessings, The Cursed and Arthur before resolving the final Dracula sequence.
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How to unlock each ending
Bad ending
At the top of the Clock Tower, take the hallway past the Cursed Horologium. This choice sends the run to the bad-ending outcome.
Normal ending
Disable the Cursed Horologium, then climb to the top of the Clock Tower and enter the Master’s Quarters. This is the route that reaches the normal ending without the complete virtue-and-Absolution requirements.
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The true ending has three mandatory parts:
- Complete and bless The Warrior, The Whisperer, The Judge and The Sage Tarot cards.
- Defeat The Cursed, the Doppelganger encounter in the Gallery of the Four Virtues.
- After the Dracula fight, use Absolution on Dracula. Absolution is The Self Arcana awarded by The Cursed.
The four named cards are virtue requirements, not a reference to the four Arcana cards in the early boss table. If The Cursed is unavailable, at least one virtue challenge or blessing has not been completed. If Absolution is missing, The Cursed has not been defeated on that save.
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Blind route versus typical full-clear route
| Decision point | Blind or exploratory route | Typical full-clear route |
|---|---|---|
| Movement gates | Follow currently readable clues and return to blocked rooms later. | Prioritize Builder, Artist and Occultist so the Notre-Dame painting route can be completed. |
| Backtracking | Potentially high because an unexplained gate may be revisited several times. | Group return trips after major Arcana and movement upgrades. |
| Rematches | May be postponed while pursuing the next obvious clue. | Complete both Death, both Isaac and both Joan encounters as the route opens them. |
| Virtue challenges | Can be missed or delayed, which may lock out The Cursed and the true ending. | Finish all four blessings before finalizing Dracula’s sequence. |
| Ending eligibility | Usually reaches the bad or normal ending depending on the Clock Tower choice. | Preserves access to The Cursed, Absolution and the true ending. |
If you are stuck: practical checks
- A boss door is not appearing: confirm that the relevant Arcana clue has been solved and that you have returned to the correct named arena, not merely the surrounding region.
- Notre-Dame will not open: verify The Builder, The Artist and The Occultist, then use Masterpiece on the large painting. The three music-sheet and organ steps follow that interaction.
- The Cursed is missing: complete and bless all four virtue cards—The Warrior, The Whisperer, The Judge and The Sage.
- The true-ending interaction is unavailable: defeat The Cursed first so that Absolution is in your Arcana collection, then use it on Dracula after the fight.
- A traversal route seems impossible: check whether Smash, Aerial Rush or Double Jump is the intended gate. The game expects backtracking after those abilities are acquired.
- A fight is overwhelming: the game offers accessibility options for increased potion capacity, boss-door respawns and higher attack damage. These options reduce repetition without changing the documented boss order.
Boss statistics and difficulty context
AllThingsHow lists health, attack and experience values for the encounters. Treat those figures as guide-reported values, not independent testing or a universal difficulty scale. The spread illustrates why late fights can feel dramatically tougher: The Fallen is listed at 800 health, 19 attack and 400 XP, while Arthur is listed at 11,000 health, 55 attack and 500 XP. The numbers alone do not account for attack patterns, arena hazards, Arcana availability or your equipment, so use them as reference points rather than a damage-plan substitute.
Because boss discovery can be harder than the battles themselves, mark every Tarot clue, locked arena and unexplained interaction on your map. When you gain a new Arcana or movement skill, revisit those marks in the same region before crossing the entire map. That habit lowers the fast-travel burden and makes the conditional encounters easier to identify.
Completion checklist
- Defeat all 18 listed encounters, including the second fights against Death, Isaac, Joan and Dracula.
- Collect every Arcana reward and note the non-card upgrades: Arcane Whip, key, Smash, Aerial Rush, Brauner’s Paintbrush, Courage blessing, Vampire Killer, Double Jump, Chauve-Souris and Excalibur.
- Open Notre-Dame with The Builder, The Artist and The Occultist, then complete all three music-sheet and organ steps.
- Finish the Hall of Mirrors route if you want the full map and the Temptress Arcana.
- Earn all four virtue blessings and defeat The Cursed for Absolution.
- Disable the Cursed Horologium rather than taking the hallway past it if you are preserving the normal or true-ending route.
- Use Absolution on Dracula after the fight for the true ending.
The Bottom Line
For most players, follow the 18-encounter sequence as a flexible full-clear route: obtain the Arcana and movement upgrades, unlock Notre-Dame through Builder, Artist and Occultist, complete the four virtue blessings, defeat The Cursed, and use Absolution on Dracula to secure the true ending.
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