In Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, defeating Dracula in the Throne Room for the first time is not the end of the story. You receive an ending, but then return to the world with your original goal and continue playing. Face Dracula again to reach the conclusion foretold by the prophecy in Notre-Dame.
Quick answer: Complete the four virtue trials in the Gallery of the Four Virtues, beat your shadow (“???”) at the altar and speak to the spirit that appears, then return to the Throne Room and defeat Dracula again for the trophy “Curse lifted”.
The game never shows a checklist that names these as the requirements. Its prophecy points to them, and this is a route that works.
What happens after the first ending
Dracula falls on the castle roof, a trophy appears, and a short scene plays before you earn “The hunt goes on”. An epilogue text card, the title screen and a loading screen follow, and then you resume from the Mirror of Life in the Master’s Quarters, back in the Sanctuary of Solitude.
Your equipment remains with you, and every part of the map is still available to explore. The map’s objective continues to say “Find Dracula and defeat him”; the game adds nothing new. Its unchanged instruction signals that the hunt continues.
The prophecy that explains the rest sits on a golden tablet in the Gallery of the Four Virtues, inside Notre-Dame. Titled “THE PROPHECY”, it reads:
The curse’s darkness gives way and blessed light returns only after the Bells of Virtue sound and humanity conquers its Self.
Complete the four virtue trials in the Gallery of the Four Virtues
The Gallery has four windows bearing verses about Courage, Prudence, Justice and Temperance. Press Interact [R1] at a window to break its glass and fall into a trial, which leads to a bell. Ring that bell to return to the cathedral with the virtue’s blessing.
Courage
Interact with the Courage window. A rematch with Joan plays out, and she ends it by granting her blessing of Courage.
Prudence
Activate the green Prudence window associated with Eleanor. Climb through the trial, dodging moving saws, falling rubble and spike-lined walls, until you reach the large bell above. Strike it to receive the virtue from Eleanor. The window is easiest to access once you have met Eleanor in the Mausoleum of the Kings in Holy Innocents’ Cemetery, where she gives you the Sage Arcana card.
Justice
Consult the plaque positioned between the windows, then make your way up the bell tower through saw blades, hooded cultists, harpies and armoured swordsmen. Ring the bell at the summit; Saint Louis will speak and grant you Justice.
Temperance
Read the tablet by the blue window, which begins “Hear the bell of Temperance sound, it Whispers like a stream. A boat of patience between the bells”, then interact with the window. The Ferryman guards this water trial, with green hands, spike traps and grapple rings in your way. Strike the bell at the end and he says, “Be blessed, Belmont, with the virtue of Temperance!”
Once you have received the final blessing, the big rose window shines at full brightness, and Leon remarks on the curse.
Beat your shadow at the altar
Press Interact [R1] at the altar beneath the illuminated rose window. This transports you to a chapel, where a cloaked attacker named “???”—your own shadow—confronts you.
Defeating it earns the trophy “Shadow Work”, a new character skin, and the Arcana card The Self with the spell Absolution (“Hold the spell button to absorb the curse from all nearby enemies, purging their evil, dealing massive damage, and healing Rose for each enemy hit.”). A golden sphere left behind completes a “Work of Mercy”.
Return to the altar and interact with it once more. After a brief scene, Sypha’s spirit appears. Speak to her to learn that Rose has conquered the shadow she was born with.
Return to the Throne Room and fight Dracula again
Travel through the Sanctuary of Solitude gate in the Master’s Quarters, exit onto the Grand Staircase, then pass through the Throne Room Antechamber to reach the Throne Room.
Dracula now fights in two stages: first in the throne room, then in a winged form. Defeating both forms awards “Curse lifted”.
How the two endings differ
The first ending does not stop the curse. Its text says evil lingers, and play continues with your save intact. The second ending closes the game with a sunrise scene over Paris and an epilogue card that reads, “Darkness may yet return… but thanks to you, humanity can look beyond, toward a new dawn.” Seeing that card and the “Curse lifted” trophy confirms you reached it.
