Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse hands out 28 weapons spread across seven families, and the number printed on each weapon card is easy to misread. That ATK value tells you the tier, not how hard the weapon swings. Once you separate the two, the ranking gets clear fast.
Quick answer: Excalibur is the strongest weapon, a Legendary two-handed sword with the highest base attack in the game at 44 per hit. Until you reach it, the Vampire Killer (40) is the best you can hold.
How the ATK number works on each weapon card
A weapon card’s ATK number identifies its tier rather than its damage per hit: Ordinary cards show ATK 25, Refined cards ATK 50, Masterpiece cards ATK 75, and Legendary cards ATK 100. Valmanway is the sole exception: despite being Legendary, its card displays ATK 75.
What actually matters for damage is each weapon’s base attack per hit, a separate value that varies a lot even between weapons of the same tier. Base attack is measured per hit, so it is not a damage-per-second figure. Lighter families swing faster, which is why a lower per-hit number does not always mean a weaker weapon in practice.
Family also decides how much mana each hit returns for spells:
- Two-handed sword: 5
- Sword and shield: 4
- Whip: 3
- One-handed sword: 3
- Spear: 3
- Dual swords: 2
- Fists: 2
You won’t find shops or money in the game. Weapons are obtained from chests, story rewards, and bosses; for specific locations, see the locations of all 28 weapons. Within each tier, the list below runs from the highest base damage per hit downward. The figures are from launch in October 2026 (version 1.0), and later patches may alter them. For the Relics to pair with your weapon, see the best Relics tier list, and for permanent +1 ATK boosts, the ATK UP book locations.
The seven Legendary weapons, ranked
Every top-tier weapon is Legendary, one per family. These are the seven you build toward.
| Weapon | Family | Base attack | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
 Excalibur | Two-handed sword | 44 | Arthur, Notre-Dame Chapel |
 Vampire Killer | Whip | 40 | Trevor, Notre-Dame infirmary |
 Chauve-Souris | Spear | 38 | Heart of the Clock |
 War and Famine | Dual swords | 33 | Great Organ Room, Notre-Dame |
 Alucard’s Sword and Shield | Sword and shield | 33 | Alucard’s Tower, Main Hall |
 Bernhard’s Wrath | Fists | 26 | Hall of Mirrors |
 Valmanway | One-handed sword | 21 | Palace of Justice |
Excalibur leads the entire list. Its card reads, “The sword of the true king. Shoots projectiles of pure light when used to attack.” and you can “Hold and release [Square] to charge and unleash a stronger attack” (left mouse button on PC). It arrives late, as the reward for beating Arthur after you draw the sword in the Chapel; the full route is covered in how to get Excalibur.
Vampire Killer is the weapon most players keep in hand the longest, since it comes well before Excalibur. The Belmont whip “Burns enemies hit with its tip and cause enemies killed to explode in flames,” and the whip family rule rewards precision: “The furthest point of the weapon’s attack deals more damage.” You collect it from Trevor in the Notre-Dame infirmary, and the steps are in how to get the Vampire Killer.
Chauve-Souris is the pick for players who want range. Its card reads, “The cursed weapon of Dracula’s lieutenant. When thrown, it will try to chase up to two consecutive targets, piercing any enemy on the way.” You hold the attack to aim and release to throw, and you find it in the Heart of the Clock after the second of the Isaac fights.
Alucard’s Sword and Shield teleports the user on attack and blocks from the front when you hold the attack button, waiting in Alucard’s Tower. War and Famine ends its combo by creating “a empowering area on the ground” and sits in the Great Organ Room. Bernhard’s Wrath carries the lowest Legendary per-hit number, but the Fists family is the fast one, and these gloves heal the wielder as the combo climbs. Valmanway looks weakest on paper, yet its attacks are “doubled after a quick delay”; you earn it from the Scales of Justice in the Palace of Justice alongside The Judge Arcana.
Masterpiece, Refined and Ordinary weapons
Below the Legendary tier, the gaps between families widen. These tables list each weapon by its base attack per hit.
Masterpiece (card ATK 75)
| Weapon | Base attack |
|---|---|
 Durandal | 36 |
 Morning Star | 35 |
 Gungnir | 33 |
 Arondight and Lancelot’s Shield | 31 |
 Almace and Hauteclaire | 30 |
 Joyeuse | 30 |
 Fists of Talos | 21 |
Durandal is the best stand-in while you chase Excalibur, hitting harder per swing than any other Masterpiece weapon.
Refined (card ATK 50)
| Weapon | Base attack |
|---|---|
 Claymore | 31 |
 Thorn Whip | 30 |
 Halberd | 28 |
 Bastard Sword | 26 |
 Rapiers | 25 |
 Fleuret and Tower Shield | 25 |
 Jewel Knuckles | 17 |
Ordinary (card ATK 25)
| Weapon | Base attack |
|---|---|
 Burnt Sword of Fierbois | 25 |
 Whip | 24 |
 Lance | 22 |
 Longsword | 20 |
 Pair of Longswords | 20 |
 Rusted Harpè and Aegis | 20 |
 Cestus | 12 |
Best weapon in each family
If you prefer one weapon type, here is the top pick and its closest alternative per family, along with each family’s special move.
| Family | Best | Runner-up | Special move |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whip | Vampire Killer (40) | Morning Star (35) | Whip Drag |
| Two-handed sword | Excalibur (44) | Durandal (36) | Blade Dive |
| Spear | Chauve-Souris (38) | Gungnir (33) | Push |
| Sword and shield | Alucard’s Sword and Shield (33) | Arondight and Lancelot’s Shield (31) | Shield bash |
| Dual swords | War and Famine (33) | Almace and Hauteclaire (30) | Blade Flurry |
| One-handed sword | Valmanway (21) | Joyeuse (30) | Dash through |
| Fists | Bernhard’s Wrath (26) | Fists of Talos (21) | Uppercut |
One-handed swords are the odd case. Joyeuse hits harder per swing than Valmanway, but Valmanway doubles its attacks after a short delay, which is why it takes the family’s top Legendary slot despite the lower base attack. The one-handed rule also lets you attack right after a backdash or slide for extra damage.
Best weapons early in the game
You start with the Longsword, and the first chest weapon is the Cestus in the Sewer Reservoir. The Cestus hits softly, but fists grow stronger the more you keep connecting, so it rewards aggressive play.
In the Holy Innocents’ Cemetery you can pick up the Lance, which adds reach and a thrown attack, and the Rusted Harpè and Aegis, which gives you a front block. The Whip is the strongest Ordinary weapon most players find first, and the Burnt Sword of Fierbois follows after the Joan of Arc fight on the Roof of the Tower.
The Bastard Sword in the Justice District Sewers is the first Refined weapon within reach. For the strongest hit in this tier, use the Claymore, found in The Way of the Fist inside the Clock Tower. It makes a dependable mid-game weapon until Masterpiece and Legendary tiers become available.
