Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse: Can You Beat Death in the Catacombs?

Far below in the Catacombs of Paris, Rose faces Death for her first battle in Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse. A full boss meter spans the bottom of the screen, with DEATH displayed there, making the encounter seem like a standard boss fight—but it isn’t.

Quick answer: No. This opening battle against Death is scripted for Rose to lose. There’s no penalty for losing: the game never shows a game-over screen, and the story continues.

Can you beat Death in the Catacombs?

After a few minutes, the encounter ends automatically in one of two ways:

At close range, Death hits Rose with his green Death Touch.
His health drops a little, and he starts a reaping chain that you can’t parry or dodge.

This battle gives you no Arcana card, reward card, or item. Death returns for a genuine boss fight later in the game.

Don’t spend potions here. Dodge, land a few hits if you want to, and let the fight run its course.

How to reach Death in the Catacombs

The route is walking, two elevator cages, two wheel levers and two floor grates. Begin at the Quarry Elevator Mirror of Life in the Catacombs of Paris.

Go to the Quarry Elevator Mirror of Life and save there.

Exit the mirror room, then follow the lower floor to the right until you reach the Quarry Elevator cage. Climb onto it and press Interact (E on PC) to descend.

Ride the cage to the bottom. The CONDEMNED MINESHAFT banner appears when you arrive.

Rose in the dark mine at the bottom of the Quarry Elevator, a purple marker above her — Arriving in the Condemned Mineshaft at the bottom of the Quarry Elevator.

Walk left and turn the wheel lever with Interact.

Climb aboard the second elevator cage, then press Interact to descend.

Interact E prompt over Rose as she stands on the second chain-hung elevator cage — The Interact prompt on the second elevator cage in the Condemned Mineshaft.

In the chamber lit green below, hold Down and press Jump to fall through the floor grate.

Turn the wheel lever on that lower level.

Drop through the next grate the same way, holding Down and pressing Jump.

Head over to the gate at the chamber’s left side.

Rose crossing the green-lit underground chamber toward the gate on the left — The green-lit chamber floor leading to the gate.

At the gate, Rose talks with The Fallen. She asks, “Why are you so concerned? Do you mean to stall me? Are you still trying to serve your master?”

Pass through the gate to the left. A cutscene begins in the Altar of Bones, where Death emerges beneath a massive bone arch. He says, “I smell… Belmont. Finally.” The fight starts immediately afterward.

Death’s attacks in the first fight

Each of Death’s moves in this fight has a clear tell.

Death Touch. Death lifts his scythe as a green spark appears on Rose; green shards then burst out around her, knocking her down. The attack can reach her from a distance.

Rose facing Death in the Altar of Bones with the DEATH health bar along the bottom — The first Death fight, with his boss health bar across the bottom of the screen.

Teleport and slash. Death vanishes, then a dark-blue orb appears beside Rose and he swings at her as he emerges. Each time he uses this move, he appears on the opposite side.

Floor sweep. Death draws his scythe back near the ground, then sends a broad, level green streak across most of the arena. Leap over it.

Death alternates the teleport slash and floor sweep in a consistent cycle. He also uses Death Touch from time to time between those attacks. For a short clip of each move, see our Death boss guide.

What happens when the fight ends

Once the fight stops, Death taunts Rose: “You fight as I would expect a young huntress to, little Belmont.”

Rose replies, “No… I can defeat you. I WILL defeat you!” Then a lengthy cutscene plays.

After the scene, Rose wakes up in a ruined room in the Catacombs. Interact with the rubble and she says, “It’s blocked. I need to find another way out of here.”

The appearance of a new objective signals that the story has progressed: REACH DRACULA’S CASTLE. The game also saves automatically once the scene ends. If you quit and select Resume, you’ll load into the ruined room rather than at the Quarry Elevator mirror (more on where Resume starts you).