Weapons in Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse turn up in ornate chests, as a handful of story rewards, and once as a pickup glowing on the floor. Every pickup shows a card with the weapon’s name, a tier word, an ATK number, a short description, and the name of its special move. You can equip it straight from that card or swap it in later from the menu.
Quick answer: Open a chest or grab the pickup, then equip from its card with Hold to Equip, Square, or change weapons later under Equipment > Armoury.
How weapons and the Armoury work
The weapons fall into seven families, each with a distinct fighting approach and signature moves. For a later change, go to Equipment, choose the weapon currently in use, then swap it for a different one in the Armoury.
Each card’s tier word lines up with a fixed ATK number:
- Ordinary — ATK 25
- Refined — ATK 50
- Masterpiece — ATK 75
- Legendary — ATK 100
The seven weapon families and their special moves
The move name printed on a card tells you which family a weapon belongs to. Here is how each family fights.
- Fists (move: Uppercut) — Cestus, Fists of Talos, Jewel Knuckles. “The more you hit enemies, the more weapon damage you deal.”
- Spears (move: Push) — Lance, Halberd, Gungnir, Chauve-Souris. “Hold [Square] to aim with the weapon, then release to throw it.”
- Sword and shield (move: Shield bash) — Rusted Harpe and Aegis, Fleuret and Tower Shield, Arondight and Lancelot’s Shield. Hold the button shown on the card to block attacks coming from the front.
- Paired blades (move: Blade Flurry) — Pair of Longswords, Rapiers, Almace and Hauteclaire. “Press [Square] when the previous attack hits the target to prolong the combo.”
- Whips (move: Whip Drag) — Whip, Thorn Whip, Vampire Killer. “The furthest point of the weapon’s attack deals more damage.”
- Great swords (move: Blade Dive) — Claymore, Durandal, Burnt Sword of Fierbois, Excalibur. “Hold and release [Square] to charge and unleash a stronger attack.”
- Balanced swords (move: Dash through) — Bastard Sword, Joyeuse, Valmanway. “Attack right after a backdash or slide to deal more damage.”
Weapon locations, tier and ATK
The 23 weapons below are listed in the order you meet them, with the area names as the game shows them.
| Weapon | Tier | ATK | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cestus | Ordinary | 25 | Sewer Reservoir, central platform chest above the water |
| Lance | Ordinary | 25 | At Holy Innocents’ Cemetery, look for a golden chest on the balcony overlooking the gate. |
| Rusted Harpe and Aegis | Ordinary | 25 | At Holy Innocents’ Cemetery, the item shines on the ground beside the debris-covered staircase. |
| Pair of Longswords | Ordinary | 25 | Crossroads of the Dead, ornate chest |
| Whip | Ordinary | 25 | Hall of the Fallen Ideals, chest |
| Bastard Sword | Refined | 50 | In the Justice District Sewers, a chest sits on a platform above the lower level. |
| Rapiers | Refined | 50 | In Spike Passage’s portrait chamber, surrounded by spikes, find the chest in the lower-right corner. |
| Halberd | Refined | 50 | A chest awaits on a raised platform in Mechanic’s Ascent. |
| Claymore | Refined | 50 | The puzzle chamber in The Way of the Fist contains a golden chest. |
| Fists of Talos | Masterpiece | 75 | At Builder’s Bureau, check the extreme right for a chest. |
| Thorn Whip | Refined | 50 | Fine Arts Shelves, upper-left balcony chest reached with grapple rings |
| Durandal | Masterpiece | 75 | On the lower level of Lisa’s Laboratory, open the gold chest. |
| Fleuret and Tower Shield | Refined | 50 | In the Library’s Condemned Shelves, search the lofty concealed alcove over the astrological dial. |
| Gungnir | Masterpiece | 75 | In the upper chamber of Throat of Hell, find a chest positioned between a pair of statues. |
| Almace and Hauteclaire | Masterpiece | 75 | A golden chest is set on the platform above the lower area of Flooded Crypt. |
| Arondight and Lancelot’s Shield | Masterpiece | 75 | On Tower Entrance’s lowest level, there is a chest. |
| Joyeuse | — | 75 | In Notre-Dame Undercroft, go beyond the electric-beam obstacle course to reach a tucked-away room. |
| Vampire Killer | Legendary | 100 | Trevor Belmont gives it to you in the Notre-Dame infirmary. |
| Valmanway | — | 75 | At Palace of Justice, you receive it together with The Judge Arcana. |
| Chauve-Souris | Legendary | 100 | After defeating Isaac, collect it in the Heart of the Clock at Clock Tower. |
| Burnt Sword of Fierbois | Ordinary | 25 | Following your conversation with Joan of Arc, take it from the stone rampart atop the Roof of the Tower. |
| Jewel Knuckles | Refined | 50 | Old Gallery — the chest is on the balcony to the right, positioned above the teleport door. |
| Excalibur | Legendary | 100 | At the Chapel in Notre-Dame, the sword is embedded in the stone altar at the center. |
Opening the Cestus chest in the Sewer Reservoir seals the room, and an enemy ambush follows. A few descriptions set the tone for their family, too. The Cestus is “A fast weapon that becomes more and more lethal as you hit enemies with it.” the Lance is “A long-range weapon useful to stand your ground.” and Gungnir is “The spear of Odin.”
The 23 weapons listed here are only a selection, not the full roster. Collecting the Claymore in The Way of the Fist awards the trophy “Jack of All Trades”.
Weapons that are not in chests
Five weapons come to you outside the usual golden chests. One sits glowing on the floor, and the others are tied to events.
- Rusted Harpe and Aegis lies aglow on the ground in Holy Innocents’ Cemetery, beside the rubble staircase; there is no chest.
- Vampire Killer is handed to you by Trevor Belmont in the Notre-Dame infirmary. It “Burns enemies hit with its tip and cause enemies killed to explode in flames.”
- Valmanway is a reward in the Palace of Justice, given alongside The Judge Arcana.
- Chauve-Souris is picked up in the Clock Tower’s Heart of the Clock after the Isaac fight. It is “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.”
- Burnt Sword of Fierbois can be taken from the stone rampart on the Roof of the Tower after you speak with Joan of Arc.
How to reach Excalibur in the Chapel
Excalibur is the Legendary great sword set in the central stone altar of the Chapel in Notre-Dame, with ATK 100. It “Shoots projectiles of pure light when used to attack.”
An early try at the altar does not work. An inscription titled “FEAT OF STRENGTH” reads, “Only a titan of strength, a colossus of virtue, a giant of heart shall draw this sword and, anointed by the sword of dragons, be the savior of France.” A burst of light pushes you back at that point. The Gallery of the Four Virtues in Notre-Dame, with its virtue plaques for Courage, Temperance, Justice, and Prudence, comes before this.
When you return later, keep pressing INTERACT at the sword until a cutscene starts, where the Brittle King says, “Strength is not enough to draw Excalibur. One must also be strong of heart and mind.” Pull the sword and the Brittle King appears, starting the boss fight named Arthur. After the kill, you absorb the Arcana The Brittle King (Stained-Glass Shield), and the Excalibur card then appears. You will know it worked once that card shows and the sword is in your Armoury.
