The Pale Thorn is a relic in Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse that rewards you for facing enemies head-on. It sits in a chest inside a small hidden room in Holy Innocents’ Cemetery, and you need one movement ability before you can reach it.
Quick answer: With Aerial Rush unlocked, enter the concealed route on the Hot Springs’ western (left) side. The chest is on the ledge over the doorway you came through.
Where the Pale Thorn is in Holy Innocents’ Cemetery
In Holy Innocents’ Cemetery, the Hot Springs district contains the relic, in a small chamber branching off the hall’s western end. A chest rests on a slim ledge high on the room’s right, above the entrance door; a lever is fixed to the wall beside it.
The closest Mirror of Life is at Pauper’s Grave. The Holy Innocents’ Cemetery Ferryman’s wharf is nearby as well. From the wharf, enter the Roman Baths, then turn left into the Hot Springs.
You can also pin down the Pale Thorn on the map. For the rest of the area, there is a list of all items in Holy Innocents’ Cemetery.
How to reach the Pale Thorn chest
When the chest opens, the PALE THORN relic card appears on screen. That card confirms the relic is yours.
What the Pale Thorn does
The relic card lists this effect:
“Rose takes 60% less damage from the front but 100% more from the back.”
Its flavour text reads: “Torn from the corpse of a crossbowman, this splinter of wood retains the chill of the grave.”
You can equip it straight from the card with Hold to equip, or later from the Equipment screen. The trade-off is simple. It pays off when you keep enemies in front of Rose and fight them head-on. It hurts when you get surrounded or take hits from behind.
To weigh it against the alternatives, see how the relics rank, or browse every relic location.
