Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow Walkthrough (DS)

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (DS) Walkthrough

~by tankMage (May 2022)

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow Home Page

Nintendo DS Game Catalog

About this Walkthrough

I really enjoyed Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow when I first played it roughly 15 years ago and appreciate it even more after playing it again for this walkthrough. Hopefully my work does this great game justice. I also appreciate the fact that anyone reading this has chosen this site when there are so many alternatives, so thank you!

As for the guide itself, it deals primarily with exploring the castle and relies on maps, which are included in each section of the main body of this guide. If you are looking for detailed info on souls, weapons, and bonuses unlocked by using the Aria of Sorrow cartridge, please visit the sites in the references section at the end of this guide, because they are excellent sources. I have also included a brief overview of what I think are the best weapons, armors, and souls as well as a short guide for Julius Mode.

I. Tips

Here are a few tips and strategies based on my experience. These tips are for the standard game, where players control Soma.

a. Buy Potions

Soma will gain access to Hammer’s shop fairly early in the game in the Lost Village. Hammer sells weapons, armor, and various types of consumables, including potions. A potion or high potion can save your life in a boss fight or while exploring the castle, so keep a few in your inventory at all times. Potions tend to be relatively cheap and most of your equipment will come from other sources, so do not be shy about spending money on healing items.

b. Luck has Little Impact on Drop Rates

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow tends to be a grindy game if you want drops from monsters. In fact, you need monster souls to upgrade weapons and many of the best armors are dropped by enemies, not to mention that souls are often powerful tools by themselves. That said, it is tempting to try to increase Soma’s Luck stat, which increases drop rates, to get souls/items more quickly. However, Luck has little bearing on drop rates due to a bug that drastically reduces its value. A single point of Luck only counts for a tiny fraction added to the drop rate. Most of the time you are better off equipping gear that will help you kill whatever you are farming more quickly. Those looking for alternatives to luck should try the Rare Ring for items and Soul Eater Ring for souls.

c. Level Up and Farm Souls

Soma becomes more powerful as he levels up, which can make defeating bosses and exploring less dangerous. Souls are particularly useful, because they grant Soma new powers. Collecting multiple copies of the same soul can also increase its overall power, so it is worthwhile to find a soul you like using and slay the enemy it belongs to a few times to power up.

d. Upgrade Your Weapons

Yoko can upgrade your weapons using monster souls when you find her shop in the Lost Village. Upgrading a weapon will boost its damage and unlock new powers. It’s also free aside from the soul required to make the upgrade. 

e. Soul Abilities and MP Regen are Awesome

While Soma can make melee attacks with a variety of weapons, it’s Bullet and Guardian Souls that really shine in this game. Souls dropped by monsters can grant Soma the ability to summon friendly monsters, throw axes, and even turn into creatures like the Valkyrie just to name a few of the powers available in this adventure. You will need MP to use these souls, so be sure to use Treant’s Soul and Rune Ring to boost Soma’s MP regeneration. At high levels the combination of the Treant Soul and Rune Ring can buff Soma’s MP regen enough to allow him to sustain summons without running out of MP.

f. Practice those Magic Seals!

Players must draw special magic seals on the DS touch screen after depleting a boss’s HP to finish it off. Fail to complete the seal and the boss will regenerate some of its HP, forcing the player to fight longer. Magic seals become complex later in the game, so it becomes important to be able to draw them quickly and accurately. Take a few minutes to practice each new magic seal you find, by using the practice option on the status screen.

Magic seals also have a timer represented by a circle of blue flames inside the frame of the seal. One of the flames will vanish with each second that passes and the seal will not work once the flames are totally gone. Practicing a seal before fighting the boss can ensure that you are able to draw it quickly enough to finish off the boss.

g. Taking Advantage of the Doppelganger Soul

Doppelganger allows Soma to switch between two sets of equipment and souls. You’ll find this skill in the Garden of Madness not long after the start of the game. There are many different ways you can take advantage of this power. Personally, I like to have one set that is geared towards combat and another that’s designed for moving around the castle, since the game will often require the player to use abilities like Bat Company to get around.

II. Weapons, Armors, Accessories, and Souls

This is just a brief overview of the various weapons and items in Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow and not a comprehensive list. There is far too much content in the way of equipment and souls to cover in a guide like this, so please visit the sites in Section VI. References if you want more detailed information. 

Note: I left out some of the special weapons (like the Terror Bear) that are earned through the Boss Rush Mode, because they are not really pertinent to the standard game. Take a look at Section V for more info on the Boss Rush.

a. Weapons

This is a brief overview of the weapon types available in Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow. I’ve listed the weapon types in a best to worst sort of order, though this is based primarily on my opinion. The overall speed, ease of use, and availability of the weapon types determined their place on this list. However, all of the weapon classes are more or less viable, so feel free to experiment to find what works best for you.

1. Greatswords  

Out of all the melee weapons, greatswords are top notch in my opinion. They have a wide arcing hitbox and inflict heavy damage. The greatsword’s only drawback is its somewhat slow swing speed. However, the best weapon in the game, Claimh Solais, is in the greatsword family, so it is hard to argue against this weapon class.

2. Spears

While it is easy to identify the very best weapon class, there are several candidates for the number two slot. Spears edge out the contenders very slightly in my opinion. The spear’s moderate attack speed and long reach make it effective against most enemies. Spears also tend to have effective special attacks. Gungner, the best spear, inflicts lightning damage and can fire a long range beam as its special attack.

3. Axes

Axes inflict high damage and can be argued to be the best weapons in the game, but they come in 3rd in my opinion. The heavy damage of the ax is counter balanced out by its slow swing speed. Axes also have a blind spot between the haft and the ax head so it’s possible for smaller foes to slip between attacks. That said, axes are consistently at or near the top of the list in terms of single hit damage. The Death Scythe, which is the ultimate ax, is very powerful and a good candidate for an end game weapon thanks to its special attack, which releases a swarm of skulls.

4. Rapiers/Whip Swords

This weapon family starts out as a simple stabbing blade and morphs into a blade that extends a bit like Julius’ whip with subsequent upgrades. Unfortunately, the upgrade line for this weapon class is a bit short and there are long gaps between whip sword tiers. That said, they are a decent option for players who want a faster weapon.

5. Swords

Swords are quick, short range weapons that inflict moderate damage. The sword’s claims to fame are its versatility and ease of use. Players can make a number of elemental blades using synthesis and relatively easy to obtain souls. The ultimate sword, Valmanway, is extremely fast and can strike a foe multiple times. 

6. Katanas

These weapons are fairly decent, though I do not like the fact that swinging a katana roots Soma to the ground for a split second…though weapons like the greatsword are worse in this regard. Katanas have a fair amount of reach and power. They are also good for aerial attacks. The main feature of the katana class is its special attack, which gets extra hits as the weapon improves in quality.

7. Hammers

As weapons go, hammers are kind of bad. They suffer from the same issues as the ax, but lack the raw power that redeems the ax class. There are also very few hammer upgrades. Mjollnjr, the best hammer deals lightning damage and gets two hits per swing. You can also use it to solve a simple puzzle in the Subterranean Hell.

8. Fists

Fist weapons are awful in my opinion. They lack both range and power, though they are fairly fast. Players looking for a challenge may like fists and there are a few instances where the blunt damage they inflict is helpful. While the Kaiser Knuckle is technically the best weapon in this family, the Mach Punch is probably a better choice due to its higher single hit damage.

9. Knives

This odd class of weapons consists of small stabbing blades. Most knives (like the Cinquedea) must be found or bought in Hammer’s shop. For the most part, knives are ok, but they are simply not worth the money required to buy them. Collectors and players who want to try something different may appreciate these weapons.

10. Ranged Weapons

Ranged weapons are another curiosity in this game. Guns, Tomahawks, Chakrams, and more can be found in the castle or bought from Hammer. These weapons fly across the screen, damaging anything they hit. While their extreme range is nice, ranged weapons have awful attack power and slow rates of fire. Interestingly, the Skellarang Soul allows players to fire two shots with their ranged weapons, which increases their efficacy a bit. 

b. Armor

Armor in Dawn of Sorrow can be divided into three broad groups: Mail, Robes, and Uniforms.* Each category has its own virtues, making some types of armor more useful than others depending on the player’s needs.

*These categories were created for the purposes of this guide and not all armors conform to them.

1. Mail

As the name implies, armor made from things like metal plates and chain fall into this category. This class of armor includes Leather Armor, the Breastplate, Scale Mail, and Eversing to name a few. As a rule, these armors have high defense for when they become available, making them a safe bet for any player.

2. Robes

Robes lack the solid defense of Mail while increasing Soma’s intelligence. As a result, players who like to use a lot of Bullet and Guardian Souls can benefit from a good Robe. Notable Robes include the Silk, Mage, and Elfin Robes.

3. Uniforms

Armors that fall into this family offer moderate defense as well as a Str/Atk bonus. Players that like melee weapons may want to use armor from this category, though the damage bonus is rather middling. That said, some of the best armors fall into this category, so Justaucorps, the Kung Fu Suit, Biker Jacket, Dracula’s Tunic etc. are all decent armor choices for more melee oriented players as well as some magic users.

c. Accessories

Soma will find a variety of accessories in the castle. Some accessories can be picked up in certain parts of the castle, while others are dropped by monsters. Accessories tend to fall into categories. That said, this guide will not go into great detail regarding this categoryl for the sake of brevity. Instead, we will go over the best accessories.

Rune Ring – Boosts MP regeneration, found in the Demon Guest House after getting Bat Company.

Megingiord – Increases Atk, Def, and Str. Found in the Dark Chapel after obtaining Paranoia’s Soul.

Satan’s Ring – Increases all stats, located in the Pinnacle.

Chaos Ring – Appears in the Abyss after acquiring a copy of each soul. Boosts all stats slightly and increases MP Regen.

Shaman’s Ring – Increases Exp gained from defeating monsters. Hidden in the Cursed Clock Tower.

Rare Ring – Boosts rare item (second item on monster card) drop rates from monsters. 

Soul Eater Ring – Raises the likelihood that monsters will drop souls. Buy from Hammer.

d. Souls

There are tons of souls in Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow and even more combinations that players can experiment with. This guide does not list every soul in the game (a link to a wiki with a full list of souls is available in the References Section) because there are so many. However, I have listed a few of my favorite souls below. These are not necessarily the best souls, so feel free to experiment.

1. Bullet Souls

These souls are generally use as projectile weapons, though there are a few exceptions. Bullet Souls are an awesome source of damage that can turn the tide of battle, so choose carefully.

Mandragora – This soul inflicts heavy damage over short range and does not require multiple copies to level up. It can be obtained early on in the Garden of Madness.

Axe Armor – A simple soul that allows Soma to throw an ax that can hit overhead enemies. Useful for a lot of bosses and can be acquired in the Lost Village.

Great Axe Armor – Summons a massive ax that spins around Soma in a wide arc. Inflicts heavy damage and can be found in the Condemned Tower.

Witch – Fire a magical ball that tracks monsters. Found in the Dark Chapel.

Guillotiner – Chop enemies in half by summoning a Guillotiner. Works well if combined with the Mini Devil Soul. Basement of the Dark Chapel.

Erinys – A short range attack that deals holy damage. Can get two hits on an enemy, found in the Pinnacle.

2. Guardian Souls

These souls are extremely varied and can range from summons to force fields. Guardian Souls do share one thing in common: they are all sustained abilities that consume MP while active. For the most part, these souls are useful even for melee builds, since having a summoned ally or shield of fireballs compliments any playstyle.

Skull Archer – Soma fires a bow that can be charged up for extreme damage. Can be found in the Wizardry Lab.

Buer – Summons flames that encircle Soma, acting as a shield from weak enemies and projecties. Can be found in the Condemned Tower and Demon Guest House.

Alura Une – Creates vines that attack monsters for Soma. Use the touch screen to make the vines attack more frequently. Alura Une is located in the Subterranean Hell.

Valkyrie – Turn into a Valkyrie that can pass through monsters. Valkyrie is in the Dark Chapel.

Mini Devil – Follows Soma around firing air blades at foes. Can summon a Guillotiner if Soma is equipped with the Guillotiner Bullet Soul as well. Look for this soul in the Dark Chapel. 

Black Panther – Soma can speed through areas using this soul if the player holds the R Button down while walking. While the Black Panther Soul is fun to use, it is not terribly practical, because it is acquired very late in the game.

3. Enchanted Souls

Treant – Increases MP regeneration. Garden of Madness.

Golem – Increases Str, look for the Golem in the Wizardry Lab.

The Creature – Regenerate HP, found in Wizardry Lab.

Lilith – Raises Int, found in Demon Guest House.

Bone Pillar – Boosts Con. Found in many areas, including Dark Chapel and Demon Guest House.

Stolas – Exchange Str for Int. Stolas dwells in the Abyss.

III. Walkthrough: Soma

This walkthrough deals with Soma’s quest, which is the main part of the game. It is split into several sections that are largely based on parts of the castle. Each section has a numbered map that the player can refer to as well as a list of items and major souls that are found in the area. Souls for regular monsters are not listed, though I do point out important souls and monster item drops in the walkthrough.

a. Prelude

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Items: Knife

Souls: Skeleton, Armor Knight, Golem

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Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow starts with Soma talking to Mina. Celia will crash the party and summon monsters to attack Soma. Luckily, Genya will show up and throw Soma a Knife, use it to destroy the Skeleton Celia summoned. Soma will get a Skeleton Soul when he defeats the Skeleton. Next, Celia will summon an Armor knight. Use the Skeleton Soul’s bone toss ability (Press Up and Y) to defeat the Armor Knight, who will give you a guaranteed Armor Knight Soul. 

Lastly, she will summon a Golem. The Golem is a lot more dangerous than the previous foes, but shouldn’t be much of a problem. Stay away from it and use the L Button to dash away from the stones the golem spits. Use the Skeleton Soul to hit the Golem from afar. A few bones should destroy it. Finish the Golem off with the knife if you run out of MP and you will get a Golem Soul.

Note: This intro section is very easy, but it is actually possible to die and get a Game Over if you take enough damage, so take it seriously.

b. Lost Village (Part 1)

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Items: Short Sword, Potion x2, Magic Seal 1, Claymore, Spear, $1000 Bag x2, $2000 Bag, Corn Soup, Cape

Souls: Flying Armor

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Soma will start out near the entrance of the castle in an area called The Lost Village. Hammer will speak to him briefly before wandering off, then you will be free to explore. Players who like grinding can start to collect souls and items dropped by enemies. It’s also possible to upgrade weapons using some of the souls acquired in this area once you find Yoko’s shop. Soma will also battle the first boss, Flying Armor, fairly early in the Lost Village.

1. This is the starting point of the game. Walk right to begin exploring.

2. A few Skeletons and Bats inhabit this room. As you can see, there’s more above, but Soma cannot reach this area yet, so continue right.

3. Soma will encounter a Peeping Eye as well as a few Skeletons here. It’s worth noting that the Peeping Eye Soul can be used to detect breakable walls, though this guide points out the breakable walls. The eye is easy to defeat as it merely flies around. Soma can break the lamps in this area to get money and hearts that refill MP. 

4. Soma finally has a choice of where to go in this room. Take the Short Sword on the platform and equip it if you like. Next, drop down into the room below.

5. Take the Potion on the floor in this room, then check out the chamber to the right. Save your game in this room. The door to the left of the Potion is sealed for now, so return to Point 4 on the map where you got the Short Sword. 

6. Wargs, Axe Armors, and Zombies patrol this room. The Wargs breathe fire and charge Soma, while the Axe Armors will throw axes that return like boomerangs. Try to defeat the Wargs quickly before they can attack and destroy the Axe Armor’s axes with your weapon. You may want to level up here a bit, since the first boss is coming up.

7. You will meet Yoko and Julius here. Yoko will join Soma after a short conversation and give him the Magic Seal 1. She will also give you a brief tutorial on drawing magic seals, which is important since you need to use them to finish off bosses. Go back to the room where Point 5 is located on the map (where you found the Potion a few moments ago) when you are ready to battle the boss.

8. Flying Armor (Boss)

Recommended Level: 3-5

Save your game in the Save Room to the right before entering this chamber. With Yoko and the Magic Seal 1, Soma will be able to enter this room and battle Flying Armor. 

This boss hovers around the room as the name implies and has two massive swords that follow him. He will often shoot the swords directly at Soma. Flying Armor pauses before thrusting his swords and points them at Soma, so dash or step back a bit to escape this attack. Sometimes he will spin the swords around his body. This move is pretty dangerous since there’s not much of a tell for it and the only thing you can do to avoid it is remain prepared to dash back or jump away as soon as the swords start spinning. Finally, Flying Armor will sometimes send his swords off screen (they will exit via the top of the screen) and have them fly towards Soma horizontally from both sides. Merely stand still and jump straight into the air when the blades get close to foil this attack.

Use the Skeleton Soul’s bone toss to hit Flying Armor from a distance, because it is too risky to attack him with your stubby weapons at this point. You’ll have to jump up and throw the bones at Flying Armor to actually hit him, but the process is fairly simple and reliable. They also do a good 15 damage at Level 3 and even more if you were lucky enough to get more Skeleton Souls or leveled up a bit. Axe Armor’s soul is an even better choice if you have it.

Remember to draw the V shaped Magic Seal 1 to finish this boss off when it appears on screen. Flying Armor will get some of his HP back should you fail to draw the seal properly, so draw it carefully. Soma will get the Flying Armor Soul, which will allow him to slow fall, after defeating this boss.

9. Enter this room after beating Flying Armor (feel free to revisit the Save Room before doing so) and use the Flying Armor Soul to jump onto the platform on the left. To use the Flying Armor Soul, equip it (it binds to the R Button) then jump from the second step on the right. Hold the R Button when Soma hits the peak of his jump and float left. You should land on the high ledge where you can pick up the Claymore.

Tip: I recommend using the Claymore. It is slow and unwieldy, but its damage and sweeping arc make up for its shortcomings.

10. Jump onto the platform in the top left of this room to get the Spear. There’s a barricade that cannot be crossed at the moment to the left of the Spear, ignore and drop down.

Tip: The Spear is another big upgrade for Soma. While not as strong as the Claymore, it has a long reach and good special attack.

11. This area acts a a hub for various shops in Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow. It’s mostly inhabited by a few Armor Knights and Bats.

12. Yoko stays in this room. Visit her if you want to upgrade weapons using souls. Overall, Yoko is very helpful, since she can give players access to new weapons that would not be available otherwise.

13. Stop by this room to visit Hammer’s shop. He sells weapons, armor, potions, maps, and accessories. Most of the stuff he offers is probably too expensive at the moment and you can get by with the weapons ans armor you have. Check out the other rooms in this area and come back later if you really want something.

14. Grab the $1000 Bag on the floor here and check out the room above. The room on the left is a Save Room.

15. Be sure to pick up the Mace on the floor. The Mace is slower and slightly more powerful than the Claymore. However, the head of the Mace is the only part of the weapon that can damage enemies, so it takes careful aiming to use effectively.

16. Visit this room when you are ready to move on. There’s another $1000 Bag on the floor in the lower half of the room.

17. A Spin Devil hangs out near the entrance to this room. Hit it with long range abilities to prevent it from ramming into Soma. Walk over to the wall on the right and pick up the Potion that’s resting on the ground.

18. Use a weapon like the Mace or Claymore to smash the floor of this hallway and reveal a secret passage that leads to a room. Pick up the $2000 Bag and Corn Soup in the room below.

19. Visit this room to get a Cape that slightly boosts Soma’s defense when equipped. Soma cannot reach the item on the other side of the wall to the right at this moment, so take note of the mirror and return to the room with the Spin Devil.

20. Use Flying Armor to land on the platform that leads to the exit in the upper right part of this room.

21. Hit the switch on the right with your weapon to lower the water level and open the door.

22. Go through this door to enter the Wizardry Lab, which is the next section of the game. There’s a lot left to explore of the Lost Village, but we’ll need more abilities to fully investigate the area.

c. Wizardry Lab 

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Items: Mind Up, Blunt Sword, Scarf

Souls: Balore

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The Wizardry Lab can be very easy or somewhat more challenging than the Lost Village depending on how much grinding you did. Someone playing without farming souls and items will likely be level 5 or 6, while a player that has spent time collecting drops from monsters can be upwards of level 10. This guide assumes you have not been grinding, and treats this area as if it is potentially dangerous.

1. Respawning Ghosts defend the entrance to the Wizardry Lab. They are not a threat and rarely drop souls, so ignore them for now. Go down (the room to the right is blocked) and pick up the Mind Up next to the door on the lower left. Incidentally, the door by the Mind Up leads to a Save Room.

2. This large chamber has a few goodies for Soma and is guarded by Bomb Knights as well as Slimes. The Bomb Knight’s bombs can really hurt a low level character, so step away from them before they blow up. Look for a Blunt Sword on a platform in the upper right.

3. Another Bomb Knight, a Slime, an Axe Armor, and a Student Witch patrol the bottom half of this room. There’s also a chest at the back of the room that holds a few coins. Return to the previous room when you are done and stop at the Save Room if you need healing.

4. Proceed through this room. There isn’t much worth noting in here aside from Skull Archers. Try to kill them before they can shoot Soma or hop over their arrows. The Skull Archer Soul is extremely powerful, so consider picking it up.

5. This shaft leads to a few different places in the Wizardry Lab. Do not let the Ghosts and Axe Knight that defend this place gang up on you. 

6. This hall leads back to the Lost Village, but you cannot open the way yet. It is still worth visiting for the Scarf.

7. This hallway is optional. It serves as a shortcut to the Warp Room to the right and you can fight Manticores here. Attack the Manticores from a distance or dash back a couple times after hitting them to avoid their poison tails. They can also shoot fireballs, but they are easy to jump over.

8. Take a moment to activate this Warp Room by warping back to the Lost Village. This will also open the barrier in the shop section of the village. You can also use this as an opportunity to buy weapons, armor, potions, and whatever else you may want.

9. This room is not worth bothering with at the moment unless you want to farm Slaughterer and Student Witch souls or just grind for Exp. The hallway it leads to is a dead end for now.

10. Soma will need a special ability he does not have access to at the moment to get past the ice blocks in this hallway. Come back here after beating the boss.

11. A tough monster called the Creature inhabits the lower portion of this room. It can do about 50 damage to low level players with its lightning punch so take care if you fight it. Go into the room on the lower left and ignore the upper right path if you go through this room.

12. This is a dead end defended by the Creature for now.

13. Beware the Manticore that guards the lower half of this chamber. Drop down through the platform on the lower part of the room to explore the depths of the Wizardry Lab.

14. Stay on the platforms when you enter this room and hit the Golem as it approaches. Melee players may want to farm the Golem in here for its Str boosting soul.

15. Soma will meet some characters from the story in this hallway and talk to them for awhile. Head right after the dialogue scene.

16. Use the Save Room on the right before challenging the boss.

17. Balore (Boss)

Recommended Level: 9-11

A beam of energy will destroy the wall of ice in this hallway once Soma enters. Go through the newly formed hole to battle Balore. This guy is a lot stronger than the first boss, so bring a few potions if you are not above level 13 or so. His most dangerous attack is his eyebeam, which fills up the entire screen and can do upwards of 70 damage depending on your stats. Luckily, it is easy to predict the eye beam, because his eye will radiate energy for a second before discharging the beam. Simply duck to avoid the beam.

Balore’s fist is another matter. He can do roughly 30 points of damage with a punch and it can be hard to get away from if he decides to spam punch attacks. Usually, he will slam his fist down or try to hit Soma with a straight jab. Slide away from the smash attack and try to jump over his jabs. You can see punch attacks coming when Balore pulls his fist back.

Use a slashing weapon like a sword or piercing weapon like a spear on Balore to inflict extra damage. Souls with slashing or piercing properties also work well. It’s generally safe to stand under his head and hack away at him as long as you watch out for the eye beam as well as jabs.

Defeat Balore and you will get his soul, which can be used to break blocks of ice by tapping spots on the touch screen where ice blocks are located. Go back to the hallway in Point 10.

18. Return to this hallway after defeating Balore and clear out the armor knights before jumping onto the floating platform near the entrance. You should also break the ice by tapping the touch screen while you are getting rid of the knights, just leave the row of ice blocks near the platform alone. Be sure to duck while riding the platform or Soma will be swept off of it by a beam jutting out of the ceiling near the end of the hallway. Go through the door on the right to reach the next area: The Garden of Madness.

d. The Garden of Madness

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Items: Magic Seal 2, Breast Plate, Fleuret, Three 7s

Souls: Doppelganger

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Soma will merely pass through the Garden of Madness on his first visit, but there is a very important item here: the Magic Seal 2. It’s also advisable to upgrade your weapons a bit by purchasing new ones or having Yoko improve those you already own with souls. Personally, I recommend the Falchion or Halberd as far as weapon upgrades go. Either way, it may take some grinding to improve your gear. Use the Warp Room near the entrance to the Garden of Madness to visit the shops in the Lost Village.

Players are also presented with the option of exploring the Demon Guest house or Dark Chapel after visiting the Garden. Feel free to visit both areas, however, this guide covers the Dark Chapel first, because there is not much to do in the Demon Guest House right now.

1. Climb up this shaft and slay the Skelerangs that guard the steps as you go. A Save Room is located on the first exit to the left.

2. Battle the Treant in this room as you would a Golem. Be sure to pick up the Magic Seal 2 on the far left end of the room, then head upwards to another vertical passage. You may want to get the Treant Soul for its MP regeneration property.

4. Hop up onto the pile of rubble on the right side of this room to get a Breast Plate, which is a decent piece of armor for this point in the game. Watch out for the Mandragoras that pop out of the ground in this room. They explode after a moment, dealing a fair bit of damage in a wide area. Players looking for a powerful attack may want the Mandragora Soul.

5. You cannot enter the boss room to the east at the moment, but we will return here later…much later.

6. Climb up the broken pillars to reach the platform up here, which is guarded by a barrel throwing Skeleton Ape.

7. The Catoblepas in this room can turn Soma to stone, leaving him vulnerable to attack. The soul ability of Catoblepas allows Soma to emit petrification gas (no joke intended) and turn some monsters to stone, which makes it fairly powerful. Climb up the shaft and go left when you are done here.

8. You’ll have to fight a pair of lightning shooting Rycudas and a Mandragora in this hallway. The Rycudas fire lightning down at Soma, so be prepared to dash or jump away. You cannot reach the upper area of this room yet, so drop down from the platform near the Mandragora, which will take you to the upper part of the chamber below. Head left (kill a Catoblepas on the way) and smash the chest to get some money, then grab the Fleuret on the stand above the chest. Return to the shaft where Point 7 is located and go through the door on the right.

9. Smash the golden stand near the center of this room to get the Doppelganger Soul, which will let Soma switch between sets of gear by hitting the X Button. You can drop down to fight a Skeleton Farmer that throws Mandragoras, a Catoblepas, and Yorick if you like. Otherwise, exit this room through the upper right door.

10. Continue through this passage and through the left door to explore more of the Garden.

11. There’s little of interest in this chamber. You can visit the Dark Chapel by going through the door to the right, but this guide saves that area for after you finish exploring the Garden of Madness. The door in the lower left leads to a boss room that is currently inaccessible. For now, look for a platform Soma can drop through in the lower half of this chamber to finish exploring the Garden of Madness.

12. You will see a strange door that says “777” in this vertical passage. Approach it and the numbers on the top will spin until they match the last three digits of your current gold. The door will open if the last three digits of your current gold are 777. Walk into the small room to get a luck boosting armor called Three 7s.* You can easily make your gold equal 777 by smashing the lamp at the entrance to this passage.

*Note: Luck does little to improve drop rates, so do not waste your time using the Three 7s armor.

13. Soma cannot swim underwater yet, so do not bother visiting this room. Head back to the large chamber on the west side of the garden (Point 4) and go through the door to the left.

14. Walking through this door will take you to the Demon Guest house, but we will explore the Dark Chapel first.

f. Dark Chapel

=================================

Items: $2000 Bag, Traveler Cape, Halberd, Red Scarf, Potion, Anti-Venom, High Mind Up, Power Belt, Longsword

Souls: Malphas

=================================

Soma can enter the Dark Chapel via the easternmost door in the Garden of Madness. This area has some helpful souls and important items for players. It is also home to some rather strong enemies, so tread lightly. Soma will get Malphas’ Soul here, which will allow him to double jump.

1. The Mini Devils near the start of this area fire wind blades at Soma. You will have to hit them with ranged attacks or leap up and strike them with melee weapons. The Mini Devil soul is fairly useful since it summons a familiar that fires wind blades at enemies and costs little MP to maintain. Pay a visit to the Save Room on the lower right side of this chamber.

2. You will have to come back after defeating the area boss and use double jump to get the Longsword located here, though you can reach the lower platform using the Flying Armor Soul. The Witch that guards this spot drops a powerful bullet soul that tracks enemies, but it’s easier to fight the Witch in the next room if you want the soul.

3. This hallway has a Witch that is very easy to farm. Her soul and the Mage Robe she may drop are both very useful. Aside from that, you can just keep going right to enter the next chamber.

4. The Ghost Dancers in this room drop a soul that increases Luck, but the stat does almost nothing for drop rates and I recommend skipping it unless you are trying to collect everything. Watch out for the Amaleric Snipers, who shoot powerful arrows. Attack them aggressively with bullet souls. Use the Warp Room just below the entrance to this chamber to visit the Lost Village and activate the shortcut back to the Dark Chapel.

5. Go down and left to get a few items from the lower half of the Chapel.

Tip: It really helps to have the Witch’s soul or another powerful ability when entering the lower half of the Dark Chapel, because the monsters in here are slightly tougher than those in the upper half.

6. Watch out for the Hellboar in this hallway. He can deal some heavy damage with fireballs and jumping uppercuts. Defeat him from a distance.

7. Kill the Barbariccia that guards this room with a bullet soul like Witch or Axe Armor and grab the $2000 Bag on the floor.

8. The Traveler Cape in this room is protected by a White Dragon that can kill players who are low on HP and/or unprepared. Come back here after visiting a Save Room if you are not certain you can slay it. Hit it with Skeleton, Axe Armor, or any ability that can damage things above Soma.

9. You will see a barrier with a skeleton engraved on it upon entering this room. Use the Skeleton Soul’s bone throw to destroy the barrier, then go left. Destroy the White Dragon and Hell Boar, then slide under the shelf at the end of the hall to get the Halberd. 

10. Spiked traps will fall from the ceiling in this hallway. Look for spikes jutting out of the ceiling, step under them, then quickly dash back to avoid getting hit by these traps. You can safely walk under them as they rise towards the ceiling after falling.

11. Take the Red Scarf in this room and remember the mirror here…it will be important later on.

12. Soma cannot pass through the narrow gap in this room yet, so return to the chamber above where Points 4 and 5 are marked.

13. Use the Flying Armor Soul to float over to the Potion in the upper right.

14. Dead end; do not bother visiting this hallway right now.

15. A pair of Great Armors defend this hallway. They can deal a lot of damage with their sword chop, but are slow and easy to defeat using ranged attacks. Great Armors drop Ring Mail, which is a nice armor upgrade for now, and their souls are decent familiars for players who like that sort of thing.

16. The Valkyrie that protects this hallway is another good soul to collect, since it allows you to transform into a Valkyrie and charge through enemies.

17. You cannot reach the item in the upper left yet, so hop on the floating lift and use the Flying Armor soul to get onto the platform on the right, then exit this chamber via the door on your right.

18. Visit the Save Room in the upper left before entering the boss room below. 

19. Much of the stuff in this room is inaccessible at the moment, but you can get the Anti-Venom in the top left part of the chamber by jumping on the bells and using Flying Armor to float over to the small platform.

20. Dmitrii Blinov (Boss)

Recommended Level: 16-18

Dmitrii is a rather interesting boss, since he will copy Soma’s magical attacks. His default ability is a powerful sphere of shadow that is difficult to hop over. He tends to cast this spell constantly, which makes it hard to get to him. Luckily, he cannot control what soul he copies, so players can choose a weak soul and use it against Dmitrii to make the odds turn in their favor. 

Use a weaker soul on Dmitrii, like Skeleton or Une, and he will not be able to batter Soma with powerful attacks. Avoid using familiars or other blue souls, because Dmitrii can copy them as well. It’s also important to remain cautious when fighting Dmitrii, because even weak souls can be effective.

The Halberd works really well on Dmitrii, because it can reach past the unes or bones he throws. If you used Skeleton, adopting a simple pattern of ducking or sliding under the bones and charging Dmitrii will end the battle relatively quickly. If you used Une, you will have to stay away from Dmitrii and hit him from a distance, because he can suddenly throw an une of his own where you are standing.

It is worth mentioning that Dmitrii may stab you with a short knife if you get too close to him. He will also leap over Soma when cornered, so pay attention even if you feel like you have Dmitrii pinned.

Tip: A quetzalcoatl will appear in this room after you beat Dmitrii. The Biker Jacket it drops is a good piece of armor for this point in the game.

22. Use double jump, then activate Flying Armor when you get to the apex of your jump to get the Hoop Earring on the high platform in the top right of this chamber.

23. Double jump from the bell to get the High Mind Up after beating Malphas.

g. Backtracking After Obtaining Malphas’ Soul (Double Jump)

The game really opens up after you get Double Jump and you can pick up a lot of new items that may prove beneficial as you explore the next major section of Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow. 

1. The Garden Of Madness (Part 2)

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Items: Elfin Robe

Souls: None

=================================

Soma can explore new sections of the castle after getting Malphas’ soul. This part of the guide is focused on the Garden of Madness, just after the player has defeated Malphas and collected previously unreachable items in the Dark Chapel (See Part f of this walkthrough). Return to the Garden of Madness via the Dark Chapel to get started.

1. Make your way to Point 2 on the upper left of the map to get started if you are coming from the Dark Chapel.

2. There’s a platform that was previously unreachable in this chamber. Soma can easily hop onto it with a double jump. Get the Elfin Robe from the area just above the platform. Equip the Elfin Robe if you like to use a lot of soul attacks, it has a good Intelligence bonus and decent Defense rating. There’s also a breakable ceiling to the right of the robe, near the door, but Soma cannot reach this area yet. Leave through the door to the right.

3. The Treants in here should be familiar. You are likely strong enough to farm their souls at this point if you like. The Treant Soul increases Soma’s MP regeneration, which is helpful if you use a lot of magic. That said, the drop rate for this soul is pretty low. 

4. Use the Save Room to the right, then hop up the platforms using double jump to leave this hallway.

5. Dario (Boss)

Recommended Level: 20-22

Dario is almost laughably easy, but his attacks really pack a punch and can kill you if you get overconfident. He only has three moves, with the first one being a horizontal fireball that flies across the screen at chest level. Jump or duck the fireball, which you will be able to see coming when Dario cocks back his fist. The second move is a flame wave that Dario creates by punching the floor. Hop over the flame wave to avoid it. Dario’s ultimate attack is a series of three flame columns that burst from the ground. Start running away from Dario or jump over him when he raises his arms, because the flame columns will often appear under Soma’s feet if he stays still. Getting caught between the columns can result in Soma taking several hits.

Dario can also teleport around the chamber, but he does not jump or even walk. Keep your distance from this boss and concentrate on dodging his fire spells. Bullet souls work really well on this boss, especially the Witch’s Soul. Weapons with a lot of reach, like spears, are also good, since you can pick away at Dario from a relatively safe distance with them.

6. There isn’t much here aside from a few Skelerangs and you cannot explore the rest of this area right now, so backtrack to the Wizardry Lab.

Note: You can use the Warp Room or walk back to the Wizardry Lab via the path that goes through the lower left side of the Garden of Madness. Either way, you’ll want to head back to the hallway with the floating platform and ice blocks that leads to the garden.

2. Wizardry Lab (Part 2)

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Items: Foie Gras, Combat Knife 

Souls: None

=================================

There is not much to pick up here at the moment and you can skip this area if you are not interested in the few items hidden here. In fact, these items aren’t really worth the trouble in my opinion, but you may as well pick them up while backtracking.

1. Return to this hallway and clear out the ice blocks as well as the Armor Knights before hopping onto the flying platform.

2. Use a Bullet Soul that can hit things above Soma (Axe Armor and Skeleton work) to break the ceiling here, then jump onto the levitating platform at the entrance to this hallway. Ride the platform to the hole and double jump into the room above to get a Foie Gras. Yum! 

3. Use the touch screen on the DS to break the ice blocks and double jump over the barriers in this hallway.

4. Break the ice blocks in this room and drop down. Enter the room on your left to get the Combat Knife. Take note of the mirror, then come back the way you came. You’ll need to make platforms for Soma to jump out of the pit, so break the ice blocks carefully to leave a foothold when you backtrack.

5. Use this hallway to return to the Lost Village.

3. Lost Village (Part 2)

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Items: Crimson Cloak, High Potion

Souls: None

=================================

There are a few good items that Soma can get with double jump in the Lost Village. As always, this is a good opportunity to upgrade your gear and stock up on potions.

1. Use the platforms near the entrance from the Wizadry Lab (if you came from there) to climb up to the upper left side of this room. You will see a ledge just above the door on the left, use double jump to hop onto it. The jump is tricky, since you will have to run right, jump up, then backwards on the second jump. Jump onto the row of blocks in the upper right and walk along them to find a Crimson Cloak.

2. Use double jump to explore the upper half of this room. Look for a High Potion in the top left. The door on the right leads to the Demon Guest House.

3. Pay the shops a visit before leaving. Many of the weapons you own can be upgraded with souls found in the Dark Chapel. For example, a Great Armor Soul can upgrade the Falchion to a Great Sword. Add a Valkyrie Soul to the Great Sword and you’ll get Durandal. This also applies to Katanas and Spears, though they require the Mini Devil and Valkyrie Souls respectively to upgrade. Hammer also has a few new items for sale. Buy any Potions and Mind Ups you may need. The weapons and armors he sells are skippable. Go to the Demon Guest House via the Garden of Madness when you are done. 

h. Demon Guest House

The Demon Guest House is a huge and complex part of the castle. Its most prominent feature is a massive grid of movable “puzzle rooms” that occupy its center. An important plot development also occurs here, so be prepared for spoilers.

1. Demon Guest House Part 1

=================================

Items: Mina’s Talisman, $1000 Bag, Cutall, Cestus, Turquoise Stud, Justaucorps, Great Sword, Ring Mail, UMA News 2-4, War Fatigues, High Potion, Magic Seal 3

Souls: Puppet Master

=================================

There are several entrances to this area, but most of them are dead ends. Return to the upper portion of the Garden of Madness via the Warp Room. You should recognize this area from the battle with Dario, which is covered above.

1. Enter the Demon Guest House by going through the area in the upper half of the Garden of Madness where you fought Dario. See Section h, Part 1 of this walkthrough for more information.

2. The Persephones in this hallway drop a useful soul that can absorb HP from enemies. Ironically, Persephone is stunned by her own soul ability, so farming her is quite easy once you get the first soul. You can break the ceiling near the entry door as well, but it is not possible to reach the secret room above at this point.

3. Genya Arikado will speak to Soma when you reach this room. Arikado will give Soma a letter and Mina’s Talisman before leaving. Mina’s Talisman is very important later on and can be used to alter the course of the story, though you cannot do much with it now. Exit left to see more of the Demon Guest House.

4. You will encounter Liliths and Ghost Dancers in this chamber. The Lilith Soul can boost Soma’s Int, which is quite useful for magic users. Drop down and go into the first door on the right to find a Save Room. You may also want to kill the Devil at the lowest part of this chamber to get a Skull Necklace, which gives Soma a nice Str bonus.

5. Check out this room to get a $1000 Bag.

6. Do not bother with this room at the moment; it’s a dead end until Soma has a certain special ability.

7. Follow this hallway to reach the “Puzzle Room”, a more or less optional part of this area that is worth exploring for the treasures.

8. The Puzzle Room

This part of the Demon Guest House is basically a grid of rooms (you can see them left of Point 8 on the map) that can be moved using the switch in this chamber. Stepping on the switch activates a sort of sliding block puzzle. Pressing the A Button on a tile adjacent to the un-numbered tile will have the two tiles swap places. You can also click rows and columns with the blank tile in them to shift the entire row/column over one space. Walking left after selecting “OK” on the puzzle will allow Soma to explore the Puzzle Rooms. It’s also possible to reset the puzzle. 

The way this puzzle works is fairly obvious, so I will not go into detail about making paths through the rooms, however, I will list the contents of each room below to save you time.

Room 1: Cestus

Room 2: Empty

Room 3: Empty

Room 4: Empty

Room 5: Cutall

Room 6: Empty

Room 7: Empty 

Room 8: Turquoise Stud

Room 9: Justaucorps

Room 10: Empty

Room 11: Empty

Room 12: Great Sword

Room 13: Empty

Room 14: Empty

Room 15: Empty

Tip: I highly recommend getting the Justaucorps from Room 9, it has great Def, Str, and even an Int bonuses for this point in the game.

9. You can reach this hallway via the Lost Village or by lining up the rooms 1,4,13, and the blank room on the bottom row in the Demon Guest House Puzzle Room. It’s not a very important hallway, but worth exploring if you want to 100% the game.

10. This room can only be reached by lining up the Puzzle Rooms in a certain way. While their are several solutions, the basic idea is to line up all the room with vertical exits on the right side of the puzzle. For example, I solved it by moving Rooms 6, 11, 10, and 3 on the right as shown below. This room contains a Ring Mail and a mirror Soma cannot use yet, so it is skippable for now.

11. This hallway can be accessed quite easily from the Puzzle Room by reseting the puzzle. It also leads to the final parts of the Demon Guest House. The Killer Dolls in this staircase can curse Soma, draining his MP, so try not to touch them.

12. Take some time to farm the Killer Clown in this stairwell to get a few copies of his soul, which gives Soma the ability to throw cards that travel in a straight line. The Killer Clown Soul deals a lot of damage for this point in the game and has 9 levels, so it’s worth taking the time to collect a few souls.

13. The piano in this room has been the object of much speculation over the years and more than a few pranks. While it appears important, it serves no function other than providing players with a fun way to play tunes. That said, I am not 100% certain that the piano is merely a prop, so feel free to contact me (with proof) if you find a secret concerning it.

14. Dozens of Bone Pilars fill this chamber. Soma can stand on these monsters without taking damage. Try destroying them so they form a sort of staircase by smashing a few Bone Pillars, then jumping on top of them. Keep going higher and you will be able to jump through the gap in the ceiling on the left.

15. Carefully break the ice blocks using the DS touch screen in a way that allows Soma to climb up to the top of the room where he will find a UMA News 2-4 and the War Fatigues. While I prefer the Justaucorps over the War Fatigues, players who use a more Strength oriented build may appreciate them. Run back to Point 12 on the map after getting your goodies.

16. The Buer in this room has a pretty useful soul that creates a ring of flames around Soma. Leave this room via the door in the top right, because the one below it leads to a dead end of sorts.

17. Drop through the hole in the floor when you enter this stairway to get a High Potion.

18. This hallway is another dead end…for now.

19. Pay the Warp Room in this chamber a visit. Be careful of the Killer Clown and Devil that inhabit this room. By now you are probably getting a bit weak from exploring this area and these monsters do a lot of damage if you are not a high level, so use caution. You can take either path to get to the area above as they both lead to the same place.

20. This room is stuffed with monsters that include Liliths, Killer Clowns, and Buers. Proceed with caution. You’ll find an important item in the chamber on the left side of this room.

21. Slay the Killer Doll in this chamber and pick up the Magic Seal 3, which is required to fight the upcoming boss.

22. Visit this room to get a copy of UMA News 2-2.

23. The boss is on the left and a Save Room is on the right. It goes without saying that you should visit the Save Room first. You may also want to practice Magic Seal 3 a bit before challenging the boss.

24. Puppet Master (Boss)

Recommended Level: 24-28

This nightmare inducing creature stays in the center of the room for the duration of the battle and only has two attacks. Puppet Master’s first ability allows him to spawn small dolls that fly towards Soma. These dolls can be destroyed and deal little damage. 

His second ability is much worse, since it involves the iron maidens set in each of the four corners of the room. Puppet Master will create a doll in one of his four hands and slowly place it in one of the iron maidens. If the doll makes it into the iron maiden, it will swap places with the player, trapping Soma in the torture device. Consequently, Soma will take a lot of damage (somewhere around 130 HP) if the doll is placed in the iron maiden. Destroy the doll before it is put into the iron maiden and you will avoid taking damage.

The best way to beat this boss is to watch carefully for the telltale magic sparkles that indicate he is spawning a doll. Destroy the doll as fast as possible to keep the boss from pulling off the move. 

Fast melee weapons like katanas, knives, and swords work well in this fight, since they allow Soma to slash away at the dolls before the boss can place them in the traps. Abilities that can hit things above Soma are also good in this fight. In fact, the Axe Armor Soul works wonders against this boss. That said, damaging Puppet Master should come secondary to interrupting his doll swap ability, since it does so much damage.

Beat this boss to get the Puppet Master Soul, which makes it possible to swap places with the dolls you have likely seen laying near narrow passages.

2. Demon Guest House Part 2

=================================

Items: Crown, UMA News 1-2, $2000 Bag, High Mind Up

Souls: None

=================================

There is still a good deal of stuff to explore in this area even though you have defeated the boss. Puppet Master’s Soul also makes it possible to explore new areas of the castle, but we will finish up the Demon Guest house first.

1. Stop by the Save Room after defeating Puppet Master and save your game in case you run into trouble, though it’s unlikely you will have problems with this area.

2. Use Puppet Master’s Soul here to slip through the narrow gap in the wall. In fact, you can use Puppet Master to slip through any gap that has a doll next to it. This halfway also serves as a shortcut to the section of the Guest House we did not explore earlier.

3. This large stairwell is home to several Liliths and Ghost Dancers. Several small rooms can be accessed from this area, check them out to get some items.

4. This interesting room features a chair, a bed, and a Waiter Skeleton. The Waiter Skeleton will throw some curry at Soma before smashing himself into the wall. The curry may also destroy the chair. Quick players can slay the Waiter Skeleton before he destroys himself or the chair. Manage to do this a few times and you can get his soul, which can be used near the start of the Lost Village to lure out the Yeti. You can also sit in the chair in this room for a few seconds to make a Crown (that can be sold for a lot of money) rise from the floor.

5. Check this room out to fight a Persephone and a Devil. There’s also a UMA News 1-2 here.

6. This room contains a pair of Killer Dolls and a $2000 Bag.

7. The upper portion of the stairwell is sealed off and you will have to go through the Pinnacle to get there, but we will cover that later in this walkthrough.

8. Go all the way to the bottom of the stairwell and drop through the hole in the floor to get to Point 9. Feel free to use the Save Room on the right first.

9. Take care of the Peresephone in this room, then use Puppet Master to get the High Mind Up on the other side of the wall on the right. 

10. This hallway connects the Demon Guest House to the Garden of Madness and the Lost Village. Go right to get to the Garden and left to reach the Lost Village. Head left for now.

11. Step on the switch here to lower the drawbridge that Julius leapt over in the beginning of the game. This makes it possible to walk to the Lost Village from the Demon Guest House, but it’s easier to use a Warp Room in most cases.

i. Backtracking with Puppet Master’s Soul

Soma can visit a few new areas and more thoroughly explore some old locations now that he has the Puppet Master Soul. The first area, The Lost Village, is purely optional since the item hidden there is basically a curiosity for collectors.

1. The Lost Village (Part 3)

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Items: Pumpkin Pie

Souls: None

=================================

There is not a lot to do in the Lost Village after visiting the Demon Guest House, but we may as well get an item and stock up at the shops after opening the drawbridge. It is also a great idea to bring the Skeleton Waiter Soul along, since Soma can use it to acquire a special soul in the Lost Village.

1. Soma can use the Skeleton Waiter’s Soul in this area to lure out the Yeti, who can be seen lurking in the background. The Yeti is not an aggressive creature and will flee after taking damage, so you will need to hit him with powerful attacks in order to farm his soul. Players who are of a lower level may want to use something like the Catoblepas Soul to petrify the Yeti before it can escape. The Yeti’s Soul is very much optional and more for players looking to collect everything since it lacks much in the way of practicality.

2. Use the Pupptet Master Soul in this room to reach the high ledges. Simply double jump and throw the puppet onto one of the ledges to teleport onto it. Check the room in the upper left to get a slice of Pumpkin Pie.

3. You may as well visit the shops while you are here. You can upgrade your weapons with souls from the Demon Guest House and I recommend using a Lilith Soul to turn Durandal into Dainslef. You can also make a powerful axe called Bhuj if you combine a Manticore Soul with the Battle Axe. Hammer has all sorts of weapons and armor available. Do not bother getting any armor, because the Justaucorps from the Demon Guest House is better than anything Hammer offers in my opinion.

2. Dark Chapel (Part 2)

=================================

Items: Kotetsu, UMA News 3-2

Souls: None

=================================

The Dark Chapel serves as a sort of crossroads at this point in the game. Players can visit both the Subterranean Hell and Condemned Tower using the Puppet Master Soul in certain spots in the Dark Chapel. For the purposes of this guide, we are going to visit the Condemned Tower First, but there are a few souls and items players can pick up in the Subterranean Hell, so I’ve marked the passages to both areas on the map.

Some players may want to farm a few souls in this area before moving on now that Soma is more powerful. Amaleric Snipers, Valkyries, Witches, Mini Devils, and Guillotiners are all great souls to farm. Many of them can be used in weapon sysnthesis, so visit the village to find out what you need if you want to upgrade your favorite weapon.

1. Use the Warp Room to return to the Dark Chapel and make your way back up to the bell tower near the top of the chapel. Players who wish to visit the subterranean Hell will have to go down to the Chapel’s basement.

2. (Optional) This passage leads to the Subterranean Hell, which this guide will get to later. Players who wish to explore the area early can throw a puppet through the gap in the wall to the right to access the new area.

3. Use the Puppet Master Soul in the upper right to get through the tiny crack in the bell room wall.

4. Run over to the far right side of this massive courtyard and you will see some broken pillars. A Kotetsu is on a small shelf in the upper right by the pillar. Double jump up to the shelf and use Puppet Master to transport Soma onto it so he can grab the Kotetsu.

5. Look for a gap in the bridge and drop down to explore more of this area.

6. Head left after going through the gap in the bridge to find another broken pillar and a UMA News 3-2 guarded by a few Mini Devils.

7. Drop through another break in the floor here, then make your way to the very bottom of the courtyard.

8. Fall through one last gap in the floor and onto the switch, which will open a door to the left that leads back into the Dark Chapel. You may have to hop onto the switch a second time to actually activate it.

9. Head through this door to the Condemned Tower.

j. The Condemned Tower

=================================

Items: Mind Up, Silver Stud, Estoc, UMA News 2-3, Tower Key

Souls: Gergoth

=================================

The Condemned Tower is home to some powerful monsters with highly useful souls. Buy some potions at the shop before coming here, because the boss can do a lot of damage.

1. Soma will enter the Condemned Tower from this spot.

2. The Draghinazzo in this room drops a soul that can be used to upgrade the greatsword Dainslef into Ascalon. While it’s worthwhile to get the soul if you use greatswords, you should wait a while before upgrading Dainsleif if you have it, because it is superior to Ascalon. Hold onto the Draghinazzo Soul until you get the Gergoth Soul if you want to upgrade Dainsleif.

3. Take the Mind Up sitting out in the open, then visit the room on the right to talk to Julius. Soma cannot do much else after speaking to Julius, so go back to where you found the Mind Up a moment ago.

4. Use the platforms to climb up to the next level of the tower. Grab the Silver Stud above the door on the left, then go through the door.

5. The Disc Armor in this room drops a decent soul and Scale Mail, though the Justaucorps is still better.

6. A Disc Armor occupies the ledge above. It can hit Soma even if he is below it, so take care when climbing upwards.

7. Enter this room to get to the next part of the tower. The Fleaman in here is not really worth farming for items unless you are trying to collect everything.

8. Keep moving up through this shaft and go through the next door on the left.

9. Watch out for the Great Axe Armor in this shaft, it can dish out some heavy damage. Great Axe Armor’s soul is one of the best in the game in my opinion, so it is worth farming. However, it’s probably a good idea to get to the Save Room at the top of the tower before attempting to farm this foe. Hop up to the top of this shaft to get an Estoc hidden on the ledge to the right after dealing with the Great Axe Armor.

10 Beware the Werewolf when you enter this side of the tower. It has quick, powerful charging attacks. The Black Belt it drops is a nice accessory for more melee oriented players, but it is probably wise to save before farming this monster. Keep moving upwards to the next room.

11. Continue to climb up even though there is a door to the left, because you cannot enter it just yet.

12. Be sure to grab the UMA New 2-3 from the ledge up here.

13. Another Great Axe Armor guards this room, so watch out when you step inside. It’s a good idea to heal up a bit and have your best gear ready when you enter.

14. Save your game in the Save Room to the right before entering the boss room on your left.

15. Gergoth (Boss)

Recommended Level: 31-34

Gergoth is a slow, yet extremely dangerous boss. It spends much of its time slowly walking towards Soma, but will occasionally halt to perform one of its attacks, which are listed below.

-Laser Beam: Gergoth will open its mouth and draw in energy particles for a few moments before emitting a massive laser beam that it sweeps from the front of the room down to its legs. Crouch right in front of the boss’s legs to avoid getting hit. This attack does over 200 damage unless you are a high level, so take care to get out of its way.

-Gas: The boss will  rear up and emit gas from its chest cavity. The gas can either poison Soma if it’s purple or turn him to stone if it’s gray. Clear the gas away with melee attacks.

-Chomp: Gergoth opens his mouth and begins inhaling for this attack as well, but he will suck in rocks from the floor instead of energy. The vacuum effect will also draw Soma towards Gergoth’s mouth. The boss will slam its head into the floor after inhaling for a few moments. Run away from Gerthoth to evade this move if you have enough room or run towards his feet if you do not have enough room, then duck as he slams his head into the ground.

-Leap: Gergoth will crouch slightly just before springing into the air, then he will belly flop onto the floor. Slide under the boss as it jumps or crouch under its chest when it lands.

The biggest danger in this fight is the laser beam, which deals tons of damage. Aside from that, Gergoth is mostly a damage sponge. Powerful souls like the Great Axe Armor, Guillotiner, and Mandragora are good choices for this battle. You should also bring a weapon that has high DPS, especially weapons that do slashing or piercing damage like swords.

Damage Gergoth enough and he will charge towards Soma, then hop back, breaking the floor when he lands. Both Soma and Gergoth will fall to the bottom of the tower. You can get a few free hits in when you are falling, but back off after a second or two, because Gergoth will slam its head into the floor when it lands. Gergoth will use the same attacks after falling. Keep hacking away and the boss, then draw the third magic seal when prompted to defeat it. You will be rewarded with Gergoth’s Soul, which can be used to upgrade the greatsword.

16. Climb all the way up to the top of the tower after beating Gergoth. You will have to use the Flying Armor Soul to float across the destroyed floor in the center of the tower as you scale it. Get the Tower Key in the small room just before the Warp Room. 

17. Drop down a level and check out this hallway after getting the Tower Key. Walk up to the door and it will open, allowing Soma to visit the Cursed Clock Tower.

k. The Cursed Clock Tower

Players will find a lot of traps in the Cursed Clock Tower as well as an important soul that you will need if you want the best ending. Bring a few extra potions to heal up from any damage you take from the traps in this area.

1. The Cursed Clock Tower (Part 1)

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Items: Shaman Ring, Scale Mail, Magic Seal 4, UMA News 3-3 

Souls: Zephyr

=================================

Soma can access the Cursed Clock Tower after defeating Gergoth and retrieving the Tower Key at the top of the Condemned Tower. The Beur Soul is useful in this area thanks to all the Medusa Heads that fly around. Using Beur (especially if it is powered up) creates a barrier of flames that destroy the Medusa Heads.

1. You will have to enter this area from the top floors of the Condemned Tower. Walk left for a few moments and a brief scene between Celia, Julius, and Arikado will play out when you near the end of this hall.

2. This chamber is filled with Medusa Heads that float across the screen. You will also have to deal with spikes on the floor and ceiling that can take large chunks out of Soma’s health regardless of his Def. Another strange machine with the numbers 573 engraved on it occupies the right hand wall of this chamber. Stand by the machine when the last 3 numbers of your current gold are 573 and the door will open, revealing a room with an Exp boosting Shaman Ring. Go through the door on the upper left when you are ready to move on.

3. The moving pistons in this hallway can mash Soma into the spikes on the ceiling. Run to the third piston as they lower and crouch as it rises, then run across the last few pistons on the left to get across safely. There’s a second set of pistons that behave in the same manner on the other half of the hall.

Pro-Tip: The bloody pistons are dangerous, but it is safe to duck on the clean ones.

4. It’s wise to use the Save Room on the bottom left, but do not jump blindly from the entrance to this area. Spikes line much of the floor near the save room and you should use the Flying Armor Soul to float to a safe spot near the Save Room.

5. Ride the lifts up to the door in the upper right after saving.

6. Rotating spike traps line the ledge in the center of this room. It may be tempting to jump onto the top of the ledge and attempt to get past the traps, but you will take a lot of damage that way unless you are really good at platforming. Go under the spinning traps instead. Slide when you get about halfway under each trap to clear it safely.

7. Jump up onto the ledge when you get to the end of this room and walk over to the hole in the ceiling on the left. You will have to use carefully timed double jmps to get over the traps.

8. Beware the Imps in this chamber. They can latch onto Soma and force him to attack repeatedly. Mash the D-Pad and B Button to break free from their grasp if they catch you. Check the room on the lower right to get a Scale Mail.

9. You will have to use the swinging pendulums in this room as platforms to reach the door on the upper right. Duck after jumping onto each pendulum to avoid getting knocked off.

10. Step into this room to find a Magic Seal 4 that’s guarded by a Bugbear. Incidentally, the Bugbear Soul can be synthesized with a Morgenstern Mace to create the Mjollnjr hammer. Later on, the same soul can be used to upgrade the spear.

11. Check the floor in this gear room to get a UMA News 3-3.

12. Slide under the spikes near the entrance to this room. Soma will take damage if he attempts to walk under these spikes, because they are just low enough to hit his head. Climb up to the door on the top right, which will take you to a passage that leads to a Save Room.

13. Jump onto the giant pendulum in the center of this courtyard and use it to hop onto the ledge on the right, which will give you access to the Save Room above. The boss is also just left of the Save Room.

14. You are free to explore this chamber, but there is not much here except for some spinning spike traps. I recommend saving your game in the Save Room at the top of the tower before coming here.

15. Use the Mandragora Soul in this room to destroy the Flying Humanoid in the background and get its soul.

16. Zephyr (Boss)

Recommended Level: 32-36

Zephyr is less difficult than Gergoth (in my opinion) because he lacks any kind of heavy hitting ability. That said, he is speedy and can wear Soma down with quick slashes. Zephyr is also able to freeze time briefly, but the effect only lasts a moment and it’s often possible to evade his attacks just as the time freeze wears off.

The boss throws knives frequently. He will either throw a single knife horizontally while standing on the ground, jump onto the ceiling and throw a knife at a 45 degree angle in Soma’s direction, or stop time, jump over Soma, then drop a series of knives on his head. All of Zephyr’s knives can be evaded by simply stepping away from them or by ducking. Zephyr may also charge at Soma and swipe him with his claw. The claw swipe is harder to dodge, but jumping away from Zephyr often works. Sometimes Zephyr freezes time just before getting hit and will follow up with a claw slash that is a lot harder to dodge. You can tell Zephyr is about to counter with his time freeze when a faint energy field appears around his body, so refrain from attacking while the field is active.

Use hit and run tactics on this boss to keep him from nailing Soma with his knives. Weapons and souls that can hit from afar are good choices in this fight. Rycuda, Killer Clown, Mandragora, and Axe Armor (to name a few) are all effective. Defeat Zephyr and you will get his soul, which allows Soma to stop time for a few seconds.

17. Be sure to activate the Warp Room to the left of the boss so you can use it later. Drop down to the passage below after visiting the Warp Room.

18. Stand on the switch for a moment to destroy the wall on the right and open a shortcut to the pendulum room. You can explore the area to the left, but it leads to a dead end at the moment, so we will finish up by exploring the lower portion of the Cursed Clock Tower and a bit of the Garden of Madness in the section below.

2. The Cursed Clock Tower (Part 2) and Garden of Madness

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Items: Army Jacket, Handgun

Souls: None

=================================

This section is basically optional, since it is mainly concerned with  getting a few items and opening a passage to the Garden of Madness.

1. Head over to the pendulum chamber from wherever you left off after beating Zephyr and make for Point 2 in the lower east.

2. Go through the door on the left and head for the Save Room on the lower left side of the map.

3. This room and its spinning spike traps should be familiar from when you first scaled this tower. Take care when hopping over the spikes on your way to the Save Room.

4. You will have to run through the piston hallway again. Remember to crouch on the unbloodied pistons to avoid the spikes as you cross this hallway.

5. Head over to the right side of this shaft and drop down to the bottom, then hop over the spikes to the left to reach the door to the lower section of the Cursed Clock Tower.

6. You will have to jump from pendulum to pendulum to get across this spike lined hall. Use the Flying Armor Soul to make pendulum hopping a bit less hazardous.

7. Head down this hall after clearing the pendulum room.

8. You may want to use Zephyr’s Soul to freeze the Medusa Heads in this large chamber. You will not find much in this chamber, despite its size, so go into the small room on your left.

9. Take the Army Jacket waiting on the pipe in here, then head back to the intersection just before Point 7.

10. You may want to use Zephyr to freeze the Medusa Heads in this shaft to conserve health. Go into the hallway on the lower left via this shaft.

11. The Malachi in this hallway is fairly dangerous thanks to the massive orb of darkness it can create, which should be recognizable from the fight with Dmitrii. Malachi’s Soul ability is fairly powerful, but he can be difficult for lower level players to farm.

12. Watch out for the Tanjelly that crawls along the floor when you drop into this room. It can poison Soma, lowering his attack power.

13. Medusa Heads swarm this chamber. Once again Zephyr can make going through this room a bit safer. The door on the lower left will take you to the Garden of Madness.

14. Run over to this hallway and press the switch on the floor to raise the barrier on the left. Soma will also encounter the Flea Man producing Wakwak Tree in this passage. The soul of the Wakwak raises Con at the cost of Str, making it a good choice for players who like to stack Def, though it’s not worth the damage penalty in my opinion.

15. Return to this stairwell after hitting the switch in the Wakwak Tree hall and follow it down to the next part of the Garden of Madness.

16. Drop through the platform here to reach a small hallway that was inaccessible from the lower half of the Garden.

17. Take the Handgun on the pedestal at the end of this hallway. Watch out for the Mimic chest above the gun. While rare, the Mimic Soul is a great money producing ability since it turns the HP Soma loses into money. Players willing to farm this soul can find a hard hitting monster, strip Soma of his gear and rack up some coin with the Mimic Soul equipped. 

18. There is not much else to explore in the Cursed Clock Tower or the Garden of Madness for the time being, so I recommend heading back to the Save Room near where you fought Dario or a Warp Room for now.

l. Subterranean Hell

The Subterranean Hell is fairly large and filled with items as well as danger. Due to the size of this area, I have split it into two parts to make exploring it a bit less daunting.

1. Subterranean Hell (Part 1)

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Items: $2000 Bag x2, Chain Mail, High Mind Up, Rusty Food Tin, Potion, High Potion, Super Potion, UMA News 1-3

Souls: Rahab

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Soma can reach the Subterranean Hell by going through the basement of the Dark Chapel and using the Puppet Master Soul to squeeze through the wall at the end of a hallway that runs east. You will get Rahab’s Soul when you defeat the boss after entering the area. Moving underwater is still slow even with Rahab’s Soul, so take some time to farm the Procel Soul when you get deeper into this area since it speeds up underwater movement.

1. You can access the Subterranean Hell via the basement of the Dark Chapel. Go to the narrow hallway with a wall that has a gap in it and use Puppet Master’s Soul to slip through the gap. Watch out for the falling spike traps that line the ceiling of this passage.

2. Be sure to use the Save Room near the start of this area. You may also want to obtain the Dead Pirate’s Soul by slaying the Dead Pirate in the room near the save point. The Dead Pirate Soul allows Soma to inflict double damage when attacking an enemy from behind, which can be very effective against bosses and strong foes.

3. Rahab (Boss)

Recommended Level: 34-38

Soma will have to fight Rahab early in this section of the castle. Water fills the entirety of this boss’s chamber and you will have to battle it while swimming. This gives Rahab an advantage over the player, since it can dive underwater and leap into the air, while Soma is restricted to the surface of the pool.

Rahab will often jump from one side of the chamber to the other, raining icicles on Soma as it passes overhead. These icicles do a fair amount of damage, but are easy to dodge by swimming left or right very slightly to get between them. Rahab also leaps out of the water vertically and spins around, but this move is also easy to evade, since you can see him coming. Finally, Rahab may emerge from the water and breathe ice. The ice is very easy to swim under and can create platforms to stand on.

Overall, Rahab should be a pushover. Use a soul with a wide area of effect or ones that can hit things above/below Soma to attack this boss. Axe Armor, Mandragora, and Witch are a few examples of souls that work well in this battle. You should also watch the bubbles Rahab produces, since they are a good indicator of its position. Defeat Rahab and you will obtain the Rahab Soul, which allows Soma to move freely underwater. Stop at the Save Room after slaying Rahab, then head east.

4. Take care when moving though this watery chamber. Soma moves slowly underwater and the monsters in here can gang up on incautious players. The chest in the upper right is a Mimic, so try to destroy it from afar or ignore it altogether.

5. A $2000 Bag is located on the ground here. 

6. Explore the upper left section of this underwater cave to get a Chain Mail.

7.  High Mind Up

8. Rusty Food Tin

9. Try to steer clear of the Needles as you float down this shaft.

10. This shaft allows Soma to visit various parts of the Subterranean Hell. Check out the room in the upper right for the time being. You can also farm the Frozen Shade in this shaft to get a decent ice based attack.

11. This chamber has a strongman game in it. You will see a sort of see-saw with an iron ball on one side when you enter. Hitting the see-saw with various weapons can earn Soma a prize. The easiest way to get all the prizes from this game is to acquire Mjollnjr by adding the Needles Soul to a Mace, then upgrading the result with a Bugbear Soul. The prizes are as follows:

Prize 1: Potion

Prize 2: High Potion

Prize 3: Super Potion

Tip: You can find Needles in this area and Bugbear near Zephyr’s Room in the Cursed Clock Tower. Head over to the Warp Room by Point 14 on the map if you happen to have these souls and want to create Mjollnjr.

12. The Alura Une in this tunnel has a powerful guardian soul that acts as a familiar. It can deal quite a bit of damage, so consider farming it.

13. Check out the lower right to get another $2000 Bag.

14. Activate the Warp Room here before moving on. You can make a quick stop at the Lost Village if you want to upgrade weapons, save, or restock on potions. Come back to the Warp Room if you leave. From here you can explore the part of the Subterranean Hell that connects to the Garden of Madness or the section that connects to the Wizardry Lab in the west. For now, we will visit the section that joins with the Garden of Madness.

15. The Bone Arks in this chamber are dangerous, but their soul can be used as a means of conveyance over treacherous terrain, so consider farming it. Watch out for the projectile they fire when fighting them and be sure to use the Save Room on the right.

16. UMA News 1-3

17. The chest in this corner is a Mimic.

18. This stairwell serves as a shortcut to the Garden of Madness.

19. This room has a Small Sword that is guarded by a Treant.

20. With Rahab’s Soul, Soma can access the watery tunnels on either side of this passage to get to the main part of the Garden. Return to the Warp Room near Point 14 in the Subterranean Hell after checking this area out.

2. Subterranean Hell (Part 2) 

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Items: Mushroom x4, Eversing

Souls: None

=================================

This next part of the Subterranean Hell is fairly brief. Oddly, it features two paths to the Wizardry Lab, one of which leads to a secret area. The other path is out of reach at the moment, so this guide focuses on the hidden path. I strongly recommend getting the Bone Ark Soul in the upper west side of the Subterranean Hell before exploring this area, since you will need it to cross a spike lined hallway. 

1. Come back to the Warp Room after exploring the upper west portion of the area, then drop down to the chamber below.

2. There’s a totally unsuspicious Mushroom in the upper left part of this room. You can also farm respawning Mermen in the lower part of this room if you want their souls.

3. Pay the Save Room a visit before moving on to the waterfall chamber to the left.

4. You can get a special piece of armor by jumping from this platform and using the Flying Armor Soul to float past the waterfall on the left. Hit the wall with your melee weapon as you fall and you should find a secret room. Climb back up to Point 4 if you happen to miss the room and jump again to enter it. Be sure to use the Flying Armor Soul when you attempt this, because the waterfall pushes Soma downwards fairly quickly.

5. Enter this small room after breaking the wall to get the Eversing armor. This armor lacks any sort of stat bonuses outside of Def, but its high armor rating makes it a good choice.

6. Mushroom

7. Mushroom

8. Mushroom

9. This passage leads to the Silenced Ruins, which is our next stop.

10. You will need the Bone Ark Guardian Soul to cross the spikes in this room. Bone Arks are located in the large chamber above the Warp Room in this area. The door at the end of this hallway leads to a hidden section of the Wizardry Lab, but this guide recommends visiting the Silenced Ruins first, which can be accessed from Point 9 on this map.

m. The Silenced Ruins 

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Items: Rare Ring, Mana Prism

Souls: Bat Company

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Fans of classic Castlevania should feel right at home in the Silenced Ruins, which are styled after the first game in the series. Here, Soma will find the Bat Company Soul, which opens up some of the final sections of the game. You will need Zephyr’s Soul from the Cursed Clock Tower to enter this area.

1. A cannon will fire at the pillar on the right as soon as Soma enters this room, but time will mysteriously freeze before the ball contacts the pillar. Use Zephyr’s Soul to unfreeze time ( I suppose it works both ways) and the cannonball will find its mark. Go through the newly opened passageway to enter the rest of this section.

2. Fall down to the bottom of this shaft and enter the room on your left.

3. You will see some ice blocks with a ball bouncing around in them upon entering this room. Note the metal hatch in the upper left by a thin row of ice blocks, you will need to break it to reach the top of this room. Break the ice blocks using the touch screen very carefully in order to force the ball into the thin strip of ice blocks at the top. It’s best to just break one row of ice blocks at a time, because you can accidentally pop the ball if you break them recklessly. Try to force the ball into the upper left by gradually breaking blocks. Touch the ball itself when it is right under the metal hatch to break both ball and hatch. Hop up the remaining blocks to find a Rare Ring guarded by a Devil.

4. The two hallways this map point is situated between both lead to the same spot. The upper hallway is home to a Gorgon with poison breath. Dead Crusaders that can block attacks patrol the lower hallway. Use Catoblepas’ Soul to easily slay the Crusaders.

5. You may want to farm the Bone Ark in this stairway if you do not already have its soul, which you will need to enter the lower Wizardry Lab.

6. Do not forget to activate the Warp Room at the end of this hall in case you need to return to this area.

7. Soma will run into Julius and Dario in this hallway. Head right after the brief conversation between the three and use the Save Room.

8. A boss waits at the end of this passage.

9. Bat Company (Boss)

Recommended Level: 37-40

Bat Company is trivial as long as you are wearing a decent piece of armor and have leveled up enough that you can damage it. This boss transforms in order to attack Soma and has three basic forms.

Bat – The boss will try to ram into Soma while in the shape of a bat. Hit it when possible and use the double jump kick to bounce off of it if it pins you against the wall.

Hand – Bat Company will try to grab Soma while in hand form. Soma will take damage every second while in the boss’s grasp, so try to keep your distance and attack frequently to force Bat Company to change form. Jump and wiggle Soma in different directions to shake free of Bat Company if it grabs you.

Head – The head is the easiest of Bat Company’s forms. It simply moves up and down while shooting rings at Soma. Use your melee weapon to clear the rings away.

Bat Company is weak to piercing and fire, so weapons like spears work well on it. Souls like Beur and Ukoback are effective, but you can also use Mandragora or the Axe Armor Soul. As I said before, this boss really isn’t a problem as long as you have nearly full health and good armor like Eversing. Even without good armor, this boss is not tough as long as you pay attention. Defeat it to get the Bat Company Soul, which makes it possible to fly past many obstacles.

10. Climb up this stairwell to get a few items and open a path to the Subterranean Hell.

11. Check this room to get a Mana Prism. There’s also a mirror in here that will come into play later on.

12. Go through this room to get to the Subterranean Hell. Stand on the switch to open a passage that will allow Soma to visit this area with ease in the future. Head over to the western side of The Subterranean Hell when you are done.

n. Bat Company Backtracking

Bat Company will allow you to explore many areas that were previously out of reach. This section deals with several portions of the castle and includes a variety of items that may or may not be useful. 

1. The Wizardry Lab (Part 3)

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Items: Serenity Robe, Super Potion, Bloody Stud, Gold Ring, UMA News 4, Neck Warmer, Caviar

Souls: None

=================================

We’ve only explored a bit more than half of the Wizardry Lab despite it being one of the first locations in the game. You will need the Bone Ark Soul to cross the spiked hallway in the Subterranean Hell that leads to the lower portion of the Wizardry Lab.

1. Soma will end up in the lowest part of the Wizardry Lab after crossing the spike hallway in the Subterranean Hell.

2. Be sure to grab the Serenity Robe on the ledge near the middle of this room. It offers ok Defense and a good Int boost for casters.

3. Super Potion

4. Bloody Stud

5. Ghosts infest this passage and spawn incessantly. It’s possible to climb upwards via invisible platforms that are made somewhat opaque when a Ghost passes over it. You can either use Bat Company to fly through the gaps in the invisible floor (see Point 8) or go to the lower left part of the Lab to get a special item if you have 666 Gold at the end of your Gold total (See Points 6 and 7)

6. Dozens of Mermen swarm this hallway, but there is not a lot to see here, so proceed left.

7. You will see another puzzle door with the numbers “666” under it. Like the others, this door is opened by having the last three numbers of your Gold total equal the number on the door, which is 666 in this case. Step inside the room after opening the door to get a Gold Ring, which makes monsters drop more money.

8. Return to the ghost room and use the Bat Company Soul to fly through the gaps in the invisible floor. The Ghosts make this somewhat difficult, since they can knock Soma out of bat form, but simply pushing on the ceiling while flying left and right is a fairly reliable way to get to the top of the room

9. An Iron Golem defends this hallway. A well placed Puppet Master doll can teleport Soma behind the Golem, which breathes fire and uses melee attacks. After teleporting, run to the steps on the left. The Iron Golem cannot turn around, so you will be free to attack it safely from the steps. It has high defense, so use a fast weapon to hit it about 50 times if you wish to destroy it. The Iron Golem Soul is powerful, but not practical, so you can skip it if you like. Go through the door on the left when you are done.

10. Soma will find himself in a hidden part of the Lost Village after going through this door. Climb up the well to a passage on the right. 

11. This hallway is home to Heart Eaters and a Great Axe Armor. Both the soul and Heart Pendant dropped by Heart Eaters allow Soma to get more hearts from candles, but these items are not terribly important unless you are a collector. Hit the switch at the end of the hall to open a passage to the main part of the Wizardry Lab and take the UMA News 4.

12. Come back to the well and climb up to a ledge with a Neck Warmer on it, then hit the wall on the left to reveal a hidden passage.

13. Fight your way through the Axe Armors and Great Axe Armors in this hall. Grab the Caviar before going through the door on the left.

14. Jump on the switch at the top of this shaft to open a path to the shop area of the Lost Village.

15. You can jump on the switch here to open a path to the Lost Village.

16. Head back to The Subterranean Hell (use the Warp Room in the Lost Village) and return to the waterfall room. Use Bat Company to fly to the top of the waterfall where you will see a door that leads to the Wizardry Lab. Go through the door and take the Aquarius armor by the switch, then hit the switch to open the gate to the rest of the lab. Head over to the Warp Room in the lab to teleport back to the Lost Village. 

2. The Lost Village, Demon Guest House, and Garden of Madness

=================================

Items: Gold Stud, Heart Pendant, Ninja Suit, Rune Ring

Souls: None

=================================

This section of the walkthrough covers a wide area of the castle, since the locations Soma can visit with Bat Company are fairly scattered. Teleport to the Lost Village if you are not already there to get started.

1. Stop at the shops while you are here. You should be able to upgrade at least some of your weapons a bit and buy a few potions or whatever else you need.

2. Fly up through the moat with Bat Company to get the Gold Stud.

3. Use Bat Company to fly up here and grab the Heart Pendant.

4. Look for a breakable ceiling right by the door here. Smash the ceiling if you haven’t already, then fly through the hole with Bat Company to get a Ninja Suit. I prefer Eversing over the Ninja Suit, but it’s still a good piece of armor.

5. There’s another breakable ceiling right by the entrance to the Demon Guest house. Smash it with Axe Armor or something and fly through the hole to get the Rune Ring, which speeds magic regeneration.

3. Dark Chapel, Condemned Tower, and Cursed Clock Tower

=================================

Items: High Potion, Tasty Meat

Souls: None

=================================

Our item gathering extravaganza continues with the Dark Chapel and Condemned Tower as we make our way to the Cursed Clock Tower. From there, Soma can fly through a previously inaccessible spiked passage to reach The Pinnacle, which is one of the final sections of the game.

1. Fly up to the ledge here to get a High Potion.

2. There is nothing up here, but you may want to use Bat Company to explore the very top of this courtyard to get 100% of the map.

3. Soma can reach the Tasty Meat hidden in this nook with the Bat Company Soul.

4. You can fly right up to the Warp Room with Bat Company and go to the Cursed Clock Tower if you wish or hang around here and farm a few souls. Skip to Point 8 if you are not interested in farming souls in this area.

5. You can farm the Werewolf in this room fairly easily at this point and use his soul to make the best fist weapon, the Kaiser Knuckle.

6. The Great Axe Armor here is good to farm and you should be strong enough to slay it in a few hits at this point. Its soul is extremely rare and it may take a hundred or more tries to obtain it. However, axe wielders will need it to create the Great Axe and the Bullet Soul is powerful on its own.

7. Warp Over to the Cursed Clock Tower when you are done here.

8. From here, Soma can head down and to the left or right. The left hand path will take you to the next area, while the path on the right will allow you to collect a secret item.

9. Spikes line the floor and ceiling of much of this room. You will also see a pair of slimes. Look for a platform that is free of spikes near the top of the room. Fly over to it and crouch. Konami Man will fly in from the left side of the screen after a second or two. Stand up to collect him. While Konami Man serves no practical purpose, he can be sold for $2,500 at Hammer’s shop.

10. Transform into a bat and fly past the spikes in this room.

11. Fly past these spikes and head left to reach the next section of the castle: The Pinnacle. 

o. The Pinnacle

=================================

Items: Truffle, Durandal, Mana Prism, Lance, Fragarach, Satan’s Ring

Souls: None

=================================

This area represents an important crossroads in the game. Players can get one of the endings (the worst one) here by defeating Dario or seek out Paranoia in the Demon Guest House. This guide covers all of the endings and it’s possible to get all of them on the same save file, so feel free to defeat Dario in this section as long as you save your game beforehand. Either way, this guide goes over each part of this area in the usual step-by-step manner.

1. Go through the spiked room in the lower left part of the Cursed Clock Tower to reach the Pinnacle. Watch out for the character that looks like Yoko in this hallway, it’s actually a Succubus in disguise and will attack Soma when he approaches. The Succubus drops some really nice items for magic users that include the Pitch Black Suit and Flame Necklace. Her soul is also great for draining health from enemies.

2. Go left (ignore the hole in the floor for now) to the next hallway. Be careful of the Malachi that guards this passage.

3. Drop into the hole after entering this passage and enter the first room on the right to save your game.

4. There isn’t much in this room aside from a Flame Demon and a Werewolf. You can get a decent piece of fire resistant armor called the Wyrm Robe from the Fire demon as well as a fire based ability from its soul.

5. This hallway (which is filled with Succubi) leads to the Demon Guest House. You can skip this section and go to the Guest House if you like, just refer back here when you are ready to fight Dario.

6. The Erinys in this room has a powerful holy elemental soul that can be used to create the Longinus Spear.  

7. Press Down and A to slide and break the floor in this spot. You can get a Truffle in the secret room below. The secret room also makes it easy to farm the Dead Warrior to the right, since you can jump in and out of it to get the monster to respawn. Activate the Warp Room in the upper left before leaving.

8. Come back to this hall after exploring the lower section of the Pinnacle. Fight your way through a Mushussu and Dead Warrior as you move left. 

9. The Guillotiners in this staircase drop a fairly powerful soul. Erinys and Mandragora are better in my opinion, since they are easier to aim, but the Guillotiner is still good if you can get it to connect.

10. Use Bat Company to explore this area. 

11. Smash the wall here to find a chamber with a Durandal inside.

12. The Alastor in this room drops a good soul that works well as a familiar and can be used to create the best greatsword. Get the Mana Prism sitting in plain sight near the center of this chamber before leaving.

13. This courtyard is bisected by a stone bridge in its center. Head right to a door near the bottom of the courtyard. 

14. Lance

15. Follow this path back to the upper half of the courtyard.

16. Take this door to the bridge that crosses the courtyard. You can explore the upper part of this area, but it is home to a very dangerous Final Guard and I recommend visiting the Save Room to the left first.

17. Deal with the Dead Warriors on this bridge as you head for the Save Room.

18. Be sure to use this Save Room. From here you can go onto Dario or test your mettle against the Final Guards to the east.

19. The Final Guard in this room is extremely dangerous, yet slow. It can inflict heavy contact damage on Soma, create flames that spread out in both directions by thrusting its sword into the ground, and throw its shield. Jump over the flames from the sword move and duck under the shield. The Skull Archer Soul works really well on this foe. Just stand on the other side of the room and charge it for a few seconds to inflict major damage on the Final Guard. The soul dropped by this foe can be used to upgrade the Balmung Greatsword into the Final Sword. You will also find a few boxes filled with money behind this enemy.

20. Two more Final Guards inhabit this room, making it a good place to farm souls. There’s also a spotlight in the center of this room that will summon Mothman if you use the Rycuda Soul on the machine to activate the light. Soma can slay Mothman and get his soul, which boosts Exp.

21. You can use Bat company to fly up to this chamber and fight another Final Guard. There are also a few gold filled treasure chests here.

22. Break the ceiling just before the boss room to find the Fragarach sword and Satan’s Ring. The ring is a pretty good piece of gear overall, though some players may want the MP Regen from the Rune Ring.

23. Dario (Optional Boss)

Recommended Level: 40+

This battle with Dario is optional at this point in the game. In fact, defeating Dario right now will give you the “Worst Ending”. You can still beat the game and get the other two endings if you fight Dario now, so there’s no harm in doing so if you wish to see all of the endings in one run. To get the better endings, head over to the Demon Guest House (See Point 24) and fight Paranoia, then return here.

As for Dario, he’s probably going to be a pushover. He uses many of the same attacks as before, but with extra power. Expect Dario to teleport around the room, throw a triple fireball, and punch the ground to create a flame wave.

Dario will also use a powerful attack where he creates flame dragons that move across the room horizontally in an infinity sign pattern. This spell is easily sidestepped by moving Soma into the center of the pattern and hopping as the dragons pass. 

Any armor or accessory that reduces fire damage is naturally helpful in this battle. Souls like Frozen Shade can inflict a fair bit of damage on Dario, but old stand-bys like Mandragora are also effective. Defeating Dario at this point will trigger the “Worst Ending” and you can resume your game from your last save position. Check out the next portion of this guide to find out how to unlock the better endings and more of the castle.

24. Head over to the Demon Guest House after fighting Dario or if you choose to skip the battle.

p. The Upper Floors of the Demon Guest House

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Items: Olrox’s Suit

Souls: Paranoia

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Soma will have to fight Paranoia on the upper floors of the Demon Guest House, which can be accessed via the Pinnacle. You will need three souls to pass through the hallway that leads to the boss (Killer Clown, Axe Armor, and Ukoback) so collect them if you do not already have them before exploring this area. All of these souls are fairly easy to get. You can find Axe Armor in the Lost Village, Killer Clown in the Demon Guest House, and Ukoback in the Subterranean Hell.

1. Go through the long hallway in The Pinnacle to get to this section of the Demon Guest House. 

2. Jump on the switch on the floor to open the way to the lower part of the Guest House. Watch out for the Malachai demons on the platform above the switch. You may want to visit the Save Room below before facing the boss.

3. This room is home to a Mimic.

4. Enemies that include a Lilith, Succubus, and Witches among others dwell in this room. Despite being a meme, this room is a good place to farm souls.

5. You can farm the Iron Golem in this room if you want its soul.

6. There are three walls with images of monsters engraved on them in this hallway. Use the corresponding souls to break the walls. The first soul is Axe Armor which can be found in the Lost Village. Next up is Killer Clown who can be found right here in the Demon Guest House. The last wall can be broken with Ukoback from the Subterranean Hell.

 7. Paranoia (Boss)

Recommended Level: 40+

This boss has two phases. In the first phase Paranoia is small and relatively weak. In the second phase he is much larger and more dangerous. Defeat Paranoia to get his soul, which let’s Soma travel through mirrors. 

Phase 1: Small Paranoia

Small Paranoia will emerge from the mirror in the center of the chamber and slash Soma with a dagger several times before retreating into the mirror. After retreating to the mirror, he will fire a laser that bounces between four smaller mirrors situated in each corner of the room. The mirrors flash to indicate the trajectory of the laser as it bounces. Try to find a safe spot to crouch in or use the Bat Company Soul to fly around the bouncing laser. You can also slide to avoid the beams.

Slashing weapons like the Great Axe and Balmung work well on Small Paranoia. Spears are also good. You can use whatever souls you feel are best in this fight, because Paranoia is not particularly weak or strong against anything outside of slashing and piercing. Slay Small Paranoia and head over to the room on the left to fight its larger incarnation.

Phase 2: Large Paranoia

Enter the room on the left after defeating Small Paranoia to battle large Paranoia. This Paranoia has More HP and a bigger hit box. It also hovers around the ceiling, occasionally swooping down to attack. You can hit Paranoia with weapons or the Axe Armor Soul while it is hovering, just step out of the way when he dives. You will also have to move away from Paranoia while melee attacking him in the air or he will crash into you.

Paranoia will retreat to the mirror after hovering for a while, then use his laser beam attack. It functions the same way it did in the first fight, but moves faster this time. Just watch the beams carefully and duck or slide to avoid them. You will have to use the Magic Seal to finish off this Paranoia and you will get its soul when you are done.

8. Do not forget to grab Olrox’s Suit from this room. Olrox’s Suit is arguably better than Eversing due to its Str, Int, and Con bonuses. You are free to do a lot of backtracking to gather some nice items and explore the rest of the castle now that you have Paranoia’s Soul.

q. Backtracking with Paranoia’s Soul (Optional)

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Items: Mana Prism, Dracula’s Tunic, Tear of Blood, Rosary, Megingiord, Super Potion, Platinum Stud

Souls: None

=================================

You likely noticed a few mirrors scattered around the castle as you were playing this game. With Paranoia’s Soul equipped, Soma can travel to the other side of a mirror to enter secret locations or find items. This section of the walkthrough will take you through most of the castle, since the mirrors are in just about every area. You will find all sorts of good items by mirror hopping, but this section is optional.

Note: Please forgive the small numbering on the map for this section, I had to cram a huge map into a format suitable for a webpage.

1. Equip Paranoia’s Soul after getting it and return to the room where you fought Small Paranoia. Press Up and Y to enter the mirror (you will have to do this with all of the mirrors) and take the Mana Prism.

2. You will have to walk all the way back to the puzzle room and make a path to the upper right hand chamber to find the second mirror, but it’s worth the trip. Use Paranoia to enter the mirror and get Dracula’s Tunic, which is more powerful than Eversing and Olrox’s Suit.

3. Head back to the Lost Village and the mirror room east of the shops. Use Paranoia when you get to the mirror and walk right through the mirror world to another mirror. Use Paranoia to exit the mirror, then pick up the Tear of Blood. Aside from being a reference to the classic Castlevania song, the Tear of Blood is also a great accessory, though the Rune Ring is superior if you use a lot of soul magic.

4. Warp over to the Wizardry Lab (it may be easier to just walk if you are coming from the Lost Village) and look for the hallway filled with ice blocks right of the main entrance. Follow the hallway to a mirror room where you will find the Rosary on the other side of the mirror.

5. Look for the mirror in the basement of the Dark Chapel and enter it to get Megingiord.

6. Use Paranoia to enter the mirror here and take the Super Potion that is sitting on the floor.

7. Enter the mirror to get a Platinum Stud. This also marks the last of the hidden items, so head over to The Pinnacle.

r. The Pinnacle Revisited

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Items: Magic Seal 5

Souls: Aguni

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Refer to Part o of this walkthrough if you want a map of The Pinnacle. For now all you have to do is travel to the boss room where Dario waits. This area should be familiar if you fought Dario earlier. I also recommend leveling up and upgrading your gear before you take on the boss at the top of The Pinnacle.

Aguni (Boss)

Recommended Level 45+

To fight Aguni, walk up to the mirror behind Dario and use Paranoia. Aguni is a dangerous boss, especially when compared to the last few. Most of his attacks deal upwards of 50 damage and his stronger ones can inflict 100 damage to a level 50 Soma. Luckily, Aguni only has three moves that are easy to avoid.

Flame wave – Aguni will launch itself into the air and crash, sending out flames that travel left and right. You can simply jump to dodge the flames after Aguni lands.

Claw swipe – Aguni will approach Soma and try to slash him with his claws. Run under the boss between swipes to stay safe or back away.

Crawling fire – The boss will spit fireballs that travel along the ground. Jump over these, they can inflict about 100 damage.

Axe Armor works well on Aguni. Frozen Shade is also a good choice. This boss has 4000 HP, so it will take a while to kill it. Soma will get the Aguni Soul after defeating the demon. You will also trigger a cutscene after leaving the mirror world. 

Head over to the room left of the boss chamber and grab the Magic Seal 5 before leaving the Pinnacle.

s. The Garden of Madness Revisited

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Items: None

Souls: None

=================================

I left out the map for this section, because it is very easy to find the boss room in the Garden of Madness, simply head over to the unexplored room near the middle of the Garden of Madness on the first floor. The door was impassable earlier in the game since you need Magic Seal 5 to open it, but it will open as long as you picked the seal up in the Pinnacle after beating Aguni.

You can get the “Bad Ending” in this area or unlock the rest of the castle depending on your actions. This section of the guide goes over both possibilities, starting with getting the Bad Ending.

1. The Bad Ending (Unlock Julius Mode)

This ending is easy to get, just enter the boss room in the center of the Garden of Madness without Mina’s Talisman equipped. A cutscene will play and the game will end. You will also get a message that Julius Mode has become available. It is perfectly safe to get this ending if you wish to explore the last part of the castle and get the “Good Ending”, just reload your game and follow the instructions below.

2. Unlocking the Good Ending

To unlock the rest of the castle and get the Good Ending (after fighting the true final boss) simply enter the central boss room in the Garden of Madness with Mina’s Talisman equipped in your current accessory slot. A brief cutscene will play when you enter, but things will pan out differently this time, just be sure to watch the cutscene until it ends. Arikado will arrive at the end and tell you the portal in the Condemned Tower can now be opened, so set out for the Tower.

t. Mine of Judgement

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Items: None

Souls: Death

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The Mine of Judgement is one of the final areas in Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow. You will need to wear Mina’s Talisman in the boss room of the Garden of Madness to unlock this area. Travel to The Condemned Tower and enter the room right of the entrance to find the room that leads to the Mine. 

You may want to take some time to level up to about 50 and make powerful weapons like Claimh Solais before entering this area, because the boss can destroy a weak character fairly easily. It’s also wise to backtrack for items like Dracula’s Tunic and the Rune Ring if you haven’t already acquired them. 

1. Drop down from the Warp Room at the top of the Condemned Tower to find the chamber that leads to the Mine of Judgement. Soma will walk in on a conversation between Arikado and Julius when he enters this room. Julius will open the way and you can drop into the next room.

2. Check out the Save Room left of the entrance to this area before you do anything else.

3. You can farm the Slogra in this room for its soul, which can be used to upgrade the Brionac spear into Geiborg, then to Longinus if you have the Erinys Soul. From there you can max the spear out with a Bugbear Soul. Solgra’s Soul is a good weapon on its own as well.

4. Come back to this chamber after saving and go in the lower left door. Look out for the venomous Tanjellies in this room.

5. More Tanjellies crawl along the walls in this tunnel, so be careful. Go into the room on the lower right. 

6. Keep following the sort of zigzag pattern of rooms as you descend. The soul of the Giant Slug in this room can help Soma resist poison, but it’s not really worth farming unless you are a collector due to its low drop rate.

7. Watch out for the Tanjelly crawling around near the entrance to this shaft. There’s also a Gaibon in here that is easy to farm for its soul, which can be used to make the Yasutsuna Katana.

8. Visit the Warp Room and return to the Lost Village. I strongly recommend upgrading your favorite weapon, because there is not much left to the game at this point. You should also stock up on potions as usual.

9. Save your game before going into the room on the left, because you will have to fight Death when you enter it.

10. Death (Boss)

Recommended Level: 50+

Phase 1

You may have already guessed that Death is a pretty tough customer. His attacks can inflict heavy damage (I took 108 damage from his scythe at level 54 with 73 Def) and he can take quite a beating before going down. That said, he is not hard to evade. His main attack is a dash followed by a slash of the scythe. Run and jump away to avoid this move. He may also spin his scythe, which will cause it to break into several smaller ones that fan out. Simply attack the small scythes to destroy them. Finally, Death creates duplicates of himself that fire a beam that strikes the floor after a few seconds. Step away from the duplicates and you will be safe from the beam.

Do not be shy about using potions in this fight and use a weapon like Gungner or the Claimh Solais. Souls that inflict holy damage (Erinys) are also effective, but you can get away with Mandragora or Axe Armor. Death will morph into his second, more deadly phase after you damage him enough.

Phase 2

Death’s second phase is a much greater threat than the first. In fact, I would say he is one of the more difficult bosses in the game. He has three attacks that get progressively more dangerous as you go down the list.

Scythe spin – This move is easy to deal with. Run away from Death when he spins his scythe and get ready to jump over it when he throws it, Smaller scythes will spawn as the large one moves across the screen, but they are easy to evade or destroy.

Teleport slash – Death will vanish, then appear near Soma. A moment later he will slash at Soma with his scythe. Run and jump away from this move.

Giant skulls – This is Death’s strongest move. He will float to the top of the screen and fire a pair of white fireballs that travel left and right off the screen. A moment later, giant skulls will come in from the right and left sides of the screen. The skulls come in a sort one-two pattern and deal about 180 damage depending on your Def. Run away from the first skull and turn in the opposite direction as soon as it vanishes, because another will come in from the other side of the room. This pattern can be hard to get the hang of, especially if you get hit, so be ready to pause and use a potion. 

The same weapons and techniques that worked in the first phase work in this one. Be aggressive, because dragging the fight out will only increase your odds of failure. Soma will get Death’s Soul when he wins.

11. Press up to go through the totally safe looking portal that leads to the Abyss.

u. The Abyss

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Items: Chaos Ring*

Souls: Hippogriff, Abaddon

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The Abyss is the final area in Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow. As such, it’s home to some powerful monsters and items. Claimh Solais is going to be your best friend in this area, because it inflicts heavy damage on the demonic denizens of this area. You will need to follow the greatsword synthesis line to make Claimh Solais, which will require a number of souls that include the Final Guard and Alastor from the Pinnacle.

*You will need to acquire every soul in the game, then return to the first ice room in the Abyss to get the Chaos Ring.

1. This chamber is home to an Arc Demon and plumes of flame that come out of the floor. The Arc Demon will shoot fireballs at Soma, so be ready to jump out of the way. You should also avoid the flames that jet out of the floor, since they can hurt quite a bit. Visit the Save Room on the left.

2. Wait for the flames to die down before moving forward in this hallway. Lava marks the spots where the flames emerge from the floor.

3. You can farm the Alastor by the entrance to this room if you need his soul for the Claimh Solais. The sand in this room will pull Soma down and make him move more slowly, so keep this in mind when fighting.

4. Allow Soma to sink into the quicksand near the entrance of this room to find a secret chamber where the Hippogriff Soul is hidden. You can use this soul to escape the quicksand and move easily through the area.

Tip: You can return to the bell room in the Dark Chapel and boost jump with the Hippogriff Soul into a bell to get the Bell, which can be sold in Hammer’s shop.

5. You may want to farm the Mud Demon near the start of this room. Its soul let’s Soma move around in sand as quickly as he does on solid ground.

6. The Stolas in this hallway can summon Erinys and quickly overwhelm players. Try to Eliminate Stolas first. Players that predominantly use magic may like Stolas’ soul, which raises Int while lowering Str.

7. The Malacoda in this room is worth farming if you like katanas or whip swords, because its soul can be used to make the Nebula whip sword and the Muramasa katana.

8. Save your game before entering the boss chamber above the Save Room.

9. Abaddon (Boss)

Recommended Level: 55+

Abaddon is a deceptively dangerous boss. He merely summons swarms of locusts that fly in from the left, right, or top of the room and hops around a bit. The locusts do not do much damage per hit, but they can strike Soma Several times since they travel in a line. Successive hits can add up to considerable damage. Luckily, Soma can clear away the locusts with melee attacks and Abaddon is really easy to defeat.

Simply stand next to Abaddon, crouch, then start attacking him with the Claimh Solais or another weapon. Most of the locusts will miss Soma if he is crouching and the Claimh Solais inflicts a lot of damage. More magic oriented players can use Erinys or another soul to damage this boss. You can also predict where and how the swarm will move by watching Abbadon’s gestures. Soma will receive the Abaddon Soul after beating this boss. Abaddon can be used to make Valmanway, the ultimate sword.

10. The Black Panther in this hallway drops a soul that makes it possible to dash at high speed as long as it is equipped and the player holds the R Button down. It also allows Soma to pass through smaller enemies and reposition himself quickly. Black Panther tends to drop its soul frequently, so it is worth taking a few minutes to get it.

11. Use caution when traversing the spikey terrain in this section of The Abyss. Transform into Bat Company if you are not sure you can clear spikes with jumps. You can even combine Bat Company with the Flame Demon Soul to shoot fireballs at enemies. You may also want to farm the Iron Golem Soul in the room above if you want to make Valmanway, though the task is tedious.

12. Use the Warp Room to visit the Lost Village and buy anything you need for the final boss. You can warp back to the Abyss by selecting the warp room on the lower right part of the map. The room is tiny and easy to miss, but you’ll find it under the Mine of Judgement. Save in the Save Room above the warp and get ready for the last boss.

13. Go through the portal to fight Menace, the final boss.

Menace (Boss)

Recommended Level: 60+

Menace has three phases that are distinct from each other. Each phase has 3000 HP and is weak vs. Holy, so the Claimh Solais or souls that deal Holy damage (Erinys) are good choices here, though anything that deals very high damage is a safe bet in this fight.

Phase 1

This phase has two attacks. The first comes in the form of swords that jut out of the floor or ceiling to damage Soma. You can see these weapons pop up briefly before they strike, so move out of the way if you see them. The second attack comes from the face on the left side of the boss, which breathes poison gas. Move back when it opens its mouth. Try to avoid touching the body of the demon or you will take damage.

Slash at the small fleshy protuberance just above the head that exhales poison gas to damage the boss. Overall, this part of the fight is not difficult, just take your time and play defensively.

Phase 2

Menace will stand up after you hit it enough in Phase 1. You will have to jump up the platforms and hit its head to damage it, which is made difficult by the leech-like creatures that fly towards Soma. I also recommend backing away after striking Menace’s head, because it will counter with a punch. You will have to wait a moment between hits, because the bony skull over the boss’s head will snap shut for a second after taking damage. 

Clamh Solias is still good in this fight and any soul that inflicts large amounts of damage in a single hit, like Skull Archer and Mandragora, is also a solid choice. Weapons and souls that rely on multiple hits should be avoided in this fight. You should also use melee attacks to keep the number of leeches to a minimum. Damage the boss enough and the face will explode.

Phase 3

You will have to damage the face that appears on Menace’s knee in this part of the battle. Watch out for the boss’s stomping feet and use the same attack/back-off pattern as in the last phase. This phase is actually easier than the last, since you can continuously damage Menace, so use the best stuff you have. Leeches still appear, so be sure to keep them under control. Hit Menace enough and you will beat the game, getting the best ending in the process!

IV. Julius Mode Guide

Julius Mode is fairly simple compared to the main quest with Soma, so a lot of details are left out of this section. To complete Julius Mode, you need to defeat all of the bosses, then head down to the Abyss where you will fight the last boss.

a. Basics

Julius Mode is largely similar to Soma’s quest since it uses many of the same game mechanics, the same level layout, and the same controls. However, there are a few important differences that you should be aware of as well as a few new controls. Keep in mind that players can still use Warp and Save Rooms.

1. Julius Mode Changes

Julius Mode is different from the base game where players control Soma in a number of ways.

-There are three playable heroes.

-Ice blocks can be broken using Julius’ whip.

-Players cannot interact with mirrors.

-There are no shops.

-Julius, Yoko, and Alucard do not have an inventory or equipment.

-Bosses are automatically sealed once their HP reaches zero.

-Alucard’s Bat Form is required to reach many of the areas in the castle.

-There are no treasures and all breakable items (IE candles, torches, etc) drop hearts.

-Monsters do not drop souls or items.

-All characters share the sameHP/MP meter.

-The game pauses briefly when the player swaps heroes.

-All heroes are immune to status effects like poison and stone.

2. Controls

The controls are largely unchanged from Soma Mode, but there are a few key differences.

-The X Button is used to cycle through the three heroes. At first this button does nothing, since only Julius is playable, but it comes into play once you find Yoko, then Alucard.

-The R Button is used to cycle through the current character’s special powers.

-All heroes can double jump.

-Julius and Yoko can slide by pressing Down and B.

-Julius and Alucard can perform aerial kicks by pressing Left or Right, Down, and B.

-Alucard can high jump by pressing L and Up.

-Julius can perform an upwards punch that can give him an extra boost in the air by pressing L and Up.

-Pressing the A Button as Alucard will make him use his teleport attack, which is the only special weapon move in this mode.

3. Experience and Leveling Up

Julius, Yoko, and Alucard can level up by defeating monsters just like Soma. They will gain HP, MP, Def, Str, and possibly other stats with each level. While leveling up is very helpful in this game, it’s also a system of diminishing returns, since players will receive less HP at higher levels than they did at lower levels. This means the difference between a level 65 character and a level 75 character is far less dramatic than the difference between levels 5 and 15, despite the fact that 10 levels separate both examples. 

It’s also worth noting that the trio shares their level, so Yoko and Alucard will always be the same level as Julius. Generally, it’s wise to level up a bit to make boss fights end more quickly (reducing the odds that you will make a mistake) but there is not much incentive to grind to extremely high levels, because the last boss fights are based more on skill.

b. Playable Characters

Players start out with Julius and can recruit two more heroes over the course of the game. Each of the three heroes has his or her own powers.

1. Julius Belmont

Players start out as Julius, famed vampire hunter and descendant of the Belmont clan. Out of the three heroes, Julis is the most balanced. His special powers also set him apart from the others, since they are versatile, effective, and require little MP to use.

Abilities/Weaknesses

-Can break ice blocks with the whip.

-Has the shortest backwards dash out of the three.

-His whip has a lot of reach and good damage.

-Can block projectiles with the whip if the player holds the Y Button after attacking.

Special Powers

Ax – Julius throws an ax that arcs upwards just like every other Belmont. Great for hitting flying foes.

Holy Water – Throw a bottle of holy water that sends a wave of holy flame across the floor. Powerful vs. ground based opponents.

Cross – Hurl a cross that flies in a straight line and returns to Julius. Deals decent damage and works well on most foes.

Super Cross – Julius creates a powerful cross that hits foes above him and to his sides. He is also invincible while the cross is active, but it takes him a moment to use this ability, which leaves him vulnerable.

2. Yoko Belnades

Yoko is the spell caster of the trio. As such, she has a relatively weak attack and low defense. However, her spells are very powerful, which makes her a force to be reckoned with. She also has the longest back dash out of the three.

Abilities/Weaknesses

-Weapon has little reach and damage, though it can hit monsters above her.

-Her weapon restores some HP whenever it comes into contact with a monster. The HP it restores is a set amount that is determined by the player’s level. At low levels it will only heal you for about three HP. At higher levels it heals about eleven HP.

Special Powers

Fire Spell – This inexpensive spell can hit a nearby enemy twice, inflicting moderate fire damage.

Ice Spell -Yoko creates ice spikes that fly off in four directions, dealing fairly high ice damage.

Lightning Spell – Produce several balls of lighting that track monsters, hitting them multiple times on contact.

3. Alucard (Genya Arikado)

Alucard has high defense and attack power. He also has great mobility thanks to his high jump, but his special powers are somewhat lacking. Despite looking somewhat weak on paper, Alucard is arguably the best of the trio, though they all have their own strengths.

Abilities/Weaknesses

-Powerful sword with moderate reach and speed.

-Can teleport behind enemies and slash them by pressing the A Button. This costs MP. 

-Little in the way of special powers.

-Can high jump if the player presses Up and L.

Special Powers

Fireball – Alucard opens his cloak and shoots three fireballs that fly to the other side of the room. These fireballs are powerful, but the move leaves Alucard open to attack and they have a relatively limited hit zone.

Bat Form – Soma can transform into a bat and fly through small gaps or up to hard to reach places. This ability is vital for completing this quest.

c. Getting Started/Recruiting Yoko

Julius starts out near the entrance to the Lost Village. Fight Flying Armor (he should be easy to beat as Julius) then head over to the shops in the lower left part of the Lost Village. Yoko should be waiting in the shop area Soma’s game. Julius will speak to her briefly, then she will join up. Set out for the Wirdary Lab in the east after getting Yoko.

d. Recruiting Alucard

Head over to the Garden of Madness and make your way upwards to Dario’s room. You can fight Dario and win at a low level as long as you are careful about avoiding his attacks. Yoko’s ice magic is very effective in this fight. Level up to about 25 if you are having trouble defeating Dario. Exit the boss room via the door on the left after you defeat Dario to enter the Demon Guest house. Walk down the hallway a bit to find Alucard.

e. Pinnacle Speed Leveling (Optional)

Brave players can head right to The Pinnacle and try to level up rapidly. Of course the trip is dangerous and you are probably better off exploring the Dark Chapel, Demon Guest House, and Subterranean Hell first. You will have to go through the Condemned Tower and Cursed Clock Tower to get to the Pinnacle. This means you will have to fight Gergoth and Zephyr, so refer to Part F of this walkthrough for instructions.

Look for the room with four Bug Bears just before the stairs that lead to the boss (it’s above the second Save Room) and use Yoko’s Ice Spell to quickly destroy the Bug Bears, then leave via the door on the left. You can then reenter the hallway to quickly kill the Bug Bears as many times as you like. With the Save Room just under the Bug Bear room, it’s possible to quickly refill Yoko’s MP when she runs out and get to a high level in about 30 minutes or so.

f. Opening the Abyss

You will need to defeat all of the bosses (aside from Death, Abbaddon, and the last boss) in the main part of the castle to open the way to the Abyss.

1. Dmitrii

Recommended Level: 20-25

Dmitrii is a bit more dangerous than Dario and deserves a bit more explanation. His dark sphere spell can wreck your heroes pretty quickly, so jump over it or use Alucard’s bat form to fly to safety. Dmitrii can copy the abilities of Julius, Yoko, and Alucard just as he could with Soma’s abilities, so it is important to refrain from using anything powerful like Yoko’s lightning magic. In fact, your best bet in this fight is to use Julius’ Holy Water or Alucard’s Fireballs as soon as you have a chance. Dmitrii will copy the ability and start using it right away. This will allow you to jump over his attacks with relative ease.

Julius is well suited to this fight, since his whip is deadly and has enough reach to strike the boss from afar. You can basically stick to Dmitrii and whip away at him only pausing to jump over the occasional Holy Water wave. Switch to Yoko and use her melee on this boss if you need to replenish your health. Alucard is also effective, but he has to get fairly close to Dmitrii, which makes dodging the Holy Water more risky.

2. Malphas

Recommended Level: 20-25

You may as well battle Malphas while you are here. I recommend saving before taking this boss on, because his attacks can be pretty dangerous. That said, you can fight him with just about anyone. Julius’ Super Cross ability works extremely well if you use it directly under the boss while he is airborne. Alucard is also a good choice, since he can use his teleport attack on Malphas when he is on the ground. Yoko’s Lightning Magic is also good, so this fight should be fairly easy.

3. Rahab

Recommended Level: 26-32

Rahab is a bit trickier to fight in Julius Mode than he is with Soma, because Julius & Co. already have the ability to move underwater when they encounter this boss. Consequently, you will have to avoid Rahab as it moves around underwater. Julius performs best in this encounter. His whip can hit Rahab from a reasonable distance. He can also chuck Axes at the boss when it is overhead or throw the Cross at it when it is approaching head on. Remember that you can jump around  in the water to sort of “swim” in this chamber, which makes evading Rahab as it swims around a lot easier. 

4. Puppet Master

Recommended Level: 28-34

Puppet Master is really annoying in Julius Mode in my opinion. It takes four hits to destroy the dolls he places in the iron maidens and you are probably not a very high level unless you went to the Pinnacle to grind, so this battle can drag out. Switch to Alucard, because his fast sword attacks are well suited to eliminating the dolls that appear in Puppet Master’s hands. Concentrate on destroying the dolls as they appear and use Alucard’s teleport attack on Puppet Master during the gaps between dolls.

5. Gergoth

Recommended Level: 28-35

Use Yoko to fight Gergoth. Her Lightning magic does tons of damage to him and her ability to absorb HP is very helpful in this fight. Julius is also good if you use the Cross on Gergoth.

6. Zephyr

Recommended Level: 28-35

This is another fight where Alucard shines. Slash at Zephyr and step back to keep him from swiping at Alucard with his claw. You can get into a quick pattern of slashing and stepping back. Be sure to hold your attack when Zephyr crouches and emits a white aura or he will get you with his time freeze. Use Alucard’s teleport attack when you have enough MP.

7. Paranoia

Recommended Level: 50-55

Head over to the Demon Guest House via the Pinnacle to fight Paranoia. Keep in mind that Paranoia has two phases just as he does in the normal game. It’s really helpful to level up a lot in the Pinnacle or some other place, because Paranoia can do a lot of damage even if you are level 50.

Phase 1

Little Paranoia is best fought with Alucard, thanks to his quick sword attacks. Alucard’s Fireball spell works well on Paranoia while he is moving around outside the mirror. You can also use Bat Form to dodge the laser beams. Rest up and let your MP regenerate after the fight.

Phase 2

Julius is your man in the fight with Big Paranoia. Use his Super Cross while Paranoia is flying around above you. It can easily reach the boss and should deal about 63 damage per hit if you are level 54 or so. Try to spam Super Cross to kill Paranoia quickly. You may be able to defeat this boss before it retreats into the mirror with a bit of luck.

8. Aguni

Recommended Level: 50-55

Aguni waits in the highest room of the Pinnacle. He can be rather difficult to defeat, unless you use Yoko. Cast Yoko’s Ice spells while standing near Aguni to inflict heavy damage on him. Several ice spikes can hit the boss at once if you stand under it. Take care to avoid his attacks, because they do a lot of damage. Aguni shouldn’t last long if you cast Ice frequently.

9. Bat Company

Recommended Level: 50-55

Bat Company can be tough to fight in Julius Mode, so take a bit of time to level up before challenging it. Yoko is your best bet in this battle. Cast her Fire spell to deal a lot of damage to the boss. You can also use Julius and his Super Cross ability, though it is more expensive in terms of MP and difficult to aim due to the way Bat Company moves.

g. The Mine of Judgment and the Abyss

The Mine of Judgement and the Abyss mark the end of this quest. The bosses in this area are a lot tougher than those in the rest of the game, so be prepared to fight. I recommend getting to level 65 or even into the high 90s unless you are looking for a challenge.

1. Death

Recommended Level: 65+

Death is a lot more ummm…deadly in Julius Mode than he is in the normal game. The damage he can inflict on the trio is massive compared to most other bosses and he can take a beating. It’s possible to beat Death at levels as low as 25, but you need practice and precision to do so. All three characters have abilities that make them suited to battling Death, however, there is a pattern you should follow.

Julius and Yoko do well in the first phase. Both characters have good melee attacks for clearing away the tiny scythes the boss launches, while Alucard has to swing his sword a few times to clear them. More importantly, Julius’ Super Cross and Yoko’s Lightning spell are great for damaging Death. Lightning does more than the Super Cross, plus it doesn’t root Yoko in place for long, so it’s the better choice in this fight.

Expend whatever MP you have left on Lightning in the beginning of Phase 2, then switch to Alucard. Use his quick sword attack to slice away at Death and watch the boss closely. Remember his giant skull attack? It was dangerous in Soma’s quest, but it can outright kill you in this mode. Start running in the opposite direction of the first energy ball Death fires and pivot after the skull appears to avoid the next one. Repeat this left/right running pattern until the skulls stop.

Evasion is very important in this fight even if you are a high level. Death can take huge chunks out of your health with just one hit and a few mistakes can result in defeat. Be ready to practice this fight a bit if you do not have it memorized. 

2. Abbadon 

Recommended Level: 65+

Abbadon is not as tough as Death. However, he is still a threat in Julius Mode. Swarms of locusts summoned by Abbadon can hit you repeatedly and none of the trio is as good at clearing the locusts with melee attacks as Soma. That said, you can muscle your way through this battle relatively easily with Julius’ Super Cross ability. Wait for gaps in Abbadon’s attacks and use Super Cross when in close proximity to him. Time your attacks well and Julius will be able to destroy the swarms while inflicting heavy damage on the boss.

3. Soma

Recommended Level: 65+

Soma will teleport around the room while a summoned Gaibon follows him. He will use the Great Axe Armor soul after teleporting. In case you forgot, or never acquired it, the Great Axe Armor creates a giant ax that rotates around Soma once before disappearing. Dash away so that Soma is near the edge of the screen after he materializes to avoid the great ax. 

Gaibon attacks every so often after Soma teleports. He will bare his teeth just before swooping at the player, which is your que to back away.

Yoko is your best bet in this fight. Her Ice spell can damage Soma quite a bit, just run a few steps away from him after he materializes and cast it when he is near the edge of the screen. About six Ice spells can defeat Soma and begin the battle with Dracula.

4. Dracula

Recommended Level: 65+

Dracula will appear after you defeat Soma. He often jumps and fires a spread of worm-like creatures from his mouth. Upon landing he will spit a fireball that will spread along the ground. You can step between or double jump over the worms. Either way, be ready to leap over the fireball just after dodging the worms. 

Dracula will also summon locusts that fly around in a circle near the player. He sort of squints before spitting out the locusts, so prepared to react. The locusts track the player in a delayed manner, so it’s easy to avoid damage by jumping over the locusts or ducking them as long as you pay attention to their movements. Dracula is accompanied by a Harpy that fires feathers at the player in a downward arc. Generally, the feathers are not an issue, but you should be prepared to jump away from them.

It takes a bit of practice and good strategy to defeat this boss. Generally, Alucard is best for this fight thanks to his high defense, but Julius and Yoko are better for damage output. Alucard’s high jump is also fairly useful for dodging Drac’s attacks. Large gaps between this boss’s attacks make it easy to get your own attacks in, just be sure to watch him closely or you will take damage. Remember you can slide under Drac when he jumps with Julius or Yoko. 

Use abilities like Julius’ Super Cross, Yoko’s Lightning, and Alucard’s teleport attack to slay Dracula.

V. Boss Rush Items

The Boss Rush is unlocked by beating Menace in Soma Mode or by defeating the last boss in Julius Mode. Players are prompted to select a save to use for the Boss Rush. I recommend using your best save with Soma, so you have access to powerful weapons and souls to defeat the bosses with. Completing the rush before the timer reaches certain points will award the player with a number of powerful items, which are listed below.

This guide does not go into detail concerning the Boss Rush since it is fairly easy to get good times even without practice if you use a powered up Soma.

5 Minutes or less = RPG

6 Minutes or less = Death’s Robe

7 Minutes or less = Nunchakus

8 Minutes or less = Terror Bear 

Greater than 8 minutes = Potion

VI. Endings

Players can get several different endings in Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow. Completing certain tasks will result in one of the three endings. You can see every ending on the same save file as long as you follow the steps necessary to unlock the ending you want. Here are the endings and the manner in which they are unlocked.

Worst Ending – Defeat Dario Bossi in The Pinnacle.

Bad Ending – Defeat Aguni by entering the mirror behind Dario in The Pinnacle’s boss room. You will need to get Paranoia’s Soul from the Demon Guest House to fight Aguni. Paranoia can be reached by entering the Demon Guest House via the path that runs through the Pinnacle. Enter the boss room in the center of the Garden of Madness to see the bad ending after beating Aguni. Do not wear Mina’s Talisman if you want to see this ending.

Best Ending – Defeat Aguni using the steps described in the bad ending, then go to the boss room in the center of the Garden of Madness. Equip Mina’s Talisman before entering the room. Events will play out differently and you will be able to enter the Mine of Judgement in the Condemned Tower after a cutscene. From there you can enter the Abyss and fight the true final boss.

VII. References 

Here are the resources I referred to while making this walkthrough. They are worth checking out, because they elaborate on topics that I glossed over to keep this guide from being 300 pages long. 

Walkthrough

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/ds/922145-castlevania-dawn-of-sorrow/faqs/49497

Weapon Synthesis Chart

https://www.finalfantasykingdom.net/dossynthesis.php

Bestiary 

https://castlevania.fandom.com/wiki/Dawn_of_Sorrow_Bestiary#Enemies

General Walkthrough

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/ds/922145-castlevania-dawn-of-sorrow/faqs/49497

…and that’s it for resources, feel free to ask questions in the comment section below.

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