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Use the table to see where each boss is found, what it awards and which movement or story gate it opens. Then follow the route notes for Notre-Dame, the optional bosses and the true ending.
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Complete boss order at a glance
| # | Encounter | Location | Reward or progression |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Fallen (Leon) | Gate to the Catacombs, Paris Streets | The Fallen Arcana (Holy Cross), Arcane Whip and a key |
| 2 | Medusa | Ossuary of the Innocents, Holy Innocents’ Cemetery | The Prophetess Arcana (Petrifying Gaze) |
| 3 | Joan, first fight | Roof of the Tower, Paris Streets | The Warrior Arcana (Infernal Pyre) |
| 4 | Death, first fight | Stairway to Hell, Catacombs of Paris | No Arcana card |
| 5 | Isaac, first fight | Main Hall | No Arcana card |
| 6 | Talos | Throne of the Builder, Clock Tower | The Builder Arcana (Fist of Talos) and the Smash technique |
| 7 | Carmilla | Observatory, Library | The Occultist Arcana (Blood Spikes), Aerial Rush and Brauner’s Paintbrush |
| 8 | Brauner | Brauner’s Atelier, Main Hall | The Artist Arcana (Masterpiece) |
| 9 | Mammon | Mammon’s Lair, Catacombs of Paris | The Miser Arcana (Wheel of Chaos) |
| 10 | Joan, second fight | Courage Bell, Notre-Dame | No Arcana card; the Courage blessing |
| 11 | Death, second fight | Transept, Choir, Notre-Dame | The Shadow Arcana (Soul Harvest), Vampire Killer and Double Jump |
| 12 | Saint Louis | Palace of Justice, Paris Streets | The Judge Arcana (Chains of Justice) |
| 13 | Isaac, second fight | Heart of the Clock, Clock Tower | The Zealot Arcana (Chronomantic Dive); Chauve-Souris spear becomes available afterward |
| 14 | Dracula, first fight | Court of the Night, Master’s Quarters | Trophy only |
| 15 | Succubus | Hall of Mirrors, Belmont Manor | The Temptress Arcana (Life Drain) and the complete Hall of Mirrors map |
| 16 | Doppelganger (The Cursed) | Gallery of the Four Virtues, Notre-Dame | The Self Arcana (Absolution); required for the true-ending route |
| 17 | Arthur | Chapel, Notre-Dame | The Brittle King Arcana (Stained-Glass Shield) and Excalibur |
| 18 | Dracula, second fight | Court of the Night, Master’s Quarters | Trophy only |
Although the game has 18 total encounters, the repeated names mean there are 14 distinct bosses. The guide reports boss health, attack and experience values for these encounters; those figures are guide-reported rather than independent testing. For scale, it lists The Fallen at 800 health, 19 attack and 400 XP, while Arthur is listed at 11,000 health, 55 attack and 500 XP.
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Bosses are more than combat checkpoints. Each victory either adds an Arcana card, grants a movement or combat technique, supplies equipment, or opens a route through the castle and its surrounding districts. Exploration is built around cryptic clues that identify Tarot-card bosses, so finding the arena can take longer than winning the fight.
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Do not treat the numbered list as a speedrun requirement. Some encounters are conditional on a specific ending or on having the right Arcana. A player following clues organically may meet optional fights in another order, while a player pursuing every collectible and the true ending will eventually use the full sequence.
Recommended route, step by step
1. Establish the early Arcana toolkit
Begin with The Fallen at the Gate to the Catacombs in the Paris Streets. The reward is unusually broad: Holy Cross, the Arcane Whip and a key. Medusa follows in the Ossuary of the Innocents beneath Holy Innocents’ Cemetery and provides Petrifying Gaze through The Prophetess card.
Joan’s first encounter is on the Roof of the Tower in the Paris Streets. Infernal Pyre, represented by The Warrior Arcana, is the next major offensive tool. Death then appears on the Stairway to Hell in the Catacombs of Paris, followed by Isaac in the Main Hall. Neither first encounter supplies an Arcana card, so do not search for a missing reward after these fights.
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2. Use the Clock Tower and Library rewards to open the central route
Talos waits in the Throne of the Builder in the Clock Tower. His victory grants Fist of Talos through The Builder Arcana and teaches Smash. Carmilla is next in the Library’s Observatory. The Occultist Arcana supplies Blood Spikes, while the same encounter grants Aerial Rush and recovers Brauner’s Paintbrush.
Return to the Main Hall for Brauner’s Atelier. The Artist Arcana and its Masterpiece ability are essential to the Notre-Dame route. Mammon, in Mammon’s Lair in the Catacombs of Paris, then awards Wheel of Chaos through The Miser Arcana.
3. Open Notre-Dame
Notre-Dame access requires The Builder, The Artist and The Occultist. Once those Arcana are available, use Masterpiece on the large Notre-Dame painting. The route is not a single door unlock: you must complete three music-sheet and organ steps before the interior path is fully usable.
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That sequence leads to the Courage Bell, where Joan’s second fight takes place. Joan does not give another Arcana card, but the Courage blessing is important for the virtue system. Continue to the Transept in the Choir for Death’s second battle. This time the reward is substantial: Soul Harvest through The Shadow Arcana, the Vampire Killer and Double Jump.
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After Notre-Dame, fight Saint Louis in the Palace of Justice in the Paris Streets. The Judge Arcana grants Chains of Justice. Isaac’s second battle is in the Heart of the Clock in the Clock Tower; Chronomantic Dive comes from The Zealot Arcana, and the Chauve-Souris spear is available after the fight.
Dracula’s first encounter is in the Court of the Night in the Master’s Quarters. The listed reward is a trophy only. Beating him does not automatically complete the true ending, because the optional virtue and Cursed route still determine what happens afterward.
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5. Clear the optional Belmont Manor and Notre-Dame bosses
Succubus is found in the Hall of Mirrors at Belmont Manor. Life Drain, represented by The Temptress Arcana, is awarded after victory, and the complete Hall of Mirrors map is revealed.
The Cursed, also called Doppelganger, becomes available only after all four virtue blessings from the Stained Glass Challenges. The encounter is in the Gallery of the Four Virtues in Notre-Dame. Defeating it grants Absolution through The Self Arcana and is mandatory for the true-ending route.
Arthur is in the Chapel at Notre-Dame. His reward is Stained-Glass Shield from The Brittle King Arcana, plus Excalibur. Return to the Court of the Night for Dracula’s second encounter, which again lists a trophy rather than an Arcana card.
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What each Arcana and equipment reward changes
| Reward | Practical role in progression |
|---|---|
| Holy Cross and Arcane Whip | Early combat and access tools from The Fallen |
| Petrifying Gaze | Medusa’s Prophetess ability; useful against threats vulnerable to immobilization |
| Infernal Pyre | Joan’s Warrior offensive Arcana |
| Fist of Talos and Smash | Builder power and a technique used to break or manipulate route obstacles |
| Blood Spikes and Aerial Rush | Occultist damage option plus an aerial movement upgrade from Carmilla |
| Masterpiece | Artist ability required to activate the large Notre-Dame painting |
| Wheel of Chaos | Mammon’s Miser Arcana, expanding the combat toolkit before Notre-Dame |
| Soul Harvest, Vampire Killer and Double Jump | Death’s second-fight package; major mobility and weapon progression |
| Chains of Justice | Saint Louis’s Judge Arcana |
| Chronomantic Dive and Chauve-Souris | Isaac’s second-fight mobility ability and the spear available afterward |
| Life Drain and Hall of Mirrors map | Succubus reward and full-map visibility for Belmont Manor |
| Absolution | The Self Arcana used on Dracula for the true ending |
| Stained-Glass Shield and Excalibur | Arthur’s defensive Arcana and weapon reward |
Ending requirements
Bad ending
At the top of the Clock Tower, take the hallway past the Cursed Horologium. This choice sends the run to the bad ending route.
Normal ending
Disable the Cursed Horologium, then climb to the top of the Clock Tower. This path reaches the Master’s Quarters for the normal conclusion.
True ending
The true ending requires a longer checklist:
- Complete and bless The Warrior, The Whisperer, The Judge and The Sage Tarot cards.
- Defeat The Cursed, or Doppelganger, in the Gallery of the Four Virtues.
- Complete the Dracula fight.
- Use Absolution on Dracula after the fight.
The four named blessings are separate from simply defeating every boss in the table. If The Cursed does not appear, check the Stained Glass Challenges and confirm that all four virtue blessings have been completed. If the final interaction does not trigger, verify that Absolution is equipped and use it after Dracula rather than leaving the arena immediately.
Blind exploration versus the typical full-clear route
| Decision point | Blind or clue-led route | Typical full-clear route |
|---|---|---|
| Arcana and movement gates | You may reach a dead end until the required card or technique is discovered. | Collects Builder, Occultist and Artist before attempting Notre-Dame. |
| Backtracking and fast travel | Higher; cryptic clues can send you across already visited districts. | Planned returns group rewards and movement upgrades before difficult detours. |
| Rematches | May postpone or miss conditional second encounters. | Includes both Joan, Death, Isaac and Dracula encounters. |
| Virtue challenges | Optional until you decide to pursue the true ending. | Completes all four blessings and unlocks The Cursed. |
| Ending eligibility | Can naturally lead to bad or normal ending choices. | Preserves the requirements for the true ending. |
For a first playthrough, the practical compromise is to explore freely but record every Arcana, blessing and unopened route. When an area mentions a painting, organ, music sheet, virtue or Horologium, treat it as a progression clue rather than a decoration.
If you are stuck: checks that solve most route problems
- A Notre-Dame entrance is inactive: confirm that The Builder, The Artist and The Occultist are all unlocked, then return to the large painting and activate Masterpiece. Complete all three music-sheet and organ steps instead of searching for a second entrance.
- The Cursed is missing: finish every Stained Glass Challenge and bless The Warrior, The Whisperer, The Judge and The Sage. The Doppelganger fight is conditional and will not open from ordinary boss progress alone.
- You cannot reach a high platform: check whether Double Jump from Death’s second fight or Aerial Rush from Carmilla is the missing movement upgrade. Revisit earlier map branches after gaining either ability.
- A boss reward appears to be missing: Death’s and Isaac’s first encounters provide no Arcana card, and both Dracula encounters list a trophy only. Those are expected results.
- You are losing repeated attempts at a fight: the game includes accessibility options for increased potion capacity, boss-door respawns and higher attack damage. These options reduce repetition without changing the listed route requirements.
- You do not know where to go next: inspect the map for Tarot clues and unopened doors, then prioritize the next movement or Arcana gate rather than revisiting every room at once. Boss discovery is deliberately cryptic, and locating the arena can be the harder part of the encounter.
Interpreting boss statistics
The AllThingsHow guide reports health, attack and XP values for the bosses. Use them as reference values tied to that guide, not as universal measurements for every difficulty or future update. Its examples place The Fallen at 800 health, 19 attack and 400 XP, while Arthur is listed at 11,000 health, 55 attack and 500 XP. The large increase illustrates why later fights should be approached after collecting the movement, defensive and healing tools available along the route.
Quick Recap
Quick route checklist
- Defeat The Fallen, Medusa and Joan to establish the first three Arcana rewards.
- Clear first Death and first Isaac, then defeat Talos for Smash.
- Defeat Carmilla, recover Brauner’s Paintbrush and beat Brauner for Masterpiece.
- Defeat Mammon and confirm Builder, Artist and Occultist are all active.
- Use Masterpiece on the Notre-Dame painting; complete the three music-sheet and organ steps.
- Beat Joan and Death a second time inside Notre-Dame.
- Clear Saint Louis and Isaac’s second encounter, then face Dracula once.
- Explore Belmont Manor for Succubus and finish the four virtue blessings.
- Defeat The Cursed, then Arthur, and return for Dracula’s second encounter.
- For the true ending, use Absolution on Dracula after the fight.
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