Castlevania games typically have relatively simple combat. You press a button and a whip, sword, or other weapon usually comes out swinging. It's not usually complex with combos outside of the Lords of Shadow era, with the series typically focused more on exploration than a thrilling set of moves.

Castlevania: Belmont's Curse significantly changes these combat mechanics as Rose has access to seven weapon families, complete with buffs and perks. Each type has four different possible upgrades you can find on your journey, with subsequent weapons recovered from grand chests. To find the best weapons in this metroidvania, you'll occasionally need to think outside the box and find hidden rooms in seemingly unassuming passages.

Each weapon type in Castlevania: Belmont's Curse has four slots, with those further right being more powerful. All Castlevania: Belmont's Curse weapons

While you start with the humble Longsword, rather than the Vampire Killer whip a Belmont would typically wield to smite Dracula's monstrous army, Rose is proficient with seven different types. Here are all the weapons in the game and their locations:

Sword

The sword is a quick weapon type that will do more damage to enemies if they're hit immediately after a backdash or slide. You can also use the Arcane Whip on enemies with the sword equipped to dash through them when it connects.

Longsword: Paris Streets - Bank of the River Seine (Unlocked at the beginning of the game.) Bastard Sword: Paris Streets - Justice District Sewers (From the area that leads east toward the Main Castle gate, instead turn back left and head toward the Ferryman warp. In this room, you'll need to time your rope swinging to avoid blades and go through Chaos Shards. Lower the bridge to the left and back up the Chaos Shard column to reach the top of the room and the chest.) Joyeuse: Notre Dame - Path of the Penitent (In this section, there is a puzzle where you need to dodge lots of horizontal lasers. On the way back toward the save room, you'll flip a switch that will begin counting down. Keep going left past the Chaos Shards and use the Smash ability on the breakable platform below you. If you make it in time, the sword is in the chest to your left.) Valmanway: Paris Streets - Palace of Justice (Complete the Justice Arcana's test to get this weapon.)

Shortsword & Shield

These two weapons bridge attack and defense, with regular presses hitting enemies with the shortsword and holding down the attack button blocking attacks from Rose's front. Hold down the button long enough to charge up a shield-dashing attack. Attacking while using the Arcane Whip will execute a shield bash, swatting away enemies in the air.

Rusted Harpé and Aegis: Holy Innocents' Cemetery - Serpent's Lair (Outside the Medusa boss fight after defeating her) Fleuret and Tower Shield: Library - Condemned Shelves (At the easternmost point of the Library, light up all but the bottom two glyphs around the globe to make a larger one appear. Clear the platforming section above to drop onto the chest.) Arondight and Lancelot's Shield: Notre-Dame - Tower Entrance (As you climb the left side of the Cathedral, you'll see the gold chest locked away behind a breakable floor. You'll need to quickly make both of the wooden floors above that disappear, then execute a smash to obtain this chest.) Alucard's Sword and Shield: Main Hall - Alucard's Tower (From the door near the Alucard painting near the Castle Entrance, head up and solve the rotating door puzzle so that you clear the highest path. Keep going up until you reach the door back to the Hall and open the shortcut by hitting the cog with your weapon. Head up the left side and go right until you see the Alucard painting. Go up and right. You'll first want to drop down between the two crumbling platforms and swing on the rings until you reach the area underneath Alucard's Tower. There is a blue torch here, so make sure you break it. Afterward, make your way back up and this time jump across all breakable platforms. Break all the remaining blue torches here to unlock Alucard's bedroom, complete with a Dragon Helm easter egg, and the sword and shield.)

Spear

This long-range weapon has both melee and ranged capabilities. Press the attack button to thrust the spear into the nearest foe. Hold down the button to aim with a reticle showing where it will land, and release it to fling it. The Arcane Whip attack is a pushing attack that makes foes stumble backward.

Lance: Holy Innocents' Cemetery - Fountain of the Innocents (Just after the Fountain, head west and you'll see some ledges leading to the top of a building. The Lance is inside the chest.) Halberd: Clock Tower - Mechanic's Ascent (This one is a little misleading location-wise because technically it's at the end of the Western Maintenance Shaft. We recommend unlocking the elevators in the Clock Tower before attempting this one. Go to the top of the second elevator and start making your way downward from the room to the right. There are plenty of iron fists that can crush you, so slip through and beat the enemy gauntlet at the end. The chest is right at the bottom when you slip through to the next room.) Gungnir: Catacombs of Paris - Collapsed Path of Orpheus (After beating Talos, return to the Jaw of Limbo before dropping to the Throat to Hell section just after the giant bloody skull whose jaw is now on the ground. Smash it open to reveal the chest.) Chauvre-Souris: Clock Tower - Heart of the Clock (Defeat Isaac and pick up this weapon after the fight.)

Gauntlets

Gauntlets are the fastest weapon type in the game, and every hit Rose dishes out makes them stronger. When grappling with the Arcane Whip, Rose can also launch her victim skyward for a potential aerial combo.

Cestus: Paris Streets - Sewer Reservoir (Head right from the save point in this room and Arcane Whip to the top of the room. When crossing the central column, jump and Whip upward to find a hidden latch point to reach this chest in the room above) Jewel Knuckles: Main Hall - Servant's Hall (This one requires you to pay attention to the Alucard paintings to find the entrance to the Old Gallery. To the right of the save point near the elevator is the Grand Hall. Go to the bottom and to the right. Drop down the hidden ledge next to the first Alucard painting in the Servant's Hall to find a hidden door. This leads to the dungeon, which requires you to reach the top and use the paintings to avoid the spikes. After the enemy gauntlet, you'll unlock two ledges that you can jump down. Go to the one on the right (it has a Lance Knight near it) and head east to the door back to the Servant's Hall, which is where the chest is.) Fists of Talos: Clock Tower - Builder's Bureau (Pick these up after defeating Talos. Head out of the boss room and go right until you can drop through the floor. Do so and go to the door on your left. After a short puzzle where you use the smash ability, you'll find these gauntlets on the desk.) Bernhard's Wrath: Hall of Mirrors - Level Deviled (Once the map is revealed, go to the Ferryman's Wharf location and drop down the bottom left exit. Head down and left, clearing the spike room with the Flying Armor. In the next room, called Deviled Level, head to the bottom left and kill the Minotaur. With him out of the way, stand in front of the giant mirror with the painting and kneel. You'll be transported to the other side where the gauntlets are.)

Greatsword

This heavy, powerful blade has a slow swinging speed, but you can charge up a stronger blow by holding down the attack button. Using the Arcane Whip with one equipped will execute the Blade Dive, crashing into foes.

Burnt Sword of Fierbois: Paris Streets - Roof of the Tower (After defeating Joan of Arc, you can find this sword nearby) Claymore: Clock Tower - The Way of the Fist (When avoiding the second batch of iron fists heading up to the left, jump on top of the second fist and swing your way to the right. In the next room, slide left and right to avoid the incoming fists, making sure to pass through the Chaos Shards toward the bottom to reach the chest.) Durandal: Library - Lisa's Laboratory (From the save room, head to the right and up until you find a room with a set of glyphs. Trigger the leftmost glyph and all three on the right side of the sphere to unlock the route above. Make your way across the spikes to reach Lisa's Laboratory and the chest.) Excalibur: Notre Dame - East Gallery (Defeat The Brittle King and you'll get his Arcana and the legendary Excalibur).

Dual Blades

What's better than one sword? How about swiping two at once! You can extend the combo by pressing the attack button immediately after the previous hit connects with an enemy. Using the Arcane Whip with this weapon type makes Rose wildly swing her blades around her, dealing damage to anything in her path.

Pair of Longswords: Catacombs of Paris - Crossroads of the Dead (After finishing the spinning blades puzzle where there is a long Chaos Shard platform, reveal the hidden wall above the door by wall jumping up to the ledge and using Medusa's power. Go through the door to find the chest.) Rapiers: Main Hall - Watch Tower (This one requires a bit of quick moving. Left of the save room in this area, there is a hidden platform in the ceiling. Here you'll see a room full of spikes and portraits that Rose can use her Arcane Whip to enter. You'll need to go up the left side and down the right to open the shortcut. Head back to the left side and attack the newly revealed switch. You now have roughly one minute to make it all the way around the room to the chest on the right. If you hit spikes, attack the lever twice to reset the timer.) Almace and Hauteclaire: Holy Innocents' Cemetery - Flooded Crypt (When you have the smash ability from Talos, return to the beginning of this area. When you find the first breakable platform, head down and defeat the gauntlet of enemies here. Once done, continue to find the chest.) War and Famine: Notre Dame - Great Organ Room (Complete the secret fourth Organ puzzle and head left. A new path under the statue has now opened, so go down and follow it to find these swords.)

Whip

This specialist weapon of Vampire hunters does almost double damage when striking enemies at the tip of the whip. If you use the Arcane Whip ability with this weapon type equipped, Rose will dash toward the enemy and smash them with her whip.

Whip: Catacombs of Paris - Hall of the Fallen Angels (Right at the beginning of this area. You can't miss it.) Thorn Whip: Library - Fine Art Shelves (From the central room, create a pattern on the central glyph by lighting all but the top two glyphs. Swing to the left and light up only the far right, bottom right, top left, and far left glyphs to create a larger glyph to go to the next room. Continue on until you find another human glyph. Light all but the top two again to make the large glyph appear and solve the platforming puzzle to get the chest.) Morning Star: Main Hall - Inner Corridor (From the Alucard painting near the Entrance Corridor save point, head through the door and go down and left to the Storerooms save point. You'll need the dash and double jump to make it past the gauntlet of buzzsaws and spikes, while navigating collapsing platforms and Chaos Shards. At the other end is a door which leads to the chest.) Vampire Killer: Notre-Dame - Deacon's Quarter (Given to you by Trevor after defeating Death.)