The Castlevania series is no stranger to introducing game-breaking relics. Who could forget the Duplicator from Symphony of the Night, which let you reuse Library Cards to warp to the librarian's shop, throw infinite Buffalo Stars to destroy the toughest bosses, and chug endless healing potions, as long as it was equipped? In the same game, the Ring of Varda's stat buffs alone made every fight trivial.

Other Castlevania adventures also had their fair share of items that exploited that game's individual mechanics, so a dedicated Relics menu opens up plenty of possibilities. With over 40 options available, perhaps we'll see a combination of stuff that breaks this metroidvania wide open. In any case, you can only equip three at a time, so here are the best Castlevania: Belmont's Curse Relic combos and all of their locations.

The Relics menu has plenty of options to choose from, but only three slots. Choose wisely! How many relics are there in Castlevania: Belmont's Curse?

There are 44 individual relics in Castlevania: Belmont's Curse. You can equip up to three at once, each granting a tangible perk to Rose's combat abilities and spells.

Rose is stuck between two sets of Bone Pillars spitting fireballs, just as an Axe Knight springs to life. The best Castlevania: Belmont's Curse Relic combos

Stacking damage-dealing relics to trigger after certain conditions are met is key to maximizing efficiency. However, we recommend you have a trio of other relics in mind to swap to whenever taking on boss fights.

For regular traversal, the combination of Obsidian Fang and Necro Charm can help massively with larger groups of foes. For example, if you go up against one of the lance knights and parry their attacks, they will become stunned, making for an easy kill. After killing them, you can do more damage to a nearby cluster of enemies.

Bosses require you to study their patterns to determine the relics best suited for the job. If you find yourself stabbing them in the back, the Vile Trinket rewards you with 25% bonus damage per hit. Tougher fights may need the Shadow Veil to buff Rose's defense at low health, while brawls against bosses that make you use lots of spells could benefit from the Twilight Gem to increase the damage each incantation costs you. Later on, the combination of Witch's Knot, Witch's Brew, and Haunting Relic is just too powerful to ignore.

We also recommend first-timers use the Crypt Key relic, as it restores all your health and mana whenever you open a chest. This is particularly handy if you want to go after the more dangerous relics and hidden weapons that you can find in locations, such as the perilous Clock Tower.

Rose is standing next to one of the distinctive grey chests containing a relic. All Castlevania: Belmont's Curse Relic locations

Now you know which ones are the best for each given situation; here is a list of every Castlevania: Belmont's Curse relic location in the game, along with its effect:

Relic NameRelic EffectRelic LocationCrypt KeyFully restores Rose's health and mana when she opens a chest.Paris Streets - Seer's Hovel (Enter the door in the Burned District) Twilight GemAfter using a spell, Rose deals 30% more damage for 3 seconds.Paris Streets - Central Sewer Drain (Complete the challenge room west of the main sewer shaft by approaching it from the east.)Abyssal EyeRose deals 35% more damage to controlled enemies.Holy Innocents' Cemetery - Cemetery Entrance (From the first save room, head west until you enter the Memorial of the Dead. Head up to the surface and up the stairs to the right. Continue through the door and into the next area, doubling back to the Cemetery Entrance. Hit the switch below to open the shortcut, then slide underneath the Chaos Shard gap and swing across to the right to reach the chest.)NightshadeUsing a healing potion recovers 40% of maximum mana.Holy Innocents' Cemetery - Pillaged Tomb (In the Fountain of the Innocents room east of the main fountain, slide across the collapsable floor and hit the switch to open the passable floor near the left-hand door. Drop through and go right to find the chest.)Raven's FeatherRose inflicts 25% more damage when fighting in the air.Holy Innocents' Cemetery - Roman Baths (In the easternmost room of this area, grapple up the ring dangling in the center of the room to reach a statue. Break the wall to your left to reveal a door and one of the four cursed coffins in the new area "Mass Grave". After clearing this, slide under the gap to the left to find the chest.)Necro CharmFor 3 seconds, Rose deals 25% additional damage after killing an enemy.Catacombs of Paris - Jaws of Limbo (Complete the puzzle room left of the room with the giant skull.)Obsidian FangRose deals 45% more damage for 3 seconds after breaking an enemy's guard.Paris Streets - Guard Level (After beating Joan of Arc, head to the bottom of the tower and instead of leaving, slide under the gap covered in Chaos Shards and ascend the small puzzle room to find the chest.)Shadow VeilRose's defense is increased by 33% when her hit points are below 33%.Paris Streets - Burned District (After beating Joan, head back to the bottom of the tower and head east toward the save room near the broken bridge. You'll now be able to access the area blocked by Chaos Shards in the room underneath the save room halfway up the tower. Beat the enemies to get the chest.)Mourning BeadKilling an enemy increases Rose's movement speed by 35% for 7 seconds.Catacombs of Paris - Quarry Elevator (Solve the puzzle room to the east of the first Catacombs elevator and get the chest at the top.)Specter's WhisperRose inflicts 30% extra damage as long as her life is below 20%.Catacombs of Paris - Charnel Galleries (From the first save point, head left and up the ramp. Continue on until there's a drop. Instead, go up and navigate the puzzle. The next room has a shortcut to the entrance and the chest.)Forsaken RingRose deals an additional 25% damage while at 100% of her maximum.Catacombs of Paris - Antechamber of Sin (Enter from the Holy Innocents' Cemetery Cathedral side and go make sure to smash as you descend into where the path splits to get the chest.)Ebony ClawBreaking an enemy''s guard stuns them for 50% longer.Catacombs of Paris - Throat of Hell (After entering via the Holy Innocents' Cemetery, head to the save room on the right side, then continue on. You'll reach the chest just before rejoining the main path near the giant skull's jaw.)Witch's KnotHealing potions restore 100% of Rose's health.Main Hall - West Hall (As you pass Notre Dame and head up toward the Clock Tower, go into the left side room and navigate the puzzle to earn this Relic.)Ghostly PendantTraps deal 75% less damage to Rose.Main Hall - Abandoned Workshop (In the room with the statue that tells you about The Builder's furnaces being dead, use the Arcane Whip to warp into the painting and launch straight up. Beat the skeleton berserker and three Bone Pillars to get the chest.)Sinister RuneRose deals 40% more damage when she hits an enemy that has 100% of its health.Clock Tower - Eastern Access Shaft (Go up to the top of the Eastern Access Shaft as normal, but when you see the two rotating platforms and one iron fist smashing the button, have them both horizontal, then double back and jump up to climb the second. Slide under the gap to dodge the second iron fist. In the room above is a gauntlet on top of some cogs, so defeat the enemies and claim the chest.)Midnight TearRose suffers less damage as her mana decreases (up to -50% damage when she has no mana.)Library - Rhetoric Shelves (Use the Man Star Chart constellation on the globe in this room to get the larger glyph to show. Use it to reach the ceiling and go through the puzzle to find the chest.)Grim TokenParrying an attack grants Rose 5 points of mana.Main Hall - Servant's Hall (Enter through the Alucard Painting and go left. Slide through the buzzsaws and go through the door to the Crematorium to the left. Here, go down the left wall, hit the switch as you double back on yourself, and make it up the wall before the gate shuts for the chest.)Cursed CoinRose deals 30% more damage for 3 seconds after parrying an enemy attack.Main Hall - Wine Cellar (From the door on the western part of this area, go in and up to the right. Go through this next section until you see two paths on the right. Take the lower one and go through the room with the switches that raise and lower the ground. As you drop into the next room, head right and use the latches to grapple your way to the chest.)Blood VialRose has an extra temporary healing vial after interacting with a save room.Main Hall - Archives (From the door on the western part of this area, go in and up to the right. Go through this next section until you see two paths on the right. Take the upper path and flip the switches until you have an uninterrupted path to the chest.)Banshee's WailReturns 1 point of mana per point of damage taken.Main Hall - Servant's Quarters (From the save point above the Sage's Sigil mirror prison, head left and hit the switch. Go up the newly revealed path and open the chest.) Phantom RingMobs respawn when you leave a room rather than after a save.Clock Tower - Western Ascent (Once you have the smash ability, head back to the area with switches but no iron hands punching on them. Use the smash ability to turn the platforms and make your way to the chest.)Moonlit ShardRose gains 20% more XP by killing enemies as long as she has 100% of her maximum life.Clock Tower - Path of the Builder (Just before reaching the elevator before the Builder boss fight, there's a room with a fist and a very tight window to jump up and to the right. If you get it correct, the path to the chest should be up and to the left with no further obstacles.)Vile TrinketRose deals 25% more damage when striking enemies from behind.Clock Tower - Daedalus Crossing (Just before going right into Upper Gallery, hit the cog above the door constantly to open the room to the left. Defeat the enemies inside the area that opens up and climb to the rafters to claim the chest.)Revenant's ShardRose recovers 10% extra mana by killing enemies.Library - Curiosity Cabinet (There's a room with two crushable floors. Smash through them, then head left along the corridor and press the switch. Ignore the enemies and race to the other side to open the chest.)Wraith's TearRose heals 7% of her max health upon hitting an enemy that has hit her at least once. Only one per enemy; recharges upon being hit again.Library - Study Room (There's a Skeleton planet in this room. Use the latch to the upper left of it to swing up through the floor. After a short puzzle involving glyphs and spikes, you'll find the chest and switch.)Lich's MarkCasting a spell less than 1.5 seconds after the first one reduces its cost by 40%.Library - Rhetoric Shelves (After entering the room, break the wall to the right and jump on the glyphs, hanging left to avoid the spikes above, to reach the chest.) Pale ThornRose takes 60% less damage from the front, but 100% more from the back.Holy Innocents' Cemetery - Hot Springs (From the Ferryman room, head left and down until you reach the room with three moving buzzsaws at the bottom. Double jump and dash to the other side, then navigate the puzzle in the next room for the Relic.)Beelzebub's SealRose deals 30% more damage, but her maximum life is reduced by 50%.Notre Dame - Chapel of Patience (In the lower right corner of this entire zone, you'll find a collapsible floor with a switch and two Axe Knights with shields. Fall through and flip the switch to activate them. Upon their demise, go left and jump across the gap for the chest.)Soul FragmentRose gains an extra 50% mana when she hits enemies while having 30% or less of her max health.Notre Dame - Nave (You can cheat this one if you don't fancy sneaking around the Great Organ area. To the right of the entrance, you can double jump and grapple up to the far right pink latch anchor. It takes good timing, but if you can do it, swing to the left, then go up and back to the right to get the chest.)Witch's BrewRose deals 20% more damage per empty healing potion.Notre Dame - Transcept (Drop down the gap from the La Fléche crossroads to the Great Organ and hug the left wall. There's a platform to your left which has the chest.)Eldritch TalismanRose is invulnerable for 15 seconds after resting in a save room. The duration of invulnerability after taking damage is also doubled.Notre Dame - East Gallery (There's a secret breakable floor on the bottom half of this room between two spikes with two latch anchors on their left. Smash through to get this hidden chest.)Infernal MedallionRose's mana cannot rise above 80% of her maximum, but the current spell cost is reduced by 10 points.Notre Dame - Reliquary (In the room full of lasers shooting in a massive set of spike columns, make your way carefully across, making sure to push the wall to the right before you drop to the floor at the end. This is a switch that opens the room to the right. Slide through the gap at the end for the chest.)Vampire's FangA bat pet follows Rose as she moves.Holy Innocents' Cemetery - Fountain of the Innocents (Destroy all five green coffins in this area, then drop through the bubbles in the Fountain of the Lost to get this chest.)Thrilling EyeDoes nothing on its own. Opens a door in Catacombs of Paris when equipped with the other two eyes.Paris Streets - Hospital (Crash through the breakable floor near the entrance to Holy Innocents' Cemetery with the Smash ability and enter the door to the Hospital. Dodge the spinning orbs, pass the traps, and defeat enemies until you reach the bottom.)Oozing EyeDoes nothing on its own. Opens a door in the Catacombs of Paris when equipped with the other two eyes.Catacombs of Paris - Circle of Greed (Enter the Catacombs from the back of Holy Innocents' Cemetery. When the path branches, go left, and keep following the path until you reach a room with an eye in the center firing lasers. Dodge these and kill every other enemy to open the door.)Trembling EyeDoes nothing on its own. Opens a door in the Catacombs of Paris when equipped with the other two eyes.Holy Innocents' Cemetery - Pillaged Tombs (In the room before the Fountain of the Innocents, cross the spike pit and slide to flip the switch. Head down the new room and avoid the massive fireball chasing after you through this maze of traps and enemies.)Dark SigilRose's defense is increased by 80% as long as she has 100% of her max health.Paris Streets - Ruined Market (At the top of the right-hand part of Street of the Tomb Masons, instead of going in the door, double jump up to the ledge and through the entrance. Drop down and carefully wall-jump between the toxic sludge, before double jumping up the ledge to the chest.)GloomstoneGives a hint when Rose is close to a secret.Master's Quarters - Sanctuary of Solitude (Latch onto the anchors and dash to make it to wall-jump up and activate the switches on both sides to open the doors below. From here, latch up to the center to claim the chest and a Ferryman door.)Blackened HeartRose recovers 2 health points when she hits an enemy with an attack, but she can't use her healing potions.Main Hall - Abandoned Staircase (Go through the left-hand Alucard Painting and up to the Armory. Ascend and take the upper path to the switch room. Complete it so that the path to the top door is clear. Go through and up until you see a door. Enter it and activate the cog to open the shortcut. From here, go left and make your way around the puzzle room with spikes and disintegrating floors until you get the chest.)Hollow BoneRose's movement speed is increased by 35% after using the whip on an anchor for 5 seconds. Clock Tower - Daedalus Crossing (From the Steps of Time time slow sphere, hit it and immediately head to the left. Take the elevator down one level, then go left. The iron fists should now be slow enough for you to pass through and get the chest.) Dusk AmuletRose moves 35% faster as long as she has 15% of her max mana or less.Hall of Mirrors - Delived Level (Smash through the floors in the vertical room, then go through the portal to find the chest.) Crystalized BloodConsumables appear more often when Rose kills enemies.Hall of Mirrors - Dead End Tower (This room has a very difficult portal and Chaos Shard puzzles with lots of latches. At the top is the chest.)Sand CharmRose moves 35% faster for 30 seconds after resting in a save room or using the services of the Ferryman.Hall of Mirrors - Servants' Refectory (In the top left of this room is a switch. Activate it and latch onto the anchor leading up into the rafters. Go up and to the left, double jumping and dashing to make it through the portal and to find the chest.)Haunting RelicRose's defense increases by 60% for 4 seconds after getting hit.Hall of Mirrors - Steps of Misdirection (In the middle of this room, there is a switch. Activate it and survive the gauntlet, dashing and ducking to the collapsible platforms to avoid getting hit in the final moments. Once done, the chest is at the bottom of the room.)