Yeah, I know. This mechanic in the game can be confusing at times. That’s because the Castlevania Belmont’s Curse Arcanic Resonance is a hidden mechanic that is only mentioned once throughout the game, and it happens to be in the tutorial. Arcanic Resonances are secret interactions with the world’s objects that occur when Rose uses specific Arcana cards‘s spells. When you approach one, Rose’s blet instantly lights up, which shows that there’s something special nearby. The game doesn’t indicate which Spell you should use to activate the Arcanic Resonance, so make sure you’re equipping the correct one by taking a look at the table below.
There are a total of 8 Arcanic Resonance spots placed in 4 areas: the Main Hall, Notre-Dame, the Clock Tower, and the Master’s Quarters. Some unlock optional encounters, while others are essential if you want to progress through the storyline or reach the True Ending. I’ve gathered their locations and the exact spells you’ll need so you won’t have to waste time trying every card in your deck.
Resonate Your Arcana:
All Arcanic Resonance Locations and Required Spells
Remember: Finding the 8 Belmont’s Curse Arcanic Resonance locations is not enough. You need to use the correct Arcana Card’s Spell to activate each Arcanic Resonance object. Here all the locations, the required Tarot Cards, their Spells, and the effect they each will have:
| Arcanic Resonance Spot | Location | Arcana Card | Spell | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Notre-Dame Painting | Main Hall – Gallery of Eternal Night | The Artist | Masterpiece | Opens the portal into Notre-Dame |
| Sword in the Stone Altar | Notre-Dame – Chapel | The Builder | Fist of Talos | Triggers the Arthur (The Brittle King) boss fight |
| Courage Stained-Glass Window | Notre-Dame – Gallery of the Four Virtues | The Warrior | Infernal Pyre | Opens the Courage trial |
| Justice Stained-Glass Window | Notre-Dame – Gallery of the Four Virtues | The Judge | Chains of Justice | Opens the Justice trial |
| Temperance Stained-Glass Window | Notre-Dame – Gallery of the Four Virtues | The Whisperer | Freezing Path | Opens the Temperance trial |
| Prudence Stained-Glass Window | Notre-Dame – Gallery of the Four Virtues | The Sage | Mirror Walk | Opens the Prudence trial |
| Glowing Clock (Cursed Horologium) | Clock Tower – Clock Tower Bridge | The Shadow | Soul Harvest | Stops the Cursed Horologium |
| Castle Rooftops Final Phase | Master’s Quarters – Castle Rooftops | The Self | Absolution | Unlocks the True Ending |
How to Activate Every Arcanic Resonance
Simply interacting with an object, like the Sword in Stone (of Arthur) in the Notre-Dame won’t have any effect. This is a perfect example of the hidden mechanic, Arcanic Resonance, getting in the way. To bypass each of these Arcanic Resonances, follow the details below:
Main Hall: The Artist and the Notre-Dame Painting
First and foremost, make sure you’ve defeated Talos in the Throne of the Builder inside the Clock Tower so you have The Builder Arcana Card and unlocked the Smash aerial downward attack. You’re going to use this ability on the golden statue in Brauner’s Atelier to fight Brauner. You’ll also need Brauner’s Paintbrush to get the Arcana Card. Carmilla has this item, so you must defeat her in the Library’s Observatory and collect the paintbrush from the desk afterward. Reaching Carmilla requires progressing through the Belmont’s Curse Library Puzzle.
Once you have The Artist Arcana Card, head toward the enormous painting in the Gallery of Eternal Night, west of the Main Hall. The closest Mirror of Life is at the Elevator Tower. Equip The Artist (Masterpiece) under Equipment > Arcanas, and interact with the canvas to enter Notre-Dame.
Notre-Dame Chapel: The Builder and the Sword in the Stone
This Arcanic Resonance can be found in Notre-Dame’s Chapel. From the East Gallery Mirror of Life move left, drop down, and then go right. In here, you’ll discover a sword embedded in stone. You can actually successfully break the stone without using a Spell on the Arcanic Resonance. How? By collecting every Brave Heart Fragment in the game. Since that’s way harder, I recommend the alternative method.
Find The Builder in your list of Arcanans. You obtain this card after defeating Talos in the Clock Tower. Equip its Fist of Talos spell and interact with the sword. Be careful not to confuse Fist of Talos with the similarly named Fists of Talos weapon. Only the spell works for this puzzle.
Once you activate the Resonance, Arthur, also known as The Brittle King, appears and challenges you to a boss fight. This encounter is optional. I recommend saving at the nearby Mirror of Life before interacting with the sword.
Notre-Dame: The Four Virtues Arcanic Resonances
To interact with each stained-glass window, you must equip their corresponding Arcana Card. From left to right in the photos:
- Courage: The Warrior (Infernal Pyre)
- Temperance: The Whisperer (Freezing Path)
- Justice: The Judge (Chains of Justice)
- Prudence: The Sage (Mirror Walk)
Be prepared to overcome each one’s challenges. A successful Arcanic Resonance interaction simply opens up the path to each window; overcoming the Belmont’s Curse Four Virtues Trials is a whole other story.
Clock Tower Bridge: The Shadow and the Cursed Horologium
This Arcanic Resonance disarms Death’s trap and opens the path to Isaac (The Zealot). This Arcanic Resonance in the Clock Tower area is particularly important because it determines whether Rose can reach the Normal or True ending. You’ll encounter the Cursed Horologium on the Clock Tower Bridge, near the Eastern Summit Mirror of Life.
To activate this Resonance, equip The Shadow, which grants Soul Harvest. You obtain this Arcana after defeating Death in Notre-Dame’s Choir. Go to the Horologium with The Shadow equipped and interact with it to stop the clock. This disables Death’s trap and allows you to continue toward Dracula without triggering the bad ending.
Master’s Quarters: The Self and the True Ending
There are multiple Belmont’s Curse Endings. One of them is the True Ending. This interaction requires The Self Arcana, which you obtain by completing all four Virtue trials and defeating Rose’s Shadow. Before heading into the final encounter, make sure you’ve stopped the Cursed Horologium with The Shadow. After defeating both of Dracula’s phases, a dialogue sequence plays in which Sypha explains how Rose can break the curse. Equip The Self and proceed to Dracula.
This is the crucial moment. Once the dialogue finishes, activate Absolution using the spell input shown on screen. You must perform the action rather than simply having The Self equipped. Hold the spell button within the 12-second window you have after defeating Winged Dracula and hearing Sypha’s dialogue to destroy the cards, lift the curse, and unlock the True Ending. Successfully casting Absolution triggers the true ending and unlocks the Curse lifted achievement.
Why Is Arcanic Resonance Not Working?
Remember that unlocking a card doesn’t automatically make it your active spell. Open the Equipment menu and manually switch to the required Arcana before attempting the interaction again. Certain locations also have additional requirements. For instance, The Artist alone isn’t sufficient to enter Notre-Dame through the painting. You’ll also need Brauner’s Paintbrush from Carmilla.
Do You Need Every Arcanic Resonance for the True Ending?
The Arcana Cards that directly matter for the last Arcanic Resonance at the end of the True Ending path are the following: 1. The Self 2. The Sage 3. The Judge 4. The Warrior 5. The Whisperer. To get those Cards, you need these ones as prerequisites: 1. The Miser and 2. The Temptress
Castlevania: Belmont's Curse
