Castlevania SOTN: The Best Early-Game Weapons

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night was first released in 1997 for the original PlayStation and has since been ported onto many platforms. Despite initially not selling well, it has since become considered one of the best Castlevania games and one of the most influential games ever. This installment helped popularize the Metroidvania style of play with a large map for players to explore.

Castlevania games are known for being relatively difficult, especially for newer players of the series. Symphony of the Night is no different in this regard. It brought about several innovations in gameplay to the franchise as a whole and is often among the first games newcomers gravitate toward when trying to get into the series. For players looking to get a leg up on the early parts of the game, there are a few pieces of equipment to acquire that can help them along their journey.

Updated on November 17, 2024, by Lauren Younkin: Castlevania has become even more prominent in pop culture with the release of its two animated adaptations on Netflix, drawing in a modern audience to experience the classic games for themselves. With so many options for play styles in Symphony of the Night, it can be difficult to decide what gear to go for when first starting the game. As such, this article has been updated to include even more early-game options and comply with CBR’s current formatting standards.

The Basilard Stands Out as One of the First Great Options

Location: The Alchemy Laboratory

The first piece of equipment Castlevania: Symphony of the Night players should look for is the Basilard weapon. The Basilard is a knife players gain access to after the first boss fights against Gaibon and Slogra. While it has a shorter range than other weapons like the short sword, it makes up for that with the speed of its attacks. This allows for a much higher overall damage output by Alucard and rewards proper spacing, which helps teach newer players some of the game’s basic action-platforming functions.

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To get the Basilard, players must beat the aforementioned first boss and head out of the boss room in the Alchemy Laboratory. They’ll pass by the Skeleton Soldiers and Bloody Zombie, then have the option to climb further up the castle or continue forward. Players must continue forward to gain access to the weapon. After traversing through a hallway with no enemies, they’ll reach a new room with an elevator. Taking the elevator to the bottom will bring players to a room with a cannon. Hitting the cannon with an attack will set it off, destroying a wall, and the Basilard is on the other side. This weapon can also be dropped by the Bloody Zombie enemies that players encounter earlier when going through the Alchemy Laboratory on their way to the hidden room.

Players may already be familiar with the Basilard if they have previously played other Castlevania titles such as the similarly acclaimed Aria of Sorrow, the underrated Portrait of Ruin, or Harmony of Despair, where they go by the alternate spelling of Baselard. Like in Symphony of the Night, the Baselard can be found easily enough if the player doesn’t already start with it, like in Encore of the Night. Though it can be a fairly weak weapon in the game compared to other items, the Basilard is still worth seeking to aid players at the beginning of their journey.

The Jewel Knuckles and Mirror Cuirass Conveniently Come Together

Location: The Outer Wall

Players can acquire the next set of equipment once they reach the Outer Wall area of the castle. The Jewel Knuckles function as a normal fist weapon for Alucard, but they do a relatively high amount of damage. While it has a short range and isn’t particularly fast, it makes up for it in raw attack power. The Mirror Cuirass, on the other hand, is a piece of chest armor that provides decent defense for the player while also making them immune to being turned to stone. This will become helpful in areas of the game such as the Clock Tower.

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The Jewel Knuckles and the Mirror Cuirass have the benefit of being in the same location, making it beneficial to pick up one while obtaining the other. Players must pass through the Marble Gallery and into the Outer Wall to get them. From this door, travel down to the room directly below. On a platform in the upper left corner of the room stands an Armor Lord, which can be a tough enemy at this stage of the game. Players should take their time on this fight if necessary. Once it is defeated, they can enter the room guarded by the Armor Lord.

From there, players must break the bottom section of the wall and wait there for 20 seconds without overlapping the wall itself to discover the secret. At that point, a purple elevator will bring players into the room below, which is normally only accessible with Alucard’s Mist Form. Here, they can acquire the Jewel Knuckles and Mirror Cuirass. Players can then leave the room by hopping back onto the elevator. Aside from this location, it is also possible to obtain the Jewel Knuckles from Rock Knight drops, although the Mirror Cuirass is not dropped by enemies and can only be found here at the Outer Wall.

The Holy Rod Works Wonders Against the Undead

Location: The Long Library

The Holy Rod is classified as a club weapon in Symphony of the Night and can be found once players reach the Long Library. Because it is imbued with the Holy attribute, this weapon can be particularly effective against Dark-aligned creatures. As this includes the majority of enemies within the game, the Holy Rod will prove useful in dealing extra damage for a long period of the game’s runtime, even up until the part of the later game where the Inverted Castle is unlocked. This should help players who have been struggling with Symphony of the Night‘s difficult enemies up to this point.

The Holy Rod is concealed within a secret room, as most equipment is. It can be found by going to the room in the Long Library that houses the Stone Mask. Go to the bookcase at the right of the room and push it until it reveals the hidden area. In addition to discovering the Holy Rod, players will also have the bonus of obtaining the Topaz Circlet found in the room with it. The Holy Rod is not dropped by any enemies in Symphony of the Night, so this is the only place where players can pick up the weapon.

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Like other hammers and cudgels in the Castlevania series, the Holy Rod has a long range but will only hit enemies with its front end. However, it still has a relatively good speed for this type of weapon, meaning it can do more attacks in less time and therefore increase its damage output. Players will gain a +12 to their attack stat once equipping the Holy Rod. In comparison to other weapons in the game, the Holy Rod has long-lasting utility and is easy to play with in the early stages of Symphony of the Night. Plus, it has the added benefit that the player will not need to farm a specific enemy for hours to obtain it, like with weapons such as the Heaven’s Sword.

Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

Franchise

Castlevania

Platform(s)

PS1 , PS3 , PS4 , PSP , PS Vita , Sega Saturn , Xbox 360

Released

October 2, 1997

Developer(s)

Konami

Publisher(s)

Konami

ESRB

T For Teen Due To Animated Blood and Gore, Animated Violence

How Long To Beat

9 Hours

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