The three endings at a glance
| Ending | Achievement | Requirement | Steam players (Oct 16) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bad | Belmont's fall | the clock on the Clock Tower bridge without the Soul Harvest spell | 4.7% |
| Normal | The hunt goes on | Dracula defeated without the Absolution spell | 0.2% |
| True | Curse lifted | Dracula defeated with the Absolution spell (The Self card) | 0.1% |
Spoilers ahead: late-game locations and fights. We do not describe the story of the endings themselves.
Bad ending (Belmont's Fall)
- In Dracula's castle you go through the Clock Tower towards Isaac. On the bridge (Clock Tower Bridge) there is a glowing clock.
- If you use it without the Soul Harvest spell equipped, you fall into Death's trap. Rose is captured, and after a scene in the throne room the credits roll.
- On the usual route you reach the clock before you have Soul Harvest, and the game warns you to turn back. That is why most people get this ending by accident.
- After the credits choose "Resume" on the title screen. You return to your save and keep playing.
- Reward: the Cursed's Outfit costume. The game does not tell you about it; you will find it in the costume menu (costumes).
How to avoid it: first beat Death a second time in Notre-Dame. You get The Shadow Arcana with the Soul Harvest spell. With that spell the clock leads on to Isaac instead of the trap.
Normal ending (The Hunt Goes On)
- The fight with Dracula starts in the Throne Room (phase 1, Court of the Night) and ends on the Castle Rooftops against his second, winged form.
- If you defeat the second form without Absolution equipped, you get the normal ending.
- The game continues on the same save, so you can go for the true ending right away.
True ending (Curse Lifted)
You need spells from four Arcana, four bells and a fight with your shadow.
1. Collect four spells. Each window in the gallery only opens with one of them:
| Virtue | Spell you must have equipped | Where from |
|---|---|---|
| Courage | Infernal Pyre | The Warrior Arcana (Joan of Arc) |
| Prudence | Mirror Walk | an Arcana obtained during the game |
| Justice | Chains of Justice | an Arcana obtained during the game |
| Temperance | Freezing Path | an Arcana obtained during the game |
The sources do not say which cards the last three spells come from. You can check it in the Arcana descriptions in the menu.
2. Ring the four Bells of Virtue in the Gallery of the Four Virtues in Notre-Dame. At each window, equip the right spell.
3. Defeat your shadow. After the four trials the Notre-Dame altar takes you to the fight with Rose's shadow (a boss labelled "???"). You get The Self card with the Absolution spell, the Shadow Work achievement and a new costume.
4. Defeat Dracula with Absolution equipped. The spell has to be equipped at the moment his second form falls on the Castle Rooftops.
You do not need every Arcana. The ones in the table plus The Self are enough. If you already have the normal ending, go back to the Throne Room and repeat the fight with Dracula with Absolution.
Order for achievements
You can get all three endings in a single playthrough:
- Bad on your first visit to the clock (without Soul Harvest). Then "Resume".
- Normal after the first fight with Dracula without Absolution.
- True after the bells and the shadow, in a repeat fight with Dracula.
All achievements and the Platinum roadmap: achievements. The fight with Dracula and the other bosses: bosses.
