How to Unlock Double Jump and All Movement Abilities in Castlevania: Belmont's Curse

You can unlock Double Jump in Castlevania: Belmont's Curse at Notre-Dame, shortly after defeating Death. Before that, Rose gains several other useful abilities: Arcane Whip, Holy Light, Smash, and Aerial Rush. If you haven't figured out how to get Double Jump or any of these other abilities, this guide explains which bosses to defeat and how to reach the Double Jump tutorial.

Where to Get Double Jump: The Short Answer

Head to Notre-Dame, clear the organ, and defeat Death in the Transept. Then continue along the main story route until you reach the Choir. Near a glowing yellow door, just before a wide gap filled with spikes, a conversation with Leon will trigger the tutorial. Once you close the prompt, Rose will be able to jump a second time while airborne.

In What Order Do You Unlock Movement Abilities?

You unlock the five main exploration upgrades in this order:

• Arcane Whip - after The Fallen in the Paris sewers.
• Holy Light - after Joan of Arc in the Prison Tower.
• Smash - after Talos in the Clock Tower.
• Aerial Rush - after Carmilla in the Library.
• Double Jump - after Death and the following scene in Notre-Dame.

We recommend marking inaccessible spots on your map and returning after you unlock the right upgrade. It really does make things easier. A high ledge, a cracked floor, and a Chaos Shard barrier all require different abilities to get past. If Rose clearly can't jump high enough, trying the same jump twenty times probably won't change anything. Check another story route instead.

What Rose Can Do From the Start

From the Bank of the River Seine, you can already hold the jump button to jump farther, jump off walls, and slide. To cover more distance, simply hold the jump button longer. For a wall jump, move against a wall while airborne and press jump again. Sliding lets you pass through low openings and reposition around enemies.

Arcane Whip: After The Fallen

Defeat The Fallen and leave its arena to the right, entering the Abandoned Sewers. In the next room, Rose will stop in front of a ledge that's too high to reach. After a conversation through the Tarot cards, you'll get the Arcane Whip tutorial. Aim your whip at the glowing anchor and use it to climb farther.On a PlayStation controller, aim with the right stick and press R2. On a keyboard, aim using movement controls and grapple with the right mouse button. Circular anchors let you swing: hold the grapple and release it at the right moment to launch yourself across. Other anchors pull Rose directly toward them. You can even grapple enemies, using them as another way to close the distance.

Holy Light: After Joan of Arc

In Paris Streets, head to the Prison Tower, climb to the roof, and defeat Joan of Arc. Continue toward the stairs. Near a barrier made of Chaos Shards, the game will introduce Holy Light. Hold the ability button as you approach the barrier to disperse it.By default, that's L2 on PlayStation or C on a keyboard. Holy Light also works in combat: activating it just before an incoming hit lets you parry the attack. For exploration, the main thing to remember is what Chaos Shards look like. When you find them blocking another corridor, use the light instead of trying to break them with a normal weapon.

Smash: After Talos in the Clock Tower

In the Clock Tower, make your way down to the Throne of the Builder, where Talos awaits. If a cracked golden floor blocks your route, explore the machinery at the top of the eastern shaft. Move the platforms so the giant fist can break through the obstacle. Follow the newly opened descent to the lower part of the tower and the boss.After winning and finishing the conversation, continue to the floor with golden cracks near the arena. The tutorial teaches you to perform a Smash attack while airborne: press down and jump at the same time. On a keyboard, the default input is S + Space. This ability breaks marked blocks. Tougher obstacles require a fall from a greater height.You can now return to cracked floors in earlier areas, including routes through the Hospital and Pillaged Tombs. You'll also need Smash to obtain The Artist Arcana. Don't confuse it with the Fist of Talos spell. They're separate actions, even though you unlock them at the same point in the story.

Aerial Rush: After Carmilla in the Library

In the Library, climb through the Planetarium toward the Observation Tower. Find the star map and align the astrolabe's nodes with it. Once you've set everything correctly, a path up through grapple points will open. Use the nearest save point before the Observatory.Defeat Carmilla and pick up Brauner's Paintbrush from a nearby table. In the next section of the route, the game will teach you Aerial Rush: press a direction and Circle on PlayStation or Shift on a keyboard while Rose is in midair. Use it to cross wide horizontal gaps. It won't give you an extra jump yet, so remember that a high ledge and a long gap require different moves.

How to Open the Entrance to Notre-Dame

To enter through the painting, you need Brauner's Paintbrush and The Artist Arcana with the Masterpiece spell. After Carmilla, return to the Main Hall and find Brauner's Atelier. Use the portraits and grapple points to reach the suspended stone sculpture, then break it with Smash. After the scene with Brauner, you'll receive the Arcana card you need.Head to the Gallery of Eternal Night in the western part of the Main Hall. Open Equipment, select The Artist Arcana, and interact with the large painting of Notre-Dame. If you've met the requirements, it will transport Rose into the cathedral. Simply standing in front of the painting with the brush in your bag won't work. You need to equip the correct Arcana.

How to Solve the Organ Puzzle and Reach Death

Inside the cathedral, corrupted organ pipes block your way. Make your way down through the underground section of Notre-Dame into the Great Organ Room. You need three melodies to clear the corruption, and spirits will give you the sheets for them:

• Fugue - a spirit beneath the stairs in the Great Organ Room.
• Sonata - a spirit beneath the zodiac windows in the Sealed Scriptorium.
• Concerto - a spirit at the top of the cathedral's spire.

The keys are built into the floor and activate when you touch them. Move between the correct symbols, jumping over those you don't need, and play each sequence:A green flash and a glowing musical clef among the pipes confirm that you've played a melody correctly. Once the organ is cleared, return to the Transept and finish the fight against Death. Then continue to Trevor and on to the Choir, where you'll finally get Double Jump.

How to Use Double Jump

Near the yellow door in the Choir, wait for the tutorial prompt, jump, and press the jump button again while in midair. That's Cross on PlayStation or Space on a keyboard. For the first challenge, try pressing jump a second time near the top of your first leap. That makes it easier to reach the platform above the spikes on the right.From there, combine the new move with Arcane Whip and Aerial Rush. We recommend figuring out what you're missing before each jump: height, distance, or a grapple point. Don't use both jumps immediately after leaving the ground if you might need the second one to adjust your position above a gap.

Where to Return With Your New Abilities

Check your map markers according to the type of obstacle:After unlocking Double Jump, it's a good time to make another sweep of the earlier areas. But a locked door, mechanism, or unusual object may take more than mobility alone. Check any clues and related Arcana cards. Your new ability opens up plenty of routes, but it won't replace every key in the castle.