Castlevania: Belmont's Curse The Cursed Clue: The First Card

Alexandru Popescu logged The First Card as soon as he set foot in Paris on his Map Master run, and the Castlevania Belmont’s Curse wiki follows every card from there. It asks nothing extra of you, so the real questions are what the card does and how it shapes Rose’s fate.

How to Get The Cursed Clue in Castlevania Belmont’s Curse

There’s nothing to search for. Open the Tarot tab in the pause menu and choose Consult Arcana, and The First Card is waiting under The Cursed. The task it sets is the main quest itself, so you finish it simply by pushing the story forward through Paris.

That push starts with The Fallen, who guards the Gate to the Catacombs as the first boss Rose faces. Two Spirits in Paris open his trail, and the first Fallen Clues in Paris pick up where this card leaves off.

What Does The Cursed Clue Unlock in Castlevania Belmont’s Curse?

The Cursed gives Rose Cursed Flame, the spell she starts with. It throws a cursed fireball for 30 MP, the cheapest cast in the game’s early spell list, which makes it the safe default while her mana bar is small. The Cursed Flame spell stays useful until stronger cards come in from the bosses.

The Clue’s text warns that the darkness inside Rose will consume her if she doesn’t keep it under control. Rose is reported to bear Dracula’s curse in her right arm, the same curse that lets her seal defeated bosses into cards, so every Arcana she gains comes from the power that threatens her.

The Cursed Clue and the Endings of Castlevania Belmont’s Curse

Giving in to the curse leads to the bad ending, Belmont’s Fall. It is reported to trigger when you leave the Cursed Horologium running and walk into Death’s trap in the Clock Tower, and it rewards the Cursed’s Outfit skin, Rose in her corrupted form.

Turning the curse back takes more. The normal ending reportedly needs Soul Harvest from the second Death boss fight and The Shadow Arcana equipped at the Horologium, so start on the Shadow Clues for the normal ending early. The true ending is said to add The Self Arcana from Rose’s own shadow and the Absolution spell.

Can You Miss The Cursed Clue in Castlevania Belmont’s Curse?

No, The First Card can’t be missed, because the game hands it to you on arrival and the main quest completes it. It still counts toward the Greatest Detective trophy as 1 of the 40 Clues, and The Cursed is one of several Arcana with a single Clue, so its card fills in long before most others.

If you’re after every ending, save before the Clock Tower trap. The nearest Clock Tower Mirror of Life is the place to do it, since Belmont’s Fall and its outfit come from that point. The other two endings depend on the Arcana you collect afterward, so one well-placed save lets you see the bad ending, then reload and keep going.