Medusa, also known as the Prophetess, holds one of the keys you need to open the catacombs gate in Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse. She’s one of the first three bosses you’ll face, but the game doesn’t tell you where to find them. Instead, rooms across the opening maps contain clues leading to their arenas.
This walkthrough follows Polygon’s guide, whose screenshots were captured from a build still in development at the time of writing.
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Where to find the Prophetess in Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse
To reach the Prophetess early in the game, take the route left from Street of the Tomb Masons in Paris Streets. This leads into Holy Innocents’ Cemetery, the region where she waits.
Keep heading left through the cemetery to the Fountain of the Lost, then enter the water. You’ll descend into Serpent’s Lair.
Continue past the Mirror of Life on your right. The final room on the left is the Prophetess’s arena.
How to beat Medusa in Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse
Beating Medusa takes a grasp of her attack rotation and practice moving between platforms. Recognizing each windup lets you dodge, return to a platform, and resume attacking. Victory rewards you with the Prophetess’ Key and the Petrifying Gaze arcana.
She has three basic attacks to learn:
- Slam attack: A raised arm signals that Medusa is about to hit the platform in front of her, followed by a slash. The windup lasts a few seconds, giving you room for a couple of hits before you need to leave. Avoid the blow by dropping off the platform, then whip the purple anchor to return. Practice this escape and return until you’re comfortable with it.
- Petrifying attack: Small glowing particles gathering around Medusa warn that she’s charging her petrifying beam. Have Rose face away from her to avoid petrification.
- Tail attack: Staying on the lower platforms leaves you exposed to Medusa’s tail strikes throughout the battle.
Get the dodges down before focusing on damage. Once you can reliably avoid those three attacks, use the upper platform nearest Medusa as your main position and strike when an opening appears.
Surviving Medusa’s ultimate attack
Removing roughly 25% of her health triggers Medusa’s ultimate. You’ll see the screen shake as her tail pounds both lower platforms several times and she delivers a series of slashes in front of her.
The shaking is your cue to head for the upper platform opposite Medusa. Wait for her tail to slip back into the water before moving down. A large rock will have dropped from the ceiling onto the lower platform on that same side, opposite the boss.
Get behind it quickly: the rock blocks the multiple beams fired from her hair. If you aren’t sheltered behind it, those beams will kill you.
Expect this ultimate several times, with the same sequence each time. After its second use, smaller rocks start falling from above and can hurt you. Avoid them when you can, but getting behind the large rock takes priority.
