Castlevania: Belmont's Curse ties most of its best rewards to Tarot card quests, and the Brittle King is the one players tend to get stuck on longest. There's no clear hint pointing you toward it, the prerequisite isn't obvious, and the boss himself has a second phase that punishes close-range builds hard. This guide covers exactly where to find Arthur, what you need equipped before you interact with the sword, and how to handle both phases without wasting a trip back to the Mirror of Life.
Where is the Brittle King?
The Brittle King quest is locked behind three earlier Tarot completions. You need to finish The Builder, The Occultist, and The Artist before Notre Dame becomes accessible. Once those are done, head inside and navigate to the Chapel room, located on the right side of the map near the East Gallery Mirror of Life.
Inside the Chapel, you'll spot a glowing sword embedded in stone. It reads exactly like a strength check when you first interact with it. The sword budges slightly, a clue mentions a "feat of strength," and then nothing happens. Most players assume they're underleveled and leave to grind. That's the wrong read.
What do you need to pull Excalibur from the stone?
The answer has nothing to do with your level or stats. You need the Fist of Talos Arcana equipped when you interact with the sword. This is the Arcana you unlocked by defeating The Builder, which is also the boss that gates access to Notre Dame in the first place. So if you're standing in the Chapel, you already have it.
The confusion comes from one thing: Belmont's Curse also has a weapon called the Fists of Talos. These are cestus-style gauntlets, completely separate from the Arcana. Double-check your equipped Arcana slot before interacting with the sword, or you'll trigger nothing and wonder why.
- Open your equipment menu
- Confirm the Fist of Talos Arcana is in your active Arcana slot
- Return to the Chapel and interact with the glowing sword
With the correct Arcana equipped, the interaction triggers a cutscene introducing Arthur, and the boss fight begins immediately after.
Castlevania: Belmont's Curse Guide: How to Beat Brittle King & Get Excalibur
How to reach the Chapel if you're having trouble with platforming
One source of confusion is the East Gallery platforming sequence. You cannot cross this section without a double jump, which Rose unlocks by defeating Death earlier in the game. If you're trying to reach the Chapel before that point, the East Gallery will stop you cold. Come back after Death is down.
Once you have double jump, cross the East Gallery heading east. You'll pass through a chamber with a giant knight and a flying gargoyle. Run past both enemies rather than fighting them, reach the boss gate, and pass through to enter Arthur's arena.
How to beat Arthur, the Brittle King
Arthur is a two-phase fight. The first phase is straightforward. The second phase is the one that ends runs.
Phase 1: Use grapple points to stay behind him
Arthur moves slowly and telegraphs his attacks clearly. The arena has grapple points you can use to swing behind him. Attack from behind, and when he turns to face you, grapple up and reposition behind him again. Weapons with range, like the Whip, are especially effective here because the distance bonus adds up fast. Keep circling and you'll burn through his health without taking much damage.
Phase 2: Reflect rays and ranged pressure
At 50% HP, Arthur raises his shield toward the ceiling. Light from above hits the shield, and he redirects the rays across the arena floor. These rays heat up and deal burn damage at regular intervals, so stay mobile and watch the angles.
You can't safely close distance while the rays are active. This is where ranged tools matter. The Holy Cross Arcana works well here since you can launch it at Arthur from a safe distance while he's charging the reflect. When he starts moving the rays around, there's a brief window where his positioning shifts and you can rush in. Use that opening to deal burst damage and finish the fight.
Castlevania: Belmont's Curse Guide: How to Beat Brittle King & Get Excalibur
What do you get for beating the Brittle King?
Two rewards drop when Arthur goes down.
| Reward | Type | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Excalibur | Legendary Greatsword (ATK 100) | Most powerful greatsword in the game; charged heavy attacks fire projectiles |
| Stained Glass Shield | Arcana (defensive) | Creates a shield that blocks nearly all damage types |
Excalibur is the headline reward. It carries the highest ATK value of any greatsword in the game at 100, and its charged heavy attack launches projectiles, giving it range that most melee weapons lack entirely. For a full breakdown of where Excalibur sits against the rest of Rose's arsenal, the all weapon locations guide covers all 28 weapons with tier rankings and Legendary effects.
The Stained Glass Shield Arcana is less flashy but genuinely useful. It's one of the only defensive Arcanas in the game, and being able to negate damage on demand opens up aggressive play styles that would otherwise be too risky.
For everything else the game has to offer, the full Castlevania: Belmont's Curse strategy guides collection covers bosses, endings, weapons, and relics in one place.
