Morning Star (power-up)

The Morning Star, also called the "Mystic Whip" (Castlevania III), "Chain" (Japanese Castlevania titles), "Whip" (Akumajō Densetsu), and most commonly the "whip power-up", is an item that no vampire hunter should be without. Found in most action-platformer Castlevania titles by hitting candles (or occasionally an enemy), it powers up the player's weapon (usually the Vampire Killer whip) in two tiers, increasing attack power and/or range each time. These power-ups last until the player dies.

While the Belmont clan have been the primary users of this item for the longest time, Alucard (son of Dracula) used these back in Castlevania III to make himself more powerful. Reinhardt Schneider and Carrie Fernandez also used these to power up their attacks in both Nintendo 64 Castlevania titles.

John Morris and Eric Lecarde are the only vampire hunters who don't use the Morning Star as power-up. Instead, they use an variant called Coat of Arms.

John's weapon would become a chain whip then a morning star as is the usual transformation for the whip whereas Lecarde's Alucard Spear (misspelled "Alcarde Spear" in-game) would elongate from a spear into a trident, then a much nastier-looking trident with folding blades. On higher difficulties, it was possible for players to obtain a third Coat of Arms which pushed the powers of the weapons a level further, engulfing the Vampire Killer in cyan electricity and the Alucard Spear with blue flames (this state could also be achieved by finding hidden Spell Books in the walls of some areas).

Trivia

 * The very first Castlevania game used a standard whip item rather than the blade-and-snake "Mystic Whip" that later appeared in Castlevania III. Despite its appearance, Super Castlevania IV and Akumajō Dracula once again call it a "Morning Star" and "Chain" respectively.
 * Each character in Bloodlines has their own unique Coat of Arms. John's slightly resembles the Great Seal of the United States, though with a cross instead of an eagle, whereas Eric's is more generic, not quite matching any one real world coat of arms exactly. A variation on John's Coat of Arms returned as a background display in the later games, though most prominently in Portrait of Ruin, it taking place many years after Castlevania: Bloodlines.
 * In Castlevania: Lament of Innocence, three door switches in the House of Sacred Remains bear an emblem that resembles a Morning Star.