The Bone Pillar is an enemy in the Castlevania series. It is a construction made with the skulls of two dinosaurs stacked one on top of the other. They have the ability to shoot fireballs (usually in rows of three), but as the series progressed they also developed new ways of attacking, such as breathing flames, activating only when a character gets near them, shooting fireballs in an arcing pattern, or being constructed with several skulls to form very tall pillars.
Description
Bone Pillars are another one of the classic staples in the Castlevania series. They are a construction made with two fierce dinosaur heads stacked on top of each other, which shoot fireballs at oncoming adventurers. In later games, Bone Pillars are often constructed with more than two heads and sometimes form very large pillars.
Attacks
- Bone Pillars usually attack with the head facing the player either flashing or emanating a fiery glow from inside before spewing out three fireballs (which can be destroyed).
- In later games (starting with Rondo of Blood), Bone Pillars also began breathing flames in a close range attack, as well as allowing the player to stand on top of them.
- Bone Pillars eventually became able to turn their heads in order to target the player. This makes them even deadlier, as they can have both heads (or more) attacking at the same time.
Types
While Bone Pillars have been pretty common in the series for the longest time, there have been a few variations to make things a bit trickier for wandering heroes, such as:
- Bone Head: The name for single heads of a Bone Pillar when appearing alone.
- Bone Tower: A somewhat stronger version of the Bone Pillar appearing in a few games.
- Fish Head: An underwater version of a Bone Pillar whose heads are shaped more like fish carcasses.
- Bone Ark: A Bone Head carried by skeletons.
- Jp Bonepillar: A jumping Bone Head impaled on a lance.
Appearances
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
For some reason, the enemy "Spiked Ball" is part of the Bone Pillar enemy and does not have its own enemy data entry despite having its own drops, level and HP. The Spiked Ball is level 40, has 500 HP with a DEF rating of 28, gives a base EXP of 100, deals 59 base physical damage, and drops the Iron Ball and Axe Lord Armor. Destroying the Bone Pillar under it will send it crashing down the Royal Chapel's staircase, instantly killing any enemy it comes in contact with.
The Spiked Ball is normally practically impossible to destroy at the point in the game it is encountered, but if the player acquires the Jewel Knuckles early, it can be used for a minor leveling exploit by entering from the top of the staircase in the Royal Chapel, defeating the first Corner Guard on the stairs and then crouching close to the Spiked Ball and holding the attack button to attack it constantly. Since the Spiked Ball will be twenty or more levels above Alucard, the experience gained from destroying it will allow very fast leveling up.
Castlevania: Lament of Innocence
Bone Pillars can be found in the Ghostly Theatre; however, this time they cannot be damaged by any means. They travel along a rail-like structure and shoot a beam of energy at Leon to knock him to the bottom of the room. Leon must then hide behind some conveniently placed walls nearby in order to avoid exposure to the Bone Pillars and thus be able to make it across a series of bridges.
The Bone Pillars in this game are not considered to be regular enemies, as they don't have a proper enemy data entry. They are only environmental hazards that can't be destroyed and which are positioned strategically throughout a room to prevent further progress.
Regularly, they fire blue lasers. In order to progress, Leon must face the statue firing the laser to temporarily deactivate it. On Crazy Mode, they now fire purple lasers which will briefly cease after four second intervals.
Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow
Bone Pillars show up in the underground area of The Dark Chapel, as well as inside a room to the left of the Demon Guest House. In this particular room, Soma needs to destroy only the necessary skulls in order to create an impromptu stair-like formation with which he can enter the room above (or just use the Bat Company's soul).
Large columns of Bone Pillars are usually not threatening, although getting too close to more than one will result in a big barrage of fireballs and flames being launched all over the place.
Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia
Bone Pillars, like most skeletal monsters, appear in the Skeleton Cave. In Normal Mode, they're easy to defeat, but require great care in Hard Mode. Indeed, adding to their improved firepower, they can shoot a fire blast at great speed (about one attack per second). That makes them very dangerous in the "Bone Pillar room" (the third room before the boss). Using Vol Macir or Luminatio is a good choice.
Enemy Data
Item Data
Item Data: Bone Pillar | ||||||||
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Image | Name - Game Type - Users Description |
Attributes / Consume | Statistics / Sell | Found | Notes | |||
Cures poisoning [use] | Attrib: Poison |
Buy: $200 Find: Throughout castle (all) Drop: Bone Pillar, Corpseweed, Ghost, Human Face Tree (Saturn-only), Specter (Saturn-only) |
Effect: Removes Poison status | |||||
Mask used at a ball | DEF +2 |
Find: Catacombs Drop: Bone Pillar |
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Plate Lord's iron ball [use] | Attrib: Hit |
ATT +60 |
Find: Olrox's Quarters, Reverse Keep, Black Marble Gallery Drop: Plate Lord, Ball (Yorick), Spiked Ball (Bone Pillar) |
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Wearer becomes an Axe Knight | DEF +15, ATT +2 |
Find: (May start with), Long Library (under Master Librarian) Drop: Spiked Ball on top of Bone Pillar |
Effect: Turns Alucard into an Axe Knight | |||||
Mercury, the messenger of the gods. Has the potential of strength. | Drop: Bone Head (20%) |
Effect: Alters Nathan's whip strength and element. | ||||||
Recover 10 Hearts. | Heart +10 |
Drop: Gorgon, Spearfish, Bat, Bone Tower, Bone Head, Man Eater, Coffin, Mummy, Mimic Candle |
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Recover 25 Hearts. | Heart +25 |
Drop: Arachne, Gargoyle, Catoblepas, Ghoul, Dryad, Bone Tower |
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Gold + 1 |
Common Drop: Bat, Tiny Slime, Fleaman, Bone Pillar |
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Gold + 5 |
Rare Drop: Fleaman, Bone Pillar Common Drop: Skeleton, Large Ghost, White Dragon, Flying Bone, Scarecrow, Bomber Armor, Balloon |
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Restores 20% of your MP. | MP +20% Sell: $75 |
Buy: $150 Find: Hammer's shop Rare Drop: Bone Pillar, Tiny Devil Common Drop: Student Witch, Imp |
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Radiates flame. | Attrib: Flame Consume: 30 MP/sec |
20 ATK |
Drop: Bone Pillar |
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Increase CON. | CON +18 (maximum level) |
Rarity: *** Drop: Bone Pillar |
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Launch fireballs. | Attrib: Fire Consume: 8 MP |
ATK +7 |
Rarity: ** Bind: Bone Pillar First Obtained: Chapter 1 |
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Flames once spat by an ancient creature. | Attrib: Fire Consume: 12 MP |
ATK +6 |
Rarity: * Bind: R. Fish Man, R. Dragon Cannon, R. Skele-Dragon, R. Phantom Bat First Obtained: Chapter 10 |
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Increase CON | CON +1 |
Rarity: ** Steal: Bone Pillar (1.3%) |
Effect: CON Boost | |||||
Increase CON | CON +2 |
Steal: R. Dragon Cannon (5.5%) First Obtained: Chapter 10 |
Effect: CON Boost |