The prelude of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night game retells the ending of Rondo of Blood with Richter Belmont, during which the player can re-familiarize themselves with some of the classic sub-weapons (Holy Water and Cross), along with their Item Crashes. Once the game starts and control shifts to Alucard, the player will not be able to use any sub-weapons until either the Cube of Zoe is obtained, which allows items to materialize from candles, or they obtain an Axe as a drop item from an Axe Knight. Alucard has access to a wide assortment of sub-weapons in the game, including all of the ones that Richter could use in Rondo of Blood other than the Key, but he cannot perform Item Crashes. The exception to this is that the attack for the Cross for him is the same as the Item Crash Grand Cross for Richter. He can also use the Rebound Stone, which was first seen in Castlevania II: Simon's Quest. He also has access to two new sub-weapons to the series, the Agunea, which creates a chargeable electric pathway to any enemy it hits, and the Vibhuti, which throws sacred ash to the ground, damaging any enemy that walks on it.
Once Richter Mode is unlocked after beating the game, Richter will have access to all the sub-weapons that Alucard does. He also has a special Item Crash for each one, some of which are different from previous games. Maria Renard is unavailable as a playable character in the original PlayStation release. Maria was added to the Sega Saturn version of the game, and has access to all of the sub-weapons that Alucard and Richter do, although their effect is slightly different. She cannot, however, perform Item Crashes, as she has several additional spells available to her instead. A new version of Maria was added to The Dracula X Chronicles version of the game, which also carried over to the Requiem version. In this version she has access to most of her original sub-weapons from Rondo of Blood.
There are a few areas in the game where multiple sub-weapons can be found together, allowing the player to pick whichever one they want. These are in an area accessible through the ceiling in the Alchemy Laboratory and through the floor of the clock room in the Black Marble Gallery, where they are suspended visibly in transparent tubes which can be broken, and in an armory room in the Colosseum and Reverse Colosseum.
The introduction of role-playing elements in this game added some items that can affect the acquisition and usage of Hearts, used to fuel the sub-weapons. This game also introduced many one-time-use weapons that would become sub-weapons in later games.
The PlayStation US instruction booklet refers to Sub-Weapons as Special Weapons and Item Crashes as Super Attacks. They are called Sub-Weapons and Item Crashes, respectively, in the US instruction booklet for The Dracula X Chronicles.
Item Data[]
| Item Data: Symphony of the Night Sub-Weapons | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Image | Name - Game Type - Users Description |
Attributes / Consume | Statistics / Sell | Found | Notes | |||
| Related Actions | ||||||||
| Sequence: ↑ + [Attack] Effect: Uses currently equipped sub-weapon | ||||||||
| Sequence: [Special] (default PSX button is Triangle) Effect: Perform Item Crash attack with currently equipped sub-weapon | ||||||||
| Sub-Weapons | ||||||||
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| Weak but quick, it flies in a straight path when thrown. (...) | Attrib: Holy/Cut Consume: 1 Heart (Alucard/Richter), 4 (Maria) |
ATT +5 (Alucard); ATT +20 (Richter); ATT +10 (Maria) |
Find: Containers (requires Cube of Zoe for Alucard) |
Effect: Knife Throw (Alucard/Richter); Triple Dagger (rapid succession, Maria) Special: Item Crash (1,000 Blades, Richter only; Cost: 10 Hearts; ATT +20, Attrib: Holy/Cut) | ||||
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| Travels in an arc, ideal for defeating overhead foes. (...) | Attrib: Holy/Cut Consume: 4 Hearts (Alucard/Maria), 1 (Richter) |
ATT +10 (Alucard); ATT +50 (Richter); ATT +20 (Maria) |
Find: Containers (requires Cube of Zoe for Alucard) Drop: Axe Knight |
Effect: Arc Throw (Alucard/Richter); Triple Axe (Maria) Special: Item Crash (Spiral Axe, Richter only; Cost: 10 Hearts; ATT +50, Attrib: Holy/Cut) | ||||
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| The ultimate sub-weapon, the cross damages all enemies on the screen. (...) | Attrib: Holy/Hit Consume: 100 Hearts (Alucard), 1 (Richter/Maria) |
ATT +40 (cross), ATT +5 (light), (with Staurolite: ATT +80 (cross), ATT +10 (light)) (Alucard); ATT +40 (Richter/Maria) |
Find: Containers (requires Cube of Zoe for Alucard) |
Effect: Thrown forward and returns (Richter/Maria); always Crashes (Alucard) Special: Item Crash (Grand Cross, Richter only; Cost: 20 Hearts; ATT +60 (crosses), ATT +40 (beam of light), Attrib: Holy/Hit) | ||||
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| Freezes time for all on-screen enemies. Some foes are immune. (...) | Consume: 20 Hearts (Alucard), 10 (Richter/Maria) |
Find: Containers (requires Cube of Zoe for Alucard) |
Effect: Time Stop Special: Item Crash for longer duration (Richter only; Cost: 20 Hearts; ATT +15, Attrib: Thunder/Hit) | |||||
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| Spreads a sacred flame when cast to the floor, burning enemies. (...) | Attrib: Holy, Fire (flame); Hit (bottle) Consume: 3 Hearts (Alucard), 1 (Richter/Maria) |
ATT +5 (flame), ATT +1 (bottle) (Alucard); ATT +8 (flame), ATT +5 (bottle) (Richter/Maria) |
Find: Containers (requires Cube of Zoe for Alucard) |
Effect: Thrown in pillar (Alucard); thrown in wave (Richter); thrown in fast wave (Maria) Special: Item Crash (Hydro Storm, Richter only; Cost: 15 Hearts; ATT +80, Attrib: Holy/Hit) | ||||
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| Assails foes with holy scripture. (...) | Attrib: Holy Consume: 5 Hearts (Alucard/Richter/Maria) |
ATT +8 (Alucard); ATT +5 (Richter); ATT +15 (Maria) |
Find: Containers (requires Cube of Zoe for Alucard) |
Effect: Spins around the character. Two can be active simultaneously (Richter and Maria only) Special: Item Crash (Richter only; Cost: 15 Hearts; ATT +80, Attrib: Hit) | ||||
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| Ricochets off of the floor and walls, hurting any foes it passes through. (...) | Attrib: Holy/Hit Consume: 2 Hearts (Alucard), 1 (Richter/Maria) |
ATT +8 (Alucard); ATT +40 (Richter/Maria) |
Find: Containers (requires Cube of Zoe for Alucard) |
Effect: Thrown diagonally downwards and ricochets Special: Item Crash (Richter only; Cost: 10 Hearts; ATT +20 (stones), ATT +10 (beam), Attrib: Hit) | ||||
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| Attacks enemies with holy lightning. Hold down the attack button after hitting an enemy to deal sustained damage. (...) | Attrib: Holy, Thunder Consume: 5 Hearts (Alucard), 10 (Richter/Maria) |
ATT +10 (Alucard); ATT +20 (Richter/Maria) |
Find: Containers (requires Cube of Zoe for Alucard) |
Effect: Thrown at enemy, hold for continuous lightning for greater cost Special: Item Crash (Lightning Bolt, Richter only; Cost: 20 Hearts; ATT +80, Attrib: Holy/Hit) | ||||
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| Damages enemies with sacred ash. (...) | Attrib: Holy Consume: 3 Hearts (Alucard), 1 (Richter), 2 (Maria) |
ATT +8 (Alucard); ATT +20 (Richter/Maria) |
Find: Containers (requires Cube of Zoe for Alucard) |
Effect: Thrown on ground (Alucard/Richter); thrown on ground and explodes afterward (Maria) Special: Item Crash (Richter only; Cost: 10 Hearts; ATT +20, Attrib: Holy/Hit) | ||||
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| Attrib: Holy, Fire Consume: 2 Hearts |
ATT +32 |
Find: Containers that would contain an Axe |
Effect: Two damaging wings appear on either side of Maria Special: Item Crash (Cost: 25 Hearts; ATT +32, Attrib: Holy, Fire) | |||||
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| Attrib: Holy Consume: 3 Hearts |
ATT +42 |
Find: Containers that would contain Vibhuti |
Effect: Dragon sent forward Special: Item Crash (Cost: 50 Hearts; ATT +24, Attrib: Holy, Thunder) | |||||
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| Attrib: Holy Consume: 1 Heart |
ATT +15 |
Find: Containers that would contain a Knife |
Effect: Cat sent forward, can hit multiple times Special: Item Crash (Cost: 15 Hearts; ATT +32, Attrib: Holy/Cut) | |||||
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| Consume: 1 Heart |
Find: Containers that would contain Holy Water |
Effect: Turtle shield that blocks projectiles for 3 seconds Special: Item Crash (Soul Steal effect, heals 4 HP per hit; Cost: 20 Hearts; ATT +5, Attrib: Holy) | ||||||
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| Find: Containers that would contain Holy Book, starts with 2 |
Effect: No effect Special: Item Crash (Guardian Knuckle; Cost: 8 Hearts; ATT +18, Attrib: Holy) | |||||||
| Related Items | ||||||||
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| Expended when attacking with a sub-weapon. Small hearts fill the store by 1.(...) | Heart +1 |
Find: Lanterns (requires Cube of Zoe for Alucard) Drop: Various enemies |
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| Expended when attacking with a sub-weapon. Large hearts fill the store by 5.(...) | Heart +5 |
Find: Lanterns (requires Cube of Zoe for Alucard) Drop: Various enemies |
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| Increases the player's maximum heart capacity. | Max Hearts +5 |
Find: Found throughout the castle, often in containers |
Effect: Increases Max Hearts (Alucard-only); restores 30 Hearts (Richter and Maria-only) | |||||
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| Causes items to materialize | Find: Entrance |
Effect: Causes pick-up items, such as Hearts, to drop from candles | ||||||
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| Restores 500 hearts [use] | Hearts +500 |
Find: Final Stage: Bloodlines, Black Marble Gallery, Death Wing's Lair Drop: Archer, Blue Venus Weed, Venus Weed First Obtained: (May start with) |
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| Shield with heart crest | DEF +4 |
Find: Underground Caverns |
Effect: Projectile block that gives a Heart Special: Shield Rod or Mablung Sword spell (40 MP): Summon Maiden – Protection from Fire and Thunder for 68 seconds | |||||
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| Strong vs. all attacks | DEF +5 |
Find: Starts with and loses; Reverse Caverns |
Effect: Projectile block Special: Shield Rod or Mablung Sword spell (20 MP): Offensive shield with fixed ATT, Soul Steal, +1 Heart and about 2 seconds of invulnerability on contact, 68 seconds duration (decreases only when shield is held up), holding shield drains MP (ATT +255, Attrib: Hit) | |||||
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| Increases sub-weapon strength | DEF +12, INT +1 |
Drop: Sniper of Goth |
Effect: +10 ATT for sub-weapons | |||||
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| Converts damage to hearts | CON +4 |
Find: Colosseum |
Effect: Gain 1 Heart for each point of damage you receive | |||||
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| Reduces heart consumption | Drop: Dodo Bird |
Effect: Reduces Heart consumption by half with one equipped, or 2/3 with two equipped | ||||||
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| Strengthens power of cross | Find: Forbidden Library |
Effect: Greatly increases attack of Cross sub-weapon: ATT +40 (crosses), ATT +5 (beam of light) | ||||||
Gallery[]
Animations[]
Normal use[]
- Richter Belmont (Saturn)
- Maria Renard (Saturn)
- Maria Renard (DXC)
Item Crash[]
- Richter Belmont (Saturn)
- Maria Renard (DXC)
