You’re probably wandering around the Galleon Minerva wondering why the combat feels a bit stiff, or maybe you’re ten hours deep and can't figure out how to get past that annoying fountain of blood. Look, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is a massive, sprawling love letter to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, but it doesn't always play fair with its secrets. If you want a bloodstained ritual of the night guide that actually respects your time, you have to realize that this isn't just a "hack and slash" game. It's a math game. It’s a "where did I miss that one specific pixel of breakable wall" game. Honestly, Koji Igarashi (the legendary Iga himself) loves making players work for their progress, and this spiritual successor is no different.
Why Your Early Game Build is Probably Weak
Most people start the game and just equip whatever sword has the highest number. Stop. That's a mistake. The real power in Bloodstained comes from the Shards, which are those glowing crystals Miriam absorbs after killing enemies. You’ve likely noticed that some enemies drop them more often than others. That’s because of your Luck (LCK) stat. If you aren't prioritizing Luck early on, you are making the game twice as hard for yourself because you won't get the best spells.
Take the Heretical Grinder shard, for example. You get it from the giant knight enemies with the spinning flails. It’s loud, it looks a bit clunky, but it absolutely shreds bosses in the first three hours. You can literally just stand there and hold the button down while most early-game threats melt into nothingness.
But here is the thing: Shards have two different power levels. You have the Rank and the Grade. Grade increases when you pick up duplicate copies of the same shard. Rank increases when you go see Johannes at the shop and use materials to transmute them. If you want a real bloodstained ritual of the night guide tip that changes everything, focus on the Yellow (Passive) Shards. When you upgrade a passive shard to Rank 9, it becomes a Permanent Skill. This means you get the bonus without even having the shard equipped. It is the single most important mechanic for becoming overpowered.
Getting Past the "Wall" (Literally)
There is a point in the game where almost everyone gets stuck. You've explored the castle, you've beaten the Craftwork boss, and you have no idea where to go. You see a fountain of blood in the Entrance area. You try to jump in it. Nothing happens. You try to hit it. Nothing.
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To progress, you need the Blood Steal shard. But wait, where is it? It’s held by Bloodless, the boss located in the Dian Cecht Cathedral. This is where the game’s non-linear design can bite you. If you haven't been exploring the upper reaches of the Cathedral, you'll never find her. She’s one of the tougher fights because of her umbrella projectiles and the sheer amount of blood she uses to heal herself. Once you kill her, you take her soul, go back to that fountain, and use the ability to drain the blood. This opens up the path to the Forbidden Underground Waterway.
The Shifting Power of Weapons
Don't get too attached to one weapon type. Sure, the katanas look cool, and the "Jinrai" technique is flashy, but sometimes you just need a gun. Seriously. Rhava Bural (and its later upgrade, the Rhava Velar) is basically the Crissaegrim from Symphony of the Night. It allows you to attack while moving and has zero recovery frames. It looks like a tiny little kitchen knife, but it hits so fast that it creates a wall of pain in front of Miriam.
If you prefer something with more weight, the Blue Rose is often cited by the community as the best all-around sword. Crafting it is a nightmare, though. You’ll need the Floris, the Almace, and a bunch of high-end materials like Imbrued Fangs. This is where the grind kicks in.
Why Boss Medals Matter (Or Don't)
If you beat a boss without taking a single hit, you get a Medal. These are purely cosmetic. Do not stress about them unless you are a completionist. I’ve seen players restart boss fights fifty times trying to get a no-hit run on their first playthrough. Don't do that to yourself. The rewards for just playing the game normally are plenty.
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The Crafting Trap
Johannes is your best friend, but he's also a resource sink. Many players waste rare materials crafting "decent" armor early on. Don't. Save your Bovine Plumes and Gold. You will need them for the endgame gear. Most of the best armor in the game isn't found in chests; it's made in that cramped little room in Arvantville.
One thing the game never explicitly tells you: you can dismantle items to get your materials back. If you have Alkahest, you can break down that old sword you don't use anymore to get the rare ore back. You can buy Alkahest from Dominique’s shop, and while it starts expensive, the price becomes trivial once you start selling spare shards.
Navigating the Invert Mechanic
Late in the game, you get the Invert shard from the boss in the Inferno Cave. This flips the entire world upside down. It’s disorienting. It’s weird. It’s also the only way to reach the Oriental Sorcery Lab and eventually the Garden of Silence's higher reaches. When you’re upside down, your controls stay the same, but the gravity is reversed. Pro tip: wear the Aegis Plate while doing this. The Aegis Plate makes you immune to environmental damage like spikes and lava. You find it in the towers by using Invert to fall "up" into a spike-filled hallway. Without that plate, getting the best items in the game is a suicide mission.
Dealing with the Bloodstained "True" Ending
If you kill Gebel too early, the game ends. It’s a bad ending. It’s unsatisfying. To get the real ending, you need the Zangetsuto sword. You get this by beating Zangetsu a second time later in the game.
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During the fight with Gebel, watch the moon. No, really. When the moon turns red, do not kill Gebel. Instead, use the Zangetsuto to slash the moon itself. This triggers a cutscene where Gremory escapes, and the real final act of the game begins. This takes you to the Garden of Silence, then the Den of Behemoths, and finally the Glacial Tomb. The scale of the enemies in the Den of Behemoths is hilarious—everything is huge, and the loot is even bigger.
Essential Passive Shards to Maximize
- Augment LCK: As mentioned, more drops mean less grinding.
- Words of Wisdom: Reduces MP consumption. Essential for mage builds.
- Greatsword Expertise: Even if you don't use greatswords, the speed buff at Rank 9 is massive.
- Pickpocket: Enemies drop gold when you hit them. It adds up fast.
Breaking the Game with Food
In most RPGs, food is a temporary buff. In Bloodstained, the first time you eat a specific dish, you get a permanent stat increase. This is huge. You should be cooking every recipe you find. Don't sell the ingredients. If you spend an hour just farming corn and flour to make pizzas and pasta, Miriam will become a tank. The bonuses to MP regeneration alone make the cooking system worth the hassle. Susie, the NPC who sits near the save point in Arvantville, will give you high-tier rewards for bringing her specific meals. Do her quests. They are tedious, but the equipment she gives you—like the Dullahan Helm—is top-tier for certain points in the game.
Final Tactics for the Glacial Tomb
By the time you reach the Glacial Tomb, the game expects you to be a god. The enemies here hit like trucks. If you haven't mastered the Directed Shield or the Beast Guardian shards, you're going to have a rough time. The final boss, Bael, is a chaotic mess of multiple heads and screen-filling attacks. The secret here isn't just power; it's mobility. Use the High Jump shard (crafted from the Bovine Plume and the Double Jump shard) to stay out of the reach of the ground-based attacks.
Actionable Steps for Your Playthrough
- Farm the Flying Head (Dullahan) early. The Familiar: Silver Knight is okay, but getting a good offensive shard early saves hours of frustration.
- Talk to every NPC twice. Their dialogue changes after major boss fights, and they often hint at where to go next.
- Use the Map Markers. The map in this game is huge. Use the different colored pins to mark chests you can't reach yet or doors that require a specific key.
- Invest in "Shortcut" Shards. These allow you to swap entire equipment sets with one button press. Have one set for "Combat" and one set for "Luck/Farming."
- Break the candles. It sounds basic, but the mana drops keep your momentum going. If you run out of mana, you lose your best defensive options.
The beauty of this game is that there is no "correct" way to play. You can be a gun-toting alchemist or a brawler who uses kung-fu shoes. Just remember to keep an eye on your Shard Ranks and never ignore the library books O.D. lends you—they provide massive stat boosts that can be the difference between a win and a game over screen.
Go back to the castle. Check those ceilings. There’s almost always a hidden room right above your head.