Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow Bosses
he primary goal of these boss strategies, like my other ones, is not to beat the bosses as quickly as possible, or to simply get through them alive. The goal is to defeat each one without taking ANY damage, or the least amount possible.
In order to deal with everything the bosses have to throw at you, you must be fully aware of each of their attacks and how to evade them, or use them as an advantage. That is largely what is covered here.
I am really not at all fond of secret (or not so secret) "beat-all" weapons or techniques that you can whore all of the enemies with (i.e. Claimh Solais, Red Minotuar, ext.), so I don't even mention those. To me, there is just no art, technique, or satisfaction in relying on such cheap, way overpowered things every single time.
There aren't near as many bosses in Aria of Sorrow as there are in Harmony of Dissonance, but some of them pose a significant challenge and creative approach that make up for that.
These are the central foes that hinder Soma Cruz from his ultimate goal of getting out of the Castle as himself.
Let's go. Beat'em up!
Creaking Skull
HP: 240
EXP: 110
Weakness: Holy
Tolerance: Dark
This is a gigantic skeleton that seems to have had its lower portion severed from the rest of its frame. The emaciated foe blocks Soma's path, and the only way to continue is to defeat it.
By default you will have the Winged Skeleton soul in your repertoire. It is the preferred choice for this battle. The Merman soul is decent, but there is not as much range to the attack as there seems, and it cannot score combo hits liked Winged Skeleton.
You can quickly dispatch Creaking Skull by relying on the Winged Skeleton soul, but there is an art to it. You should not arbitrarily toss the spears. If Soma is positioned correctly, Winged Skeleton can score a triple combo hit. You don't want to be close to the enemy, but likewise, you don't want to be as far from it as you can be. If done correctly, Creaking Skull should be finished with six or seven spears, depending on Soma's level.
This is the best course of action to take; if Soma is close to Creaking Skull, it will start swinging that massive bone that it carries. It covers a wide arc, and if you're not careful, Creaking Skull can pin Soma against the wall and there will be no way to dodge it.
All you should have to concern yourself with are the occasional fireballs that Creaking Skull will release. With precise timing, you can dispel them with a sword slash, or simply jump over them.
Manticore
HP: 440
EXP: 250
Weakness: Hit, Curse, Stone
The Manticore is a legendary creature that can be traced back to Persian origin. It is said to be a type of Chimera, with the head and body of a lion, the tail of a venomous scorpion, and large wings. Legends tell of them breathing fire, and this Manticore is no exception to that.
The Manticore roams the Chapel grounds, and will hunt any intruder it finds. You must watch the Manticore's movements carefully in order to evade all of its attacks. If you're in close attacking, be sure to back dash when you see its tail quiver. That is a sign that tells you it's getting ready to strike with it. The toxic appendage takes off a good amount of health and will leave Soma poisoned if it connects, which will greatly affect how powerful his attacks are.
The Manticore's other attack is deadly, too, which are fireballs that are a bit more difficult to handle than Creaking Skull's. Constantly watch Manticore and fight with your guard up. Right when you see it open its mouth, back dash away from it and either destroy the fireballs with your regular attack or leap up to the platform that is not being patrolled by that little skull.
If you happen to have the Giant Ghost soul at this point, you can actually use the fireballs to your advantage. When Manticore launches them, press R to activate the soul. Not only will the resulting barrier protect Soma from the projectiles, but it will also deflect them back at the beast, doing considerable damage to it.
If you begin losing ground, use the platforms that are at either side of the room to get around the creature, but be sure to watch out for the two skulls that are whirling around the higher set of platforms as they can deal a substantial sum of damage.
From those platforms you can safely attack Manticore with the Zombie Soldier soul by lobbing grenades down upon it.
For your complete soul set, I recommend using the Durga Bullet soul, the Giant Ghost Guardian soul, and the Zombie Enchanted soul just in case Soma happens to get poisoned. If you use the souls properly, you should be able to make short work of Manticore without taking any damage, but watch your MP meter.
Great Armor
HP: 650
EXP: 300
Weakness: Lightning
This armored knight was created from the slain corpses of great warriors. Sluggish, but well defended, Great Armor is going to take some patience. Its large shield makes it so you cannot strike it with the tip of your weapon. You'll have to get very close to this ghastly soldier if you want to nail it with your leading weapon. To prevent having to do that, use the Whip Sword. That weapon has incredible range and it is just as powerful as the Bastard Sword, so there really is no drawback to it, aside from it requiring longer recovery time after each swing.
Confide in the back dash and watch for indications that foreshadow an attack from Great Armor. Don't be greedy and stand in one spot attacking, Soma is sure to suffer unnecessary damage that way.
The best way to rack up damage fast on this opponent is with the Student Witch soul. Get close to Great Armor and drop a little cat. If Soma is positioned in the right spot, you can get a good triple hit on it. Use a stick and move rhythm with this. Drop a cat or two, and then move back, and repeat the process.
Big Golem
HP: 1200
EXP: 1000
Golems originate from Jewish folklore. They are animated creatures made entirely from inanimate substances. Big Golem is reasonably comparable to Great Armor in that it's large, hulking, and well defended. Fortunately for Soma Cruz, that is all it has going for it.
This boss has a significant amount of HP, and it isn't always trouble-free getting a good hit in without jeopardizing Soma's safety.
The main thing to watch out for is the Golem's slowly flailing arm as it lumbers. The large creature is open for attack after each stride, but not during them. Every time the Golem makes a step, its arm will sway in an upward or downward arc. Only attack when the Golem has totally completed a step, or when it is near the end of one.
The Golem is most susceptible when it brings its hands close to its mouth, as it is getting ready to disgorge boulders on Soma. It takes about 4 seconds for Big Golem to execute the attack, so get in your physical hits, and when it releases the stones, turn on the Giant Ghost guardian soul and leap up close to Big Golem and right into the barrage. This will deflect them all back at the Golem, dealing extremely heavy damage to it, therefore making the fight go by much quicker.
The Buer guardian soul works well in this fight. You will have to risk taking damage and move in close for the twin flames to be effective against the Big Golem, but they can deal a good amount of damage to the creature rather hastily. If you're in close, use the Buer, strike with your most powerful weapon, and know when to withdraw. There's no use in taking needless damage because of impatience.
If you'd rather fight more cautiously, rely on the Whip-sword and a long distance bullet soul like Winged Skeleton, Evil Butcher, or Durga, but what you should always be really waiting for are the opportunities to use the Giant Ghost soul against it.
If victorious, you will be rewarded with the Skeleton Blaze ability soul.
Headhunter
HP: 700 for each form
EXP: 3000
Tolerance: Dark
Weakness: Hit
In 1985, there was a Disney movie called Return to OZ, which featured a villainess named Princess Mombi. The Princess bore a strong semblance to Headhunter's initial form, and used different heads that would attach to her neck, just like this boss.
This is when the bosses start to become troublesome. At this point, the bosses will no longer be lesser enemies found later in the game. Headhunter will only be seen once, whereas Creaking Skull, Great Armor and the others before Headhunter can be encountered again.
Headhunter's first figure is undemanding. She will walk slowly about, occasionally lunging at Soma with a dagger. Use a horizontal slashing sword to keep your distance. If you're still worried about getting shanked, use the Whip-sword again and a long distance bullet soul.
The next form is much more worrying. This one sort of reminds me of the wraith like form that Janosz (pronounced yawn-osh) from Ghostbusters 2 took when he stole Dana's baby (go watch the movie if you don't know what I mean).
The Headhunter exchanges its woman head for that of a decrepit old man. The fogy begins flying around the room casting spells.
If the Headhunter uses two whirling flame dragonheads, crouch and then leap over them when they come back around. Definitely don't go frantically running and jumping about the room. Simply duck, and then jump. That will be all it takes to dodge the attack.
The Headhunter will also strike with lightning. When you hear him give the chant for this attack, stop and watch carefully. You will be able to see where the currents will strike before they hit. If Soma is standing in one of the spots, just move aside. Again, do not handle the situation witlessly by running around everywhere.
As for your offensive, equip a vertical swinging sword, such as the Broad Sword. Remain beneath Headhunter and slash him when he hovers low enough to be hit. Don't worry about him flying so low that he will collide with Soma. As long as you stay on the floor, he cannot harm Soma in that way. There's no use in using the platforms in battle against this form. Using them will only result in putting Soma in harm's way.
The third and last form, which seems to be some sort of lizard creature, is the most difficult. Its movements are not easy to predict, and it is hard to get in an attack without leaving Soma open to be hit. Stay out of reach of its elongated tongue and poisonous vapors. Should the toxic haze hit Soma, equip the Zombie soul.
Be very careful about running beneath the creature when it is attached to the ceiling. There is a good chance that it will quickly unlatch to drop on top of Soma. And if you attempt to jump over it, it may also leap straight up to strike Soma. The best thing to do is lure the enemy into a tongue attack, but stay just out of reach of it, and hit the tongue. The key to victory is caution. The only times it is truly safe to strike is when Headhunter is stuck in its attack duration or when it's just coming in for a landing.
Death
HP: 4444
EXP: 4444
Tolerance: Dark
When Death first appears, he will be transparent. During this time, his long scythe will be your target. Don't worry about running through Death; he will not be able to harm you at this point. What will be a danger are the sickles that constantly regenerate and rotate towards Soma. Oftentimes, it isn't safe to leap very much in this battle, so use the slide move to make your way.
Once again, the Giant Ghost soul is going to be a huge ally in this fight. When you see a sickle coming at you, switch the guardian soul on and the projectile will rebound off of Soma, and be transformed into a blast of Holy energy. Try to use these sickles to your advantage by getting them to bounce back and strike Death. Do not leave the Giant Ghost soul on for the entirety of the fight. It will run Soma's MP down way too fast. Only trigger it when you need to deflect a sickle.
After taking enough damage, Death will start to use the energy geysers that he used against Juste Belmont in Harmony of Dissonance. To avoid these, run and do not stop running until the attack is through.
After depleting 2,000 of Death's hit points, he will adopt a new, more aggressive strategy. Death will fully materialize, making his body your new target. He will also summon a much deadlier and daunting scythe.
Death has a charging attack where he rushes towards Soma, and then dashes back in the direction he initially began the strike. This can be dodged with good timing and the double jump, but can be problematic if Death does this move twice in a row. After he's finished with this maneuver, wait for him to make the next move again instead of attacking.
When Death unleashes his most devastating attack, which is when he sends his scythe quickly whirling along the edges of the room, jump once straight in the air after the scythe has gone by over head, then execute the double jump in the direction the scythe will be coming from and Soma should hop over the incoming blades.
If you're close to the wall on the right side of the room when Death does this, you're in big trouble, because the return trip of the scythe will come very, very quickly, which doesn't leave you much time to double jump over it. Do your best to execute two short (but not too short) jumps.
The last of Death's attacks is when he slowly sends his reaper out in a boomerang fashion. As it is coming, slide under the scythe towards Death, hit him with a physical attack, and when the sickle is returning to him, slide back under it and then revisit Death to repeatedly hit him with physical attacks as he's recovering.
Between attacks, Death will pause and float around for a while, this is when you start nailing him with physical attacks, but always be ready to take the defensive when he resumes his assault. Never attempt to get hits in while Death is on the offensive. During this time, your top priority should be evading his attacks.
This battle is all about timing and knowing how to dodge each one of Death's attacks. For Soma's set, I recommend using the Hrunting sword and Ripper bullet soul, along with the Giant Ghost guardian soul for the first phase of the fight.
Legion
HP: 5000
EXP: 12000
Weakness: Holy
Tolerance: Dark
This time, for whatever reason, this spherical monstrosity has subtly taken the form of a bulbous fetus.
There isn't much to this fight that isn't easily perceptible from the onset. Legion will slowly float towards Soma, chasing him around the room. They are weak against Holy, so use the Ghost bullet soul against them extensively. Equip the Mystletain sword; its great speed and Holy attribute make it very beneficial in this battle. The only time it is safe to attack Legion is when Soma is situated on a level plain. Never attempt to make an attack when rising vertically up the platforms.
The moment Legion is most vulnerable is when you're waiting for them to fully come up to the top of the room, while you're already there. As Soma is standing on the highest level of the room, Legion will still be rising instead of directly chasing Soma. Hit them as many times with the Mystletain as you can before they start coming forward again, after which, revert to a double hit, then back dash routine, and continue using the Ghost soul.
Legion will deploy Zombies that slowly and aimlessly walk back and forth. If the mindless drones get in your way, destroy them. When they are most troublesome is when they are occupying the platforms you will need to use to ascend to the top while Legion is tailing you.
After three sections of Legion's shell are broken off, like it usually does, it will extend a flailing, laser-blasting tentacle. If you run into the tentacle, it will not harm Soma, but watch it warily. When the tentacle ceases its floundering, it is getting ready to fire a destructive beam. It is easy to tell exactly in what direction the beam will go, so make sure that Soma isn't in its path, as it hits overwhelmingly hard.
Terminate all of the pieces of Legion's skin. If you don't, you will not receive its soul, ever… unless you start a new game, that is. And without that one soul, you will never be able to attain the game's best ending.
With all of its protective shell removed, the core will protrude all three of its elongated tentacles. Be watchful of each one, and stay out of the way of their laser blasts. When the core retracts the tentacles, it's getting ready to go bouncing around the room, rebounding off of the walls and floor in a diagonal pattern. This isn't too difficult to dodge, since it does this rather unhurried.
Continue attacking with the Ghost soul and Mystletain to destroy the core, and reveal the tiny pink baby that is at the very center of this horror.
Balore
HP: 4000
EXP: 16000
In Irish mythology, Balore was the king of a race of giants known as the Fomorians. This monarch was known as Balor of the Evil Eye, due to his one eye being able to slay anyone he looked upon with it. Aria of Sorrow depicts this fabled character quite well.
I hate to bring up Ghostbusters again, but this fight really, really reminds me of the Stay-Puffed Marshmallow Man boss fight in the Genesis Ghostbusters game.
Balore is unquestionably the most powerful boss up to this point. His attacks can be difficult to dodge and he deals incredibly heavy damage. Your target is going to be his eye. I suggest using the Flame Demon soul and Leavatain sword to deal damage to him. You will have to leap up towards the eye to hurt Balore with them.
His first attack always consists of him throwing punches towards Soma. This can at all times be dodged if you crouch right beneath his nose. After he does that, he will attempt to smash Soma with both fists. As he lifts his right arm (which will be on the side of your left), run beneath it to the left side of the room. Wait there in safety until he lifts his right arm again, then run back under it towards Balore for more attacks.
That is all you need to know to dodge his attacks at this point. There isn't much to it, but if you don't know exactly what you're doing, Balore is sure to make short work of you. Get in your attacks, duck right under the nose, scurry under the fist, wait at the far left of the room until the fist is lifted again, run back towards Balore, and repeat the process over and over. Know when to duck. Do not keep on attacking him when he's about to attempt another punch.
After half of his HP is depleted, his hands will leave the battlefield and he will begin relying on his deadly eye. Balore will shoot a laser beam that will cause grave flames to erupt from the ground in sequence. Stay close to Balore's head, dodge the flames with a double jump, and while you're in the air, strike the fiend with the Leavatain or Flame Demon soul.
As the fight wears on, Balore will begin using his flame attack more rapidly. Be ready and alter your jumping speed to continue dodging the flames. If you're not sure of when to jump, leap into the air and use the Medusa Head guardian soul to stay aloft. Watch Balore's pattern and try to decipher when will be a good time to jump.
Graham
HP: 5000
EXP: 0
Tolerance: Poison, Curse, Stone
The missionary believes himself to be Dracula, and the only one contesting his position is Soma Cruz. The battle for the throne ensues as Graham accuses Soma of stealing the souls of his demons.
For the most part, Graham fights like Dracula. In his first form, his attacks aren't incredibly difficult to dodge, and he doesn't hit that hard. Just like the Count, only Graham's head is vulnerable to attack. With the Leavatain, you will not have to jump to hit the head. He uses the same Flame Demon attack that is available to Soma. This is easily dispelled with a slash from your sword. Hit the flames early though, while the three fireballs are still very close together.
When Graham materializes from his teleport, stand near him and wait to see what he's going to do. Strike him with Leavatain, and if he uses Flame Demon against you, hold your position and keep striking. Your sword will disrupt the flames.
Don't be caught off guard by his destructive orbs. He will launch one at the bottom and one at the top. Back dash away from him, and then dodge the one on the bottom with a jump, and the one at the top with a duck. You can never really know which will come first, the bottom orb or the top, so be ready for either one.
Sometimes Graham will unleash a series of these orbs. They are always at the top level, so they are straightforwardly avoided by crouching. When he does this, make sure that Soma is not on the inclined steps at either end of the Throne Room.
After suffering enough damage Graham will teleport to the center of the Throne Room and unleash destructive spheres in a swirling pattern. Adjust Soma's position accordingly so that these do not hit him. Typically, it will only require you to slightly step or jump out of the way. Nothing drastic. Graham remains stationed in one spot, so continue hitting him while avoiding his onslaught. Do not be insatiable by staying in one spot hitting him. It's safest to get in two or three attacks, dodge, and then repeat.
After 2,000 HP is gone, Graham will alter his form into something like a profane, morbid angel (yes, it is merely coincidence that I used the name of a metal band). This is much more difficult than his initial form. The most crushing attack is the large lightning bolt that is cast down by Graham's halo of skulls. You can destroy the circle of skulls, but it will take some patience, seeing as how it has 4,000 HP of its own.
The slide maneuver is going to be instrumental in this fight. You need to stay on the move to avoid the lightning bolts and remain close to the ground to steer clear of Graham's claws. If you want to take out the halo, you're going to need to know exactly what you're doing and have quick wit.
Soma can run into the Halo without taking damage, so that is something important to keep in mind. The halo follows Soma's movements around the stage, and then pauses in the spot where Soma last was and releases a huge surge of energy.
Before the Halo shoots down a bolt, leap up and strike it with your sword or Flame Demon attack, then move out of the way. While you're fighting the halo, you're going to have to avoid Graham's claws, too, which won't always be easy, as they're quite large.
Keep going from one end of the room to the other fighting the halo. Whenever you need to traverse to the other side, use the slide move to make your way safely underneath Graham's claws.
With the halo out of the way, the rest of the fight isn't near as difficult. Go to the center of the room and leap up to hit Graham, who is in the heart of this evil mess. When you see a claw flash, stop attacking and duck until it is safe to stand again, then continue your attack. The claws will not be difficult to dodge, but don't get too comfortable, because if you slip up, they can gouge Soma and take off a tremendous amount of health.
Keep watching for the flash and continuing your attacks to put this astray missionary to his eternal rest.
Belmont
HP: 6000
EXP: 0
Tolerance: Holy, Poison, Curse, Stone
The world's greatest vampire hunter is Julius Belmont, the man who destroyed Dracula in the year 1999. Belmont begins by coming on strong.
A good weapon to use against him is the Kaladbolg (my personal favorite sword in the game), and the Lightning Doll soul is ideal for ranged attacks. Belmont's Vampire Killer whip has more range than the Kaladbolg, so that will put you at a disadvantage. Here's the plan, though:
Get close to Belmont and lure him into a whipping attack. When you see he's about to swing the whip, duck and strike him twice with the dark sword. When you see Belmont jump back a short distance while still facing Soma, this is usually a precursor that tells you he's going to attempt a slide attack, so be ready to jump over that.
That is pretty much all there is to fighting him for the first segment. If Belmont crouches and tries to hit Soma, just jump over it. Instead of running about everywhere, remain in place and let Belmont come to you. When you start frenetically zipping around the room is when he begins using troublesome jump kicks.
Even though that pattern is straightforward, it can be difficult to keep up. Belmont may confuse or surprise you every now and then, and he hits very, very hard, so be careful. Another good sword to use is the Vyaja. You may be able to score more damage with that one, due to its capability for combos, and if you're using the Succubus soul, it will restore Soma's HP faster.
After losing enough HP, Belmont will attempt to draw Soma into a vortex in where he executes a deadly Cross Item Crash. To resist its pull, switch to the Giant Bat guardian soul.
At this point, Belmont will begin relying on his sub-weapons. If you stay in close and keep up the same pattern above, you won't have to worry about his Cross Boomerang, which is probably the trickiest of the lot. The Holy Water, however, will be a problem. If notice him getting ready to crash a vial against the floor, withdraw and retreat immediately.
You can opt to fight Belmont at a distance as well. As said, the Lightning Doll is very effective, and so is the Flame Demon soul. But be ready to deal with his jump kicks, Cross Boomerang, and Axes. Belmont is very aggressive and will not let up his pursuit.
Chaos
HP: 3000 each
EXP: 0
There is a lot happening on the screen during this fight, so you may not know exactly what's going on. Well, there are three sections of Chaos, and each one seals one set of your souls. All of them also have an exclusive attack. The three sections will rotate around the room in a circular pattern. Your targets will not harm you simply by running into Soma.
The section that seals your guardian souls will transform into some sort of beast and rush towards Soma. Do your best to dodge this.
The section that seals bullet souls will summon three crystal-like objects to hunt Soma down. These can either be evaded or deflected with a weapon strike.
The section that seals enchanted souls will send out something that resembles a d-pad, and if it connects with Soma, he will be cursed.
Each member of this trio has 3,000 HP. If you destroy a division, the respective seal it cast on that set of souls will be broken.
Destroy the one sealing the guardian souls first; it has the strongest attack. After that, take out the section with the bullet souls. Once those are gone, Chaos will not be able to inflict any damage. All it will have left is its cursing ability.
Destroy the last seal to defeat the first form of Chaos.
Chaos
HP: 3000
EXP: 0
Honestly, I think this is where they got the idea for Undead Parasite in Lament of Innocence. The two bosses are surprisingly similar. Firstly, you're pretty much fighting the entire room, much like Leon did against the Parasite. And oddly enough, both have gigantic snake like creatures that go flying about the room, and neither of these huge displays are the primary target, or a target at all, for that matter.
Anyway, this battle can be difficult, because there is a lot to keep up with, and everything hits really hard. I recommend using the Succubus enchanted soul and the Vyaja sword. That will really help replenish any lost HP rather quickly.
The true target of this battle is the black core that is in the center of the room. The problem, though, is that its defense is insanely high. You will notice the four eyeballs that are in each corner of the room. You will have to destroy them to lower Chaos' defense. Every time one is put out, the defense around the core will drop. So before you work on the core, disable its defenses.
Chaos has numerous attacks. Watch out for the snake that slithers through the air. It isn't hard to dodge, but with all of the other stuff coming at you, it can be a big problem. Occasionally, the snake will dispatch an emerald ball that bounces around the room for a bit. Avoid that, too.
Speaking of balls, sometimes four smaller greenish marble things will appear from the room's four corners, and will slowly be drawn to Soma. Knock these away with your weapon. That will not destroy them immediately, but it will keep them off Soma for a while.
The most deadly attack is a series of thorns that form around the center and launch across the room in a sequence from which thorn appeared first to the one that appeared last. If they appear clockwise, they will launch in a clockwise pattern, and vice versa. If you're on the same side of the room as the first thorn to appear, quickly slide to the opposite side.
This is the battle for Soma's soul. Fight hard, and fight your best. The victory will not be easily attained.
