Magical Items

Unlike the mystic sub-weapons, you just never know what an item has in store. As I did on the sub-weapon page, any difference in the use of an item over the course of several games will be noted in the descriptions. Remember: Use these two item pages in conjunction with the individual pages in the games section to learn what items are used in which game--with candles and "breakable item-containing structures" almost always being a given. Items residing in those games with huge inventories (i.e. Symphony of the Night, Circle of the Moon, etc.) won't be mentioned here because they're more likely to be found on the "Game-Specific Weapons" pages.

Common
Items





           
Candles
The candles are essentially the most important items in the Castlevania games, sans Simon's Quest, where they don't appear. Scattered about, found almost anywhere, these hold the mystic items and the hearts/gems that are used to power them. These hold most other items, too, such as invisibility potions, money bags, morning stars, rosaries, food--sometimes--and others. Candles can take
other forms, such as torches, lanterns and lamps.





      
Hearts/Gems
Hearts are primarily used to power mystic items, and they've been known to act as currency. They usually come in two forms: Small hearts that equal 1, and big hearts that equal 5. There are other
forms found in Simon's Quest, equalling anywhere up to 8; other
heart types may vary. In Castlevania Adventure, hearts restore
energy (like pot roasts). Bloodlines and Castlevania 64
use gems instead.





    
Invisibility Potion
These have the power to render you invisible and invincible at the
same time. For a limited time, you can walk past enemies without receiving any damage. The black crystals in Bloodlines, the
crosses in Castlevania Adventure and the blue cystals in Vampire Killer have the same effect.





Money Bag
These were initially used to gather points that led to extra lives,
but they, too, became usable us currency in later games (like Castlevania 64 and Symphony), wherein they could buy items, strategies, etc. They come in separate colors, indicating their
value; some of them are hidden in walls and other secret areas.





    
Morning Star
These are used to power up the Belmonts' whips (and some other characters' main weapons). Usually, the first upgrades a leather
whip to a chain whip, the second making it longer. They take other forms, such as crystals, but their job is always the same. The first Morning Star usually appears after collecting five hearts, but the second will come after collecting 10-20.





   
Rosary
This is a classic weapon of the vampire hunters. In the Castlevania games, touching them has the ability to wipe out all of the lesser enemies on the screen; in Castlevania Adventure, as mentioned,
they make you invincible. Mirrors are used in Bloodlines for
the same effect.





   
Double/Triple Shot
These are used to give you the ability to throw two or three of your mystic weapons at once. They appear when you destroyed multiple enemies at once with that same weapon--usually by striking multiple blows. These disappeared later in the series as regular items.





Pot Roast
A favorite snack of the average vampire killer, these are used to replenish lost energy. Originally kept hidden in walls, they could be found in candles later on in the series. Theses take some different forms, as well, each restoring energy at different intervals.
Different kinds of foods can also be found, such as roast chicken.





1-Up
These well-hidden items add one life onto the player's total.
Depending on the game--if you lose a life--you may be able to collect these over and over. They generally look this way, but they can take other forms, such as dolls for Maria.





Crystal
After defeating a boss character, these usually always fall from the sky. Touching them clears the area of all evils, and they revive all of your lost energy. In the three Game Boy games, they summon
the boss of each stage, instead.

 

Vampire Killer
Exclusive





Boots
Putting these on allows the wearer to move faster, but they only last one screen before their effect wears off. Falling in a bottomless pit
also leads to the loss of this item. A version of these also appeared in Symphony of the Night, offering marginal improvement in jumping.





Wings
The wings offer Simon the ability to jump even higher than he
normally could. They, too, last only one screen before their power is
lost, and, like the boots, dying will mean their immediate loss.





   
Keys
These can be used to open up the many treasure chests lying around Dracula's castle. A master key appears in treasure chests, allowing you to open as many chests as you can find. Once used, they
disappear. They're found later in the series, in both Dracula X
games, as keys that open doors to find prisoners.





White Key
The white keys open the doors that connect the three sections
of each stage. Without them, you can't proceed. There's a catch, though: The keys are hidden somewhere in each of those sections,
be it behind bricks or floating in seemingly-out-of-reach places.





Treasure Chest
These can be opened with the item above. They contain any range of items, from morning stars, to weapons, to all kinds of special items.
It makes one appearance in Castlevania as a hidden treasure on the game's second stage.





   
Bible
Somehow, collecting a white bible allows you to buy items from
hidden merchants at a reduced price, and it makes hearts worth
more. To the contrary, collecting a purple bible actually punishes
you, making merchant-sold items actually cost more, offsetting
effects of the purple bible on hearts. Of course, you'll want to
avoid that.





Scroll
This parchment, hidden somewhere in each section, acts as a map, helping you to find your way through the screen-to-screen maze that
is each section of each stage. Pressing a certain button makes the
map appear, showing both the stage's exit and Simon's current location.





Ring
Directly tied to the Tepes family, rings represent destruction.
These one-up the Invisibility Potions since they make you invincible and allow you to destroy any enemy that you make contact with
during that time.





    
Shield
These come in two forms: (1) A regular shield that you can use
to block projectiles, as in Simon's Quest, and (2) an item that
increases your defense, as you only take half the usual damage.
Only one can be equipped at a time, and they last only one stage.





Secret Candle
A rare and special kind of candle can be found hidden in certain
places. When you're in possession of one, you can magically see
all of the blocks that can broken with your weapons--they'll be
outlined in a white border.





Potion
This item is rare, and it can only be purchased from merchants--usually late into a stage. If you have enough of the currency needed, buying this will replenish all of your life.





Red Crystal
These look like the stage-ending and invincibility-giving crystals,
but they're actually a means for regaining some lost energy. They don't regain nearly as much energy as the merchant-bought potions, but they're free.

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