Castlevania: Belmont's Curse - How To Beat Isaac (Boss Guide & Runback)

Published Oct 16, 2026, 12:29 PM EDT

Ben Brosofsky has been writing for Screen Rant since 2022 and editing since 2024. He graduated from Vanderbilt University with a Bachelor's in Cinema & Media Arts. Writing serves as a much-needed distraction from tackling a backlog of Steam games that will never be surmounted.

Once you get through Castlevania: Belmont's Curse's opening trio of bosses and lose to Death, the next up is Isaac. This fight isn't one of the game's toughest, but with a lengthy runback before the encounter, even a few failed attempts can quickly become time-consuming.

With a bit of practice, though, it's easy enough to pull off both the runback and a good chunk of the fight without taking a single blow. Isaac is all that stands between Rose and venturing into the depths of Dracula's castle, so the sooner you get this nuisance out of the way, the better.

How To Master The Isaac Runback

Before fighting Isaac, you'll run across an exposed bridge area with plenty of enemies. As seen in the gameplay footage above, you can follow this course to keep up the pace and avoid getting into difficult fights:

• Jump off the first ledge, and swing down to the lower platform on the second hook.
• Pull Rose back up with the next pink hook.
• Wait for the nearby enemies to make their long-ranged attacks, then jump up and use the hook to swing forward and dodge them.
• Slide past the next four enemies.

If you haven't already lowered the drawbridge, you'll have to perform some aerial maneuvers to move forward and do so.

• Hook onto the next aerial enemy, then fall to the first lower platform.
• Jump forward two platforms and duck to dodge the next projectile, then kill this enemy.
• Swing forward with the next hook, then back to grab onto the upper hook and swing to the next platform.
• Launch Rose forward with the remaining purple hooks and airborne enemies to reach the stage exit.

If you've taken any damage along the way, a hidden nook above the final hook contains some chicken to restore Rose's health.

How To Beat Isaac In Belmont's Curse

It's safe to be fairly aggressive with Isaac, and his swings of his large spear usually offer enough time to safely get underneath him.

When Isaac pulls back his spear for standard attacks, slide underneath him to attack from behind. If you're out of range already, you can simply stay back during the attacks and throw the Holy Cross received from the fight with The Fallen or another Arcana attack his way.

Even when Isaac swings low with his spear, it's still possible to slide under, making it a reliable way to dodge, but jumping over these attacks also works.

When Issac teleports forward, slide underneath to attack from behind.

When Isaac moves into the air and tosses a spinning spear, it will stop in three places before returning to him. Strike each as it hits you to counter with an attack. Alternatively, dodge each individually with slides or jumps as appropriate.

With this strategy, it shouldn't take long to survive his onslaught and come out on top.

Rewards For Beating Isaac

Unlike most bosses in Castlevania: Belmont's Curse's adventure, Isaac doesn't offer an Arcana upgrade or unique ability when encountered at the edge of Dracula's castle. Rose is only fighting an illusion of Isaac, so the real showdown will come later in the game. The primary reward here is simply getting to access everything beyond Isaac, which is necessary for progression.

While this should ultimately be a quick fight, it's still a fun one, and the runback adds an extra layer of challenge. Beyond Isaac, there's plenty more to experience in Castlevania: Belmont's Curse, and some of the most stylish boss fights ultimately lie within the depths of the castle.

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