Stage 5 is the fifth and last stage in Classic Mode in Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night.
Overview[]
Stage 5 consists of two segments. These are grouped together as one but are effectively different stages for most gameplay purposes. Together, they form the longest stage in the mode.
First segment[]
The first segment begins in a laboratory reminiscent of the main game's Secret Sorcery Lab, continuing the aesthetic from the previous stage. There are no bottomless pits in this room, but reanimating Kunekunes and projectile-throwing Axe Outsiders and Bone Mortes make it dangerous nonetheless.
After climbing a staircase, the player must go past some guillotine-like platforms that move up and down; they can either pass under these or jump on top of them. After either fighting or sneaking past a Wall Dragon, they must jump on thin platforms over a floor of spikes, while being assaulted by flying Scythe Mites along the way. One of these platforms has a differently colored crate on top of it that can be broken for an extra life.
Another staircase leads up to a winding corridor with a variety of threats including floor spikes and ceiling-mounted axes that swing in a set rhythm. Ghosts appear here and can potentially knock the player into spikes or bottomless pits.
A door leads the player out of the laboratory and into a very tall, mechanized tower similar to the main game's Towers of Twin Dragons. To ascend it, they must jump between spinning cogwheels, moving platforms and staircases. This room is dense with enemies that can send the player flying back down the tower or kill them outright; these include Kunekunes, Scythe Mites, Dullahammer Heads, Cannon Mortes, Lance Armors and another Wall Dragon.
From the top of the tower, the player goes through a darker hallway filled with Axe Armors and Dullahammer Heads. A boss battle with Gremory awaits them at the end. After defeating Gremory, the player automatically proceeds to the next segment.
Second segment[]
The stage continues on a partially outdoor bridge directly outside Gremory's arena. The bridge is suspended high in the air and is lined by pits that require careful platforming in conjunction with fighting against various enemies, including Kunekunes, Axe Armors, Cannon Mortes and Celaenos that drop Gusions. Some walkable surfaces are broken up by yellow or brown hatches that, when jumped onto, open or fall off so that anything on them falls down. Some useful items are reachable by walking down stairs to the bridge's underside, but these are often guarded by Bats. At the end, a Wall Dragon guards the door to the main castle keep.
A long staircase leads upward with a full moon shining in the background. Inside the keep, the player finally finds Gebel in his throne room. After exchanging a few words with Miriam, he steps off the throne and begins the fight. Once Gebel has been defeated and is dying, Dominique Baldwin suddenly speaks to announce her presence and teleports into the throne room. A battle ensues with the true villain, whose defeat ends the game. Dominique does not appear in Easy mode, making Gebel the final boss on that difficulty level.
Enemies[]
First segment[]
- Axe Outsider
- Bone Morte
- Cannon Morte
- Dullahammer Head
- Ghost
- Kunekune
- Lance Armor
- Scythe Mite
- Wall Dragon
Boss[]
Second segment[]
Bosses[]
Notes[]
- This stage's division has unusual consequences for the game's save and Game Over systems. The effects of each possible event are shown in the table below.
| Event | Condition | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Game Over | Player is in segment 1 | Player spawns in segment 1 |
| Player is in segment 2 but has not finished the game | Player spawns in segment 2 | |
| Player has finished the game | Player spawns in segment 2 | |
| Player exits and reloads | Player is in segment 1 | Player spawns in segment 1 |
| Player is in segment 2 but has not finished the game | Player spawns in segment 1 | |
| Player has finished the game | Player spawns in segment 2 |
Trivia[]
- This stage is mostly original but borrows several elements from Block 5 and Block 6 from Castlevania. Functionally, the first segment can be seen as a mirror of Block 5 and the second segment can be seen as a mirror of Block 6.
- The hallway leading to Gremory is almost identical to the infamous "Death's Hall" in Castlevania, down to enemy placement and the block placement in the arena itself.
- After the battle with a flying boss that attacks by forming blades that are sent toward the player, the player proceeds to an open bridge leading to the castle's main keep.
- The staircase leading to Gebel's room is nearly identical to the one leading to Dracula, and Gebel's own design and general attack pattern are based on those of Dracula's first form. Both staircase ascents also feature a moon in the background, though in Bloodstained the moon is full whereas in Castlevania it is a crescent.