The Fallen

Quick answer: The Fallen is the first major boss Rose faces, in the Paris sewers. The fight turns on his thrown spinning cross — hit it with a melee strike to shatter it ("steel can shatter it if your strike lands true") and stagger him. After roughly a third of his health he adds whip swings and edge slams. He rewards the Holy Cross Arcana, the whip-swing traversal upgrade and The Fallen's Key.

Who is The Fallen?

The Fallen is the opening chapter's boss — a mysterious monster terrorizing Paris, fought in the sewers beneath the city (Bosses). Post-launch guides report that he is later revealed to be Leon Belmont, the founder of the Belmont clan and the protagonist of Castlevania: Lament of Innocence (2003) (GameRant, level C). Konami's cast lists Ray Chase as The Fallen's voice.

Key fact: the thrown cross can be destroyed. A well-timed melee strike shatters it and leaves The Fallen briefly staggered — you do not have to dodge it.

Attack patterns

Spinning cross (boomerang) — The Fallen throws a holy cross that flies out and returns. It can pass through him and hit Rose from behind, so don't punish blindly after it leaves his hand.
Three-hit melee combo — two swipes in front, then he turns for a third. Sliding under his legs after the second swipe puts Rose behind him for free hits.
Whip swing (phase two) — he grapples a hook and swings across the arena. Move to the center and slide under the low point of the swing; a midair hit can knock him out of it but is riskier.
Edge slam (phase two) — he slams the left or right edge of the arena. Stay away during the slam, then move in while he recovers.
Forward whip (phase two) — a long horizontal lash. Slide forward under its reach instead of backing away.

How to beat The Fallen

Shatter the cross, don't dodge it. The in-game hint is "steel can shatter it if your strike lands true" — a well-timed melee strike breaks the cross and briefly staggers him. Don't swing too early.
Dodge forward, not back. Slide under his legs during the melee combo, land two hits on his back, then leave before the third swipe.
Read the phase transition. Phase two starts after roughly one-third of his health (ScreenRant); other guides report 30–50%. At that point stop trading in melee range and answer the whip swings and edge slams.
Use the whip for movement. Wall movement lets you reposition around the arena.

The exact phase-two trigger is disputed (one-third, 30–50%, and 60–70% have all been reported) and damage numbers aren't published — treat timings as approximate.

Rewards

Defeating The Fallen grants:

Holy Cross Arcana — his rebounding cross becomes Rose's own ability, sealed as a Tarot-card Arcana.
Whip swing / Arcane Whip — the traversal upgrade that lets Rose grapple and swing from hooks.
The Fallen's Key — a progression key for a later route.
400 XP — reported by two guides (level C).

Where to go after The Fallen

The fight hands you the tools for the next step:

The whip swing — your new traversal ability. You need it to reach the next secret.
The Holy Cross — his rebounding cross becomes your projectile.

The immediate move is a backtrack: return to the Sewer Reservoir (the area after the first Mirror of Life), use the whip swing to reach a high grate, and grapple upward to a hidden Anchor. The Anchor opens a secret room holding the Cestus — a close-range, fast-combo weapon.

That hidden Cestus is the last major pickup in the opening chapter. See the Walkthrough for the full route, and the Arcana system for how his Arcana gates later areas.

Sources & verification

First boss, sewer location — IGN wiki and XboxPlay (level C).
The Fallen = Leon Belmont — GameRant's boss roster (level C).
Cross-shatter, combo and phase-two attacks — ScreenRant and TheGamer (level C, consistent across guides).
400 XP — ScreenRant and XboxPlay (level C).
Phase-two trigger / damage numbers — disputed or unpublished; marked approximate.
Last verified: October 24, 2026.

Related: Bosses · Arcana System · Cestus · Medusa · Carmilla · Talos · Walkthrough · Weapons