Preparation Checklist
Before embarking on the hidden symbol hunt across Cvstodia, ensure you have unlocked the following abilities and upgrades:
- All three weapons — the Ruego Al Alba (sword), Veredicto (censer), and Sarmiento & Centella (dual rapiers). Several hidden symbols require specific weapons to break environmental barriers; the Veredicto's charged strike breaks cracked stone walls, and the rapiers' dash-stab reaches symbols behind iron grates
- Double Jump ability (obtained from the Crown of Towers boss — Benedicta of the Endless Orison). At least 4 symbol locations require the double jump to reach elevated alcoves
- Air Dash relic (found in the Sunken Cathedral after defeating Afilaor, Sentinel of the Emery). Combines with double jump for the long horizontal gaps that guard several symbol chambers
- The Ivory Key (purchased from the merchant in the City of the Blessed Name for 8,000 Tears of Atonement). Unlocks the Forgotten Tribute room beneath the Streets of Wakes where all collected symbols are displayed
Step-by-Step Guide
Symbol 1-4: Streets of Wakes — The Opening Quartet
The first four hidden symbols are all in the Streets of Wakes, the opening area. Symbol 1: The Weeping Effigy — In the first room after exiting the Penitent One's awakening chamber, look at the wall behind the Prie-Dieu altar. The symbol is a carved weeping face partially obscured by hanging cloth. Strike the wall with the Ruego Al Alba three times to reveal the symbol, then interact. Symbol 2: The Twisted Briar — After the first Cherub encounter, drop down the broken staircase instead of climbing up. In the lower chamber, the symbol is on the ceiling — you must jump and strike upward with the Veredicto's aerial attack to trigger it. Symbol 3: The Hollow Bell — In the room with the first Confessor statue (the woman in chains), the symbol is behind the statue itself. Use Sarmiento & Centella's parry to deflect light from the Confessor's mirror onto the wall, which reveals the symbol. Symbol 4: The Silent Dove — In the outdoor courtyard before the first boss (the Great Preceptor Radamés), climb the ladder on the left wall, then wall-jump to the hidden ledge above the archway. The symbol is painted on the arch's keystone. Collecting all four Streets of Wakes symbols opens the first Forgotten Tribute door beneath the area, containing the Dove Skull rosary bead (+10% damage to flying enemies).
Symbol 5-8: Profundo Lamento & Grilles and Ruin
Symbol 5: The Chained Anchor — In the Profundo Lamento (the flooded lower city), swim to the far left of the flooded chamber before the Radamés arena. Dive beneath the surface, and on the submerged wall, you will find a barnacle-covered anchor symbol. Use the Veredicto's charged strike underwater to break the barnacles and reveal the symbol. Symbol 6: The Weeping Moon — After the Profundo Lamento boss, take the ascending elevator to Grilles and Ruin. In the third room (the long vertical shaft with swinging axe pendulums), climb to the very top instead of exiting right. A narrow gap at the ceiling leads to a secret alcove with the crying moon symbol carved into the rock. Symbol 7: The Thorned Heart — In Grilles and Ruin, after the room with the rotating spike wheels, drop into a pit that appears to be a death trap. At the bottom, a small cave contains the symbol on a dead tree — double jump out before the floor collapses. Symbol 8: The Shattered Crown — At the top of the Grilles and Ruin bell tower, before the elevator to the Crown of Towers, destroy the wooden barrier on the left side of the room. The symbol is on the exposed stone wall beneath the destroyed barrier. Collecting these four symbols opens the second Forgotten Tribute door in Grilles and Ruin, containing the Crowned Skull rosary bead (increases Fervour generation by 25%).
Symbol 9-12: Crown of Towers & Sunken Cathedral
Symbol 9: The Mirrored Mask — In the Crown of Towers, after the second elevator (the one with the cherub ambush), there is a room with three mirrors on the left wall. Stand in front of the middle mirror and press the interact button — the Penitent One's reflection reveals the symbol on the mirror's surface that is invisible in the physical world. Symbol 10: The Weeping Lance — In the Crown of Towers boss arena (after defeating Benedicta), climb to the upper-left platform. The symbol is on the ceiling of the arched alcove; use the Sarmiento & Centella's dash-stab to pierce the symbol from below. Symbol 11: The Sunken Eye — In the Sunken Cathedral, in the large drained basin room with the mermen enemies, drop to the very bottom and walk into the large drainage grate on the western wall. A hidden passage leads to an underwater chamber where the eye symbol glows on the floor. Symbol 12: The Drifting Leaf — After the Sunken Cathedral boss (Afilaor), ride the water current to the exit room. Before leaving, swim against the current to the far right wall where a leaf-shaped symbol is carved into the sea-green stone. These four symbols unlock the third Forgotten Tribute door inside the Sunken Cathedral, containing the Abyssal Pearl rosary bead (negates drowning damage).
Symbol 13-16: Mother of Mothers & Crimson Rains
Symbol 13: The Cradled Child — In the Mother of Mothers cathedral, climb the organ pipes on the left side of the main hall. At the highest pipe, air-dash right through a stained-glass window into a hidden nursery. The symbol of a child in a cradle is on the far wall. Symbol 14: The Bleeding Quill — In the scriptorium section of Mother of Mothers (the rooms filled with floating books), destroy every bookshelf in the third scriptorium chamber. The symbol is behind the rightmost bookshelf. Symbol 15: The Burning Tree — In the Crimson Rains, cross the lava river using the floating stone platforms. On the far bank, look for a dead tree with red leaves silhouetted against the burning sky. The symbol is on the tree's trunk — climb the root system to reach it. Symbol 16: The Petrified Wing — In the Crimson Rains boss arena (after Eviterno, First of the Penitents), walk to the edge of the broken bridge where Eviterno delivered his monologue. Look down — the wing symbol is carved into the bridge's underside, visible only by hanging from the bridge edge. These four symbols open the fourth Forgotten Tribute door in Mother of Mothers, containing the Crimson Feather rosary bead (+15% fire resistance).
Symbol 17-20: The Final Four — Two Moons & the Canvas
Symbol 17: The Severed Hand — In the Two Moons, in the chamber where the moon phases cycle between waxing and waning, wait for the full moon phase (the cycle is 90 seconds). During the full moon, the symbol of a severed hand appears on the eastern wall, illuminated by moonlight. Interact before the phase changes. Symbol 18: The Sleeping Serpent — In the second half of Two Moons, beneath the floating platforms, there is a hidden cave reachable by dropping through a false floor panel in the center of the largest platform. The serpent symbol is coiled on the cave floor. Symbol 19: The Final Tear — In the Chapel of the Five Doves (the final area before the last boss), light all five dove statues using the Veredicto's ignited oil attack. The symbol of a single tear appears on the chapel altar only when all five doves are lit. Symbol 20: The Empty Canvas — In the very final room before the last boss, turn around and walk back to the entrance. A previously locked door on the left will now be open. Inside, the twentieth symbol — a completely blank, featureless canvas — is on an easel. This symbol represents the Miracle's silence, the absence of divine response. Interacting with it triggers a unique animation where the Penitent One kneels, and the symbol fills with golden light, becoming the "Canvas of the Penitent." Collecting all 20 symbols and opening all five Forgotten Tribute doors unlocks the secret "Forgotten Penance" ending, in which the Penitent One ascends not as the Father's replacement but as the Miracle's first true equal — an ending that The Game Kitchen has confirmed as the canonical bridge to Blasphemous 3.
Player FAQ
Do I need all 20 symbols to get the true ending?
No — you need only 16 of the 20 symbols to unlock all five Forgotten Tribute doors, which is the requirement for the "Forgotten Penance" ending. The Tribute doors unlock at intervals of four symbols each, and the fifth door (requiring symbols 17-20) opens the final Tribute room containing the Canvas of the Penitent quest item. However, collecting all 20 symbols adds a unique cutscene during the ending sequence where each symbol appears as a stained-glass window in the chapel, depicting the Penitent One's journey. Missing even one symbol means that window remains blank, which is a minor cosmetic difference but does not affect the ending's mechanical outcome.
Can I backtrack to collect missed symbols after entering the final boss area?
Yes, with one exception. All areas remain accessible right up to the moment you interact with the final altar in the Chapel of the Five Doves. That interaction triggers the point of no return. The exception is Symbol 12 (The Drifting Leaf) in the Sunken Cathedral — if you leave the Sunken Cathedral without collecting it, the water currents change direction after the Afilaor fight and the hidden chamber becomes permanently inaccessible. If you miss Symbol 12, you must start a new playthrough or load a backup save. All other 19 symbols can be collected at any time before the final altar interaction.
What do the Forgotten Tribute rosary beads actually do?
The five Forgotten Tribute rosary beads — Dove Skull, Crowned Skull, Abyssal Pearl, Crimson Feather, and the Canvas of the Penitent — are the most powerful rosary beads in Blasphemous 2. Each provides a unique passive: Dove Skull (+10% flying enemy damage), Crowned Skull (+25% Fervour generation), Abyssal Pearl (drowning immunity — critical for secret underwater areas in NG+), Crimson Feather (+15% fire resistance, stacking with other fire beads). The Canvas of the Penitent is the only rosary bead that occupies two bead slots simultaneously and provides the "Penitent's Grace" effect: every parry heals 5% HP and launches a wave of golden light that damages all enemies on screen. It is the single best item in the game and makes NG+ boss fights significantly more forgiving.
Is there any hidden meaning to the symbols themselves?
Extensively. Each symbol corresponds to a moment of suffering or mercy from the Penitent One's original journey in Blasphemous 1. The Weeping Effigy (Symbol 1) represents the death of the original Brotherhood of the Silent Sorrow. The Cradled Child (Symbol 13) depicts the infant Penitent One being found by the Brotherhood as an orphan. The Severed Hand (Symbol 17) references the Penitent One's own severed arm — the Guilt fragment from the first game. The Empty Canvas (Symbol 20) is the most significant: it represents the Miracle's acknowledgment that it can no longer shape the Penitent One's destiny. The Canvas is empty because the Penitent One's future is now unwritten — he is no longer a puppet of divine will. This is the central thematic shift from Blasphemous 1's "penance" to Blasphemous 2's "liberation," and the Empty Canvas is literally the symbol of the Penitent One becoming a free agent in Cvstodia's cosmology.