Bloodborne Guide: How to Access the Upper Cathedral Ward

The Upper Cathedral Ward is the final optional location you can unlock in Bloodborne. Early on in the game, after you defeated the Blood-starved Beast, you would have gained entry to the Healing Church Workshop through a side door in the Cathedral Ward that was previously locked. However, if you made your way to the very top of the Healing Church Workshop, you’ll notice that the door at the end was locked. That door leads you to the Upper Cathedral Ward and this guide will show you how to get the key to unlock that area.

First, you need to defeat Rom, the Vacuous Spider. This will unlock Yahargul, the Unseen Village, and that’s where you need to go in order to find the key to the Upper Cathedral Ward.

From the Unseen Village lamp, head down the steps to your left, and you’ll see another flight of stairs on the left filled with enemies and a Lesser Amygdala perched on a building nearby. Charming. Try to lure some of the enemies up towards you before charging down full speed ahead. Once inside the building at the bottom of the stairs, look for the Chime Maiden and take her out quickly to stop her from summoning even more enemies. Once you’ve done that, head for the exit to your right and continue on.

In the next room, you’ll encounter a werewolf man, a wheelchair-bound elderly with a shotgun, a werewolf man with a shield, and of course a Chime Maiden. Take out the Chime Maiden as quickly as you can to make the room easier to manage before exiting through the door on the right.

Once outside, you’ll have two paths ahead of you. Go up the stairs to the left where you’ll see a group of crazed women praying to the statues. There will also be a lesser Amygdala positioned here, ready to fire off its exploding lasers when you get close. The good news is, you don’t have to fight your way through these women to get to the key. Keep to the right, head down the very short flight of steps, and look for a hole in the fence on the right side. This is where you need to drop down.

Carefully drop down to the ledge below and you’ll see a doorway leading in to another room on your right. Here, you’ll encounter a brick-wielding troll and yet another Chime Maiden. There’s one more drop you’ll have to take near where the troll is, and that will lead you into the cage that contains the key to the Upper Cathedral Ward. Quickly dodge the troll, drop in to grab the key, and open the cage door. Be careful, though; there will be another troll waiting for you right outside the cage.

Once you’ve gotten yourself out of that sticky situation, quickly get yourself to the nearest lamp – there’s one at Yahargul Chapel, just past the laser-shooting Lesser Amygdala and the crazed women. Warp yourself back to the Cathedral Ward, head through the small door on the right, and take the elevator up to the Healing Church Workshop.

Thankfully, the enemies at the Healing Church Workshop shouldn’t be much of a problem as you’re likely at a much higher level than them at this point. Fight your way up to the top of the Workshop and be very wary of the snipers and gun-toting wheelchair elderlies. Once you’re at the top, open the locked door with the key you worked so painstakingly hard to get, and you’ll be in the Upper Cathedral Ward.

The trophy for ‘The Choir’ should pop as soon as you enter this new area. But be warned, the Upper Cathedral Ward is home to one of the toughest bosses you’ll face in Bloodborne. Not to mention, there are tons of those Cthulhu-like guys with tentacles around their mouths that can bind you with magic and suck out a good 50% of your health bar. These enemies are susceptible to bolt magic, so make sure you come prepared.

For more guides, tips, tricks, or advice feel free to check out Twinfinite’s Bloodborne wiki.