Put the hunt on hold and expand the merchant’s stocks with hidden badges found throughout Bloodborne with the tips and step-by-step instructions on our locations guide.

Badges are earned by defeating massive bosses, completing odd quests, or just finding them laying around the cursed city. Some are crazy tricky to find, forcing curious Hunters to explore new areas, fight optional bosses, or uncover dangerous secrets. Don’t bang your head on the beautifully rendered stone walls, browse through the tips below to earn every badge in Bloodborne.

Instead of buying gear, try finding it. Check out our Bloodborne: Trick Weapons Locations Guide for new primary fighting styles, or collect every gun with the Bloodborne: Firearms Locations Guide.

Badge Locations Guide

Each badge unlocks new weapons or attire for purchase from the Bath Messengers in Hunter’s Dream. They appear in the “Key Items” slot and automatically change the merchant’s available items.

Sword Hunter Badge

• Unlocks: Kirkhammer Trick Weapon, Repeating Pistol Firearm
• How to Get:

• Defeat the very first boss, the Cleric Beast, on the bridge above Central Yharnam.

Saw Hunter Badge

• Unlocks: Saw Spear Trick Weapon, Saw Cleaver Trick Weapon, Hunter Axe Trick Weapon, Threaded Cane Trick Weapon, Hunter Pistol Firearm, Hunter Blunderbuss Firearm
• How to Get:

• Defeat the giant pig in the sewers of Central Yharnam and collect the nearby treasure item.
• Alternatively, this badge is rewarded after defeating Father Gascoigne in the Tomb of Oedon.

Radiant Sword Hunter Badge

• Unlocks: Ludwig’s Holy Sword Trick Weapon, Ludwig’s Rifle Firearm
• How to Get:

• Defeat the Blood-Starved Beast in Old Yharnam, then return to Oedon’s Chapel in the Cathedral Ward lamp. The metal gate to the right is now open. Use the elevator to reach the Healing Church Workshop area.
• Climb up to the third floor of the tower. That’s where you’ll find this badge guarded by several wheelchair-bound enemies.

Powder Keg Hunter Badge

• Unlocks: Stake Driver Trick Weapon
• How to Get:

• In Old Yharnam, a hunter named Djura opens fire with a gatling gun on a tower. Defeat him and he will drop the badge.
• There’s an alternate way to get this badge. Enter Old Yharnam through the back entrance. To do so, get kidnapped by a bag-wielding creature in the Cathedral Ward to appear in Yahar’ghul, Unseen Village. They spawn after the Blood-Starved Beast is killed, and will kidnap the Hunter after killing them in combat. Defeat Darkbeast Paarl and reach the tower from behind — Djura will talk and give this badge away without a fight.

Spark Hunter Badge

• Unlocks: Tonitrus Trick Weapon, Bolt Paper Consumable
• How to Get:

• Rewarded for defeating Darkbeast Paarl. Kill the Blood-Starved Beast boss in Old Yharnam, and bag-wielding monsters will appear in the Cathedral Ward. Let one kill you and the hunter will appear in Hypogean Gaol. Follow the path outside the church to reach the Darkbeast boss.
• This badge can also be found in the environment. Leave the Hypogean Gaol lamp church and turn left. Follow the street to a dead-end guarded by several dogs. Defeat them and collect the item from the dead body.

Crow Hunter Badge

• Unlocks: Blade of Mercy Trick Weapon, Crowfeather Attire Set
• How to Get:

• To collect the Crow Hunter Badge, the Hunter must encounter Eileen the Crow and finish her quest, or defeat her. If she is killed in any of the quest encounters, she’ll drop this badge.
• Eileen is first found in a room above the Central Yharnam sewers with the boats in mud. Take the steps up to a room filled with crates, and smash them to discover a hidden window. Fall through the window to reach the rafters. From here, stick to the right wall to find a passage leading to Eileen.
• Next, she’s found outside Oedon’s Chapel in the Cathedral Ward. Speak with her, then go down to the Tomb of Oedon and help her defeat the hunter. She won’t appear until the gates to the Grand Cathedral, containing Vicar Amelia, are open.
• The last encounter is outside the Grand Cathedral doors. She’s wounded on the steps. Defeat Rom, the Vacuous Spider to find her here. Defeat the hunter inside the Grand Cathedral, then speak to her to get the badge.

Cainhurst Badge

• Unlocks: Chikage Trick Weapon, Reiterpallasch Rapier, Evelyn Firearm, Cainhurst Attire Set
• How to Get:

• To earn the Cainhurst Badge, the Hunter must join the Cainhurst Vile Blood Covenant located in Cainhurst Castle.
• To join the covenant, the Hunter needs to reach the Forbidden Woods village and find a cavern filled with poison water. From there, enter the path leading to a long ladder.
• At the top of the ladder, the Hunter can discover a secret back-entrance into the 1st Floor Sickroom. Open the door from the back entrance and return to the starting room — there is now a unique item called the Cainhurst Summons.
• With the Cainhurst Summons, go to the Hemwick Charnel Lane. There’s an area outside the Witch’s Abode that will now have a ghostly coach. For it to appear, the Witch of Hemwick boss must be defeated.
• At Cainhurst Castle, defeat Martyr Logarius and collect the Crown of Illusions. Equip it in the arena, and a path to the throne room will appear.
• Inside, use the “Kneel” motion before speaking with Annalise, Queen of the Vilebloods. Afterwards, you’ll be able to join the covenant and gain the Cainhurst Badge by talking to her.

Wheel Hunter Badge

• Unlocks: Logarious’ Wheel Trick Weapon, Gold Ardeo Helmet
• How to Get:

• This tricky badge is rewarded for returning the Unopened Summons item to Alfred. This special letter is found in Annalise, Queen of the Vileblood’s throne room. To reach the throne room, follow the Cainhurst Castle instructions in the “Cainhurst Badge” entry.
• The Unopened Summons are found on a table to the right of Annalise’s throne. Give this item to Alfred and he’ll reward you with the Wheel Hunter Badge. Be warned, by giving the summons to Alfred, he’ll kill Annalise. The Queen can be revived, though.
• Alfred is first found in an alcove in the lower area of the Cathedral Ward. Follow the steps to a two-story tomb chamber with stairs to the left of the building. The stairs lead up and through the tomb to a statue where Alfred is waiting.
• Later, Alfred is waiting on a balcony outside the Forbidden Woods gate. He appears here following the Vicar Amelia boss fight.

Cosmic Eye Watcher Badge

• Unlocks: Rosmarinus Firearm, Healing Church Elite Attire Set
• How to Get:

• This rare badge is located in the optional Orphanage area located in the Upper Cathedral Ward, accessed through the locked doors at the top of the Healing Church Workshop tower.
• At Oeden’s Chapel at the start of the Cathedral Ward, the locked doors on the right open after defeating the Blood-Starved Beast deep in the Old Yharnam area. The elevator leads up to the Healing Church Workshop.
• To find the key to the Upper Cathedral Ward, you’ll need to defeat Rom, The Vacuous Spider and open the main doors into Yahar’ghul, Unseen Village.
• Reach the Yahar’ghul Chapel lamp, then back-track up the stairs and stick to the left railing. Dodge the hags and Amygdala’s laser to find a missing section of railing. Drop through and go to the interior with a Bell Witch. Fall into the cage below to find the Upper Cathedral Ward key on a body.
• From the Upper Cathedral Ward lamp, enter the main Orphanage building and defeat the Brainsuckers near the second floor balcony doors to collect a key. Use the key to open the Orphanage front doors. Now that the shortcut is open, find the badge by exploring a side-passage on the left side of the structure.

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Kevin Thielenhaus is a freelance writer for The Escapist. Find him on Twitter here.