One of the biggest games of all time, Resident Evil 4, has recently been given the remake treatment, plunging legions of fans back into violent warfare with the Ganados.
The legendary survival-horror game, developed by Capcom and released in 2005, takes players on a thrilling and action-packed journey through a mysterious rural Spanish village and a gothic castle. With its mix of intense combat, intricate puzzles, and atmospheric storytelling, Resident Evil 4 has become a benchmark for the survival-horror genre and a classic of gaming history.
While there’s a tonne to explore in the game, one of the most intriguing surprises is the addition of The Clockwork Castellans. These are similar to the bobblehead collectibles in previous games and finding and destroying all of these little figures of Ramon Salazar rewards players with the Primal Knife. This indestructible weapon cannot be bought and can only be acquired by completing the ‘Revolutionary Wind-Up’ quest.
Of course, Capcom does not make it easy. That’s why you’re here. Even the most veteran players have been stumped by this infuriating quest, so there’s no shame in turning to a guide.
With 16 Clockwork Castellans to find, one in each chapter, it’s worth noting that some are missable. Meaning, if you progress too far in the game, you can’t return and find them.
The toys make a squeaky mechanical noise when you’re near them, which can make them easier to find, but the sound is also easily missed if you’re not in a quiet area. One helpful tip is to turn on closed-captions, which will then describe the audio on the screen and alert you when ‘mechanical cadence’ is playing.
With that in mind, here’s where you can round them all up on the first go.
Clockwork Castellan 1 Location
The first Castellan you can find is in the Lakeside Settlement area. When you reach the settlement, the first crumbling stone house you reach is the one you want. Go in through the window and look right. The Castellan is up in the broken roof.
Clockwork Castellan 2 Location
The second Castellan is in another shack on the way to the Village Chief’s Manor. Once you’ve got the Hexagonal Emblem from the Mountain Village, go through the gate and along the path. The first little shed you come to has a Castellan hiding in the corner to your right as you enter.
Clockwork Castellan 3 Location
You’ll find the third Castellan near the Lakeside merchant shop through the Quarry. By the docks, there’s a series of ladders you can slide down that lead to a cave. Once you get to the bottom, turn right and you’ll see a dock. At the end of it there’s some stakced boxes and, just under the roof, is your target.
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Clockwork Castellan 4 Location
Number four is quite tricky to find. You need to go back to the Lakeside Settlement once you’ve got the Insignia Key. At the northern end, there’s a locked Insignia Door in a cave. Open that and climb the ladder to the Forest Alter. Look behind some broken fences when you’re facing directly north and you should be able to make him out in the gloom.
Clockwork Castellan 5 Location
Castellan five is is in the Village Chief’s Manor. You can’t get it on your first run-through as it’s up in the attic and you need to come back here once you have Ashley with you. Go to the upstairs bedroom, move the picture on the wall to access a level which will then open the ladder. Boost Ashley into the attic and, once she lowers the ladder down, you’ll find the castellan hiding in the southern end of the attic.
Clockwork Castellan 6 Location
Chapter Six’s Castellan is on the village escape path you’ll head down after defending the villa. It’s easy to miss this one as it’s just sitting in front of a bonfire and you don’t come back to this area. Make sure you hit this one right before the checkpoint area. It’ll be on your right.
Clockwork Castellan 7 Location
In the treasury, after leaving the dungeons, is where you’ll find the seventh Castellan. This is after fighting the Carrador, but before you do the Sword Puzzle. Head up the stairs in the treasury and you’ll come into a room full of old junk. The Castellan is hiding on the top shelf.
Clockwork Castellan 8 Location
The eighth Castellan is up in the castle battlements. He’s sitting on some stacked sandbags which you can get to while you’re dodging the attacks of the giant troll creature. You’ll have to climb a ladder to reach it which can be done after the cut scene that reveals the monster. Head to the right, dop down, and you’ll find the latter. The Castellan is in that area at the top.
Clockwork Castellan 9 Location
Number nine is in the courtyard maze, up in the northwest corner. He’s hiding in the darkness behind some items covered in cloth and wooden boards, under the staircase you use to get into the maze.
Clockwork Castellan 10 Location
You’ll find number ten down in the depths beneath the castle. When you reach the merchant, look opposite and you’ll see a metal grate covering a tunnel. The Castellan’s head is peeking out just behind the grate at the top of the tunnel.
Clockwork Castellan 11 Location
After the minecart rollercoaster, you’ll come to the stopover area. Once you’ve cleared this place of enemies, look up at the roof of the house. The Castellan is sitting on the edge there, close to the treasure chest on the balcony.
Clockwork Castellan 12 Location
You can take a gondola to the clock tower’s lower level where you’ll find the 12th Clockwork Castellan. He’s in the northwest corner, standing on top of some boxes.
Absolutely love how EXTRA the entrance of The Bella Sisters is in Resident Evil 4 Remake!
Whoever pitched this at @dev1_official needs a raise!#RE4 #ResidentEvil4Remake pic.twitter.com/2iYXbBiINl
— Will | Horror Game Central 👁️ (@ResiEvilCentral) April 13, 2023
Clockwork Castellan 13 Location
Castellan 13 is in the north area of the wharf section. Once you’ve travelled the tunnels, you’ll come to a loading dock with some shipping containers and trucks. In the dead-end zone, under the back end of the wheels of the red freigh-truck, is where you’ll find him hiding.
Clockwork Castellan 14 Location
Number 14 is hiding in a small control room in the amber storeroom/campsite area. Once you leave the storeroom, head right to the west side of the campsite. There you’ll find the control room and the Castellan sitting on top of a locker.
Clockwork Castellan 15 Location
After the cutscene with the helicopter pilot, you’ll enter the cliffside ruins area. In the specimen storage building, you’ll find the 15th Castellan. He’s in the small room at the northern end of this building, standing on a beam in the ceiling.
Clockwork Castellan 16 Location
Finally, the last Castellan can be found right after you defeat the big boss, Lard Saddler. You’re under pressure here because of the countdown but don’t miss the Castellan. After you jump across the falling bridge and get attacked by an enemy, you’ll enter a small room in the underground passage that has a green forklift and a pile of wooden boxes behind it. Hit the Castellan on the boxes before leaving.
How to Get the Primal Knife in Resident Evil 4
Now that you’ve got all the Castellans, you’ll be able to get the Primal Knife. This is Leon’s knife from the original game and while it’s the least powerful of the three knives, it does have the massive benefit of not breaking.
If you’ve done the above correctly and found all the Resident Evil 4 clockwork locations, you’ll see you’ve earned the ‘Revolution Wind-Up’ award. The Primal Knife can then be purchased for 1,000 challenge points in the Extra Content Shop and, once you take it to a merchant, you can upgrade it to become indestructible.
The weird aspect of all of this is that you basically have to beat the game to get the knife. But it’ll make any play-throughs a whole lot easier.
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