Time Stop is the ability to stop time, or only slow it down in some instances, while the caster is still able to move. The Stopwatch sub-weapon has been able to perform this feat since the earliest Castlevania games, but the spell can be cast in other ways, including:

• Soma Cruz is able to perform this spell using the Chronomage's soul in Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow, and the Zephyr's soul in Dawn of Sorrow.
• Hector's Wood Rod Mage-Type Innocent Devil is also able to gain the Time Stop spell.
• Alucard is able to perform the water spell "Time Freeze" in Encore of the Night, which delays the time when the hourglass next flips.
• Aeon can use this ability through his special attacks. A number of enemy characters can cast this spell as well, such as the Chronomage, Zephyr and Saint Germain.

Game specific information

Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow

This ability is obtained from the Chronomage's soul. Using it stops time, allowing Soma Cruz to slow down the Sky Fish and be able to kill it (the Sky Fish is so fast that it won't come to a complete stop).

It can also be used to counter the Chronomage's own Time Stop spell if player starts a New Game+ (which carries over almost all souls and items), since if used, the Chronomage's ability will not work on the player (and vice versa, Time Stop won't affect the Chronomage).

Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow

The ability to stop time is called Clockwork in this game, and it can be obtained after defeating Zephyr and absorbing his soul. Oddly enough, even if the in-game description for this soul states it that it allows to "stop time", it is only needed to get through the main entrance to the Silenced Ruins. In this room, a silhouette of the Chronomage can be seen carved on a column (a clock is also present on the column, symbolizing the ability) which is blocking further progress, and upon first entering, a cannon will fire at it. However, the time stopping spell of the Chronomage will automatically take effect, stopping the cannonball in midair. Soma must then activate Zephyr's soul to counter the spell and allow the flow of time to resume. This is the only purpose this soul has in the game, and it is totally useless in combat.

Castlevania: Curse of Darkness

Time Stop is the default ability of the Wood Rod Mage-Type Innocent Devil, the first Mage-Type Hector encounters in the game. This I.D. is recruited right after defeating Isaac and Abel in Cordova Town (and after the subsequent cutscene with Julia). When cast (40 MP), time will stop for several seconds, allowing Hector to deal with all surrounding enemies or escape from precarious situations.

The Time Stop ability is required in order to make it across the long walkway adorned with candelabras that connects Cordova Town with the Eneomaos Machine Tower, and whose door at its end will close after all the candles have extinguished. By casting Time Stop, Hector will be able to stop the flow of time for a moment and make it through before this happens. Likewise, after traversing the tower's initial courtyards, he will eventually arrive at the building's main entrance, although it is located high above on an upper level. By throwing the nearby switch, a staircase will suddenly build up, but not for long, so Hector will need to cast Stop Time again to climb the entire staircase before it deconstructs itself again.

The Time Stop ability also plays a relevant role in the battle against Saint Germain, as it is the only way to counteract all of his own time manipulation spells. When Hector has depleted Saint Germain's two initial HP bars, he'll cast a time reversal spell to recover one of them. However, if Hector orders his Mage-Type to cast Time Stop at that moment, Saint Germain will only be able to recover half of the bar.

Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin

Time Stop is one of Charlotte Aulin's magic spell skills in Portrait of Ruin. It is a high level spell that stops time. It is also used in the introductory cutscene when Jonathan Morris charges at the twin sisters, Stella and Loretta.

Item Data

Item Data: Time Stop
Image	Name - Game   Type - Users Description	Attributes / Consume	Statistics / Sell	Found	Notes
	Chronomage - Time Stop (Time Governing) - Aria of Sorrow   Bullet Soul - Soma				[edit]
	Ability to stop time.	Consume: 96 MP		Rarity: 6 Drop: Chronomage
	Zephyr - Clockwork - Dawn of Sorrow   Bullet Soul - Soma				[edit]
	Stop time.	Consume: 80 MP		Rarity: Always get the soul. Drop: Zephyr
	Time Stop - Curse of Darkness   Innocent Devil Abilities - Wood Rod				[edit]
	Magic that stops time. Halts all movement in the world for a brief period.	Consume: 40 Hearts		First Obtained: Innate Ability	Special: Counters Saint Germain's time-manipulating spells.
	Time Stop (Time Steal) - Portrait of Ruin   Magic Spell - Charlotte				[edit]
	A high-level spell that stops time.	Consume: 50 MP		Find: Entrance Conditions: Complete "Hands of the Clock" quest.	Effect: Stops time for 5 seconds. Special: Fully charged: Stops time for 10 seconds.
	Time Freeze Level 1 - Encore of the Night   Spell - Alucard (Story Mode)				[edit]
	Delays next hourglass flip by 5 seconds.	Attrib: Water Consume: 15 MP		Conditions: Water affinity >= 5
	Time Freeze Level 2 - Encore of the Night   Spell - Alucard (Story Mode)				[edit]
	Delays next hourglass flip by 10 seconds.	Attrib: Water Consume: 35 MP		Conditions: Water affinity >= 12

Gallery

Screenshots

Animations

Trivia

• In Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, when Charlotte uses this spell, she sometimes says "Subete yo, tomare!" ("All, be still!"/"Everything, stop!"). This is likely a reference to Dio Brando's classic line "Toki yo, tomare!" ("Time, stop!") from the manga/anime JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.
  • The uncharged version stops time for 5 seconds, while the charged stops it for 9 seconds. These are the limits of DIO's time stop before and after consuming Joseph's blood.
  • If Jonathan throws a Knife or a Bwaka Knife when the spell is active, it will stop in midair until the effect of the spell ends. It won't affect most other Sub-Weapons. This may also be a reference to DIO.

See also

• Stopwatch