Black Ops 7 Zombies: How to Collect Every Kowakujo Cursed Relic
Kowakujo features six Relics you can chase specifically in Cursed Mode—and while they’re some of the most interesting rewards in the mode, they’re also among the hardest to secure. If you’re working on completing your collection, here’s a step-by-step guide covering how to obtain every Cursed Relic in Kowakujo, including what each one does and what the trials ask you to do.
There are also six Relics tied to Totenreich, and this guide explains how to unlock them all in Black Ops 7 Zombies. For now, two Relics—Valkyrie Helmet and Druid Stone—are still marked as not yet solved, with plans to add them once a full guide is ready.
Gramophone Relic: effects, setup, and the trial
- Effect: Bullets deal increased damage, but each shot consumes two bullets.
- Availability: You can earn it on any Cursed tier and on any Cursed Round.
To begin, you need to collect two drumsticks. The first drumstick is located on a window when you’re facing west in the Gatehouse. The second drumstick is found between the open windows opposite the Arsenal in the Workshop. Once both drumsticks are in your possession, head over to the Kitchens.
From the Flower Garden, climb the stairs into the Kitchens. Face south to spot two drums positioned on either side of the door. Interact with the drums, and they’ll start playing a sequence. Your job is to copy that sequence using the melee button, following the pattern like a Simon Says challenge.
After you repeat the sequence successfully without failing, Mr. Peeks will laugh. At that point, locate the Relic portal by the left drum. The trial requires you to eliminate zombies using Sniper Rifles only. To make that easier, you can either spin the Mystery Box or pick up the XR-3 ION from the Wall-Buy in the Shogun’s Sanctum.
Druid Stone and Valkyrie Helmet: current status and what they do
Druid Stone Relic
- Effect: There is no bleed-out bar, and self-revives instantly revive you.
- Status: This Relic has not been solved yet, so the full acquisition steps aren’t included.
Valkyrie Helmet Relic
- Effect: Areas you stand in begin to spawn electric fields that damage you.
- Status: This Relic has not been solved yet, so the full acquisition steps aren’t included.
Film Reel Relic: Pack-a-Punch requirements and scorestreak trial
- Effect: Players can only carry one Pack-a-Punch weapon.
- Availability: You must be on Cursed Tier 1 or higher, and you can get it on any Round.
To obtain the Film Reel Relic, you simply need to Pack-a-Punch 10 different weapons in a single match. You can use the Pack-a-Punch machine, or an upgrade Crystal from T.E.D.D. Tasks and Mr. Peek’s Eggs. The key requirement is that those 10 Pack-a-Punched weapons must all be different — packing the same weapon three times does not count toward the total. When you’ve successfully Pack-a-Punched 10 unique weapons, you’ll hear Mr. Peeks laugh.
To make the process smoother, use Mule Kick so you can keep a third gun slot for “burner” weapons while you buy and upgrade new options. For Essence farming, a shotgun such as the Echo 12 or the Akita can rack up thousands of points with only a few zombies.
The Film Reel Relic portal can be found in the Tea Garden. The trial requires you to kill zombies using specific scorestreaks only. Those scorestreaks are shown on your HUD, so don’t rely on guesswork—confirm you’re using the correct ones. Also be sure you have plenty of Salvage available to purchase additional scorestreaks from the Crafting Table.
Dragon Egg, Mannequin Turret: the long quest and the Round 60 challenge
Dragon Egg Relic: long process, murder mystery, and three symbols
- Effect: Elite and Special zombies that would normally spawn during regular rounds become randomized.
- Availability: You must be on Cursed Tier 2 or higher, and you can get it on any Round.
The Dragon Egg Relic is described as the longest Relic to chase, but you won’t need to reach Round 60. To start it, first complete every step of the main easter egg until you can solve the murder mystery. You must solve the murder mystery on your first attempt—if you fail, an Oni will spawn—so consider saving and quitting if you’re worried about messing up.
Once you finish the murder mystery and defeat the Onryo miniboss, you can find the Path of Sorrows katana in the Pack-a-Punch room. After that, you’ll need to scan the map for blue Japanese symbols. When you find a symbol, press R3 to parry an Oni’s lightning bolt attack; your sword will absorb the electricity, and then you should strike the symbol. Repeat the lightning-parry and symbol hit cycle for all three symbols.
The symbols referenced in the guide appear in a specific order for how you should hit them with the charged sword, but the exact locations may vary depending on your match.
If you successfully hit all three symbols correctly, Mr. Peeks will laugh and a portal will appear upstairs in the Onsen Baths. The trial is a survival challenge across Mr. Peeks’ six tiers of insanity, which take place in this order:
- Wave 1: Assault Wave at the Flower Garden.
- Wave 2: Locate Mr. Peeks in the Gatehouse and kill 2 HVT Abominations.
- Wave 3: Escort Mr. Peeks to the Keep (the escort starts at the Central Courtyard).
- Wave 4: Kill all Oni using the charged Oninikubami. Absorb the lightning attacks using the Path of Sorrows with R3, then hit the targets while the sword is charged.
- Wave 5: Kill Doppelghasts in the Ash Storm in the Central Courtyard.
- Wave 6: Defeat the Nyxara final boss within 11 minutes. In the first phase, activate all three flag spots—you can’t just activate one.
Mannequin Turret Relic: Round 60-only conditions and healing rules
- Effect: You begin with no armor, and you can only buy Golden Armor.
- Availability: You must be on Cursed Tier 2 or higher, and you must reach Round 60.
For the Mannequin Turret Relic, the main requirement is reaching Round 60 and not failing any Assault Wave round. These special rounds are when zombies start pressuring the statues and then the flag. If you think you’re going to fail an Assault Wave, the guide advises you to save, quit, and reload.
On Round 60, Mr. Peeks will laugh and you can find the portal inside the War Room. During the trial, health regeneration is disabled, but you’ll heal at the end of each wave. That said, Light Mend and Stims still heal you, so make sure you bring and use them.
