You're creeping through the mud of the Lakeside Settlement, rain slicking Leon’s tactical gear, and then you hear it. That distinct, rhythmic creak-clack sound. It’s annoying. It’s mechanical. It’s the sound of a Resident Evil 4 clockwork castellan nearby, and honestly, if you aren't wearing headphones, you’re probably going to walk right past half of them. These little wind-up toys are the bane of every completionist's existence in the RE4 Remake. They aren't just there for a trophy or achievement, though the "Revolution Wind-Up" challenge is a nice flex. No, you want the Primal Knife.
The Primal Knife is basically the holy grail of melee in this game. Once you find all 16 figures—one tucked away in every single chapter—and fully upgrade that blade, it becomes indestructible. No more frantic searching for kitchen knives or watching your durability bar hit zero during a Krauser parry. But Capcom didn't make it easy. They hid these things in rafters, behind crates, and in spots you’d only look at if you were bored or desperate.
Why the Resident Evil 4 Clockwork Castellan is Actually a Pain
It’s about the audio cues. The game relies on your ears more than your eyes for these collectibles. If you’ve played the original 2005 masterpiece, you remember the blue medallions. Those were bright, vibrant, and usually out in the open. The Resident Evil 4 clockwork castellan is different. It’s small. It blends into the brownish-grey palette of the village and the castle.
The first one you’ll likely find is in Chapter 1. It’s in the Lakeside Settlement. You’ve just survived the opening village fight, you’ve met Luis, and you’re heading toward the lake. Look up. It’s sitting on a broken roof joist in the house where the Ganados are throwing dynamite. You shoot it, it explodes in a puff of smoke, and the game saves that progress globally. That’s the one mercy Capcom gave us: once you break it, it stays broken across all your save files.
Village Secrets and Verticality
Chapter 2 gets a bit more clever. After you leave the Village Chief’s Manor, you’re heading toward the Abandoned Factory. Most players are looking at the ground for bear traps. Don't do that. Well, do that so you don't lose a leg, but also look at the small shack near the wooded area before the factory. The figure is just chilling on a heap of junk.
By the time you hit Chapter 3, the game starts testing your patience. You’re near the Merchant’s dock. There’s a ladder. Go down it, turn around, and look into the darkness of the rafters. It’s there. It’s almost like the developers knew exactly where your camera wouldn't be pointing. You’ll find that as the game progresses, the verticality of the levels becomes the primary hiding spot for these wooden Ramon Salazar lookalikes.
Navigating the Mid-Game Castle Gauntlet
The Castle is where things get genuinely frustrating. The map is huge, multi-layered, and full of Zealots trying to put a scythe through your ribs. In Chapter 7, after the terrifying encounter with the Garrador in the dungeon, you'll find yourself in the Treasury. There’s a room filled with shelves and clutter. If you look on top of one of the tall cabinets, the Resident Evil 4 clockwork castellan is just sitting there, mocking you.
I missed the Chapter 8 one three times. It’s on the Castle Battlements. During the sequence where the El Gigante is lobbing boulders at you, you have to find a moment to look up at the top of a circular tower. It’s perched on the very edge. If you’re playing on Professional mode, trying to line up that shot while stones the size of minivans are raining down is... well, it’s a lot.
The nuance of these collectibles is that they reflect the area's theme. In the village, they’re in sheds. In the castle, they’re in opulent but dusty corners. In the island labs? They’re tucked behind industrial machinery and cold steel.
The Island's Dirty Little Secrets
The Island is the home stretch, but it’s also where the most missable ones live. Chapter 13 features one hidden behind a forklift near the Wharf. It’s a drab area, all concrete and rust. It’s incredibly easy to sprint past this because the game is throwing heavy soldiers and RPG-wielding enemies at you.
Then there’s Chapter 14. This one is in the campsite above the Cargo Depot. If you look inside the small control room or locker area nearby, you’ll find it. But the real "gotcha" moment is Chapter 16. The final one. It’s in the room where you have to escape after the final boss fight. You have a timer ticking down. The world is literally exploding. Most people are sprinting for the jet ski, but if you want that Primal Knife, you have to stop, look at the crates in the rectangular room filled with dying soldiers, and find the last Resident Evil 4 clockwork castellan. It's the ultimate test of nerves.
Technical Details You Shouldn't Ignore
Wait. There’s a glitch—or rather, a mechanic—some people miss. If you destroy a castellan and then die before reaching a checkpoint, does it count? Yes. The game logs the destruction to your profile immediately. However, your in-game map might not update until the next save.
Also, consider the "Small Key" economy. While not directly tied to the figures, you’ll often find castellans in the same rooms as locked drawers. If you’re hunting one, you’re usually in a prime spot for the other.
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The Primal Knife stats are worth the headache:
- Base Power: $0.80$
- Durability: $1.00$
- Exclusive Upgrade: Infinite Durability.
- Total Cost to Max: Roughly $260,000$ Pesetas.
If you’re running a New Game Plus, this knife is your best friend. It makes the "Silent Stranger" (no talking to the Merchant) or "Minimalist" (handguns and knives only) runs significantly more manageable.
Making the Hunt Easier
Honestly, don't try to find them all on your first "blind" playthrough. You’ll ruin the atmosphere. Enjoy the horror first. On your second run, when you have the Infinite Rocket Launcher or a beefed-up Red9, that’s the time to go hunting.
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Use the "Sound" settings. Turn down the music and turn up the sound effects. That clicking noise is directional. If you have spatial audio or a good 5.1 setup, you can literally hear if the figure is to your left or right. It saves an immense amount of time.
Critical Next Steps for Completionists
If you’ve missed one, don’t panic. You don’t have to restart the whole game. Since they save to your profile, you can just load a specific chapter save if you have one, find the missing figure, break it, and quit.
- Check your Challenge Menu. It will tell you exactly how many you are missing out of 16. It won't tell you which ones, but you can narrow it down by looking at your treasures per area.
- Focus on the Island. Most players miss the ones in the final three chapters because the pacing becomes so fast. Go slow in the labs.
- Save your Pesetas. You need a quarter of a million to make that Primal Knife actually useful. Don't blow all your cash on the Magnum if you plan on using the knife for a Professional S+ run.
- Listen for the mechanical ticking. It is your most reliable tool, far more than any online map.
Once you smash that 16th figure, the Primal Knife appears in your Typewriter storage. Head to the Merchant, dump your life savings into its durability, and enjoy never having to worry about a broken blade again. It fundamentally changes how you play the game, turning Leon from a survivor into a surgical machine.