Dracula

"I have waited for this moment, to be awake again."

Article by: Polo
Pictured from: Castlevania: Circle of the Moon
Created by: Konami
First appearance: 1986

Bio

Historically, he was Eastern Europe's most notorious impaler. Since Bram Stoker's novel, movies and plays have contrasted his tact for seducing maidens with the painful loss of his beloved. Dracula, cult figure among vampires, further expands his fame in video games. There's the occasional cameo and/or parody platter in titles like Kid Dracula, Wai Wai World, and Ganbare Goemon 2, but more often the vampire scripts his darker, ongoing legacy in the Castlevania series.

Decked out in a tuxedo and cape, brandishing bloodthirsty fangs and piercing eyes, the Count attains "end boss"-hood, holding supremacy over death-dealers like the Grim Reaper. With a legion of undead monsters at his command, Dracula aims to terrorize the Transylvanian populace, his first step in ruling the world. Those brave enough to answer the madman's schemes are whip-crackers of the Belmont bloodline and their allies, one of which is Dracula's estranged son, Alucard. When confronted, the Count is apt to teleport near and far, releasing three fireballs at a time from his cape. But the full extent of his power remains cloaked in mystery.

A master of deception, Dracula can assume the form of not only a bat, but a painting, a hulking gargoyle, and even a draconian snake-bodied beast. Should a Belmont or other hero(ine) gain the upper hand in battle, the Count does not expect to stay down for long. Part of the vampire's nature is to rise again, and, indeed, the Prince of Darkness grows stronger and more cunning with each resurrection. With cursed heroes, possessed townsfolk, and collective evil in their hearts, one has to wonder... can Transylvania ever sleep at night?

Selected game appearances

NES

• Castlevania (1986)
• Castlevania II: Simon's Quest (1987)
• Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (1990)

MSX

• Vampire Killer (1986)

Game Boy

• Castlevania: The Adventure (1989)
• Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge (1991)
• Castlevania Legends (1997)

Super NES

• Super Castlevania IV (1991)
• Castlevania: Dracula X (1995)

X68000

• Akumajo Dracula (1993)

TurboGrafx-CD

• Akumajo Dracula X: Rondo of Blood (1993)

Genesis

• Castlevania: Bloodlines (1994)

PlayStation

• Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (1997)

Sega Saturn

• Akumajo Dracula X: Nocturne in the Moonlight (1998)

Nintendo 64

• Castlevania (1998)

Game Boy Advance

• Castlevania: Circle of the Moon (2001)
• Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance (2002)

Nintendo DS

• Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin (2006)
• Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (2008)

Wii

• Castlevania Judgment (2008)

PlayStation 3

• Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (2010)
• Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 (2014)

References

• Wikipedia - "Dracula (Castlevania)"
• The Castlevania Dungeon
• Mr. P's Castlevania Realm