Castlevania ( / ˌ k æ s əl ˈ v eɪ n i ə / ), called Akumajō Dracula in Japan, is a dark and scary adventure video game series and related media created by Konami. The series mostly takes place in the castle of Count Dracula, who is the main enemy of the Belmont family, a group of vampire hunters.
The series began with a 1986 video game on Nintendo's Famicom Disk System. The first game and many of its follow-ups are side-scrolling action platformers, where players move side to side while jumping and fighting. In 1997, the game Castlevania: Symphony of the Night was released for the PlayStation. It brought back a style of gameplay first seen in Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, which also added role-playing features and exploration. Later games used this style, and along with Super Metroid, helped create the Metroidvania genre. In 2010, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, a 3D action-adventure game made by MercurySteam and Kojima Productions, was released. This game started a new version of the series.
The Castlevania series has been released on many platforms, from older systems to modern consoles and handheld devices like mobile phones. The franchise has also expanded into other games, comic books, and an animated television series that received high praise.
Over nearly 40 years, Castlevania has become one of Konami's most popular and well-known franchises. Many of its games are considered among the best ever made. Reviews have noted the series' success because of its mix of action, adventure, and horror elements. It is also praised for its difficult but fun gameplay, detailed settings, and memorable music.
Games
Most Castlevania games have been released in Japan, North America, Europe, and Australia on video game consoles, personal computers (PC), and mobile phones. These games have also been remade or re-released on different platforms.
The first console version of Castlevania was released in 1986 on the Famicom Disk System in Japan and in North America in 1987 on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). This game is a 2D side-scrolling action game where players complete six stages. Many features of the Castlevania series began with this game. It has been made available on many platforms, including the NES Classic Edition. In 1986, a different version called Vampire Killer was released for the MSX home computer. This game played differently from the original Castlevania. Players had to find the exit to move to the next stage. In 1987, Castlevania II: Simon's Quest changed the gameplay style from the first game. It allowed players to explore a world map freely, similar to the game Metroid, and included role-playing elements.
Haunted Castle (1988) was the first Castlevania game for arcades. It returned to the side-scrolling gameplay of the original. This style continued with the first handheld Game Boy version, Castlevania: The Adventure, and the NES sequel, Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, both released in 1989. Dracula's Curse added new stages and multiple playable characters. The Adventure had a Game Boy sequel, Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge (1992), and a remake, Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth (2009), developed by M2 for the WiiWare service.
The first 16-bit home console game, Super Castlevania IV, was released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) in 1991. A Castlevania game for the X68000 home computer was released in Japan in 1993 and later released in English as Castlevania Chronicles (2001) for the PlayStation. In 1993, Castlevania: Rondo of Blood was released for the PC Engine. It was not translated into English until it was included in Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles (2007) for the PlayStation Portable. Rondo of Blood was the first Castlevania game on a CD-ROM and featured full voice acting. Its content was reused in Castlevania: Dracula X, a game for the SNES in 1995. Castlevania: Bloodlines (1994) was the first Castlevania game for the Sega Genesis. It was not re-released until 2019 as part of the Castlevania Anniversary Collection.
In 1997, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night was released for the PlayStation, and Castlevania Legends was released for the Game Boy. Symphony of the Night changed gameplay by adding role-playing elements and a map players could explore freely, similar to earlier games like Simon's Quest and Metroid. These changes influenced later games, including Circle of the Moon, Harmony of Dissonance, and Aria of Sorrow, released between 2001 and 2003. Aria of Sorrow had a sequel, Dawn of Sorrow (2005), for the Nintendo DS, followed by Portrait of Ruin (2006) and Order of Ecclesia (2008).
The first 3D Castlevania game was developed by Konami's Kobe branch and released for the Nintendo 64 in 1999. It was called Castlevania and had an expansion called Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness. In 2003, Lament of Innocence was released for the PlayStation 2. It had combat-focused gameplay similar to Devil May Cry and God of War. This was followed by Castlevania: Curse of Darkness in 2005.
A new version of the Castlevania series began with Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (2010), a 3D action game developed by MercurySteam and co-produced by Hideo Kojima. It was followed by Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate (2013) for the Nintendo 3DS and Lords of Shadow 2 (2014). Lords of Shadow 2 was the last mainline Castlevania game before Konami focused on mobile games and gambling in the 2010s.
In 2021, rumors started that Konami was developing a new version of the series after shifting focus back to PC and console games. In 2024, a remake of Haunted Castle called Haunted Castle Revisited was included in the Castlevania Dominus Collection. It was developed by M2, who previously worked on The Adventure ReBirth. A new game, Castlevania: Belmont's Curse, is being developed by Evil Empire and Motion Twin and is expected to release in 2026.
Castlevania has inspired many spin-off games. The first was Kid Dracula (1990), a parody game for the Famicom. It was released in English for the Castlevania Anniversary Collection (2019) and had a sequel for the Game Boy.
The first Castlevania fighting game, Castlevania Judgment, was released for the Wii in 2008 and developed by Eighting. Castlevania: Harmony of Despair (2010) was an online multiplayer game where players could control characters from past Castlevania games and explore stages.
Many Castlevania games have been made for mobile phones. Castlevania: Order of Shadows was released by Konami Mobile in 2007. Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls was released for iOS on September 19, 2019, through Apple Arcade.
Arcade and slot machine games based on Castlevania have also been made. Castlevania: The Arcade (2009) is a light gun shooter with an LED remote, available in Japan and Europe. The Japanese-exclusive Pachislot Akumajō Dracula series includes pachislot games released between 2009 and 2017. The first three games are based on Dracula's Curse, while the fourth is based on the Lords of Shadow reboot and was released in 2017.
Castlevania characters and elements have appeared in other Konami games, such as the Konami Wai Wai World series, Contra: Hard Corps, and Bomberman R. They have
Common elements
Castlevania, released for the NES in 1986, is a platform game where the player controls Simon Belmont. He moves through six levels of Dracula’s castle, each divided into six blocks of three stages. Simon jumps across platforms and climbs stairs to reach new stages. He has a health meter that decreases when he touches enemies or hazards. If he loses all health, falls off-screen, or runs out of time, he loses a life. The game ends when all lives are used, but players can restart from the last checkpoint. Collecting points increases the score and can earn extra lives. Each level ends with a boss battle against one of Dracula’s monsters. Simon uses the Vampire Killer whip, which becomes stronger by collecting upgrades hidden in candles. These upgrades let him attack enemies from farther away with more damage. He can also use other weapons like throwing knives, holy water, and a cross that returns to him after being thrown.
Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest (1987) introduced elements from role-playing games, which was different from the first game’s strict platforming format. Instead of moving through levels in a fixed order, players could explore a world map, revisit areas, and interact with a changing environment that includes day and night cycles. Villagers give hints, and merchants sell items using hearts collected from enemies. Players earn experience points to increase Simon’s level and health. In 1997, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night expanded on these ideas, allowing non-linear exploration. Players must collect specific items to access new areas. The game added a more complex system for leveling up and included abilities like transforming into a bat, wolf, or mist to explore hidden places. Alucard, the main character, can use a variety of equipment.
The first 3D version of Castlevania (1999) on the Nintendo 64 had gameplay different from earlier 2D games. Two playable characters, Reinhardt and Carrie, use a targeting system to fight enemies. The environment required precise jumping on 3D platforms and navigating dangerous areas, such as rotating and crumbling platforms. The game also included survival horror elements, like escaping an enemy in a maze. In 2003, Lament of Innocence focused on a central hub system, letting players access five main areas from the start. Progress required defeating bosses to unlock the final area. Players could chain attacks into combos using the Whip of Alchemy. In 2010, Lords of Shadow introduced up to 40 unlockable whip combos, including direct and area attacks. The whip also helps with exploration, like climbing walls or swinging across gaps. The game features large boss battles against titans, where players use the Combat Cross to disable them.
The Castlevania series includes characters and monsters from Universal Pictures and Hammer Film Productions. The creator, Hitoshi Akamatsu, wanted players to feel like they were in a classic horror film. Zombies, werewolves, Frankenstein’s monster, and Count Dracula appear often. Alucard, introduced in Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse, is named after the character from the 1943 film Son of Dracula. The games also feature folklore monsters like Medusa and references to literary horror. Castlevania: Bloodlines includes events from Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and Carmilla is based on the 1872 novel Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu.
Most Castlevania games take place in Count Dracula’s castle, which he resurrects every 100 years to take over the world. Players usually control the Belmonts, a clan of vampire hunters who use the Vampire Killer whip to defeat Dracula. In Castlevania: Bloodlines, the whip is inherited by John Morris, a descendant of the Belmonts. Other recurring characters include Alucard, a dhampir who helps Trevor Belmont fight his father, Dracula. Trevor is joined by Sypha Belnades, a vampire hunter who uses magic and marries Trevor. Later games feature descendants of the Belnades clan, like Carrie Fernandez and Yoko Belnades.
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is a reboot set in medieval Southern Europe. The main character, Gabriel Belmont, is a holy knight fighting the Lords of Shadow to retrieve the God Mask, which he believes can bring back his wife. In Mirror of Fate, Gabriel becomes Dracula, the main antagonist of Simon and Trevor Belmont. The sequel, Lords of Shadow 2, is set in modern times, where Dracula seeks to end his immortality.
In 2002, Koji Igarashi changed the official timeline of the series, removing some games from the story. This decision was criticized by fans. Igarashi explained that Legends conflicted with the series’ plot, and Circle of the Moon was excluded because its developers intended it as a standalone game. A 2006 pre-order bundle for Portrait of Ruin included a timeline that added some games back. However, Konami’s Japanese website still excluded them from the official story in 2007. Igarashi described these games as a “subseries.”
Development
Castlevania was directed and programmed by Hitoshi Akamatsu for the Family Computer Disk System in 1986. The game's staff roll includes names inspired by horror film icons, with Akamatsu credited as "Trans Fishers," a reference to film director Terence Fisher. This may have been because Konami did not allow the use of real names at the time to avoid other companies hiring Konami employees. Akamatsu, who loved movies, designed the game with a "film director's eye," saying the visuals and music were created by people who wanted to make something cinematic. The main character, Simon Belmont, uses a whip because Akamatsu liked how a whip could push enemies away, and because he admired the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark. After Castlevania's success, it was released in cartridge format for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) as one of its first major platform games. The international title Castlevania was chosen because Konami of America's senior vice president, Emil Heidkamp, disliked the Japanese title Akumajō Dracula, which he thought meant "Dracula's Satanic Castle." Due to Nintendo of America's censorship rules, most scenes with blood, nudity, or religious symbols were removed or changed in early Castlevania games.
Akamatsu directed Castlevania II: Simon's Quest in 1987, which used gameplay similar to Nintendo's Metroid. When asked if Metroid influenced his work, Akamatsu instead mentioned Maze of Galious, another Konami game that included exploration and puzzles. His final game in the series, Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (1989), returned to the platforming style of the original Castlevania. Because Konami's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games sold well, their development was prioritized, which led the Dracula's Curse team to create a game that would surpass them. Simon's Quest and Dracula's Curse were not commercially successful, and Akamatsu was demoted to working in one of Konami's game centers before resigning.
In 1993, three Castlevania games were developed at the same time: Akumajō Dracula, Rondo of Blood, and Bloodlines. Rondo of Blood, directed by Toru Hagihara, was the first Castlevania game made for a CD-ROM and the first to include full voice acting. Hagihara later directed Symphony of the Night (1997) for the PlayStation, with Koji Igarashi as assistant director and story writer. Artist Ayami Kojima joined the team to design new characters for the game. Igarashi said the game started as a "side story series" and aimed to take the franchise in a new direction. The gameplay changed from the original platforming style to include exploration and role-playing elements, similar to Simon's Quest. Because Simon's Quest received positive reviews, the team was able to pitch Symphony of the Night to Konami. Igarashi eventually became assistant director after Hagihara was promoted. Symphony of the Night was well-received and became a popular game, though it did not sell well in the United States due to limited marketing.
The first Castlevania game with 3D computer graphics, Dracula 3D, was developed in 1997 for the Nintendo 64 by Konami Computer Entertainment Kobe (KCEK). It was released in 1999 as Castlevania and later got an expanded version called Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness. KCEK's final Castlevania game was Circle of the Moon, released in 2001 for the Game Boy Advance. Circle of the Moon was the first game in the series to use Metroidvania gameplay, a style also seen in Symphony of the Night. Igarashi, who was not involved in the game, criticized it. In 2002, Igarashi changed the timeline of Castlevania Legends and other KCEK games to fix story conflicts, which some fans disagreed with. After KCEK was dissolved in 2002, Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance was released for the Game Boy Advance, produced by Igarashi and developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo (KCET). For a short time, Japanese games used Castlevania as the title instead of Akumajō Dracula because Count Dracula is not always the main villain. This continued with Castlevania: Lament of Innocence (2003), a 3D game that started the series over again. Konami later returned to Akumajō Dracula with Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow (2005) for the Nintendo DS. Dawn of Sorrow and Portrait of Ruin (2006) used a new art style to attract more players. This style was later changed in Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (2008).
Because recent Castlevania games sold poorly, several prototypes competed to become the next game in the series. One was a game by Igarashi, announced at Tokyo Game Show 2008, and another was Castlevania: Lords of Shadow by Spanish studio MercurySteam. Konami initially told MercurySteam the game would be an original idea, not a Castlevania title. Later, Konami asked MercurySteam to stop working on the game until producer David Cox showed it to Japanese leaders, who then offered help from designer Hideo Kojima. Igarashi said his project was not going well, and Konami canceled it, choosing Lords of Shadow as the next Castlevania game. Produced by David Cox and Hideo Kojima, Lords of Shadow was a 3D action-adventure game that changed the series' style to one inspired by filmmaker Guillermo del Toro. It featured celebrity voices, including Robert Carlyle and Patrick Stewart. Lords of Shadow was well-received and became the best-selling Castlevania game. It was followed by Mirror of Fate (2013) and Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 (2014), though the second game was not as popular. After its release, an anonymous source claimed that development on Lords of Shadow 2 was troubled.
In 2011, Igarashi moved to Kon
Reception and legacy
The Castlevania franchise sold over 20 million copies worldwide by 2006. It had sold more than 3.7 million copies by 1993. The series has mostly received positive reviews. The most praised game was Symphony of the Night for the PlayStation, which had an average score of 93 on Metacritic and 93.38% on GameRankings. The least praised game was Judgment, with scores of 49 on Metacritic and 52.71% on GameRankings.
Many Castlevania games have been listed among the best video games. Symphony of the Night ranked #16 on IGN’s “Top 100 Games” and was one of the first games featured on GameSpot’s “The Greatest Games of All Time.” Both lists praised the game for successfully creating a 2D game when the industry was moving to 3D. Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse was named the 9th best 8-bit game by GameTrailers. Super Castlevania IV was named the 11th best game of the SNES by ScrewAttack on their “Top 20 SNES Games” list.
The Castlevania series as a whole was named the 4th best video game franchise ever by IGN, behind only Final Fantasy, The Legend of Zelda, and Mario. The list highlighted Super Castlevania IV and Symphony of the Night as standout titles. Aria of Sorrow was named the 2nd best game on the Game Boy Advance and listed as a must-buy for the system by the same website.
The games Castlevania, Super Castlevania IV, and Aria of Sorrow appeared on Nintendo Power’s “Top 200 Games” list. Trivia about the series was included in the Guinness World Records: Gamer’s Edition 2008.
In other media
Simon Belmont was a main character in the animated series Captain N: The Game Master. In the show, Simon is shown as self-centered, and his look is different from how he appears in the video game series. He was part of the N-Team, a group of video game characters who protected Videoland from the villain Mother Brain from Metroid. Dracula, called "the Count" in the show, appeared as a villain. Alucard also appeared in one episode, but he was shown as a rebellious skateboarder.
Several books and comics based on the franchise have been created. Worlds of Power, a 1990s book series inspired by Nintendo games, included a novel titled Simon's Quest written by Christopher Howell. The series was produced by Seth Godin. This version changes the original story and adds new characters, such as Timothy Bradley, a junior high student who enters the world of Simon's Quest and helps Simon Belmont. In 2005, IDW Publishing released the graphic novel Castlevania: The Belmont Legacy, based on Castlevania: The Adventure. The book was written by Marc Andreyko and illustrated by E. J. Su. A two-volume manga adaptation titled Castlevania: Curse of Darkness, based on the PlayStation 2 game, was published in Japan from 2005 to 2006. It was released in English in 2008. A cellphone comic adaptation of Lament of Innocence was released in Japan from 2007 to 2008 for 40 episodes.
A toy line featuring characters from the franchise was made by NECA. It includes six figures of Simon Belmont, Alucard, Dracula, and Succubus, as well as a small Pixel Simon figure that was only available at Comic-Con 2007.
Netflix released an animated series titled Castlevania from 2017 to 2021. The series has four seasons and 32 episodes. The first two seasons are based on Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse and follow Trevor Belmont, Alucard, and Sypha Belnades as they fight Dracula to protect Wallachia. Later seasons include elements from other games, such as Castlevania: Curse of Darkness and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. The series was created by Warren Ellis, who used a script he had written for a 2007 animated film that was never made. The art style is inspired by anime and the work of Ayami Kojima. Animation was done by Frederator Studios and Powerhouse Animation Studios.
A sequel to the original Castlevania series, Castlevania: Nocturne, was released on Netflix on September 28, 2023. It follows Richter Belmont, a descendant of Trevor Belmont and Sypha Belnades, and Maria Renard in France during the French Revolution, 300 years after the original series. The series includes elements from Castlevania: Rondo of Blood. The second season of Castlevania: Nocturne premiered on January 16, 2025. Warren Ellis, the original series creator, was not involved in the new series after allegations of misconduct were made in 2020.
A Castlevania television series was planned in the late 1980s as part of Super Mario Bros. Power Hour, a block of Nintendo-themed animated shows. Concept art was created by DIC Animation City, but only Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda segments were made. These aired in 1989 as part of The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!.
A Castlevania film was planned in the late 2000s. However, in December 2007, Rogue Pictures stopped development due to a writers' strike. Later, the studio was sold to Relativity Media, and concerns about a potential actors' union strike also affected the project. On May 27, 2009, the film was officially canceled.