Castlevania, known in Japan as Akumajō Dracula, is a video game series and media franchise created by Konami. The series takes place mainly in the castle of Count Dracula, a powerful enemy of the Belmont clan, a group of hunters who fight vampires.
The first game in the series was released in 1986 for Nintendo’s Famicom Disk System. Most of the early games in the series are side-scrolling action platformers, where players move side to side while fighting enemies. In 1997, the game Castlevania: Symphony of the Night was released for the PlayStation. This game brought back a style of play first seen in Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest, where players could explore different areas in any order. It also added elements from role-playing games. Later games used this style of play, which helped create the Metroidvania genre, a type of game also popularized by Super Metroid. 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, including early video game systems, modern consoles, and mobile phones. The franchise has grown to include other games, comic books, and a TV show that many people praise.
Over nearly 40 years, Castlevania has become one of Konami’s most popular and successful franchises. Many of its games are considered some of the best video games ever made. People who review the series often say its success comes from combining action, adventure, and horror elements. The games are also known for their challenging gameplay, detailed environments, and memorable music.
Games
Castlevania games have been released in many countries, including Japan, North America, Europe, and Australia. They are available on video game consoles, personal computers, and mobile phones. Some games have been remade or re-released on different platforms.
The first console game, Castlevania, was released in 1986 on the Famicom Disk System in Japan and in North America on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in 1987. It 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 released 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 had different rules, such as requiring players to find exits to move forward. In 1987, Castlevania II: Simon's Quest changed gameplay compared to the first game, offering a map where players could explore freely, similar to the game Metroid.
Haunted Castle (1988), the first arcade game, returned to the linear side-scrolling style of the original Castlevania. This style continued with the first Game Boy game, 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), for the Wii.
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 the same year, 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, featuring audio and spoken dialogue. Its content was reused in Castlevania: Dracula X (1995) for the SNES. 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 introduced a map where players could explore freely, similar to games like Simon's Quest and Metroid. These changes influenced later games, such as Circle of the Moon, Harmony of Dissonance, and Aria of Sorrow (2001–2003). 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, Castlevania for the Nintendo 64, was released in 1999 by Konami's Kobe branch. It had an expansion called Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness. In 2003, Lament of Innocence was released for the PlayStation 2, featuring combat similar to Devil May Cry. It was followed by Castlevania: Curse of Darkness in 2005.
A new version of the series, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow (2010), was developed by MercurySteam and co-produced by Hideo Kojima. It had two sequels: 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 game before Konami shifted focus to mobile games and gambling in the 2010s.
In 2021, rumors suggested Konami was working on a new version of the series after refocusing on PC and console games. In 2024, a remake of Haunted Castle, called Haunted Castle Revisited, was included in the Castlevania Dominus Collection. A new game, Castlevania: Belmont's Curse, is set to release in 2026.
The series has many spin-offs. The first was Kid Dracula (1990), a parody game for the Famicom. It was released in English in the Castlevania Anniversary Collection (2019) and had a sequel for the Game Boy.
Castlevania Judgment (2008) was the first fighting game, released for the Wii. Castlevania: Harmony of Despair (2010) was an online multiplayer game where players could use characters from previous games.
Other games were made for mobile phones, such as Castlevania: Order of Shadows (2007) and Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls (2019) for iOS.
Arcade and slot machines based on the series have been created. Castlevania: The Arcade (2009) is a light gun shooter available in Japan and Europe. The Japanese-exclusive Pachislot Akumajō Dracula series includes games based on Dracula's Curse and Lords of Shadow.
Castlevania characters and elements have appeared in other Konami games, such as Konami Wai Wai World, Contra: Hard Corps, and Bomberman R. They also appear in games made by other companies, such as Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Dead Cells, and Vampire Survivors.
Common elements
Castlevania, released for the NES in 1986, is a side-scrolling game where the player controls Simon Belmont, who explores six levels of Dracula's castle. Each level is divided into six blocks of three stages. Simon moves by jumping on platforms and climbing stairs to advance. He has a health meter that decreases when he touches enemies or hazards. Losing all health, falling off-screen, or running out of time causes him to lose a life. The game ends when all lives are lost, 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, each with their own health meter that must be defeated using Simon's attacks. Simon uses the Vampire Killer whip, which becomes stronger by collecting upgrades hidden in candles. These upgrades increase the whip's length and damage, letting Simon attack enemies from farther away. He can also use other weapons, such as throwing knives, holy water, and a cross that returns like a boomerang, using hearts collected from enemies.
Castlevania's gameplay influenced many games, but Castlevania II: Simon's Quest (1987) introduced role-playing features, such as exploring a map, revisiting areas, and interacting with villagers who give hints or sell items using hearts. This game also lets Simon gain experience points to increase his level and health. In 1997, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night expanded on these ideas, allowing non-linear exploration and a more complex system for leveling up. The main character, Alucard, can transform into a bat, wolf, or mist to access new areas and use a variety of equipment.
The first 3D version of Castlevania (1999) on the Nintendo 64 had different gameplay, including a targeting system for combat with two characters, Reinhardt and Carrie. The environment required precise jumping on 3D platforms and navigating dangerous areas, such as a hedge maze where players must run from an enemy. In 2003, Lament of Innocence focused on a central hub system, letting players access five areas from the start and unlock the final area by defeating bosses. This game introduced fluid combat combos with the Whip of Alchemy. In 2010, Lords of Shadow added up to 40 unlockable whip combos, including direct and area attacks, and tools for exploration like climbing walls and swinging across gaps. It also featured large boss battles against titans, where players use the Combat Cross to disable them.
The Castlevania series includes characters from horror films by Universal Pictures and Hammer Film Productions. The games feature zombies, werewolves, Frankenstein's monster, and Count Dracula. Alucard, introduced in Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse, is based on the 1943 film Son of Dracula. The games also include folklore creatures like Medusa and references to literary horror, such as Dracula by Bram Stoker and Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu.
Most Castlevania games take place in Dracula's castle, which he resurrects every 100 years to take over the world. Players typically control the Belmonts, a family 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 fights Dracula alongside Trevor Belmont, and Sypha Belnades, a vampire hunter who joins Trevor and later marries him. Later games feature descendants of the Belnades clan, like Carrie Fernandez and Yoko Belnades, as playable characters.
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is a reboot set in medieval Europe. The main character, Gabriel Belmont, is a holy knight fighting the Lords of Shadow to reclaim his wife's soul using the Combat Cross, a chain whip. In Mirror of Fate, Gabriel plays Dracula, the main antagonist of earlier games. 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 like Legends and Circle of the Moon from the story. This decision was criticized by fans. A 2006 bundle for Portrait of Ruin included a timeline poster that re-added these games, but Konami still excluded them from the official Japanese website. Igarashi described these games as a "subseries" rather than part of the main story.
Development
Hitoshi Akamatsu directed and created the game Castlevania for the Family Computer Disk System in 1986. The game’s credits list names inspired by famous horror movie directors, with Akamatsu listed as “Trans Fishers,” a nickname for Terence Fisher, a real-life film director. Konami, the company that made the game, did not allow real names to be used at the time to avoid other companies hiring the same people. Akamatsu wanted the game to look and feel like a movie, saying the visuals and music were made by people who wanted to create something cinematic. The main character, Simon Belmont, uses a whip because Akamatsu liked how it could push enemies away and because he admired the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark. After Castlevania’s success, it was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) as one of its first major games. The international title Castlevania was chosen instead of Akumajō Dracula because Konami’s leader in America disliked how the original title translated. Due to Nintendo’s rules about what could be shown in games, blood, nudity, and religious symbols were removed or changed in early versions.
In 1987, Akamatsu directed Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest, which had gameplay similar to Metroid. When asked about Metroid’s influence, Akamatsu said Maze of Galious, another Konami game, inspired him. His final game in the series, Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse (1989), returned to the side-scrolling action style of the original Castlevania. Because Konami’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games sold well, developers focused on creating a game that could compete with them. Simon’s Quest and Dracula’s Curse did not sell well, and Akamatsu was moved to a different job at Konami before leaving.
In 1993, three Castlevania games were being developed at the same time: Akumajō Dracula, Rondo of Blood, and Bloodlines. Rondo of Blood was the first to use CD-ROM technology and full voice acting. Its director, Toru Hagihara, later made Symphony of the Night (1997) for the PlayStation. Koji Igarashi joined as assistant director and story writer, and artist Ayami Kojima was hired to give the game a new look. Symphony of the Night changed the series by using nonlinear exploration and role-playing game elements, similar to Simon’s Quest. The game was well-received and became a surprise hit, though it did not sell as well in the United States.
The first 3D Castlevania game, Dracula 3D, was developed for the Nintendo 64 in 1997 by Konami Computer Entertainment Kobe (KCEK). It was released in 1999 as Castlevania and later got an expanded version called Legacy of Darkness. KCEK’s last game, Circle of the Moon (2001), was a launch title for the Game Boy Advance and used a gameplay style similar to Symphony of the Night. Igarashi, who was not involved, criticized Circle of the Moon. In 2002, Igarashi changed the timeline of earlier games to fix story problems, which some fans disliked. After KCEK closed in 2002, Harmony of Dissonance (2002) was released by Konami Computer Entertainment Tokyo (KCET). The Japanese versions of the games briefly used Castlevania as the title instead of Akumajō Dracula because Dracula was not always the main villain. This continued with Lament of Innocence (2003), a 3D game meant to restart the series. Konami later returned to Akumajō Dracula with Dawn of Sorrow (2005) for the Nintendo DS. Dawn of Sorrow and Portrait of Ruin (2006) used a new art style to appeal to a wider audience. This style was later changed with Order of Ecclesia (2008).
Because recent Castlevania games sold poorly, several prototypes competed to become the next game in the series. One was made by Igarashi and announced at Tokyo Game Show 2008. Another, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, was created 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 work on the game until producer David Cox showed it to Japanese leaders, who then asked Hideo Kojima, a famous game designer, to help. Igarashi’s project was canceled, and Lords of Shadow became the next Castlevania game. Directed by David Cox and Hideo Kojima, Lords of Shadow was a 3D action-adventure game with celebrity voices and an art style inspired by Guillermo del Toro’s films. It 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 less popular. An anonymous source later claimed Lords of Shadow 2 had troubled development.
In 2011, Igarashi was moved to Konami’s social games division, where he struggled to release new games as Konami focused on mobile games. He left Konami in 2014 to create Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, a game inspired by Castlevania. David Cox left soon after. Recent Castlevania games under Konami’s current business model include mobile games, pachinko, and slot machines. In 2021, rumors suggested Konami would refocus on PC and console games, including a “reimagining” of the series. A remake of Haunted Castle was included in the 2024 collection Castlevania Dominus Collection, titled Haunted Castle Revisited.
Reception and legacy
As of 2006, the Castlevania franchise had sold more than 20 million copies worldwide. By 1993, it had sold over 3.7 million copies. Most reviews of the franchise have been positive. The most praised game is Symphony of the Night for the PlayStation, which has an average score of 93 on Metacritic and 93.38% on GameRankings. The most criticized game is Judgment, with an average score of 49 on Metacritic and 52.71% on GameRankings.
Many Castlevania games have been listed among the best video games ever made. Symphony of the Night was ranked #16 on IGN’s "Top 100 Games" list and was one of the first games added to GameSpot’s "The Greatest Games of All Time" list. Both lists praised the game for successfully creating a 2D game during a time when the industry was shifting 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 for the SNES by ScrewAttack on their "Top 20 SNES Games" list. The entire Castlevania series was named the 4th best video game franchise of all time by IGN, following only Final Fantasy, The Legend of Zelda, and Mario. Super Castlevania IV and Symphony of the Night were highlighted as standout titles. Aria of Sorrow was named the 2nd best game for the Game Boy Advance and listed as a must-buy for the system by the same website. Castlevania, Super Castlevania IV, and Aria of Sorrow were included on Nintendo Power’s "Top 200 Games" list. Trivia about the series was also featured 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 appearance is different from how he looks 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, who came from the Metroid series. Dracula, called "the Count" in the show, was a villain in Captain N. Alucard also appeared in one episode, but he was shown as a defiant skateboarding teenager.
Several books and comics were created based on the Castlevania series. Worlds of Power, a book series from the 1990s, included a story about Simon's Quest, written by Christopher Howell and produced by Seth Godin. This story changed the original game’s plot and added 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 a graphic novel titled Castlevania: The Belmont Legacy, based on Castlevania: The Adventure. The novel was written by Marc Andreyko and illustrated by E. J. Su. A two-volume manga adaptation called Castlevania: Curse of Darkness, based on the PlayStation 2 game, was published in Japan from 2005 to 2006 and released in English in 2008. A cellphone comic book version of Lament of Innocence was released in Japan from 2007 to 2008 for 40 episodes.
A toy line featuring characters from the Castlevania series 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 called Castlevania from 2017 to 2021. The show had four seasons and 32 episodes. The first two seasons were based on Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse and followed characters Trevor Belmont, Alucard, and Sypha Belnades as they fought Dracula to protect Wallachia. Later seasons included 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 an unproduced Castlevania movie in 2007. The show’s art style was inspired by anime and the work of artist Ayami Kojima. Animation was provided 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 show includes elements from Castlevania: Rondo of Blood. The second season of Castlevania: Nocturne began 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 for the project was created by DIC Animation City. However, only segments based on Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda were made and aired in 1989 as The Super Mario Bros. Super Show!.
A Castlevania movie was planned in the late 2000s. However, in December 2007, Rogue Pictures stopped working on the film due to a writers’ strike. Later, the studio was sold to Relativity Media, and concerns about a screen actors’ guild strike also affected the project. On May 27, 2009, the Castlevania movie was officially canceled.