Castlevania, known in Japan as Akumajō Dracula, is a gothic horror action-adventure video game series and media franchise created by Konami. The series is mostly set in the castle of Count Dracula, the main enemy of the Belmont clan, a group of vampire hunters.
The series began in 1986 with a video game released on Nintendo's Famicom Disk System. The first game and many of its later versions are side-scrolling action platformers, where players move and jump through levels. In 1997, the game Castlevania: Symphony of the Night was released for the PlayStation. This game returned to a style of play first seen in Castlevania II: Simon's Quest, which allowed players to explore freely and added role-playing elements. Later games adopted this style, which, 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 marked a new beginning for the series.
The Castlevania series has been released on many different platforms, including early systems, modern consoles, and handheld devices like mobile phones. The franchise has also expanded into other forms of media, such as comic books and an animated television series that received high praise from critics.
Over nearly four decades, Castlevania has become one of Konami's most successful and well-known franchises. Many of its games are considered among the best video games ever made. Experts say the series' success comes from its mix of action, adventure, and horror elements. It is also praised for its challenging gameplay, detailed settings, and memorable music.
Games
Most Castlevania games have been released in Japan, North America, Europe, and Australia on different video game consoles, personal computers (PC), and mobile phones. Some games have also been remade or re-released on other platforms.
The first console game, Castlevania, was released in 1986 on the Famicom Disk System in Japan and in 1987 on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) in North America. It is a 2D side-scrolling action game where players move through six stages. Many key features of the Castlevania series began with this game. It has been made available on many platforms, such as 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, as players had to find exits to move to the next stage. In 1987, Castlevania II: Simon's Quest changed the gameplay style again, moving away from the standard side-scrolling format to a more open-world style similar to the game Metroid. This version included a map that players could explore freely and revisit.
Haunted Castle (1988), the first arcade game, returned to the side-scrolling format of the original Castlevania. This style continued with the first handheld 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 allowed players to choose from multiple characters. The Adventure had a Game Boy sequel, Castlevania II: Belmont's Revenge (1992), and a remake called Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth, released in 2009 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 version for the X68000 home computer was released in Japan in 1993 and later made available 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 to use CD-ROM technology, featuring music and spoken dialogue. Its content was later used in Castlevania: Dracula X, released for the SNES in 1995. Castlevania: Bloodlines (1994) was the first Castlevania game for the Sega Genesis console. 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 new style of gameplay, including a map that players could explore freely, similar to earlier games like Simon's Quest and Metroid. Features from Symphony of the Night influenced later games, such as Circle of the Moon, Harmony of Dissonance, and Aria of Sorrow, released from 2001 to 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 Castlevania game to use 3D graphics was Castlevania for the Nintendo 64, released in 1999 by Konami's Kobe branch. It had an expansion called Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness later that year. In 2003, Lament of Innocence was released for the PlayStation 2. This game focused on combat and was compared to Devil May Cry and God of War. It was followed by Castlevania: Curse of Darkness in 2005.
A new version of the series began with Castlevania: Lords of Shadow in 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 until Konami shifted its focus to mobile games and gambling in the 2010s.
In 2021, rumors spread that 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. It was developed by M2, who previously worked on The Adventure ReBirth. A new game called Castlevania: Belmont's Curse, being developed by Evil Empire and Motion Twin, is scheduled for release in 2026.
Castlevania has inspired many spin-off games. The first was Kid Dracula (1990), a parody game for the Famicom. It was later released in English as part of the Castlevania Anniversary Collection (2019) and had a sequel for the Game Boy.
The first fighting game in the series, Castlevania Judgment, was released for the Wii in 2008 by Eighting. Castlevania: Harmony of Despair (2010) was an online multiplayer game where players could control characters from earlier Castlevania games and explore stages together.
Several Castlevania games have been made exclusively for mobile phones. Castlevania: Order of Shadows was released in 2007 by Konami Mobile. Castlevania: Grimoire of Souls was released on September 19, 2019, for iOS through Apple Arcade.
Arcade and slot machine games based on Castlevania have also been created. 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
Common elements
Castlevania, released for the NES in 1986, is a platform game where the player controls Simon Belmont. He navigates through six levels of Dracula’s castle. Each level has six sections, each with three stages. Simon moves by jumping on platforms and climbing stairs to progress. He has a health meter that decreases when he touches enemies or hazards. If Simon loses all his 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. Each boss has its own health meter that must be reduced using Simon’s attacks. Simon uses the Vampire Killer whip, which can be upgraded by collecting items hidden in candles. These upgrades make the whip longer and more powerful, allowing Simon to attack enemies from a greater distance. He can also use other weapons, such as throwing knives, holy water, and a cross that acts like a boomerang.
Castlevania’s gameplay influenced many games, but Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest, released in 1987, added role-playing elements. Unlike the first game, Simon’s Quest lets players explore a world map freely, revisit areas, and interact with a changing environment that includes day and night cycles. Villagers can give hints, and players can buy items from merchants using hearts collected from enemies. This game also introduced experience points, which let Simon gain levels and more health. In 1997, Castlevania: Symphony of the Night expanded on these ideas, setting a new standard for the series and inspiring later games. It allowed non-linear exploration, requiring players to collect items and abilities to access new areas. The game added more complex role-playing features, letting the protagonist, Alucard, improve his stats by gaining experience. Alucard can transform into a bat, wolf, or mist to explore hidden areas and use a variety of equipment.
The first 3D Castlevania game, released in 1999 for the Nintendo 64, had gameplay different from earlier 2D versions. It introduced a targeting system for combat with two playable characters, Reinhardt and Carrie. The environment played a key role, with challenges like jumping across 3D platforms and navigating dangerous areas. Some parts of the game included rotating and crumbling platforms. This version also added survival horror elements, such as a scene where the player must escape a pursuing 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 was tied to defeating bosses to unlock the final area. The combat system allowed players to perform fluid combos with the Whip of Alchemy, enabling continuous attacks. In 2010, Lords of Shadow introduced up to 40 unlockable whip combos, called the Combat Cross, which could be used for direct attacks, area attacks, and exploration. The game also featured large boss battles against titans, where players used the Combat Cross to disable them.
The Castlevania series draws inspiration from horror films by Universal Pictures and Hammer Film Productions. The creator, Hitoshi Akamatsu, wanted players to feel like they were in a classic horror movie. Characters like zombies, werewolves, Frankenstein’s monster, and Count Dracula appear frequently. Alucard, introduced in Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse, is named after a character from the 1943 film Son of Dracula. The games also include folklore and mythological creatures like Medusa and references to literary horror. Castlevania: Bloodlines directly uses events from Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and the character Carmilla is based on the 1872 novel 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 usually control the Belmonts, a family of vampire hunters who have defeated Dracula for centuries using the Vampire Killer whip. This legendary whip is passed down to their descendants and can only be used by them. In Castlevania: Bloodlines, the whip is inherited by John Morris, the son of Quincey Morris, a distant Belmont descendant. 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 by the end of the game. Later games feature descendants of the Belnades clan, like Carrie Fernandez and Yoko Belnades, as playable characters.
Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is a reboot of the series, set in medieval Southern Europe. The main character, Gabriel Belmont, is part of the Brotherhood of Light, a group of holy knights who fight supernatural creatures. Using a chain whip called the Combat Cross, Gabriel battles the Lords of Shadow to find the God Mask, which he believes can bring back his deceased wife. In Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate, Gabriel becomes Dracula, the main antagonist of Simon and Trevor Belmont. The sequel, Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2, is set in modern times, where Dracula seeks a way to end his immortality.
In 2002, the games Legends, Circle of the Moon, Castlevania (1999), and Legacy of Darkness were removed from the official timeline by Koji Igarashi, a decision that some fans criticized. Igarashi explained that Legends conflicted with the series’ story, and Circle of the Moon was excluded because its developers intended it to be a standalone game. A 2006 pre-order bundle for Portrait of Ruin included a timeline that added these
Development
Castlevania was created by Hitoshi Akamatsu for the Family Computer Disk System in 1986. The game’s credits list names inspired by famous horror movie directors, with Akamatsu credited as “Trans Fishers,” a nod to Terence Fisher, a real-life film director. Konami, the company that made the game, used these names to avoid revealing real names, which might have made it harder for other companies to hire Akamatsu. Akamatsu, who loved movies, designed the game to look and feel like a film, 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 version was named Castlevania instead of Akumajō Dracula because Konami of America’s leader, Emil Heidkamp, did not like how the original Japanese title translated. Due to Nintendo of America’s rules at the time, blood, nudity, and religious symbols were removed or changed in early versions of the game.
Akamatsu directed Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest in 1987, which had gameplay similar to Metroid. When asked if Metroid influenced his work, 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 making Dracula’s Curse better than those games. However, Simon’s Quest and Dracula’s Curse were not successful, and Akamatsu was reassigned to a different role at Konami before leaving the company.
In 1993, three Castlevania games were being 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 with 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 series. Igarashi said Symphony of the Night began as a side story but aimed to take the series in a new direction. The game used exploration and role-playing game elements, similar to Simon’s Quest. After Simon’s Quest received mixed reviews, Symphony of the Night was approved for development. Igarashi became assistant director after Hagihara was promoted. Symphony of the Night was well-received but did not sell well in the United States due to limited marketing.
The first Castlevania game with 3D graphics, Dracula 3D, was developed in 1997 for the Nintendo 64 by Konami Computer Entertainment Kobe (KCEK). It was released as Castlevania in 1999 and later expanded into Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness. KCEK’s last Castlevania game was Circle of the Moon (2001), a launch title for the Game Boy Advance. This game used a style called “Metroidvania,” which combined exploration and role-playing elements. Igarashi, who did not work on the game, criticized it. In 2002, Igarashi changed the story order of Castlevania Legends and KCEK’s games to fix conflicts, which some fans disliked. After KCEK closed 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 instead of Akumajō Dracula as the title because Count Dracula is not always the main villain. This continued with Castlevania: Lament of Innocence (2003), a 3D game meant to restart the series. 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 for Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia (2008).
Because recent Castlevania games sold poorly, several prototypes competed to become the next game. One was a project by Igarashi announced at Tokyo Game Show 2008, and another was Castlevania: Lords of Shadow, made by Spanish studio MercurySteam. Konami initially said Lords of Shadow would be an original game, but later asked MercurySteam to stop work until producer David Cox showed Konami’s leaders the game. Cox then asked Hideo Kojima, a famous game designer, to help with the project. Igarashi’s project was canceled, and Lords of Shadow became the next Castlevania game. Produced by Cox and Kojima, Lords of Shadow was a 3D action-adventure game with celebrity voice actors, including Robert Carlyle and Patrick Stewart. Its art style was inspired by Guillermo del Toro’s films. Lords of Shadow was well-received and became the best-selling Castlevania game. It was followed by two sequels, Mirror of Fate (2013) and Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 (2014), though the second game was not as well-received. An anonymous source later claimed that Lords of Shadow 2 had troubled development.
In 2011, Igarashi was moved to Konami’s social 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 Konami shortly after. Recent Castlevania games under Konami’s
Reception and legacy
As of 2006, the Castlevania franchise had sold over 20 million copies worldwide. By 1993, it had sold more than 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 least praised game is Judgment, with an average score of 49 on Metacritic and 52.71% on GameRankings.
Many Castlevania games have been included on lists of the best video games. Symphony of the Night ranked #16 on IGN’s "Top 100 Games" list and was among the first games featured on GameSpot’s "The Greatest Games of All Time." 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.
As a whole, the 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. IGN highlighted Super Castlevania IV and Symphony of the Night 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 all included on Nintendo Power’s "Top 200 Games" list. Information 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 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 from Metroid. 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 rebellious teenager who liked skateboarding.
Several books and comic adaptations have been made about the characters. Worlds of Power, a 1990s book series based on Nintendo games, included a novel about Simon's Quest written by Christopher Howell. The series was created by Seth Godin. This story is different from the original game and introduces new characters, such as Timothy Bradley, a junior high student who becomes a video game player and helps Simon Belmont in the story. In 2005, IDW Publishing released a graphic novel titled Castlevania: The Belmont Legacy, based on Castlevania: The Adventure. The book was written by Marc Andreyko and drawn 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 translated into English and released in 2008. In 2003, the novel Lament of Innocence was adapted into a cellphone comic book, released in Japan from 2007 to 2008 for 40 episodes.
A toy line featuring characters from the Castlevania franchise was made by NECA. It includes six figures of Simon Belmont, Alucard, Dracula, and Succubus. A small Pixel Simon figure was only available as a promotional item at Comic-Con 2007.
Netflix released an animated series titled Castlevania as part of its original programming 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 characters 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 Castlevania film in 2007. The art style of the show is inspired by anime and the work of Ayami Kojima. Animation was provided by Frederator Studios and Powerhouse Animation Studios.
A sequel to the original Castlevania show, titled Castlevania: Nocturne, was released on Netflix on September 28, 2023. The series 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 story. It is based on 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.
In the late 1980s, a Castlevania television series was planned as part of Super Mario Bros. Power Hour, a one-hour animation block featuring Nintendo video game adaptations. Concept art for the project was created by DIC Animation City. However, only segments about Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda were produced and 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 developing the film due to a writers' strike. Later, the studio was sold to Relativity Media, and the possibility of a screen actors' guild strike also affected the project. On May 27, 2009, the Castlevania film was officially canceled.